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Friday, August 20, 2010
Food News Get bragging rights from Revolution's pizza contest
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 9:45 AM
Revolution Pizza and Ale House is hosting a pizza making contest. No, you don't have to actually have dough tossing skills to enter, but rather design a tasty pie.
The contest is called Pizzas for the People by the People. They're rolling out a new menu, and are inviting everyone to design a specialty pie to submit for the contest. Six creative pies will be chosen for the menu and winners will get to name their creations. To enter, submit your pie to info@revolutionpizza.com. Submissions must be in by September 5.
Revolution Pizza and Ale House
3228 North Davidson Street
Charlotte, NC 28205-1034
Best I've Had All Week Best I’ve Had All Week: Green Duck Curry at Thai Orchid
Posted By Tricia Childress on Fri, Aug 20, 2010 at 9:29 AM
There is something reassuring about going in to a spot you’ve been to many times and being consistently pleased each of those times.
Thai Orchid, which opened in 1994, in south Charlotte’s Strawberry Hill Shopping Center, is the kind of place which eschews subtle tastes for powerful Thai flavors.
One of their summer specials is a green curry, a fragrant faintly-green dish with a medley of delicious Japanese eggplant rounds paired with quite tasty strips of tender duck – an intriguing mix of flavors and textures.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Mouthful Homemade tortillas coming to Center City
Posted By Tricia Childress on Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 3:58 PM
I am delighted to receive a press release from Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina, scheduled to open in the EpiCentre this September.
Vida will offer “traditional, regional and (Mexican) contemporary cuisine.” What is hopeful here is the statement: “every great Mexican dish begins with homemade tortillas.”
Chef Chris Swinyard will use North Carolina white corn exclusively - with no preservatives - to make his corn tortillas, and will also make flour tortillas on site as well. But will Vida serve puffy tacos? I guess I’ll just have to wait until September.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai / Dessert Creme brulee cheesecake cupcakes
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 3:50 PM
My cupcake hiatus is over. I just can't do it. It was cupcake craziness and I had decided to take a break from making any more baby cakes, but I really can't help myself anymore.
Inspired by the creme brulee cheesecake from Capital Grille, I created the dessert in cupcake form. The original dessert is a mini cheesecake with a crisp bruleed (French for "burned cream") top.
My cupcake version has a caramel cake base to reflect the caramel flavor of the brulee topping. For the cheesecake portion, I went with a cream cheese buttercream frosting. And for the crunch of the hard caramel bruleed layer, I wound spun sugar around the frosting to create a nest of caramelized sugar.
Working with spun sugar is a bit messy and complicated, but the results are beautiful.
So, as you can see, I'm still stuck on cupcakes. Are you? Do you think they are part of a dying fad? Is the cupcake bubble about to burst?
Some say whoopie pies are the new cupcake, others say doughnuts are the new cupcake. What do you think?
[poll id = "4"]
Read on for the recipe...
Friday, August 13, 2010
Food News Taco Mac opens Monday, Aug. 30
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 5:11 PM
Hey, Taco Mac fans. I know you've been waiting for this news.
Taco Mac will be opening on Monday, Aug. 30 in Piedmont Town Center in SouthPark for their VIP grand opening party.
Known for their extensive beer list and and buffalo wings, the restaurant which originated in Atlanta has quite a loyal following.
Taco Mac
4625 Piedmont Row Dr.
Bldg. E Ste. 100
Charlotte, Nort Carolina 28210
Food News Grand opening of 15 North on Thursday, Aug. 26
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 4:44 PM
Chef Brett McKee of Oak Steakhouse and 17 North, both in the Charleston area, will be opening his restaurant 15 North Roadside Kitchen in Charlotte on Thursday, Aug. 26.
15 North is part of the family of "Roadside Kitchen" restaurants that Chef McKee is opening up. RS Kitchens is based on the concept that we each travel down a "road" to get where we are today, which is full of memories ... food memories. Whether it be dishes we grew up on, or international dishes our grandparents grew up on, 15 North's menu hopes to bring back those memories. The dishes on the menu are inspired by local demographics and also by suggestions of guests.
I took a gander at their menu and I've already marked all the dishes I can't wait to sink my teeth into. Being a New England girl, I look forward to their Maine Lobster Rolls, which come two to an order, and are served with grilled speckled corn. And what is the Bomba di Riso? A dome of duck and veggies? I'm intrigued... please tell me more...
The most awesome thing on the menu is the Roadside Dessert Burger. This so-called burger consists of "Krispy Kreme Donut, Chocolate Pate, Mango Gelato, Sliced Strawberries & Kiwi. Served with Puff Pastry Fries, Raspberry Coulis, and Crème Anglaise." Shut. the. front. door.
Actually, the Three Times The Cup Cake sounds pretty amazing as well... Ok, who am I kidding, I've basically highlighted and post-it marked up the majority of the menu already.
Take a look for yourself – the menu is posted on the next page.
15 North Roadside Kitchen
1319 Montford Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28209
www.15northroadsidekitchen.com
Monday - Thursday: 4 - 11 pm
Friday and Saturday: 4 - 12 am
Sun: Brunch 11 - 2 pm, Dinner 4 - 11 pm
Smorgasbord / Priscilla Tsai Photos from Wow Factor Cakes' debut party
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 2:50 PM
I was wowed by the beautiful assortment of cakes and cake pops at Wow Factor Cake's debut party last night.
Walking into their cake shop, located on Central Avenue, was like walking into a Martha Stewart magazine. Shiny silver linens, hot pink flower arrangements, sparkles, and gorgeous displays of cake everywhere ... all for sampling!
The store does special order cakes, catering only (no storefront shop). Owner Amy Craparo designs gorgeous cakes that are not only stunning, I can honestly say they taste amazing as well. My favorite was probably her rendition of red velvet cake. I thought I died and went to heaven. Check out her beautiful creations and party pics:
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Recipe / Priscilla Tsai / Breakfast Cinnamon sugar donut muffins
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 2:54 PM
Don't think about it. Just make these donut muffin things. Now.
I know they are probably horribly unhealthy, but they are extremely good. Downright devilish.
These tender "muffins" are popped out of the muffin tin while they are still hot, dunked in a bowl of delicious melted butter, and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. They taste like giant cake donut holes, so I don't think they should really be called muffins. If you eat them warm, freshly buttered and rolled, you might not be able to stop at just one.
The slight crunch of cinnamon sugar under your teeth ... the decadent butter coating around a warm lightly spiced muffin ... it is just so satisfying to take a huge bite. Munchkins can't even compare.
Smorgasbord Addicted to Yoforia
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 11:05 AM
Yoforia must put MSG, crack cocaine, or something of that sort in their frozen yogurt because I am addicted.
The self-serve tart (and non-tart) yogurt shop now has three locations in Charlotte. With over 10 flavors to pick from at any one time, you swirl out the yogurt from the wall-mounted machines yourself, and then sprinkle (or pack) on your toppings of choice.
Toppings include Butterfinger crumbles, wafer cookies, Oreos, cereals and granola, crushed graham cracker crumbs, M&Ms, Reese's peanut butter cups, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, mochi, melon ... I can go on, and on.
With the giant cups they provide, you can help yourself to as much as you want – just keep in mind they charge by weight. It's 39 cents per ounce.
According to Yoforia's website, they use organic and low-fat yogurt and milk to make their frozen yogurts. At only 25 calories per ounce, it's hardly a guilty pleasure...
SouthPark Mall
4400 Sharon Road, #E10A
Myers Park
2823 Selwyn Avenue
Piper Glen
6432 Rea Road
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Smorgasbord Photos: King's Kitchen
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 4:14 PM
King's Kitchen, a not-for-profit restaurant, recently opened up where ARPA used to be at the corner of Church and Trade Streets Uptown. The restaurant is the newest Charlotte venture for Chef Jim Noble, of Noble's Restaurant and Rooster's Wood-Fired Kitchen in SouthPark.
The King's Kitchen menu features Southern classics such as deviled eggs, wings, fried vegetable of the day, fried chicken, pork chops, shrimp and grits, and a variety of Southern sides.
Because sister restaurant Rooster's serves up excellent food, I expected similarly amazing food at the new restaurant. I can't say my expectations were fully met...
Bread: Their cornbread is moist and very corny, and their biscuits are flakey, bordering on crumbly.
Appetizers: The deviled eggs were tasty, but only for those who like mayonnaise (they were very mayo-heavy), the wings served with blue cheese dressing were just okay, and the fried vegetable of the day happened to be mushrooms, where were pretty good. The mushrooms were served with a tomato sauce and also homemade ranch (which was a bit too thin and watery for my liking).
Entree: My shrimp and grits entree was extremely flavorful, but I fear it was due to a large amount of butter in the grits. Though I didn't try the fried chicken myself, I heard from fellow diners that it's good, but not as good as other fried chicken places around town (ahem... Price's and Bojangles (!)).
Desserts: For dessert I ordered the banana pudding, which came out served in a beverage glass, parfait style. They made a good effort to fancy it up by toasting the meringue topping, but the meringue seemed to have separated over time and ended up as a curdled wet mess on top of the pudding. The brown sugar pound cake wasn't any better either – it was very dry. Bad dessert always leaves me feeling sad. It was a sad ending to a decent meal.
King's Kitchen
129 West Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202-5305
(704) 375-1990
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TESTED RECIPE: Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps 3
A review of the wraps and a recipe for a fabulous Lemon Cake.
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Dorie Greenspan's Tiramisu Cake
This layered cake is definitely a "pick-me-up" with a little booze and caffeine.
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Japanese-style sweet buns
For a carb-o-holic, this is pure heaven.
