It's Hanukkah!

  

I am so happy with how our Hanukkah cookies turned out this year. I decided to do two different sugar cookies - vanilla and chocolate. Both recipes came from one of my favorite blogs - Sally's Baking Addiction. I used this Best Sugar Cookie recipe and this Chocolate Sugar Cookie recipe. For the chocolate sugar cookies I used this awesome Bensdorp Dutch-process cocoa that I picked up at the King Arthur Flour flagship store in Vermont over the summer (hopefully more about this in another delayed summer road trip post). My older kids (ages 5 & 7) were really able to help this year, which was a lot of fun. 

The key to sugar cookies is included within these recipes - don't make the dough too thin (1/4 inch is good), don't overbake - of course, who likes an overbaked cookie of any kind?! - and chill the dough after it is rolled out - this is key. 

I make my icing with powdered sugar (sifted), milk and vanilla or almond extract. Simple and delicious.

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.

Mellow Mushroom - Uptown Charlotte

 Philosopher's Pie at Mellow Mushroom - olive oil & garlic base, grilled steak, artichokes, olives, Portobello mushrooms, feta, provolone and mozzarella.

I recently had the opportunity to try the newest Charlotte location of the Mellow Mushroom - uptown near the new Knights baseball stadium and Romare Bearden Park. The space is airy and modern with a long bar on one side as well as booths and tables. There is also patio seating. My family really enjoyed our experienced and we sampled quite a few different items. My favorite thing by far was the Maui Wowie pizza (below) - definitely some strong flavors going on with it, which I love - especially the banana peppers and jerk chicken! The bruschetta and wings were excellent, as always, and our little one enjoyed the kids mac & cheese as well. To top things off we tried several of the freshly baked cookies - delicious. Mellow Mushroom is a wonderful addition to the uptown dining scene. They have a full bar and are open LATE too - until 11 PM Sunday - Wednesday, until midnight Thursday and until 3 AM Friday and Saturday. Definitely a great place to keep in mind for a late night snack! 

Maui Wowie Pizza - now my personal favorite! Pesto base with ham, pineapple, jerk chicken, banana peppers, smoked bacon and mozzarella - yum!!
 

Bruschetta - I could not resist ordering this even though I have had it before! Love the basamic glaze.

BBQ wings - very good!

 

Ceasar salad.

Kids mac & cheese with broccoli - the little guy loved it.

Can you tell who is behind the water wall?!
 

Patio, facing Knights stadium.

Peanut butter cup cookie.

After lunch we spent time at the new Romare Bearden Park adjacent to the new baseball stadium. It has some neat features including this waterfall that kids can play under and a fabulous view of the skyline!
 

 Disclosure: The meal described in this review was 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.

La Tagliatella - Epicentre

The Tagliatella signature pizza with eggplant. 

I have been meaning to blog about La Tagliatella for quite some time so I am glad I am finally able to post about this relatively new Italian option in Charlotte. La Tagliatella is a chain restaurant, but unlike most that we know, most of its locations are in Spain with only 6 locations in the US. The Charlotte location opened early last fall and we enjoyed a friends and family night and media night. A few weeks later, we took my mom for a special birthday dinner and had a very enjoyable meal. The above pizza, actually called the Tagliatella, is one of my favorite menu items - how could it not be delicious with fried eggplant and drizzled with honey and balsamico glaze? We also really enjoyed the Caesar salad and several pastas - I can't recall exactly what is in every photo but we did enjoy everything. For dessert, try the bocconcino - a cheesecake topped with delicious custard. There is a lot to choose from and the dining room has a neat, unique European feel. There is a special lunch menu, kids menu and bar menu and regular specials including some great specials in March - see the website for details. I encourage you to try La Tagliatella if you are uptown - it is definitely a great option at Epicentre. 

Beef Carpaccio with pierina.

Caesar Salad - very good!

Pasta with red sauce and meatballs. There are a variety of handmade pastas including several stuffed pasta options. 

Garlic Shrimp with Ravioli - much of the pasta is made in house. 

Risotto.

Another tasty pizza - you fold it over so you taste all the components. 

Desserts including the special cheesecake (right) - one of my favorite cheesecake renditions ever!