Monday, January 31, 2011

The Meal That Inspired this Blog

This past weekend, I shared an incredible meal with two very good friends.  Friend 1 (F1) had a gift card to Rooster's Wood-Fire Kitchen and Wine Bar in Charlotte, N.C.  Not one to ever turn down free food, I was super excited.

It was a Saturday, so we called ahead to make reservations.  Heads up: Rooster's only takes reservations until they've reserved 60% of the restaurant.  After that point, you're on your own.  That's what happened to us, and the hostess suggested that the earlier we came, the better.  And that's how three 20-something girls ended up channeling their grandmothers and going to dinner at 6 p.m.

What is this thing all about anyway?

I adore food.  I'm not really much of a cook, so a great meal prepared by someone else pretty much makes my heart sing. There are very few things I either can't or won't eat: mayonnaise (unless it's mixed in with something), shrimp & crawfish (I'm allergic), and most beans (it's a texture thing).  Anything else is really up for grabs.  I'll try anything once, and if I hate it, I'll try something else.

Anyway.  The idea for this blog came out of two events.  First, I won gift cards to each of the 27 restaurants participating in my city's Restaurant Week.  Second, I went out of town this past weekend and had an absolutely amazing meal with some friends, both of whom suggested that I start a food blog.

So here's what you can expect.  I'll be chronicling my experiences at each of the 27 restaurants - everything from food to service to atmosphere to drinks.  I'll also be writing about my experiences whenever I go out to eat or drink.  Finally, I have a standing weekly dinner with a dear friend.  He cooks pretty well, and we tend to try new things, so I'll be including those as well.

I may even be inspired to learn to cook.  And if I decide that, you'll hear all about those misadventures as well.