STEPHANIE'S II - GREENSBORO, NC

Every so often we find that one diamond-in-the-rough that turns out to be one of our favorite places. This weekend we found Stephanie’s II in Greensboro, NC. Stephanie’s II is home cooking done well. Just really good food without any frills or fanfare.  

The location is nothing to write home about. The building has seen better days and the inside isn’t going to win any decorating awards.  The tables and chairs are well worn and if you’re looking for luxury you will not find it here. It’s seen better times but with the first bite you really don’t care much.

We started with the Fried Chicken Wing appetizer. According to the menu they use Granny’s secret recipe to prepare three whole jumbo wings, fried to golden brown and served in a basket with celery sticks and ranch dressing. It was $5.99 or an order, $8.99 for a double order. Big Daddy and I both agreed that we could have eaten the fried chicken wings for days and I’m still kicking myself for not ordering a to-go order. Right now, hands down, Stephanie’s II has won the trophy for the best damn fried chicken since my own grandmother’s and Big Daddy’s mama fried chicken for us. It was that good! The ranch dressing is also homemade and some of the best I've ever tasted. This was truly a winning combination.

We were both in a fish dinner kind of mood so Big Daddy ordered a two-piece Fried Whiting Fillet with their world famous Macaroni and Cheese, Cream Potatoes and hush puppies. I ordered the two-piece Catfish with Collard Greens, Pinto Beans and cornbread. We washed it all down with Sweet Tea. Stephanie’s II makes real sweet tea, slow brewed with plenty of sugar. That in itself was a plus for me.

So where do I start? The whiting was much better than the catfish. Fried to a beautiful brown, it was seasoned to perfection. The portions were oversized and one-piece would have been sufficient. The macaroni and cheese was melt-in-your mouth perfection, creamy and homemade good. The potatoes weren’t spectacular but then I’m not a mashed potato fan like Big Daddy. The catfish was just okay for me. It was heavily peppered and I’m not sure why. Although I would order it again if necessary I would definitely order the whitefish first. Now, the cook(s) are truly Southern. The collard greens and pinto beans both were cooked with a hint of sugar. I’m not a fan of sweet pinto beans. I don’t mind it in the collard greens. I think the sweet takes away from the pintos so I didn’t finish them but the greens were nicely cooked and I enjoyed them. I would order the greens again. I also loved the cornbread. And that’s loved with a capital L! 

They have an impressive list of famous faces who've graced their dining room, including our illustrious President, Barack Obama. Not too shabby for a mom and pop hole in the wall! Stephanie’s II has a diverse menu of home cooked goodness that will not disappoint.

The whole meal was immensely satisfying. The portions were excellent and as my father would say, the chef put his foot in that meal! We’re already planning our next trip and my mouth is watering thinking about the Fried Pork Chop Dinner, and the BBQ Ribs, and of course, the Fried Chicken. And this time I will not leave without trying the Sweet Potato Cobbler!

 

THE FLYING BISCUIT - RALEIGH, NC

We discovered The Flying Biscuit while shopping for a dresser that I still haven’t found. It was mid-afternoon and the joint was empty. Big Daddy was looking for quiet so the timing was perfect. We had our choice of tables as there was no one else eating. Our waiter did let us know that this was not the norm and advised that the breakfast hour can be a whole other beast.

“We own breakfast in Raleigh,” he said somewhat emphatically. According to him breakfast on the weekends can include a lengthy two hour wait with many people trying to get in. And I can believe that.

Now breakfast is served all day long and they are renowned for their biscuits. They have great biscuits. And amazing cinnamon-nutmeg infused apple butter. Biscuits and apple butter are a lethal combination for my waistline and hard to resist. I’d go back just for the biscuits!

Now, I just knew Big Daddy was going to try the chicken but he surprised me and ordered the Turkey Pot Roast instead. So I ordered the chicken. Hands down, Big Daddy had the better of the two meals.

The Turkey Pot Roast was turkey slow-roasted and hand-pulled served in brown gravy with mashed potatoes and green beans. From start to finish every bite of this meal was melt-in-your mouth decadent. The turkey was tender, moist and the gravy perfectly seasoned. We were told the turkey is slow roasted some ten hours, then the au just gravy is made from the drippings and the whole shebang simmered together for another three-plus hours. I don’t care how it was made. I just know it was spectacular. The mashed potatoes were red-roasted potatoes mashed with the skin. They were flavorful and creamy as silk and the green beans were vegetable crack. They were lightly grilled, had a nice snap and were nicely seasoned. Big Daddy thought they were a little salt heavy but I think he was just being a little sensitive. On a scale of 1 – 10, this meal was a 100! I could eat this every day.

I ordered the Oven Fried Chicken and I was hopeful, having heard good things about their other dishes. The chicken was an herb-crusted chicken breast served with grilled macaroni and cheese and spicy collard greens. From a presentation perspective the meal made me think of some futuristic TV dinner. It all looked flat and uniformly perfect. The chicken breast was flattened and the crust reminded me of the boxed Shake-N-Bake my mother used to make back in the day. The herb flavoring was intense, the chicken breast surprisingly moist but I couldn’t get past the crunchy out of a box texture. The collards were spot on and for me, the best part of the meal. Big Daddy thought they were a little too spicy for him. He couldn’t get past the peppered heat to taste the greens but they had a nice bite and chew. The macaroni and cheese was a total fail for me. It was flat and square. There was a layer of cheese on top that was gummy and the pressed macaroni and cheese layer below was starchy and stiff. Macaroni and cheese should be decadently cheesy and gooey and this was a disappointment.

Reviewing the MENU I imagine that when they’re good they’re great but when they’re not, they’re a total bust. I also imagine it would be a lot of fun figuring out what’s good on the menu and what’s not. The vibe is super fun with a bright, feel good decor. The service was good and everyone was super pleasant. There’s a bar and as we were leaving there were a few people seated who seemed to be having a great time. We’ll do breakfast the next time and during their peak hour. I’m curious to see how they handle things. And I'm already fiending for some biscuits!

ED MITCHELL'S QUE - DURHAM, NC

 

Always on the search for good food, we were delighted to discover Ed Mitchell’s Que located in downtown Durham, NC. There to celebrate a favorite uncle’s 80^th birthday, I have to say we could not have found a better place. The old guy wanted barbecue and Ed Mitchell is a master.

The location is a real estate dream come true. It borders the Durham Bulls ballpark and sits across from American Tobacco Campus. There’s generous parking in the parking deck and its right in the middle of a lot of downtown action. They've capitalized on the people-watching opportunity with several bright red outdoor tables. Inside, the decor is slightly dressed up but comfortable and casual, feeling really down to earth. The background music was funky R&B and jazz and the whole vibe was just feel, feel good. The space isn’t overly large and we went at the perfect hour between lunch and dinner. There was no crowd, we had our choice of tables, opting to sit by the window and had our server’s full attention.

I wanted to try all the appetizers because there was a really eclectic selection on the menu and they all had my mouth watering. Big Daddy, on the other hand was just ready for the entrees. I highly recommend the N.C. Charcuterie, an assortment of meats and cheeses from North Carolina.  There was a coffee-flavored sweetened goat’s milk caramel with pork rinds that was absolutely outrageous, plus an assortment of Brie, crackers, and other cheeses. Also tops on my list were Ryan’s Smoked Wings and the Tomato Pie. I could eat the tomato pie all day long! It was a delicate stewed tomato, mixed cheddar cheese in the flakiest crust.

We ordered rounds of full plates. Uncle ordered the Carolina Baby Back Ribs with French fries and the smoked vegetable medley. Big Daddy had Mother Mitchell’s Fried Chicken, fries and black-eyed peas, and I had the Beef Brisket with macaroni and cheese and collard greens.

For starters the portions were generous! We had no complaints about the amount of food we were served. The brisket was the highlight of my meal, fork-tender, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. All of the sides were okay, nothing spectacular. The collards had just enough bite and chew but was short on flavor. Nothing a good ham hock or smoked turkey neck and a pinch of salt wouldn’t help. The bread crumb topped macaroni and cheese was bland but edible. I make a killer macaroni and cheese and this didn’t come close to hitting the mark.

Big Daddy thoroughly enjoyed the fried chicken. The crust was crispy and flavorful, the meat moist and tender and they gave him two breasts and a wing. Again, healthy portions! Now, I thought the crust was a tad heavy. It had no flake but my guy had no complaints at all. He ended up bringing half of it home and it warmed up nicely later that night. Uncle’s ribs were on point as well. Moist, tender, and falling off the bone.

I’m not sure why but like many other barbecue restaurants, the meat was great but the sides left much to be desired. They weren’t bad but not a one left any kind of impression. But what did leave an impression was the dessert!

Big Daddy is a dessert aficionado. He loves anything sweet. Me? Not so much. Since it was Uncle’s birthday we let him take the lead on dessert and he selected the Pig-Pickin’ Cake which is whole-heartedly a Southern thing! The cake was slightly dense and exceptionally moist. It had the mildest orange and pineapple flavor and the icing was a sweet cream cheese confection. I could have eaten two slices! Loved, loved, loved dessert. I also wish I’d ordered the chocolate pecan pie or the homemade banana pudding but since I didn’t I’ll definitely have to make a second trip.

We thoroughly enjoy our meal. And kudos to Erin, our server. She was sugar sweet and just a sheer pleasure. I greatly appreciated her keeping my sweet tea glass filled since the sweet tea was some of the best I’ve had and their cute little mason jar glasses aren’t overly large. Erin went above and beyond to insure we had a pleasant experience and even made our birthday guy feel extra special. I can’t wait to do the QUE again and Big Daddy and I both highly recommend it. ALL THUMBS UP!