Review: Brunch at Bistro La Bon

It has taken me a long time, but I think I can finally admit disappointment with the “brunch buffet”.  It sounds great; but almost never measures up.  My Sunday brunch at Bistro La Bon was no exception.

Review: Pewter Rose

After dining at Pewter Rose, I am on the fence as whether to return. Where do I start?

Recipe: Camarones Enchilados – or as I say Enchilated Scrimps

Cuban cooking is extremely traditional – you either make it the way its SUPPOSED to be, or you have made it wrong! There is no fusion, innovation, no unexpected twists or surprising tastes – at least there shouldn’t be. Cuban food is NOT spicy – but IS full of flavor and delicious. Ironically, it is also one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted cooking cultures out there – this dish may serve as a perfect example as to why.

This classic Cuban dish, translates into "Shrimp in Enchilada Sauce". Funny thing is, enchilada sauce does not even exist in our cooking culture, and the sauce used in this recipe for decades has never been, and will never be anything even remotely enchilada – like. I’ve seen some Cuban restaurants translate the name of this dish into “Shrimp Creole” – certainly not Creole sauce either!! The sauce is a very tasty tomato based sauce that to me really embodies the taste you should expect from a number of Cuban staple dishes.

Recipe: Longing for some Latin food?

My husband loves Latin food and I am the first to admit I am guilty of rarely preparing him this style of food. I have thought in the past (when living just outside of Miami), “Why make the food when I can buy it so easily?” That changed after moving to Charlotte. In my quest for Latin food that pleases my picky palette and my husband’s desire to eat tasty Latin food that he so misses, I decided to prepare a meal a friend of mine once so lovingly made for us. Much to my surprise, I learned this recipe was very easy to prepare. However, you must have a blender or food processor to save you a lot of work!

Review: A first glimpse of Savor Cafe

“Do you think they are kid-friendly?” I said, looking at the menu for Savor Café online and printing out my Groupon before we headed out.  “I don’t know, but we can find out,” replied my friend.  This is always a concern of mine at lunch, when I can’t take a MNO (Mom’s Night Out, for those of you not in the know) to go check out a less-family friendly restaurant or get a babysitter and head out with the husband.

Recipe: Chicken Triathlon

I have been told that it is impossible for a chicken to be used for three days, but I beg to differ.  I think you can, as a family of three (ok, two and a half), use a chicken for three days (and possibly four) pretty easily, with some actual veggies, of course.  I must add here that when my son is older and begins eating me out of house and home, or when children arrive in the future, chicken may only last for two dinners, but night three can always be substituted for night two.  Also, to do this, I refuse to let my family eat chicken for lunch.  Allow me to share with you my most recent chicken extravaganza.

Review: The Penguin

Souvenir cup!

While watching a piece on The Penguin Drive-In on Charlotte’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, I practically ran out of the house to catch some of this home cookin’. It was all I could do to wait for my gals to find a time to join me for this greasy fest. I had a lot of confidence that The Penguin was going to be an unforgettable dining experience. But when I read rumors that this eatery had changed (for the worse), since its management switched hands in October of last year, I had to go see for myself.