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.

Advertisement: Get a great charcoal grill, at an amazing price, from SamsClub.com


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

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

After reviewing all the new choices in Birkdale, I was left wondering, "What do I feel like eating?" There are just SOOOO many tasty options to try in Birkdale. So, I did what any destiny-defying, independent, alpha-male would do.

I asked my wife.

Surprisingly, she was in the mood for burgers. And off we went to Bad Daddy's.

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, just a few minutes after 12 p.m. The place was already packed and I figured that we'd have to wait. Fortunately, there was one table left and we grabbed a seat about half way back, along the window.

Continue reading for the summary, score and restaurant info:

The Birkdale Renaissance

A while ago, I was starting to lose faith in the Birkdale restaurant scene.  Several restaurants had closed, and the others had been there for a while.  It seemed as if, Birkdale was starting to get stale.

Sure, there were the nicer restaurants with American fare, Red Rocks and Dressler's, and eeZ has always had great Asian food. Then for quick meals, you had Qdoba (burritos) and JD Rockers (sandwiches). For family friendly pizza, there's Brixx. And if you want to drink like a frat guy while watching a game, there's always Fox & Hound.

However, this limited choice was leaving me uninspired. After visiting these places time and time again, my taste-buds were starting to get bored.

Fortunately, things have changed, and in case you haven't noticed, over the past year or so Birkdale undergone a restaurant Renaissance.

The new kids on the block: Zoe's,Which Which, Baja Soul, Bad Daddy's Burger Bar and Bonefish Grille have all added some much needed flare to the Birkdale menu.

Zoe's Mediterranean inspired menu offers a healthier menu than most casual fast restaurants. Which Which offers a great sandwich selection that Quizno's (located in the same location) could never match.  Baja Soul offers a much nicer atmosphere than Qdoba -- and the food goes FAR beyond burritos.  Bad Daddy's offers a wide variety of burger selections, and Bonefish brings a formal(ish) flare while specializing in seafood dishes.

Between all these restaurants, what am I to do??  Why eat at all of them of course!

So, what do you think of the Birkdale restaurants? If so, VOTE below! Got a favorite dish?  Leave a comment, and let me know!

Also, I'm trying to get back into writing reviews.  So, check back here, or on my Facebook Page, to see my upcoming reviews.

Bon Appetit!

What's your favorite Birkdale Restaurant?

Valentines Day Reward

I just had to post this. It's a photo of my Valentine's Day gift: a bottle of Trefethen Chardonnay and a bottle of Sanford Chardonnay. Trefethen has always been near and dear to my heart, and this 2009 is young enough that a couple of more years of aging will really let it shine (my experience with it usually has shown that it peaks after about 5-7 years).

However, the Sanford is a 2007. For those of you familiar with the movie Sideways, it's the first winery shown on the screen, and it has some very good stuff. Since this one is a little older, and already at the 5 year mark, I'll probably have this one pretty soon.

Honestly, I can't wait to open either! It's a win-win situation!

Now that Turkey Day has ended, and my belt has gone out another few notches, what am I going to do with all those leftovers??  Or here's a better question: What are YOU going to do with all those leftovers??  To help with that question, here's a link to SFgate.com that gives a bunch of recipes for use with Thanksgiving Leftovers.  Enjoy!  Click here for one of my favorites, or go here:http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/24/Thanksgiving_leftover_recipes.DTL

My Hiatus Explained

If you've been following me for the past 2.5 years, you know that I spent much of my non-foodie time trying to find a job.  Things started picking up December last year, and after a few months I found myself writing freelance for some local papers.

I'm not really a writer by trade, but it was something to help supplement the income, while I continued my employment search -- which was bordering on 3 years.  Finally this past August, I landed a really good gig.  So I threw myself into my job to establish myself.  I have, and I am really enjoying it.

I enjoy my widely varied tasks at this nonprofit venue, I like my co-workers, and my boss rocks!  So, now that I've been working there for a couple of months, I'm going to come back to my Foodie roots. 

Over the next few months I'll be updating the website, getting some new reviews up, and I might even start writing for a local magazine! 

So, stay tuned.  I'll keep you in the loop!

Casual Dining Chains Losing Ground to Fast Casual Eateries?

Here's an interesting article from The Chronicle that talks about the declining sales of casual dining restaurants (i.e. Chili's, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, etc.) and about the rise of fast-casual restaurants (i.e. Panera, Qdoba, FiveGuys, etc.)

I think it hits on a good point.  About a decade ago, I wouldn't think twice about eating at Chili's or Applebees.  Now, I can't remember the last time I ate at one.

On the other hand, I routinely visit Qdoba and Panera, at least a couple times a month for each.  I go for three reasons. Quicker. Cheaper. Better tasting food.

So, have your eating habits changed?  If so, why?

Here's the article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/04/BUH41K55TP.DTL