HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gong Xi Fa Chai everyone! HAHA. I have been MIA for a while on blogging and now Mocmoc is getting on my case. I can't help it I have been travelling! But now I am in North Carolina. And in honor of my return I would like to share with you some of my favorite eats here. I'm sorry, I don't have any pics.

1. Mert's - Soul food in downtown Charlotte with EXCELLENT corn bread. It's a favorite of locals and I used to take all my out of town guests there to eat. The cornbread, I could just eat that alone. They give you a complimentary piece with your meal and it literally melts in your mouth. I have to use a fork to eat it because its that moist and soft. They serve it with honey butter but just by itself its so good. In addition the Fried Chicken is so yum, I normally don't like fried chicken but theirs is so succulent and juicy. They also have excellent Shrimp and Grits. Grits for those of you who don't know is a staple in the south, its cornmeal and a cross between rice and oatmeal. I love this place and didn't really realize it until after I left, before I would go every now and then because I was afraid of the heart attack that I would get from eating there. It's still great for every now and then but with everything if you can't have it you want it more.

2. Musashi - It's a relatively authentic Japanese restaurant located in south charlotte. It is my brother pig pen and I's favorite and one of our favorite Japanese restaurants, period. They have THE best agadashi tofu which I always get. They have excellent appetizer dishes and a great dressing for their house salads. I usually get the nabeyaki udon which comes out boiling hot, just how I like it or the Katsu-Jyu which is Pork Katsu (fried pork)over rice and topped with onion and egg.

3. Moe's - This is a chain and its a "Mexican" fast food place. Kind of like a Baja Fresh / La Salsa kind of deal. Except they work you through the line as they make your meal. They have a very hilarious menu with items such as "Ugly Naked Guy", "JOhn Cocostan", and my usual "The Homewrecker". "Tub of Lard" (which i think they really mean it). The first time I went there was with the Charlotte Sting head coach. My favorite is the Tofu Homewrecker with Pinto beans, all the way with extra cilantro and a side of guacamole for my chips.

4. Showmars - This is also a staple in Charlotte. There's one on every corner. It's kind of like those Coney Island diners you'd find all throughout michigan. they serve like hamburgers, salads, greek dinners. It's basically a diner with a greek twist. I usually get the Gyro with well done fries or the greek salad with chicken. It's one of those places that you have a love/hate relationship with. When I worked in the marketing center with the Bobcats there was one right across the hall way. We'd get our coffee there in the mornings and go there for our weekly staff meetings. They knew our name there.

5. Caribou - it's a coffee joint that they have primarily in the midwest. I like them better than Starbucks and sometimes *gasp, even better than Coffee Bean. The environment in their stores is like a woodsy cabin feel, which I love. there's a fireplace in each chain which sometimes they even have on in the summer. I usually get the turtle mocha - which is a mocha with mint or the campfire mocha, a mocha with marshmallows on top! The only thing that sucks about them is that their specialty drinks that I love, don't come in smalls. I also like their mascot - this moose, which I have gotten mocmoc and mr moc a couple. They dress him up in different outfits like a chicken, or snowman, etc. so adorable!

That's it for now! It's time to eat dinner... yum.... oink oink

--RD