About a month ago I ran across Fusion 108 in Huntersville, just off of Gilead by the Harris Teeter. I made a mental note to try this place again soon. Unfortunately, my mental notes are frequently lost. So, it wasn’t until a few days ago, when I can across a coupon in a mailer, that I remembered that I wanted to try this place.

Fusion 108 advertises itself as a Chinese and Thai restaurant that uses “fresh, natural ingredients, lean white meat and flavorful Chinese and Thai spices … Our dishes combine traditional, delicious Chinese stir-fry with fragrant spices. Enriching our menu, we also serve distinctive Japanese Habachi Grill.”

I’ve gotta admit, I was a little hesitant to try Fusion 108. My rule of thumb is: a restaurant that serves too many styles, doesn’t get any of them right. As you will soon read: I was wrong — VERY wrong.

My wife and I entered Fusion 108 and were immediately seated in one of the three booths. This is a small restaurant; probably no more than 20 tables. The interior is done with warm colors of dark browns and mustards. At the front is a long counter top that also serves as a window into their substantial kitchen. I saw many take-out orders pick-up their orders here.

We looked over our menus and I had a hard time deciding. Did I want the mongolian beef? Maybe the orange beef? What about the chow mein? They do have a lot of options — and all of them sound delicious. I eventually settled on the Egg Roll (pork), and the Thai Red Curry Coconut with beef and white rice. While my wife ordered the Thai Spring Roll (pork and shrimp) and the Pad Thai with chicken.

The first items to arrive were the rolls. Both were deep fried (STILL HOT!) and crispy. In my haste, I burned my tongue, but I’d rather the food come out piping hot than cold. My pork egg roll came with duck sauce and was thicker and more substantive than the spring roll ordered by my wife. Her roll came with a spicy red pepper and vinegar sauce. But both were good, flavorful, and filled with assorted vegetables (aside from the meats). An excellent way to start the meal.

Shortly after we finished the rolls, our entrees arrived. My Thai red curry looked good, and the aroma was intoxicating. The curry was a reddish brown color, spicy, and very thick and creamy — something that caught me by surprise. The slices of beef were lean and tender. However the meat wasn’t the star of this meal — it was the vegetables. This entree was loaded with zucchini, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, sweet peas, and the occasional water chestnut. The veggies worked well with this dish, adding flavor and a crunchy texture with every bite.

My wife’s pad thai was fantastic. Served with the standard flat and thin rice noodle, this chicken pad thai was topped with finely chopped peanuts, and had a great tangy vinegar zest to its flavor. The tender chicken was served in strips that were easily picked up with the noodles in every bite.

Not only was the food good, but the servings were huge. We only ate about 1/2 of our entrees, this means that we both have lunch to later today. Also, though we went with coupons in hand, our order only came to about $23 (including tax), so we didn’t actually get the dollar amount high enough to use the coupons. Next time we’ll either have to order more, or add a drink or two.

Fusion 108 is one of the few restaurants that tries to serve several different styles of food, and masters it. My assumption was wrong. Now to prove how wrong I was — I’ll need to go back again, and again, and again . . .

Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 12/15

Price: $$ (including tip, and no drinks it came to about $14 per person)
Kid friendly: Yes, they have a kids menu.

Conclusion: This little restaurant is almost hidden by it’s much larger neighbor Killington’s Pub. But the food, atmosphere, and service here are great. Unfortunately, it was mostly empty when we visited - but I hope more people try it out and learn what a gem this place really is.

Restaurant Info:
Fusion 108
Rosedale Shopping Center
10010 Rose Commons Dr
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-992-0808

**For more reviews of restaurants in the Lake Norman Area, or for recipes and wine reviews, go to the Lake Norman Foodie’s blog at http://www.lakenormanfoodie.com**

If you’ve driven into, or out of Mooresville along 115, you’ve seen the What-A-Burger drive-in. After I returned, I started Googling What-A-Burger to see what I could learn.

From about 30 minutes of Googling, I have learned that this What-A-Burger is one of the few remaining restaurants from the original What-A-Burger drive-in chain that began in Virginia during the 1940’s.

There is another Whataburger chain of restaurants that began in Texas in 1950. It had become very successful, and stretches from Arizona to Georgia. But don’t confuse the two… apparently some people are VERY adamant about which one is better.

This Mooresville What-A-Burger is designated as #11 by its sign. So, at one point there were at least 11 of them. It’s a drive-in that is stuck in time — they still have speakers to order your food, and the food is still delivered to your car.

But the years haven’t been kind. I’m sure at one point it was a sparkling beacon in Mooresville, with its huge and bright sign. Now it’s more of a dive, desperately in need of a coat of paint.

My buddy and I pulled in for some lunch last week, and I think it’s best to say that it was a mixed experience.

We enjoyed the novelty of visiting a real and original drive-in. And apparently others enjoyed it too — the standard parking lot was as packed as the drive-in slots. After I looked over the menu, I made my decision — a what-a-cheeseburger, with fries and a large coke.

After a few minutes, the speaker next to the menu crackled to life, and asked me what I wanted to order. I pushed the black button as I spoke, hoping that this would allow the speaker to hear me better. It did. The speaker spoke back to me and confirmed my order. For a beat-up speaker from the 1940s, it’s pretty smart!

We waited about seven minutes for our orders to be brought to us. Surprisingly, the food was handed to us. There was no tray to be left on our window. This lead us to place the food on the dash, drinks in the cup holders, and the four small paper ketchup cups next to the gear shift. This will be important for later in this post.

I opened the paper wrapper that was toothpicked to the burger. As it turns out, the toothpick also keeps a pickle to the top of the burger. The What-A-Burger is advertised as being bigger than the standard burger (at this restaurant). It has a 5 inch (diameter) bun, and has a 1/4lb patty. My burger had lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and mayo.

As you can see from the photo, it was really squished and the bun was pressed so that it was really thin. As I was beginning my second or third bite, I hear my friend yell “OW!” As it turns out, he kinda forgot about the toothpick…. and while taking a bite, got the toothpick STUCK UP HIS NOSE!!!

Yea, I found it funny too! I was trying not to laugh. But really, a toothpick up the nose? Isn’t that supposed to be a nose-pick?? (I’m hilarious!)

As I was laughing, I took a bite and proceeded to chomp down on — the toothpick in my burger. Though it was nowhere near my nose, it wasn’t straight, and apparently was pointing forward. Yup, that’s what I get for laughing at the misfortune of others! Karma = 1; Foodie = 0.

I yanked the toothpick, and got back to eating. Unfortunately, the burger was only OK. I was really hoping for a delicious, juicy, and mouthwatering burger. Something equivalent to Five Guys or In-N-Out. This hope left me disappointed. The patty was just a standard fried burger patty. The produce was actually good. But the OK burger combined with a soggy and thin bun, just didn’t do anything for me.

As I was thinking this, the paper wrapper gave way, unleashing a flood of mayonnaise, grease, and tomato-juice onto my lap. The paper wrapper is just that — paper. So the entire time I was eating, it was getting soggy. Eventually it couldn’t hold the liquid back, and my shorts (which I had just pulled from the dryer), were now soggy. UGH. Karma = 2; Foodie = 0. (ok, ok, I’m SORRY for laughing about the toothpick!)

I now made my way to the crinkle-cut fries. Really, these fries sucked. They were lacking flavor, weren’t crispy, and overall a disappointment. To give you an idea of how much I disliked these fries — I stopped eating them after only having three. They simply weren’t worth the calories. That said, my friend’s onion rings were really good and had a decent coating of batter. They seemed mass-produced and not home-made. But they were good nonetheless.

After we finished our meal, we threw away the trash, headed home. The drive was fine until I turned into my friend’s neighborhood. As I made the turn I saw something out of the lower right corner of my eye fly though the air from the gear shift. Remember those ketchup cups I mentioned earlier?? Well, they were back! On the carpet of my car… UGH. Karma = 3; Foodie = 0.

I learned three things on this trip:
1) Not to expect great things from What-A-Burger’s food.
2) Despite the grease stains on the dash, it’s still fun to eat at a drive-in.
3) Never laugh when a friend gets a toothpick up the nose — it could make your life messy!

Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5 (It’s a dive, but it’s still a drive-in)
Food: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 8/15

Price: $ (Well under $10)
Kid Friendly: Yes, because they’ll be in your car. No, because your children will be making a HUGE mess in your car!

Conclusion: The food is lackluster. But I recommend eating here if you haven’t. Why?? Because, it’s a freakin’ original drive-in!! It’s a piece of history, and these places don’t really exist any more (with a few exceptions). So pack your car with friends, good music, and go check this place out. It’ll be worth it — at least the first time

Restaurant Info:
What-A-Burger
210 S Main St
Mooresville, NC, 28115
(704) 664-5455

**For more reviews of restaurants in the Lake Norman Area, or for recipes and wine reviews, go to the Lake Norman Foodie’s blog at http://www.lakenormanfoodie.com**

During coffee last week with a friend, I was reminded that I needed to visit Tenders Fresh Food in Cornelius. I’d been told that they have some of the best friend chicken around, but I had forgotten — until it was mentioned during our morning conversation.
 
So yesterday I headed out to meet another friend at Tenders. On the corner of Westmoreland and Statesville Roads in Cornelius, it’s easy to find. And from the looks of the parking lot at noon — a LOT of people have already found it.

 
I walked in and took a look at the menu. It’s very basic. In fact, the menu reminded me of the menus available at Five Guys and In-N-Out Burger. This restaurant focuses on only a few things and does them well. As opposed to some of those fast-food restaurants that have dozens of entrees, Tenders has only three — Chicken Tenders, Chicken Sandwich, and a Pork Loin Sandwich.
 
I chose the Chicken Tenders, and added Honey-Mustard sauce, Fries, and a Pepsi. While waiting for my order I looked around the restaurant. This place is VERY clean. Not a speck of dirt or crumb of food around. The owner obviously takes pride in this restaurant.
 
Once my food was ready, I loaded up on ketchup, went outside, and grabbed a table with an umbrella for shade. I took a bite of the fried chicken and was amazed how tender the chicken was. It almost fell apart while picking it up — something I wasn’t ready for.

Future Plans

 
Usually, when eating chicken tenders, I’ve found them to be tough and rubbery. However, these were juicy and tender, and had quite a lot of flavor. In addition, the fried batter was thick and crispy. On a few occasions when I took a bite, the chicken pulled away from the rest of the tender, leaving a large portion of fried batter waiting for my next bite. These are easily the best chicken tenders that I’ve had, and it could be the best fried chicken that I’ve had.
 
The fries are cut and fried on the premises, as the bags of potatoes will attest. In addition, the skins are left on the fries, which only makes me like this place more. I found the fries to be crunchy and tender — much like the chicken I was enjoying.
 
This was a really great meal, at a VERY reasonable price ($6 and change). It’s locally owned and all of their ingredients are fresh. I can’t recommend this place enough.
 
Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 12/15
Price: $ (food and drink under $10)
Kid Friendly: Yes. They offer a kids meal, and I don’t think your children could hurt the cement floors. Also, what kid doesn’t love chicken tenders?
 
Conclusion: This is a great local restaurant. They only do a few things, and they make a GREAT fried chicken. I highly recommend it.
 
Restaurant Info:
Tenders Fresh Food
18341 Statesville Rd.
Cornelius, NC 28031-9184
p) 704-895-6017
http://www.tendersfreshfood.com/
 

**For more reviews of restaurants in the Lake Norman Area, or for recipes and wine reviews, go to the Lake Norman Foodie’s blog at http://www.lakenormanfoodie.com**

1. Be aware of the those around you.

- Drive on the right side of the channel or cove.
- Look before you turn.
- All boats have the responsibility to take whatever action necessary to avoid a collision or accident.

2. Operate your boat at a safe & prudent speed.

3. Wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket while water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing or operating a PWC. Small children and non-swimmers should wear life jackets at all times anywhere on the water.

4. Turn your navigation lights on 30 minutes before sunset.

5. If your boat or PWC has a safety cut off switch, use it.

6. When refueling, check your engine compartment for spillage and use your blower to expel fumes.

7. Obey the law of the water.  This includes respecting “No Wake” zones, adhering to all rafting policies, etc.

8. Take a boating safety course and get a voluntary inspection of your boat. (Most of the time this is free of charge).

For more information please contact these providers:

Lighthouse Marine Service, Inc.
704-587-0325
uscgc17@bellsouth.net
www.lmservice.org
PO Box 7483
Charlotte, NC 28241

Lake Norman Sail & Power Squadron
Richard Todd
704-662-3647
397 Catalina Drive
Mooresville, NC 28117
www.usps.org/lakemorman

 
9. Before leaving the dock make sure your boat or PWC is equipped with proper documentation, marine radio or cellular phone, enough life vests for people on board, etc.

10. Don’t drink and drive. A designated driver is as important on the water as on the land.

Following these easy to remember tips will ensure everyone has a fun and safe time out on the water.  

A few months ago I started to notice a BBQ trailer in front of the Cashions at the intersection of Catawba Ave. and Hwy 73. The trailer is only there on Fridays and Saturdays.  In addition, going to a BBQ trailer is something new for me — where I grew up, there were taco stands, not BBQ stands.

So, I decided to take a chance and fill up on gas — and top-off the car too. J

I went up to the trailer, and didn’t see anybody inside. After yelling “Hello?” I received a response, and it turns out that Pop (I don’t know if that’s what he’s really called, but he is the owner of Pop’s BBQ, so that’s how I’m referring to him.) was in the back of the trailer.

As I got to talking with Pop, it turns out that cooking BBQ is a hobby that he’s using to supplement his income. From our brief conversation, it sounds as if his other business isn’t doing so well in the recession, so he sells BBQ to make ends meet.

I’ve gotta say, he’s doing us all a favor by selling his BBQ, it’s good stuff.

Once I got it home, I opened the box and took a look.  I had a LOT of pork BBQ with his vinegar based sauce already on it.  The pork was accompanied with two sides: coleslaw and baked beans.  There was also a standard hamburger bun included, in case I wanted to make a sandwich.

The BBQ is standard pulled / chopped pork with a vinegar based Carolina BBQ sauce.  The pork was nice and moist and the sauce had more tomato than I was expecting.  It was thicker than the vinegar-based sauces that I’m used to, and it was much more red in color.   In addition, it has a nice black pepper flavor to it, which gave the BBQ some depth of flavor.

I wasn’t as happy with the sides.  The coleslaw was nice and crunchy, while containing some carrots and bell peppers.  However, it didn’t have the typical mayonnaise-based sauce and because of that it seemed to be lacking in flavor.  The baked beans were cold.  They had a nice thick molasses-like sauce but there was little, if any, meat.

That said, Pop is quite friendly, and served up the food quickly.  In addition, there were a few other menu items than just BBQ.  I’d definitely recommend giving Pops a try.

Score:
Atmosphere: 1/5 (It’s a trailer in front of a gas station, there is no atmosphere)
Food: 3/5 (The pork is great, but the sides were lack-luster.  I’d recommend getting a BBQ sandwich.
Service: 4/5  (I came to like Pop quickly, so I’ll say the service was above average)
Total: 8/15 (or 7/10 I don’t think that the lack of a dining room should be held against Pop’s BBQ)
Price: $ (food and drink just under $10)
Kid Friendly: No, but since you’re not eating here, it doesn’t matter.

Conclusion:  Good BBQ for a good price.  If you’re driving by and in a hurry for a meal, Pop’s BBQ is a good option.

Restaurant Info:
Pops BBQ
(In front of Cashions Quik Stop 5)
16600 Highway 73
Huntersville, NC 28078

**For more reviews of restaurants in the Lake Norman Area, or for recipes and wine reviews, go to the Lake Norman Foodie’s blog at http://www.lakenormanfoodie.com**

My friend gave me a call the other day, asking if I’d been to Sushi @ the Lake.  Since I hadn’t been there, and I was in a Sushi mood, I headed over there to see what I would find.

I’ll go almost anywhere for good sushi. In fact, in California I often visited a sushi restaurant that had bullet holes in the windows, wanted posters taped over the holes, and cars without wheels in the parking lot.  Strangely, that was some of the best sushi I’ve ever had!

Fortunately, Sushi @ the Lake is nearby and I wasn’t worried about my personal safety.  It’s located in the same strip mall as Matt’s Chicago Dog.  And is right off of the mess that is Catawba Avenue in Cornelius. (When are they gonna finish that project anyway?)

My friend and I were quickly seated and our drink orders were taken immediately.  We glanced over the lunch specials, and I quickly found two of my favorites – California Roll and Tempura – together in the same special.

During a short wait, I had a chance to look around.  There isn’t much in the way of atmosphere.  The walls are mostly bare.  But there was 80’s music playing, and blue neon lights on the tops of the walls.  Which meant that I grew to like the place.  In addition, they have a separate room with Hibachi Grills.  It appears those are only open during dinner.

When the meal arrived, my large plate was loaded.  It had six California Rolls. Almost 10 large pieces of Tempura, including two shrimp.  And a large salad mostly consisting of lettuce.

The California Rolls were good, and rolled tightly (I hate it when they’re loose and fall apart!).  The tempura was fried perfectly – from the onion to the large shrimp.  And I found the salad refreshing.  The provided dressing, and the simplicity of the lettuce kept the meal from over-filling me.  Just what I was looking for.

Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 11/15
Price: $$ (Including meal, soda, and tip, it came to almost $17 – more than I was expecting)
Kid Friendly: Yes.  They have high-chairs, and a contraption with netting that holds a baby carrier.  They also have a children’s menu.

Conclusion: 
Though the price was a little higher than I was expecting, the food and service were very good.  I’ll be back to try the Hibachi Grill.

Restaurant Info:
Sushi @ the Lake
19732 One Norman Blvd.
Suite 300
Cornelius, NC 28031
p) 704-987-8080
f) 704-987-8030
http://www.sushiatthelake.com

**For more reviews of restaurants in the Lake Norman Area, or for recipes and wine reviews, go to the Lake Norman Foodie’s blog at http://www.lakenormanfoodie.com**

With Cinco de Mayo quickly approaching, I thought it’d be a good time to review Zapata’s Mexican Restaurant in Cornelius – just off of West Catawba Ave.

I recently visited during lunch, so the price listed below is a little lower than dinner, but not extraordinarily so.  Once I entered, I was quickly taken to a booth next to a window.  As I sat, the host asked me for my drink order.  I told him a Coke.  And he went go place the order. 

About 30 seconds later my waitress appeared, also asking for my drink order.  I let her know that I had just ordered a Coke a few seconds before.  This was a constant theme during lunch; the staff were attentive and helpful — and my glass of Coke was constantly topped-off!

The interior of the restaurant is nice.  There is an interior pergola to the right, and in the center of the room you’ll find a working water fountain.  The booths are comfy, and some of the tables have custom tile-work in the middle.

I ordered the lunch item Carnitas de Res.  It’s described as, “Fajita-style!  Tender strips of marinated beef grilled with green peppers and onions.  Served with guacamole and sour cream.”  It also came with re-fried beans, rice, and flour tortillas.  So, it was a filling meal. However, it wasn’t quite what I had been hoping for.

The rice seemed stale and bland, while the re-fried beans were good though a little runny.  But it was the “Carnitas” part that I found disappointing.  The meat, onions, and peppers had been cooked in a sauce (I think it was tomato based) that was actually sweet.  Not sugar sweet, but sweet from all of the sugars in the onions and the roasted red peppers.

Unfortunately, the standard flavors of oregano, cumin, and chili powder that I have come to expect in Mexican cooking simply weren’t there.  And that threw me back a little.  It tasted good – it just didn’t taste like Mexican food.

All in all, the food wasn’t noteworthy, but the service and atmosphere were good.  I’ll probably try it again – in a while.

Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 2/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 9/15
Price: $$ (food, soda, tax and tip were $12)
Kid Friendly: Yes.  On Sunday, one child per adult eats free.

Restaurant Info:
19905 NC Hwy. 73
West Catawba Ave., Suite 102
Cornelius, NC 28031
p) 704-987-8890
http://www.zapatasrestaurant.com

**For more reviews of restaurants in the Lake Norman Area, or for recipes and wine reviews, go to the Lake Norman Foodie’s blog at http://www.lakenormanfoodie.com**

Sadly, this was not a joke and the result of declining advertising revenue which has been hurting many papers across the country.  Bill Kiser (editor and general manager) writes on Time’s website, “What did the Times in? To borrow a quote, “it’s the economy, stupid.”  That, in a nutshell, is what is plaguing the newspaper industry - heck, the entire nation - these days, and the Times wasn’t immune to those problems. Other businesses have shut down, and unemployment figures in the four-county region surrounding the lake exceeds 13 percent.” 

The Times also faced increasing competition from the Weekly Herald (formerly the Huntersville Herald) which is distributed for free to targeted households throughout north Mecklenburg.

See the 2009 article here: http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/02/0219_affordable_suburbs/34.htm

Some quick facts on Cornelius:Nearest major city: Charlotte Population: 17,290 Median household income: $87,016 Median home price: $206,000 Unemployment rate: 3.3% Violent crime index: 48

The fast-growing bedroom community, 30 miles north of Charlotte, has some beautiful homes on Lake Norman, North Carolina’s largest lake. About 31% of residents are married with children. The average commute is 31 minutes.

Interestingly, Cornelius was also recognized in 2008 by Business Week in an article titled, “Are You Overpaying for Where You Live?”  The article goes on to list the 53 most expensive suburbs in the US and Cornelius came in at 34.  The article lists the Median home price at $225,000, Cost of living index at 69%, Nonretail spending index at 71%, and the Transportation cost index at 61%.

See the 2008 article here:  http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/feb2008/bw20080229_643607_page_2.htm

 
Needless to say this is a quite a large turn around in the course of a year and nice recognition.

Lake Norman Pier Time Lapse

Lake Norman Day Time Lapse 2

Lake Norman Night Time Lapse 1

Lake Norman Day Time Lapse 1

Lake Norman Time Lapse

Charlotte, NC Uptown Night Time Lapse

Check out more of Blair’s videos (including some additional time lapse shots of Charlotte) on his Vimeo Page.