Breakfast to brag about in Charlotte

Mrs. G. and I went to Big Daddy's Burger Bar on East Blvd. this AM for breakfast that's right BREAKFAST.
I am fussy about my eggs being done right. Hard to believe huh? That’s the classic way to interview a cook is to have him or her prepare an egg.
Well, I found out the chef had a brief stint cooking at the White House for 'W" and he was asked by the chef to prepare an omelet, scrambled eggs and poach an egg. Very Cool.

My wife's omelet with Brie and tomato was fantastic and my soft scrambled eggs were absolute perfection. Up until now no one could make scrambled eggs for me better than me, well these were the best scrambled eggs I have ever eaten. Mrs. G. had hers with fresh fruit and I had the sausage and potatoes. That’s why she is the cute one.

Breakfast is a new weekend thing at Big Daddy's Burger Bar - Saturday and Sunday AM only. It was strange to see the place less than packed but word of breakfast is just sneaking out. The lines they have at lunch will be forming for breakfast soon. Sadly Charlotte does not have many quality breakfast options. When word starts to spread about breakfast this good you better be their at 8AM when they open to get a good table.

Andrew Blair's - New Kid In Town - SCORES BIG

Here is a real Godfather tip

The real deal and a must try. A brand new place on Montford Drive. It is called Andrew Blair's and they are offering what they call comfortable dining.
The owner also owns a well established bar next door called Angry Ale's. The bar business is very different from the restaurant business. Happily though he was smart enough to hire some Johnson and Wales recent grads - Top Guns. These guy's know how to cook and are putting out some fine food.
They have several salads and sandwiches for $10 or under. I'm talking Monte Cristo, Meatloaf with melted Havarti cheese, Turkey and brie or splurge and for $13 go for a fresh lobster roll. They have some great entrees.like - the Lobster macaroni and cheese or the stuffed Pork tenderloin or Shrimp Gnocchi. I had a Halibut special that just knocked me out the fish was moist and flaky yet the skin was crispy and almost cracker like.
You heard it from the Godfather first this place is going to be big. The combination of great food, truly comfortable space and amazing service is a winner.
Our waiter Donny was nothing short of flawless. His knowledge of food, the menu and his attention to detail was perfection. Word of mouth on this place will spread fast, get in there before the crowds come and they will soon.

Take it from the Godfather this is the Real Deal.

One final note - Yes I am the Godfather of LUNCH Please take note Andrew Blair's is only open for dinner Tuesday thru Sunday.
www.ANDREWBLAIRS>COM

Nolia Has Potential

Mrs G. and I had dinner at Nolia the other evening. It was kinda sorta pretty good. What they are calling Southern Bistro. Mrs G. had a crab cake appetizer and a goat cheese salad. She reported the crab cake was excellent, liked the texture had lots of crab and a nice remoulade. The salad had beets, walnuts and goat cheese. She felt it was too light on the dressing. I had seared sea scallops with beets and requested the sauteed arugula as a sub for the mashed potato's. The scallops very nicely seared, firmed up the outside with a very moist inside. The arugula was well seasoned. The beets while tasting good were not drained and created a pink watery puddle on my plate. Other than the pink puddle which The Godfather did not like the meal was pretty decent. The atmosphere felt a bit bleak. Boring white tile on the floor, boring white on the walls, and boring white paper on the tables. I think they are going for a minimalist vibe but this felt sort of low rent industrial. The wait for the waitress to arrive at our table a bit too long, but she was accommodating once she arrived. The owner introduced herself after the meal and was very charming and eager to hear feed back about our experience, kudo's to her. Overall a pretty good meal but the place needs some tweaking. I am impressed enough to try again soon. I feel they have potential to be something special

Grateful Growers Farm Dinner

Grateful Growers Farm Dinner
The hands that Feed You - Real Food and Real Farmers

On Saturday May 31, 2008 I had the pleasure of attending the Annual Grateful Growers Farm Dinner at the Grateful Growers Farm in Denver North Carolina.
Less than an hour from Uptown Charlotte is the 10-acre Grateful Growers Farm. While not a huge farm an amazing amount of growing happens here.

Co –Owners Cassie Parsons and Natalie Veres grow vegetables, produce; Shitake mushrooms and raise Tamworth hogs, Delaware chickens, Blue Swedish and Khaki Campbell ducks.

All of the animals are raised outdoors on rolling pastures, which are not treated with chemical fertilizers or herbicides. The diets of pasture forage and grains are highly nutritious and free from hormones, antibiotics, and meat byproducts. They comply with animal husbandry standards established by the Animal Welfare Institute, ensuring the animals are safe, free from stress, and are able to behave naturally. There are no stuffy confinement pens or waste lagoons here.
The Pigs are free to roam, root, and play in the sunshine and fresh air. The breeds they raise were especially selected for superior meat quality and hardiness for outdoor living.
The Chickens are free ranging, producing delicious, nutritious meat and eggs.
Produce is grown without synthetic pesticides, weed controls, or chemical fertilizers. As they believe food is a valuable gift, and shouldn’t be laced with poisons.

Other farms participating in the event and supplying ingredients were Laughing Owl Farm, N’ Thyme Farm, Gilcrest Natural Farm, Rosemary Pete Herbs, My Bosky Acres, Fisher Family Farms and Pecan Lane Farm.

The chef’s who participated in transforming these splendid ingredients into magnificent dishes were Ben Miles – formerly of Table Restaurant, Chris Vergili - Barrington’s, Mike Vergili- Carmel Country Club, Paul Malcolm - Johnson & Wales University, Paul Verica - The Club at Longview, Marla Thurman- Art Institute of Charlotte student, intern at Longview, baker at Downhome Bakery, Christine Strzepek - Down Home Bakery, Greg Balch and Mark Hibbs - Ratcliffe on the Green, Karl Hoffmann - Chef for executive staff, ACN and Liz Hale - The Compass Group.

Perhaps the same skills set that make for an outstanding farmer also serve to make an outstanding event planner. The organization, level of planning and eye for details made this event move like a Swiss watch. The warm greeting, the interesting farm tour, the amazing entertainment featuring singer extraordinaire Melissa Reaves and the way the food and wine flowed to the tables were all flawless.

For me all of this was eclipsed by one thing the quality of the food. Upon entering the farm our path was lined with several food stations. The smoking station offerings included Applewood smoked Whiskey brined heritage turkey, Mexican style chorizo wrapped in smoked chicken served with a mole sauce and Braised Pork Shoulder. Next the Vegetarian section with a Spring Peas salad and a Tomato and goat cheese Aroncini. The Charcuterie station featured a house made prosciutto a pork terrine and a pork rillette. The bread station had a fantastic array of artisan-baked breads. The beverage very needed as it was a very warm day served herbal tea, Belgian style white beer and Alligator ale and of course water.
A brief tour of the farm allowed us to see the area where produce is grown and the shady area used to inoculate logs to grow shitake mushrooms (who knew). We also received a personal introduction to many lovely chickens and hogs and even a few dandy ducks.

Having stretched our legs a bit it was time to enter the large white tent and begin dinner. Dinner was a magnificent tasting menu that followed a progression of light to richer dishes. Dinner included a salad with goat cheese and a light strawberry dressing. Succulent duck breast and ravioli stuffed with duck confit. Next a chicken dish with a sauce that contained bits of caramelized garlic that had become crispy and added a crunch almost like a mild garlic candy. Last was an unctuous braised portion of pork belly. It was at once juicy, smoky, and slightly crispy around the edges and just all around fantastic. Desert was not memorable and this is a shame as it is the last taste folks leave with, could be challenging to represent local ingredients well thru desert. Perhaps a simple fruit tart would fare better.

The event was truly amazing and a huge success. I am grateful for Grateful Growers Farm and all of the farmers and chefs who produce healthy, delicious and local food for us.

Pio Pio for Great Rotisserie Chicken

Take it from the Godfather
Dilworth now boasts the best rotisserie chicken in Charlotte.
It can be found at Pio Pio. It’s a new place behind the Outback Steak House on East Blvd. Drive all the way to the back of the parking lot located to the right of Tally's (which is closing by the way). Pio Pio marinates the chicken for great flavor and to insure that it is nice and juicy. The chicken is offered with rice and beans, and either green or ripe plantains. If you prefer, you can have it served with a wonderful chicken soup and a salad with avocado and a light dressing. They bring two sauces to the table garlic and hot sauces both are fantastic. They also offer drinks, deserts and other entrees. Everything is fresh and very tasty. This is great food for a reasonable price. When word gets out this place will be packed. The location is tough. Two restaurants have failed there. However I predict this place will make it big time. Serve a simple menu do it extremely well and people will beat a path to your door. Word of mouth will spread fast that this chicken ROCKS. They own several restaurants in the New York area and this is the first in Charlotte. I am glad that they have arrived in Charlotte. This place is the real deal and I defy you to find better chicken. It is poultry in motion.

Godfather soon to be Famous ?

I have been a regular at Big Daddy’s Burger Bar eating lots of salads as of late in an effort to build a better godfather. Great salads topped with chicken breast, turkey burger etc.
The general manager Donny mentioned that to keep things fresh he was going to add some new items to the menu. He mentioned a tuna burger, Portabella burger to name a few. I have had the Tuna burger and it is a gem. I had it atop of mixed greens with the soy ginger dressing and it was truly delicious. The great news in addition to being delicious it’s made with no filler. It is actually good for you.
Donny asked the godfather what burger I would like to see added to the menu and I of course said the godfather burger, as I am a shy and unassuming kind of guy.
Well asked Donny “what is a godfather burger?
Burger with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese I explained. To which Donny replied, “done”
Today as a lunch special low and behold there it was!!
The Godfather – Prime Angus Burger cooked to your desire topped with mozzarella and marinara sauce with your choice of side. WOW I am deeply moved. Well I just had to go for it. I didn’t go totally nuts. I had it on a whole-wheat bun, with a side of the chopped salad and a UN sweet tea. What a tasty tribute. What a thrill to eat myself and to my delight I am a very tasty treat indeed. Donny tells me it is a great seller and people are raving about it. I am truly touched just ask anyone.

crisp 7th Street Cafe - Salad Sensation in Elizabeth

First I like the name. It conjures thoughts of fresh and vibrant ingredients. Next I enjoy being in the space. The dining area has a green leaf design on the walls that creates a vibe that is serene and cool. The food prep line from which you order your food attractively shows off the wholesome array of spring mix, spinach, butter or romaine lettuce and a choice of interesting toppings. You also can select a protein choice that includes grilled flat iron steak, herb marinated grilled chicken, herb roasted turkey and grilled teriyaki shrimp. The day I was there the specials were a salad with pesto marinated shrimp and turkey, black bean chili. I opted for one of the house designed signature salads. The steakhouse salad consisted of romaine lettuce, grilled flat iron steak – cooked to order, portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, grilled red onion and balsamic vinaigrette. Very impressively prepared. Your order is taken and custom made to your liking right in front of you. Salt and freshly ground pepper are added to your liking and the protein is married to the salad at the end of line. Its dressed and served in a hefty bowl. Get your beverage from the case near the cashier, settle your tab have a seat and enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. All of the veggies were bursting with flavor and freshness and yes crisp. The steak was prepared just as I ordered it and the quantity was enough to be satisfying but not so much as to ruin the whole idea of having salad to begin with. Most importantly it was tender and delicious.

While on the road to building a better godfather I will be consuming many salads. I am sure a good many of them will be enjoyed at crisp. It is a tribute to crisp that I look forward to trying all the many salad options that they and I can come up with.