Bistro La Bon in Charlotte

October 5, 2013October 5, 2013 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Bistro la Bon describes itself as humble, or at least describes its location as such, but to my way of thinking it couldn’t be more wrong. When you walk in, you are immediately immersed in the modern decor and realize that this is a place where the hip come to play. The chef, Majid Amoorpour, has over 20 years of cooking experience he brings from all over the world. You’ll find menu items from many different countries represented.

When we arrived, we had to wait in the bar for about 10 minutes while they got our table ready. I had a reservation, but 10 minutes wasn’t that big of a deal. The bar was active and full of boisterous people, so could be an exciting time for those who like such an atmosphere. Me, being a killjoy, found them loud and obnoxious. It happened to be a large party, which proved to be loud and obnoxious even in the dining area, but that isn’t Bistro’s fault. Just a personal note 🙂

But the fooooooood more than made up for the noisy atmosphere of a few toasted diners. We began our meal with tomato bisque and a shrimp and cornbread appetizer. The tomato bisque was creamy and smooth, with a velvety tomato flavor with just a hint of basil. It was the perfect cup of soup.

The shrimp with cornbread was a small plate (tapas) and utterly perfect. The shrimp were plump and perfectly seasoned in this spicy sauce with shallots and garlic and the cornbread was sweet and moist. I wish I could make an entree out of it!

For my entree, I ordered the pan seared fish with lentils. I am desperately trying to remember what kind of fish it is, but all I can tell you is it was delicious. Perfectly tender and flaky, and the sauce was light yet tangy. The lentils were also flavorful and soft.

Dustin had the airline chicken, which was glazed with a cherry sauce and set atop a bed of couscous. He said it was the most tender chicken he’d eaten. Couscous is not usually my favorite, but this was spiced perfectly and savory.

Vanilla Bean Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta with Seasonal Fruits & Berries — Vanilla Bean Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta
with Seasonal Fruits & Berries

Dustin got the Panna Cotta for dessert. It was merely a vanilla custard accomapanied by stewed fruits and some whipped cream. I found it not decadent enough, but Dustin found it light and refreshing. I think this dessert will appeal to those who don’t have much of a sweet tooth. My dessert was miles better.

Bourbon Brioche Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream — Bourbon Brioche Bread Pudding
with Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream

Oh, here it is! This bread pudding is the best I’ve had. Creamy and warm, a perfect set up for the cold, intensely vanilla ice cream and the sweet, buttery caramel sauce. I have no idea what the little crunchies were on the side, but yeah, I gobbled them, too. A perfect end to a perfect evening!

Dish!

September 14, 2013 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Dish

Dish is a wonderful find in Charlotte. It is eclectic, but only to a certain extent. The dishes are purely Southern, but only if your grandmother was a hippy. When you enter Dish, you will have to stand at the door and look around for a minute. The outside doesn’t do justice to the interior. It’s really very fun and funky. The waitstaff is much the same. Each is an individual and the times I’ve been, quite nice and helpful.

We tried the Fried Green Tomatoes for our appetizers. They were tart and crispy, and perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of crunch from the golden brown spheres. These are served with a very refreshing horseradish sauce that is spiked with dill.

For my lunch, I chose the soup and salad, since I was a little full from the Fried Green Tomatoes. That was kind of dumb, in retrospect. The salad was fine, with the homemade Ranch dressing, which is always a must, but the soup was oddly chunky and not velvelty smooth. I just couldn’t get a taste for it. And Tomato basil soup is my favorite, so that is really saying something. As you can see from the picture, my plate came with a deviled egg. Creamy and rich, it was delicious.

No matter. My son got the Chicken and Dumplings which arrived with fresh fruit and a huge biscuit, and of course, the deviled egg. The dumplings were soft yet chewy, with plenty of tender chicken. It was nicely seasoned and very thick. The fresh fruit was a disappointment. Does anyone really like cantaloupe? The biscuit was fluffy and warm and the top was glistening with butter. It was just good food.

Dish is a lovely restaurant, and a must-hit if you are in Plaza Midwood.

Charlotte · Restaurants

Lupie’s Restaurant

September 4, 2013 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Remember in my last post where I told you we took our soup and sandwiches back up and got our money back from Crisp? We went straight from there to Lupie’s. I ride by their Huntersville location all the time on my way to my friend’s house, but never had time to stop. Today was my day to finally try some Lupie’s!

I gotta tell you, when I first went in to Lupie’s, I was a little taken aback. It’s..uh…pretty casual in there. Looks like it could use a lick and a promise, and maybe a coat of paint. But, the servers could not be nicer and you kinda get used to the weird apathy vibe and settle in to eat some hearty (if heart clogging) food.

We didn’t formulate a good plan, and ended up getting kinda the same thing. I got a bowl of chili as I had lost most of my appetite over the Crisp Debacle. It tasted good, but it was so chunky and meaty, I found it more hearty than I cared to eat. It was tasty, it just got to be too much. What was delish to me was the side of cornbread that came with my chili! Good crumb and perfectly warm with butter, yum!

Dustin’s meal was better. He got a Carolina Dog, with chili, slaw, mustard and onions. It came with chips. He let me have one tiny bite. The hot dog was huge, piled high with sloppy toppings. The wiener itself was huge (that’s what she said) and had a nice snap to it. I’ll probably have that next time I go.

Lots of other folks around us were having the meat and three of the day, and enjoying that, so if country cooking is more your speed, you may enjoy that. But you should go. Just take off your fancy pants.

Charlotte · Restaurants

Crisp in Charlotte

August 30, 2013 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Everyone talks about how great Crisp is. I, unfortunately, did not find it so. Sorry.

First, I’m not a fan of the minimalist furnishings. I felt like I was in a FroYo shop. The chairs were tiny and uncomfortable (read cheap) and the interior was so tight that even at the off time we ate (late lunch) we were still in people’s way with my knee walker.

My husband and I both ordered a cup of soup and a sandwich. The soup of the day on this day was a tomato basil. That is my favorite soup, so I was excited! This soup, however, was absolutely flavorless. How can that be? I’m telling you, I would have preferred a bowl of Campbell’s.

I got the Turkey Gobbler which billed itself as a “house roasted” turkey sandwich. It looked (and tasted) like any sliced turkey you could get in a dairy case. The bread looks so good with its Panini press marks, but it was all a disappointment. The sandwich was no better than a turkey sandwich I made at my house.

Dustin got the Roma sandwich. It comes with prosciutto, salami, Mozzarella, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil,and a Balsamic Reduction on grilled bread. Sounds amazing and flavorful, right? Well, it was better than mine, but just barely. Everything we tried simply lacked flavor of any kind.

We were so disappointed, we did something we haven’t ever done before (to my memory). We brought the food back up to the counter, asked for a refund and went to another restaurant. In Crisp’s defense, they didn’t fight us. They offered to make us something else, but after sampling 3 different menu items, we just didn’t feel confident that we would be happy.

Charlotte · Restaurants

Mama Ricotta’s

August 23, 2013July 14, 2019 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

I’ve been to Mama’s now 3 times, and each time I go it gets better. It’s right around the corner from my doctor in Charlotte (the wonderful Bruce Cohen of OrthoCarolina Ankle and Foot Institute) so we went for lunch after one appointment. After this, we knew we had to go back for dinner. So, the foodie crew loaded up and went! Twice!

Actually, for a nice dinner out, Mama Ricotta’s is very reasonable. They offer family sized entrees to share and I’ve never left there when we all weren’t full as a tick. Also, the restaurant is lively and nearly always crowded. You would probably do well to get reservations on a Friday and Saturday night. We’ve always been well taken care of by our servers, too.

SALADS and SIDES

The Caesar Salad is a classic Caesar with cheese, croutons and dressing. The dressing is tangy and delicious, and the romaine was crisp and fresh. My only complaint was that the darn thing was perhaps too cheesy. Is that even a problem? But it really was overloaded, I’d prefer a bit less next time.

My dinner companion ordered a side of roasted vegetables. They were grilled over the wood fire, very simply prepared, and very fresh.

MAIN COURSES

The pizza is not thin and crispy, and not deep dish. It is made in a wood burning oven so it gets lightly charred on the bottom and remains chewy on the inside of the crust. The toppings that you choose (we’ve tried Italian sausage, chicken sausage and prosciutto) take on that smokiness from the oven, as well, for a rustic flavor. My only complaint is with the house-made chicken sausage. Our order had far too much anise in the sausage, making it taste very licorice like. I’d not get that topping again.

The Penne alla Vodka is perfect by itself, and a great favorite of the restaurant. You honestly cannot taste the alcohol, either. It’s a very creamy tomato sauce which is perfect with the penne pasta. I’ve had it with both shrimp and chicken and both are delicious additions. The shrimp is cooked perfectly, not at all rubbery. The chicken is tender and flavorful. This is one of my favorite dishes.

Spaghetti and Meatballs is a staple at most Italian restaurants, and these meatballs were no exception. They were tender and savory, clearly simmering in the warm tomato sauce for a long time. The pasta was also perfectly cooked, with the tomato sauce having just enough acidity to counter the pasta.

The Amma’s Cheese Ravioli is filled with creamy ricotta, mozzarella, romano and Parmesan cheeses and topped with a savory marinara soft. The pillows of ravioli is soft and moist and very light, in spite of the many cheeses. It is a very basic dish, but a solid one.

Veal Parmesan was a slight disappointment to my husband. I’m not sure what he was expecting, but he thought it could have been better seasoned. He said he would not get that the next time he visited.

Maybe my favorite dish here, the Papparadelle with Oxtail & Kobe beef ragu is like your Italian grandmother’s version of pot roast. It is hearty, with a beef stock based sauce, filled with slow cooked, tender beef and small cubed carrots. The papparadelle is handmade, too! It is comforting and rustic and reminds me of Autumn. I’ve ordered this twice now.

Papparadelle with Oxtail and Kobe Beef Ragu

The lasagna is another popular favorite. Mama Ricotta’s version is full of meat and cheese and smothered with marinara sauce and more mozzarella cheese. It is creamy and very filling!

Crab and Shrimp Risotto has also been one of my favorites. A large mound of creamy risotto topped with lump crabmeat, shrimp and mussels and with just a hint of lemon for the bite of acid. It was comforting and luxurious at the same time. On my next trip, I will be ordering this dish.

DESSERTS

The desserts are not the highlight of this restaurant, admittedly. We’ve tried quite a few and while we were happy enough, they weren’t exceptional enough to revisit the next few visits.

The Ciabatta Bread Pudding is topped with a generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, that melts over your warm pudding to create a richly sweet sauce that mingles with the caramel goodness leaking out of your pudding. It was yummy, and a good version of the dessert.

Tiramisu is a typical Italian dessert made with ladyfingers soaked in coffee and mascarpone cheese sweetened with sugar and layered with a sprinkling of cocoa on top. Though coffee is not my favorite flavoring, this version was smooth and delicious…also very pretty!

That night there was a special dessert on the menu. It was a chocolate cupcake, filled with a creamy white center, supposedly in the style of a Hostess Cupcake. It was delicious and full of robust chocolate flavor.

The last dessert we enjoyed was the special cheesecake. It is layered with cake. My friend pronounced it delicious!

Charlotte · Restaurants

300 East in Charlotte

August 16, 2013August 21, 2013 Suzanne Strength1 Comment

300 East is a quaint little restaurant in a house on..well..you know. It has plentiful parking in the back and even some seating outside in the front. It also has these gorgeous picture windows that if you are lucky, like me, you can sit behind and see all that the folks outside do, unobstructed, and still enjoy the air conditioner.

For starters we had soup and salad. I had the tossed salad which had organic mesclun greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and topped with a Balsamic Vinaigrette that was tangy with just a touch of sweetness. It was fresh and delicious. Dustin had the soup of the day, which was tomato basil. It was creamy and hearty, and the basil provided a refreshing bite to the rich soup.

For his entree, Dustin got the Asian Tuna burger. That’s a burger made with fresh ground tuna (not from a can), grilled and topped with Thai chili sauce, seaweed salad, pickled ginger and wasabi served on a wheat Kaiser roll. He chose black beans as his side. Though he loves tuna, I don’t think it was rare enough for him (gross), but he ate the whole thing. I did try the black beans and they were flavorful and spicy!

I chose the Grilled Shrimp BLT Panini ~ The shrimp were grilled and cut in half (to life flatter on the bread) and topped with applewood smoked bacon, pepper cheese, arugula and a tomato aioli on crispy sourdough bread. It was served with a side of potato salad. The bread was so crunchy it was a perfect balance to the tender shrimp and the tangy aioli. That peppery arugula was the perfect capper to cut through all of the richness of the aioli and the cheese. It was the waitresses recommendation, as well.

This charming restaurant is a favorite of Charlotteans and we can understand why. I’m going to need to go back for dinner soon!

Charlotte · Restaurants

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

August 7, 2013December 29, 2013 Suzanne Strength1 Comment

The Foodie Group visited Chima Brazilian Steakhouse this week, and guess what? I didn’t get a single picture of the food 😦

There are several reasons, but the most true was simply because I was so darn hot in there I couldn’t think straight.

When you enter the building, you are immediately impressed by the winding staircase. The dining room is downstairs by maybe 10 steps? A tiny bit annoying to those with walking trouble, but a nice way to feel separate from the door traffic. Can’t please everyone, right?

Cool things about Chima:

Free Valet
Unlimited Salad Bar
Unlimited meat
People come around and shave meat right onto your plates until you say stop.
The servers communicate by Iphones.

Not so cool things about Chima:

It was really hot in there.
They automatically added a gratuity to our table of 6.
Did I mention the heat?
We kinda had to look around for drinks.
We had to beg for our check as our waiter just disappeared on us.

When you are seated and your drinks are ordered, they bring around these little tapas for you to enjoy. We had cheese stuffed popovers, breaded meatballs and this turkey spread that was surprisingly yummy on that meatball. Once you were ready, you helped yourself to a plate and ran through the well stocked and beautiful salad bar. That was the best salad bar I’d ever seen and I was like a kid in a candy store. Everything was good, but my favorite was the endive salad.

Turn your coin over (it’s a cardboard circle, but whatever) and the parade of meat begins. You’ll see ribeye, filet, lamb, fish, chicken and other stuff. I will say that the “schtick” here is the overwhelming AMOUNT of meat you get. And it is overwhelming. But if you are someone who prizes quality over quantity..welll..you may just want to head to your favorite steakhouse. The meat is good enough, but it is really expensive. $50 for the meat and salad bar. $30 for the salad bar alone (we had a difficult friend dine with us that night *Jeri*). They had a fish and salad bar option, but we didn’t price it.

I’ve heard wonderful things about Chima, and was excited to try. However, my dining companions all agreed we wouldn’t be going back. Sorry Chima.

Charlotte · Restaurants

Sullivan’s Steakhouse

January 27, 2013January 27, 2013 Suzanne StrengthLeave a comment

Another Charlotte Restaurant Week comes to a close and we celebrated by going to Sullivan’s Steakhouse. We brought our friends Jeri and Robert Walton to dine with us, and we all ended up getting nearly the same thing. But, you know, it’s Restaurant Week and you only get a certain amount of choices, so duplications are an inevitability. We left our home early, anticipating trouble from yesterday’s ice storm, and arrived at our destination without incident, happily, and 30 minutes early. As we sat down to wait, we were seated within 5 minutes! Score!

Our server was prompt and thorough. We never wanted for anything. For our first course my husband and I had the Caesar Salad. It was really large for a simple side dish, and the dressing was creamy and delicious. Nothing fancy, but decent. Our friends tried the Lobster and Shrimp Bisque and the Wedge Salad, which came with blue cheese crumbles, fresh diced tomatoes and blue cheese dressing.

For our second course, we all chose the filet mignon with grilled jumbo shrimp. It was served atop a pile of horseradish mashed potatoes and alongside a tumble of grilled vegetables. The filet was fine, though 2 of our steaks were switched. We didn’t discover until we dug in, then there was the awkward figuring out who had who’s steak and switching among ourselves. The shrimp were delicious, cleaned well (huge plus) but everything was heavily spiced with pepper. There was nothing wrong with my filet, but I’ve had the same flavor at home on our grill. So, yes, nothing special. I loved the creamy horseradish potatoes most, but they can keep those under-grilled and under-seasoned veggies that were limply sitting on the side of our steak.

Our last course, dessert, was for me the best course. We had the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream. It was so yummy! Sweet and creamy and not too banana-y. It was amazing. Our friend had the chocolate mousse, bless his heart.

In the end, I have to give Sullivan’s a thumbs down, only because nothing I had was over the top delicious. You can get a better steak at many other Charlotte restaurants: Beef and Bottle, Firebirds or Morton’s.

Charlotte · Restaurants

P.F. Chang’s

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

I’ve been hearing about P.F. Chang’s for quite a while.Usually I turn my nose up at chain restaurants. I have been proven wrong. We visited for the first time today after living here over a decade. What was I thinking? All of this time I’ve missed!

The interior is richly appointed with dark woods and a couple of statues of Chinese warriors. The setting is elegant, though when we visited at 3pm, we and most everyone else were dressed casually. I’d dress a little more “nicely” for dinner.

The service here, from management to wait staff was exceptional. Everyone seemed to work together in perfect synchronicity to make the dining experience all it could be. Seriously the best I’ve been treated in a long time!
We were informed that they had a new menu, and they have this “Dinner for Two” deal on the back where you get 2 soups, 1 appetizer to share, 2 entrees and 2 mini desserts. All for $40. It was a deal! It also gave us an excellent sampling of all of the great dishes we’d heard so much about.

We selected the Hot and Sour Soup and the Egg Drop Soup. The Hot and Sour Soup was dark and flavorful and properly tangy. The Egg Drop soup was lighter, but had no less flavor. We both agreed it was the best of both soups we’d eaten.

For our shared appetizer we chose the lettuce wraps. Don’t miss this! Small dices of water chestnuts, chicken, mushrooms, scallions and seasonings accompany leaves of iceberg lettuce, which you assemble like a taco. Fresh, light, crisp and wonderful!

We had Kung Pao Scallops and Mongolian Beef for our entrees, and of course shared. The scallops were my favorite. They were fried, but not over cooked, and then tossed in a hot and sweet sauce with peanuts and chili peppers. It was fabulous. The Mongolian beef was so tender, you cut larger pieces easily with a fork. It was garnished with scallion tops and both were served with steamed white rice.

I wish I could comment on dessert, but they were out of mini desserts, so our server gave us the option to have our soups deducted from the over all price to compensate for it. We were so stuffed, we readily agreed.
I ate there 12 hours ago and I’m ready to go back 🙂

Charlotte · Restaurants

IKEA: Great food with your furniture

April 24, 2012May 15, 2013 Suzanne Strength3 Comments

IKEA was a big deal when it first came to Charlotte, but my abbhoration of crowds prevented me from going to the opening. I’ve finally made it, and I can report every piece of furniture would look great in a college dorm room. If you are currently living in a dorm, go.

If you like cheap food, go. I’d long heard about the wonderful Swedish meatballs served and they really are good! But. They taste and look like they’ve been mass produced and frozen. But that’s kind of IKEA’s deal, right? They’re still good. You get 15 meatballs, mashed potatoes (real!), cream sauce and lingonberries for $3.99. For real.

But what is even better? The North Atlantic Saithe crusted white fish served with mashed potatoes and carrots. It’s a buck more, but I so dig fish, I didn’t care. It is NOT fishy tasting in the least. I felt like I was eating all healthy and it was delicious.

Now, you are energized to go shopping in the biggest store I’ve ever been in. Get your Swede on.

P.S. Sorry about the crummy pictures. I got the camera at IKEA 😉