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.

Moe's Original BBQ - Matthews, NC

Pulled Pork Platter with sweet potato casserole, marinated slaw and green beans with Texas toast. 

Moe's Original BBQ has locations - they call them "joints" - in 9 states, with the majority of the restaurants located in Alabama. I was invited to try the location closest to me (Matthews, NC) last fall. While I am not in the Matthews area often, we were thoroughly impressed by Moe's and enjoyed every bite. I wish they would open another Charlotte location closer to uptown - maybe this is a possibility?! Everything we tried was truly delicious. I also like the fact that Moe's has special side dishes each day, so there is always something different to try in addition to the regular tasty sides that they have. We tried both the pulled pork and the ribs and we also had a few wings. The pulled pork was great and the ribs were extraordinary. My favorite sides include the sweet potato casserole and the marinated slaw. Even my son who wasn't quite 1 year old at the time, loved it and ate the BBQ and the green beans.

In addition to the regular menu, which includes smoked turkey, smoked chicken, a salad and even a smoked tofu sandwich in addition to the pork and ribs, there are daily specials and brisket is featured on a weekly basis. You can check out Moe's Original BBQ Facebook page for more information on the daily specials. Even vegetarians would be happy here with either the tofu sandwich or a veggie platter since there are so many sides to choose from. Some recent side specials include cornbread dressing, squash casserole, roasted brussels sprouts and Mississippi mud pie - yes desserts count as sides! There are also party packs available for small or large groups and catering is offered as well. Click here to see the Events Calendar for the Matthews location - there is a kids eat free night as well as other special events listed.

 

This photo, taken the same day we ate at Moe's back in October, demonstrates how long I took to get this post up. I promise I will try to be a better blogger!!

Moe's Original BBQ features indoor and outdoor seating.

Ribs platter with banana pudding and cabbage. Yes, you can get banana pudding as a side dish! YES! The ribs were fantastic - tender and juicy.
 

Fries, crisp and tasty.
 

Wings.

Next time I am in Matthews I will definitely seek out Moe's again, but in the mean time I will be hoping to hear about a location closer to home!

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Quaker Steak and Lube - New Pineville Location

Wings in 2 varieties: Thaisian and Hot with celery/carrot sticks and blue cheese.

I was recently invited to check out the new Pineville location of Quaker Steak & Lube. Located near Carolina Place Mall, the restaurant boasts a large indoor seating area, covered patio with bar outside and outside deck seating. We opted to sit on the deck, near where cornhole games are available for patrons' use. A full drink menu is available and Calvin enjoyed a couple of margaritas with dinner. There is a wide variety of food available here including more than 20 kinds of wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads, entrees and appetizers like the below shrimp quesadillas. They are constantly adding new menu items and lighter items are noted on the menu. The Pineville location has specials almost every day including Bike Night (Thursday), All You Can Eat Wings!! - both bone-in (Tuesday) and boneless (Wednesday) and Family Night (Monday) when kids eat free. There is a location in Concord also - I'm sure very popular with the Speedway crowd - as well as locations in many other states. If you haven't already, check out the Quaker Steak & Lube in Pineville!

Shrimp Quesadilla.



The new Pineville location.



Arizona El Camino burger with tasty onion rings.



Caramel Apple Nachos - a sweet treat to end the meal.

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Fuel Pizza - and Wings

Chicken pesto pizza.

Fuel Pizza is very convenient for us and we have ordered takeout several times. The pizza here is good and is quite thick and filling. There are several Charlotte area locations and a location in DC. The chicken pesto pizza and the "whole engine" pizzas are my favorite. The wings are also very good and meaty although you have to ask for blue cheese dressing if you'd rather have that than ranch. Also neat: you can order online and they offer both whole wheat and gluten free crust options - a nice touch. At our location (Southend) the atmosphere is lively and fun. I look forward to checking out the original Central Ave. location in the near future as well.

Hot wings.

Midwood Smokehouse - Charlotte

Carolina Pork Plate with fries and slaw. All plates come with hush puppies and pickled onions.

Midwood Smokehouse is a welcome addition to the Charlotte BBQ scene. Located in the ever burgeoning Plaza-Midwood neighborhood, Midwood delivers on the 'Q while at the same time adding modern flair with dishes like smoked vegetable bruschetta, smoked turkey and sausage and a Cuban sandwich. The pork BBQ was smoky and delicious and I love that they have 4 sauce options to choose from. The mac & cheese was a standout side and the hush puppies were tasty too. I look forward to going back to try the ribs, the pimento cheese fries and the desserts.

Smokehouse Bruschetta made with goat cheese.



Midwood offers decktop, patio and indoor seating and has a full bar.



Special of the day: Fried smoked wings - you can get the smoked wings anytime and on the side, bacon wrapped jalepenos, available as an appetizer or side.




Sauces: Mustard, NC Vinegar, Midwood Signature and Spicy. I liked combining the vinegar sauce with the spicy sauce - yum!



Smoked half chicken Midwood Style with BBQ baked beans and mac & cheese.

Heirloom Market BBQ - Living Up to the Hype

Pulled pork with collards and fabulous mac & cheese. What taste!!

Heirloom Market BBQ is a new favorite. Housed near I-285 near Cumberland Boulevard in a tiny parking lot with a package store next door, the tranquil lines and the folks happily eating while standing up demonstrate the ethereal nature of this amazing spot. We arrived on a Saturday around 3 PM and the crowd was visible. Luckily after placing our order and paying at the register we found room at the standing room only wooden table on the small deck. Inside, patrons waiting patiently for seating on bar stools or at the one communal table.

When the food arrived we could tell why this is the new spot in town for BBQ. Chef/owners Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor hail from impressive backgrounds, having worked at the St. Regis and the Ritz Carlton. Lee also brings a welcome flair from her native South Korea. The spices and sides with Korean influences meld perfectly with the succulent, tender meats. We tried pulled pork and smoked wings. The pork is truly amazing. The wings - like no other wings we've ever tried with a sauce sticky and spicy and wonderful all at the same time. Chicken, turkey and various unique sausages are also available. Next time we must try the ribs - we saw a table of college guys downing them with beautiful looking fries and cole slaw. Side dish specials can be found on the restaurant's Facebook page.

The bustling dining room.





Cucumber and radish salad - perfectly pickled.



Smoked wings with fried green tomatoes. SO delicious.



Spicy BBQ sandwich with Korean sweet potatoes. A steal at $7.50. The potatoes are crispy and sweet with a unique taste - definitely worth a try. Love the true spice on the sandwich. Several homemade BBQ sauces are also available.



Snickerdoodle cookie, apple pie and pecan pie. Cookie was delicious but who needs dessert after such a filling and fabulous meal?

In some ways I really hope that Heirloom Market BBQ moves to a new space with more room - BUT, it is so perfect right now and its energy is wonderful. It would be a shame to lose that even if more space can be gained. I must go back - and soon!

Miss Crumpy's - Awesome Atlanta Wings with a Memphis Connection

Honey Gold (left) and Mild wings at Miss Crumpy's.

Back in December owner Freda Crump invited me to come try her wings. I was so busy I didn't have time to come by until a couple of weeks ago. As soon as we arrived Calvin (a native of Memphis) discovered that Miss Crumpy's is related to Memphis' Crumpy's chain - in fact Miss Crumpy is Crumpy's daughter! What a coincidence - turned out Freda even knew an old friend of Calvin's from back in Memphis - small world!

We really enjoyed chatting with the namesake owner as well as her best friend and assistant Ron Jones. Both are warm, talkative and welcoming. Miss Crumpy's is located in the Westview neighborhood in southwest Atlanta. Although this is not a neighborhood I frequently find myself in, it is quite convenient to I-20 if you are traveling west out of Atlanta or returning from the Alabama state line. Inside a few tables are available for patron use but takeout seems to be the norm.

Ron Jones and Freda Crump cook up some great wings!

After chatting for a bit we decided to try a sampler of the fried appetizer snack goodness that is offered as well as 3 types of wings. The fried items are hand battered to order, resulting in a rich, thick and tasty crunch. I really appreciate that they hand batter rather than use frozen pre-battered vegetables. All of the snacks we tried were delicious, especially when dipped in ranch or honey mustard sauces!

The wings did not disappoint either. First of all, it must be made clear that Miss Crumpy's serves the WHOLE WING - not the pieces of wing that you normally get. Thus, when it says 5 wings, it is the equivalent of 10 pieces. That's a lot of wing! Of all the options we really liked the Mild seasoned wing. The honey gold and the hot were also good but the seasonings and crispy yet moist mild really knocked our socks off.

Fried green tomatoes, mushrooms and onion rings.



The HOT wings! We didn't attempt the X-Hot or Suicide varieties - no thank you!

Think about giving Miss Crumpy's a try and tell her that you found her on Amy on Food. The restaurant just opened in September 2011 so they are trying to generate lots of fans! You can check out their facebook page here. Miss Crumpy's does catering orders and recently had many Super Bowl orders as well.