Tiffany Tastes

At Long Last

I know that I have been neglecting you, faithful readers, but my new job has kept me so busy that I haven't been able to update lately.  Today's post will be the first in a series of three that will chronicle my food adventures (and misadventures) during a recent trip to Charlotte, NC.

During my trip, my coworkers and I attended a business dinner at Andrew Blair's Comfortable Dining, a cozy restaurant on the outskirts of downtown Charlotte.  The waitstaff was very accomodating of our large (26 hungry associates) party; our wine and water glasses were always filled, and they were not cowed by any of our special (strange) requests.

For my appetizer I had marinated artichoke hearts stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in prosciutto, and finished with a balsamic drizzle.  The combination of flavors was spot on; the tangy goat cheese contrasted nicely with the saltiness of the prosciutto and the sweetness of the balsamic.  It was much more elegant than most of the artichoke applications that appear on standard appetizer menus (like spinach and artichoke dip).

Next, I had a small cup of French onion soup, and this was the one big disappointment of the night.  The onions weren't caramelized at all; some of them were actually a little crunchy.  The soup desperately needed salt, and the broth was extremely beefy, as though it were a beef stew instead of French onion soup.  None of the flavors were harmonious, and the meal would have been much better if I had just bypassed the soup altogether.

I completed my meal with the stuffed pork tenderloin.  The pork was perfectly cooked (done, but not dry), and the stuffing of apples and onions added a nice sweetness.  The pork was served with garlic mashed potatoes, grilled broccolini, and the plate was finished with an apple cider reduction.  The broccolini needed more seasoning, but that was my only complaint as the rest of my main course was savory, filling, and left me feeling quite satisfied.

Final Impressions: This joint is classy, yet casual.  You should feel comfortable bringing a date, or hitting up Andrew Blair's for a night out with the girls (or guys). There is a full bar with several specialty drink options, an extensive wine and beer list, and if you just avoid the French onion soup, you'll have a fun (and tasty) time.

Tiffany's Favorite Part: Prosciutto wrapped artichoke hearts

Tiffany's Rating: :) :) :) out of :) :) :) :)

Andrew Blair's Comfortable Dining
1600 Montford Drive
Charlotte, NC 28209
(705) 525-8282

Average Appetizer Price: $7-$14
Average Salad/Sandwich Price: $10-$16
Average Main Course Price: $17-$28
Average Dessert Price: $6-$10

Operating Hours
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00pm-10:00pm
Bar Service: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-until

Vegetarian Omission

X-tina, I tried to publish your Pasta with Pesto recipe in the previous post, but Typepad was giving me formatting nightmares. I promise to include it once I figure out what the heck is going wrong. :(

With a Little Help from My Friends

Hi folks! It's good to be back.  I've missed blogging, but don't worry; I have notes from some of the restaurants that I visited in Charlotte, and I will tell you all about the cuisine that I had while I was there.  However, for this post, I'm highlighting the recipes you all submitted to me in my vegetarian post a few weeks ago.

Seven Layers of Hell Guacamole
-Kris H.

2 whole, ripe avocados
2½ tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper powder
2 small, whole Scotch Bonnet peppers
2 small, whole jalapeñoa
1 tablepoon sugar

Bisect the avocados and remove the seeds.

Bisect each half, and cut each segment in half again lengthwise. This will make removing the meat from the skin easier.

Remove the skin from all the pieces.

Cut each of the skinned slices into approximately 1 cubic inch chunks.

Place these chunks, the Cayenne pepper, sugar, and vinaigrette into a food processor for blending/mixing.

De-stem the Scotch Bonnet and jalapeño peppers and add them whole to the contents of the food processor.

Blend until the contents are an even paste. Pour into a serving bowl.

Sprinkle with more Cayenne over it. Serve with an appropriate snack food.

Vegan "Mac N' Cheese"
-Paige

1-2 servings of orzo
1/2-3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
healthy shakes of onion powder and garlic powder.
normal shake of turmeric
pinch of dried basil
healthy squirt of bragg's liquid amino acids
olive oil

Cook the orzo. Drain and put back into pot. Pour in olive oil to coat the pasta. Add in the onion powder, garlic powder, turmeric, and basil. Stir to cover evenly. Add the Bragg's liquid amino acids. Add the nutritional yeast flakes a little at a time stirring to coat the pasta. If it's a little dry, add more olive oil.

Then enjoy!

Also works with rotini or spirally pasta. Also delicious if you add steamed green peas

Savory Cheese and Onion Pie
-Kelty's Mom

Recipe By : The Vegetarian Epicure - page 210
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :1:00
Categories : Main Dishes

1 10-inch Pie Crust
280 Grams Cheese (1/2 Swiss, 1/2 Gruyere) -- (10 ounces)
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Large Onions
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Basil, Chopped
2 Large Tomatoes (firm ones), Sliced
2 Large Eggs
3/4 Cup Cream

1) Prepare the pastry for the pie, line a 10-inch pie dish and chill it.

2) Grate all the cheese and toss it with the flour.

3) Melt the butter in a large skillet, slice the onions and saute
them very gently in the butter until they begin to turn golden (about
1/2 hour).

4) Spread about 1/3 of the cheese over the bottom of the pie dish,
then spread the onions (without the butter) over it.

5) In the butter that is left in the pan, heat the tomato slices with
the chopped basil for a minute or two. Arrange the tomato slices over
the onions, then cover with the remaining cheese.

6) Beat the eggs with the cream and pour it over the cheese.
Sprinkle a little nutmeg on top, if you like.

7) Bake in a preheated oven, 180° C (350° F) oven for 35 to 40
minutes, or until the top browns nicely.

8) Serve hot, in wedges.