The Charlotte 500, Laps 87 - 90: Of Beef & Buns

My favorite way of exploring my adopted hometown is working my way through the various "best of" lists that appear in newspapers and on the internet.  The Charlotte Observer runs a food related Sweet 16 every year during March Madness.  Sixteen restaurants known for a specific food item - wings, pizza, burgers, fries - are selected for the competition, and the field is narrowed weekly by on line voting until a winner is crowned the Best of Charlotte.  In 2011, the competition was all about burgers, divided between old school and new school.  In the end, the two schools of burger proved to be so vastly different the Observer opted to crown co-champs.  Before I turn the intro into a post of its own....

Lap 87: Brooks' Sandwich House (2710 N Brevard St, just off North Davidson, NoDa) was the winner of the old school bracket of the Observer's burger challenge.  Brooks' isn't much to look at - a dirty old shack, with a semi trailer parked (abandoned?) in back, and a large gravel lot in an old neighborhood...you don't go to Brooks' because you happen to be driving by, you have to know it's there.  I expected something great, but left decidedly disappointed in the food.  I had the cheeseburger "all the way" (because that's what you're supposed to get at Brooks'), the classic Carolina style.  I was lucky enough to visit Brooks' Sandwich House on a gorgeously sunny and warm November day with a great friend who happens to have a truck with a tailgate, which proved an ideal place to eat our burgers and fries while naming the biting flies that attempted to impose themselves on our meal - that made the experience one of the happiest days I've had in a long time. The tailgate was also perfectly suited for people watching the diverse group of patrons that came to Brooks' for lunch. Due to the glowing reviews of Brooks' I will definitely return to see if my burger let-down was a fluke.

Lap 88: The Liberty (1812 South Blvd, South End) was the new school burger champ, a decision hard to argue.  While there are other reasons to visit the Liberty - great food and a fine beer list among them - the burger is truly delicious.  Nice and meaty, wonderfully juicy without being greasy...well worth a taste or two.  Or three.  The blue cheese potato chips are also outstanding.

Lap 89: Zack's Hamburgers (4009 South Blvd, at Scaleybark) is what McDonalds claims to be: simple, old fashioned burgers and fries.  Order the Zack's Special - two beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a toasted bun (has a familiar ring, doesn't it?) served with fries - and you won't be disappointed.  I can't wait to go back!

Lap 90: Pinky's Westside Grill (1600 W Morehead St) serves up a fun mix of burgers with an unusual variety of toppings, including hummus, sauerkraut, and artichokes. One of the more interesting burgers is the Ding Dong style burger which is topped with crunchy peanut butter, honey-cilantro slaw, and hot sriracha sauce.  Mine was a tad dry (virtually mandated by state law) but the flavors were wonderful.  The fried pickle chips are a nice warm up for the burger.  If nothing else, it's a fun trip just to see the patriotic Volkswagen on the roof.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 85: Cajun Yarddog

Located in the Arboretum shopping center, the Cajun Yard Dog is one of my new favorites. Unfortunately, it's on the opposite side of Charlotte from my home. Fortunately, Charlotte really isn't that big - an oversized Mayberry, I've heard it called. The Yard Dog features the best blackened catfish poor boys this side of Chicago's Goose Island Brewpub. And since, lamentably, Goose has discontinued their poor boy, that would make the Yard Dog's version the best I've ever had (as Pete Townshend would say). In addition to the poor boy, the Cajun Yard Dog has a nice beer list, including New Orleans's Dixie and several selections from NC's own Boone Brewing, and a wide variety of sides for those of us who prefer something other than fries to accompany our sandwiches (although they did offer sweet potato fries, always a nice treat). For dessert, it was a chocolate pecan pie, possibly the best slice of pie I've ever eaten. Best of all was the company - some things will never change.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 83 & 84: Asian Corner Mall

You can read a bit of the history of the Asian Corner Mall, formerly Tryon Mall, at Dead Malls dot Com. Who knew such a website existed??

I don't have any pictures of the mall itself - there really wasn't much to get pictures of. Maneuvering through the parking lot would have been easier in a Moon Rover; I don't think it's been maintained since the original pavement was laid decades ago. And the mall itself was dirty and run down. Still, there are a couple stops worth making.
Lap 83: Rolls at Hong Kong BBQ - These large, soft rolls, which taste like Hawaiian bread, are stuffed with various Chinese "things" (the appropriate word escapes me at the moment), such as Chinese bbq, chicken curry, peanut, and coconut. The coconut roll, which made a tasty breakfast the next morning, is pictured, but they all look the same, as you might expect. Very appetizing, once you get past the carcasses of roasted pigs and ducks and various other critters hanging on hooks, or, even, sitting on one of the dining tables. Carry out might be the best option.

Lap 84: International Market - Featuring a wide array of ethnic groceries, mainly Asian, this is a fascinating market to walk through. It's crowded and chaotic, but the food and drink options are astounding, and sometimes kinda gross.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 78: eeZ Fusion Grille & Sushi Bar

We don't do sushi, but we will definitely go back to eeZ Fusion for the other delicious selections on their menu. The Spicy Thai Cucumbers we had as an appetizer were incredibly good, and apparently healthy as well! The Cashew Chicken and the Mongolian Beef were both excellent, and many of the other choices sounded like they'd be fun to sample on our next visit. Located in Birkdale Village in Huntersville, eeZ is an easy walk to the movie theater, a couple ice cream shops, a Starbucks, and all kinds of other things that would make it a convenient date spot. We will be back to eeZ, and we recommend it to anyone passing near Birkdale.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 77: Cafe Monte

Cafe Monte on Fairview Rd in Charlotte is part bakery and part restaurant. We visited on New Year's Eve, arriving just in time to toast the New Year in Paris (6PM local time). While the highlight of the meal was the soup - I had an amazing Tomato Bisque, while Tiff went with the French Onion - the entire meal was outstanding. We both went with our French favorite, Steak Bearnais with pommes frites (french fries) for the main course, and we both were both were far too stuffed to even think about dessert. But we weren't too full to hope for a return visit, some time very soon, to try something else from the menu - crepes, quiche, sandwiches, even pizza. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Cafe Monte is arguable the best restaurant we've found in Charlotte so far. And you gotta try the soup!!!

The Charlotte 500, Laps 71 - 75: Daytrip to Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem is less than 90 minutes north, and slightly east, of Charlotte, the perfect distance to discover some new things without the expense of hotels or too much gas.

Lap 71: Reynolda Gardens - Now part of Wake Forest University, Reynolda Gardens is located on the grounds of what used to be the Reynolds (as in RJ) family farm. The gardens are a quiet, peaceful island in the middle of a fairly large city, with, as you probably guessed, lots of flowers, trees, and vegetables. There are also a few shops and restaurants on the grounds, but they are designed so as not to ruin the atmosphere.

Lap 72: Foothills Brewing Company - Located in downtown Winston-Salem, Foothills offers up the usual pub grub, but with some different twists. You can get the beef and chicken, but you can also have buffalo and ostrich. The chips were pretty good, too. I won't say it was outstanding, but it was pretty good and convenient to downtown. Plus, if the weather's nice, you can eat outside.

Lap 73: Mayberry Ice Cream & Sandwich Shoppe - One of the shops located at Reynolda Gardens (there are other locations, too), Mayberry makes the list because it is ice cream and ice cream is good!

Lap 74: Wake Forest University - Although it wasn't long before classes started again, the Wake Forest campus was pretty much a ghost town so we didn't get to see much but the outside of the buildings, which is usually the most interesting part anyway. The campus seemed to be spread out, and it was very clean, with many trees and extensive green space.

Lap 75: Warthogs Baseball - Professional baseball in Winston-Salem dates from 1905, with the current franchise operating since 1945. The Warthogs, Class High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, played their games at Ernie Shore Field in Winston-Salem. They'll be moving to a new stadium closer to downtown in 2009. The team will also be playing with a new name and mascot. Too bad, I liked Wally Warthog.

The Charlotte 500, Laps 65-70: Pizza Search

After 15 months, we still haven't found a pizza place in Charlotte that rises to the level of those we've found in Chicago and New York. With all the New Yorkers who've moved to Charlotte, there is an abundance of pizzerias claiming to serve New York pizza (none have measured up) and the only place claiming to serve Chicago style is Charlotte's Pizzeria Uno (good pizza, but who are they kidding??). And, really, we haven't found any place that serves the type of thin crust pizza you can get in Chicago. Anyway...Here's a review of a few we've tried recently.

Lap 65: Taste of Buffalo Pizzeria, Huntersville - Who knew Buffalo had their own style of pizza? Wings I knew about, but pizza? I wasn't very confident about Taste of Buffalo, but it was a nice surprise. Served in a rectangular pan (or box, if you carry out), and featuring a thicker-than-thin-but-not-quite-thick, soft, chewy crust, Buffalo pizza is actually a nice treat.

Lap 66: Bullzeye Pizza, Huntersville (and Cornelius) - Bullzeye is one of the best thin-crust, non-New York style, pizzas we've found. The more ingredient you load it with (brocolli, spinach, garlic, tomato, onion, and pepperoni is very good), the better it holds up.

Lap 67: Donatos Pizza, Huntersville (and various other locations) - Donatos is a national chain, but I include it on my list because their thin crust ranks with Bullzeye as the best we've had, and because it is the only place I've ever seen that offers almonds as a topping, which add a surprisingly wonderful nutty flavor and crispy texture.

Lap 68: Pizza Peel, Myers Park/Cotswold, Charlotte - A very nice thin crust, pseudo-New York pizza restaurant, known as much for its beer menu as its pizza. Lots of kids, so if that's not your thing, then this ain't the place for you.

Lap 69: Brooklyn Boys Pizza, Mooresville - The people around here seem to love it, but, to me, the crust is way to chewy (not even close to true New York pizza), and the ingredients are laid on way too thin.

Lap 70: Fox's Den, Huntersville (and various other locations) - Not bad for a light, snack type pizza, along the lines of Dominos, Fox's Den offers a thin, cracker like crust with just the right amount of ingredients. Not really a meal, but still pretty good.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 64: Tony's Ice Cream, Gastonia

Since moving to Charlotte, I've rediscovered the joys of ice cream (speaking of which, we've got a couple quarts in the freezer...I'll be right back.)

Not that I ever lost touch with the joy of ice cream, but we've definitely dug in with greater verve than ever before. Gastonia, 20 miles or so west of downtown Charlotte, is home to Tony's Ice Cream. We both ordered a couple scoops of some really tasty ice cream - one of my scoops was coconut, which, I'm sure, will be the daily special in heaven. However, as we ate our ice cream and watched what everyone else was ordering, we decided the shakes must be the house special. Also, judging from the line at the grill, the food must be pretty durn good, too. We'll have to head back to Tony's in order to investigate those observations.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 63: Bill Spoon's Barbecue

Located south of downtown, and even south of the South End for that matter, Bill Spoon's has been around for nearly half a century. I picture it as once having been on the outer edges of Charlotte, but the city has since grown up and surrounded the restaurant. Quick service, great bbq, and some of the best hush puppies we've yet found, Bill Spoon's is a worthwhile step back in time to the Charlotte of yesteryear.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 59-62: Daytrip to Hickory

Lap 59: Downtown Hickory. Neslted in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Hickory is a large town, or small city, although "city" is a bit too big of a word for Hickory. But, at about an hour from Charlotte, there's just enough to do in Hickory to make it worth a trip for a day. Downtown Hickory looks like an old downtown should look, with just enough shopping and food/drink/sweets to keep everyone happy. And if you get there early enough on Saturdays, there's a large farmer's market right next to the train station.

Lap 60: Olde Hickory Brewery. If you're in downtown, you might as well walk down to the Olde Hickory Brewery. If someone is there, they'll probably be willing to give you a quick tour. The brewery is tied to the Olde Hickory Taproom, on the downtown square, so, if you're into that type of thing, you can sample their brews while enjoying some really good pub grub on the square.

Lap 61: Amos Howard's. This place on the edge of town, also tied to Olde Hickory Brewery, gets a separate post, not because you can sit inside the giant barrels while you eat, but because of the Aviemore Burger. Supposedly Scottish in origin, the burger is topped with egg, beet, and cheese - sounds a bit odd, but it is a beautiful thing.

Lap 62: Hickory Crawdads. Beginning in 2009, the Class A Crawdads will be an affiliate of the Texas Rangers, ending a ten year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates (previously, they were in the Chicago White Sox organization). Major league alumni of the Crawdads include Carlos Lee and Maglio Ordonez. Members of the South Atlantic League, the Crawdads play their home games at LP Frans stadium.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 57: Vidalia Onions

You can probably get Vidalia onions just about anywhere, but somehow these sweet onions seem more tasty when bought from one of those cute little road-side stands pictured here. Don't remember exactly where this was, but I do remember the guy liked to talk politics, and since he agreed with me, I thought he was pretty smart. Anyway...just drive south into South Carolina or Georgia and these farm stands are all over the place. We've discovered that Vidalias are best sliced into large pieces, covered with olive oil, and cooked up on the charcoal (I've learned not to call it barbecue) grill.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 56: Soiree

Soiree, in downtown Mooresville, is one of the few French restaurants in the Charlotte area. It's a neat little place in an old building in Mooresville, perfect for a special occasion, such as a 13th anniversary. I like the external look of the building, and, for the most part, the decor inside measures up. The food was very good, especially the spinach salad and the salmon, and was presented in such a way that it was a shame to ruin it by digging in. Soiree is not a place you'd dine regularly if you live on a budget, but it's a great place to go for those days that call for a celebration.

The Charlotte 500, Laps 52-54: Lexington Day Trip

Lexington, NC, is, as the sign says, The Bar-B-Q Capital. I hate it when people can't just call it "barbecue" but Lexington has the right to spell it how they want as they are the only town I know that has lent its name to a specific style of barbecue.
Lexington barbecue, also known as Western North Carolina style, uses only the dark, fatty meat of the pork shoulder and adds ketchup to the sauce. Also, the accompanying cole slaw is usually a tomato-vinegar based slaw (my favorite), rather than a mustard-based slaw (also excellent), or that awful mayo-based junk you find in the rest of the country. If for no other reason, North Carolina living is great because I actually eat those little sides of cole slaw that come with the meal rather than throwing them away. But, I'm off the track a bit. Those are the basic rules of Eastern versus Western NC barbecue, although the cole slaw rules don't seem to be hard and fast.

Anyway...the next three laps of the Charlotte 500 all revolve around the city of Lexington, about an hour or so northeast of Charlotte on Interstate 85.

Lap 52: Childress Vineyards. North Carolina has become a wine-lovers (which we are not) haven, with a number of vineyards popping up across the piedmont. We chose to go to Childress Vineyards not because of its reputation as wine-maker (to be honest, I don't even know how they rate with the wine snobs), but because it is owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner. We went in the spring, before the grapes had begun to grow, so we didn't see much in the fields beyond bare grape vines, which look rather sickly when they're naked (as most of us do, I'm sure). The tour was very interesting and educational, at least for people like me who only knew that making wine had something to do with grapes. As for the tasting, we both felt the Scupperdine Red, a twist on Scuppernong, the classic poor-man's wine of the South, was great. I also enjoyed the sweet dessert wines - Polar and Starbound (made with blueberries). Even if your not big on wine, Childress is beautifully situated and worth a visit. And the in-house restaurant serves up some nice, unique but simple sandwiches.

Lap 53: Lexington Barbecue. We chose to have dinner at Lexington Barbecue - it's the name of the town, it's the name of the style of barbecue, so we had to eat at the bbq joint that also carries the name. So far, after numerous samplings, Lexington Barbecue, founded in 1962, is my favorite. The meat was hickory smoked, and the taste came through wonderfully. Also, the hush puppies were among the best, with a nice corn meal flavor. The slaw was a bit on the vinegary side, but still good.

Lap 54: Monty's Ice Cream. Just outside the entrance to Childress Vineyards, Monty's carries on the NASCAR theme. The ice cream is wonderful. I don't normally like the overly sweet flavors like cotton candy but Monty's version is fantastic. The owner also was very friendly and we had a nice long conversation covering myriad topics, as it wasn't busy at all (since the rest of the businesses in the complex had yet to open their doors).

All in all, a great day, especially as the sky was deep blue and the temperatures were in the 70s.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 50: Matt's Chicago Dog

It's been over a year, and I'm finally hitting # 50 on my list of 500 things to do in Charlotte. You could say I'm dogging it, but that would be a downright awful pun since this post features Matt's Chicago Dog on Catawba Avenue in Cornelius. Chicagoans are used to seeing places like Matt's - hot dogs, burgers, italian beef, pizza puffs - at every strip mall, but in Charlotte, they are few and far between. And, in this land of barbecue, it's nearly impossible to find Vienna beef, aka Real Hot Dog. Of course they carry the Carolina Dog (cole slaw and chili), which seems to be a rule here, but they also have a very good Chicago Dog and great fries. We will definitely be back to Matt's.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 49: Fuel Pizza

Fuel Pizza looks pretty cool - like one of those old small town diners you'd see in Mayberry, except it serves pizza rather than meatloaf and spare ribs. The pizza was supposedly New York style, but, in my opinion, didn't quite measure up. We ate in at the South End (located at the south end of downtown, oddly enough) location and picked up at the Davidson location. I don't know if it was a difference in kitchens, but the eat-in pizza wasn't too bad, but the pick-up pizza was a big disappointment. Fuel is popular around Charlotte, so it makes my list.
The picture is of the South End location, but it's another one of those corners where I can't seem to get a red light in order to take a good picture.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 48: Dilworth Starbucks

Yeah, I know, Starbucks isn't all that exciting, but the location in Charlotte's Dilworth neighborhood is the coolest one I've seen. Unfortunately, I was only able to get a picture from the car - and wouldn't you know I've never gotten a red light at that corner. The porch is giant, for a coffee shop, and it's a great area to watch people and enjoy the weather. And your coffee, of course.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 47: Berry Brook Farms

Berrybrook Farm in the Dilworth neighborhood, just south of Uptown (downtown) Charlotte, is a health food/drink/vitamin store that's been around since 1972. Its trademark feature is the old wagon out front (of course I didn't get a picture of that). The small store includes all kinds of groceries, a juice bar, and a sandwich "shop".

The sandwich shop has only a few selections, such as tofu hot dogs (Tiffany wasn't thrilled) and a veggie wrap that was very good. After you buy your sandwich, you can eat out on the front porch. At the juice bar, you can get juice made of numerous fruits and veggies, or you can do as I did and get the Everything Juice, which pretty much includes everything - carrots, garlic, ginger, cilantro, etc. That was an awesome juice. As for groceries, you can get everything from breakfast (I got some great puffed kashi and millet) to dessert. They also carry organic sodas and energy drinks.

Berrybrook Farm is a cool place, a smaller, more home-y version of chains like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. I wish it was a bit closer to home.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 43: Boardwalk Billy's

Location, location, location...

Not that Boardwalk Billy's is a bad restaurant - they've got good food, good service, a good menu - but their location is the real reason why Boardwalk Billy's is a fun place to go. Located in the University area, on a somewhat large man-made pond/lake, with an eating area that sits on a dock, Boardwalk Billy's is a cool place to hang out when the weather is warm. To be honest, I don't remember exactly what I ate, but I remember it was good but not great. I do remember that they put a big bucket of peanuts on each table, but, unfortunately, you can't toss the shells wherever you want.

The Charlotte 500, Laps 25-26: Maddi's Southern Bistro

Maddi's counts as two entries because it is one part art gallery and one part restaurant. I believe the art gallery came first. So you can enjoy Maddi's for art or food, whatever suits your mood.

The art collection consists of everything from painting to pottery and the gallery is small enough to be a quick trip - it's not a museum, after all.

Maddi's Bistro cooks up some great southern food. The fried chicken was the best I've ever had, and I also loved the roasted butternut squash and granny smith apple soup, which contained apple chips and pumpkin seeds. Also, the sweet vidalia onion and thyme hush puppies were excellent. The service was very good and the dining room was light and cheery. It also helped our mood that we had a $25 gift card!

Maddi's is good stuff; I think I'll be back.

The Charlotte 500, Lap 24: Joel's Asian Grill

I've fallen a bit behind on my posts, partly due to time going so fast and partly due to the fact I keep forgetting the camera. So, in order to move things along, I'm going to due a few posts without pictures.

Tiffany and I went to Joel's Asian Grill off Williamson Rd in Mooresville to celebrate her 34th birthday. Joel's specialty is sushi, which neither of us have had the courage to try, but they also have a decent menu of pan-Asian dishes. The Mongolian Beef was excellent - spicy, as you'd expect, with a strong touch of ginger. Joel's outdoor eating area was perfect for the 75 degree weather and we enjoyed a nice dinner, even with all the kids running around (and that was the only drawback - it seemed like a playground at times).

If you're in the mood for Asian food, Joel's is a good choice.