Travel: Nashville, TN

September 4, 2017 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

My kids and I took a trip to Nashville, TN last year to see Avenged Sevenfold in concert. It was our first trip with just the three of us after my divorce and it was mag.ni.fi.cent. We had the best adventure ever! We leisurely toured the city and busied ourselves with shopping, fun and food in the city that friends recommended we hit. Here’s a snapshot of our long weekend. Or as I like to call it, the best road trip ever.

So, the reason we visited this awesome city: A7X. Avenged Sevenfold. The band that bridged the communication gap between myself and my daughter after that divorce. Yeah, I love them. So, they get top billing in this blog post.

We had great seats. The best I could find. We caught one of Johnny’s guitar pics at the end of the night. Yes!!

Airbnb

We booked our apartment through Airbnb, and it was so much better than a cramped hotel room. The owner told me that the apartment was formerly owned by Kris Kristopherson. Pretty sweet!

The Grand Ole Opry

“The Show that Made Country Music Famous” began in 1925 and is the longest running radio broadcast in US history. It is a weekly music stage concert that attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. I’d call it the hub of Nashville.

Parthenon

Built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, the Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Today it serves as a museum with tons of sculptures and portraits, but truly it is a wonder in itself. Don’t miss the huge statue of Athena that culminates this gorgeous tour.

Loveless Cafe

This one is a little ride outside of Nashville proper, but go on and make the drive. It’s worth it. We waited about 30-45 minutes, and really, it was just breakfast. But you still gotta go. I mean, it’s good breakfast. Don’t get me wrong. And they ply you with biscuits and jelly. Still..eggs, bacon, grits…it’s breakfast. They do have a cool store, but by the time we were done eating I was peopled out.

Pancake Pantry

If you visit Nashville, you must visit the Pancake Pantry, dubbed Nashville’s best pancakes. Founded in 1961, lines are usually long and you’ll wait, but it will be worth it. It’s an institution here. They get their special blend of flours from local sources and make their batters and syrups with a secret recipe fresh daily.

Mafiaoza’s Pizza

After the amazing concert, we decided to go get some pizza at this late night joint. Luckily for us, they were open and kind enough to serve us. I’m sure we looked like death warmed over. All I know is my mascara was all down my face and I was drenched in sweat, I could barely hear the waitress from the loud concert and we were all shaking with hunger. Smart move, not eating before the concert.

Anyway, we ordered the pie and laid our heads on the table like heathens until it got there. It was delicious, with a soft crust and tangy sauce. We’ll have to go at a more decent hour next time.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream

Nashville’s coolest and most delicious ice cream…as far as I’m concerned. It was blazing hot in Nashville when we were there, so we ducked into Jeni’s while shopping for a snack. What we found were fancy flavors and ice cream made with the finest ingredients. Perfection. The purple here is wildberry lavender. I *think* the one below it is Savannah Buttermilk. Read between the lines, that one was less memorable!

GA · Savannah

Savannah, Georgia Trip

August 27, 2017 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

I’ve been dying to visit Savannah forever. I’d always heard it was a charming city, and Paula Deen being there didn’t hurt either. What I found surpassed my high expectations.

Wormsloe Historic Site: The famous tree lined with gorgeous oaks leads to the ruins of a former plantation owned by Noble Jones in the 1700’s, who arrived with the first settlers from England. It is the oldest standing structure in Georgia.

Laurel Grove Cemetery South: I loved driving through this old graveyard and looking at beautiful, historic grave sites. Weirdly enough, this was probably my favorite part of this trip.

Bonaventure Cemetery: Hauntingly beautiful cemetery located on the Wilmington River. Featured in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Gingerbread House: This gorgeous home was built in 1899 and is used primarily as a venue for weddings and bridal parties. It’s a great example of the Gingerbread style from Germany’s Black Forest region. Largest of the cities municipal cemeteries at 160 acres…and you can drive through. My VERY favorite stop in Savannah.

Tybee Island Social Club: We visited on Easter so they only had a specific brunch menu, but it was delicious and flavored well. The best part about this experience was the patio seating and the live music. Really cool place!

Vic’s on the River: This was our favorite restaurant in Savannah. The food was amazing, the view was even better, and on the wall is a map of Sherman’s march from Tennessee to Georgia hand drawn by Union soldiers. Tons of history, a must visit!

Below Zero. Tucked in the Savannah Seafood Shack on Broughton, you can watch them make your ice cream as you wait in line! Rolled ice cream originated in Thailand and can only be found in a handful of cities: New York, Atlanta and now Savannah!

Myrtle Beach · Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach Hits and Misses

August 18, 2017 Suzanne Strength1 Comment

The Gay Dolphin Gift Shop. Lots of stuff. I mean, a lot.

Myrtle Beach Skywheel. Tip: buy those tickets online.

Pirate’s Voyage. Here’s my review on Yelp. Dinner with a show!

Captain Juel’s Hurricane Restaurant. Here’s my review on Yelp. Sushi and Seafood with a view!

Croissants. Here’s my review on Yelp. Best food in Myrtle.

Eggs Benedict, Potato Casserole and Ambrosia

Chicken Salad Croissant, Broccoli Cheddar Soup & Ambrosia Salad

Hamburger Joe’s. See my review on Yelp!

MISSES 😦

Baron’s Steaks and Spirits. Here’s my review on Yelp.

Margaritaville. Here’s my review on Yelp. It’s not horrible, but once was enough.

Boone · Boone

Restaurant Review: GameKeeper in Boone, NC & Chetola Lodge

April 15, 2015November 5, 2019 Suzanne Strength5 Comments

Boone and Blowing Rock are two of our treasures near the Piedmont. Dustin and I took a little trip up to stay at Chetola Lodge for a long weekend at Valentine’s Day. We were able to get out only the first night, when we visited the Gamekeeper Restaurant, but the next night we got snowed in. It was beautiful, and cozy. A really magical evening!

Chetola Resort

800-CHETOLA (243-8652) :: 828-295-5500

info@chetola.com

185 Chetola Lake Drive :: Blowing Rock, NC 28605

http://www.chetola.com

The grounds of this gorgeous resort are worth a visit, even if you park and walk around a bit. Ponds, swans, walking trails…very natural and peaceful.

We stayed in the Bob Timberlake Inn and it was so personal. They have cozy (if a tiny bit outdated in decor) rooms with fireplaces and whirlpool tubs and they have a wine and cheese tasting every evening. We also enjoyed the indoor pool while it snowed outside. Magical!

Gamekeeper Restaurant

3005 Shulls Mill Road
Boone, North Carolina 28607
828.963.7400

http://gamekeeper-nc.com

First thing you should know is you need a reservation. The winter hours are scarce and the tables were full when we were there. Second thing you need to know is that if it is winter, you’ll need to call to make sure the restaurant is open. The drive up is curvy and scary on a snowy road. But…it certainly is charming in a snowy setting once you reach your destination.

As you might suspect, the restaurant has a glamorous hunting lodge feel. There are fireplaces blazing inside and twigs along with eclectic artwork and low lighting. It’s easy on the eyes and comfortable. We were seated immediately and enjoyed wonderful service all night.

We started our meal with the Mixed Game Grill which had a variety of (chef’s choice) grilled game meats, sausages and dipping sauces. On the night we visited, we got grilled ostrich and elk, yak and emu sausages, and mustard, horseradish and a peach-pear barbecue sauce for dipping. All of these meats were topped with some hand-cut seasoned fries. The grilled ostrich was crispy and hearty, not too gamey, as I was afraid. The elk was absolutely the best thing I ate all night; it was grilled to perfection with a smoky crust. I’d order a plateful of that. The yak sausage was cooked crispy but it was dry and quite gamey tasting. Not my favorite. The emu sausage was better, with a creamier texture. The fries were without question the best I’ve had. They were planks of starchy deliciousness, seasoned properly.

A perfect accompaniment to this dish were the sauces that were served with it. First there was a mustard sauce that was thick with whole mustard seeds; very bold! There was also a horseradish sauce that was creamy and had just enough bite. My favorite was the peach pear barbecue sauce. It was sweet and matched perfectly with the char on the grilled meats.

I had the Pheasant Pot Pie. It was surprisingly good, but I’m not sure everyone would like it as much as I did. The filling tasted a little “gluey” but it was so flavorful I overlooked the somewhat unpleasant texture. The pheasant itself was cooked beautifully, and tasted like…wait for it…chicken. But incredibly flavorful and tender chicken! The pastry shell was flaky and perfect. I also loved the accompanying vegetables with just a bit of char on them. My only real criticism was that the whole dish lacked salt and it wasn’t provided on the table. That is a bold move on a chef’s part, and in this case the move was the wrong one. Chefs: put salt and pepper on your tables. We won’t think less of you for it.

Dustin had the Grilled Bison Hangar Steak, served with roasted potatoes and root vegetables. Honestly, his was a little gamey tasting for me, but it was cooked well. Again, we found the dish lacked seasoning. Still, it was an experience.

********

My girlfriends and I went back for a visit and it was even better than the first time. Service was amazing and the food was phenomenal. Here are some pics we took:

Places

Paula Deen LIVE at the Blumenthal in Charlotte

October 8, 2014November 8, 2014 Suzanne Strength1 Comment

Paula Deen came to Charlotte, ya’ll! Her people reached out to me with fantastic tickets to see this wonderful show and to meet Paula! What an amazing experience! If you want to see her, here’s the link to check out her tour dates: Paula Deen Live. Our show was Wednesday, September 24 2014 at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Theater downtown.

When we first arrived, we were directed upstairs in this beautiful center to have some wine and snacks before going up to meet Paula. As you might imagine, the food was amazing. I wish I could show you pictures of the venue, but security was tight and they wouldn’t let us snap pictures inside the building. My guess is we were too close to the Bank of America Building, and they thought we might be cat burglers.

While we stood in line to wait on the Queen of Buttery Goodness, we spotted several famous folks. Lee Greenwood was on hand to greet us in line, and we’d learn later he’d sing his hit song God Bless the USA during the show. Stunning! (not his best picture, but that is the fault of the photog, not Mr. Greenwood.)

While we were in line to meet Paula, we were told that we could not have anyone take pictures of us (it would hold up the line) but that their photographer would get the shot and give us a link to download them. I got that one today. I think it came out great, even if the hubs has a death grip on Paula’s hand. They seem like awesome people. Paula certainly was. Very warm and friendly 🙂

Now, for the good stuff! Paula’s sons were just out there strutting around, chit chatting with everyone, really working the room. Handsome! This might have been the highlight of my night 😉

I didn’t take pictures of the event itself. I was too wrapped up in listening to Paula talk! We saw her prepare some yummy dishes, heard her telling her famous stories and anecdotes and even played some games! It was a wonderful time, and not to be missed!

Hickory · Restaurants

Youssef 242 in Hickory

September 21, 2014November 11, 2014 Suzanne Strength3 Comments

Hickory has blessed few real “fancy” restaurants (when compared to Charlotte) so I was so excited to finally try Youssef 242 last night. I’ve had it on my list forever, and somehow never got to it. I made reservations in the middle of the night (thanks Open Table!) and like that we were in.

We arrived on a back street near Hickory High School, and I was truly amazed at the cool little spot, tucked away from prying eyes on Hwy. 127. This was gonna be good, I could feel it. As we approached the entrance, we saw the outdoor seating area with the fireplace. So welcoming! Unfortunately, too hot for this gal, so inside we went.

We were greeted promptly and kindly, and given our choice of a table or a booth. I appreciated the choice, one of our diners is a tall man, so sometimes a booth isn’t a great option. We were seated and approached by the server quickly.

escargotyouseff

We ordered appetizers and those were brought quickly. Some were better than others. I got the escargot. They were served in small puff pastry cups and pan sautéed with garlic and parsley. The flavor was fine, but the temperature was too cool. My other criticism is that the shells tasted of the freezer. Next time I’d get another dish.

My husband got the Fried Blue Oyster Mushrooms. They were amazing! The batter was light and crispy, perfectly fried and not at all greasy. They sat atop a Dijon mustard sauce which was a perfect pairing. Very tangy! It balanced the sweet and rich bite of mushroom.

Our friend got the crab cake, which was served atop a fried green tomato with vegetable slaw and a sriracha sauce. He said it was in need of salt and a little bland, but cooked perfectly. He wasn’t wild about the fried green tomato with it.

Two of us got the filet mignon. It was atop cheddar mashed potatoes and finished with a demi glace. My filet was cooked perfectly, but it lacked seasoning and had an overly smoked flavor that I did not like. The potatoes were creamy, but I didn’t see or detect any cheddar in them. There was even some discussion at the table that they might be fake potatoes? I don’t believe that to be true, but we were underwhelmed for the prices Youseff charges.

My husband got the NY Strip. It was slightly better, but the real show stopper for me was the fried onion strips on top. They were fried delicately and perfectly. These folks really seem to know how to fry. Nothing was soggy, everything crispy and perfectly seasoned.

My other friend got the Mixed Green salad with Chicken. She loved it, but said that the chicken was dry. The salad had garbanzo beans, quinoa, carrots, pickled onions, cucumbers and tomatoes with a vinaigrette dressing. It was dressed well.

We chose 2 desserts for the table. Robert and Jeri got the Vanilla Brulee, which was reported to be fine, but nothing special. It did come with a quarter of a cookie which was a nice decoration, but really just a tease.

The other dessert was a Pineapple Upside Down cake. This was the star of the show. It was topped with a delicious vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce. Out of this world fresh and good. It was served warm, too.

Did we like this place? Sure, it was ok. But, for the price, there are so many better choices out there, even better choices in Hickory. The meals were hit or miss, and for half the price, I’d recommend it. Alas, I cannot.

Vale

Willow Creek Inn in Vale, NC

April 28, 2013July 31, 2015 Suzanne Strength3 Comments

Willow Creek Inn is a special dining and event venue in the beautiful western area of our county. It’s different from anything we have around here, but delightfully so. The menu changes daily and to eat here you *must* have a reservation. No reservation, no dinner! Don’t let that intimidate you, make the call and treat yourself. You won’t be sorry.

To get to this farmhouse, you will take a pretty long ride through the country. It will look like you are in the middle of Timbuktu, and your GPS will lead you slightly astray. When you get close, pay attention to the signs, not the GPS. It’s a pretty yellow farmhouse. We went past it and had to turn around. When you walk in the charming front door, you are greeted by the hostess or maybe even Mansour (the owner/chef) himself! He’ll take your name and escort you to your table that has been set up just for you in the cozy dining room filled with antiques and homey furnishings. We took this time to take you a few photos before everyone else showed up.

For now and for the foreseeable future, Steak Nights are on Friday and Saturday nights. You are treated to 3 courses: Salad, Entree and Dessert with Tea or Coffee for $25 per person. No way you are getting a deal at any steakhouse like this. Let me walk you through these courses…

First, the waitress takes your drink order and brings you bread and butter. Some of our bread was really hard and some was really soft and delicious. Each bread plate had a dainty pat of real butter on it. A lovely touch. Your drinks are brought in what looks to be antique glasses to help set the mood of the evening.

Soon after, your salad course arrives. It is a plate of locally grown baby greens with Mansour’s Ranch dressing. This dressing is better than any Ranch I’ve had at any other restaurant, including my own. It is thinner than what I am used to, perhaps with vinegar? Don’t mistake that for less flavor, it packs a wonderful punch. The salad also has locally grown tomatoes (ripe, red and juicy!) cucumbers and red onion.

Let me start by saying that the plate of food in the picture does not do the taste of that plate justice. It looks plain, but it is anything but. For your main course you get Prime Beef Filet Mignon served with a double stuffed baked potato and glazed carrots. The filet is cooked in a searing hot wood fire oven on the deck. We couldn’t get out of Mansour the exact temperature, but the outside was nicely charred and the inside was a perfectly cooked medium. Heaven. The double stuffed baked potato was so flavorful and perfectly spiced. It was mixed with sauteed onion and bacon and crowned with a golden heap of cheddar cheese. The glazed carrots were baby carrots that were so buttery sweet, you felt like you were eating candy. Everything worked in perfect harmony. Savory steak, starchy potato and sweet carrots. Repeat.

For your dessert course you are given a choice between carrot cake and pecan pie. Either one is lovely. My husband got the carrot cake and it is a small individual cake piped with cream cheese frosting. I tasted a bite and it was so fresh and had chewy golden raisins for extra sweetness. I got the pecan pie and it was topped with freshly whipped cream which has been the topic of much discussion among my dining companions. I tasted a hint of rose petals, almost like rose water was whipped into the cream, but when we asked the chef, he assured us it was cardamom. I remain unconvinced, but I will tell you that the pecan pie was lovely. I prefer mine without roses, however.

The food was amazing, and the experience was perhaps even better. Mansour has special events here ALL of the time: Easter egg hunts, Jazz Nights, Make your own Pizza night, Sunday Buffets, etc. To be in the know, you need to go to his website and sign up for his newsletter. I am taking my mom and sister here for Mother’s Day!

Updated to add:

We went for a private dinner last night to celebrate our 20th anniversary with our family. Mansour prepared an amazing buffet spread for us featuring Beef Wellington, Curried Citrus Chicken, Glazed Carrots and Crispy Rice. It was the best meal we’d had in a very long time, and we were taken care of so graciously. What a truly special night!!

My girlfriends and I visited Mansour last week and he made us a special meal and we had the whole place to ourselves! $35 a person (we had 11 people) which was 4 courses and tea or water. Our wine was extra (and of course, gratuity) but it was a wonderful personal experience that was intimate and fun! Here’s what was served:

Lamb filled Samosas and Hummus with pita bread for our light snacks while we got acquainted. The hummus was the best I’d ever had in my life and the samosas were full of spiced meat and fried perfectly. I could have had just that and been fine.

Isn’t that one of the prettiest salads you’ve ever seen? The dressing was a delicious and tangy creamy Italian which we couldn’t get enough of.

For the main course we were served Poached Salmon with Greek Herbs, Roasted Fingerling potatoes and vegetables and Roasted Tenderloin of Beef. The salmon was served cold and gave a perfect contrast to the beef. We were served buffet style.

And to finish up we had a nice light Lemon Cake.

Hickory · Places

Geitner Park in Hickory, NC

February 9, 2013 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Geitner Park is a very peaceful place. We visited in July (and I’m just now posting ?) and enjoyed a pizza from Tony’s while listening to the crickets chirp. Here’s a list of the amenities:

Picnic Shelter
Picnic tables
grills
gazebos
paved bikeways
walking and nature trails
boat dock and ramp
fishing pier
rest rooms

Hickory · Hickory · Restaurants

Tony’s Pizza in Hickory, NC

January 27, 2013 Suzanne Strength1 Comment

You want to know where the best pizza is in Hickory? It’s at Tony’s, in a little strip mall near Target. It stays wrapped up, so you know it is good. We like New York style pizza, thin and bendy. This pizza is perfect for that, with a crispy crust perfect for crunching.

Another awesome fact about Tony’s is that they sell pizza by the slice, just like in NYC! I always go with the fam, so we just get a whole pie, but you know, the option’s there. I can’t really speak on any of the other items on the menu, because I never stray from the pizza. Never.

Don’t miss this restaurant.

Gastonia · Places

Places: Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens

June 27, 2012December 13, 2012 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Most of the fun places I get to go are as a result of some class trip. This one made me sad that I didn’t get to walk it before the wreck. I can’t tell you how truly beautiful this place was, and most of it I had to experience through these pictures, but that’s better than not experiencing it at all, huh? We went in spring, so the flowers were blooming beautifully: