I have driven by Pinky’s Westside Grill many times and have thought about stopping in and finally did this week.

Pinky’s opened in November of 2010 in the former home of Triple G Automotive.  The signature red white and blue VW on the roof makes the building stand out at the busy Charlotte intersection. The interior has several original artwork piece for sale and a couple of coin operated games if you have to wait for a table.  There was not a wait time today, but I did return to the KISS pinball machine for a game after lunch.

I had checked out the menu online and today was in the mood for a good burger.  Pinkys offers several burger options with plenty of condiments to choose.  I built a five-ounce beef burger with pepper-jack cheese, chilli and slaw.  The burger had more than enough of the toppings went it arrived.  I had to use a fork to eat most of it, but this wasnt a problem to me.  The burger was very good and I also enjoyed the extra chili that found its way out of the bun.   I ordered a side of waffle fries that were also very delicious.

If you have read previous posts you know that I am a fan of sweet tea.  Pinkys scores a A+ on their tea.  I could have drank a whole pitcher.

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Pinky’s location is easy to get to from I-77, I-85, I-277, and just about anywhere in Charlotte, NC. At the intersection of Morehead St. and Freedom Dr., Pinky’s is near every major interstate, making it not only a favorite for Charlotte, but an easy yummy trip for the entire metropolitan area. The decor is fun and light, while maintaining a good degree of suave dignity. There is parking in front of, behind, and across the street from the restaurant. Take a look at the maps, it’s closer than you think.

Pinky’s Westside Grill
1600 W Morehead St
Charlotte, NC 28208

Tags: charlotte, chili, food, fries, grill, hamburger, nc, north carolina, Pinky Westside Grill, pinkys, sweet, tea, waffle

During a ski trip to West Virginia we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Princeton near several restaurants and gas stations.   Holiday Inn Express located about 20 minute from Winterplace Ski resort and we’ve had good experiences there with the exception of the 11:00pm fire alarm that never ended.  Regardless of the fire alarm, I continue to book rooms because of the location and the people working there are some of the nicest I people that I have met.

During the most recent trip we were loading up on the free breakfast and I noticed a machine with a picture of pancakes on it.  It appeared to be a pancake maker.  Could this be a dream? I love pancakes!! I pressed the button and within one minute I had two cook pancakes on a plate.  The machine is virtually noiseless and flips out two pancakes onto a plate from the side.  This has not always been available and I think is a nice addition to the continental breakfast selection.

I did some research and found these machine online for $3500.00.  They use pre-filled bags of batter and can produce up to 200 pancakes per hour. Amazing!!

Tags: breakfast, holiday, inn, pancake, princeton, ski, West Virginia, winterplace

Most of my posts feature food from various restaurants, but on occasion I have a home cooked meal.   Recently, my oldest son asked why we didn’t use the fine china displayed in the dining room.  This was all it took for my wife to prepare one of our favorites to be served on the barely used plates.   I think his question was a good one and I am pleased to show off the results.

Chicken parmesan, garlic mashed potatoes, fettuccini alfredo and beans.  It was a very good meal and I think all of us cleaned our fine plates.

Tags: alfredo, China, meal, potatoes

La Cabana, also know as Mexican Hardees, is my favorite Mexican restaurant to visit.   It’s called Mexican Hardees because it is in a former Hardees fast food location.  The current owners painted the building bright green and orange and you notice is as you approach from either direction of business highway #74 in Rockingham N.C.

The popular restaurant serves a wonderful chicken fajita quesadilla.  I prefer the chunks of chicken over shredded that some restaurants serve.  The chips and hot saulsa with queso cheese dip is also good.

La Cabana Mexican Restaurant was listed in Our State magazine in July 2010.

La Cabana Mexican Restaurant
220 West Broad Avenue, Rockingham, N.C. 28379
phone: (910) 410-9775

Tags: carolina, cheese, Chicken, fajita, hardees, La Cabana, La Cabana Mexican Restaurant, mexican, Mexican Hardees, nc, north, our, restaurant, rockingham, state

We have a tradition to visit Ironwood Cafe in Pinehurst, N.C. for dinner on New Years Eve.  I will admit that last years visit was a bit disappointing because of the menu change for the evening.   I also do not care to getup to get appetizers and salad when I am paying more than usual for a meal.   I am happy to write that this years trip was very pleasant and the regular menu items were offered as in the past.  I’ve tried several different items from the menu, but my all time favorite is the BLACKENED  RIBEYE.   The  12oz gorgonzola cheese crust, haystack onions garlic whipped potato and fresh vegetable meal is delicious.  A few years ago I would substitute the fresh vegetable with the chipotle mashed sweet potatoes.  This item has since been removed from the menu, but our waitress tonight agreed that it should return.  The sweet mash was always prepared perfectly to provide a sweet taste at first then the chipotle would kick the tongue just a tad.  I hope to see this return to the menu in the future.

The ribeye is a select hand cut piece of beef that is always cooked as ordered.  I like sauces and tend to use steak sauce when I eat steak, but the Ironwoods ribeye never needs anything in addition. The gorgonzola cheese adds a nice amount of extra flavor to the dish.

The Ironwood cafe offers indoor and outdoor seating.  We also like to visit and sit outside beside the flaming fountain when the weather permits.

The Ironwood Cafe

2176 Midland Rd Pinehurst, NC 28374 ~ 910.255.0000

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Tags: menu, steak, sweet, vegetable

I remember enjoying my mothers banana pudding that she made when I was growing up.   I preferred to let it sit in the refrigerator to cool down. This allows time for the cookies to soften up a bit.   I like bananas, pudding and vanilla wafers individually, but put them together and I call it a wonderful treat.

Upon doing some research on the dessert, I found many recipes.  I also learned that some older recipes dating to the early1900 did not list wafers in the ingredients.   I don’t think that it would be the same without the wafers, bu that’s my preference.  Some recipes call for custard over vanilla pudding.  I think that I like the pudding even though it’s not as creamy as custard.  However, I would not refuse either if offered.

Tags: banana, custard, dessert, pudding, wafers

Tonight offered a late visit to Ci-Ci’s pizza, but I wasn’t very hungry.  I debated whether or not to order a dessert or just a drink.  The hot wings on the menu caught my eye, so I decided to order a few for tasting.   Somewhere between placing my order and sitting down the ticket never made it to the kitchen and I had to get up to ask about my wings.  Fortunately for me the person working the kitchen made a larger batch to give to me since I had an extra wait.  After tasting the first wing I was very thankful for the missing order ticket.  I didn’t think that I was hungry when first arriving, but once I started eating the wings I couldn’t stop.   The intensity of the hotness seemed to increase as I continued eating one after another.  The large batch of wings and a few glasses of tea certainly topped me off for the ride home.  When I make another trip I will have a tough decision between the wings and pizza.  I am now a fan of both.

Tags: ci, cicis, food, hot, pizza, tea, wings

During a trip to Ocean Isle beach to photography a wedding we discovered the Causeway Gourmet by accident.   After the wedding we decided to find a place to grab a quick bite to eat and tried a few locations, but they were either closed, closing or didn’t serve anything besides ice-cream and candy.  On the other side of the bridge we noticed a small place that appeared to still be open so we raced over to see if we could find some decent food.  Walking to the door the posted hours showed that they closed in 15 minutes.  We entered and were greeted with smiles and asked if we were dining in tonight.  I confirmed their hours and was willing to get some food to go, but they insisted that we should eat in if that was our preference.  We quickly looked at the menu and placed an order.

I selected a cold sandwich called Drunken Tom.  The Drunken Tom contains Mesquite Smoked Turkey and Jack on Wheatberry bread with a little mayo and  Red Wine Peach Compote.  The sandwich was delicious and they have a nice selection of desserts available.   The Causeway Gourmet will definitely be on our list of places to visit during the next trip to Ocean Isle Beach.

Take out or delivery and catering too! We specialize in scratch cooking and fresh ingredients. Our extensive menu has appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees and homemade desserts. Please call ahead.

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100-7 Causeway Drive, Ocean Isle Beach, NC 910-575-108

Tags: beach, carolina, causeway, dinner, drunken, gourmet, isle, nc, north, ocean, sandwich, tom, wedding

I have had opportunities to visit a Chili’s twice recently and have become a fan of the chicken quesadillas on the menu.  I’ve enjoyed visiting Chili’s for over 20 years and the menu changes frequently enough for me to find something different nearly every visit.

The old-fashioned burgers, chicken pasta and chili are also highly recommended.

Chili’s MENU

Tags: Chicken, chili's, food, quesadilla

Disney’s California Grill is an excellent restaurant with delicious food and a magnificent view of Magic Kingdom.

“California Grill is a Signature Dining restaurant that serves award-winning gourmet dinners and sweeping views atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Venture into this vibrant and charged atmosphere and watch the creation of culinary masterpieces in the on-stage kitchen.”

Tonights dinner began with Rotisserie BBQ Chicken Flatbread . . . Chipotle-Corn Salsa, Roasted Peppers, Smoked Cheddar.  You could almost make a small meal out of this flatbread.

Next was the Oak-fired Filet of Beef . . . Buttered Purple Stokes Potatoes, Broccolini, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Teriyaki Barbecue.  Steak and mashed potatoes go so well together.   I could have eaten two portions.

Finally was dessert.  Valrhona Chocolate Cake with strawberries and ice-cream.

this is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a final dinner at Walt Disney World.

Tags: california, contemporary, dessert, disney, grill, ice-cream, potatoes, resort, steak, walt