Fervent Foodie

Vino and carbo loading {the week in food}

January 28, 2013 2 Comments

If it weren’t for the random snapshots of food in my phone, I’d have no proof at all that a whole week slipped right through my fingers. Of course by food I mean large amounts of wine and assorted carbohydrates. And some chocolate, here or there*.

* here or there = everywhere

After last week’s flop (in which I was served a dish I didn’t order and left to eat it anyway), I was a little hesitant to plop down thirty big ones on another restaurant week dinner. But the girls at work convinced me to join them at Pisces for some Asian cuisine. There was a lot of sushi to choose from, but in an effort to meet my daily stress-induced carb quota, I opted for the shrimp and garlic noodles and some pork potstickers (that oddly reminded me of mini Mrs. T’s pierogies, and yes, that IS a good thing).

The $30 menu was a great deal, considering it came with a glass of wine and THIS chocolate cake…

What I ate

Is this what I ordered?! {the week in food}

January 21, 2013 4 Comments

A really bizarre thing happened the other night. I was out to eat with friends at a new-to-me Italian restaurant here in Charlotte. I’d suggested the restaurant solely because I wanted eat their bucatini with grilled shrimp, pancetta, and tomato sauce on the Queen’s Feast restaurant week menu. And if that’s not reason enough to force three of your comrades to dine at a restaurant, I don’t know what is. When the waiter took our order, I pointed at the menu and said “I’d like the Shrimp Romana, please.” Thirty or so minutes later, I was presented with a shrimp pasta dish, though this one had penne (not my beloved bucatini) and a white wine sauce. I was so caught off guard, that I flagged down the waiter and asked if the dish was what I ordered. He hastily assured me it was. And I, somewhat embarrassed and not wanting to cause a scene, ordered another glass of wine and tried to hide my disappointment. What the heck, Mary?! I had never EVER ordered something wrong like this! I was befuddled and sort of sour at the whole situation.

Restaurants

Napa on Providence–Charlotte, NC {restaurant review}

January 16, 2013 1 Comment

I’ve never been to Napa Valley, but I’ve dreamed of the gorgeous hillsides, world-class vineyards, and earthy, sophisticated cuisine. In my mind, Napa is the epitome of relaxing destinations—a place to unwind and let your mind linger on the food and the local wine (and not much more).

Here in barbecucentric Charlotte, California cuisine is practically nonexistent. That is, until Napa on Providence opened in November 2012, taking over the space that Providence Café occupied for twenty plus years, and infusing the Charlotte food scene with a little spice of the northern California countryside. The vibe inside the remodeled restaurant is polished, warm, and inviting with a large bar area plus an attractive patio.

As the name suggests, Napa on Providence specializes in Californian cuisine, the root of which is fresh ingredients, simply prepared. Napa takes this tenet seriously–all dishes are made to order, from the sauce for the macaroni and cheese to the outstanding white beans with house-made sausage, which taste like they’ve simmered together for hours.

Everything is thoughtfully executed, all the way down to the drinking water they distill in-house and the hammered copper drinking glasses they serve it in. Even the house bread is special. The rolls are handmade by a retired Navy baker. They are dense and chewy and served in recycled cork baskets along with pomegranate honey butter. Once in season, the pomegranates will be harvested from a hundred year old tree at the foot of Napa’s patio.

Dinner at Napa starts with small plates, and sharing is encouraged. The food arrives at the table in rustic cast iron skillets perched upon stark white dishes, and each selection is beautifully composed. The small plate offerings include charcuterie, both grilled and raw oysters, and several salads. The meatballs are my personal favorite. Made from a mix of beef and pork, they are studded with small chunks of carrot, stuffed with house-made mozzarella, and served perched upon polenta cakes with homemade tomato pomodoro sauce.

Recipes, What I ate

An easy dinner: Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin & Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

January 10, 2013 7 Comments

The beginning of the year is a stressful time for us accountants. There’s year-end close and year-end audits plus T-A-X season. Spelling it out makes it sound a little less dreary, right? With all the extra hours clocked at the office, the only recipes I’ll consider right now are ones that take the littlest, teensiest amount of hands-on time possible.

Two of my favorite simple recipes are Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts. The oven does all the work for both recipes, and the hands-on time is pretty minimal. Ever since we made these wickedly addicting sprouts a few months back, they’ve become a Sunday night ritual. A pound of them split two ways is barely enough. There’s talk of making a pound a piece from here on out.

As for the pork, the sweet chili flavor combo comes via a simple brown sugar and chili powder spice rub, and the high temperature and relatively quick cooking time keeps the meat moist.

If you’re lucky enough to have any pork leftover, it makes for one mean sandwich!

Sweet Chili Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

1 pork tenderloin (approx 1.25lbs)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp brown sugar
extra virgin olive oil

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil, and coat with cooking spray. Remove excess fat, if any, from the tenderloin. Combine all remaining ingredients (except olive oil) in a large Ziploc bag or large container with lid. Add the tenderloin to the container, seal, and shake to evenly distribute the spice rub. Lay the tenderloin onto the cookie sheet, lightly drizzle with olive oil.

STEP TWO: Cook the tenderloin for 15-20 minutes, flipping the meat half way through, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Set the meat aside to rest before cutting.

Note: if you are serving this pork with the sprouts, tent the meat with foil at this point and proceed to the Roasted Parmesan Brussels Sprouts recipe. Serve with carb of choice.

Restaurants

Restaurant Review Roundup: Nova*s, Midwood Smokehouse, Pewter Rose {Charlotte, NC}

January 7, 2013 6 Comments

Welcome to another installment of Fervent Foodie Flash Reviews! These reviews are my frills-free thoughts on restaurants I’ve recently visited. Quick and to the point–just what you need when you’re starving like Marvin, girl.

NOVA*S BAKERY COFFEE SHOP – Nova’s Bakery has been supplying Charlotte with baked goods since 1996, and a few months ago Nova’s expanded their operations to include Nova’s Bakery Coffee Shop in South End. The 24-7 bakery and coffee shop serves hand crafted coffee and espresso beverages and baked goods straight from their mother location in Plaza Midwood. They have a wide variety of fresh baked breads on hand, including sour dough, focaccia, and olive bread, plus bagels, muffins, and scones. The coffee shop also offers an extensive selection of sweets, including cookies, cakes by the slice, and filled-to-order cannoli. I can personally vouch for the walnut brownies, which taste especially good when warmed up at home and topped with hot fudge and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just sayin. While the coffee shop is small, there are a handful of tables and ample workstation seating with plugs and free wifi. For a real steal, check out the half-priced day-old baked goods rack. Nova’s is a fantastic addition to South End, but there is one negative. Even with all the delicious fresh bread they have stocked, they don’t serve sandwiches. Did I mention they’re open 24 hours a day?

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