Neo Burrito

Unfortunately, I do not like black beans which is a problem sometimes as a vegetarian; much like zucchini and squash, black beans are frequently used in vegetarian dishes (along with portobello mushrooms which I do like).  This dislike of black beans kept me from Neo Burrito despite my husband’s pleas, and I now regret my recalcitrance.

For Dining Out for Life this year, my husband insisted that we stay south plus we needed a kid friendly place.  I caved in light of his persistence and logistics, and we headed over to Neo Burrito in Biltmore Park.  I loved all the vines inside the restaurant, and LB loved the fish tank.  The seating is really cramped inside so I recommended choosing a patio seat.

For my meal I ordered poorly by choosing the Smiling Hara burrito without rice and beans because I assumed the beans and rice would be mixed; they are not so next time I’ll get the rice or get a tempeh taco for about half the price.  Don’t get me wrong, the food was good, but it wasn’t a cost effective choice.  I was confused because based on the menu I didn’t expect to watch my food being made so next time I’ll know it is more of a build your own operation.  LB loved her kid quesadilla, and it was enough to feed her (great bonus since it was a sweet $2.25).  They have a salsa bar, and you serve your own drinks and bus your own table.  I love seeing the compost, recycle, and landfill bins!

They had plenty of bottled beers to choose from along with some taps; it is great to live in a city with plenty of microbrews to choose.  My friend says be sure t try the baked goods beside the register, and another suggests their ten cent beer nights.

The Square Root

I’ve been to the original location in Brevard a few times, so when I needed to find a bit to eat on a Sunday in Hendersonville The Square Root seemed like a good choice.  I ordered a Munich Dunkel from Brevard Brewing Company, which was right up my alley for a spring day (not too heavy or sweet or hoppy), and the eggs florentine as nothing else really jumped out.  LB had a kids pizza with a side of fruit along with most of the fruit that came with my benedict. The pizza was cheap enough, but it was heavily sauced and extra messy.  My eggs were nicely cooked, and the portion was standard.  I am not a fan of biscuits in lieu of an english muffin; the hollandaise has enough buttery goodness for the dish without adding a biscuit.  One of our party ordered hard poached eggs, and they were served on the soft side of medium.  The service was fine until our server disappeared at the end of our meal; I was able to walk a block and back to change a diaper before we finally asked the hostess for our check.  If I’m back in Hendersonville on a Sunday and West First Wood Fired Pizza remains closed on Sundays, I’ll be likely to return to The Square Root.

 

 

Piazza redux

Dining out with my family is difficult between everyone’s different tastes and expectations so frequently we end up at some chain (e.g. Outback, Carabarras, Brixx) which in the best case makes me feel guilty for not supporting a local restaurant and in the worse case leaves me feeling ripped off at the mediocre food or service or both. Eating on Sunday poses additional challenges as my mom refuses to eat anywhere that serves only brunch.  Now that I have broken up with Nona Mia, I suggested Piazza on a recent outing, and as far I can tell it was a winner.  I split a large salad with my mom, and at $8 it is a steal as it easily could’ve worked as a four person starter.  My complaint is that it was labeled a caesar, but the dressing tasted like a nice vinaigrette.  The Sunday we visited they had a deal of buy one pizza get the second half off so I went with the fungi and the margherita for LB.  These are generously topped wood fired pizzas so they are quiet filling especially if you’ve eaten half or more of a huge salad.  The fungi was seasoned with rosemary to give it a bit of a twist, and eating so many mushroom dishes when I eat out it was nice.  The Greek wedding that my mom and brother shared looked delicious (and generously topped) too.  Much to my delight I was able to order the tiramisu for dessert unlike my first visit; it was good, and it was right at $5.  Our service was attentive, and I look forward to returning.

R Thomas Deluxe Grill

On a recent visit to Atlanta, I ate lunch at R Thomas Deluxe Grill; it was a windy and cold day so it was surprising to see several birds caged up outside along one wall near the entrance.  The interior is cramped and funky (or kitschy depending on your taste), and we had to wait queued up in a space near the kitchen.  We were sat within the enclosed patio, and it was drafty when the wind gusted and comfortable otherwise.  The vegetarian selections aren’t bad (0r exciting), and they serve all day breakfast in addition to being open 24 hours.

I decided on the lemon-herb pasta which was not a good choice for me as it was super cheesy and heavy; the portion and price were typical for any restaurant.  My grandmother ordered the veggie burger, and it was massive; however she was charged $1.50 each for the tomato and onion.  She also requested mustard which never arrived so I don’t know if that would’ve been an additional charge too.  On the whole our service was fine, and the food was okay.  On the bright side, they do validate!

Our trip to the High Art Museum to see Frieda y Diego was definitely the best part of our trip.