Take a Walk on the Dark Side

Is it time for your annual review? Do you need to leave early one day this week? Do you want to be a hero for the day for being the one who brought the doughnuts? Do you want to distract your coworkers from something stupid you may have done?*

Krispy Kreme has released their new seasonal doughnut and it’s dark. Dark Chocolate Kreme doughnut that’s filled with dark chocolate KREME, then dipped in dark chocolate icing and drizzled with milk chocolate.

While I think that it is great that Krispy Kreme can be found in many local convenient stores and grocery stores, there is something about heading to the “doughnut factory” when I see that neon “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign glowing in the distance. The people who work there are always nice and can get you in an out in just a few minutes.

It was like Christmas morning when everyone saw the box of assorted and box of hot doughnuts in the break room this morning.

*I forgot to empty the metal coffee thermos before brewing a new pot. Coffee overflowed and went everywhere. We got it cleaned up quickly and since there were doughnuts, no one really cared.

Screaming Rooster: A Whole Lotta Fresh and Local Goodness

I have to admit, at times I take pictures of the food and then I get behind. I have eaten at the Screaming Rooster three times in the last two weeks, so I am doing a cumulative post. One of the things that I like about the Screaming Rooster is how fresh the food is every time I visit. When I go to a restaurant, I like to try a variety of things, but often I get "repeat" items to test for consistency.

The Rooster is consistent and the flavors are good. The menu has staples that many people like, but gets very creative with the specials that they offer- often based on ingredients that have been purchased at one of the local Farmer's Markets earlier in the week. As a result, there is a nice variety with a local and fresh combination. The Rooster is open for breakfast and lunch only, but they are open and have a special menu for brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

Below are some of the items that my dining companions and I have enjoyed.

Scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns,
fruit and sourdough toast

Cranberry and Pecan Pancakes
with fruit & a side of scrambled eggs

Chicken and Waffles, fresh fruit, and Cheese Grits
(Brunch Special)

Bacon & Tomato Quiche, fresh fruit,
and apple cinnamon muffin

Lunch items



Tomato and Squash Quiche
with bluberry muffin
and fruit 



Chicken Salad with Walnuts,
served with a side salad and fruit



Breakfast of Course: Pear Streusel Coffee Cake

Pear Streusel Coffee Cake

While browsing updates on Facebook yesterday, I see a posting from Breakfast of Course, Mary's Too. I am usually a savory breakfast girl- bacon and eggs in some shape or form is what I usually go for- but I started planning my breakfast for the following day about 20 hours in advance after seeing the FB post for the Pear Streusel Coffee Cake. This is no ordinary coffee cake, it is made with pears from Walter Farm, from a tree that is over 100 years old. When you eat this coffee cake, you may be happy the it is all organic and whole grain, but there is the bonus of eating the fruit from a tree that has seen decades of sunshine. How can you top decades of sunshine? (Evidently with butter, sugar and cinnamon.) Nature never tasted so good.

Here is my personal slice, consumed with a cup of hot coffee. (Hot husband not pictured, but also made the dining experience a treat.) We arrived at 7:15am to assure that I would not miss out on such deliciousness. It was a wonderful way to start the day.

You can get your own updates of deliciousness from the BOC Facebook Page.  Local Dish is not responsible for cravings that this may create.

The Screaming Rooster

We decided to try the Screaming Rooster for brunch on Saturday, a new place in the former location of Mary's, Of Course. When I visited their website I became quite excited about their use of local ingredients and commitment to seasonal flavors. Upon entry, we were met with a very pleasant and quaint atmosphere and friendly staff. The decor in the bright and airy dining room was reminescent of a well-appointed B&B or a cozy cafe. There are  fresh flowers at every table and a specials board that looked delicious. What else do you need?

Well, my brunch companion needed coffee and that quickly arrived. After the initial drink orders, we perused the menu for awhile and I was stuck between the French toast with marscapone cream and berries OR the Mushroom and Asparagus Quiche. I went with the quiche and it was a great choice. Served with a rasberry muffin on the side, the dish was also accompanied by a gorgeous fruit garnish with strawberries, orange, watermelon, plum, and raspberries.

(I took a bite as soon as I got my food before remembering to take a picture!)

My favorite brunch companion ordered "the Morning After" breakfast which included scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes (which were GREAT) , thick cut bacon, and thick-sliced toast. He was especially impressed with the toast- all the bread at the restaurant is provided by the local Three Sisters Bakery and this bread was GREAT- thick cut, poppyseed farmer's bread served with whatever type of jelly/jam you might like.

After we paid our bill (delicious brunch for 2 for less than $20!), the restuarant started filling up fast as the noon crowd moved in. I was pleased to see that business is going well! On the way out, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of these macaroons displayed at the register. Can you say beautiful?

Visit the Screaming Rooster's website at http://wsrooster.com/ for their ever-changing menu and more information.

Midtown Cafe & Dessertery: Breakfast for Dinner

Midtown Cafe Dessertery is a good destination for breakfast at night.

When Fall begins and the weather is cool and rainy we like eggs, bacon or sausage, pancakes with warm maple syrup, and hashbrowns or grits. Sadly Midtown stops serving grits at noon. That's my only gentle reminder for the owners. It's a Southern thing ya'll.

-Contributed by Doug G.

Breakfast of Course: Labor Day of Love

The long Labor Day weekend gave us an opportunity to have Monday Brunch at Breakfast of Course, Mary's Too. I was in the mood for something sweet and was trying to choose between the waffle and the French toast. The French toast won the coin toss, oh happy day! Stars aligned, kismet kicked in and it was a perfect example of syrupdipity.

The French toast starts with the most incredible cinnamon bread that is baked fresh by the ladies of Three Sisters Artisan Bakery.  The bread has more than a hint of cinnamon, but giant ribbons of cinnamony goodness throughout each thick slice. The bread is firm which is important, because soggy French is the worst. The BOC lightly egg washes the bread and then cooks it to perfection. Slightly crunchy on the outside but fully cooked on the inside. It was amazing and I ate every single bite. I was not ashamed; I was happy.

Joe had the Breakfast Club, which is a favorite on the Local Dish Facebook Page.  The club is like a BLT with the addition of a fried egg, avocado and some light pesto mayo. This sandwich combines three of Joe's favorite flavors (pesto, avacado, and bacon) that Joe loves so this was bound to be a hit.

We are extremely thankful to Mary and the gang for giving up their Labor Day so that we could start our day in a state of euphoria. We really, REALLY appreciate it.

Both items are available on the regular menu so you can get it whenever they are open. YeeHaw!

New Town Bistro: Sunday Brunch

We visited New Town Bistro on Jonestown Road. We had not been to the restaurant in several years, but after seeing the mini desserts posted on the Facebook page, I looked at their menu online. (Local Dish and its contributors are really helping be branch out and try new-to-me restaurants.) The brunch menu looked great and so we convinced a neighbor to join us and we jumped on the highway at 11:00am on Sunday morning.

Our server, Sherry, was great and helped me choose the Monterrey omelet. It was filled with sliced turkey and pepper jack cheese, then topped with black olives, sour cream and homemade salsa and olives. The sour cream sauce and the homemade salsa really stepped things up a notch. If it is possible to have a "light" omelet, this would be it. After eating it, I was satisfied but did not feel like I had to follow breakfast with a two-hour nap. It was one of the best omelets I have ever eaten.

Joe had a hard time choosing between the Charleston Omelet and the Sweet Potato Pancakes. The most logical decision was to have both. New Town offers a "short stack" of two sweet potato pancakes so it was a perfect portion once he shared a bite with me. The Charleston Omelet was filled with fresh asparagus, artichokes, grape tomatoes, Swiss cheese and shrimp. The vegetables were not overcooked and maintained their fresh flavor with each bite. The fruit included watermelon and fresh pineapple, which was a nice treat. Breakfast potatoes were cooked perfectly and a mini carrot muffin pushed this brunch over the top.

After the savory, we moved onto the sweetness of the Sweet Potato pancakes which were topped with candied pecans. These pancakes don't need a lot of syrup because they are naturally sweet from the sweet potatoes themselves. They had great flavor and the crunch from the pecans was a nice contrast to the light texture of the pancakes.
 
We had a great experience at our first brunch at New Town Bistro. It definitely will not be our last. I have my eye on a Sausage Benedict.

Breakfast at Lighthouse Restaurant

O and I decided to try the Lighthouse Restaurant for breakfast recently. O had the french toast with a sunny-side up egg and orange juice. I had a cheese omelet with hashbrowns, Rye toast and a sweet tea. The food was good, the service quick and friendly and we walked out of there after paying our $11 bill!

Krispy Kreme: A Local Treat

Even if you did not grow up in Winston-Salem, you probably know that Krispy Kreme originated here. For that reason, Krispy Kreme is local and pictures and posts are welcome in Local Dish. Every couple of months,  Krispy Kreme has donuts that they feature. This month, it is a Lemon Cake doughnut and a Lemon Kreme Pie. (Pictured below with the lemon drizzle and lemon filling with powdered sugar)

"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts , need I say more?" -Contributed by Robin D.

HOT Krispy Kremes from the Stratford Location. Half of them didn't make it out of the parking lot. -Contributed by Sadie S.

Dewey's and Krispy Kreme

Two of the best bakeries ever - and both right here in Winston-Salem! So lucky to have them both on my desk too :) Thanks Krispy Kreme and Dewey's Bakery for my breakfast this morning.

-Contributed by Michelle S.

Breakfast of Course (Mary's Too!): All Kinds of Goodness

Even though the new Breakfast of Course (Mary's Too!) has only been open a week, it appears that her flock is, well, flocking to the new restaurant on Trade Street.

Breakfast Nachos: Multigrain tortilla chips with cheddar, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, avocado and salsa.

-Contributed by Michelle S.

I had been trying to get into the new BOC for days but my schedule did not allow. However, after starting this FB group, members started posting BOC food items, tormenting me. I finally got my chance on Wednesday evening. As I looked over the newly inspired menu, I had a hard time deciding what my first meal would be. I was not incredibly hungry (ok, I had just come from Single Brother's Anniversary party and had eaten two small pieces of Dogtown Pizza) but I was determined. I decided a cup of tomato bisque would do the trick and I was not disappointed. Chunks of fresh tomato in a perfectly seasoned creamy broth hit the spot. The multigrain bread and butter served with it rounded out the "comfort" part of the comfort food. A treat for the tongue.

-Contributed by Susan M.

Fast Forward: 36 Hours Later...

Oh look, I'm back at Breakfast of Course. It's 7:00am on a Friday and it's time for breakfast. Building from the a la carte menu, I build a breakfast bagel sandwich that was in a word, ambrosial. (I needed an adjective that would encompass delicate, fragrant, heavenly, and luscious. Thanks, Dr. Roget.) A plain bagel with cheddar, turkey bacon and egg. Why, yes, it does look like a cheese omelette on top of bacon, on top of a bagel. So simple. So ambrosial.

-Contributed by Susan M.

Breakfast, of Course (Mary's Too):Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club from Breakfast of Course! (Mary's Too!). BLT with the addition of a fried egg, avocado and some light pesto mayo. Yummy! All of the sandwiches look great. My other half had the Apple Butter Baby and was quite pleased, too. I do recommend deconstructing a bit and mashing the avocado so it doesn't slide all over the place.

-Contributed by Tari H.