At Seasons 52...It's All About You!

Seasons 52 in Raleigh, NC

The Hotness and Sweetly were invited to a birthday celebration and were taken aback by the deliciousness of every single dish and the excellent customer service.  We're FOODIES who enjoy great food!  In a first, The Hotness wished to nominate Seasons 52 for The Hotness Hottie Best Food Award but Sweetly had to inform her...no such award exists.  A girl can dream can't she?  We loved this place and can't wait to go back again and again!

Dish:  Wood-Grilled Boneless Rainbow Trout

Critique:  Fantastic.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!


















Dish:  Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos

Critique:  Amazing.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!
















Dish:  Wood-Grilled Filet Mignon

Critique:  Awesome.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!












Dish:  Southern-Style Shrimp & Grits

Critique:  Superb.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!


















Dish:  Lump Crab Cake Sandwich

Critique:  Excellent.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!













Dish:  Dessert Tower

Critique: "And you get a dessert, and you get a dessert, and you get a dessert! Everyone gets a dessert!"
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Metro Diner...Comfort Food with All the Flavor

Metro Diner in Raleigh, NC

Dish:  Fried Chicken Plate

Critique:  Rumor has it that Metro Diner fried chicken was voted the best FRIED CHICKEN by several magazines, so you know The Hotness and Sweetly had to find out if this rumor was true.  After all, we are the true fried chicken connoisseurs…we had KFC, Church’s, Popeyes, Bojangles, Lowe’s Fried Chicken, etc. we had them all!  So our expectations were rather high before we took the first bite of the piping hot drumstick.  The Hotness took the first bite because she likes things rather hot and Sweetly soon followed suit to confirm the rumor.  Metro Diner’s fried chicken deserves all the votes for the Best Fried Chicken! Seasoned to the bone and crispy! Go get some Metro Diner yard bird now! Oh the biscuit was slammin’ too.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Avocado Toast

Critique:  Sweetly just loves avocados, if she could eat a bucket of them she would.  However, The Hotness is not about the avocado life.  Nonetheless, Sweetly vowed that this was the best avocado toast she had.  She wanted to give it 5 Hotties due to the freshness of the fresh chopped avocados and tomatoes.  If you’re about that avocado life, this toast is for you!
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!






Dish:  Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissant

Critique:  Buttery Bread, Bacon, Eggs, and Cheddar Cheese.  It’s a tried and true combination that doesn’t disappoint the savage hungry beast raging inside.  One of the greatest breakfast sandwiches done right!
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!








Dish:  Croissant French Toast

Critique:  Classic dish…four pieces of a light, buttery croissant, battered and grilled to perfection!  Not surprisingly, Sweetly ate the entire dish all by herself.  There’s no shame in her game, powdered sugar was all over her face.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!






Dish:  Chicken Tender Salad

Critique:  Hey Now!! Crispy chicken tenders served over mixed greens, shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese, bacon, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and croutons.  “In my belly!!” is what The Hotness kept shouting at her dish.  Apparently, the salad listened to her and within five minutes her plate was empty of every piece of lettuce.
Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Happy New Year's Feast!

Kitchen a la The Hotness

Dish:  Seafood Gumbo

Critique:  Our family tradition continues with this delicious seafood gumbo packed with crab legs, chicken, shrimp, and hot links.  The spices and seafood were on point, this dish rarely disappoints! Ha…The Hotness is a poet and didn’t know it.

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Slow Roasted Ham

Critique:  This is one of The Hotness’ signature dishes, she uses Coke-Cola and pineapple juice to slow roast the ham to perfection.  It was absolutely flawless and scrumptious.  Yummy Swine Time! Don’t judge…

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Southern Mac-n-Cheese

Critique: Deep, cheesy, and a little crispy.  Heavy cream was used to make this mac-n cheese extra cheesy!  Sweetly likes the top a little toasty.  The crispy and cheesy textures were impeccable!

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish: Collard Greens

Critique:  Collards.  Collards.  Collards.  Need we say more?  Add smoke turkey necks to get smoky flavor! Da Bomb!  Who knew one could eat turkey necks as meals?  The nephew of The Hotness did..he ate all sever!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Southern Potato Salad

Critique:  Has anyone ever dreamed about swimming in an ocean full of potato salad?  Well, The Hotness has! Her dream came true…potatoes, onions, celery, paprika, mayo, etc.  Yassssssss!!  Don’t send The Hotness a life jacket. 

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish: Deviled Eggs

Critique: Classically made.  Deliciously delivered.  Simple.  Sweetly is a fan of simplicity and with deviled eggs simple goes a long way.  

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish: Apple Dumplings

Critique:  Do it Mountain Dew!! That’s the secret to cooking these beauties.  So sweet and succulent, these desserts were truly in high demand.  Serve with vanilla ice cream and family members will surely leave you in their last will and testament!  We wish everyone a wonderful 2018!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Who Let the Dogs Out? Oh, The Cardinal Bar Did!

The Cardinal Bar in Raleigh, NC

Dish:  Hot Dogs

Critique:  The bread, the bread, the bread!  The hot dogs were unbelievably delicious, but it was the hot dog BUNS that made this hot dog feast unforgettable.  The bread was so scrumptious that Sweetly wondered if it was the actual Bread of Life!  Whatever your toppings preference, be assured that you will be in for a treat.  Coleslaw, cheese, chili, and beer onions?  Say what?  The party is at The Cardinal Bar…umm the party was so “off the chain” that we went two days in a row.  Don’t judge us!  And special shout out to The Cardinal for giving a discount to our veterans and all service employees!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!!

Sopranos Grill in Raleigh, NC

Dish:  Rice Balls

Critique:  Not sure if this restaurant is officially based on the Sopranos hit HBO series, we were too nervous to ask any questions.  This was the very first time that The Hotness and Sweetly tried rice balls.  When we ordered them, we thought they would be the size of petite cheeseballs…these rice balls were the size of a fist!  Stuffed with risotto, parmesan cheese, ground beef, and sweet peas…yasss!  The flavor was unique, we gave the rice balls extra points for the sheer size of each one.  The crispiness of the outside crust provided a welcome texture.  The Hotness definitely preferred the marinara dipping sauce versus the ranch dressing.

Score:  3 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Chicken Parmigiana

Critique:  One of the best chicken parmigiana’s ever! Sweetly kept remarking on how the chicken was cooked to perfection.  Lightly breaded, deep fried, and then baked in the Sopranos house-made marinara sauce PLUS topped with melted mozzarella cheese.  Angel hair pasta is our favorite, so it was the perfect compliment to such a wonderful dish.

Score:  4 Out of 4 Hotties!

Dish:  Carmela’s Lasagna

Critique:  Marvelous! Simply Marvelous! Layers and layers of ground beef, ricotta, romano, and mozzarella cheese smothered in the Sopranos house-made tomato sauce.  Served piping hot, so hawt that The Hotness thought it was competing against her.  If you are fan of awesomely, delicious lasagna then Carmela’s Lasagna is for you and your belly!  Is it a crime to drink glasses of marinara sauce? Nope!  Btw…our waiter was the strong, silent type maybe because he actually worked for the real Sopranos, he refused to smile.  Proceed with caution-but the food is worth it!

Score: 4 Out of 4 Hotties!