Andrew Blair’s is a medium sized restaurant located at the intersection of Park Road and Woodlawn in Charlotte, NC. With a large patio and a bar area, Andrew Blair’s has a variety of places to sit and eat.
I visited Andrew Blair’s as part of Charlotte Restaurant Week during which a whole host of eating establishments around the Queen City present a limited choice menu for only $30 per person. Bearing this mind, the selections I made were chosen from this menu and may not be available at other times of the year.
When we arrived at Andrew Blair’s, the parking lot was very full and it was apparent that a lot of patrons were also taking advantage of the offer. We were seated in one of the many spacious booths and were served a plate of pita chips with hummus and white bean dip to share. Both dips were delicious and the pita chips were a nice accompaniment.
As a choice of starters, of which there were four, I chose the Pulled Pork BBQ Stack. This consisted on a small square of corn pudding (almost the consistency of bread) with a heap of pulled pork in a sweet BBQ sauce topped with 2 rashers of bacon. The BBQ and corn pudding were delicious, the BBQ sauce had a hint of mustard that was divine, and although the portion size was small, along with the hummus dip earlier it was not insufficient.
For my choice of entrée I chose the North Carolina flounder served with a tasso grit cake, local corn and lima bean succotash with a white lemon sauce. The portion size for the entrée was bigger but not huge which was welcome. The fish had been pan-seared but lacked any real flavor. It was not overly cooked however and had a nice texture. The vegetables were disappointing as they didn’t taste very fresh and lacked any exciting flavor. As for the grit cake, it was quite oily, and although fairly tasty by itself, was unable to carry the rest of the quite boring entrée.
For dessert I ordered cookies and milk which were very good. Obviously homemade and still warm enough that the chocolate chips melted when the cookie was pulled apart. My fellow diners however were not as lucky with their desserts. The warm chocolate brownie was so hard it took all us with 3 spoons to break a piece off to eat it! The strawberry shortcake had beautiful strawberries but the cake was stale and lacked any flavor at all.
I think it is a shame that a restaurant, which is choosing to show itself to a new collection of diners during Charlotte Restaurant Week really failed to take the opportunity to shine by producing some adequate food. The service was also pretty poor as our waitress had a rude attitude and was in such a rush she wouldn’t even slow down for a drinks order.
I give this restaurant 3 out of 5 stars, which is a shame because it could have earned more.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Cafe Nirvana - Charlotte, NC
Café Nirvana is located in a small shopping area on Old 521 just inside the North Carolina border. It is a medium sized restaurant serving Indian cuisine, including a lunch buffet served on Saturdays and Sundays.
We arrived for the buffet on a Sunday, the place was packed and we waited about 15 minutes for a table. I don’t mind waiting for tables in restaurants as long as I am given a reasonable time frame of the wait and am reassured they haven’t forgotten about me.
When we sat down in one of the booths located around the edge of restaurant, we were brought glasses of ice water and a basket of freshly baked naan bread. This bread is like a pita in texture but a little thicker and is delicious. We helped ourselves to the buffet, starting with a selection of fried delights such as samosas (fried pastries with filling), crispy pastry discs and a variety of dips and sauces to go with the naan.
Once we had worked our way through those, we returned to take our pick of entries which included a couple of different types of rice (one plain, one mixed with vegetables and spices) as well as a range of different curries, both vegetarian and including meats. My personal favorites were the chicken tikka masala, a slow cooked chicken a mild sauce along with the vegetable mix and the lamb curry. None of the sauces were particularly spicy; a common misconception with Indian cuisine and all had a lot of flavor.
We couldn’t leave without sampling the small range of desserts on offer. We tried a small selection including a fruit salad in a very light cream sauce, a small fried doughnut type dessert in light syrup and some kind of cake with was delicious.
This restaurant provides a great mix of authentic Indian dishes and for those who have not eaten a great deal of this genre I would highly recommend the buffet so you can try a little of everything. The desserts are worth saving room for.
I would also praise the staff who despite being very busy, were attentive and pleasant.
I give Café Nirvana 5 out of 5 stars.
We arrived for the buffet on a Sunday, the place was packed and we waited about 15 minutes for a table. I don’t mind waiting for tables in restaurants as long as I am given a reasonable time frame of the wait and am reassured they haven’t forgotten about me.
When we sat down in one of the booths located around the edge of restaurant, we were brought glasses of ice water and a basket of freshly baked naan bread. This bread is like a pita in texture but a little thicker and is delicious. We helped ourselves to the buffet, starting with a selection of fried delights such as samosas (fried pastries with filling), crispy pastry discs and a variety of dips and sauces to go with the naan.
Once we had worked our way through those, we returned to take our pick of entries which included a couple of different types of rice (one plain, one mixed with vegetables and spices) as well as a range of different curries, both vegetarian and including meats. My personal favorites were the chicken tikka masala, a slow cooked chicken a mild sauce along with the vegetable mix and the lamb curry. None of the sauces were particularly spicy; a common misconception with Indian cuisine and all had a lot of flavor.
We couldn’t leave without sampling the small range of desserts on offer. We tried a small selection including a fruit salad in a very light cream sauce, a small fried doughnut type dessert in light syrup and some kind of cake with was delicious.
This restaurant provides a great mix of authentic Indian dishes and for those who have not eaten a great deal of this genre I would highly recommend the buffet so you can try a little of everything. The desserts are worth saving room for.
I would also praise the staff who despite being very busy, were attentive and pleasant.
I give Café Nirvana 5 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Toyo Sushi - Rock Hill, SC
Toyo Sushi is located in Love's Plaza on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, SC and we visited on a Saturday night. It is a medium sized restaurant with a bar area as well as a patio in front of the main entrance. It also has a space near the back with a big screen and what looked like a karaoke set up...not quite sure what this space is used for but when we visited it was showing a recording of an AC/DC concert.
As the name suggests, sushi is the specialty of this restaurant. Their menu choice is quite extensive with standard options such as Philadelphia rolls, spider rolls and seaweed salads. We ordered a whole variety of items from the menu.
The food was quick to arrive and was very fresh. The rice was tender and sticky without being overcooked. I particularly enjoyed the spicy tuna rolls as well as the eel rolls which had a delightful sweet sauce with them.
We sat at the bar and for the majority of the night, we were the only people there. There was a very apparent lack of atmosphere in the restaurant, even when others arrived they just sat at the bar and drank. Although we did arrive later on a Saturday night (around 9pm) I was surprised that there were so few people there.
The bill was a surprise too. While I am aware that sushi isn't the cheapest food to buy, and it was good, it was a little pricey for my liking. Having eaten at other sushi restaurants in the area (see previous posts) the cost here was significantly higher.
I give Toyo Sushi 3 out of 5 not due to the food, but for the lack of atmosphere and for the overall cost of the meal.
As the name suggests, sushi is the specialty of this restaurant. Their menu choice is quite extensive with standard options such as Philadelphia rolls, spider rolls and seaweed salads. We ordered a whole variety of items from the menu.
The food was quick to arrive and was very fresh. The rice was tender and sticky without being overcooked. I particularly enjoyed the spicy tuna rolls as well as the eel rolls which had a delightful sweet sauce with them.
We sat at the bar and for the majority of the night, we were the only people there. There was a very apparent lack of atmosphere in the restaurant, even when others arrived they just sat at the bar and drank. Although we did arrive later on a Saturday night (around 9pm) I was surprised that there were so few people there.
The bill was a surprise too. While I am aware that sushi isn't the cheapest food to buy, and it was good, it was a little pricey for my liking. Having eaten at other sushi restaurants in the area (see previous posts) the cost here was significantly higher.
I give Toyo Sushi 3 out of 5 not due to the food, but for the lack of atmosphere and for the overall cost of the meal.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Bonefish Grill, Charlotte, NC
Bonefish Grill is a chain restaurant owned by the same group as Outback Steakhouses. Located in South Charlotte, this restaurant specializes in fresh fish starters and entrees. They also have an extensive bar menu with a wide variety of martinis and cocktails.
We visited on a Wednesday night and were surprised to find it so busy. It appears that in June and July on Wednesdays, their famous Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer is just $5 as opposed to the standard $8. We took advantage of that and ordered one to share. The portion size was plenty big enough for two plus we were given a complimentary basket of warm bread which was delicious.
The shrimp were perfectly cooked with the right of heat (both in temperature and spice) and were served on a bed of fresh lettuce. The shrimp's batter was light, and not overpowering. A great start to our meal.
I ordered the special, one of 4 on offer that night. My order of Rockfeller Wahoo came topped with what was described as sharp creamy spinach and lump crab with jasmine rice. It also came with seasonal vegetables on the side, a mixture of zuccini, onion and carrot. The fish was perfectly cooked, though still had the skin on it which I found a little tough. The spinach was delicious, though not as sharp as I had expected, more a creamy cheese sauce with it. The lump meat however was scarce which was a shame as the little I had perfectly complimented the fish.
The vegetables were delicious in a light tomato sauce. The rice was also perfectly cooked, not too dry at all and was a delicious side to have with the fish.
I give Bonefish Grill 4 out of 5 stars. The starter was amazing and is highly recommended but I think that the lack of crab meat on the entree was not as good an accompaniment as it could have been.
We visited on a Wednesday night and were surprised to find it so busy. It appears that in June and July on Wednesdays, their famous Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer is just $5 as opposed to the standard $8. We took advantage of that and ordered one to share. The portion size was plenty big enough for two plus we were given a complimentary basket of warm bread which was delicious.
The shrimp were perfectly cooked with the right of heat (both in temperature and spice) and were served on a bed of fresh lettuce. The shrimp's batter was light, and not overpowering. A great start to our meal.
I ordered the special, one of 4 on offer that night. My order of Rockfeller Wahoo came topped with what was described as sharp creamy spinach and lump crab with jasmine rice. It also came with seasonal vegetables on the side, a mixture of zuccini, onion and carrot. The fish was perfectly cooked, though still had the skin on it which I found a little tough. The spinach was delicious, though not as sharp as I had expected, more a creamy cheese sauce with it. The lump meat however was scarce which was a shame as the little I had perfectly complimented the fish.
The vegetables were delicious in a light tomato sauce. The rice was also perfectly cooked, not too dry at all and was a delicious side to have with the fish.
I give Bonefish Grill 4 out of 5 stars. The starter was amazing and is highly recommended but I think that the lack of crab meat on the entree was not as good an accompaniment as it could have been.
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