300 East CHARLOTTE (brunch review)

I often look forward to Sundays solely because of brunch. Late afternoon breakfast accompanied with socially acceptable mimosas and bloody marys? Yes please! This past Sunday I was in the mood to try out a new place, and found myself at 300 East. It wasn't until I was seated at a table on their cute outside area that I realized I had indeed eaten brunch there before! I immediately became excited as I remembered how great their shrimp and grits were. I browsed over the menu anyways and found myself in conflict over a variety of other brunch items such as crab cake benedict, a personal favorite, and french toast. One thing was for certain; I needed a bloody mary. Drink in hand I made up my mind and went with my original order: cajun shrimp over cheesy beer grits with fried eggs (pictured above). As I waited for my food I noticed that my bloody mary was not particularly good. It was a bit watery, pretty bland, and lacking any sort of spice. Bloody mary aside, 300 East is a great place to sit outside when the weather is nice, and I enjoyed relaxing in the shade while listening to Bob Dylan over their speakers. The service was good, but a little on the slow side which was understandable considering how busy they were. When the food arrived I was a little disappointed. While it was good, it wasn't as great as I remembered. The shrimp had a nice cajun flavor, but were definitely overdone. The eggs were verging on perfection and the grits were amazing, more cheesy then beer-y, and anything but plain which made the dish overall okay. My girlfriend had ordered the crab cake benedict and reported that the eggs were nicely cooked, but the dish needed more sauce. My overall brunch experience was great, however the food and beverages were lacking in areas. I gave 300 East's brunch an 81... I won't be racing back next week, but I'll definitely go again.

Soul Gastro Lounge CHARLOTTE 86

I was very excited to check out Soul the other night because it's walking distance from my apartment, and I've heard great things. If you're planning on going over the weekend for dinner; plan on waiting. Soul is always packed with people dining and drinking alike on Friday and Saturday night. While we were told there was an hour wait (for two) the bf and I were seated on their small upper deck within 20 minutes; which is great if you don't mind cigarette smoke, and has a pretty sweet view of the city. Soul is the perfect place for different tastes because their menu includes sandwiches, salads, tapas, and sushi. The bf and I decided to try the sashimi tacos, curried lamb skewers and a couple sushi rolls. The sashimi tacos were a-ma-zing!! Three homemade wontons made into little taco shells stuffed with tuna and drizzled with a spicy sauce (pretty sure it was wasabi aioli). The sushi was also dynamite, we both loved the soul roll (pictured above), which was perfected by jalapenos. The sushi is cut pretty big, and can be hard to eat, but it's so good it doesn't really matter (unless you're on a first date maybe). The only disappointment was the curried lamb skewers. The bf had tried out Soul the week before and had been raving over how great the lamb was. Unfortunately the night we ordered it the lamb was way overdone, making it EXTREMELY chewy and hard to eat.. it was also pretty bland. I was told that the past order had been perfect with a stronger curry flavor so I'm definitely interested in giving the lamb a second chance, and with everything else I tried that night I'm sure it was a minor glitch. The sake selection was small yet foolproof. We tried the "g" sake which we both loved! Aside from that, they have a good selection of beer and liquor. The service was okay but not really noteworthy, maybe even slightly chaotic. It's definitely a fun and cool atmosphere, but it can also be loud (there's a DJ inside) and dark. Go for a good time and great sushi (although the tapas are definitely worth checking out as well). I will definitely be going back to try more. Overall I gave Soul an 86.

Cabo Fish Taco CHARLOTTE 87

Cabo Fish Taco has quickly become one of my favorite places to grab lunch or dinner. Decorated with interesting artwork and bright colors, this little restaurant on N Davidson fits in perfectly with Noda. I've eaten at Cabo Fish Taco a handful of times since I moved to Charlotte and it never disappoints. The bf and I almost always get seated right away, and are promptly greeted with their fresh corn salsa made daily. On our most recent trip I decided to order something other then their amazing tacos. I settled on trying the "Epic Tuna Burrito" (pictured above) made with grilled tuna, avocado, rice, cheese and a cilantro white sauce (I opted for no beans). The bf decided to stick with tacos but mixed it up by ordering the "Serrano Chicken", something neither of us had yet to try. Our food came out fairly quickly, and while everything was good, we both agreed that we had ordered better in the past. The tuna in my burrito was grilled perfectly and the flavors were nice, but their fish tacos are definitely better. The chicken tacos were good, but the chicken was a little bit over cooked. Even though it was our least favorite trip, we still enjoyed ourselves and felt satisfied. Whenever I think of Cabo Fish Taco a few things come to mind: 1. Everything I've ever eaten there has always tasted super fresh. 2. They have a great range of different specialty margaritas and beer. 3. They have great prices, $15 and less for entrees (though most range around $10) and $4 and up for margaritas. Overall I gave them an 87.. definitely a place I'll be going back to.

Cajun Queen CHARLOTTE 78

Last night I was starving and craving some New Orleans style cuisine. The bf and I decided to try out Cajun Queen off of E 7th St. It was pretty good, but not great. We decided to start out with the "Cajun popcorn" (pictured left) which was lightly fried pieces of crawfish tale in a light and tasty sherry remoulade sauce. It was our favorite dish of the night. I was worried that the crawfish would be overly fried and overcooked, but this wasn't the case at all. The lemon wedges that came with the appetizer made it the perfect dish. The bf decided to try the shrimp and crawfish etouffee for his main course, while I opted for the blackened mahi mahi with a crawfish and tasso sauce. The etouffee was definitely the tastier choice, even though the shrimp wasn't seasoned and was pretty bland. The mahi was okay but the mashed potatoes it came with tasted old and dry (reminiscent of fast food KFC mashed potatoes). They had an almost overwhelming cocktail selection, which is cool because it caters to many tastes. I had a cadillac margarita which, if you like grand marnier in your margs, was awesome. I also tried a tornado (rum, banana liquor and OJ) and it was very very sweet. The meal was satisfying for my craving, but I feel as if I could find a better Cajun restaurant. Overall I gave Cajun Queen a 78; I'll go back, but not very often.

Enso CHARLOTTE 88

I was very excited to try out Enso, the new sushi place at the Epicenter. It definitely lived up to its hype. The decor was well thought out and sleek, and the whole place managed to give off a hip vibe. The bf and I decided to sit right away at the sushi bar instead of waiting 15 minutes for a table (a little odd because the restaurant was only half full). We went at 8:00 pm planning to catch a 9:30 movie, but the service was so slow that it was impossible. Plan on spending your time and some money if you come here, you won't be disappointed. The restaurant is designed to be the kind of place where you can order as you eat. The menu is pretty big and ranges from dim sum to specialty rolls to asian fusion entrees such as a duo of king crab. Everything on the menu sounded good, but the bf and I had our hearts set on trying out the sushi-and some appetizers of course. We started with the "New style sashimi" (pictured above left) which was a beautiful presentation of salmon, yellow tail, and tuna thinly sliced and stacked on each other to make the perfect bite size. We also tried the Wagyu beef carpaccio which was simple but fantastic. We tried four different specialty rolls, but two really stole the show. The king crab roll (pictured on the top to the right) consisted of mostly king crab on top with more crab and some avocado inside. It was probably my favorite roll, the flavor was really concise with a slight sweetness. The shrimp mania roll (pictured at the top on the left)was interesting and pretty good, but the other roll that really won us over was the fire roll. It had sliced scallop on top and had the perfect amount of spice. There was a nice size saki menu, unfortunately they were out of almost everything due to their grand opening this past weekend. All of the cocktails were very sweet and uninspired. Another cool thing worth mentioning is that Enso serves off their sushi menu late on weeknights (I believe until 12:30 or 1:00 am) which makes it the only late night sushi place I've found thus far. I will definitely be going back to Enso to try some of their unique entrees and more of their fantastic sushi! Overall an 88.

Phat Burrito CHARLOTTE 81

Phat burrito was a small interesting place with a lot of character (and I don't mean that in a bad way). Located on Camden street, it seemed to be the ideal place for a quick but good mexican meal. The menu is very simple, burrito, tacos, taco salad, or a quesadilla with your choice of meat. Their home made salsa bar was decent, but a bit disappointing. I tried a burrito with fish and without the beans. The fish had a lot of flavor and was really nice, but there was some sort of chutney (you can see it on the tacos above) that I wasn't aware would be in it. I think it was pineapple but I couldn't quite place it because it was thick and had an odd taste and flavor... I didn't care for it, but it didn't ruin my burrito experience. The bf got the fish tacos (pictured above) with no cabbage (he hates veggies) and was thrown off by the chutney as well; he easily scraped it off, and enjoyed the tacos even though they put cabbage on them anyways. Not the best mexican food in Charlotte, but the simplicity of the place makes the food well executed and fast.. great for someone who's on the go! Overall I gave it an 81 a bit over average and worth going back!

Amelie's French Bakery CHARLOTTE 90

I had the pleasure of trying Amelie's French Bakery on North Davidson for brunch the other day. I opted for their special, an egg sandwich on a croissant with asiago and spinach.. It was delicious, and while it looked small it filled me up. The bf tried out the soup special, a tomato and crab bisque (pictured right) and it was beyond words. We both agreed that it was the best soup we've found in Charlotte thus far. We didn't try any of the pastries, but they had a huge fresh baked selection which surely included something for everyone. In fact, they all looked so mouth watering it would be hard to choose just one. One of the coolest thing about this particular bakery is that it's open 24 hours, and has a relaxed coffee house vibe. There were quite a few people working on laptops and enjoying coffee under the many quirky chandeliers throughout the place. Definitely a cool laid back joint that one could easily wind up at at any time. Definitely crave worthy (rated 90) if you're in the mood for fresh baked treats!

Copper CHARLOTTE 91

If you're a fan of Indian food you must must MUST try copper off of East Blvd. I must admit that I had my reservations when I first found out that it was a "modern" themed Indian restaurant. Ultimately I decided it was either going to be great or disappointing, but my expectations were blown away by the awesomeness that is copper. Located in a charming house, the decor was softly lit and inviting... maybe a little on the dim side. They had a great wine selection and an interesting, yet tasty cocktail menu. I liked the Agni (bicardi 151, absolut peppar, and guava) because it was a little fruity, but still had that warm liquor taste going down. More importantly, the food was kick ass from start to finish. The bf and I started with the Tava Scallops and lobster with a ginger kick. The scallops were decent, but could have been seared better; they paired nicely with the avocado lychee emulsion found rimming the plate. The lobster tail was the big hit of the appetizers, and was cooked faultlessly. The flavor combination was refreshing and well thought out with a nice spice. When it comes to entrees the menu is split into a small list of traditional and modern main courses. I decided to go with a traditional dish, jumbo shrimp in a Goan Curry sauce, while the bf decided to go modern with a Masala duck leg confit. They were both perfect, but I must admit that the bf out ordered me. The shrimp and curry were wonderful and I couldn't stop myself from licking the sauce even as I was stuffed, but the duck had it going on.. not in the least bit gamey, and perfect with a pomegranate-syrah jus. Against my protests the bf went on to order dessert- something I wasn't even thinking about touching at this point because I was beyond full. The bf ordered the Sorbets & Gelatos which came with four cute little samples of different flavors. There was a raspberry and mango sorbet (the raspberry was awesome and was reminiscent of a flinstones push up) and a caramel and pistachio gelato. We left copper full, happy, and ready to go out for the night. Overall a 91- crave worthy!!

Big Daddy's Burgers CHARLOTTE 84

Just got done eating at Big Daddy's off East Blvd. and it was quite a success. Me and the bf started with the atomic nachos (pictured left) which were ideal for anyone who enjoys spicy food. I opted to create my own burger using swiss, avocados, and jalapeno bacon.. A little on the greasy side, but cooked perfectly.. The onion strings were lacking though. My bf got the steakhouse burger which was an interesting and tasty combination of jumbo Guinness battered onion rings, monterey jack cheese, and a chopped wedge salad.. He scraped off the salad, but the burger seemed fitted for his manly needs. The service was good, but not great. Spiked milkshakes and a good selection of draught beers made for the perfect late lunch. Overall a score of 84 which makes it worth going back to.