Duckworth Grill and Taphouse Huntersville NC

When I was choosing my hotel for our third night I wanted a Country Inn and Suites near Mooresville. I checked out the area around the one in Huntersville and saw that there were several restaurants that were within walking distance. Duckworth Grill and Taphouse was one of them. 

We stopped in at about 5 p.m. and it was quiet. We were seated in a booth and within no time at all Tiffany, our waitress had brought us our drink and our appetizer Home Style Chips. They were delicious served with Ranch, Blue Cheese dressing with crumbles & green onions. It reminded me of the Maytag chips at JGilbert. The potato chips were fresh and crispy and held up well to all the toppings. The richness would be a lot for one person to handle but for two it was perfect. 

Al ordered a half a rack of St Louis style BBQ ribs served with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. The meat just fell off the bones and the sauce had the perfect amount of sweetness. 

I ordered the Asian chicken salad. It had mandarin oranges which I always love and delicious sesame dressing. It was a generous serving. 

Both of our meals were terrific and our drinks were kept full and when we left, we had a full to-go cup with us, Tiffany took good care of us. Additionally, the manager stopped by twice to make sure everything was perfect, and it was. 

The food and service were way above average and I would love to eat here again. The menu is large and varied, you will find something you'll love. 

Unique Fillings for Tacos

Guest Blog From My Friend Leigh

Tacos are a fun and versatile meal. You can easily get most, if not all, of the main food groups into one serving. Traditionally, the most popular version of tacos are filled with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, however, it is not uncommon to hear of ground turkey, chicken, or fish tacos as well. 

Tacos can go into either a hard or softshell. Theoretically, you can fill the hard taco shell or a soft flat-bread version with anything you want, even going for the unusual. In the mood for tacos, but want to try something a little different? Here are several things I've tried, along with one that is on my list of things to try. 

Unusual Filling Ideas for Tacos

Tofu, Cheese and Beans

Not in the mood for meat, but want to get a good dose of protein? Try sauteing some diced tofu with a bit of onion and garlic to make tofu and bean tacos. Firm or extra-firm tofu will work best and any seasoning you sprinkle on the mixture will absorb nicely. Once you cook the tofu to the desired consistency, add your favorite canned beans to the mix and heat thoroughly (you can use dried beans too, but keep in mind this needs extra planning to soak and cook the beans). Top your tofu and bean taco with shredded cheddar, or other preferred cheese, if you want that oh-so-good gooey taste.

Egg and Mushroom 

Sauteed mushroom tacos are another excellent option. You can toss in with your favorite soft cheese for a unique taste. I like to sometimes toss some eggs and fresh spinach in there too. Or, if I'm really in the mood for something different, I'll spread some goat cheese flavored with chives (or other flavors) on the tortilla before adding my filling. 

Chickpea Tacos

Chickpea tacos are another great meat alternative, suggests the Vegetarian Times. The options are many when it comes to chickpeas. You can have chickpeas and rice, chickpeas and corn salsa, or even chickpeas and potatoes (or sweet potatoes for an even more unique taste). Blend with cumin and some chili powder, or experiment with your own flavors. This is the one I want to experiment with.

Pizza-Flavored Tacos

For a kid-friendly option, try building pizza tacos. Substitute the salsa and/or taco mix with a bit of tomato sauce. Simmer in ground beef, turkey, sausage or whatever suits your fancy. Top off your filled shell with your favorite pizza toppings and don't forget the cheese. Or, if the kids are fixated on chicken fingers, try expanding their taste buds a bit by chopping up the chicken fingers and topping with some sauce. 

Breakfast Tacos

Tacos aren't just for breakfast anymore. Mix and match your favorite breakfast foods and toss them into a soft taco. Dice up tofu and veggies mixed with egg (add some ricotta cheese for a creamier flavor) or go more "traditional" with scrambled eggs and bacon (or sausage).

Mix it Up!

One of the best things about tacos is that you can get truly creative with the fillings, as the options are limitless. You can combine a blend of flavors to satisfy any craving. Try barbecued pork with yellow corn and beans sprinkled on top. Or perhaps a bit of stewed or breaded eggplant, topped with mozzarella and sliced black olives. I like to bake up cubes of eggplant in olive oil until crispy and simply mix with cheese. 

Another easy and unique way to prepare an unusual taco is to use leftovers from the night before or whatever you find in your fridge. The sky's the limit! The possibilities are many, unusual filling ideas for tacos can work any way you want. Anything that goes with tacos is a staple in my house. 

Recommended product: Trader Jose's Organic Taco Shells 

Thanks, Leigh for these great suggestions. I personally love tacos but rarely make them at home. But I do love a good lobster taco !!

Why College students love pizza

When teens go off to college, many parents worry about what exactly their child will be eating. The college experience involves much more beyond studying and friends, there is food. Most college students will eat lots of pizza in their four years on campus. College students love pizza for many reasons.

Easy to find

College students and pizza, it’s a no-brainer. Restaurant owners know that this is a great captive clientele and every college in the country can boast a wide selection of pizza restaurants on just about every corner near the campus. Ease of access is a big plus to college students. The convenience of having a restaurant close to campus will make it attractive to students.

Cost

For most college students a tight budget is a way of life and let’s face it, pizza is cheap. For price-conscious students, coupons can bring the cost down even more.

Delivery

Pizza restaurants often offer delivery. As parents, we hope our students are busy studying and will have food delivered so that they don’t have to stop. Now for a reality check, they are young and the stress is high and they may be just lying in bed chilling and dreaming of a hot and delicious pizza. 

Frozen Pizza

Most dorm rooms have access to a freezer and frozen pizza has come a long way. They have great toppings and lots of variety and it is quick and easy to just pop one in a toaster oven or microwave and have a hot and delicious meal in just minutes.

Share with friends

Chances are, you are not going to eat an entire pizza by yourself. Ask one of your dorm mates if they want to chip in and that will save lots of leftovers and cut the cost.

Finger food

You can eat pizza with your hands. You don’t need to dirty up any plates or silverware and that makes clean-up quick and easy. Things in a college dorm can get really messy really quickly. Keeping the mess at a minimum is always a good thing.

Get what you want

No matter what you like on your slice, you can have it. Like cheese, cheese and more cheese? You can have it. Hawaiian, meat lovers, veggie lovers, thick crust, thin crust or stuffed crust, variety is the name of the game when it comes to pizza.

Leftovers

Who hasn’t had a slice of cold pizza for breakfast? It is the real breakfast of champions. Pizza is one food that gets better as it ages, well not for weeks, but certainly for the day after. The good thing is, you can grab a slice and walk off to class with it in your hand. Eat and run is a good thing.

Good for you

No one is going to say that pizza is a superfood but having said that, with the right toppings it is nourishing and certainly far from the worst thing that you could be eating. As with all foods, moderation is the best policy. Keep the carbs under control and make sure you add veggies or fruit, you don’t want to add the Freshman 15.

When it comes to college students and pizza it is natural. It may not be perfect but it does come pretty close. College students love pizza for a variety of reasons and it is something that is not likely to change anytime soon.

Orange hamburger ala Isabelle

I wasn't quite sure what to call this since it was a spur-of-the-moment creation. What I used:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion
1 orange pepper
2 green peppers
1/4 cup Wildtree Outrageous Orange Sauce
1 Beef Rice a Roni

Cook the Beef Rice a Roni according to package directions. In a separate pan cook hamburger with peppers and onions. I cooked it slowly so that the peppers and onions cook all the way through. Add the sauce to the hamburger and then add in the rice. Combine and enjoy. This was a very cheap meal and easy to prepare. 

A salad would be a nice accompaniment but we ate our's solo and it was delicious. This is going to be a much-loved addition to our normal routine of meals. We had some leftovers and it is even better on a rewarm!!

#cheap meal

#easy meal

Brick City Southern Kitchen and Whiskey Bar Ocala, Fl.

Located directly across from historic Ocala Square in downtown Ocala, Brick City Southern Kitchen is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. The interior is open and welcoming and you can also dine outdoor which people were doing even in January. 

You will notice the bar which dominates an entire wall and the excellent collection of spirits available. Al had a beer and I opted for a half sweet half unsweet tea which tasted as if it was brewed in house. It also came with a huge to-go cup in addition to my glass which allowed me to take the delicious brew home.  

I opted for the BBQ Reuben and amazing concoction of sliced brisket, coleslaw, Jack cheese and thousand island dressing. I had their homemade fries as my side. It was an outstanding sandwich, some of the best brisket I have ever had. I am fussy when it comes to brisket, it has to be moist, and this one was luscious. In all fairness the waitress told me that the juiciness of the brisket depends on who happens to be cooking that day, evidently, I picked a good day!! 

Al went for the St Louis ribs. He was very pleased with his choice. 

We really enjoyed our meal here, our waitress was very friendly and the food was exceptionally good. We often hesitate to stop at the many BBQ places in the area because so often they ended just being okay. Brick City Southern Kitchen was a lot better than that. And the fact that we got free valet parking was a nice perk as well.  

Creative toppings for nachos

Another guest post by my friend Leigh.  Thank you. 

Nachos are a popular favorite for parties, get-togethers, or for an evening meal. Traditional nachos are always good options, but do you ever get tired of the same ingredients? 

Why not go for something a little more unusual or creative? Ways you can add a creative touch or spice up nachos are plentiful. From different meats to vegetables and specific tastes, the sky's the limit when looking to make creative toppings for nachos unique taste for your nacho recipe.

Vary the meat

Typically ground beef or chili is a popular topper, but why not be a little different and try making nachos with a bit of shrimp and fresh-squeezed lime? If seafood isn't appealing, you can also go the BBQ route and use pulled pork or chicken; perhaps a sausage and bell pepper mix, or simply spice it up a bit with some chorizo.

If you're looking to entertain kids, try cutting up chicken nuggets in small bite sizes, place atop the nacho chips, cover with shredded cheese and bake for a few minutes. Serve with their favorite dips, either on top or on the side.

Tofu 

Do you like the taste of traditional meat-topped nachos, but don't want your dish to be focused on meat? Try substituting tofu chili for a variation. Or stir-fry tofu up with some of your favorite veggies.

Go veggie

A variety of vegetables are nicely paired with nacho chips. You can go basic with slices of tomato, grilled zucchini or eggplant, mushrooms or roasted peppers. For toppings try traditional salsa, balsamic vinegar mix or guacamole.

Here's a very unique idea, eggplant caponata.

"You won't often find eggplant served on top of tortilla chips, but they make a hearty, vegetarian topping. And if you're looking for a little complexity of flavor, opt for caponata; it's sweet and vinegary and tastes amazing with melted mozzarella," suggests Kitchen Daily (via Huffington Post).

Pizza nachos

Another kid-friendly idea is pizza nachos. A twist on an old favorite, pizza nachos are made with chips, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and any favorite toppings.

Dessert nachos

Instead of going for salty, try a sweet approach instead. Try unsalted flour tortilla chips sprinkled these with cinnamon and sugar, sour cream or crème fraîche. Top it all off with your favorite sweets such as chocolate chips, coconut flakes, berries or ice cream.

The cool thing about these is the sky's the limit on making creative toppings for nachos. Mix and match some of your favorite flavors and create your own nacho masterpiece.

Tozier Restaurant Bethel VT

First, let me say on a Saturday night, plan to arrive early or you will have a long wait for a seat. My brother Fran knew this and when we arrived at about 4:30 only a few tables were occupied. When we left, there was a waiting line out the door. 

I have to say, I was leery of a seafood restaurant in Vermont. I didn't expect it to be anything special but Fran and Dora love it so I was interested to give it a try. I have to say, I love this restaurant and even though it is a half-hour drive from Rutland, I am sure we will be back. 

I had heard that they had a very good raspberry pie so I wanted to make sure that I had room for a piece. I had a green salad with a maple vinaigrette with lobster salad on the top. Al had the beef tips which were a special of the day. Dora had fried oysters and Fran had fish and chips. The tartar sauce here is tasty with a touch of dill. 

Fran began his meal with an appetizer of mussels and it was a giant serving of very tasty mussels. I tasted one and it was tender and delicious. 

Al gave me his side which was house-made coleslaw and very good slaw it was. I loved my salad, the lobster had celery and just a little mayonnaise, the taste of the lobster came through loud and clear. The dressing was good but to me not quite enough maple taste was evident. 

The tips were a real winner, cooked perfectly and very tender. Al did not leave even a morsel on his plate. It came with potatoes and carrots and the texture of the carrots was perfect.

We all had dessert, I did have the raspberry pie and Al and Dora had something really chocolate and peanut butter and Fran had the maple bread pudding which I tasted and it was excellent. The raspberry pie was even better than I expected. It was served warm with a scoop of ice cream. 

Our entire dinner was excellent and the service was very friendly. I love this place and if we lived nearby I could see us going here every week.