Mozelle's Fresh Southern Bistro

Has anyone tried Mozelle's Tomato Pie? It is chock full of tomatoes and cheese and the buttery crust is hmm hmm good. It's served with a side of creamy succotash. Order yours the next time you head out to Mozelle's, you won't be sorry.

Soup's Place

We began our dinner with the Dancing Shrimp. We received 6 fried shrimp with some fried broccoli florets, fried green and red peppers and a fried onion ring.

O ordered the Mi Ga Chien Don or egg noodles with deep fried chicken. I ordered the Banh Canh Tom without the ham, which was udon noodles with shrimp. We both received HUGE bowls with noodles and chicken (or in my case, shrimp) swimming in a fragrant broth. We dressed up our dinner to our own personal tastes with the myriad of sauces they provided as well as the bean sprouts, lime, jalapenos and basil.

I hear they are now offering karaoke on Thursdays. I haven't checked it out yet, but I will and you should too.

Noble's Grille

We had dinner at one of my favorite places - Noble's and it did not disappoint. John Fulp was managing that night and he is one of my favorite restaurant managers. He always has a story to tell and he is one of the reasons I like the restaurant so much.




We started out at the bar. I have been drinking Cosmopolitans for well over a decade now. It is my drink of choice when I grab a seat at a bar. Because I tend to order them wherever I go I can tell you that I have had some freaking fantastic Cosmos and some really horrid Cosmos. Noble's makes them beautifully perfect. They are super cold and served in a chilled glass. It's a lil' glass of pink yumminess. I didn't think to take a picture, so you'll have to use those fantastic imaginations of yours and then head on over to Noble's to try one out.


We started with a cheese plate and fried onions (which had a much fancier name on the menu), because seriously how can anyone go wrong with cheese and friend onions?!?! The onions were super thin and crispy. And the cheese was - well - need I say more? Because it was cheese and we all like cheese, right?


The boys had steaks. One ordered the Filet and the other the Ribeye. They both scraped their plates clean, which I took as a big thumbs up from them both.






The girls kept it a little lighter by ordering pizzas as our entrees and we split the Heirloom tomato and Mozzarella salad. Okay, okay I may have ordered a side of macaroni and cheese too because as we discussed earlier - it has cheese on it and did I mention I'm also a huge fan of pasta?








Our meal was fantastic. Our server was great. The four of us left happy and full. We went on a Saturday night and they had a band playing music. Several people got up to dance.

Tonight they are partnering up with Slow Food Piedmont Triad and having a slow food tomato celebration dinner. You should check them out.

Downtown Thai and Sushi

I grabbed some friends and headed to Downtown Thai and Sushi for dinner this past Friday night. I have been there twice and must say they have the friendliest staff. Now that might be because both times I've eaten there I've been with regulars, but they all seem genuinely friendly and helpful. You'll have to try it out and see if you agree. First I will admit to completely losing my mind and forgetting to take pictures of the appetizers. They were all fabulous, so I'll give you a run down on what we had: Tao Hoo Thod (Deep-Fried Tofu), Po Pia Thod (Deep-Fried Spring Rolls), Kung Hor (Blanket Shrimp), and Steamed Dumplings.

After rereading that first paragraph, I can't help but wonder if most of the apps being deep fried had anything to do with their fabulous-ness? The menu didn't mention it, but I swear the shrimp were deep fried too. Ah, this is why I need more exercise.

Three of us ordered the Kaeng Khaio Wan or Green Curry with slight variations - one steamed tofu, one combination tofu and chicken and finally one fried tofu (alas, that was mine - more exercise). The green curry had eggplant, bamboo shoots, Thai basil and bell pepper in coconut milk. The picture above shows the combination option.



Two people in our party ordered sushi. My friend S ordered Spicy Crab and Spicy Tuna (right). O ordered the Rainbow Roll, Spicy Tuna and Eel (left).






Two people in our party ordered Pad Spicy with Tofu, which consisted of large rice noodles, egg, cabbage, chili sauce, bean sprouts, onions, and carrots.







And the final person in our party ordered Pad Woonsen - glass noodles with mushrooms, carrots, baby corn and scallions. I honestly can't remember what meat he chose and can't tell by the picture. I need to take better notes at dinner!




Everyone enjoyed their meal. The owner of Downtown Thai and Sushi also owns Soup's Vietnamese Phở and Grille. He has recently remodeled the space, so we will be checking out the spiffy new digs next.

Dinner at La Botana's Mexican Restaurant

O and I dropped in La Botana's for dinner last week and were not disappointed. They have a lot of creative vegetarian options to chose from and lots of non-vegetarian options as well for the carnivores in my life (or yours). :) I ordered the Enchiladas al Horno. It consisted of two corn tortillas stuffed with a mashed potato mixture then smothered in a creamy Chipotle sauce and cheese. This was then baked in an oven and served with rice and a small side salad. Can anyone say, "heaven?" O ordered soft tacos with steak and chicken. He received four tacos with a small side of beans, salsa verde, and onions and cilantro to dress up the tacos. We drank tea, but they offer lots of drink specials. Everything we had was excellent.




I keep hearing and reading that the fish tacos here are the bomb diggity. I think I'll try those the next time we swing by.

Lite Fare at 6th and Vine

O and I were in the mood for a light dinner a couple of weeks ago, so we headed to 6th and Vine for some salads. We started with the Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta. We ate most of it before I remembered to take a picture.Next we ordered salads. I had the arugula salad with goat cheese medallions. It is fabulous every time I order it. O tried the bib lettuce salad with poached pears and pecans. He said it was great!












We were there on a Wednesday night and were reminded that they offer a movie outside on Wednesdays. We didn't stay that night, but we'll be back soon.....

Dinner at Dioli's

I have been a little lackadaisical in posting my food adventures, so this may seem a little redundant. I almost skipped this post altogether and then thought that if I was perusing this blog and saw post after post lauding a particular restaurant, I would probably be more apt to try it. O and I headed with some friends to Dioli's a couple of weeks ago for the first time and enjoyed everything. Our server (Kip) was friendly and efficient, the wine was great and the food divine.

We started the evening with a bottle of wine while waiting at the bar for a table. Once we were seated, we ordered the calamari and the polenta with mushrooms. The table agreed that they were both fabulous.
We all then ordered some terrific entrees. My friend L and I each decided to order a risotto and then split them each so that we could enjoy both. We ordered the mushroom risotto and the seafood risotto. They were both terrific, but we both felt the seafood risotto was a notch above the mushroom.



















The guys went with some different options. O chose the stuffed pork tenderloin and T opted for the swordfish. They both declared their dinners, "great!"














When we asked for some bread we received some very crispy, crunchy, thin bread sticks. Quite yummy.

Lunch at Las Estrellas

O and I decided on a quick lunch at Las Estrellas. He ordered the beef flautas and I opted for the vegetarian super burrito, which is chock full of veggies. Yummy!

Late-night snack at Hutch and Harris

We had the spinach dip which had a bit of a spicy kick. It was delish!

West End Cafe: Scallops and Gnocchi

From the West End Cafe.

On the left:               
Scallops with Hot and Sour broth. "I could've drank the broth by itself."

Ont the Right:
Gnocchi with arugula pesto - "yum."

-Contributed by Carla H.

Willow's Bistro: Ribs, Banana Bread Pudding, Salad and Sandwiches

Great dinner at Willow's Bistro Winston-Salem tonight. Pork Ribs with wasabi sauce. However, the roasted corn with stalk added to the presentation and worth taking a picture.

Let's not forget polishing the Pork Ribs off at Willow's Bistro Winston-Salem with some Banana Bread Pudding which was quite tasty.

-Contributed by Smitty

More from Willow's:

A special birthday lunch for Sadie C. was a delicious success on the shaded patio of Willow's Bistro Winston-Salem today!

I enjoyed a delicious Grilled Saku Tuna & Pineapple Salad - and yesthe pineapple was also grilled - decadent with red curry and roasted mango vinaigrette!

-Contributed by Michelle S.

Sadie C. and Crystal N. both had the Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomato sandwiches. (Applewood-smoked bacon, goat cheese, balsamic sundried tomato aioli and lettuce on wheat berry bread.) One was served with french fries, the other with home made chips

-Contributed by Sadie C. and Crystal N.

Progressive Dinner: Mozelles, Bernardin's, and West End Cafe

When you start a food blog about eating out, you want to make sure that you have enough material to keep people reading and you want to showcase as many local restaurants as possible. Our friends MB and EB suggested a "progressive dinner" where we have one course at three different restaurants. They are also friends that are not afraid to "share" dishes so everyone can try what is on the table. Brilliant.

For this progressive dinner, we chose three restaurants that are within 200 feet of one another, in the West End area of Fourth Street.

Appetizers: Mozelle's Southern Bistro
We called ahead for a 7:30 reservation because we knew that there would be a wait on a Friday night. Mozelle's is one of those restaurants where it is hard to choose between the many choices on the menu. We chose four very different appetizers that were all delicious.

Top Left: Spring Vegetable Risotto: sweet peas, yellow zucchini, asparagus, shaved parmesan
Top Right: Fried Okra (Fried pickles was on the menu but okra was a substitution)
Bottom Left: Grilled Shrimp with fried Green Tomato
Bottom right: Southern Spring Rolls with pulled bbq, greens, shitake mushrooms, napa cabbage and three sauces.


The appetizers were delicious. The risotto (which was served with the Organic Chicken that I had as an entree last week) was cooked perfectly, again. The fact that they cooked the risotto perfectly during two visits, shows that they know what they are doing. The fried okra was a great substitute for fried pickles. Nice cornmeal breading gave this appetizer a nice crunch. The Fried Green tomato was cooked similarly, but topped with grilled shrimp, a sweet chow chow and garnished with a spicy red pepper coulis for that little "kick." The Southern Spring Rolls are a favorite of mine. Crispy and filled with sweet, smokey, and savory.


Our server, Tamara, was attentive and friendly. She suggested some nice summer wines and was knowledgeable about the menu. We were able to order, enjoy our appetizers and a bottle of wine, and pay our bill in forty-five minutes.


Entrees: Bernardins at the Zevely House
Bernardins is a new addition to the West End area of Fourth Street, having recently moved into the historic Zevely House. Joe and I had never been to their other location, so we were looking forward to trying something new; our friends had been to their Jonestown location in the past. We made a reservation for 8:15, requesting a table on their beautiful patio. (We were very thankful for a night with low-humidity.)


On to the food...

MB is a vegetarian but her choices were not limited on the Bernardin's menu. She chose the Goat Cheese Ravioli  prepared with fresh goat cheese, winter vegetables, with a truffle preserved Meyer lemon cream. The goat cheese was fresh and creamy, so perfect for a ravioli. Each of the The combination of flavors of the sauteed spinach, goat cheese, lemon, and fresh vegetables is magnificent. The portion is perfect for a pasta in a cream sauce, especially if you still have dessert on the agenda.

EB is not a vegetarian, and chose the Pepper Crusted Filet Mignon served with horseradish gnocchi, wild mushroom, wilted watercress, goat cheese. This is a hearty meal with a generous filet mignon and the gnocchi. Topping the steak with fresh, herbed goat cheese is just genius. The flavors in the cream sauce is a nice addition to the gnocchi, but adds a nice flavor to the steak if the two should run into each other on the plate. (Aren't you glad that there are photos so you don't have to imagine the goodness?)

I enjoyed the Brie Stuffed Chicken Breast that was served on a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with diced prosciutto, asparagus, caramelized pearl onions and topped thyme natural jus. Thinly sliced chicken with a brie filling that compliments the dish, rather than overwhelm the flavor of the chicken. The mashed potatoes were creamy and were enhanced by the natural juice. This is a comfort food where the different flavors of the chicken, vegetables, prosciutto, and potatoes work nicely together.

Joe ordered the Wasabi Mustard Crusted Ahi Tuna that is served over a soba noodle cake, baby Bok Choy, shitake, tahini sweet chili sauce. This dish is not only aesthetically stunning , but the taste is absolutely unbelieveable. Cooked medium-rare, the tuna was tender with a burst of flavor from the wasabi mustard crust and tahini sweet chili sauce. The soba noodles were tasty on their own, but made the texture of the dish interesting and savory. Simply put, Bernardin's puts the "Ahhh" in Ahi Tuna.


As may be expected, the service was very good with a delightful server and a manager stopping by the table to see if everything was satisfactory.


After finishing our meals, we had about 15 minutes to relax and finish our bottle of wine. We used this time to let our meals settle and enjoy some great conversation. We also noticed that the table next to us was taking pictures of their food with their camera phones. Awesome.


Dessert: West End Cafe
At 9:45 we walked into West End Cafe; they close at 10:00pm. We quickly explained to our server that we were only there for dessert and coffee, but he didn't seem phased by the time at all. (Very nice!)


We  chose West End for our dessert course because they are all homemade and they change everyday. The chalkboard reveals our choices for the evening: Chocolate layer cake, Mandarin Orange Cake, and Peanut Butter Cake. We decide to try one of each (as community service so that you, the readers, are able to experience the delicious dishes at these local treasures) of the cakes offered.

Coffee and cake arrived and after the required photo shoot of each plate, a battle of Dessert Twister broke out.  Independently, all of the cakes were SO good. However "the battle" also created some delicious combinations of cake and frosting.


We each had a favorite but it was close. The cake for each was moist and flavorful, but it was the frosting that was look-to-the-heavens-for-thanks good. Amazingly, there was very little left on each plate when the battle ended.


And so it ended. Three great courses, three great restaurants, four VERY full bellies. We were thankful for the walk home, although it wasn't quite long enough. I highly recommend a progressive dinner.

Burke Street Pizza: Margherita Pizza

Burke Street Pizza's Special of the Day; Margherita Pizza with fresh

basil and chopped tomatoes! Delish and smells almost as good as it
tastes. Drop by if you need to grab a quick bite.

-Contributed by Michelle S.

(This is the Thursday special pizza-by-the-slice)

Finnigan's Wake: Tim's Green Burger & Sweet Potato Fries

Tim’s Green Burger ($9) at Finnigan's Wake for lunch today. Grilled Garden Burger on grilled ciabatta bread with avocado, cream cheese, mango chutney, lettuce & tomato with Sweet Potato fries. Especially great with a little Texas Pete on top!

-Contributed by Michelle S.