Restaurants

Cast Iron Kitchen
8024 Market St.
Wilmington, NC 28411
21 June 2020
breakfast

Sunday. Breakfast. Something close and open before noon. Hmmm. We looked at a couple places but most didn't open until after 9. CIK was a bit farther away then we wanted to travel for breakfast, especially since we were going to head that direction later in the day (kinda feels like we saw the same stretch of 3 roads in Wilmington the whole weekend. Oh well.). But it was open AND they had some really amazing options. AND they were featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives a couple years ago. If Guy thought he should go, we should go, right? Oh. My. Lanta.

Ok, the nitty gritty. It is in a small shopping plaza so parking is at a premium. But they have done a great job adding outdoor seating, granted we were there on a Sunday and none of the other businesses were open; it could be a different story for outside seating on weekdays. Inside, it definitely has a beach bar feel. We actually were seated at the bar, which wasn't super comfortable but was functional.

Ok, the menu. It isn't huge (could be a limited menu due to Covid but nothing was stated), but it is full of southern charm. Hash, biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles (I'll never be southern enough for this), french toast, and, the DDD feature: the dirty south biscuit. They also offer a handful of daily specials.

I had, as usual, just planned to order eggs an bacon with maybe a side of fruit or tomatoes or something. But hold the phone! They have pulled pork hash! And, minus the hollandaise sauce, is Unicorn friendly! YAY! Hubby opted for the BBQ brisket that was on special. We both anticipated a bowl full of potatoes with a few strands of meat. Nope. Not here. Mostly meat. A few potatoes and onions. Oh and 2 eggs on top.

It was amazing and huge and delicious! I couldn't finish mine. Hubby pushed through and finished his (and a few bites of mine for good measure).

As for the service, everyone in there was super friendly and smiling behind their masks. But don't go here if you are in a hurry. Southern all around. They did keep the coffee and hot water coming during the wait. And it was worth the wait!

This will be a for-sure revisit, maybe even a staple.

They also have a Facebook page which is updated more often than the website, they say, especially during this Covid thing.

Side note: they also offer meats and sides by the pound/quart, so if you are headed to the beach you can stop by here and get lunch to take with you! Cool idea!
***
Ceviche's
7210 Wrightsville Ave.
Wilmington, NC 28403
20 June 2020
dinner


After smoothies at Clean Juice and a brief nap, I called Ceviche to inquire about reservations. No dice, but they have walk-up outdoor seating. Ok, we'll take our chances. It was a beautiful evening, so off we went to find this place.

It is tiny! It looks like a converted 1920s cottage. Even without Covid protocols I think it would be hard to fit more than 10 tables in there! But they had plenty of outdoor, socially-distanced tables, so we put our name in at 6:30. We were told it would be a 40 minute wait. Ok, we'll wait. Then a server showed up early and we were seated in 5 minutes. ok cool.

They really did a great job of making the added outdoor space feel cozy with a canopy, hanging center piece, rugs and string lights (one strand was toucans!). We had a high-top table, which was a bit awkward, but I digress.

I want to first point out that when we went, they had a limited menu, as many places do due to this Covid nonsense. But there were still plenty of great options. And the menu is marked for GF, Veg and Vegan so it is pretty easy to navigate.
 
Kennedy took great care of us, walking us through the menu and pointing out her favorites. We opted for the fried brussel sprout app, which was amazing! Chili lime seasoning and a cashew & coconut dipping sauce. OK, I cheated and tried the dip. Why do coconuts have to be on my body's no-go list?!!? So very yum! I'm inspired to try to make these here, but I might need to get an air fryer first.

For the main dish, we both got ceviche. Duh. It was National Ceviche Day after all, right? Of the options available, I went with the large Ceviche Mixto partially because it had scallops (I'm a sucker for a scallop). Caution, this one is pretty spicy! Not over the top, but since I couldn't eat the corn chips it came with, the spice was pretty predominant. Thankfully, Hubby gave me his maduros, which helped cut the spice. Speaking of, Hubs did El Cuatro, which, as the name implies, is a sampler of 4 ceviches: corvina, mixto, langostina and mango. His came with chips and maduros. The corvina was his favorite and the langostina he said was even spicer than the mixto. 

We didn't ask and weren't asked about dessert, so I can't speak to options.

I'd certainly go here again, but probably for lunch.


Ceviche mixto


Here's the link to their website: http://www.wbceviche.com/
***
Cape Fear Seafood
140 Hays Lane Unit 140
Wilmington, NC 28411
20 June 2020
lunch



We kinda landed on this one by accident. Looking for a GF seafood restaurant on the Google, one with a descent menu, we came across this one and it wasn't too far away from where we were. So, off we went to try a new place. We were kinda disappointed to find out it's a chain, but it wasn't busy. So we stayed.

We started with a half pound of peel and eats, which were super fresh and delicious!

Moved on to the main dish. Hubs chose the fresh catch tacos, which looked amazing! Certainly not Unicorn friendly, but a good size and he said they were great.

I opted for the lemon pepper scallops, which came with two sides, so I opted for the green beans and oven roasted potatoes (ok, so these had butter on them, but not too much). The portion was a good size and I really enjoyed them. They were cooked perfectly!

Overall, I liked this place but would have liked more Unicorn-friendly options. This will be a last-ditch option next time. At least the the dish I could have was scallops :)

Website for this location is here: https://www.capefearseafoodcompany.com/porters-neck


***
PinPoint Restaurant
114 Market Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
19 June 2020
dinner



So after trying to get into 2 other places for dinner, to no avail (thanks, Covid), we landed on this place. The Google said it was good for GF dining, and it was close, so we went.

Beautiful old location in historic Wilmington near the River Walk. Tin ceiling, oyster chandelier, cool-looking bar, plank flooring. I was happy to be there just for the ambiance. Then I looked at the menu. So many good things! The menu changes often, but you can pretty much count on local seafood and a good steak.

When I mentioned to Luis, our amazing server (you really shouldn't sit in anyone else's section), that I was GF and DF, he didn't bat an eyelash and explained that the owner has dietary restrictions of her own so the staff and chefs have no issue adjusting. Luis told me to pick what looked good and he would dissect the dish so we could find adjustments that worked. Well, okay then! Yay!

We started with the Assorted Pickles. Listen, they don't just open a few jars of Mt. Olive and throw them on a plate. You order them; they make them. Five different things in 5 different brines. We had yellow beats, tiny cukes, baby purple carrots, red peppers, and one other thing I forgot. One had a dill-esque flavor. The peppers had cinnamon. The beats had maybe a curry? I'm sure if we asked Luis would have told us. But we were too busy eating and ooo-ing and ahhhh-ing.

For the main course, Hubster opted for the Local Seafood Tagliatelle. He was not disappointed! Fresh pasta, fresh seafood. Amazing. I opted for the Local Speared Hog Snapper. I wanted seafood, too, but to remove the tagliatelle from the seafood dish would be just wrong. So snapper it was. And nothing had to be modified. I repeat, nothing had to be changed! And it was delightful! Portion sizes were just right and I think I might have licked the plate if no one else was around.

They do have GF DF sorbet, but no sugar-free options for the Hubs, and really we didn't have room anyway. Everything is made in-house, so if you can, and have room, you should try something.

This is a place to which I will certainly return!
10/10

Here's the link to the menu: https://pinpointrestaurant.com/dinner

***
42nd Street Oyster Bar
508 W Jones St
Raleigh, NC
28 May 2020
dinner

OK, so if you like oysters, this place is for-sure Unicorn friendly. Personally, not a fan. But I was able to find a couple things that worked, albeit with some tweaking by the kitchen staff.

Let's start with the fact that they offer a GF menu. That was super helpful! If you are only GF, you have a ton of choices! I wish more places would do a GF menu. I can dream...

The only appetizer that worked was the bacon-wrapped scallops (shucks). AMAZING!!!! If there is a next time for me at this place, I'll order a double app and a side as my dinner. So good!

For the main course I had the 42nd Street Platter, which is scallops, shrimp and choice of fish. The kitchen graciously cooked everything in olive oil for me. It was all delicious! Oh, I chose the mahi mahi. My fish was a huge portion, but the waiter did mess up an put in the wrong entree for me, so I think the fish was supposed to be a smaller size. I was stuffed by the time I finished it. And finish it I did!

Which was fine because there were zero desserts available. Not even fruit. Oh well. The entrees are really big enough that you don't need it.

Overall, it's a decent place to go for a Unicorn.


***
Seasons52
4325 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC
27 May 2020
dinner

So, Hubster had a week of meetings in Raleigh and I tagged along. Not the week for it, really -- wet and most things are still Covid-closed. But I digress...

The owners of the company were gracious to invite me along for the dinners Wednesday and Thursday. Judy did a great job picking Unicorn-friendly places!

I really enjoyed the Caramelized Sea Scallops. They were great at removing the butter and subbing oven-roasted potatoes for the mascapone risotto (but, oooo, that sounds so good!). The waiter was great and didn't need to check with the kitchen; he just knew what they had and what would work. When it came time for dessert, he was ready with a fresh fruit option, which was small, but lovely. All the desserts were served in shot glasses, so I really didn't feel cheated in any way (except that they had chocolate and coffee and pecans and...)

If you are a Unicorn and find yourself in Raleigh, Seasons52 would be a good option. Happy dining!

***
Bambara 
Inside the Hotel Monaco, Salt Lake City, Utah
1 Feb 2020
dinner

After our morning in Park City, we came back into SLC and walked over to the Family History Library. Seems the LDS community is very much into genealogies and has created a huge library and website dedicated to helping folks check out the ancient ancestors. We got signed up and started looking at Hubby's family tree. Three hours later, we were getting hungry, so we left the library, freshened up at the hotel, and walked a couple blocks to Bambara.

 It is inside the Hotel Monaco, which is pretty swanky. What impressed me first was, when I called to make reservations like 10 minutes before we wanted to be there, they asked if there were any dietary restrictions. Cool, and yes please. GF and DF. Thank you in advance! Since it was the end of Sundance, they were pretty packed out for reservations, but they could get us on a high-top next to the open kitchen. It was pretty cool to be able to watch the chefs in action, but it was kinda loud.

 When they seated us, I was handed the GF menu and Hubby got the regular menu. Well done, Bambara! The dishes that could be modified were at my fingertips. Of course, this Unicorn also need DF, but the waiter was super helpful in narrowing down my selections.

Hubby ordered the 44Farms NY Strip. I miss beef, especially really great beef, which this was. The presentation was great, too, and the portion was quite substantial. Considering that he ate the whole thing, it was excellent.

I settled on the Maine Scallops, which didn't have to be modified other than using olive oil for the sear. The pork belly hash they arrived on was divine! I can be a Unicorn and eat high-end. Huzzah!

When dessert time rolled around, we were good to say thanks, no thanks as usual. But they had sorbet! Yay! Three different options, even. I decided on the ginger, mint, something or other flavor. Amazing. Hubby ordered a decaf with honey (his Unicornism is an intolerance for refined sugar), pictured below, which he said was really good. I took the liberty of adding some of his honey to the top of my sorbet, which was delicious. 


 

This meal was not inexpensive, but overall was worth every penny! I'd like to think that we'd go back next time we are in town.
***
Blue Lemon
Salt Lake City, Utah
2 Feb 2020
lunch, via Door Dash 

***
501 on Main
Park City, Utah
1 Feb 2020
lunch



Our first dining experience in Utah (I'm not counting the breakfast in the hotel). We had an entire day to do whatever we wanted, so we headed over to Park City. We really didn't know ahead of time that it was also the final weekend of the Sundance Film Festival. Pretty cool! Didn't see any stars (other than the guy dressed head to toe in neon snow gear but no clue who he was, really, but he was super out-going) but did see a lot of people and tons of cool art. Park City is known for its art galleries and I can see why. Everything from the bizarre to nature photography to paintings. It was a great day!

Lunchtime was rolling around and we were getting hungry. I was sorta surprised by the lack of restaurants we passed in Park City. A couple bars. An ice cream place. A couple high-end places. We popped into 501 on Main because the Google said they were GF friendly. The menu was pretty limited overall, but I was able to get the Bacon Lover's BLT on GF bread. And the fries are also GF. Win! The portions were decent and the view from our table upstairs was great. If you like people-watching, ask for a table  upstairs.The prices were pretty over the top for a sandwich and fries, but then again, we were in Park City and during Sundance. 

I'd go back to 501 if given the chance. The staff was great and made sure my meal wasn't going to cause me issues later. The food was delicious and the portions were good. 

***
Fiamma
Charlotte, NC (Dilworth)
1/19/2020
dinner

Two words: Restaurant Week. So many great places to choose from! If your city doesn't have one of these gems, here's how it works: restaurants create a prix fixe menu for $30 or $35 that includes 3 courses (usually app, entree and dessert; some will do wine instead of dessert). I spent a great many hours searching through all the menus to find a Unicorn-friendly place. There really weren't that many, sadly, since most post that substitutions aren't allowed. Well, then I came upon Fiamma. They offer a giant RW menu featuring apps, entrees and dessert. Since hubby can't do sugar and I can't do dairy or gluten, we asked what they could do for us, secretly hoping they'd offer to comp the wine instead of dessert. But, alas, they would allow us 2 apps and an entree each. OK. sure, 2 apps. No problem.

I ordered the Insalata di Baraietola (beet salad) and the scallops, making sure to mention that I can't do dairy, so please use olive oil. Then ordered the barramundi for the entree, again mentioning no dairy. The waiter asked me what would happen if I got dairy; told him my throat swells and I can't swallow. Odd, but thanks for asking. Hubby ordered the Delicia del Contadina salad (pears, walnuts, cheese, balsamic reduction) and the Fritto Misto (fried mixed seafood) as apps and the ribeye as the entree. 

We've done this before and know the drill. A lot of places scale back on portions (or just normally serve what we refer to as elf food), so we were planning on tucking in and maybe having a snack later. Imagine our surprise when our apps came out and filled the 4-top table! Seriously huge portions! We were mostly full by the time we got those down! Granted, they had modified mine to include spaghetti squash instead of the mushrooms I was looking forward to (oh well), but they were still very large portions!

Then the entrees arrived. The steak was huge! and my portion of fish was definitely generous! And delicious! Everything was delicious! Michael has half his steak to use for lunch today. When we got the bill, I noticed that our waiter had noted a dairy allergy on both the app and the entree. Happy to see that he took me seriously and that the system they use allows notes like that. Well done.

We decided that this place stays on the list of acceptable restaurants and we will definitely go back. Great staff (most speak Spanish to each other, which I don't mind), cozy atmosphere, and amazing food. A winner for sure!

Check them out at: FiammaCharlotte.com
The RW menu is here: https://charlotterestaurantweek.iheart.com/content/2017-06-22-fiamma/
 

***
Cracker Barrel
Gaffney, SC

Hubby and I had the privilege of meeting up with long-time friends who live overseas when they were nearby for their son's wedding. There happened to be a Cracker Barrel (or as we call it in our house, The Bread Bucket) half-way between us, and not much else, actually, save Waffle House, which, well, no. I was not optimistic about my options. I mean, I don't go to there on a normal day; it's just not my style. But, it was the best option, so off we went! My fears were realized when I looked over the menu. Not a single GF option. It seems they are on a mission to infuse as much gluten in their patrons' diets as possible. I was able, with the help of our waitress, Debbie, to find create a breakfast entree of 2 eggs, bacon and a (very sad and tiny) bowl of fresh fruit. I was super disappointed to not have any potato options (I love eggs and potatoes in the morning). 

To sum, I won't go back unless I have to. Even though something can be put together to feed this Unicorn, I'd rather go someplace that at least acknowledges the unicorns exist.

***
Metro Diner
14211 Reese Blvd, Huntersville, NC

The hubster and I headed here Saturday for lunch after checking out Yelp. He likes culinary adventures and can usually find something of interest on any menu anywhere; but they have shrimp and grits AND chicken n waffles (not gonna lie, I still don't understand this southern concept). 

As for the unicorn in the room, I was, as usual, pretty much limited to salads or eggs, just to be safe. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the small print on the bottom of the first page of the menu that says "Ask you server for our gluten free menu". Huzzah! What a blessing! It is an actual printed and laminated menu of items taken from the regular menu with modifications to make them GF. Brilliant. I'll go back just because of this. As for the DF portion of my life, I had to mod that on my own.

I ended up ordering the corned beef hash and eggs, with GF toast. Delicious! I had to go "butter" free as they only offer real butter (not a bad thing, really).
In addition to GF bread, they also offer GF burger buns so all their burgers are fair game for the GF unicorns. They do up-charge for these GF delicacies, as do most places, but at least they HAVE them!

Metro Diner gets an A+ from this unicorn. 

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