A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet with a friend of mine from Diamond Springs Water. (They have the best spring water around!) After we met up at the corporate office, we made a quick drive to Savor.
At first I was a little wary. The area it's in (West Morehead) is just starting to be less scary. Also, it's across the street from Open Kitchen -- a restaurant not known for its gourmet selections. So I turned and looked at my friend as if to ask, "Really?" And he reassured me that it was fantastic.
Fortunately, he was right.
Savor is a very small restaurant offering some big flavors. We walked in and were immediately taken to our table. It's small, and can get very loud; but the restaurant has a very cozy feel and the staff make you feel welcome.
After looking over their specials and the menu I decided to try one of my favorite sandwiches (when done right), a Cuban Sandwich, and I got a side of Cheese Grits.
After a short wait the food arrived, and I was happily surprised.
Both of our meals were presented well. It was simple, but well done. The ingredients appeared to be fresh (on both our meals), and the aroma was irresistible. My Cuban Sandwich consisted of "Roasted Pork, Smoked Ham, Pickles & Dijon Mustard on Cuban bread." The sandwich was grilled, sorta in a panini style, and it was one of the better Cuban sandwiches that I've had. (The best I've had is from Cafe Salsa, in Alexandria, VA.)
The pork and ham were warm and not dry. Where the pickles added a zesty tang that complimented the mustard. The roll was fresh and had a nice crust -- always a plus! The cheese grits were quite good. Topped with shredded cheddar, the grits were plenty warm, thick, and creamy. Delicious!
Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Total: 12.5
Price: $$ (with drink and tip about $15 per person)
Kid Friendly: Yes, though the crowd appears to be nearby professionals out for a quick lunch.
Conclusion: All in all, a great meal in an unexpected location. If you're ever in the area, this is a restaurant I'd highly recommend. Also, they have a catering service -- I'd use them!
Restaurant Info:
Savor Cafe and Catering
1404 West Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC 28208
p) 704-334-0098
http://www.savoronmorehead.com/
Showing posts with label Cuban Sandwich. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cuban Sandwich. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, July 9, 2009
La Patisserie (Mooresville)
When I first heard about La Patisserie, a friend of mine described it as a "Mexican Bakery." Once I got there and had a look around, I think that "Mexican Bakery" defines it a little too narrowly.
La Patisserie definitely has a Latino influence -- their empanadas look and smell amazing. However, they are more of a traditional bakery than I was expecting. They offer hand made pastries (croissants, turnovers, scones, etc.), desserts (cookies, tiramisu, cakes, etc.), and they make sandwiches too!
La Patisserie is located in a non-descript strip mall in Mooresville, located between the downtown area and Prickly Pear. If I wasn't looking for it -- I don't think that I would have seen it. The mall has a worn-down feel to it. Fortunately, once you enter La Patisserie, you leave that all behind.
When you enter this bakery / cafe, you're greeted by several display cases that show-off the pastries, deserts, cakes and crepes. This place just looks yummy. From photos on the walls, to the food in the display case, I think I gained 5 pounds by just walking-in!
I took a look over the menu, and though I REALLY wanted an empanada, I've missed having a decent Cuban sandwich too. So, I ordered the sandwich hoping I wouldn't be disappointed.
The sandwich arrived, and I took a bite. It was decent. It had "seasoned roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles with mustard served on fresh Cuban bread." The sandwich wasn't too dry or too wet. The pickles and mustard added a decent tangy-ness to the sandwich, the bread was good, and the meat was savory too. That said, I've had a much better Cuban sandwich before. This was good, but it didn't knock my socks off. In addition, I found the accompanying pasta salad to be lacking flavor. All-in-all, I found my lunchtime meal to be about average -- a score of 3/5.
But before I left, I grabbed some chocolate croissants and some cinnamon sticks to take home. The sticks would be dessert, and the croissants would be breakfast.
Now this was a good move!
The cinnamon sticks were HUGE. Over a foot long! They were crispy, flaky, buttery, and cinnamon-y. In addition, the glaze over the top was delicious, and after the dessert, I was licking my fingers trying to get every last crumb. Then this morning, I had the chocolate croissant with my morning coffee. It was light and buttery, with a very good chocolate filling. Not too dark, not too sweet. Overall, these are some very good pastries! This gets a 4/5.
Cuban sandwiches are a hard sandwich to master, so I'll be back again to try the empanadas. I'm going to average the food scores together for a 3.5/5.
Score:
Atmosphere:3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 9.5/15
Price: $ (lunch was just under $10, and the separate pastry purchase was just under $10, too)
Kid Friendly: Yes, they offer a kids menu. And the tile floors are made for abuse.
Conclusion: Though I found my lunchtime sandwich to be average, I found the pastries to be quite good. If I lived closer to Mooresville, I'd be here every morning for a cup of coffee and a pastry. I'll definitely be back to try the empanadas!
Restaruant Info:
La Patisserie
627 N. Main Street
Mooresville, NC 28115
p) 704-799-1631
f) 704-799-3355
http://www.mooresvillebakery.com/
La Patisserie definitely has a Latino influence -- their empanadas look and smell amazing. However, they are more of a traditional bakery than I was expecting. They offer hand made pastries (croissants, turnovers, scones, etc.), desserts (cookies, tiramisu, cakes, etc.), and they make sandwiches too!
La Patisserie is located in a non-descript strip mall in Mooresville, located between the downtown area and Prickly Pear. If I wasn't looking for it -- I don't think that I would have seen it. The mall has a worn-down feel to it. Fortunately, once you enter La Patisserie, you leave that all behind.
When you enter this bakery / cafe, you're greeted by several display cases that show-off the pastries, deserts, cakes and crepes. This place just looks yummy. From photos on the walls, to the food in the display case, I think I gained 5 pounds by just walking-in!
I took a look over the menu, and though I REALLY wanted an empanada, I've missed having a decent Cuban sandwich too. So, I ordered the sandwich hoping I wouldn't be disappointed.
The sandwich arrived, and I took a bite. It was decent. It had "seasoned roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles with mustard served on fresh Cuban bread." The sandwich wasn't too dry or too wet. The pickles and mustard added a decent tangy-ness to the sandwich, the bread was good, and the meat was savory too. That said, I've had a much better Cuban sandwich before. This was good, but it didn't knock my socks off. In addition, I found the accompanying pasta salad to be lacking flavor. All-in-all, I found my lunchtime meal to be about average -- a score of 3/5.But before I left, I grabbed some chocolate croissants and some cinnamon sticks to take home. The sticks would be dessert, and the croissants would be breakfast.
Now this was a good move!
The cinnamon sticks were HUGE. Over a foot long! They were crispy, flaky, buttery, and cinnamon-y. In addition, the glaze over the top was delicious, and after the dessert, I was licking my fingers trying to get every last crumb. Then this morning, I had the chocolate croissant with my morning coffee. It was light and buttery, with a very good chocolate filling. Not too dark, not too sweet. Overall, these are some very good pastries! This gets a 4/5.
Cuban sandwiches are a hard sandwich to master, so I'll be back again to try the empanadas. I'm going to average the food scores together for a 3.5/5.
Score:
Atmosphere:3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 9.5/15
Price: $ (lunch was just under $10, and the separate pastry purchase was just under $10, too)
Kid Friendly: Yes, they offer a kids menu. And the tile floors are made for abuse.
Conclusion: Though I found my lunchtime sandwich to be average, I found the pastries to be quite good. If I lived closer to Mooresville, I'd be here every morning for a cup of coffee and a pastry. I'll definitely be back to try the empanadas!
Restaruant Info:
La Patisserie
627 N. Main Street
Mooresville, NC 28115
p) 704-799-1631
f) 704-799-3355
http://www.mooresvillebakery.com/
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