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Quote of the Week 6/17/13

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was awesome (albeit busy), with a bunch of people visiting from out of town. First Taylor came with 2 of her friends, and then Lauren came Friday night, and Cullen and Ben’s friends Saturday afternoon. It was a whirlwind of games, wine coolers, lounging by the beach, lounging by the pool, watching movies, and eating. Basically all of my favorite things.

This week’s quote is in honor of my weekend spent with good friends (both new and old). Enjoy!

“Cooking is not about being the best or most perfect cook, but rather it is about sharing the table with family and friends.”
–Skye Gyngell, My Favorite Ingredients

Which is especially true if you’re cooking brussels sprouts. Gross.

Tags: brussels sprouts, cooking, Eating, family, Food, food quote, friends, good weekend, sharing the table, skye gyngell

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Categories Quote of the Week

Velo Fellow, Greenville, SC

14 Jun

Last weekend, I went home to Greenville to visit some of my family and friends. I spent some quality time with my mom shopping at the Haywood Mall before being overcome with hunger pangs and deciding to go get lunch. My mom suggested we go downtown to the Velo Fellow–she’d been there before and really liked it. She read me the menu as I drove, and the food sounded amazing. So with high hopes, we entered into the Velo Fellow.

We so pretty!

They market themselves as a “british publick house,” and the interior was dark and filled with leather chairs, wooden booths, and mismatching furniture to make the place look like it had been there for years. I instantly loved the way it looked inside; it was so homey and comfortable. And the bar was really impressive. As we settled into our booth, our emotionless, condescending waitress (looking annoyed that we’d decided to eat there) came over to get us drinks (I ordered sweet tea. This was not southern sweet tea. This was unsweetened tea that someone put some sugar in. Not what I had hoped for). We asked her some questions about the menu, which she answered matter-of-factly and without any detail other than what was required. So far, our trip was not off to a great start. [My favorite Yelp review stated that "Hipster McHipster meetings here on Tuesday nights (bc Wednesday is just too middle of the road and complacent)." Very accurate...and hilarious]

*Photo taken from the Velo Fellow Facebook page

We decided to order appetizers first, before deciding what we wanted for entrees. The first dish we ordered was the fried green tomatoes with garlic pimento cheese ($8.95). The tomatoes came out hot and crispy, and we eagerly dug in. The breading was cornmeal based and a little thick for my liking, but they were fried to perfection. The garlic pimento cheese had a really good taste to it, but the texture was kind of weird–it almost tasted gritty. All in all, I’d say this dish was pretty good.

Also, only ice cream should keep the shape of a scoop after serving.

Our second appetizer was the Bowl O’ Tots (deep fried tater tots covered in melted cheddar cheese, $5.95). If you know me at all, you know I’m pretty obsessed with tater tots. And cheese. So this should have been my new favorite thing. And it was good, don’t get me wrong, but it was literally fried tater tots toped with shredded cheddar cheese. A monkey could make that dish. I was hoping for some housemade cheddar cheese sauce or something creative and awesome. And although it tasted good, I really just felt like they could’ve done more.

Judging from this picture, it’s apparent who I get my tot-obsession from.

Our third appetizer was a cup of the soup of the day (price varies daily). It happened to be creamy tomato-basil soup, topped with croutons and served with a nice hunk of bread. The bread was delicious. The tomato soup, however, would have made more sense being served atop spaghetti noodles instead of in a bowl. It was way too thick to be a soup, and although it tasted good, I just couldn’t get over the feeling like I was eating tomato sauce out of a jar with a spoon.

Sorry. I ate the croutons before I took the picture. I’m a monster, I know.

Our final appetizer was the basket of raw fries under bleu cheese crumbles ($6.95)…because we hadn’t gotten enough carbs with our carbs. My mom really liked these and ate basically the whole basket. I’m not a huge fan of potato chips, and I was hoping that these were going to be more on the undercooked, potato-y side, but they were very much potato chips. I think they would’ve been better had they been a little more “raw,” but to each his own.

Pictured: Blue Cheese Potato Chips… nothing raw about them.

After being unhappy with our appetizers, we decided not to bother with entrees. I was really sad, because I wanted to love this place. But from the service to the food, I was really disappointed. They have a 92% approval rating on Urbanspoon, which leads me to believe that maybe our experience wasn’t the norm. I’ll be willing to give it another shot sometime in the future, but I don’t think I’ll be ordering any of these appetizers again.

*Photo stolen from Yelp.

The Velo Fellow
1 Augusta St #126
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 242-9296

Tags: downtown greenville, greenville eats, velo fellow, greenville dining, british publick house, pub, haywood mall

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Categories Restaurant Reviews

Quote of the Week 6/10/13

10 Jun

This weekend was a soggy one–one rain storm right after another–which really put a damper on my plans to lounge by the pool all day. Despite the issues the rain caused, and my trip to the dentist’s office, this weekend was quite pleasant. I ate way too much, but I guess that’s not really out of the ordinary.

This week’s quote is from baseball player / manager Tommy Lasorda, and although it’s actually about baseball, I think it works just as well as a food quote.

“When we lose, I eat. When we win, I eat. I also eat when we’re rained out.”
–Tommy Lasorda

And he’s 82, so you know he must be doing something right.

Tags: baseball, dodgers, Eating, food quote, tommy lasorda

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Categories Quote of the Week

Verde

7 Jun

Ok, so I’ve been pretty busy the past couple of weeks, traveling around the Southeastern US, so I haven’t really had a lot of time to go out and eat at any of the places on my Charleston Restaurant wishlist. I’ve mostly been cooking at home and eating at all of my usual haunts. One place that I frequent at least once a week, is Verde. Verde takes up the space where Bruegger’s Bagels used to be, and is basically a giant salad bar. Now, historically I’ve been very anti-salad–I think people only order salads when they either A. don’t like the taste of real food, or B. are on a diet–but I actually really like Verde.

Lookin’ at you, Lauren.

First of all, the space is really nice. It’s very clean and open, with a white and lime green color scheme which make you think of freshness, health, cleanliness, and nature. You start by ordering at the counter. You can choose to either build your own salad / wrap, or choose from one of the “Signature Creations.” The first thing you notice when you step up to the counter is the wall of lettuce. At least, that’s what I notice. Maybe you notice the 50 some-odd toppings and dressings you have to choose from. Either way.

Behold, the wall of lettuce.

Back to the toppings: Seriously. They have any kind of salad topping you could want. Unless you want something weird, in which case–move back to Seattle, ya Hippie. Laura always chooses to build her own salad, which is never the same twice. You get 4 ingredients included in your salad (while proteins and avocado cost extra, and each additional topping after 4 is an extra $0.50). They also give you a piece of bread with every salad / wrap. Here’s a copy of the menu, so you get an idea.

See what I mean about the green and white?

My favorite salad (obsessed is a good word) is the Mesa Verde (romaine, roasted chicken, grape tomatoes, red onion, avocado, black beans, corn, fresh cilantro, and tortilla strips with chipotle lime vinaigrette, finished with a fresh squeeze of lime). I usually don’t get the corn or tortilla strips (because… gross). I absolutely love their chipotle lime vinaigrette, it is so yummy. And the fresh squeeze of lime at the end just makes everything taste fresh and delicious. I freaking love this salad. I make it at home all the time (but it’s really just easier to let them do it).

I think I like it because it doesn’t actually taste like salad.

You also get the option of getting your salad chopped or tossed. If you get it tossed, they basically stir your salad up and then put it in the bowl. I always get it chopped, which is where they take this medieval torture-looking device (like a double-headed pizza cutter), and attack your salad until it’s mincemeat in a bowl. That’s my favorite part. They charge upwards of like $28 bucks to buy one from them, but if you’re trying to chop a salad at home you can just use a single-blade pizza cutter. It literally works exactly the same way (trust me, I’ve tried).

That second blade is pretty redundant, if you ask me.

Basically, if you’re on King Street and looking for a fast, healthy lunch that tastes as good as it is good for you, I highly recommend you visit Verde. Plus, they have a lot of cool, natural drinks to try, and they offer King of Pops popsicles (which are really good. TRY ONE). Also get their loyalty card–Buy 10 salads / wraps, get your 11th one free (I’m only 3 away!)

I’m kind of craving a salad right now. I feel like I’ve been body snatched.

Verde
347 King Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 579-2884

Tags: best salad, build your own, Charleston, charleston eats, chipotle lime vinaigrette, chopped salad, custom, fresh, king street, lime, lunch, medieval torture device, mesa verde, sad lettuce, salad, verde, wall of lettuce

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Categories Restaurant Reviews

Quote of the Week 6/3/13

4 Jun

Holy crap. It’s June already. I honestly have no idea how that happened so fast. 2013 is going to be over before we know it!

I spent this weekend in Atlanta with some of my best friends, eating, drinking, and being merry. I got to try one of the best burgers I’ve ever eaten at the Holeman & Finch stand at the Atlanta Braves Baseball game. We had to wait in line for like 20 minutes to get it, but it was 100% worth it. More details on that later.

This week’s quote comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. I chose this quote partly because Christine is Greek, but more so because I believe it is an accurate representation of my life.

“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.”
–Epicurus

I bet all of his philosopher friends were all “Hey, why the long face?…no seriously, your face is really long.”

Tags: atlanta braves, best burger ever, christine, delicious, epicurus, greek, holeman and finch, philosopher

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Categories Quote of the Week

Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy, Myrtle Beach, SC

31 May

After a fun and busy weekend as a bridesmaid in Myrtle Beach, I decided to spend some time exploring the city with Ben. Ben was craving mexican food, and after some intense Google searching, we ended up at Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy at the Coastal Grand Mall. Pulling up to the restaurant, the first thought that popped into my head was “I found the Mexican P.F. Chang’s.” I normally reserve the restaurant building photo for the end of my review, but I’ll put it here just to emphasize my point.

I mean, all it’s missing is a giant horse statue.

Ben and I were starving, so we ordered enough food for about 4 people, even though it was just the two of us (we have a problem). When you first sit down, they bring you chips (which were thinner than typical Mexican restaurants, but they were still good) and a trio of their salsas–traditional Mexican salsa, a mild salsa verde, and a spicy hot salsa. They were all tasty, although the “spicy” salsa was not very spicy at all. We started with the chile con queso (traditional dip made with melted, blended cheeses and fresh roasted Poblano and Anaheim chiles), which was good but tasted not unlike the Superbowl cheese dip you make with Velveeta and Rotel. I was kind of bummed (but not really surprised) that they used a yellow cheese instead of white, but that’s what we get for going to Mexican P.F. Chang’s.

I’m still trying to get the hang of my new cell phone camera.

Our second appetizer was the Jalapeño Cheese fritters (crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. Deliciously delicate hand-breaded fritters, oozing with minced jalapeño and melted cheese. Served with ranch dressing), from their new “Tapas And Small Bites” menu. These were freaking delicious. I wish we would’ve nixed the cheese dip and gotten two orders of the fritters, because they were seriously so yummy. They also paired really well with the ranch dressing, and I loved the little container they came in.

Apparently, Fritters are the new “It” food. Which I’m totally ok with.

The cheese LITERALLY oozes out.

For my entree, I ordered the chicken nachos (Individual tortilla chips baked with cheese and topped with seasoned ground beef, shredded beef, chicken or refried beans in any combination. Served with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo and jalapeño slices). I was really confused by the waiter’s follow up question, which was “Ok, did you want 5 or 10?” … what. I ordered 10, thinking I was only going to get 10 of the little tortilla chips like the ones on our table, but they turned out to be HUGE chips. Like, we’re talking taco shell-sized chips here. I definitely should’ve only gotten 5. The presentation was really pretty, but the nachos left a little something to be desired. And I definitely was not a fan of their guacamole, which had a paste like consistency to it (and flavor to match).

More like disappointment nachos.

Ben ordered The Grande combination plate (Three enchiladas – one beef, one cheese and one sour cream chicken – a cheese chile relleno, tamale, crispy beef taco and guacamole). I was surprised by how much I liked the tamale–it was flavorful and not on the dry side like tamales tend to be. The cheese enchilada was seriously cheesy. They definitely did not skimp on the cheese. It also came with beans and rice, which were very good as well (but not anything special). The only thing Ben wasn’t a huge fan of was the beef enchilada, which he said was kind of dry. We were both too full to even try the beef taco, which came on its own separate plate, so I have no idea how that was.

When they say “Grande,” they are not joking around.

All in all, I’d say we had a pleasant experience at Abuelo’s, but I’m not in any hurry to go back. Partly because of the food, but mostly because I hate Myrtle Beach. Plus, I really prefer more authentic Mexican food to Abuelo’s Tex-Mexican fare.

Also this creepy statue

Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy
740 Coastal Grand Cir
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 448-5533

Tags: abuelo's, beef taco, cheese, chicken, chicken nachos, chile con queso, enchilada, jalapeno cheese fritters, mexican food, mexican p.f. chang's, myrtle beach, oozing cheese, queso, tamale

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Categories Restaurant Reviews

Quote of the Week 5/27/13

28 May

What a weekend. I went to Myrtle Beach for the wedding of my amazing and beautiful roommate from my Dubai Study Abroad, Nichole. It was a beautiful ceremony on the beach, and the first wedding I’ve ever been in, so it was very special. It was also Memorial Day, so I’ll take this opportunity to thank the many service men and women who’ve given so much for this country.

This week’s quote comes from American author and cartoonist James Thurber, and I think it is a pretty spot-on description of my weekend.

“The most dangerous food is wedding cake “
–James Thurber

I like how he’s rocking the inverted Rogue from X-Men hair do.

Tags: dubai, james thurber, Memorial day, myrtle beach, nichole, rogue, wedding cake, weddings, x-men, xmen

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Categories Quote of the Week

The Liebster Award and Some Stuff About Me

24 May

I was totally (and pleasantly!) surprised to find that my colleague (and someone I admire greatly and aspire to be like one day) Jenny Badman nominated me for the Liebster Award! Yay, awards!

Basically, the Liebster Award is a way for bloggers to share the blogs they read and love with others, which I think is super awesome. So when you get the award, you have to do 2 (technically 3) things. 1. You nominate other blogs for the award. 2. You answer a bunch of random, quirky questions and 3. You share 11 random things about yourself. So sit back and relax, and let’s do this thing.

Get excited.

What is your favorite book?

I’m so bad with picking favorites. I’m so indecisive, and my moods change so fast. Here are a couple books that I love. The entire Harry Potter series (Order of the Phoenix is my favorite); To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee; Bossypants, Tina Fey; Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Seth Grahame-Smith; The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood; My Father’s Dragon, Ruth Stiles Gannett; Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams; Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen …ok, I’ll stop there.

What is your greatest fear?

Well I’m afraid of 3 things. Two of them are pretty normal, the 3rd is a bit “out there.” 1. Clowns. 2. Tornados 3. Being in a car/train/airplane, falling asleep and then the car/train/plane crashes or something and I die and I don’t know that I’m dead. I realize how weird and morbid the 3rd one is, but I can’t help it. That’s why I rarely fall asleep while travelling.

If you could have one superpower what would it be?

Floo powder. I want to have floo powder. Which I guess is technically not a power, and more of an element, but I don’t care.

Ok, on second thought, fire scares me. Let’s just go with apparition.

What is the quality you are most proud of?

I really hate qualitative (no pun intended) questions like this. I guess that I’m proud of thoughtfulness? I like being able to help people out and pleasantly surprise them. Like Leslie Knope.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people refuse to try new food. I can’t stand picky people. It’s one thing if it came from a restaurant and you don’t want to try it, but if someone spent their time making something from scratch and you refuse to try it because you “don’t like avocado” or something equally lame, I’m pretty sure they’re reserving a special place for you in hell with all the other rude, selfish people. There are lots of foods that I thought I didn’t like until I actually tried them (see: tomatoes, beans, avocados, and sushi). One little bite to placate someone’s feelings isn’t going to kill you. Unless you’re allergic to shellfish and they’re serving shrimp, in which case you get a pass.

Who is your idol?

I’ll go ahead and be cliché here and say my mother. Tina Gallimore is a force to be reckoned with.

You don’t mess with Tina Gallimorski… she will CUT YOU.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Oh God, where do I even begin. My brother would probably say it was the time my pants fell down in the middle of Ruby Tuesday’s. He tells that story pretty much anytime I introduce him to new people, which is annoying because it happened when I was in 5th grade or something like that.

Where do you draw inspiration for how you live your life?

My parents, my friends, fictional characters I admire, and Jennifer Lawrence.

If you could live in any era, which era would you choose?

I want to be 16 in 1980 and live through the 80′s. I love the 80′s. What a great time for music. And fashion

I really think I would’ve flourished in the 80′s.

If you could have lunch with ANYONE – living or dead – who would you choose?

Why do all of these questions have to be superlatives?! My catchphrase is like that old Lay’s slogan, only mine reads “Betcha can’t pick just one.” I want to pick one person from like 10 of eras and then have one amazing lunch where I learn all about the history of the world from people who were actually there to see it. Here’s my lunchtime Super Group lineup: Eve (the one from the Bible, not the rapper… although to be honest, I’d be fine with either), Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth I, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Freddie Mercury, Princess Diana, Will Smith, Tina Fey, and all of the Spice Girls.

What is your ultimate life goal?

I want to be a good friend, to make people laugh, to love and to be loved, and to see and do as much as I can before I die.

11 random things about me:

I can wiggle my eyeballs.
My favorite movie is the Princess Bride.
My go-to karaoke song is Don’t Stop Believing by Journey.
I have a scar on my forehead in basically the same spot as Harry Potter (but it’s not a lightning bolt).
I hate mushrooms.
I hoard board games. I own probably 50 different ones, and I’m constantly buying more.
I love gossip, but I’m terrible at keeping secrets.
Mario Batali tweeted at me once.
I’ve been to Dubai.
My favorite planet is Neptune. Don’t ask me why, because I have no reason for it.
Batman is my favorite superhero (and if you even try to argue that he’s not technically a superhero because he doesn’t have any super powers, I will light you on fire).

The final bit of this thing is to share the love with some other bloggers I love, so here you go. Please go check out these awesome blogs: Table Scraps, Greenville Bites, Paul Coffin Photography, and Foodmancing The Girl.

Tags: 80's, apparition, dubai, floo powder, foodmancing, gossip, harry potter, jennifer lawrence, journey, liebster award, mario batali, neptune, princess bride, spice girls, tina fey, will smith

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Categories Random Fodder

Quote of the Week 5/20/13

20 May

Well, I’m officially back to reality after almost 2 weeks of gluttonous indulgence. Was too afraid to step on the scale this morning because I know I’m not going to like what I see.

This week’s quote comes from French humorist Erma Bombeck, and highlights some pretty sage advice that I definitely did not follow whilst on my cruise.

“Never order food in excess of your body weight.”
–Erma Bombeck

That's pretty sage advice. I should really start putting it into practice more often.

I should really start putting that advice into practice more often.

Tags: cruise, Eating, erma bombeck, food hangover, food quote, french, funny, gaining weight, humor, overeating, so full

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Categories Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week 5/13/13

13 May

I’m cruising somewhere in the caribbean right now, lounging under the sun, stuffing my face with free food. No new review or recipe on Friday, but here’s a quote to tide you over until my return.