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From our very first visit, we thought that Ilios Noche was ill. Not ill in a sick way, but ill in a Beastie Boy’s Ill Communication sic kinda way (that means good). Many bloggers start out any restaurant, wine, beer, food, or product review with a disclaimer. The product was sent to me as a free sample by the manufacturer… The restaurant invited me to dinner to review their new menu… They…
Read moreOkay, so I’m not just warming up Sunday’s pasta. Leftovers wouldn’t last me an entire week. I’m actually cooking the leftovers. It’s a strange concept, cooking leftovers, but hear me out. I’m frugal. That’s not a confession, but a proud fact. One of the ways we are frugal is by always shopping the grocery store weekly specials or the Costco quantities. If it’s not a deal, it doesn’t make our weekly menu…
Read moreAfter returning from Bavaria, the Mrs. and I were on a quest for a new local market. We are regulars at the local farmers markets but these just don’t compare to the markets we experienced in Munich, Vienna, and Salzburg. There’s just something missing stateside that you can find in a European market. We recently heard of Atherton Mill and Market and wanted to try it out. Unfortunately for us, the market…
Read moreGrowing up my family didn’t have an Easter tradition. Instead, we either found ourselves in Mexico or the Caribbean or maybe even in Florida for Holy Week. When we didn’t have a Spring Break vacation planned, we drove to visit my father’s family 2 hours away and went out to dinner for a meal that was less than desirable. The kitchen staff obviously resented the fact that they had to work on…
Read moreI am big on these new fast, casual burrito joints. They’re quick, tasty (better than fast food), and somewhat healthy. I’ve tried all the mainstays – Chipotle, Moe’s, Salsarita’s, Qudoba, and Baja Fresh. Each is a great option when on the road and looking for alternatives to fast food restaurants. I have even tried a few regional joints where you get a little more local flair like Phat Burrito in Charlotte (simple…
Read moreI am going to start by dispelling the myth – Thai people don’t use chop sticks. They have realized that better tools exist for getting food from your plate to your mouth than two splintery sticks. So the next time a Thai restaurant tries to be gimmicky and gives you chop sticks instead of silverware, tell them no thanks. You’ll go native and eat like the Thai people do – with a…
Read moreFor twenty years I’ve been making the squid spaghetti sauce for Christmas Eve – the Guerra family tradition. Growing up, I would wake up with Grandpa on the morning of Christmas Eve, and we would start sautéing the garlic and onion and trimming the squid. After the squid simmered for a while we poured in some wine and then the tomatoes and spices to complete the sauce. Well, that’s an abbreviating version;…
Read moreI’m a quarter Italian. I wish I was more. It’s a goal I have always strived for but will never been able to achieve. I would even settle for one of those cool Italian last names that many of my high school classmates had like Gatta, Salvatore, or Vigorito. At least then I would appear full-blooded to others. But no, I have a Welsh last name instead. I can’t even fake Italian….
Read moreGuy Fieri went to the BBQ King on Wilkinson Blvd in Charlotte, and so did I. And if you haven’t been, you need to go. Right now. Seriously. Drop everything – the dishes, the laundry, the baby – and go. Go for the BBQ chicken like we did. You won’t be disappointed. The only regret we had was that this was our first trip and we have lived in Charlotte for five…
Read moreI am still in the formative stages of this blog and am not really sure of the exact direction I plan to take it. One thing I do not want it to become is a restaurant review site. However, sometimes I stumble upon a place that is so amazing that I have to write about it. Casa Nueva, nestled of block of off Court Street in Athens, Ohio, is one of those…
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