a bean counter's food blog
It’s cookout season–and any excuse to celebrate gets my vote! Brats are the perfect backyard barbecue food; they’re easy to cook and super simple to customize, just by switching up your relish and toppings.
I spent the morning hanging out with WBTV talking Bratsgiving! Check out the video below!
Without further ado, here are three brat relish recipes inspired by some of my favorite foods: banh mi, bruschetta, and guacamole!
Ahhhh it’s that time of year again. Charlotte Restaurant Week. Twice a year here in Charlotte, over 120 restaurants offer prix fixe dinner menus to the masses. Queen’s Feast, as we call it, actually runs TEN DAYS, and it can be an awesome but overwhelming experience. Don’t ye fret! I’ve got some tips for planning your best Queen’s Feast yet!
This post (and my Best Charlotte Restaurants Post) were written in collaboration with the #DesignCharlotte campaign, a cool program (details below) encouraging Charlotteans to share their favorite things in the Queen City. Of course my favorite thing is FOOD. Set let’s get to those Charlotte Restaurant Week tips!
First things first, we need to set some goals. What is it you’re hoping to get out of restaurant week? An incredible deal? An incredible meal? Those two don’t always go hand in hand. So, dig down deep inside and ask yourself the tough questions. Are we pinching pennies or living large this time around?
If you caught my last recipe post, you already know I’ve been tricking myself to eat fish by throwing it in a taco and adding excessive toppings, like a parent hiding veggies in their kid’s mac and cheese. It’s sad but true. Of course, grilling fish makes it a little more palatable, plus nothing beats grilling in the summer (even if it is fish…). Fresh. Fast. Flavorful. And so darn pretty.
Charlotte is one part small town, one part big city. The people here are friendly and the pace of life is slow, but don’t let us fool you. Charlotte is booming. Everywhere you look, new things are being built. Apartments, hotels, breweries, parks, restaurants. YES, lots and lots of restaurants.
Several times a week, an email from a stranger will pop up in my inbox asking for a list of the best Charlotte restaurants. I’ve been here over four years now, and have dined at MANY of the restaurants in the city, so these types of emails usually result in a list of two dozen recommendations I’m hoping the stranger can cram into a two-day stay, accompanied by instructions to pack their eatin’ pants.
As part of the #DesignCharlotte campaign (details below!), and for the fun of list making, I went back through those old emails and compiled a list of the restaurants and dishes that I recommend time and time again. A foodie’s guide to Charlotte, if you will. I anticipate this list will continue to grow and expand with time. Did I miss your favorite? Leave a comment below!
Where: “Uptown” is Charlotte’s downtown area. It’s the hub of the city and the point of reference for all other neighborhoods. Uptown is divided into four wards, the center of which is the intersection of Trade Street and Tryon Street.
What: Lots of banks and bankers, plus the Epicentre, all the sports (Charlotte Panthers, Charlotte Knights, Charlotte Hornets), theaters, and Romare Bearden Park.
Things to Eat:
What: One of my favorite areas to hang out on a weekend night. Super walkable. Funky, gritty charm.
Where: 2 miles east of Uptown, north of Elizabeth.
Things to Eat:
I’ve been trying to learn to like fish ever since my dad brought home walleye cheeks that first time, fresh from Lake Erie, and my sisters oohed and aahed over how delicious they were. I wanted in. I desperately wanted to like fish. Every bite though… just left something lacking. It’s the texture that gets me, I think. And the fishy taste. So basically, I dislike every aspect of fish. Except, of course, for the fact that it’s good for you. So, in an effort to trick myself into liking fish, I’ve been making fish tacos all the time. They’re super simple to throw together, and if you add enough toppings, you can’t even taste the fish. I’ll consider that a WIN.
