spoon's bbq

for the past several weeks, i've been wanting some good barbeque.  i had gotten the desire a month or two back, and the bbq place i ate at in anderson, sc, just didn't do the trick.  then i remembered having gotten bbq way back in the day from a place down on south boulevard (in charlotte):  spoon's barbeque.  it's eastern nc style pork with a tradition in bbq that goes back to the 1960s...if they've been around for 50 years, they have to have something going for them!

i had thought about it one day and mentioned it in passing to my mother.  apparently the desire for good pork barbeque is contagious because she stopped by spoon's while she was in town to pick some up for herself.  sadly for mom, the retaurant was closed for vacation that particular weekend.  and luckily for me, i happened to talk to her (and learned about their schedule) before driving down to get some.

today, though, i was down visiting some friends in the northern part of charlotte, and i figured it was a perfect opportunity to get some pork goodness.  they were open, and it was wonderful.  you know you're in the south when the sweet tea is done right, and that's just the start.  then you get the hushpuppies; some places have the spectacular quiet dogs, and i'll admit that spoon's isn't one of them.  but they're nicely browned and crunchy, and they work well for dipping in the brunswick stew.

said stew is also pretty good, and that's next to the cole slaw (which i normally don't eat, but this was sweet and crunchy and rather good) and the pork itself.  most important is the sauce.  i'd forgotten how much i like the vinegar-based sauce on the pork.  particularly, i like how the vinegar evaporates off the hot pork for the first couple bites, and you just inhale it.  granted, it makes me cough, but i likes it.

so yeah, i got a nice lunch today...and brought home some pork bbq, some brunswick stew, and some sauce for later.  i'll have to wander back again!

sunflour baking company

i was poking around online trying to find a place to grab coffee with some friends, and i stumbled across something called sunflour baking company, which looked rather interesting.  i mean, who wouldn't want to get fresh baked goods?  so on this rather dreary sunday, i finally investigated the place.

i admit being impressed; i got a morning glory muffin and hot cocoa.  the muffin, as described by the menu, is "packed with carrots, pineapples, apples, coconut, raisins, and walnuts," and it seems to be the functional equivalent of hummingbird cake.  sans boiled sugar icing, of course.  i would definitely get it again.  the rest of the breakfast treats on display looked lovely, and i saw a corn and potato chowder on the menu, too.  next time, i may have to plan a visit around their baking schedule (so as to obtain bread fresh from the oven).

it was definitely worth a 20 minute drive from huntersville.  one would imagine that there would be some of a selection of independent coffee-type places in my neck of the woods, but this seems not to be the case.  so i may have to wander back down again in the future.

tropical chicken grill

the last time i went to key west (back in december of 2011), i discovered a cuban restaurant called el siboney.  i had never eaten cuban cuisine before, but the locals assured me it would be well worth the walk.  after eating the succulent roast pork and the fried sweet plantains, it was clear that the locals knew what they were talking about.

since i now know that i had been missing out on cuban food for all these years, i keep an eye out for cuban restaurants in the area.  for the past year or so, periodic online searches have come up empty, but in the past month or so, i did see a listing for a place off pelham road called the tropical chicken grill.  although i am by no means an expert, it appeared to be more of a cuban-inspired place than a full-fledged cuban restaurant.  i did, however, have an opportunity to try it this afternoon.

i got the roast pork (served over rice and beans) and a side order of plantains.  first off, i will say that the portion sizes are very generous; the regular portion was almost too much food for me, so the large would definitely be enough for two meals.  the plantains were nicely cooked, and the pork was flavorful.  however, i was faintly disappointed that the pork didn't get served with any of the roasting juice.  as far as i can tell, the meat is dropped on the grill and chopped before serving, so maybe that's the reason for the lack of juice.

the long and short of it is that this restaurant serves very worthwhile food for reasonable prices (lots of meat, rice, and beans; fried plantains on the side; and a drink for less than ten dollars).  i'd go back again, but i'm not sure i'd go when i'm specifically looking for cuban food.  i guess i'll have to keep looking.