Life Interrupted..........

So I'm back. After a terribly long absence, I have decided to return to my blog. I went on hiatus to get married and have a baby. Two of the best things that have ever happened in my life! Now, thanks to Steve Jobs and my new iPhone, I can blog (in between changing diapers). I hope you are looking forward to my culinary adventures as much as I am.

CONNELLY'S

St. PATTY's DAY @ CONNELLY's , And why I think i'll drink before we go next year! Check back soon!

SABOR LATINO - PUPUSARIA

So, I have only recently discovered these yummy treats....... to be continued...........

Sabor Latino

1902 Easley Bridge Rd

Greenville, SC 29611 Map

(864) 269-1936

SWEET BASIL , In Greer made date night perfect tonite!

.

 I LOVE THAI FOOD! So, for me to say this is my favorite restaurant….. of any cuisine….. is saying something. The food at either location (there is also a location at 14 & Pelham) , is always “on Point”. Our last trip was for a “date night” , so we went all out, ordering 3 courses!
We ordered the Sweet Basil rolls as an appetizer. They were delicious, especially when dipped in the brown dipping sauce. He ordered the Soft Shell Crab, and despite trying to find something else on the menu…. I was craving pad Thai. As usual the food was brought to us quickly and hot. You can tell that the kitchen staff, take great pride in what comes out those doors. The food is always very fresh! We decided on the Fried Banana with coconut ice cream. I can only describe this as the best banana split you will ever eat.

My only complaint is that I was so mesmerized by the unique video being played on the television screens in the dining area….. I’m afraid I might have been ignoring my man. Guess you’ll just have to go there to see what I mean.

 Sweet Basil @ Pelham : (864) 627-4151

Sweet Basil @ Haywood : (864) 297-4557                                

WWW.SweetBasilGreenville.com

Cantinflas Gourmet Mexican & Vegetarian Restaurant - Closer to authentic than people think!

Before I begin with my review of this establishment....Let me just say......

In doing a bit of research before composing my  review, I checked out what was posted on other sites about this restaurant. 

"Jmapple A.'s " had this To say on a site -   "Very friendly service, but I have gone several times & always been disappointed with the Mexican food.  Maybe I just haven't ordered the right stuff from their menu, but I much prefer to go to Corona's for authentic Mexican at a cheaper price."

ATTENTION ALL GRINGOS

The food at local "order by number" Restaurants, IS NOT AUTHENTIC Mexican cuisine! You know the places I mean.... "I'll have the #4 combo with beans and rice". It saddens me to read a post like this where place like Corona (Monterrey's, Mr. Salsa....) are given the title of authentic. Do you think this is what they eat in Mexico? NO. Now do not get me wrong, I do so enjoy a plate of Flauta's at any of these restaurants, but authentic...... it's just not the case. Wheew, okay.... so on to the business at hand.

 

 His parents were in town, and we wanted to go downtown and enjoy a meal. We got a later start than anticipated, due to some trouble with the printer...... Okay so I'll admit, Cantinflas was not our original choice. We were going to go to the Dwntwn Location of The Cazbah (I bet you already know where I am going with this...) THAT'S RIGHT! I'm not ashamed! We went to Restaurants.com and bought a gift certificate for The Cazbah..... So? Only, it took so long to get the printer to work, and get everyone rounded up and in the car, then to find a parking spot, and walk the 2 blocks back to McBee Street..... That by the time we arrived at the small restaurant, the only help that the hostess offered us upon finally returning to her post at the front door was, a shrug of the shoulders and "It doesn't look like any one is leaving soon". So, We Did.

We walked up Main Street, and decided to go in to Cantinflas. I think it would be safe to say that this is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants locally. I seem to always wind up there for special occasions, with out of town guests.... and even to enjoy a weekend lunch & Margarita. Oh and do they have the yummiest Margaritas! We sat down and were immediately attended to.    I chose the Enchiladas con Mole, and I can't remember what everyone else at the table ordered, but they were all very happy with what they ate. The only complaint about the restaurant is that (through no fault of their own) they don't allow you to enjoy a margarita if you are dining at one of the sidewalk tables. Maybe someday Greenville won't be run by the likes of Bob Jonesites, and then I will be able to enjoy that margarita on the sidewalk..... 

Well, well this post has been quite snarky now hasn't it? I have dinged just about everyone huh?

120 N Main St
Greenville, SC 29601

(864) 250-1300

Snow Cones & Cotton Candy.........................What A Circus!

Okay so I will keep this short & and sweet! Despite what people are saying about the economy....... It seems to be doing just fine to me. We took my nephew to the Ringling Brothers Circus this week, while they were in town. All I'm going to say is that there were WAY too many snotty children running around with $12 dollar bags of cotton candy & $10 Sno-cones........ YES I SAID $10 and $12!  Ringling Brothers must be taking a page from the Disney book of business, in setting the concession prices. I suppose if people are willing to pay it..... oh, and they were happily handing it over (okay, well maybe it was more like begrudgingly) then why not?
Just to let you know, that next time you see one of those double digit bags of cotton candy being sold for double digits............ it takes about 2 TABLESPOONS of sugar to spin a huge bag of floss. Guess sugar prices have gone up.........

MELLOW MUSHROOM - (posted on Metromix)

Metromix - Greenville has posted that Mellow Mushroom is the best Pizza in Greenville! Seriously people? I am so disappointed. 
I posted this in disgust on the Metromix website.

While being treated to lunch by our CEO, we were horrified to see the air vent above us kick on and blow what can only be described as "a blizzard of dust bunnies" onto our food. The mediocre food that had already taken far to long to arrive at our table was now further ruined. This not affected our table but several around us. We called over the waiter and he just shrugged it off, saying that the air vents had just been cleaned. He said they would just clean it all up, AFTER WE LEFT. Somehow this young man miss-understood that our concern was now that the food we had FINALLY been served,  had just been topped by visible chucks of dust.  We requested that the hostess go locate the manager and ask him to come to our table. Well someone..... I doubt he was the manager..... came over, and gave us the same "care less" response about the air vents. Never was an offer of new food, or any compensation made. We begrudgingly sat there and ate our food, no one wanting to make a further complaint, seeing as how this was a business lunch. I don't know how much the bill came to, or if our CEO even paid it all, because if it had been me.... I wouldn't have.  I'm not sure what the attraction is to this establishment. Is it because I am from NY and know what good pizza tastes like? Is it the "I just smoked a fatty" atmosphere? I just don't understand.
My Pick for BEST PIZZA in Greenville is Pizza City on N. Pleasantburg. PIZZA CITY

http://greenville.metromix.com/restaurants/pizza/mellow-mushroom-west-end/698958/content
http://greenville.metromix.com/registered_users/UpstateFoodSnob

COMING SOON - THAI SKY

 

Wanna Eat Here Before We Do? 

COMING SOON - THE CAZBAH (GREER)

Wanna Try It Before We Do?

JAMAICAN TWIST - "Can I have sum Ting"

So, at the risk of sounding like I am gaining monetarily from continuing to talk about  this......... I used Restaurant.com again, and we tried some Jamaican food this time.

I had always meant to try the Jamaican restaurant on main street, but other than running in several times to grab some "Ting", one of my favorite carbonated beverages in possibly the whole world, I hadn't done so.

When I noticed that they were listed as a location on the Restaurant.com website, I bought a certificate. I also purchased the one for The Cubi-Thai Restaurant (mentioned previously), The Cazbah location in Greer, and for Thai Sky in Greenville. The certificates are good for a year from date of purchase and with them being only $2, my only regret is that I didn't purchase more.

We headed downtown on a rainy Thursday night with plans to enjoy dinner with my best friend and his Fiance.
The place is small, with just a few tables. And the reggae music from the islands we would have expected to hear coming out of the speakers was instead replaced by 90's "baby makin' music". That's what I called the slow jam hip hop from my youth. It was keeping us entertained with the constant "oh my gosh..... do you remember THIS song?"
We ordered a Jamaican Beef Patty and split it as an appetizer, and ordered the Jerk Chicken meal for me and the Curry Pork meal for him. Our friends ordered the Curry Seafood dish and the Jerk Chicken.
The food is served with a generous portion of beans and rice & what was listed as mixed vegetables.
We all agreed, the food was delicious maaan! What was listed as mixed vegetables was a pile of boiled cabbage and carrots on our plates. I didn't think I liked cooked cabbage with the exception of my obsession of egg rolls....... I DO! It was really a lot better than I thought cooked cabbage would be. We all sat there digesting our food and drinking Red Strip & Ting and enjoying each others company. It was a lovely time had by all , at this unassuming little Jamaican restaurant that I had always meant to eat at..... and now I had.

JAMAICA TWIST

28 South Main Street
Greenville, SC  29601

(864) 298-0013 phone

menu |   map

"SOUTH BEACH FOOD SNOB"

In preparation for a more recent trip, I decided to give the website (www.restaurant.com) another try. I was looking for a place to have lunch in South Beach Miami, and found the answer to my dreams (where restaurants are concerned). A Thai & Cuban Cuisine restaurant! Now it's been my experience that restaurants like this are usually trouble, It usually turns out that the person in the kitchen is either one ethnicity or the other, and is making a failed attempt at one of the cuisines. So I cautiously checked the reviews for the restaurant and satisfied with the posted comments..... I proceeded. It aided in my persuasion that, since signing up for the websites email alerts, I was notified of a limited time offer of $2 for the certificates instead of $10, PLUS the minimum purchase was only $35! So that meant that for $12 , we would be eating $35 worth. I was sold! Anyway, for only a $2 investment if we arrived at the restaurant, and it was a dive..... all I lost was 2 bucks.

IZZY'S CUBI THAI was located inside of the Sherry Frontenac hotel on Collins Avenue in the heart of South Beach. The inside of the restaurant was fairly empty for a Friday lunch crowd, this concerned me. It took several minutes for us to "wait to be seated" as the sign requested. There only seemed to be one person working the entire restaurant! Waiting tables, Hosting, answering the phone....... we suspected even doing the cooking?
We went ahead and ordered a feast dispite that!

Papas Rellenas - $3.50
Homemade mashed potatoes stuffed with ground beef, peppers and olives, covered with a light breading
Empanadas $4.25
Three Cuban turnovers filled with either chicken, ground beef or ropa vieja (We chose Ground Beef, Much to my dismay I am only now, while typing this realizing that they had a Ropa Vieja option!)

Those were our appetizer selections..... Oh did I forget to mention....... this certificate only required us to spend $35 to use the $25 gift certificate!........

We also placed our entree order at the same time. Choosing to order that from the Thai menu.

Pad Thai $11.95
Thin rice noodles fried with shrimp, chicken and vegetables sprinkled with chopped peanuts
Seafood Curry $17.95
Shrimp, scallops, squid, crabmeat, in red curry sauce, coconut milk, bell pepper and pineapple


We anxiously waited for our food.... and waited...... and waited..... I though "oh dear, is he holding off bring out the appetizers we ordered to just bring it all out at once?" Apparently not. He brought out the Empenadas & Papa Rellenas (3 of each) each plate included a cup of homemade salsa. It was all delicious! Which only made me concerned for the quality of the impending Thai menu items........ could both come from the same kitchen and be as good?
WELL I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE ANSWER IS - Si!
Nate declared that it was the best Thai food he may have ever eaten (he had the curry). Mine was also very good, I would probably also have said the best, but I have a devout loyalty to my friends at Thai Basil, here in Greenville. (More on them later, too!)

We pushed away from the table stuffed and ready for a nap. Atleast I did. OH, Now it's location being in a hotel makes sense!
So..... If you find your self in the Miami area, and have 90 minutes to kill..... (yeah , you better bring change to feed the meter!) then go and enjoy a yummy multicultural feast at

IZZY'S CUBI THAI
6565 COLLINS AVENUE
MIAMI BEACH, FL 33141
(305) 865-0012
WWW.IZZYSCUBITHAI.COM

The Most Awesomest Web Site EVER!!!! Trust Me!

Okay, So admittedly I have been slack about keeping up with this blog. For that I am truly sorry. BUT - I think I have a renewed excitement about my mission. And I have a website to thank for it. Don't ask me how I stumbled onto it, because I can't remember (ok maybe I do...) - BUT boy am I glad that my web-surfing brought me to the web address belonging to RESTAURANT.COM. Seems unassuming enough, right? I know what you are thinking ........... "Restaurant.com? Seriously?" OH MY GOODNESS, YES! Seriously! If memory serves me correctly (Cause we're talking way back , a whole 4 months ago......) I was doing some research on local eateries in Savannah Georgia, for an upcoming trip, when I found the website. It offered Gift certificates to local restaurants at a discount. Most often the deal works this way.... You purchase a gift certificate with a face value of $25, for $10. With the stipulation that you spend at least $50, with a gratuity of 18% added to the total of the check. (Restrictions vary for each restaurant)

I found a certificate offered for a restaurant that occupies a famously haunted building that I had already wanted to try, so I purchased it! Let me tell you we ate like royalty that night! We shared the

Down South Chicken Salad -
Chunky homemade chicken salad with pecans, grapes and mayo with a hint of curry. Served on toast with a cup of soup or your choice of side dish. (we got onion rings) $7

as an appetizer and then we both got entrees , I got the

Moon Burger
An 8-oz., grilled, certified Angus beef burger cooked just the way you like it.

served with lettuce, tomato, red onion and
a pickle on the side. All are served with your choice of side dish.
Add any of the following to any sandwich for 50¢:
Cheddar, Provolone, Swiss, Jack, American, bacon, ham, grilled onions,
grilled mushrooms or roasted red peppers. Add barbecue sauce for free! (I added the cheddar & grilled onions) $6 (plus $1 for the toppings)  

He got

Filet Mignon (6-oz.)
Juicy, tender, USDA-choice hand cut filet wrapped in apple-smoked bacon and grilled to your preference. ll entrees served with vegetable du jour and a choice of one side dish. (Add a side salad for $1.49.) $19.99

We both chose the Veggie of the day - potatoes AuGratin with smoked Gouda. These were without a doubt the most delicious potatoes I had eaten in a long while. Each bite we took was better than the next , and we were both stuffed to the gills, but risked making ourselves sick not wanting to leave a single bit on our plates.
I am sad to report that not one single apparition, un-explaned flying dish or otherworldly event of any sort was witnessed. That was our only disapointment at this meal.

Moon River Brewing Company
21 W. Bay St.
Savannah, Ga 31401
Phone: 912.447.0943
www.moonriverbrewing.com

WWW.RESTAURANT.COM

RED LOBSTER - The Fish were the lucky ones.... They were dead.

My Best friend was celebrating a milestone in his life yesterday. So to celebrate we all went out to dinner. When asked where he wanted to go (taking in to consideration his parents were dining with us, and the late hour), he decided on Red Lobster.

Not being a fan of seafood, I was sure that there would be at least one thing that I could order. I was wrong there were 3. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the hosted and seated in an almost empty restaurant. The waitress came about 5 minutes later and gave us menus. She returned shortly thereafter and wanted to take our dinner order we asked her to come back. Keep in mind we still hadn't ordered drinks. We had to prompt her to take our drink order and then waited 10-15 minutes for the drinks. I ordered The Grilled Chicken Entree. When the food came the small scoop of mashed potatoes was cold. By cold I don't mean it wasn't steaming hot. I mean the potatoes were COLD. I know that Red Lobster has been around for ages...... but why? In telling co-workers this morning about dinner last night, everyone was pretty much in agreeance. That the food and service at most locations is far less than acceptable.

The question my co-workers and I posed, and maybe one of you can answer for us....... "Why is Red Lobster always packed?

LAS MERAS TORTAS - "Los An-hell-es" on Wade Hampton

Ok, SO I have never eaten from a taco cart in L.A., but in my dreams..... this is what those tacos would taste like.




When you walk in, be prepared to hear the screaming sounds of a tele-novela on the TV in the corner. We ordered an assortment of tacos from the menu Beef, Pork, Chicken & Chorizo ($1.75 each). The menu was alla carte, non of the combination platters the Gringos will be used to seeing.

The Food was cooked to order and we helped our selves to the freshly made salsa, from the "salsa bar". I must say, My only disappointment was that the salsas were not as hot, as I would have assumed. I was craving the heat on my taco that only a properly placed habanero would have provided. You know, the heat that makes your sinuses open up, and your eyes water. The Tacos were served simply, Just the meat, onions & cilantro. THEY WERE AWESOME! It was like heaven on a corn tortilla. Make sure to get an authentic mexican soda when you are there, I highly recommend the sangria or the orange soda.

3058 Wade Hampton Blvd
Taylors, SC 29687 Map

• (864) 991-8888

Mojito's - My Liquid Lunch

My co-worker and I decided we were going to lunch today. She said she wanted pizza, and you'll never guess where she wanted to go....... GASP - Mellow Mushroom. The CEO of our company laughed and said, she's not going there..... haven't you read her Blog (and she had). On our drive down main street, we passed a new little restaurant that I had been wanting to try, Mojito's. I told her to turn the car around, I knew where to go to lunch. Upon entering the small cafe, the smells of my childhood came rushing back to me. Ahhhhh the smell of olive oil, garlic and black beans. As I was exclaiming how great it smelled, she was turning up her nose and disputing that. We sat ourselves (as the sign suggested), and were then greeted by our waitress. She told us about the specials which, it being Friday, were their Signature Cuban sandwich ($7.95), and the daily special of Ropa Vieja ($6.95). For those of you who didn't grow up with the privilege of having a mother who prepared this....... It is shredded beef slow cooked in a tomato based sauce with peppers, onions and green olives. Once the waitress offered that, there was no decision to be made. My co-worker hesitantly choose the same (much to my hesitation too). Now dispite the title - we skipped the yummy looking Mojitos ($7.00/$8.00) on this trip, it being our lunch break and all. The Ropa Vieja was served with a scoop of white rice, bowl of black bean soup and two platanos (Sweet plantains). It was great, even my co-worker liked her lunch. Now I would have said that lunch was awesome, BUT...... no one cooks as good as mama.

I am eager to go back at night, to enjoy that Mojito and dance to some salsa music, because it seems that the cafe turns into a hoppin night spot once the sun goes down.

816 Main Street - Greenville
(864)423-9491
http://www.myspace.com/mojitosonmainstreet

Miami Spice - R.I.P.

One of the smaller locally owned restaurants that inspired me to start this blog, has unfortunately succumbed to the dreaded "lack of patronage" - Miami Spice (Taylors).

I wish I could have done something to save you. If I had only known, that our last meal there would have been just that. Oh but you were a wonderful restaurant. The closest thing to my dear dear Miami I have found (complete with the need for a English to Spanglish dictionary). How I will miss your tostones and your beans & rice.

This was a senseless thing that didn't need to happen, and maybe now people will stand up, take action, and EAT! Eat somewhere new, somewhere different - because you never know when you may loose your chance.

We will miss you, Miami Spice.

The Fresh Market - A Sandwich Obsession

First, just let me begin by saying that food from a supermarket deli, will not be a regular occurrence on this web page. Secondly, I must say that the discovery of good food will ALWAYS (in my opinion) have a place here, regardless of where it originates. With all of that said.........

My boyfriend has a problem. He is an addict.

It all started out quite innocently. We were headed to Falls park for a romantic picnic dinner and stopped at The Fresh Market to pick something up for said picnic. We had planned on sushi, but something else caught his eye.

There it sat, in the deli case, the sandwich that would later have us searching out a 12 step program.

It was fresh mozzarella, basil & tomato on a freshly baked ciabatta roll. Huge chunks of creamy white cheese were falling from the sandwich as he tried to eat it. I sat quietly eating my sushi, jealous and begging for the fallen bits of cheese that had been surrendered by the sandwich.

That was weeks ago, and he has become a regular patron of the sandwich case at The Fresh Market. Let me warn you though, be sure that you don't let just anyone make this masterpiece of a sandwich. The case was void of a premade one, one night when we went in, so he asked the nearest clerk to prepare him one. The girl was new and obviously had no knowledge of the sandwich. The item that was handed across the counter after she struggled to put it together, was well , to say that my man was disappointed would be an gross understatement. He has now figured out who to order from. He says he's not addicted...... but every so often I catch the smell of basil on his breath.

www.TheFreshMarket.com

The Birth of a Blog

After having a series of unfortunate experiences at local (well established) eateries, I wondered....... "Why the heck are these places still in business?" Is it because people don't know any better or are they afraid to patronize locally owned "mom & pop" type restaurants? So often I've seen awesome smaller restaurants fold, when stink hole chain restaurants flourish. I refuse to believe that people are so ignorant to what good food should taste like, that they wouldn't eat out better, if they had a bit of friendly help
This blog was inspired by the mediocre food and horrible service at three seperate visits to Chief's Wings & Firewater (Greenville) and a visit to Mellow Mushroom (Greenville) that, well lets just say that I didn't notice monster sized dust bunnies listed as a pizza topping on the menu.
Needless to say, my first bit of advice on this blog will be to tell my readers to AVOID these two restaurants at all cost. If it's pizza your craving downtown, then visit Bertolo's at the opposite end of Downtown Greenville. Wings are what you want? Then just about anywhere that serves them, would be better in my opinion then Chief's.