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America’s Barbecue Battle: An Eater’s Guide

June 28, 2013 No Comments

Fervent Foodie is a contributing writer for the official Urbanspoon blog.

Make no bones about it: Americans are passionate about their barbecue. Much like grandma’s potato salad and dad’s lasagna, regional barbecue triggers feelings of nostalgia and deep-rooted hometown pride. The word barbecue here is used as a noun, not a verb. It’s not a casual backyard get-together or hot dogs and hamburgers grilled in the driveway over a propane flame. Barbecue in this context is meat cooked low and slow, usually over wood chips, in hand-built smokers and converted oil drums, till it’s fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth tender.

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Dining with dad: how to get your pops to chat

May 24, 2013 No Comments

Fervent Foodie is a contributing writer for the official Urbanspoon blog.

The thought of partaking in a lengthy conversation is enough to make most dads grimace. It doesn’t mean dads don’t care; talking just doesn’t come as naturally to them as, say, changing your car’s oil or scaring the crap out of your new boyfriend. Deep down, dads are softies when it comes to their kids, despite the stone faces and frequent radio silence.

This Father’s Day, find your dad’s inner Chatty Charles with one of these one-size-fits-most conversation topics.

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Speaking of dads, if you’re looking for a sweet treat for Father’s Day I have the perfect gift idea. I recently sampled a box of sweets from Heidi’s Heavenly Cookies. These are hands-down the best cookies I’ve ever received in the mail, and honestly better than most I’ve had fresh from bakeries. Don’t get me wrong–I’m an avid cookie consumer, but few get an audible “WOW” on the first bite like Heidi’s do. The cookies are preservative-free, and you can store them in the freezer and enjoy them cookie-by-cookie for weeks to come. My two favorites had similar flavor profiles: the toffee chocolate chip (chocolate chip cookies topped with a layer of crunchy gourmet English toffee candy) and sea salt caramel bars (luscious caramel and Mediterranean Sea salt). As an added bonus, the cookies come in adorable little gift boxes. So, order some for your dad and for yourself (and for a certain blogger whose birthday is in July 😉 ).

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Restaurant Trend: Healthy Eating

May 9, 2013 No Comments

Fervent Foodie is a contributing writer for the official Urbanspoon blog.

With spring in the air and bathing suits on the brain, healthy eating is getting lots of attention these days. It seems each year more and more diet fads appear, and while many people find these fads a bit extreme (Cabbage Soup Diet, really?), few can argue the benefits of swapping a day or two of healthier eating into their weekly eating regimen.

Feeling a little confused on the different healthy eating trends? Get the skinny on raw eating, juicing, the macrobiotic diet, and Paleo over on the Urbanspoon blog.

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It’s All About the “O”

April 26, 2013 6 Comments

Fervent Foodie is a contributing writer for the official Urbanspoon blog.

I have eaten both macaroons and macarons in my day, and though I’ve ordered both as maca-two-o’s-oons (despite their obvious disparities) not once has a server indicated that I was pronouncing the dainty dessert incorrectly. In fact, I believe they too pronounced the name wrong. Both of these similarly named confections start with meringue: egg whites and sugar whipped to glossy stiffness. That’s where the cookies reach the fork in the road, or the spatula in the peaks, if you will: the difference lies in the execution.

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***Plus, you can find links to all of my articles on Urbanspoon here***

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Farm-to-face: eating locally when dining out

April 10, 2013 2 Comments

Fervent Foodie is a contributing writer for the official Urbanspoon blog.

If you’ve ever bitten into a tomato in midwinter and wondered how the mushy, lackluster mass was expected to pass for the vibrant, acidic burst a ripe tomato gives, you’ll understand one of the major perks of farm-to-table sourcing: seasonality. While some diners expect restaurants to offer leafy green salads adorned with thick tomato wedges regardless of the season, there’s a growing movement focused on eating seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients.

Not only does this farm-to-table approach ensure the snozzberries taste like snozzberries, it also keeps more of your hard-earned money in your town, cuts down on transportation time and costs, click to continue reading…

Check out the list of Charlotte’s farm-to-table restaurants!

If a restaurant is missing, let me know and I will add it!

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