P.F. Chang's Summer Seasonal Menu

 Grilled Prawns with Chilled Peanut Noodle Salad.

I recently had the opportunity to sample P.F. Chang's summer seasonal menu at the Phillips Place location in Charlotte. This location, along with several others, have been recently remodeled, with the new dining room now lighter and brighter, with a comfortable feel. The large horses inside are gone but there are still terracotta statues around the restaurant. We had a fabulous server for our meal - very upbeat, nice and attentive without being overbearing. The summer menu can be found here and includes several dishes in addition to what we tried such as Korean BBQ Chicken stir fry, Quinoa "fried rice", Smoked Duck spring rolls and sushi selections. 

We tried the heirloom tomato and basil salad to start, which was very tasty and fresh. That, along with the grilled prawns dish (above) were my favorites that we tried. The sauce on the swordfish was also very good - I think they could add a bit more of it to go over the rice. For dessert we tried the mandarin key lime sweet treat, a delicious after-dinner selection that is essentially key lime pie with a twist. I like that P.F. Chang's has these smaller desserts since you are often too full to enjoy anything too substantial after partaking in all of their other tasty dishes. 

Wine pairings and seasonal cocktails are available as well to complement the summer dishes offered. Come try the summer menu before it is too late!

Inside shot - love the remodel!

Heirloom tomato and Thai basil salad with avocado.

Grilled Pineapple-Citrus Swordfish with Summer Rice.

Mandarin Key Lime Sweet Treat.

 Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Dinner at e2 Emeril's Eatery in Charlotte

Crawfish at the Crawfish Boil! Each Friday in May e2 offered a traditional crawfish boil for $5 per person. They served 400 pounds of crawfish the night we were there - let's hope they bring this back soon!

I was recently invited back to e2, this time for dinner with my husband and with fellow blogger Malika Bowling from Atlanta Restaurant Blog. Malika and her husband, Glen, came up from Atlanta to check out some restaurants while they stayed with us for the weekend in Charlotte. Friday night started off with a "Bam" - truly - as we dined in style at e2 with fabulous food and service. 

My favorites included the oyster shooter (not pictured but I blogged about the oyster shooter here previously when I had lunch at e2), the gumbo, the gulf coast drum stew, the special fish dish with stuffed kale and the blue corn brioche bread pudding. We also really enjoyed the cocktails, particularly the famous Grasshopper and the wonderful wine selection. e2 is a really good choice for lunch or dinner. Brunch is also offered with specials for Father's Day, coming up this Sunday.

 

Special of crispy Duck Wings - different and tasty.

Housemade Boudin + Andouille Sausage.

 

Special gumbo of the day - delicious!

  

Emeril's signature BBQ shrimp with rosemary biscuit.

  

We enjoyed some delicious cocktails and wine!

 

The famous Grasshopper - everyone really liked this special cocktail.

 

Special seafood dish with fish and mussel-stuffed kale and fried oysters. The stuffed kale was awesome!

 

Gulf Coast Drum Portuguese stew - this was really tasty, love the broth and all the seafood.

 

Trout "Meuniere" - trout is sometimes used in place of the usual founder.

 

Giant and delicious double cut pork chop - it was after this pork chop that I officially made up the Pork Chop Song / Dance for my son, who at age 7 months, ate some of the leftover pork chop! If you ask me I might sing it for you sometime :D

 

Desserts: from top left, clockwise, blue corn brioche bread pudding with coconut-pineapple ice cream, banana cream pie, apple crepes with bacon and ice cream, sweet potato cheesecake. The bread pudding was different from any other bread pudding I have ever tried - and SO good! 

 
 Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

 Tuna Nachos - love the Crab Rangoon dip served on top.

I was recently invited to check out The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, a Charlotte restaurant that pushes the limits on the definitions of "sushi" and "burger" and even invents its own words like "burgushi" to describe combinations that blend elements of burgers and sushi. The menu here is ENORMOUS! You could not get through it even after a dozen visits. There is plenty for everyone with the burgers and the sushi standing out as the main items to consider. There are some great appetizer options also including the above tuna nachos we enjoyed. 

Inside, there is a sushi bar and a full bar (including sake selections) and lots of trendy, modern sushi theme art lines the walls. The patio, heated for winter enjoyment, is a great option also, although if you want the vibe you should stay inside. Even with the obvious attraction for the young adult crowd, The Cowfish is welcoming to families and the wait staff didn't blink an eye when we brought in our infant for an early dinner. 

If you haven't yet tried The Cowfish, it is definitely an experience and a destination. I look forward to returning again to try the burgers (more than a dozen combinations plus an option to build your own) and the build your own sushi - what fun!

Martini.

Sweet and Spicy Thai Cucumbers - available as an appetizer or side.

The Motherload sushi platter - includes every piece of fish on the sushi menu! Unique presentation and very tasty. They even have different flavors of fish roe for the top of the roll which tops a California roll with all types of sashimi.

Close up of the fried shrimp head, also on the Motherload platter.

Filet and Lobster Roll. Very inventive!

Sushi bar.

Patio where we sat.

 

Cheesecake.

The Grasshopper milkshake - mint chocolate chip goodness.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary. 

Simmons Soul Food Restaurant

Baked chicken with stuffing, mac & cheese and greens.

Following a recommendation we recently tried out Simmons Soul Food Restaurant. When we arrived the place was empty and we found a seat at one of the simple tables. The decor is not much to look at, although some interesting pieces of memorabilia line the walls which contain some famous and not so famous patrons' signatures! The food was definitely not as impressive as we had hoped. The best thing we tried was the baked chicken and the collard greens and mac & cheese were good. The ribs were horrible with mostly fat and the fried fish was just decent. We did enjoy the cornbread, though. Overall I think Charlotte can do better. I am still on the lookout for my favorite Soul Food dining destination!

Cornbread.



Ribs with green beans and fried okra.




Fried fish with mac & cheese and greens.

Knife & Fork - Spruce Pine, NC

Daylily tempura with daylily tubers.

Back in July I finally had the chance to dine at Knife & Fork in Spruce Pine, NC. My mom and stepfather have been raving about this place ever since it opened and it is definitely the closest destination from our mountain cabin for a fine meal. The best part is that it is not that expensive for what you get and the creativity and freshness of the menu would be remarkable even in a big city. The restaurant is located on Spruce Pine's lower street in an airy, comfortable space with a small bar and two small dining rooms. Reservations are highly recommended. The menu changes frequently and can be found both on a large chalkboard inside and on printed sheets. Vegetables are prominent and most if not all are made without meat products. Local produce, meat and fish is used whenever possible. My favorite dishes included the greens with breadcrumbs, the daylily tempura - definitely different and delicious, the sauteed squash and the seared rabbit. The bread they bring out is also excellent and I enjoyed the bread pudding with homemade nectarine ice cream as well. I look forward to returning to Knife & Fork again soon for dinner and also trying the lunch and brunch menus.

Delicious bread and butter.









Delice de Bourgogne, roasted carrots, rosemary.



Slow cooked greens with breadcrumbs.



Sauteed squash with onions and parmagiano.



Mashed Kinnebec potatoes with shiitake gravy.



Red Quinoa with duck confit, baby basil and green onion.



Seared rabbit loin with blueberries, carrots and baby squash.



Grilled NC Tilefish with fingerling potatoes and fairytale eggplant.



Grilled Cinnamon Spice Bread Pudding with nectarine and vanilla ice creams.



Chocolate Pot de Creme.