Chuy's Charlotte: Talk & Taste

My foodie heart was broken when Zink closed its doors last year and I have not been able to bring myself to try Chuy's, a tex-mex restaurant that went into the empty space. I had so many great memories at Zink that I was afraid that the replacement would not be as good. The mixed reviews only fueled my preconception.

I love being proven wrong.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a Talk & Taste event with fellow Charlotte foodies. We were treated to all the salsas on the menu (and one that isn't!), samples of specialty margaritas, and full entrees. The food was great, but the attentive service was what won me over. The fact that everything is made from scratch, daily, made it difficult not to instantly become a fan.

Below are all the noms that we got to enjoy:

Getting sauce-ducated.

New Mexican jalapeño margarita

Blackberry Margarita

Sangria (made with tequila!)

"Big as yo'face" beef burrito

Chicken tortilla soup. Amazeballs!

My lovely date, Katy of girl and the good.

There's no photographic evidence of the amazing tres leches cake because my husband and I devoured it before it could be documented.

Huge thanks to Gwen and everyone at Chuy's for a great night!

Nearby Eats | Sakura Japanese Restaurant (Gastonia)

You never forget your first time.

I was fourteen and my friends urged me to try it. After some coaxing, I put it in my mouth and grimaced. I'm sure I wasn't the first to do so.The cucumber and imitation crab were not new to me, but the seaweed, avocado and cold rice were. Add the wasabi and soy sauce and it was quite the experience.

salmon hand roll, spicy tuna, octopus sashimi, tuna sashimi

Jam Session (NoDa Brewing)

Sakura, hidden in Phase 4 of Franklin Square, was the first sushi restaurant in Gastonia. For me, it holds memories of prom dates, best friends, and special occasions.

The restaurant still looks the same as it did when it first opened. The menu recently received a makeover and it's...jarring. Thankfully, the food remained the same.

My favorite menu item (outside of sushi) is the pecan crusted grouper. Get it! The sashimi has never disappointed either and the spicy tuna roll is my all time favorite.

If you ever find yourself in Gastonia, Sakura is a must and won't break the bank.

Authentic Ramen in Charlotte

For the college student or anyone on a "ramen noodle" budget, it's survival. For the Japanese, it's comfort food. 

I have fallen into both categories at different stages of life with different types of preparation.

It used to be a cup of noodles, poor the hot water in, and three minutes later you had a meal. Then I learned to buy the kind in a wrapper and cook it with miso paste and other spices, throwing out the packet of flavoring. Then it was my first trip to Tokyo where the true love affair began.

I was tired, weary. It was my first time traveling half way around the world. It was my first time traveling that far alone. I arrived at the Imperial Hotel and was greeted by a warm hug from my mom and a hot shower after a day of travel.

After unpacking, we set out to find dinner. We were both exhausted and finding a full fledged meal with no knowledge of the language seemed daunting. After a few misses we found a hole in the wall ramen restaurant with one broken English menu. It was perfection: delicious broth, tender meat, and slick noodles. 

One never forgets their first authentic bowl of ramen so when I heard about Musashi's I knew I had to give it a try!

A bowl of ramen was the perfect dinner choice after spending the afternoon celebrating St. Patrick's Day. The husband and I met up with the #EpicEaters and their dates and quickly separated ourselves, the men at one table and the ladies at the other. 

We gabbed, drank sake, and snacked on light appetizers. And then the ramen came and the nine of us got really quiet. 

 

Miso Ramen

Japanese egg noodle, roasted pork slices, bamboo shoot & green onions

It was delicious and the closest thing I've had in Charlotte that resembles the ramen that I had had in Tokyo years ago. 

The restaurant is 35 minutes from the house but is definitely worth the drive for those days when I crave the taste of Tokyo.

Charlotte is on the Verge

Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably have seen the sad attempt at satire on Huffington Post about Charlotte and local publications and bloggers stepping in to defend the Queen City.

You should really read Jeremy Markovich's article in Our State instead of the Huff Post article. It's beautifully written, although lengthy, and shares the sentiments I have towards Charlotte.

"And right now, at this moment, at this point in history, that is Charlotte. We’re on the verge of something.

We’re lucky. Some towns in North Carolina are locked into what they’ve been for years. There are beach towns. Furniture towns. Mill towns. Farm towns. Suburbs. Mountain getaways. Interstate oases. Tobacco towns. When the realities of a new era force them to change, sometimes they have a hard time doing so. Some places dry up. The stores close. The weeds grow. The people move. The heritage is so strong that it’s hard to stop living in the past. People point at those towns and say, I know who you are.

Not Charlotte. They say we’re nice. But we know we’re more than that."

***

Today I had a beautifully exhausting day. I met with amazingly talented women here in Charlotte who are doing big things. I walked away from both coffee meetings feeling more confident about what I want to do and the paths I need to take. It's not going to be easy and I like it that way.

I also made a pit stop at a dim sum restaurant for lunch... My heart yearns for travel and an epic foodventure.

 

Foreign currency adorns a door at Smelly Cat Coffee.

Dim Sum on Central Ave.

Latte art at Central Coffee

I'm spending the rest of the week prepping for a new venture and tagging clothes for the Green Jeans Sale. I may also do the dishes and finish laundry from last weekend.

SEED 20, Class of 2014

I really enjoy live tweeting, whether it's the Bachelor season finale, a marketing webinar, or a fantastic local event.

Last Tuesday I did the later at the SEED20 competition. Not only was it a an inspiring event that I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to attend but I also got to see my friend Katie win the grand prize for her non-profit, PlateShare.

If you get the urge to get inspired to change the world, add this event to your "must attend" list in 2015!

Learn more about the non-profits that are part of SEED 20's Class of 2014:

Behailu Academy
Bottles N Bottoms
Camp Blue Skies
Charlotte Speech and Hearing
PlateShare
Project Energy Transition
Project Scientist
Queen City Mobile Market
Youth Development Initiatives
F3 Foundation
Make It Work
ourBRIDGE
Patriots Path
Pearls for Creative Healing
Refugee Support Services
R.I.C.’s Market
The Arts Empowerment Project
The Sandbox
UrbanPromise Charlotte