Greensboro: Moose Cafe

Moose cafe...aptly named because if you eat here enough you will weigh about the same as a moose (FYI from Wikipedia: Average male moose weighs 850-1580 lbs).

No, no. Now I am not saying the restaurant is not GOOD but it sure is ladden with some heavy foods which I find surprising because it is located in the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market. When I hear "Farmer's Market" I think of fresh, seasonal vegetables, fresh flowers, and just an overall refreshing feeling...ok back to the review.

I met Adam here during his lunch break while visiting. The decorations were very simplistic and country which I found complimentary to the restaurant. You know the red/white checkered table cloths, drinks served out of a Mason jar, etc. Upon arrival, guests receive a hot biscuit as well as apple butter. I decided to only try half the biscuit as I knew what I ordered wasn't going to be pretty (aka healthy).

The menu offers lots of choices at reasonable prices. It is essentially a meat and 3 with lots of other options as well. They have specials of the day such as country style steaks as well as burgers and salads.

I elected for the special of 1 meat, 2 veggies and fresh cornbread for $4.99. I am a sucker for Chicken 'N Dumplings and currently K&W cafeteria takes the cake; however, I was in the mood to try someone else's! My sides were Mac 'N Cheese and Fried Okra. I warned you it wasn't pretty!

Biscuits: They were warm and good. Yet, I still prefer those flaky ones baked out of the can :)

Chicken 'N Dumplings: WAY TOO THICK. It was almost a porridge and maybe this is how this dish is supposed to taste but I was not a fan. The dumplings were little, the sauce thick, and the chicken pieces sparse.

Fried Okra: The best thing I had...even had enough salt that I didn't need to add any.

Mac 'N Cheese: Decent but lacking some in flavor. It seemed like it had been laying out a bit.

Sweet Tea: A little too sweet (In restaurants, if you want your customers to not drink the tea fast, use less sugar....an old restaurant trick)

Moose cafe is good but I definitely would not make it a weekly thing...maybe a monthly spot. I left feeling too full (that why did I keep eating feeling) and still left a lot on my plate.


**Picture at top of post taken from Moose Cafe's website

Myrtle Beach: Sea Captains

This has to be one of, if not THE, favorite restaurant of mine. We eat here almost every Sunday! Sea Captain's is a seafood restaurant right on the beach owned by some family friends of ours. I am currently on a feat to try all of their menu items. It is going a bit slower than I thought because 1) I am based in Columbia now for grad school and 2) There are those couple of signature dishes I have to order again and again.

This post will focus on those signature dishes (in my opinion) and this is a must if you visit Myrtle Beach.

She Crab Soup: You will not, cannot, find a better She Crab Soup. It is creamy, flavorful, full of crab, and a splash of Sherry wine on top pulls it all together. I have tried other She Crab Soups (at least 10 others) but they never come close.

Crabcakes: They are full of fresh Atlantic crabmeat with flour breading so they are soft and not crunchy like so many others (which takes away from the crab flavor). The restaurant also makes a wonderful Lemon-Dill Butter sauce to go along with it if you order the platter. I have lately really enjoyed the Crabcake Sandwich which is the crabcake on a onion roll with tomato and lettuce and Dijon Green Peppercorn Tartare Sauce. The sandwich is also served with the best pasta salad ever! It is a refreshing cream based pasta salad using penne noodles, minced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers along with DILL. Fabulous.

Shrimp Salad: The shrimp are the perfect size...not the popcorn size nor the jumbo. These are the shrimp that have the best flavor. The shrimp are mixed with celery, green peppers, capers, mayo, and seasonings. Just delicious. Be aware: They also have a Sea Island shrimp salad which does not come close to the regular.

**The dressings are homemade and they serve the best Ranch I've ever tasted.
**The hushpuppies are served hot upon arrival at the table. They have just a hint of sweetness.
**The fried seafood is lightly battered and then fried so that the frying process does not take away from the taste of the seafood. (I like the shrimp and oysters best!)
**They offer specials every day that always change and now have a brunch menu available for Sundays.

A couple of my others favorites to try:

• Avocado Seafare
• Any of their fresh salads (I always get a side salad!)
• Crab Casserole
• Quiche of the Day
  
  Check our their website here! http://www.seacaptains.com/

Columbia: Cellar on the Greene

Don't you just love when you find a jewel in the city? Well for me, it usually has something to do with food. I am a sucker for dinner specials and absolutely when Atlanta would hold its yearly Restaurant Week.

This is where you can go to restaurants whose entrees only are usually 25+ and get a three course meal for that much! Adam and I loved going to try new restaurants out of our price range this way. I highly recommend restaurants from the Buckhead Life Group such as Atlanta Fish Market and Pricci.

I promise I am going somewhere with this! So, I wanted to try Cellar on the Greene's $19 3 course meal deal. What a delicious deal at that!

Cellar on the Greene is by the same owners as Mr. Friendly's (another must try, and belive me, it's not the Friendlys chain you are thinking about). Cellar on the Greene is essentially a wine shop but has a small bar and about 6-8 tables. Very intimate, yet active.

I started with a Rose Mint Sangria which was fine and refreshing but I do like a bit more kick to my drinks :) Adam had a wonderful seasonal beer I kept stealing sips from. I started with the Tuna Nachos (sweet pepper salsa, cilantro sour cream, pepperjack cheese) and Adam the smoked salmon plate ( pickled vegetable-shrimp relish, tri-color cous-cous, horseradish cream,
everything crackers). Both exceeded my expectations. For the entree Adam had: PARMESAN-PANKO CRUSTED HALIBUT herb pesto, horseradish cream, creamy polenta,
sautéed squash & zucchini and I had Panko Crusted Soft Shell crab with lobster-artichoke relish, basil pesto, mediterranean vegetable orzo,
sautéed squash & zucchini. For my dinner I also ordered a Riesling: Riesling, Frisk “Prickly”, 09 Australia. WAY too sweet for my taste...

We ended the 3 course with dessert (which took longer than anticipated but we were in no hurry). Adam ordered the undercooked chocolate cake and I had the seared poundcake. Both were good but nothing outstanding.

I highly recommend trying this restaurant! Be prepared to wait but enjoy yourself with a nice glass of wine. Eat Local !