I fell in love at Mellow Mushroom.

This Saturday night the stars aligned.  

I was sent the ultimate gift from the food gods:  a VIP invitation to the pre-opening Friends and Family event at Mellow Mushroom’s newest Charlotte location in Ballantyne!  When presented with such a gift, I do not ask questions.  I do not hesitate.  I just say YES.  YES PLEASE!

Mellow Mushroom has 100+ locally owned and operated locations spanning across 15 states, and if I do say so myself the Ballantyne location is a welcome addition!

Clearly, I wasn’t the only person in town who couldn’t wait to check out the new spot because the place was hoppin!  We had a few minutes to spare, so Jarrod, our friend Sam, and I headed over to the sprawling circular bar at the center of the restaurant.

I sipped on some red wine while taking in the funky mushrooms and the magic carpet themed décor covering every inch of the place.

I loved this smiley guy hanging down from the ceiling!

Once we were seated it was time to get serious.

There were so many things on the menu I wanted to try.  Pizzas, calzones, gourmet salads, meatballs, DESSERT!

Did I mention MEATBALLS????

Fresh gooey mozzarella sandwiched between two succulent meatballs.  Basil, parmesan cheese, and a delicious red sauce rounded out the plate.  Good god I.LOVE.MEATBALLS.

Annnnd this photo is now the background on my laptop… I have problems.

Jarrod couldn’t resist ordering the bruschetta, which included about a pound of delicious feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, and balsamic drizzle perched on chewy toasted bread:

Our third appetizer (um, what you don’t order one appetizer per diner?!) was the giant stuffed portabella.  This dish was stunning.  It was our own little piece of artwork to admire and devour.

The mushroom was stuffed with artichoke hearts, spinach, and sundried tomatoes plus a generous amount of feta cheese and melty mozzarella.

All three appetizers were annihilated within minutes.  We are champions.

Then it was time for the main event!

First up:  a steak and cheese hoagie split three ways:

Juicy grilled steak topped with slivers of sautéed green pepper, onion, mushrooms, and oozing melted mozzarella.  There was also some fresh tomato, lettuce, and bit of mayo squeezed in between the soft chewy bun.

We also had the pleasure of trying the House Special Pizza:

This pie included FIVE meats.  FIVE, people.  FIVE.  Pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, ham, applewood smoked bacon plus slices of tomato, onions, green pepper, mushrooms, and olives (which I picked off, of course).

This pizza was absolutely amazing.  A-MAZ-ING. It makes me heart fill with joy just thinking about it.

Last but not least:  BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA!

The pizza was topped with a generous swirl of blue cheese dressing and delectable caramelized onions.

Three entrées, one plate:

Two delighted diners:

(photo from SnapWerx)

I have been on the hunt for the best pizza in Charlotte since I moved here 8 months ago.  I’ve searched high and low, north and south, uptown and outskirts… and guys, I have to say after 8 months searching I finally found “the one”.  I fell in love.  Complete utter love with their deliciously chewy oh-so-buttery and slightly garlicky crust.  It was PERFECTION.

By the time we left Mellow Mushroom, I was in a blissful food coma.  I’m going to have sweet dreams of this meal for MONTHS.

A HUGE thank you to the Ballantyne Mellow Mushroom for opening their doors to hundreds of eager foodies.  Each item we ordered exceeded our expectations.  High-quality incredibly tasty food and attentive friendly servers lands Mellow Mushroom a place on my all-time favorite restaurants list.  I can’t wait to go back and devour more of that pizza crust and sample the dessert menu!

Mellow Mushroom provided us with food and drink free of charge.  Other than the delicious meal, I was not paid for this review.  This blog post and comments within are based on my unbiased honest opinions.