Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, August 2015

Last night I had a hot date. She has curly blonde hair, big blue eyes and uses a high-chair. :)

For this this Daddy / Daughter date night, I chose Bad Daddy's for four major reasons.
1) The food/service is usually fast
2) The food is delicious.
3) They serve hot dogs -- my daughter LOVES hot dogs.
4) My wife is out of town and I was too lazy to cook.

Fortunately, it was a Monday night in Birkdale, so there was no line (if you go on a Friday night, you'll probably have to wait). After we were seated, and my daughter was given some crayons, the waitress asked if I'd like something to drink. Being unfamiliar with the beers on tap, I chose my old standby: a bottle of Sam Adams Boston Lager...

Perfect for Summer! No Churn Ice Cream Recipe

Last week I posted a link to this article on my Facebook Page. At first I just thought it was interesting. Then I realized that it might be the perfect solution to my dilemma.

Worst Ice Cream Ever

The Dilemma: My wife loves peach ice cream. This is not actually a problem -- I like it too. However, I've had a VERY hard time finding it. So, when I found the Harris Teeter brand Summer Peach ice cream, I thought I was in heaven.  Unfortunately, it was the WORST ICE CREAM  I EVER HAD. It was icy. It was chalky. It was so bad, I actually stopped eating it and threw it out.

Solution: When you can't find what you want, you've gotta do it yourself. So, I followed the simple ingredient list (only 3!) and directions. Then I added chopped frozen peaches.

The Verdict: ABSOLUTE YUM!  The ice cream is very smooth and creamy. It is a little soft, and melts a little faster than "real" ice cream. But trust me, it won't be in your bowl long enough to melt.

Ingredients:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons of good vanilla extract
A container for freezing. I used a loaf pan.

I'm Baaaack!!!

Did you miss me?  Yeah, I missed you too, my valued readers. It's good to be back!

This blog has been on a hiatus the past few years. Work, family and even a brief relocation, contributed to my absence. However, I've been enjoying some of the new(ish) restaurants in the area during the past few weeks, and will soon begin posting reviews of Verde (Huntersville), Kindred and Toast (both in Davidson).

Over the coming weeks, I'll be bringing everything back up-to-speed, so you can expect restaurant reviews, wine ratings and recipes. Also, now that I'm a dad, you can expect a little more emphasis on the child friendliness of a restaurant. :)

Do you have any suggestions of new restaurants that I shouldn't miss? Are there some old standards that I need to revisit?  Let me know!

-LKN Foodie

Cafe 100

About a week ago, on a Saturday morning, my wife and I wanted a big breakfast. But we REALLY didn't want to do any dishes. In addition, we wanted something closer to our house than Davidson or Mooresville. So, we decided to finally try Cafe 100.

On the former location on Toast, Cafe 100 has never been among my top "must-eats" of the area. I loved the Huntersville location of TOAST, and I really didn't like seeing it go. So I held onto the grudge for as long as possible, but eventually my tummy won the debate, and I found peace with trying this restaurant.

The inside still looks almost identical to Toast: wood paneling, tables, chairs, counter near the kitchen; it's all still there. However, now there is artwork on the walls (for sale), and some of it is pretty good. Once we arrived, a waitress told us to grab any seat we wanted. So we chose a table for two against a wall in the back room.

Shortly thereafter, our waitress asked for our drink orders. We begged for coffee, and it was brought out shortly along with some slices of pound/coffee cake. That was good!

The coffee was never refilled. That was bad.

Click "read more" to get the full review and score of Cafe 100

Recipe Wednesday: Grilled Cheddar Eggs

As you may know, I LOVE grilling over charcoal. The flavors and the aroma of food that's grilled this way just can't be beat. So, when I ran across this article about using a grill to cook eggs, I snapped to attention.

Just a quick FYI, the eggs in this recipe are more like a quiche. And red bell peppers are used like a pie tin.  But that's the beauty of this recipe, by using the pepper, your minimizing your dishes and maximizing your flavor.

Speaking of maximizing flavor, I added some pre-cooked chorizo to the recipe below. Feel free to add whatever pre-cooked meat you like (bacon, ham, sausage, etc.) or none at all. What's important is that you like it.

If you're using charcoal or wood, the trick to this recipe will be keeping the temperature on the grill low enough so that you don't destroy the pepper. While keeping the temperature high and consistent enough to thoroughly cook the egg mixture. If you're using a gas grill (ACK!), use a medium-low heat.

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Click read more to get the ingredients, directions and wine pairings.

Foodie Travels: Sonoma Wineries

Last week, with only a moment's notice, I decided to grab a last-minute flight and join my wife in Sonoma County, Calif., for a convention she was attending. If you don't know about Sonoma, think wine country next to Napa. So, I hopped on a flight, and about 7 hours and one connection later, I was in San Francisco International. YAAY! I know. It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it. :)

After meeting my wife at the airport and eating our way through San Francisco, we made it to the convention hotel. The next day, we joined her friend and headed up the road during some convention down-time to try some local wineries that distribute wines all the way to North Carolina. The next thing I knew, we were exploring the grounds of Chateau St. John. WOW, what a place!

The estate is gorgeous and HUGE. But in some ways its a little over-done. The wine-tasting room is easily larger than my entire house. It was stuffed with trinkets, books, hats, sweatshirts, and lots of wine displays --one display had over a thousand bottles of wine. The only thing missing was a water fountain filled with wine! (If you know the movie Sideways, think Frass Canyon.)

But that said, it WAS quite nice -- and the seating area outside was remarkable. LOTS of tables, chairs and umbrellas from Restoration Hardware were inviting us to stay, relax, and enjoy a bottle of Chardonnay.

Who am I to decline such gracious hosts??

So, the three of us sat back and relaxed for a little over an hour. Surrounded by rose bushes and vine-covered walls, while enjoying the warm sun and a cool breeze, we thoroughly enjoyed our first winery.

It should be noted that the Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay was perfect for the summer day. With hints of pear and apple, this slightly oaky chardonnay had an awesome finish of spices and clove. Light but not too light. Absolutely the perfect drink for the perfect afternoon.

More about the next winery, Blackstone, to come....