Poole'side Pies...A Raleigh Pizza Joint

What has The Hotness and Sweetly been up to this year?  Take a moment and listen to our 

Restaurant Magic Podcast Show

Poole'side Pies in Raleigh, North Carolina

Dish: Five Cheese Pizza with Pork-Fennel Sausage

Critique:  More cheese puh-lease!  The Hotness and Sweetly wanted to checkout Poole’side Pies pizza joint.  After all, it’s one of the newest restaurants from the James Beard award winning (America’s Best Chef), Ashley Christensen.  We’re so happy that we did!  This cheezy pizza delight was packed with all types of cheeses:  ricotta, comte, pecorino, mozzarella, and parmesan.  Plus sausage and chile garlic crunch oil.  Say what?!  When it comes to pizza, Poole’side Pies ain’t playing any games.  Mouthwatering pizza deliciousness awaits your taste buds.  Be prepared to bring the coins- but these unique pizzas are absolutely worth it!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

What else has The Hotness and Sweetly been up to?  We made our first muckbang video!  What’s “muckbang”? Great question!  Watch our video to find out!

Happy 2019!! It’s been a blessed and wonderful year! 

Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, North Carolina

Listen to the owner and chef, Ricky Moore of the Saltbox Seafood Joint on our podcast Restaurant Magic!


Dish: Flounder Plate with Slaw Salad with Lemon Dressing & Crispy Seasoned Potatoes with Green Peppers and Onions

Critique:  The Hotness could not contain her excitement about this quite exceptional fish dish!  She didn’t even call it a dish, she called it The Flounder Mountain.  Yassssssss!! So much flounder, so little time!  Guess what?  The Hotness found time to put all this fish…in her belly!! Lawd have mercy, the slaw salad tasted amazingly fresh and the seasoned potatoes were on point.  The Hotness even ate all the green peppers and every single onion.  Chef Ricky Moore ain’t playing no games when it comes to seafood!  His food presentation simply outstanding.

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Trout Roll with Slaw Salad with Lemon Dressing

Critique:  Sweetly wanted to take it easy with the trout roll.  But guess what? She didn’t!  She consumed her trout roll in 7 seconds flat.  Apparently, she wasn’t playing games either.  She did find time to let The Hotness know that each bite of the trout was beyond delicious.  And yes, she ordered and finished three more trout rolls before The Hotness had a chance to get a taste.  Sweetly had no shame.

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!



Dish:  Hush-Honeys

Critique:  A unique spin on hush puppies these tasty cornbread delights were covered in warm honey.  Yeah, that’s what’s up…so sweet and complimentary with our food.  It’s impossible to just eat one, so we all them all!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!








Dish:  Lemon Punch

Critique: It’s a rarity for The Hotness to showcase a beverage, but this Lemon Punch at the Saltbox Seafood Joint is indescribably delightful.  It’s some of the best lemonade The Hotness ever drank, we had to tell the world about it!

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!

V's Kitchen Restaurant Gives Tribute to Soul Food in the (Bull City) Durham, North Carolina!

V's Kitchen Restaurant in Durham, North Carolina

Listen to the owner of V's Kitchen Restaurant on our radio show Restaurant Magic!


Dish: BBQ Spare Ribs

Critique:  Oh yeah Babe! These ribs, these ribs, these ribs…The Hotness could not stop speaking about the tenderness and juicy flavor of these ribs.  Marinated in V’s Kitchen special seasonings then slow cooked in BBQ sauce, yes! These ribs were fall off the bone delicious.  The Hotness is a Cali girl and greatly appreciated these classic BBQ spare ribs.  Go head V!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!




Dish:  Smothered Fried Pork Chop (Bone-In)

Critique:  Okay, ladies and gentleman something happened when Sweetly tasted her smothered fried pork chop…a single tear dropped from her eye.  Tears of joy flowed down her face as she ate her savory bone-in fried pork chop that was also cooked V’s Kitchen special seasonings.  The Hotness refused to console her since Sweetly refused to share.  Bone-in is obviously where the pork chop party is at!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!


Dish:  Hamburger Scramble

Critique:  Ground beef smothered in a creamed mushroom sauce served over rice.  This dish reminded The Hotness of good times in the country.  Packed with a creamy sauce, this dish was an ocean of ground beef…how heavenly.  Don’t judge! Swimming in an ocean full of ground beef is one of The Hotness top dreams!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!











Dish:  Three Cheese Macaroni, Collard Greens, Sweet Chili Cabbage, Sweet Potato Fluff, and Potato Salad

Critique: The Hotness and Sweetly tried to order every single side offered at V’s Kitchen simply because we wanted all the goodness in our belly!  Is there a law against ordering all side items off a menu? We hope not! We couldn’t resist the yummy collards, the cheesy mac n cheese, oooh that sweet potato fluff, scrumptious potato salad, and the sweet chili cabbage.  Sweetly wanted more, but The Hotness showed some restraint…not before placing her order for 7 more sides of Sweet Potato Fluff.  No judging!

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!












Dish: Apple Cake

Critique:  V’s Kitchen desserts sell like hot apple cakes! Come early to be sure that you get the desserts of the day.  The Hotness loved the cake and appreciates the homemade sweetness offered in this delectable dessert.  If you’re wondering, yes! The Hotness tried to devour entire apple cake…it was so good that she couldn’t stop herself! 

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Thanksgiving Feast a la The Hotness

Thanksgiving Plate of Goodness

Dish:  Thanksgiving Feast of 2018

Critique:  The Hotness had 9 reasons to be grateful for Thanksgiving or shall we say 9 dishes that we expertly prepared for high level consumption!  The Hotness went back for seconds, thirds, and fourths...is that even a word?  Sweetly tried hard to keep up but she wasn't ready.  Every morsel in each dish was cooked to perfection and delicious!!  It's okay to lick your screen 😀 The Hotness does it all the time!

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties for every dish!  Enjoy!

Smoked Turkey

Coke Cola Slow Cooked Ham

Collard Greens

Cornbread Dressing

Corn and Okra

Veggie Mash with Rutabagas and Turnips

Gooey Mac n Cheese

Classic Potato Salad

Yummy Sweet Potato Pie

The Prime Smokehouse is the Prime Destination for Fantastic Food and Amazing Drinks

The Prime Smokehouse in Rocky Mount, NC

Listen to the Owners of The Prime Smokehouse on our radio show Restaurant Magic

Dish: Yalem's Amazing Cajun Gumbo

Critique:  This classic dish is named after Ed’s lovely wife Yalem.  Made with his own home-made seafood stock, this Louisiana favorite soup is packed with okra, shrimp, chicken, and flavorful sausage.  Hands down, according to Sweetly, this is the best gumbo sold in North Carolina! Classically made.  Go grab a bowl or three! 

  

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Smokehouse Wing Dinner with Baked Macaroni & Cheese and Orange-Ginger Yams

Critique:  Did someone say wing dinner? Yaassssss!  Since these wings are not fried, The Hotness ate as many as she wanted.  Each wing is hand-rubbed in special spices, slow-smoked and brushed with The Prime House Signature Sauce.  Yummmm!  Mac n Cheese…y’all ain’t ready for this AWARD winning macaroni, melted cheese, and bread crumbs! The Hotness wasn’t ready for the deliciousness on her plate, the yams were flawless and tasted beyond perfection!   Of course, The Hotness didn’t share, she’s not about that sharing life!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  BBQ Pulled Pork Platter with Collard Greens and Potato Salad

Critique:  Someone call 911 because these greens should be illegal! Seasoned with a hint of garlic and smoked turkey, Sweetly couldn’t get enough but The Hotness managed to get a couple of forkfuls. The smokehouse potato salad and slow-smoked pulled pork were an impeccable match with the collard greens.  Sweetly tried ordering the pot liquor from the greens because she has no shame!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Almond Cheesecake

Critique: All specialty cheesecakes are made in-house and made from scratch.  Sweetly did not leave a crumb on her plate, nor did she offer The Hotness the opportunity to sample her cheesecake.  Sweetly is a bonafide cheesecake lover and has made a vow to try every selection of cheesecakes made by The Prime Smokehouse.

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish: Made-from-scratch Peach Cobbler with Butter Crust

Critique:  This cobbler is served hot from the oven with double-churned vanilla ice cream…fresh peaches and butter crust all in one spoonful!  Y’all ain’t ready for this piping hot dessert, designed to please your taste buds.  The Hotness was ready because she’s already hot, but for those who think they are ready to participate in the scrumptiousness of The Prime Smokehouse…you’ll enjoy every bite!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Cappuccino

Critique:  What a flawless way to end an evening!  A nice, sweet cappuccino made with the finest of coffee blends.  Strong, powerful, and robust…who knew The Prime Smokehouse is a connoisseur of fine coffees and teas?  The sweet tea and coffee were brewed with an absolute precision to produce the optimum flavor.

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!

At Monell's...Sharing is Caring!

Monell's

Dish:  Field Peas

Critique:  The Hotness has been on this pea protein kick so she thought it was fitting that she up her pea game by eating Monell’s fresh peas.  Although peas are not The Hotness favorite vegetable, after tasting Monell’s unique field pea recipe, she became a pea fan!  That’ right…we’re not ashamed!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!











Dish:  Green Beans, Corn Pudding, & Pulled Pork

Green Beans

Critique:  We have to admit that we were not prepared for Monell’s family style buffet- it consists of possibly sitting next to a perfect stranger while grubbing! Say what?  Omg! Once we got used to the set-up we didn’t care who sat next to us as we stuffed our faces.  Once the food arrived, the instructions were:  “Take what you like out of the dish and pass it to the left.”  Sorry, there’s no pictures of the piping hot fried chicken- no one was willing to wait for Sweetly to take pictures…they wanted that chicken!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Corn Pudding

Pulled Pork

Dish:  Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding

Critique: Some of the best banana pudding in Nashville!  Bananas-check!  Pudding-check! Plenty of vanilla wafers-check!  The Hotness wanted to keep the bowl all to herself, but knew her life would be in jeopardy LOL!  She quickly took ten scoops and passed the bowl to the left :-)

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

The Battle of Sweetness Takes Place at The Capital Grille

The Capital Grille

Dish:  Clam Chowder

Critique:  Since Sweetly is from Boston, she is the designated Clam Chowder specialist.  Sweetly wished the potatoes were less firm but The Hotness thought the chowder was perfect the way it was.  The Hotness is the clam chowder queen!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!






Dish:  Salmon with Polenta & The Angus Cheeseburger

Critique:  Both dishes were exquisitely delicious.  Between the fantastic salmon and the wonderful cheeseburger, The Hotness could not contain her glee as she devoured every.single.bite.  Yeah Babe!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!












Dish:  Cheesecake & Espresso Chocolate Cake

Critique: In this dessert battle, it’s cheesecake vs. chocolate espresso cake!  Who won this Battle of Sweetness?  To be honest, we couldn’t decide!  The creaminess of each dessert was outstanding and unbelievable.  If you ever find yourself in Dessert Heaven at the Capital Grille, treat yourself to both!  You deserve it!

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!