Dairy Queen in Rockingham - Fan Food, not Fast Food

Happy Thursday!

Sorry for the delay in posting again, life has been crazy lately between moving and getting settled in to my new place and work! I wanted to tell you about our recent experience at the Dairy Queen in Rockingham, NC last week, where we stopped on our last trip back to Wilmington from Huntersville. Our first visit had been two months ago, during our first trip out here, as there isn't a DQ that serves food in Wilmington (just a stand that serves ice cream). We've seen countless commercials extolling the virtues of the food and definitely wanted to check it out, and were very glad that we did!

Fried Cheese Curds

When we saw that there were fried cheese curds on the menu, we knew we had to get some! I am a huge fan of Mozzerella sticks, and these were pretty similar, only bite-size! They were lightly battered and fried just enough so that the insides were gooey but there was a nice crunch when you bit into them. They were fresh out of the fryer and were perfectly cooked - you definitely want a long string of cheese with these, and DQ definitely delivered! I was pleasantly surprised with the end result as I'd never had cheese curds cooked like this before. Like most Mozzerella sticks, they were served with marinara sauce, but I ordered a side of Ranch as well, and the combination was absolutely incredible. I know I will be ordering these the next time I stop in!

Salted Caramel Truffle & Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzards

Everyone knows that DQ is famous for their blizzards, so we had to get some for the road. I opted for the Salted Caramel Truffle Blizzard while Chris chose the Strawberry Cheesecake Blizzard. Mine was absolutely delicious! It was chock full of chocolate and caramel, and also had little chocolate candy pieces with salted caramel inside (they were the best parts). I am a huge fan of salted caramel - I feel that the salty/sweet mixture is just about as decadent as you can get. This blizzard certainly did not disappoint! Chris' Strawberry Cheesecake was one of the classic blizzard creations and it was also quite yummy. It's a vanilla-based blizzard with tons of strawberry chunks and real cheesecake pieces. It really makes you feel like you're eating a true New York style cheesecake with strawberries on it. Of course, the employees have to show you how thick the blizzards are by turning them upside down with the spoon inside, and these certainly held up to the test! 

The last great part of this visit was that there was a guy there with a guitar, taking requests and singing. This is just a tiny part of his cover of "My Girl" - he had an exquisite voice and was just an added bonus to the stop. (I made sure to tip him generously, don't worry!)

Today's quote is by Euripedes: "When a man's stomach is full it makes no difference if he is rich or poor."

Have a great day!

Duckworths - Best apps and atmosphere!

Happy Friday!

Today is my last official day at my job in Wilmington and then we are off to Mooresville! I wanted to write about some of the delicious appetizers we had our last night in Huntersville from Duckworth's. There are several locations around the Charlotte area and there was one right beside our hotel! We ordered some food from there the last time we visited and knew we had to do it again. They are famous for their beers (over 440 on tap for 5 locations!) as well as their wings, which we got last time (and were incredible). The restaurant itself is very welcoming, and when we move we will probably go and dine in, but we just wanted to get some food to take back to the room. They have over 50 LG flat screen televisions - it's like a sports bar, but with a nicer atmosphere than any sports bar that I've ever been to. This time we opted for the potato skins, onion rings and Loaded Nachos with Fajita Chicken.

Potato Skins

One of Chris' favorite apps of all time is potato skins. The ones at Duckworth's come with scallions, cheese, bacon (can be substituted for Jalapeño bacon) and sour cream on the side. We also got a side of Jalapeños for some additional heat. As you can see the potatoes themselves are of decent size, and the flavor is amazing. The outside of the skins was seasoned perfectly (sometimes they can be bland, but these were salted nicely) and were tender enough to cut with a fork without being mushy. They use Applewood Smoked Bacon, which was cooked perfectly so that it was crispy and decadent. We had ordered them the last time we were in Huntersville and were pleased both times!

Onion Rings

I had a random craving for onion rings and I am very glad I decided to get these! They were crispy and light, not too heavily battered, and, again, seasoned to perfection. The best part was the honey mustard which wtih they were served. As a general rule, I'm not a huge honey mustard fan, I prefer the sweeter kind over those with more of a mustard flavor. This one used whole grain mustard and was creamy and sweet. It reminded me of the honey mustard at Eddie Romanelli's (my second waitressing job), which was my favorite until I tried this one. I normally dip onion rings in Ranch dressing but this honey mustard was outstanding! The sweetness and bite of the onions complemented the savoriness of the dressing. I will definitely be ordering these again!

Loaded Nachos w/ Fajita Chicken

The star of the three apps we got was undoubtedly the loaded nachos with fajita chicken. Let me start by telling you that this serving size was ENORMOUS, in case you can't tell by the pictures. Because we got them to-go, they came in an aluminum pan that was probably 8/8 (or, close to it), and they put all the fixins on the side (tomatoes, jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole and red onions). Also it is worth noting that there was an entire POUND of chicken, so the whole dish weighed probably 3 pounds! The nachos themselves were loaded with cheese and chicken, and you definitely got some of each in every bite. We sprinkled the veggies on top and dipped the chips in the guac and sour cream so they wouldn't get soggy, and the result was amazing. This dish is enough to serve at least five people - we had well over half left over! I highly recommend ordering these nachos if you are looking for a filling, decent-sized appetizer for a party or any other social gathering. You can also order these loaded nachos with chili or buffalo chicken, which would make for a perfect winter meal. I'm not exaggerating, folks - these are DEFINITELY meant to be shared!

To summarize, Duckworth's is the perfect place to go, whether you want to have a beer and watch the game or have a family meal that won't kill your wallet (the rest of their menu is quite extensive, ranging from Philly cheesesteaks to fajitas to flatbreads). I am very excited to be moving someplace where there are multiple venues - looking forward to trying them all!

Today's quote is by Elsa Schiaparelli: "Eating is not merely a material pleasure. Eating well gives a spectacular joy to live and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship. It is of great importance to the morale."

Have a great Friday (the 13th!) and weekend... since I'm moving I probably won't have time to post again until next week. Wish me luck! 

Best Chinese Food Take-Out in Huntersville - Dragon Express

Beef Lo Mein, General Tso's Chicken, Won Ton Egg Drop Soup, BBQ Boneless Spare Ribs & Egg Roll

This trip to Charlotte/Mooresville/Huntersville has been a whirlwind! So much going on trying to get everything set up for my new condo as well as work, which is why this blog has unfortunately gone by the wayside. I apologize deeply but will try to get back on it... starting now! 

Wherever we live we try to find the best local Chinese take-out restaurant and we found it at Dragon Express in Huntersville, right off Sam Furr Road (in the Northcross Shopping Center). It was a rainy Monday night and we just wanted something quick, easy and satisfying that we could take back to the hotel and eat while sitting in bed and watching Netflix. We looked on Google for almost 10 minutes trying to find the best and closest place and were eventually led to this little hidden gem. I was a little worried at first because their sign wasn't lit up, but as I've previously discovered, you can't always judge a book by its cover. Their food more than made up for it!

We ordered a ton of food so we'd have leftovers for the next day and were NOT disappointed. I'll start with the boneless BBQ spare ribs. At the Jade Garden in Rocky Point (where we currently live), we always get the ribs with the bones still in so were hoping to get the same, but these boneless ribs were the BEST I've ever had at a Chinese take-out joint. They were incredibly tender little strips of meat covered in this amazing sweet and spicy (but not too spicy) sauce. Sometimes spare ribs are overcooked and tough, but that was not the case with these. Even when we re-heated them last night they were still extremely delicate and moist, and I was worried that the sauce would get too thick but it coated the ribs nicely. 

One other thing we always order is egg drop soup with won tons. If you're a fan of either egg drop or won ton soup but have never tried the mix, put it on your to-do list RIGHT NOW. I am a big fan of both and love the mix even more! This one in particular had the perfect consistency and taste and the won tons themselves were amazing. They were dense and chewy and the meat inside had incredible flavor. Again, when I had it the next day the texture of the soup remained silky, unlike some other soups I've had in the past which break down when re-heated.

We also ordered beef lo mein and General Tso's Chicken, two other staples in our Chinese food repertoire. The lo mein was fantastic - not greasy at all, the noodles had a great mouth-feel, and there were lots of other vegetables present. The container it came in was HUGE - even after eating again (both of us), we STILL had some left over! It was even better the next day, as some foods tend to be. The chicken was also pleasantly surprising. Sometimes General Tso's is overly breaded and the sauce is too syrupy, but this one was perfect. The pieces did have a thick breading on them but they were still crunchy, even drenched in the sauce, which was the perfect combination of sweet and savory. I also thoroughly enjoyed the green bell peppers that were mixed in with the chicken; most places add vegetables but they don't always mix with the sauce (the place by our house adds broccoli, and, while I love broccoli, I don't feel that it goes well in that particular dish). These peppers were cooked perfectly so they still had a crispness to them, but they were soft from being sauteéd (presumably). 

The last thing I need to mention is their egg rolls. I am very picky about egg rolls - there's this place in Castle Hayne (Jung's Egg Roll Express) that is known for their egg rolls and they are the best I've had to date. These run a close second, and that says a lot. I opted for the pork egg roll rather than the shrimp and, let me tell you, it was spectacular. It was quite large (as you can see in the picture) and not as greasy as a lot of others that I've had. The filling was generously seasoned with black pepper, which is a necessity when it comes to cabbage (which is, of course, the main ingredient in egg roll filling). The wrapper was crunchy but chewy and it was absolutely delicious. 

The entire meal was extremely satisfying - I'm disappointed we won't be living in Huntersville, but it will be well worth the 13 miles to drive to get some of their food! I definitely want to go back to try some of their other dishes! Thanks for everything, guys!

Today's quote is about Chinese food and it's by the tennis player Michael Chang:"As long as there's pasta and Chinese food in the world, I'm okay."

My philosophy exactly! 

Until next time...

A Time for Celebration - 2015 Birthday Dinners at Catch and manna

Happy Monday!

As this year is coming to a close, I wanted to share some of my experiences from this year from both Chris' and my birthdays. We had amazing dinners at two of the best fine dining restaurants in town, Catch and manna, and both were extremely memorable. Chris' birthday was earlier so I'll start with our night at Catch.

Thai Sake Blossom Martini

My aunt Tricia (who is also a foodie) gave us an incredibly generous gift card to Catch for Christmas, so since Chris' birthday was right after New Year's, we decided to use it then. I had heard about Catch a lot; the chef there, Keith Rhodes, is fairly well-known - he was an NC James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef, Southeast in 2011, and has also been voted the city's best chef for three consecutive years. This was all a promising start!

The restaurant is tucked away in a sort of strip mall on one of Wilmington's main roads (the same road where Indochine is located, but farther north). While the outside is nothing special, as soon as you walk in the door you are greeted with warm colors, a large, beautiful bar and modern, coastal-inspired decor. We were seated immediately and given menus, and our server came to tell us about the specials. We ordered drinks to start - I ordered the Thai Sake Blossom Martini (see above). I'm not normally a fan of sake but it was paired with enough other juices and liquors that I could barely taste it. (And, it was pretty!) Their menu is quite extensive so it was difficult to choose what we wanted, but I think our decisions were all the best off the menu. Rather than describing each dish individually, I'm going to lump them all together, as I was unfortunately unable to find specific descriptions for each item (in addition to being long, their menu changes seasonally, so their current dishes are not the same as what they had back in January).

Cajun Fried Oysters

Duck Confit

Crab Cakes

 We chose the Cajun Fried Oyster as an appetizer, which were served with some sort of spicy sauce and pink peppercorns. They were fried perfectly so the outsides were crunchy, yet the oysters themselves still had the consistency and flavor that you want (chewy, and  tasting of the sea), and whatever sauce came with them had just the right amount of fire. I knew our subsequent dishes would be just as appetizing. Naturally, I went with the duck entree, which was duck confit (two legs), served with venison sausage and foie gras. Now, I've had duck a LOT of places, but this has to be one of my favorites of all time. The legs were tender and juicy, the venison sausage was gamey and the casing snapped when you bit into it, and the sauce... oh, that sauce! Again, I'm not exactly sure what was in it, but it was like a gravy that had been upgraded x100. With the foie gras and apples, it balanced the sweet and savory like you would not believe. The duck was supposed to come with blue cheese polenta, but I am NOT a fan of blue cheese (one of the few foods I don't eat), so I just ordered the polenta plain. Between that and the greens it came with, I think that was the most well-rounded and -balanced meal ever.  Catch is famous for their crab cakes so we knew we had to try them! Most  places tend to make their crab cakes about 50/50 (crab to filler), so we were pleasantly surprised to find that these were mostly lump crab. They were incredibly delicate but still quite filling. These particular crab cakes were served over white truffle mash with mixed greens and what is described on their menu as a "Pamlico Shrimp and Cognac bisque." It reminded me of the quality seafood bisque that you get in Charleston, South Carolina - it was so delicious! I can taste it right now - it was light yet chock full of shrimp flavor. The mashed potatoes had an earthy, truffle flavor that was not overwhelming, and the greens were the perfect complement. We were very pleased overall with our meal and felt like it was the perfect way to celebrate both Chris' birthday as well as ring in the New Year!

Seared Duck Breast

My birthday was in April and my wonderful Aunt Trish took me out for dinner at manna, which is in downtown Wilmington. I had never been there either, but had heard wonderful things, so I was very excited when she suggested we go there! The head chef specializes in French technique, which he incorporates into fine American cuisine. Their menu is full of elegant dishes with mostly local ingredients. Once again, I was faced with a tough decision... but as soon as I saw "seared duck breast" I was hooked. Searing is the best way to prepare the breast meat of a duck. The skin gets nice and crispy and the meat itself is still tender and flavorful. This duck in particular was served with parsnip puree and gnocchi. I had never had parsnips before but had always wanted to try them, and I'm very glad I chose to try them for the first time at manna! Being that they are root vegetables, parsnips (when mashes) have a similar texture and taste to potatoes. They were the perfect combination of smooth and creamy. The "gnocchi" was not the traditional dumpling-style but actual diced potatoes that were very soft and seasoned perfectly. They were a terrific accent to the parsnip puree. Drizzled on top was a sort of pan gravy that had delicious flavor and added a little something extra to the overall dish.

Lemon tart

After the meal I wasn't too hungry for dessert, but since it was for my birthday I decided I had to have something - I'm very glad I did! Instead of ordering my usual, crème bruleé, I went outside the box and chose the lemon tart with shortbread crust, caramel gastrique and basil ice cream. As you can see above, it was beautifully presented! The tart had a perfect lemon flavor - bitter yet sweet, and the crust was absolutely amazing. It was exactly like a shortbread cookie, buttery and crunchy, and complemented the smooth, creamy texture of the tart. The basil ice cream was very interesting - not something I would have chosen but somehow the earthy, herbaceous flavor of the basil worked with the lemon. All in all I was extremely satisfied with my birthday dinner and would be more than happy to revisit manna sometime!

I'll leave you with a quote by Louise Fresco: "Food, in the end, in our own tradition, is something holy. It's not about nutrients and calories. It's about sharing. It's about honesty. It's about identity."

Basically, food is what life is all about. Have a great rest of your Monday!