Next Door–A Neighborhood Bistro

Have you been to Next Door in Mt. Pleasant yet? I hope you say yes, and if not, you should say you’re going very soon! Last week I connected with the social media reps behind Next Door who graciously invited me in for a dinner review. I had been to Next Door twice for pizza and wine – their fig and and goat cheese pizza is amazing – but never for an actual dinner. On Friday, Amanda and I started our weekend with a phenomenal meal.

In the space that Samos once was, Ben Berryhill and his partner from Red Drum opened up Next Door late last Summer. The restaurant is very open and inviting, but with low lighting that gives it somewhat romantic vibe. Our waitress epitomized what I look for in a perfect server. She was friendly, attentive, very patient, and offered her opinion of the menu items with emotion. When asking her thoughts on specific items, she spoke of them as if recalling fond memories, and not just repeating what we had read on the menu. 

While glancing over the menu, Amanda and I each ordered a glass of wine – Malbec for her and a Cabernet/Merlot blend for me. I’ve had several different wines here and they are all fabulous. Each glass is only $6, which I love; you don’t consider the price when choosing and your decision is more focused on a varietal you’ll enjoy. 

Chef Ben Berryhill suggested we start with a summery appetizer: Chilled Cucumber Melon Soup with Dill Cream and Radish. This cool soup was refreshing and silky smooth from the dill cream. Amanda and I thought the baby spoons were the cutest thing!

I immediately knew I wanted to try the Arancini with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, and Braised Beef. I first discovered arancini in Rome and fell in love with the fried balls of rice, cheese, and meat. Next Door’s version is just as delicious – they were warm, crispy, and cheese poured out with each bite. The tomato sauce on the side was sweet and rich – a nice addition to the salty arancini.

The chef also suggested we try a new menu item that was very similar to the only entrée I tried at Samos: Shrimp Saganaki, Heirloom Tomatoes, Feta, Lemon. We loved this!

Next, we moved onto pasta. The Raviolo with House Ricotta, Prosciutto, Farm egg, and Sage is the largest piece of pasta I’ve ever seen. It took up the entire plate! The very delicate raviolo was filled with the perfect amount of ricotta and prosciutto and sat in a rich, buttery sauce.

Finally, it was time to try some main courses. First was the Wild Sockeye Salmon with Corn, Bacon, Charred Okra, Mushrooms, and Heirloom Tomatoes. The salmon was extremely moist and the corn and okra it sat upon gave the entrée a nice crunch.

Amanda had the Scamp Grouper with Jasmine Rice Pilaf, Peas, Asparagus, and a Fine Herb Vin. Her grouper, cooked perfectly, was buttery and sweet.

Don’t ask me how we made room for dessert and coffee, but we did. See, we’re still smiling.

Smiling about this! Dessert was an Almond Tart with Blueberry Compote and candied Almonds.

We were just as excited when our server brought out French press coffee. Silly excited.

Cheers! It was so good, we both drank our entire press full of coffee . No wonder why we were so bouncy the rest of the evening. French press coffee from Next Door + Trio could make for a very interesting evening.

Next time you’re in Mt. Pleasant, be sure to check out Next Door! It’s a fabulous place with incredible food. Don’t forget to check out their dinner menu beforehand!

Connect with them on:

• facebook
• twitter
• open table
• instagram – @nextdoormp

**Thank you to Jennifer, Chef Ben, Chef Nathan, Lauren, and the rest of the team! It was a pleasure meeting you all and we can’t wait to see you soon!**

Goat Cheese and Turkey Lasagna Infused with Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Things I crave:

• Italian food/men
• Pasta
• Tomato sauce -- why is this??
• Cheese

 Things I need:

• Lean proteins
• Carbs
• Veggies

What to make, what to make? How about Lasagna! I put my body's wants and needs together and created a fabulous recipe. I love this lasagna recipe for several reasons. Ingredients include:

• two lower-calorie cheeses (fat free ricotta and goat cheese)
• lots of lean protein from using extra lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 the amount of pasta used in a typical lasagna recipe
• colorful veggies with lots of fiber and vitamins

Goat Cheese and Turkey Lasagna Infused with Fig Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

1 1/3 lbs of extra lean ground turkey breast

2 medium zucchini, sliced

2 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 32 oz container of fat free ricotta (I used Sorrento)

5 oz goat cheese, separated (I used Whole Foods' 365 brand)

2 jars of tomato sauce (I used 1 Classico Four Cheese and 1 Classico Roasted Garlic)

1/2 box of Barilla oven ready lasagna (8 pieces)

2 large eggs

1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper

fig balsamic vinegar

fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Spray a large pan with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey breast and cook thoroughly. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add zucchini, squash, crushed red pepper, and 1-2 tbsp of fig balsamic vinegar to the pan. Cook until veggies have softened. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 4 oz goat cheese, eggs, and a few fresh basil leaves. Mix until smooth. Eat some.

4. Preheat oven to 375*. Begin lasagna assembly: In a 9x13 glass baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Place 4 pieces of lasagna over the sauce. Top the pasta with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Lay 1/2 of the veggies on top of the cheese. Add 1/2 of the turkey meat. Toss 2 tbsp of fig balsamic onto the meat. Repeat with 1 1/2 cups of sauce, remaining 4 pieces of lasagna, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, remaining 1/2 of the veggies, remaining 1/2 of the meat, and 2 more tbsp of fig balsamic. Finish off the lasagna with the remaining sauce, remaining 1/3 cheese mixture, and crumble the remaining 1 oz of goat cheese on top. 

5. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Let lasagna stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 8 servings.

Here are some pictures of the assembly. Adding the cheese was a lot of fun...

 

...and messy, how I like it:

Topping it with veggies, anal-retentive style:

CHEESE!! 

 

 Perfectly browned after baking:

This is what it looks like when you let a man photograph you while he makes wonky faces:

This is what it looks like when you whine to him that all your readers don't want to see your fugly face and flinstone feet. Much better!

Notes about the recipe:

• The fig balsamic is what makes this recipe special. It adds a burst of sweetness that compliments the tangy goat cheese and sweet ricotta. Add extra crushed red pepper for spice.
• Because you are using half the amount of pasta, you're saving on carbs and your meal contains more of the protein and vegetables. Score!
• Use any veggies you like - make it colorful!
• This lasagna is more ooey gooey than structured. Forget all that layering you worked so hard on and just plop it on the plate!

My serving looked like the most delicious collapsed lasagna ever:

Nutritional Information for 1/8th lasagna:

Here are two similar recipes I have made:

• Cheesy Ground Turkey & Vegetable Pasta
• Lasagna Soup

I'm sure you all were wondering how my Saturday night drinking went. I drank 1 Sapporo at the restaurant and 1 1/2 glasses of wine at home. Then this happened. I now have the tolerance of a teenager. YEAH!

Ok, that picture is fake. I posed. I mean really, do you think I sleep with 2 laptops, a glass of wine, and my Blackberry?