Tag: amy westerman

Food Review: TAE (True Arkansas Eatery)

It was Lori’s birthday, so we went to get something special for lunch at TAE, which just opened a week ago. We both loved The Southern Gourmasian and hated it closed permanently. So, we were very excited to hear that its former owners were giving it another shot at this new restaurant.
Here’s the breakdown:

ENVIRONMENT

Located in the Frederica Hotel on Capitol, this restaurant is easy to find and there is hotel parking available, which was super convenient- and free.

The restaurant itself is very small, but modernly decorated (similar to the Frederica Hotel’s decor). It has a business- casual feel to it. So, it isn’t too stuffy, while still feeling like a nice place to enjoy a great meal.

 

MENU

The menu isn’t too lengthy, but it is full of delicious options, so it was hard to decide on what to order. Full of Southern cuisine such as fried chicken, meatloaf, cornbread dressing, fried spare ribs, fried green tomatoes, candied yams, purple hull peas, and much more.

 

FOOD

Pork + Cornbread Sliders: $8.25
Description: shredded pork, smokey greens, crispy purple hull peas, bbq sauce on top of cornbread.

Three of us split this “snack” and we all loved it. The cornbread is course, sweet, and definitely house-made. The pork was so tender and juicy. The smoky greens fit right in. The bbq was sparse, which was perfect. It didn’t overpower the flavor of the other ingredients. This is a large appetizer, definitely worth $8!

Twice-Fried Chicken Salad: $10
Description: Field greens, fried chicken breast, egg, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pimento cheese, with choice of dressing.

I don’t know what “twice-fried” chicken is, but it is delicious! These breast strips were so juicy, but the coating was perfectly crunchy. Even my last bite of salad still had crunch! I opted out of the pimento cheese, and I went with their house-made vinaigrette. The salad was very large, the picture doesn’t do it justice. It was delicious and filling and I would definitely get this again.

Homestyle Patty Melt: $9

Description: Arkansas toast, marinated beef patty, pimento cheese, and grilled onions. Comes with fries.

Lori ordered this one and loved it! I did steal a few fries off of her plate, and they were perfect. Crispy, slightly greasy (in a good way), and perfectly salty. These may the best fries around.

 

Twice-Fried Chicken Gyro: $9.25
Description: Breast meat, field greens, tomato, and cool sauce. Comes with fries.

While I didn’t try this dish, it looked amazing. Courtney really liked it! And the fries were perfectly delicious, again.  Courtney’s only complaint was that the pita was not heated or grilled first. It was cold and dense, which made the gyro hard to eat. She suggests definitely grilling the pita first. Good idea!

Overall, this place has already nailed some great dishes and has wonderful potential! I can’t wait for their dinner service to open and see what they add to that menu. Until then, I’m going back for the fried chicken and fries!

 

Food Review: Great Seafood at Flying Burger and Seafood in Caddo Valley (Lake DeGray)

While camping at DeGray Lake this past weekend, Drew and I went into “town” (Caddo Valley) one rainy morning for an early lunch. We decided to try the new Flying Burger and Seafood. Here’s the dish:

ENVIRONMENT

This newly built restaurant is clean and open.

It has a “David’s Burgers” feel. It is decorated in mostly red, black, and white. You order at the counter, with all of their raw meat and seafood on display. You are given a buzzer and can go get your food when it is ready.

 

Every table had paper towels, and there is plastic-ware and plenty of sauces to choose from in the front. (Remoulade, Ranch, Tarter Sauce, Ketchup, Honey Mustard)

MENU

http://theflyingburger.com/menus.html

While you can find their menu in the link above, it has just about anything anyone would want. From burgers, fresh salads, and fried seafood baskets, to boiled platters and grilled plates….there’s something for everyone.

FOOD

Crawfish Corn Chowder- bowl: $7.49

Usually when I order a bowl vs. a cup of soup at a restaurant, I am disappointed with the size. Not here! This bowl was massive. Drew and I split it as an appetizer and couldn’t finish.
Was it that good? Meh. It has a few pieces of crawfish in it, which were nice. But the flavor consisted of mostly corn. There were some other veggies, such as bell peppers and onions, throughout. However, at the “dips” bar, there were also containers of “cajun spice” and hot sauces to choose from. After adding some cajun spice seasoning and some Louisiana hot sauce, it was much tastier. Otherwise, it is pretty bland. I wouldn’t get this again. Though, it is a ton of soup for less than $8.

 

6 Catfish Fillets Basket: $10.99
*Baskets come with fries and 2 hush puppies. However, we opted out of the fries (while fresh cut, they looked a little limp and disappointing) and replaced them with 6 extra hush puppies.

This may be the cheapest catfish I have ever gotten. 6 pieces plus two sides for $11 is pretty awesome!
Even better, it was delicious! The fish was cooked perfectly. Crispy and flaky. It tasted very clean, not fishy at all. However, the batter didn’t have too much flavor. Dipping it in any of the many optional sauces fixes that, though.
The hush puppies were huge and sweet, not too greasy. They tasted great dipped in their remoulade sauce.
We ended up taking 3 pieces of catfish and 6 hush puppies back to camp to snack on later.
*I judge a great catfish filet based on how the crispiness sets up after it has been in the fridge for a while. These filets were still crispy and delicious a day later!

OVERALL

I would definitely recommend this spot if you’re in the area. All other food I saw coming out looked delicious, especially their large salads with perfectly seasoned salmon on top! OH, and they have huge homemade cinnamon rolls for $2 if you aren’t too full after your meal.
Plus, the service was fast and friendly. Great spot!