BaoBao Kitchen

 

Located at 2403 Battleground Avenue in Greensboro, BaoBao Kitchen serves Vietnamese cuisine from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except for Sunday. Online ordering and catering are available as is (limited) outdoor seating.

Tiny hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese and Thai places are often among the best of their kind, and so I had reason to be hopeful for BaoBao Kitchen despite its limited dimensions. While BaoBao is small (a few tables with limited space between them), the menu is not. Buns, rolls, curries, pho, rice dishes, banh mi, and more are yours for the taking. BaoBao even offers all-day breakfast, a rarity among Vietnamese eateries in the area.

Dining solo, I went with pork bao buns, shrimp fresh rolls, and a hibiscus tea. Though BaoBao was busy, the crew here seems adept at getting food out quickly. I enjoyed most of what I had. The tea was sweet with a tangy note and especially refreshing on a warm day. They definitely didn't skimp on the bao bun toppings, and while their sheer sauciness led to some structural integrity challenges, that also made for a very tasty bite. Unlike other establishments, BaoBao serves three rolls to an order rather than two. However, they are short and smaller. As they were also chewier, this is probably not something I'd opt for again.

Provided that you aren't coming in with a large group, BaoBao seems like a reliable option for modestly priced Vietnamese eats. I've yet to try the banh mi or the pho to see how they stack up, but I'll know to keep this place in mind the next time I'm in the area and want a quick bite.

Shinjuku Station

 

Located at 5835 Samet Drive in High Point’s Palladium Shopping Center, Shinjuku Station offers conveyor belt sushi and Japanese cuisine. It is open from 11 a.m. -9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11-10:30 Friday and Saturday. Sake is available.

The Triad’s first conveyor belt sushi establishment, Shinjuku Station offers a unique dining experience. That experience won’t appeal to everyone, but for those not alienated by the drawbacks, this place has quite a bit to offer.

From the faux turnstiles at the entrance to the subway map on the ceiling to the conveyor belt “tracks,” Shinjuku Station leans heavily into a train theme. Add robot waiters (fear not: there are human servers as well) and vending machines, and you’ll feel temporarily transported to another world.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the emphasis on aesthetics masks mediocre, overpriced food, but many of Shinjuku Station’s offerings hold up better than you think. While the flat fee for all-you-can-eat isn’t cheap ($28 for dinner/$18 for lunch for adults and less for kids), even if you come hungry, you can very easily get your money’s worth here. The menu boasts apps, sides, hibachi entrees, nigiri sushi, and classic and specialty rolls. You can grab whatever passes by off of the conveyer belt or use your table’s tablet to order up to five items at a time from the kitchen. My wife and I tried a variety of items and were satisfied with most. The salmon and snapper nigiri tasted fresh and the Yip Yip, Green River, and Lady Shinjuki rolls all offered a nice balance of flavors. Only the spicy salmon (not spicy) and crab rangoon (oily) were disappointing.

 

While Cha(?) provided excellent service (and gave us an assortment of sauces), the kitchen was rather slow getting our first order out. The second, thankfully, came quite a bit more quickly. As you can imagine from the ambiance, this is a lively place, and while the energy skewed toward “fun” during our visit, I can imagine it gets quite noisy here during busier times.

If you like trying new things and are willing to abide a few quirks and delays, Shinjuku Station can offer a meal you will not easily forget. It may not be the best sushi around, but it’s more than just a gimmick.

Asheville Review Roundup

We recently visited Asheville for the first time in six-plus years. The trip gave us a chance to revisit old favorites and discover new ones. In addition to everything reviewed below, Malaprops, The Chocolate Fetish, DSSOLVER, Moonlight Makers, Downtown Books & News, Nine Mile (previous review here), Bagatelle Books, Orbit DVD, House of Black Cat Magic, Urban Orchard, Ginger’s Revenge, and French Broad Chocolates are all worth a visit.

Mission Pizza Asheville

Housed inside of Terra Nova Beer Co. at 101 South Lexington Ave in South Slope, Mission Pizza specializes in Roman-style rectangles (pizza al taglio) from 12-8 Wednesday and Thursday, 12-9 Friday and Saturday, and 12-6 on Sunday. Terra Nova offers indoor and outdoor seating. Online ordering and delivery are available.

The sister restaurant to Winston-Salem’s acclaimed Mission Pizza Napoletana, Mission Pizza Asheville (aka Mission Pizza Romana) is decidedly not your typical neighborhood slice shop. The Roman squares are made of a thick dough that looks like focaccia but is both lighter and crispier. They come in single 5” by 7” rectangles (spuntino, $8-$10), 5” by 13” pies (mezzo, $15-$19), or 9” x 13” party size portions (tutto, $30-$38). While you can build your own custom pizza, the default options include a Calabrian with pepper jam, a funghi & charred tomato, a sfincione with breadcrumb topping, a patate with potato cream, and a rotating special. A few dips, an arugula salad, cauliflower cacio pepe, and meatballs are also available.

Wanting a few slices to commemorate Pi Day, my wife and I shared a Calabrian, a funghi & charred tomato, and a daily special. Ordering was easy, and Terra Nova’s “green industrial” vibe (check out that moss wall) made for interesting ambiance. Our pizza was not cheap, but it was very satisfying, and Mission uses high-quality ingredients. The Calabrian offered a good combination of sweet and spicy while the funghi & charred tomato delivered creamy (ricotta) and smoky. The crust was done perfectly: crisp without being overly charred.

There are many places in Asheville where you can grab a pizza and a beer, but none can offer you the same experience that Mission does. Unless you’re a New York-style pizza purist, you owe it to yourself to give Mission a try.

Double D’s Coffee & Desserts

Located at 41 Biltmore Avenue, Double D’s Coffee & Desserts serves up coffee drinks, smoothies, baked goods, and ice cream from 10 to 8 (Sunday-Thursday)/8:30(Friday-Saturday) out of a converted bus. Courtyard seating is available.

We came across Asheville’s charming coffee bus during our first visit to the city and have made it a point to come back during every visit since. It’s still cash only, and it still draws crowds. However, since the upper deck is no longer available for seating, you no longer have to worry about squeezing past others inside the bus’s cramped confines. The coffee here (courtesy of Notorious Coffee Roasting Co.) is good. My wife remains partial to the red hot chili mocha (the cayenne provides a spicy kick) while I enjoyed a crème brulee latte during our most recent visit.

As a coffee shop, this probably isn’t the best Asheville has to offer, especially if you are pressed for time. But it’s far more than a novelty. If you have a few minutes to spare and cash in your wallet, it’s worth your time.

Blue Spiral 1

Located at 38 Biltmore Avenue, Blue Spiral 1 offers three floors of art from over 100 regional artists. Themed exhibitions rotate regularly. The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 11-6 and Sunday from 11-5. Photography is permitted.

Blue Spiral 1 is another Asheville institution that we can’t help but return to. From paintings to pottery to giant spoon sculptures, the gallery has a wide representation of styles and media. Recent exhibitions made use of recycled skateboards and explored the history of tattoos, both of which we found fascinating. Despite its fine arts pedigree (and pricing to match), Blue Spiral isn’t stuffy, and staff won’t give you the stink eye if you’re just there to browse.

Princess Anne Hotel

A boutique hotel/B&B hybrid in a 1920s building listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Princess Anne Hotel is about as far away as you can get (literally and figuratively) from a just-off-the-highway hospitality chain. The location is close enough to downtown so that you can still find food in walking distance yet far enough removed from the noise to give you a bit of quiet. Unlike a downtown hotel, you also don’t have to pay through the nose for parking. Staff are pleasant and knowledgeable about the area. The porch and patio areas make for relaxing outdoor spaces.

The Princess Anne is an old building and though generally well-maintained, isn’t immune to the occasional odd creak. Our room was, overall, fairly spacious (it included a kitchenette and dining/TV area), the bed was comfortable, and everything worked as it should. That said, the bathroom was tiny, even with the sink located in a different room.

If you can abide by its quirks, the Princess Anne offers character, comfort, and charm, all at a fairly good value.

City Bakery

Located at 88 Charlotte Street in Downtown Asheville, City Bakery offers artisan breads, coffees, and baked goods from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Online ordering is available.

City Bakery was a short walk from where we were staying, so it became our breakfast spot by default. Fortunately, it proved to be a good one. Bread may be their calling card, but they do have more substantial fare (biscuits, bagels, sandwiches, etc.) as well. We went with a pair of coffee drinks and a chocolate croissant as well as a loaf of Jewish rye to take home. Though they keep busy here, staff were pleasant and accommodating.

The coffee drinks were smooth, and when we eventually broke into the rye, it had a nice crust. The croissant definitely wasn’t bad, but I’ve been spoiled by better options back home.

Whether you’re seeking bread, a breakfast bite, or caffeination to keep you going, City Bakery is a reliable option.

Biscuit Head

Located at 733 Haywood Road in West Asheville (with other locations in South Asheville and the Mission Hospital Area), Biscuit Head specializes in biscuits and breakfasts. It is open Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Online ordering is available. Bacon flavors and biscuit specials rotate daily.

Biscuit Head has acquired a lofty reputation since it opened its doors more than a decade ago, and it was only a matter of time before we ended up here to see if it lived up to the hype. One drawback to said reputation: it gets busy, and it gets loud. Best try to catch them during an off-peak hour and hope that you can snag an open table.

That caveat aside, the menu is great. You can keep it simple with a biscuit and your choice of topping, roll the dice with a biscuit sandwich, or step up and take on a gut-busting breakfast platter. There are also sweet dishes and a bar full of complimentary jams.

My wife and I went with the biscuit of the day (Korean fried chicken), a biscuit with mushroom gravy, fried green tomatoes, and a side of bacon. The biscuits were good, but if you get them in a sandwich, don’t expect the sandwich to hold together. No matter: forks exist for a reason. The Korean fried chicken included both Korean BBQ sauce and pimento cheese, an interesting fusion of Asian and Southern that somehow worked. The accompanying tots were crispy and addictive, and the mushroom gravy was creamy and rich. The fried green tomatoes were respectable but would have been better topped with pimento.

Ultimately, Biscuit Head did not disappoint. The biscuits weren’t the best I’ve ever had, but the food here was still satisfying.

Baked Pie Company

Located at 4 Long Shoals Drive in Arden, Baked Pie Company offers hot and cold pies whole or by the slice. Online ordering, gluten free, keto, vegan, and sugar free options are available. Baked is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday – Saturday (closed Sunday).

We had missed getting an actual slice of pie on Pi Day, so what better way to make up for it than partaking in a Pie Flight the day after? Yes, you read that right. Baked offers three-slice flights, which, given the size of said slices, should definitely not be attempted alone.

While this curio would be enough to get plenty of people in the door, Baked has a lot more going for it. Though the selection varies from day to day, we found plenty of tantalizing options: fruit pies, chocolate pies, custard, pecan, a savory quiche, etc. The inside of the shop is homey and exudes retro charm, and the proprietors are welcoming.

My wife and I opted for the Irish Cream Brownie, Whiskey Silk, and Blackberry Biscuit for our flight. The pies were very sweet, but they were tasty. While the former two were both boozy chocolatey cold pies, they presented different flavors and textures. The blackberry biscuit was good (and probably would have been even better had we gone ala mode), but we should have requested it heated up.

At $15, the pie flight was a good deal given the size of the slices. That said, whole pies go for $38, which is more than many would pay.

Specialty pie shops are something of a rarity, and it would be tragic if Baked’s pies were merely pedestrian. Fortunately, they more than clear that bar.

Taco Temple

Located at 132 Charlotte Street in Asheville, Taco Temple offers tacos, tortas, and drinks from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday). Vegan options and online ordering are available, and the business has a drive-thru.

An offshoot of Mamacita’s, Taco Temple retains the same focus on homemade Mexican eats. The offerings are a bit fancier than you might find at a typical taco joint but not to the point of pretentiousness (they also have breakfast tacos for those who are up early enough). While it occupies a smallish space, Taco Temple does offer a cool vibe, including a vintage Corona machine.

My wife and I opted for a trio of tacos plus guac to go. Our order was ready on-time, and one look at the homemade blue corn tortillas made us anxious to dig in. The tacos were generally tasty and delivered distinct flavors: the loreto (tangerine-pasilla shrimp) was spicy and tangy while the Santa Barbara (ancho-brown sugar rubbed steak) was smoky and slightly sweet. The panela (panela cheese, poblano, black bean, pickled onion) included too much pickled onion and too little cheese, however. The chips, guac, and tomatillo salsa were solid complements to the meal.

Taco Temple may or may not make you a convert, but it’s worth at least one pilgrimage.

All Day Darling

Located at 102 Montford Avenue in Asheville, All Day Darling offers breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, coffees, baked goods, and more. It is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Indoor and outdoor seating, gluten-free options, and online ordering are available.

In need of a breakfast spot that was actually open on Sundays, All Day Darling proved a fortuitous find. The bustling, light-filled environment and focus on Southern-influenced dishes reminded me of a superior version of the old Iron Hen in Greensboro. Though All Day Darling does keep busy, its line to the register (place your order, grab a number – they are friendly and efficient here) moves quickly, and there is plenty of seating.

While I was tempted to order shakshuka, travel with something that heavy on my stomach seemed unwise, so I opted for The Standard (breakfast sandwich with a fried egg and herb mayo) with ham on a roll instead and paired it with a Golden Mocha (chocolate, turmeric, ginger, cardamon). My wife went with a Standard with avocado on a biscuit, and we split a piece of banana bread.

All of the food cleared expectations. The breads and biscuits live up to their homemade billing. The creamy herb mayo was the perfect complement to the salty ham. The banana bread was as good as any I have ever made. Despite its bevy of components, the Golden Mocha was well-balanced and went down easy.

All Day Darling is the kind of place where it would seem hard to go wrong. The next time we’re in Asheville, we’ll be back.

BBQ Joe's

Located at 2822 South Main Street in High Point (with another location in Trinity), BBQJoe’s serves barbecue from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Catering trays and online ordering are available, and the High Point location has a drive-thru window.

I remember trying – and liking – BBQ Joe’s not long after moving to High Point, which makes it puzzling that I haven’t been a more frequent visitor. Like most self-respecting barbecue joints, BBQ Joe’s lets the food do the talking: the dining area is strictly utilitarian. They keep busy here, but the staff are very efficient, and you won’t be waiting long for anything.

While BBQ Joe’s serves up the chopped or pulled pork that is synonymous with the Tarheel State, don’t go looking for the classic Lexington-style experience. They have a variety of sauces as well as ribs, chicken, smoked turkey, and brisket. Stop in before 11, and you can feast on a variety of biscuits.

For my most recent visit, I picked up a chopped brisket sandwich with white slaw, a side of hushpuppies, and a banana pudding. The food was prepped quickly and brought out with a smile. 

The brisket couldn’t touch what I had in Texas, but for High Point, it was definitely respectable. Though not as smokey as I would have hoped for, the meat was tender, and the sandwich held plenty of it. That said, the house Joe’s sauce runs a bit sweet, and you might want to add a dash of something spicier. While the ring-shaped hushpuppies were addictively crispy and delicious, the banana pudding rated as tasty but unremarkable.

BBQ Joe’s is a reliable option for good food and fast service. You can find better barbecue if you’re inclined to travel, but for High Point proper, this is it. 

Captain America: Brave New World

 

After being elected President of the United States, former general Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford, replacing the late William Hurt) pushes for an international treaty that would prevent an arms race and allow for shared extraction of adamantium, an advanced extraterrestrial metal. He also seeks the help of Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) to re-form the Avengers, a superhero group Ross once opposed. Wilson is skeptical, but when a series of coordinated attacks jeopardize Ross’s plans and threaten to trigger a war, Cap and his protégé Joaquin “Falcon” Torres (Danny Ramirez) vow to get to the bottom of it before someone they care about takes the fall.

 

The standard knock on Marvel movies these days is that they’ve become too insular, too creatively sterile, and too dependent on quippy dialogue and slick CGI to do more than briefly (or, in the case of runtime bloat, not-so-briefly) entertain. Truth be told, Brave New World, the fourth Captain America film (though the first to star Mackie in the role), won’t do much to challenge those perceptions. And yet to call it “bad” wouldn’t really be fair. Even after reshoots and delays, no one should confuse this with a Zack Snyder film butchered by meddling executives or a Fant4stic doomed by directorial incompetence. The worst that can be said about Brave New World is that it is neither brave nor new, playing as a muted version of what Marvel previously did much better in projects like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and even The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

 

The one unblemished bright spot is the addition of Ford, a controversial choice given that other Marvel characters (cough T’Challa cough) were not recast when the actor died. Hurt’s version went from Ahabesque Hulk hunter to obstructive politician, never the worst person the heroes had to face but a consistently unpleasant jerk nevertheless. Ford’s version keeps the character’s rough edges (stubbornness, selfishness, and pride) but adds a layer of melancholic regret. He’s believable as a man who knows he’s caused a lot of damage (alienating his daughter in the process) and is trying to do better.

 

Everyone else is solid even though they aren’t given enough to work with. Mackie is a good fit for the title role, yet he doesn’t have the room to spread his acting wings that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier afforded him. He sometimes seems sidelined in what is nominally his movie. Giancarlo Esposito has made menacing villains his stock and trade as of late, and he appears briefly as terrorist leader Sidewinder here. He supplies a physical threat, but the character isn’t particularly memorable. More distinction was granted to Tim Blake Nelson’s mad scientist Samuel Sterns, last seen getting infected by gamma-radiated blood way back in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Nelson’s creepy calm tilts the character away from garden-variety megalomania, but Sterns comes across petty, and the character design does him no favors. Shira Haas as national security advisor Ruth Bat-Seraph had the potential to bring something interesting to the mix, but instead of the comics’ Israeli superheroine, she’s depicted as an ex-Black Widow: still formidable but a type of character we’ve seen several times before.

 

“We’ve seen this before” applies to the feel of several of the film’s action set pieces as well, be they aerial battles or Captain America going hand-to-hand against a tough mercenary. That said, the pacing is brisk without being rushed. What Julius Onah’s direction lacks in distinction it makes up for in competence. The visual effects, derided by some critics, aren’t really poor.

 

Malcolm Spellman, who created The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, was one of Brave New World’s co-writers though you wouldn’t really know it. Whereas the show was guilty of occasional grandstanding, it wasn’t afraid to engage complex issues. This movie gives a nod to the power of representation before breezily zipping along to the next plot point. It’s enough for some – and too much for racist idiots — but it will leave others wondering what a bolder version of this movie might have been.

Cagney's Kitchen

                                           

Located at 4005 Precision Way in High Point (with other locations in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Kernersville), Cagney’s Kitchen serves American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is open from 6-9 Monday-Saturday and 7-2 on Sunday. Online ordering is available via Doordash.

 

Even with a few closures in recent years, High Point has no shortage of Greek-influenced Southern diners, and that interchangeability is part of why I never felt a strong compulsion to pay Cagney’s a visit. Faced with a banana French toast craving, it seemed as good an option as any, and it proved to be better than expected.

 

Cagney’s is spacious and seemed even more so as it was largely empty when I stopped by on a Tuesday morning (they likely get considerably busier on the weekends). The menu is big too: breakfast options included plates, omelets, benedicts, pancakes, waffles, and more. Come here later in the day, and you can find everything from salads and sandwiches to Greek to Tex-Mex to pizza.

 

I opted for two pieces of Bananas Foster French Toast with a scrambled egg on the side. Service was fast and friendly, and the kitchen churned out the food quickly. At $8, it was practically a steal and though not the best I’ve had, it was better than it needed to be for that price point. The banana/brown sugar/whipped cream topping on the French toast made for a sweet bite, and the egg wasn’t overcooked.

 

I don’t know how Cagney’s rates as a lunch/dinner option or during busier times, but for a weekday breakfast, it’s well worth your consideration for a good bite at an affordable price.

Oh' Calcutta

 

Located at 310A West Fourth Street in Downtown Winston-Salem, Oh’ Calcutta offers modern Indian cuisine. It is open for dinner (4:30-9) Tuesday-Thursday, lunch and dinner Friday-Sunday, and closed Monday. There is a full-service bar, and food specials change daily. Online reservations and online ordering are available.

 

I really wanted to like this place. Oh’ Calcutta boasted strong reviews and an appealing menu. Unfortunately, it’s a classic case of style over substance as eating here made for an underwhelming experience, more Eh than Oh.

 

Oh’ Calcutta brands itself as modern Indian, which helps it stand out in a few ways. Though a smallish space, it offers a chic, intimate atmosphere that would be quite comfortable if it wasn’t also loud enough to make conversation a struggle. The menu contains both Indian classics and fusionist Badhi plates (think Masala-braised pork belly, lobster shorba, or tandoor surf n turf). There was enough here that looked good to make decisions difficult.

 

My wife and I opted to split a gunpowder chicken starter and a garlic naan with saag paneer and lamb biryani as our mains. While the food offered a few bright spots, there is definite need for improvement. Indian establishments defaulting to mild unless you say otherwise is something I’ve come to expect, but even by those standards, Oh’ Calcutta is pretty bland. The gunpowder chicken (chili, ginger, garlic) actually had a good amount of flavor as did the biryani (which was also distinguished by the welcome additions of potato and a boiled egg). However, neither offered much spiciness, and the meats were overcooked. Both the saag paneer and its accompanying rice definitely needed more seasoning: they were practically flavorless.

 

While not surprising given its Downtown Winston location, Oh’ Calcutta’s pricing added insult to injury. At $19 and $22 respectively, the saag paneer and the lamb biryani were each a couple of bucks more than I’ve found (better) elsewhere.

 

To Oh’ Calcutta’s credit, the service was great. Nicole (?) and her team were prompt, polite, and attentive.

 

It’s possible that Oh’ Calcutta’s fusion/modern dishes are its true strength, and it’s possible that we caught the kitchen on an off-night, but unless the food takes a leap forward, I don’t think I’ll be back.