review

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 6 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Zingerman’s Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This restaurant serves local favorites from all over the US, including grits from South Carolina, crab cakes from Maryland, and BBQ from Carolina.

Zingerman's Roadhouse Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Recognize these two handsome dudes? 🙂

Dora here. Don’t let that picture above fool you. Inside, the place was jammed on a Saturday night, and the picture below is only a small portion of the large restaurant. Even so, our server was friendly and didn’t appear rushed or harried, even offered some helpful recommendations. Kudos!

Zingerman's Roadhouse Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

No empty tables on a Saturday night!

For my dinner, I chose the Chicken Fried Steak, sirloin, breaded and fried, and smothered with chicken gravy. It came with grits, yellow mustard slaw, and bacon braised collard greens. This meal was outstanding. The steak was super tender, adequately breaded, and the gravy was just thick enough to stick to the steak. The sides were great with the greens having that great bacon flavor and the perfect amount of bite.

Zingerman's Roadhouse Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Fried Steak-outstanding!

Dora here. According to our server, their Fried Chicken Macaroni and Cheese started off as a seasonal dish and was only supposed to stay on the menu for a short time. Ten years later…I can see why it became a regular favorite! This is probably the best mac and cheese I have ever tasted! Thick chunks of tender chicken (mostly white meat–which I prefer), the pasta cooked to the right firmness, and the bechamel divine! If that wasn’t good enough, they go the extra mile and add a nice char to the top. Excellent choice! Go for the large, even if you have to take some home. You’ll thank me later. 🙂

Zingerman's Roadhouse, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Ernie & Dora Hiers

Fried Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, some of the best I have ever tasted!

How do you like your macaroni and cheese? Any particular ingredients you like added?

We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.

Zingerman's Roadhouse Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

/ Dora Hiers / 9 Comments

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Frita Batidos, a Cuban inspired street food restaurant, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Growing up in Tampa, Florida, I have been to many Cuban restaurants, but I can say, I have never been to one like this, with such a modern take on Cuban food.

Frita Batidos Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Don’t come with expectations. This place is different from any Cuban restaurant we’ve visited, but it’s all good.

Dora here. Don’t come to Frita Batidos expecting entrees that you’d find in your favorite Cuban restaurant. No Palomilla Steak here. But their fritas (Cuban burgers) and batidos (milkshakes made with sweetened milk, ice, and fresh fruit) enticed us to give them a try. Get here early. Our son has visited a few times when the line to order ran all the way to the back of the restaurant and then back out the door. The relatively small interior is set up with long picnic tables.

Frita Batidos Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Get here early. Our son tells us that the line runs all the way to the restroom and then back out the door.

For an appetizer, we chose the Twice Fried Ripe Plantains, fried but still soft and creamy on the inside. They were topped with a garlic mojo and it was hard to stop eating them.

Frita Batidos Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Twice Fried Ripe Plantains Appetizer

For lunch, I chose the Inspired Cuban Combo, which included half of the ‘Inspired Cuban’ plus the ‘Best Snack Ever’ (layered coconut-ginger rice, black beans, melted Muenster, & cilantro-lime salsa). This sandwich was made with pork and ham and served on Cuban bread, but without all the condiments like the sandwiches I remember, still great. All of the ingredients of the Best Snack Ever mixed well to create a thick combination of rice, beans and cheese.

Frita Batidos Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Inspired Cuban Combo

Dora here. I ordered a Chicken Frita with a side of tropical slaw, but they loaded it all on the bun, which was fine. The bun was soft and light. The chorizo in the chicken patty gave it a little zing. The sandwich was flavorful and filling, and I would definitely order it again.

Frita Batidos Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Chicken Frita with side of Tropical Slaw. Flavorful and filling!

Still Dora. If coconut’s on the menu, I’m more than likely going to try it. And a Coconut Cream Batido? I’m all over it! Check it out! Thick, creamy, and coconut-ty! Delicious! 

Frita Batidos Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Coconut Cream Batido

A bit pricey, I think, but considering we left with full and happy bellies, it’s all good. Frita Batidos definitely made it on our “must go back” list.

What’s your favorite milkshake flavor?

Frita Batidos Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Excited about Reading: Love’s Unfading Light

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments

Do you ever get in reading slumps? It seems I’ve been in and out of one for a couple of years now. But, as a writer, I’m finding it increasingly challenging to dive into reading a book and getting involved with characters when I’m so invested in my own characters and their story. So, I tend to read less while I’m working on a book. And, HELLO, when am I not writing?? Can any of my writer friends relate?

But I just finished Love’s Unfading Light by Naomi Rawlings and knew I needed to tell you all about it. I snatched it up when it was free on Amazon and finally opened it, but it didn’t take long for the main and secondary characters to draw me into their circle and for me to feel as if I stood on the shore of Lake Superior under the lighthouse in Eagle Harbor, Michigan, in 1880.

Excited about Reading Love's Unfading Light Fiction Faith & Foodies book review Dora Hiers

The author did a great job of bringing the setting to life during the early stages of the US Lifesaving Service.

“The wind whipping across the lake, the waves froth-tipped and vicious, and the North Star caught in the uncontrollable swells.”

Can’t you just picture a boat being tossed about without any hope of rescue?

Tressa, a widow from a loveless marriage, left with a son, a bakery and a tremendous amount of debt. After her husband’s death, she seemed to do a decent job supporting her and her son, until a robbery unleashes all her dead husband’s creditors to conspire against her. Poor woman lost ground fast. Just thinking about her circumstances makes me so grateful that I wasn’t born in that time period. And Mac, an assistant lightkeeper, willingly sacrificed everything for her without expecting anything in return. Without coming across as preachy, Mac modeled Christ’s love for us.

Although subtle, Love’s Unfading Light packs a powerful message tucked inside those pages. Like how we judge others based on their associations. How sometimes we’re certain we’re following God’s path for our lives, but then He turns us around and points us in a different direction. How God has the power to transform an impossible situation into a blessing. I can’t wait to dig into Love’s Every Whisper, Elijah and Victoria’s story!

To Ponder: Sometimes we can’t see the bigger picture, the whole truth regarding our circumstances, but God knows. Do we accept the current situation as truth and allow the bleakness to overwhelm us or do we look past the circumstances to trust the God who loves us with a limitless love?

At the time of this posting, Love’s Unfading Light was still free on Amazon. Purchase here.

Disclaimer: I purchased my own copy of Love’s Unfading Light when it was free on Amazon. This review is my fair and unbiased opinion, and I was in no way compensated.