Gyu-Kaku Charlotte

For my birthday I requested a lunch at Gyu-Kaku, a new Japanese BBQ restaurant on E. Stonewall St. in uptown. There are 700 locations worldwide including in Canada, Hawaii, California and New York. We had a party of eight including my three little ones and my parents. The restaurant is in the Savoy apartment building and the parking situation is challenging - more about this later.

We arrived a couple minutes before the restaurant opened for lunch and thankfully the hostess let us in since it was raining. The restaurant's policy is not to seat until the entire party is there and they were sticking to this like glue even though we were the only ones there and we let them know the rest of our party was parking. Once we all made it in and we figured out the awkward parking situation we were seated and from there the service was excellent. I did find it curious that there was very little leg room on the booth sides where the grills are - I am 5'7" and barely fit so choose your seat carefully!

The idea is that guests grill their own meats and veggies - yakiniku in Japanese - on grills set into the tables. Then there are also side dishes and appetizers served by the waitstaff. There are set menus or you can order a la carte. We opted for a set menu for four which we supplemented with some additional options. There are a couple of kid menus but we opted for our kids to share with us.

Unfortunately I did not take photos but many of the dishes were truly enjoyable - the salmon was a family favorite and several of the beef cuts were truly delicious. We also enjoyed the asparagus, bibimbap appetizer with crispy rice and shrimp cooked in a small pot on the grill. The spicy pork and cabbage salad were also really good.

For dessert they have s'mores, a nice touch and for my birthday they sang to me and brought me a piece of matcha mille crepe cake - yum! My kids got a kick out of the singing and tambourines.

Our waitress was truly extraordinary, satisfying both the grandparent set and the toddler set, even bringing out graham crackers and a juice box for my cranky little one. She really helped correct the experience after the parking situation.

So, the deal is that the restaurant validates for 90 minutes. The way they do this is require you to log into an app (can do as a guest), put in your license plate number and credit card and then they credit you for 90 minutes. There are several issues with this. Some people value privacy and prefer not to enter all this information. Also, 90 minutes was not enough. We were not lingering over our meal, we truly were not finished at that point. We did not get towed or charged but it adds unnecessary anxiety for your guest to have to go through this. Hopefully Gyu-Kaku can get something else worked out with the landlord in order to address this soon.

Overall I truly enjoyed my birthday lunch and found it to be a neat experience. Gyu-Kaku is clearly using quality ingredients and have some quality people working in the Charlotte location. If you have been there, me know what you think in the comments section.

Babushka's Pierogi

Polish Platter with mashed potatoes. 

A few weeks ago I was invited to try Babushka's Pierogi and the whole family came along. The restaurant is located in south Charlotte on Highway 51. I have very little experience with Russian / Eastern European food, other than my Grandma Sarah's stuffed cabbage, and I truly enjoyed trying the unique and delicious items on their menu.  Everything at Babushka's is homemade from scratch and you can tell! My kids adored the chicken samsa pastries with sesame seeds on top and the pieroshki were so delicious as well, both served warm. The menu includes a variety of soups such as the classic Russian borsh, with some of the soups only served on particular days. Since we were there on the weekend, we were lucky enough to try the solyanka, which contains a variety of sausages and meats - delicious! The Polish Platter is a good choice for first-time diner. I do love my stuffed cabbage, and this one did not disappoint! The potatoes were also very tasty and pierogis round out the plate (see below for more about those!)

Chicken Samsa and Potato and Mushroom Pieroshki. 

 

 Two Soups: Borsh and weekend soup Solyanka.

Pelmeni (L) and Pierogi (R).

My favorite things were the pierogi - where have these been all my life? The only ones I ever had before were back at Oberlin College in Ohio where I went for one year and they tasted nothing like the delicious pockets served at Babushka's Pierogi.You can get potato and cheese, sauerkraut or potato and mushroom pierogi and they come with carmelized onions or butter and chives - yum. The sour cream served in the middle accentuates the flavor even more - I am starting to drool thinking about these! I had never even heard of pelmeni, which are dumplings made with beef and pork. Another kid-pleaser for sure!

Russian meatballs and pierogi with sauerkraut.

Sample size Hungarian goulash. 

 We were able to try a sample of the Hungarian goulash as well - delicious beef stew with vegetables. Definitely a good choice on a cold day. For dessert the chocolate turtle cake was a hit with the kids but I preferred the subtler honey cake. Both cakes have very impressive layers. 

We had so much food that we took some to our Russian friend and she declared it just like home! If that's not an endorsement I'm not sure what is! I encourage you to give Babushka's Pierogi a try. You will be glad you did! They also offer catering services and sell pierogi, pelmeni and cabbage rolls frozen. There is also a small grocery section containing Russian and European products. If you go, let me know what you think!

Honey Cake and Chocolate Turtle Cake. 

Russian and European products for sale.  

Disclosure: The food described was complimentary, but the opinions are my own.

Bar Cocoa at the Ritz-Carlton - Charlotte

New Eclair Selection. From L to R: classic (vanilla custard) with Ritz chocolate topper, S'mores with chocolate custard, pistachio strawberry, raspberry rose and caramel.

I was very excited to be invited to a special dessert tasting featuring the delicious sweets offered at Bar Cocoa at the Ritz-Carlton in uptown Charlotte. Bar Cocoa is the only one of its kind in the world and its corner location (Trade and College) allows both hotel guests and uptown Charlotte pedestrians to partake of pastries, gelato, coffee, chocolates and other goodies. Cooking classes, catering and custom cakes are also offered and there is even a champagne and chocolate all dessert dinner option on the weekends!

The French macaron selection is truly impressive. New flavor blueberry lavender has a subtle lavender aftertaste with strong blueberry notes. Other favorites include coconut, red velvet, honey, dulce de leche, and caramel but there are at least 10 macaroon options to try on a daily basis. 

The new eclairs are incredible - my favorite item we tried. The outside of the eclair is crisp and a little crunchy, giving way to smooth fillings - nothing at all like the soggy eclairs typically found in grocery stores. My favorite flavors were the classic and the caramel but all of them were truly excellent.

Tasty Macarons.

Gelato: Peach Mango and Honey Pecan. The new peach mango gelato is terrific for summer - flavorful, creamy and refreshing all at the same time. On Friday and Saturday afternoons you can sample the gelatos in tiny cones in the Ritz's lobby - this will cause you to dash back to Bar Cocoa for a larger serving!

The Ritz-Carlton cake - dark chocolate, candied orange and Grand Marnier. This rich, chocolatey cake is available at every Ritz all over the world. But remember, no other Ritz has a Bar Cocoa!
 

Lovely table decoration made from many flavors of macaron.

Milkshakes - we tried mini versions but these are sold in standard larger sizes - from L to R - chocolate hazelnut, banana caramel and cookies and cream. My favorite = cookies and cream!

Norman Love Easter Collection selections. These are peanut butter and lemon - delicious and beautiful. See the entire Easter collection here. The chocolates are the only item that is not made in-house at Bar Cocoa.

If you have not yet tried Bar Cocoa, I recommend it for a sweet treat anytime! Since it is located in the Ritz-Carlton, it is even open until midnight on Friday and Saturday - sweet!

Disclosure: The desserts described in this review were complimentary.

Chuy's at South Park - Charlotte, NC

 Chile Rellenos stuffed with Shrimp and Cheese.

Chuy's is a Tex Mex chain with a huge following with its first store in Austin, Texas circa 1982. The Charlotte outlet opened summer 2013 and I recently had the chance to try it out. I had never been to another Chuy's before and I really enjoyed my first experience. Much of what makes Chuy's fun and unique is the atmosphere, including several kitschy / themed rooms like the palm tree room and the hub cap room. We ended up sitting outside which was a great choice since my son was with us. He was able to run around and play near the fountain, which is just outside the patio seating area. The inside is great for kids as well - in addition to the interesting decor, there is a tortilla making area where kids can watch and make their own.

Previously, Charlotte lacked a Tex-Mex presence so it is great to see Chuy's filling this niche. The menu is huge and includes several specialties that you don't see often - like Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken. We tasted all the sauces - and there are LOTS - see photo below. My favorite was the hatch chile sauce - delicious and you would be remiss not to try the boom-boom sauce on something! The appetizer platter was a crowd pleaser as well, especially the loaded nachos and the chicken flautas. I liked the thin chips and salsa - allowed me to eat more of them and taste all the sauces! My other favorites from the meal include the chile rellenos - we tried the one stuffed with shrimp and cheese but there are several options and the sinfully rich and delicious tres leches cake - one of my favorites anyway - this version really took the cake!! There is a full drink menu available including specialty margaritas which my adult dining companions thoroughly enjoyed. If you have not yet tried Chuy's I encourage you to check it out - it is located at the corner of Sharon and Morrison, convenient to all your South Park shopping needs.

Credit for almost all the photos goes to my awesome cousin, Benjamin Leder.

 

The outdoor seating area is perfect for families - it is right next to a giant fountain that turns on and off, a fun distraction for the toddler :)

We enjoyed the thin, crispy chips along with the salsa and other sauces (see below!)

Appetizer platter - loved this!

Sauce tour.

Steak fajitas with all the fixins!

Taco platter - fish and chicken. 

 

The Hubcap Room.

Tres Leches - one of the best I've ever had. 

Flan - also good!

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Odalys Bakery Panaderia

Odalys Bakery Panaderia is a Latino bakery, located in the Grand Oaks shopping center on South Blvd. This place has excellent pastries. I love the above doughnut with custard inside and the guava turnovers are also delicious. Both are under $1 each and are often warm out of the oven when I've visited. Odalys also has a variety of cookies and other pastries along with breads and cakes including individual slices of tres leches cake, one of my favorites! You can order large cakes for parties at reasonable prices as well - I have not actually ordered an entire cake myself, however. English is not widely spoken and I don't believe they take credit cards. When you enter, take a metal tray and tongs from the front counter and place your goods on the tray - self-serve style. There may be some guessing involved as to what something is but since very few items are more than $1 it can be a learning experience without breaking the bank. Get the custard doughnut. Trust me. This is a fun place to go after visiting one of the many small taquerias on South Blvd.

Some of the breads and pastries available.





Grab a try and tongs and pick up some pastries! Warm out of the over selections are still on their cooling trays (left).

Juanita's Bakery

Red velvet cupcakes.

With cupcakes all the rage these days (and my history of cupcake criticism!) I decided to try out Juanita's Bakery on South Blvd. Offering much more than just cupcakes, Juanita's serves up traditional Dominican cakes and pastries including guava filled cakes and gorgeous birthday, shower and wedding cakes. I tried the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing and was very pleased. The cake was very moist and flavorful and the icing had that cream cheese flavor that makes this cupcake so good. The other great thing about Juanita's are the reasonable prices. The cupcake is $2 plus tax. With so many other shops charging $2.50 or even $3.00 for cupcakes (many of them inferior to this one) this is an excellent deal. I look forward to trying more from Juanita's soon!

Juanita's fabulous truck.

Samples of the gorgeous cakes available from Juanita's Bakery.

The Generous Pour at The Capital Grille

Special - Wagyu beef ribeye with onion rings.

The Capital Grille is again offering its summer wine event, The Generous Pour. This fantastic deal runs until September September 2, 2012 and is even available during Queen's Feast restaurant week, which is going on in Charlotte now until Sunday July 29. Click here to see the special menu offered by The Capital Grille for restaurant week. Here's the deal about The Generous Pour: unlimited portions of 9 different fine wines are available for a flat cost of $25. You must order an entree to participate. This is a great deal as several of these wines retail for more than $100 per bottle. It is also neat that you can have so much variety with your meal without ordering 9 separate glasses of wine.

I recently had the chance to come in, have dinner and sample all of the wines available with The Generous Pour. I brought our family friend Joal Fischer along, who is not only a wine lover but also a chocolate maker and co-founder of Barking Dog Chocolatiers. We enjoyed a wonderful meal and had fun tasting the nine available wines that are unlimited when you participate in this special wine event.

Joal's favorite wine of the night was the aperitif: Lunetta Rose sparkling rose from Trentino - Italy. This straightforward sparkling has very clean flavors and was a fabulous start to the meal. Other notable wines include the Falesco, Assisi Rosso 2009, the Villa Mt. Eden, Grand Reserve 2007, a Slovenian wine: Simcic, 2008/2009 - making its US debut for this event - and the South African dessert wine Kanu Kia Ora 2006, a chenin blanc - sweet and very tasty. The dessert wine was my personal favorite - it paired very well with the cheesecake, which is one of my favorite renditions of cheesecake ever.

We enjoyed our food as well, particularly the entrees: salmon prepared as the seared tuna usually is and a special Wagyu steak with onion rings - very tender and succulent meat. I also enjoyed the calamari and the Wagyu carpaccio. Dessert is always a winner here as well. The ice cream sampler was very good - I love the peanut butter ice cream that was available alongside the traditional chocolate and vanilla - and the carrot cake was something I'd never had here before - also very tasty. I encourage any wine lovers out there to make your way over to The Capital Grille to dine while The Generous Pour is being offered - a great opportunity to try some excellent wines and enjoy the classic ambiance offered by The Capital Grille.

Joal Fischer of Barking Dog Chocolatiers enjoying the wines from The Generous Pour.



Wagyu beef carpaccio.



Appetizer sampler.



Calamari.



Salmon - substitution for the seared tuna - loved the ginger, white soy and wasabi sauces and the delicious coconut rice.



My favorite cheesecake.



Ice cream with cookies.



Carrot Cake.

Disclosure: The meal and wine described in this review was complimentary.