Restaurant Review: Uno Más

Last week when I was at the Mustard Seed for dinner, the owner, Sal Parco, asked if I’d like to review one of his other restaurant’s new menu. Of course I was happy to oblige!

Monday night, Matt and I met Sal at Uno Más, the Dine With Sal Restaurant Group’s Mexican-themed restaurant. Uno Más’s menu contains some traditional Mexican items and other South of the Border dishes with a twist. Like all of the Dine With Sal restaurants, the menu relies heavily on fresh, local ingredients. Another positive aspect of Uno Más’ menu that differs from your average Mexican restaurant is the addition of lighter options, including several salads and vegetarian items.

In my opinion, one of the most important things a good Mexican restaurant must have is good guacamole. Good guacamole must use fresh avocadoes, not be over salted, and be a bit chunky, with a hint of lime juice. This guacamole epitomizes my perfect recipe. It is hands down the best guacamole I’ve had. I could have easily eaten it work a fork. Matt agreed that it was also the best he’s had. The portion, served in an authentic Mexican mortar is huge, to boot!

We also had a side of Queso fundido: Chihuahua cheese, fire-roasted peppers, and onion, served with tortillas. This was incredibly rich and creamy.

A lighter appetizer option is the Uno Más Salad – avocado, tomatoes, red onion, fresh cilantro, lime, and sea salt. Again, the avocado was very fresh, as was the sliced tomato. I’d be happy with this as a meal!

One of my favorite items on the menu is the Grilled Shrimp Quesadilla with cilantro pesto, arugula, cheese, tomato, and avocado. I loved the arugula on top – there’s a nice twist! The shrimp, which were seared perfectly, were delicious. Qué sabor!

The next entrée we sampled was a new addition to the menu. Here are the Carnitas: slow-roasted pork, cilantro, and onions served on corn tortillas with guacamole, tomato salsa, and salsa verde.

My favorite entrée of the evening was the Spicy Coconut Shrimp: red onions, tomatoes, cilantro, chilies, an shrimp, simmered in a coconut milk over a crispy cheese grit cake. I thought the grit cake gave this dish a bit of Southern flair. We Southerners love our grits!

Don’t think for a second that we didn’t take advantage of the excellent happy hour specials. What else would we wash all this food down with? The Happy Hour menu features $4 appetizer specials—your choice of  guacamole, queso fundido, nachos, or veggie taquitos. The drink specials are bottles of beer for $2 and margaritas for $3-6 depending on the liquor.

We decided to try two cocktails. Shown below are the Cactus Pear: cactus juice, fresh lime juice, and a house made citrus blend and the Mojito Anejo: Bacardi 8 year, fresh mint, and soda. Guess who ordered the pink drink?

Matt did! How pretty is this cocktail?

I, on the other hand, ordered the less frilly, but still delicious Mojito. Rest assured that the lethargic look on my face was due to intoxication by delicious food, not the beverage. Please also be amazed by the fact that there are no stains on my white shirt! I made it through the entire meal without spilling on myself. This is quite an achievement.

Our very helpful and attentive server insisted that we not leave without trying dessert. Per her recommendation, we tried the Churros topped with whipped cream and dulce de leche. Um, yum. They were very crispy and sugary! And cinnamon all over? Of course I loved it.

And because my heart flutters when I see a dessert with bananas, I had to try the Banana Walnut Torte with crispy tortillas, whipped cream, and honey. I immediately dug out all of the banana slices – you can’t see them, but there were a bunch in there!

If you are still reading (thank you!), I insist you give Uno Más a try. I suggest you skip on over after work for Happy Hour. The food and drink specials will take all your workday stresses away. And for your vegetarians out there, be sure to check out the Vegetable Quesadilla or the Spinach & Mushroom Enchiladas.

Thanks for having us, Sal! Big thank you to our server and manager as well! You guys were awesome.

Moroccan Spicy Shrimp & Grits

You’d think after living here for 14 years I would have made shrimp & grits several times by now. I did tonight, though, with a Moroccan twist, using this Serious Eats recipe.

Moroccan Spicy Shrimp
From Hank Shaw

Ingredients

• 1 lb. large, peeled deveined shrimp
• 3 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 tbsp.ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. cayenne (less if you want it milder)
• Salt
• Juice of a lemon

Directions

1. Salt the shrimp well and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic. Turn the heat down to medium and sauté the garlic for 1-3 minutes — don't let it burn.
3. Add all the ground spices and stir well to combine. Cook this, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
4. Turn the heat up to high and add the shrimp. Stir to combine and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn pink. This shouldn't take more than 4-5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve at once.  Serves 4-6.

While I quickly cooked up some of these…

…I made a bowl of grits with diced tomatoes, onion, and garlic. All the different spices in this dish give such a simple recipe so much flavor. The whole thing took less than 20 minutes to make and would have taken even less time had I not dropped the shrimp twice, knocked over a bag of grits, and let 3 cloves of garlic burn. Clearly, I was trying to work too fast.

Speaking of speed, I have been highly irritated by all things slow today.

• slow laptop
• too many slow drivers on the way home
• too many slow people walking around the gym
• a slow woman who felt it was safe to walk in the middle of the parking lot

It’s not that I’m impatient, really. I just know that when I want something, I am on a mission and I don’t like things blocking my way. I’m like Hurricane Xtina and everyone around me needs to get on their evacuation route.But on the other hand, I absolutely cannot stand the feeling of being rushed. Does this make any sense? 

In blogger news, I met two readers this weekend! On Friday night, Jessica approached me at Trio wearing a blue wig! She was at a Bachelorette party and everyone was wearing different colored wigs. On Saturday night, I met Mo, who I didn’t know was a reader. That made me super happy. Thanks to both of you for saying hello! That’s just one of the many reasons I keep blogging. And yes, I have been absent for a few days because I needed some time to focus on other things like work and friends. Sometimes you just have to check yourself before you wreck yourself.  

What is your #1 favorite thing about blogging?

Do you ever feel the need to take breaks from blogging? What helps you regain focus?

SEWE, Granville’s, and Photo Day #7

Photo Day #7: A picture of your most treasured item: When I was 6 years old, the day before we left for Disney World, Grammy surprised both my brother and me with stuffed animals. She gave me the Gund Muttsy dog, shown here.

Twenty years later, here is that same dog that I (so originally) named “Puppy.” This dog has been through it all: vacations, malls, suitcases, purses, you name it. It has lost its nose and the top of its head was badly burned on a lamp near my bed. Here is a pic of how I found him one day that my exbf made my bed. Hilarious.Did you guys have a stuffed animal that you clung to growing up? Do you still have it? Laura, I know you do!

Last Sunday, Matt took me to brunch at Granville’s, one of his favorite Charleston restaurants.

Located downtown at 730 Rutledge, this unassuming restaurant is gorgeous inside. Apparently it had been closed for a while for renovations and Matt was very happy they were back in business. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pictures of the inside, but trust me when I say that the décor and ambience were just as awesome as the food.

We were pleasantly greeted by our server, Shea, who was very friendly and accommodating. The brunch menu is very reasonably priced, with dishes ranging from $8-$12. We started the morning off just how Matt and I like it, with alcohol. We got grapefruit mimosas which are so much better than orange juice because they aren’t as sweet. To eat, I ordered the omelet of the day with prosciutto, Fontina cheese, and grilled onions with a side of grits.Matt got a huge portion of the Shrimp & Grits which were delicious. I’m not even kidding when I say that these were best grits I have ever had – and I’m talking about my plain ones too. They were just the perfect thick and creamy texture. I probably told Matt three different times that I couldn't wait to come back to which he responded, “I told you.”

A couple mimosas later, we were ready to frolic around SEWE, aka Redneck Paradise. For those of you not from Charleston, the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition is the largest wildlife/nature exhibition in the nation. This just means there are a lot of random animals and guns.Matt likes to take my camera and embarrass me in public, acting like he is a paparazzo. I tell him to stop, he clicks more, and I almost pee my pants laughing. Every single time.Towards the end of the exhibit, we found a giant blow up slide. Matt says we need it for the backyard.And because he always gets to embarrass me, it’s my turn. Look at this face! Hahah I love him!

What are you up to this weekend? I am hanging out with my brother all day, and tonight I am watching Rick’s children. THREE CHILDREN. Two little boys and a newborn baby girl. I’m actually really excited! See you tomorrow!

Out With the Old, In With the New

This morning Nikki and I went to Hominy Grill for brunch. The restaurant, located downtown on Rutledge St., is in a shabby old building dating back to the 1880s. The clapboard walls, tin ceilings and hardwood floors give the former barbershop a very homey, antique feeling. 

The menu has traditional Southern fare, with pancakes, french toast, eggs, buttermilk biscuits, and of course, grits. You may recognize Hominy Grill from Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations when he devoured the "Big Nasty Biscuit": a buttermilk biscuit with fried chicken, cheddar, and sausage gravy.

Aside from the regular menu, the restaurant offers daily specials which are written on chalkboard menus.

If I hadn't just had french toast last weekend, I would have definitely ordered the cinnamon french toast. I instead chose one of their daily specials: black bean, salsa & cheddar omelette with avocado sauce, home fries, and corn bread. 

Hominy Grill has traditional Southern corn bread that is on the drier side with just a hint of sweetness. "Yankee corn bread" is sweeter and more like cake. (Reason #922958725 why I don't mind being called a Yankee. I like my food sweet!) The omelette was pretty good but the avocado sauce kind of freaked me out. I'm 100% sure this was avocado pureed with sour cream. Ick. Here's a picture of the inside:

Nikki had a buttermilk biscuit with egg and cheese and a side of grits.

 

I was in l-o-v-e (ok, maybe lust) with her biscuit. I think I ate more of it than she did. It was so moist and crumbly. We both thought the grits had a great texture but needed salt. Here is a picture of us outside the restaurant, photographed by a stranger who obviously doesn't know the rule of thirds. Our poor hands got chopped!

After brunch we stopped by Dillard's to exchange my beloved Michael Kors watch. I used to own this baby:

Pretty, right? Well, that "gold" you see started wearing off after only 2 months. Not so pretty. I exchanged it for the all silver so I wouldn't look so ghetto-fab.

This watch means serious business. Not only is it about as large as my head, but I could probably clock someone with it....haha GET IT? Oh and did you guys know I was a magician?
Now you see it...

Now you don't! 

I've got tricks.


News in my boudoir: nope, not a man, just new paint & furniture. A couple weeks ago I decided to paint my wall green. Are you at all surprised that I chose a color called Guacamole green?

 A week later, my bed arrived. Reason #298579284 why it's cool to have muscles: you can put beds together! 

I started this project the other night and good heavens it was a chore. So many nuts, bolts, and washers.

My roommate walked in right as I started and pointed out that I was building it upside down. Thank goodness he wanted to help. It took us about 30 minutes to do the frame:

Another 30 minutes later we were done!

Now I'm off to take a nap on my favorite food book. I hope that by some miraculous diffusion process I absorb some of this information. According to Boding, diffusion is "the transfer of particles, specifically ions and nutrients, from one permeable membrane to another permeable membrane." Sure. Let's just hope that diffusion is real so I wake up a better cook. 

OH YES I sleep smiling!! No wine like last time. After my diffusion nap, my friend Kelly and I are going out to dinner where we will hopefully run into 5-10 available men. That should be enough! ;)