Want Good Food? Get It At the Long Point Grill

As I've mentioned in previous reviews on the Mustard Seed here and here and on Village bakery here, it's clear that Sal Parco is one hell of a restaurateur. His culinary empire includes six unique restaurants that span the tri-county area. Taken directly from the Dine with Sal site, descriptions of his restaurants are:

1) Mustard Seed - the freshest ingredients for an eclectic ensemble of dishes

2) Village Bakery - cozy and warm, not just for baked goodness

3) Sette - a quaint escape for authentic Italian

4) Long Point Grill - creative cuisine that speaks volumes in flavor

5) Uno Mas - a decidedly moderate twist to traditional Mexican

6) Boulevard Diner - local favorites served up in classic diner style

I've been to the first three on this list and have always been impressed by their offerings.  With it being Grammy's last night in town before heading bank to Yankeeland, we decided to go out for another family dinner on Wednesday. All kidding aside, I would have suggested we go to Mustard Seed again, but I had just eaten there on Tuesday. (It's true. I went to lunch with a friend and had the most amazing tuna & salmon cakes. Photographing was not an option at this lunch as I didn't want to scare this new friend into thinking I had a food obession or something, because really, who does that? Oh. Me.) Anyway, I mentioned Long Point Grill because I had heard that it was similar to Mustard Seed and I needed to give my taste buds a whirl. The LPG is kid-friendly and had outdoor seating. What's not to love? The fam trekked out to my side of the world (aka Mt. Pleasant) for a lovely outdoor meal. 

Just like his other restaurants, the to-die-for specials were written on the chalkboard that is carried to your table for you to look at while you peruse the menu. The chalkboard is so tricky. You can sit there and read the menu for a whole hour trying to decide what you want, but the chalkboard sits behind you haunting you, whispering "You know you want one of these..." I had chosen a special the last two times I went to Mustard Seed, so I was feeling the need for a classic menu item. After many suggestons from our sweet waitress, I decided on the item that stood out to me the most: Pistachio Crusted Chicken, whipped potatoes, grilled asparagus, sun-dried cherry sauce for $14. As usual, I swapped the whipped potatoes for brown butter sweet potatoes.

The chicken was tasty but the cherry sauce was soooooooo good. It had a deep, rich flavor instead of a sweet, tangy one that I was expecting. I love love love sauce (always want more of it) and this dish had plenty. My sweet potatoes were incredible, as were the slightly crunchy asparagus. 

Grammy must also have obsessive issues, because she ordered crab cakes again! A little different than Mustard Seed's, these were Sourdough-Herb Crusted Crab Cakes, with a southern tartar sauce, whipped potatoes, and grilled asparagus for $18. We were in love with her crab cakes, as they plump with huge chunks of crab meat. 

My family always shares our dishes with each other by putting little samples on the bread plates and passing them around. Auntie Kelly got a chipotle crema ravioli special with shrimp and seared scallops and Uncle Johnny got the short ribs with whipped potatoes and veggies, and the kids got a simple pasta with cheese.We all enjoyed each others' meals -- even the kids'! For dessert, we were extra disgusting and ordered four slices of cake. The photos are less than stellar bc we couldn't keep our hands off of them before I was smooth enough to whip out my camera, but you get the idea...

Coconut cake: 

Strawberry Shortcake Cake:

These monster slices can be found at any of Sal's restaurants and are made at Village Bakery. You can order them too. Oh god, my birthday's coming...I can already smell a carrot cake. We also got a slice of both the Pecan Mocha Torte and the Chocolate Cake.

The Chocolate Cake was devoured by this hungry baby:

Gabrielle and I showed some affection for each other...

...and the chocolate cake.

Sal is my culinary idol. The night we returned from Italy, Brandon and I couldn't think of anything we wanted more than Mustard Seed. Thank the heavens we came home when it was still open because my heart would have exploded into 45 pieces. We ordered it to-go, because let me tell you, a 12 hour flight back really kicked our booties, and I ran in to get it. While I was waiting, Sal was at the bar and I, all star struck and sparkle-eyed, made it a point to say hi. (I'm aggressive like that.) He was really sweet but damn it, he was wearing a ring. So, Sal, if you're out there, I know you're married, but do you have children in their late 20s? That would be fantastic. ;)

Gnu Foods Flavor & Fiber Bar Reviews!

As we all know, I am fiber's #1 fan. I was overjoyed when my new friends from Gnu Foods agreed to let me sample their Flavor & Fiber bars. The company was gracious enough to send me a box of 14 bars: 2 each of their 7 delicious flavors! I was super excited to try these bars for several reasons:

• Each bar has 12 grams of fiber - more than I've seen in any other bar!
• Even with all that fiber, each bar is only 130-140 calories
• They are all natural -- yay for no processed fiber like those stupid gummies I was eating
• They do not contain HFCS or added sugars - they are sweetened with natural fruit juices
• No saturated fat
• They are vegan
• The flavors sound incredible! 

Banana Walnut: 

 

This bar tastes like homemade banana bread. It has a very natural banana flavor. It is both chewy and nutty with real walnuts throughout. This bar would be great warmed up or even better, crumbled over some vanilla fro yo! I thought it was very interesting to see plums as an ingredient in this bar. I rate this bar a 10 out of 10.

Chocolate Brownie:

This bar tastes like a rich, decadent, healthy brownie. A healthy brownie? Yes, please. The richness comes from the dark chocolate chips. This would also be delicious warmed up. I'd be in heaven if they ever decided to add mint to this bar. I give this bar a 9.5 out of 10.

Cinnamon Raisin: 

My absolute favorite flavor! The best bar Gnu Foods makes, hands down. It has a lovely cinnamon flavor and real raisins. It was a perfect mixture of flavors - one flavor didn't overwhelm the other. I really really like this bar. It deserves a 10 out of 10.

Espresso Chip:

This was my least favorite of the flavors. It wasn't bad at all, but espresso flavored foods just aren't for me. Another friend of mine said it was her favorite flavor. This bar gets a 6 out of 10.

Lemon Ginger:

This bar had a light and refreshing lemon taste, but the ginger was too strong. You have to really like ginger to enjoy this bar. At one point while I was eating it, I actually sniffled.  I give this bar a 6 out of 10.

Orange Cranberry:

This flavor was great. It was very refreshing and I could immediately smell the orange flavor as I opened it. While I was eating it, my roommate, sitting a few feet away asked if I was eating an orange flavored bar! Yum. I didn't taste much cranberry flavor, but I love this combination. I give this bar a 9 out of 10.

Peanut Butter:

This was a better than your basic peanut butter bar. The chewiness and light crunch give it that extra oomph that I think it needs to set it apart from other peanut butter flavored bars. This bar would be amazing with some jam smeared on top. I would give this an 8.5 out of 10.

Conclusion:

I highly recommend these bars if you need to get your fiber fix. Although a bit pricey at around $1.99 a bar, they are a great way to get your fiber on without a massive amount of calories. Instead of eating cardboard flavored bars, or adding powders to your water that make you want to yak, pick up a couple Gnu bars and get your digestive system on tract. Haw haw haw. My preferred flavors in order are: 1)Cinnamon Raisin; 2)Banana Walnut; 3)Chocolate Brownie; 4)Orange Cranberry; 5)Peanut Butter; 6)Lemon Ginger; 7)Espresso chip.

Thanks again to Gnu Foods for sending me such a great package! :)

Have you ever tried any of the Gnu bars? Which flavor would you most like to try?

The Spicy Chicken Sandwich Arrives at Chick-Fil-A!

A few months ago I heard that Chick-Fil-A would be releasing a new menu item because I am on the Chick-Fil-A Insiders email list. Earlier last week I signed up for a coupon for a free sandwich at one of their premiere tasting events. The events were held at various locations from May 31 - June 5 and only a limited number of reservations were available. You bet your butt I signed up the first morning I could! Tuesday, June 1 was the big day for me! What a great way to start my birthday month! Victoria, my coworker and awesome friend, signed up with me so that we could go together.

An hour before we were supposed to leave there was a torrential downpour. The thunderstorm was not going to get between my mouth and the new sandwich -- no way, no how. Even being the worst driver on the planet, and knowing I was putting Victoria's and my life at risk, I was going to get spicy.

Lil Wayne (my car, stay with me) has new tires but I drove really slow because dying moments before a new Chick-Fil-A sandwich would be the worst thing that Nikki would have to say in my eulogy. I guess I was driving a little too slow because an actual Lil Wayne lookalike in a red impala passed me!!

What seemed like 6 hours but really only 9.3 miles later, we had arrived! I patiently waited in line while blowing up other people's Blackberries saying "It's real! It's real!"

Victoria said she felt like my proud mother taking photos of me at a huge event. Due to the torrential downpour, it wasn't even that busy and I walked right up and demanded politely requested my sandwich on a wheat bun with xxxtra pickles with a large Diet Lemonade. Here's the sandwich in all its glory:

 

I was half expecting my mouth to set on fire but it didn't. It was mildly spicy -- my stomach can appreciate that by not pumping out some reflux I guess. I ended up dipping it in honey mustard and then buffalo sauce. A packet of buffalo sauce later, yes, I was feeling quite spicy. (PSST: You are what you eat!!)

Victoria, Kurt (her hubbie) and I also shared some fries. Kurt even taught me how to make waffle fry art! 

Fancy!!

While we were eating, the Chick-Fil-A cow came around to visit slash moo at us. Just kidding there was no moo-ing. Just hugging!!

So my verdict on the new sandwich is: Yum! The sandwich was very juicy. It definitely was not as spicy as I was expecting, but it had a good kick to it. I don't think it's too spicy for kids, but nice parents might want to try burning their own mouths before they feed their mongrels. And for those that have reflux issues, stay away from the buffalo sauce. A Chick-Fil-A Icedream cone would be the perfect happy ending!

Great Harvest Bakery Comes to Charleston!

Last week I made it over to the Belle Hall Shopping Plaza to check out the newest addition: Great Harvest Bread Company! Finally, Mt. Pleasant has a healthy bakery! Great Harvest focuses on 5 ingredients to perfect their bread:

1. Fresh-ground whole wheat flour
2. Filtered water
3. Fresh yeast
4. A pinch of salt
5. Something sweet (usually a local honey)

They do not use preservatives or additives either! Their whole wheat comes from Montana, but is ground fresh in store daily. The whole wheat comes from family farms, which means Great Harvest supports local crops. 

When I walked in, I had to smile at two familiar smells: fresh paint + fresh bread. Not usually smelled together, these two scents definitely brought a smile to my face. I was greeted by two friendly employees who immediately offered me samples of today's products. They had several different things shoppers could try: a couple of their daily breads, two different types of scones, a muffin, and and a huge assortment of dips, jams, oils, and nut butters! This was perhaps more exciting than the fresh smells!

First I tried a sliced of the Apple Crunch Bread with Naturally Nutty Honey Roasted Cinnamon Peanut Butter one half and Butter Toffee Peanut Butter on the other half. I was so excited to see the Naturally Nutty butters in their store! I was really impressed with the bread, and loooveddd my half with the cinnamon peanut butter. 

Next I tried a small slice of the Cinnamon Chip bread with whipped honey. This was ridiculously good. Both breads were so soft, had plenty of flavor and the ingredients were mixed well throughout. I also tried a bite of a Berry Cream Cheese Scone and had to feel my pulse to make sure I hadn't just checked in at Heaven. Nope, still alive. 

Here are some pics of the inside of the store:

Fresh breads that change daily. Pick up a schedule in the store!

Cookies, muffins, bars, scones, and cakes:

Sodas, teas, and local coffee:

Apparently each bakery's owner has some control on the products they offer. They call this a "Freedom Franchise" because "each owner has the freedom and flexibility to make their bakery a one-of-a-kind neighborhood destination." In the Mt. Pleasant bakery, they sell some exciting goodies:

Naturally Nutty butters, Great Harvest jams, oils, and whipped honey:

Soup and chili mixes:

On my first visit, I bought a loaf of the Nine Grain bread. It's a really light, whole-wheat bread with a hint of honey. It's so good that I've eaten a piece at least once a day with honey, peanut butter, avocado butter -- anything really! A few days later I couldn't stop thinking about that whipped honey, and ended up going back for that. Two days after that I was back for a Carrot Cake muffin! If you live in the Charleston area, you must must must check this place out. And be sure to sample at least a couple different breads, a scone or muffin, and the whipped honey!!

Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Tian with Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Last year for Auntie Kelly's birthday, I gave her a subscription to Cooking Light magazine. The June 2010 issue featured an interesting recipe that we wanted to try: Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Tian. FYI: a tian is a baked, layered vegetable dish. It could be eaten as a vegetarian entree, but we cut the ingredients in half and made it as a side. Roasted chicken and potatoes completed the meal.

Neither of us really knew what to expect from the eggplant as we've both only ever had it fried. Bad bad. While Kelly tended to her beloved chicken and potatoes, I assembled the Tian. After slicing the eggplant and zucchini, I had to roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes -- I think because these take longer to cook than tomatoes. After those softened, it was time to layer:

 Between layering half of the vegetables, you sprinkle the top with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil. To complete the tian, you must have breadcrumbs (or, in our case, a roll that has been destroyed in a food processor), herbs, and cheese. I mixed those ingredients in a bowl and sprinkled them on top of the vegetables. 

The final step before baking is to sprinkle the bowl with just a little bit of chicken broth to soften the bread crumbs during the baking process. This also adds flavor to the dish.

Here it is after baking:

And Kelly's roasted chicken:

And potatoes:

Everything on the plate!

The chicken was really moist and the tian was a success. A tian is a really cool concept because you get the chewy veggies with the crispy crust, and the ooey gooey cheese throughout! Such a good combination!


And now, for the super high quality video that I promised: How to Carve a Chicken



Yes, we are a very strange family, but we always have an awesome time together. Especially when food is involved!


Questions for you lovely readers:
1) Do you prefer a balanced meal that has a meat, veggie, and carb? Or do you just like throwing stuff together on a plate and calling it a meal?


2) What are your food/kitchen/restaurant pet peeves? 


I'll be gone for a few days because this weekend my best friend, Nicole, is getting married!!

Have a great weekend!