The Sub Spot

Located at 3709 Battleground Avenue in Greensboro, The Sub Spot serves sandwiches and Mediterranean fare. It is open from 10-7 Monday-Friday, 10-5 Saturday, and closed Sunday. Specials change regularly, and online ordering is available.

 

Getting a sandwich here when Giacomo’s is a few hundred feet away seems blasphemous, but hey, at least they have indoor seating. All jokes aside, Sub Spot is a good representation of a neighborhood sandwich shop, replete with a no-frills (though clean) interior and Boar’s Head meats. They may not be fancy, but they are good at what they do.

 

I walked in craving a cheesesteak but was nearly swayed by the brisket sandwich listed as a special. Had I not known what I wanted, I would have had plenty to choose from: hot and cold sandwiches, salads, wings, kebabs, and more. They will let you customize toppings a la Subway (I added peppers, onions, and chipotle sauce), and they completed my order for takeout very quickly.

 

Much like Jersey Mike’s, Sub Spot serves up a far better cheesesteak than you’d expect at first glance. The bread was soft, the cheese melty, the meat and veggies savory and satisfying (and none too greasy). If you’re accustomed to a sandwich stuffed to the gills with meat, you might be disappointed, but I didn’t find the quantity to be too paltry.

 

Given what’s nearby, Sub Spot probably wouldn’t be my first choice for lunch in the area, but it is convenient, reasonably priced, and tasty, a solid option all around.

 

Thunderbolts*

As CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) faces Congressional scrutiny for sanctioning black ops and illegal research, she contrives to pit her operatives against one another in hopes that they will wipe each other out. The motley group includes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), a depressed former Black Widow; John Walker (Wyatt Russell), a disgraced former Captain America; Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), a thief who can briefly become intangible; Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko), the mercenary known as Taskmaster; and Bob (Lewis Pullman), a seemingly normal man suffering from amnesia. Instead of slaughtering each other, the group, dubbed the Thunderbolts after Yelena’s childhood soccer team, works together to escape Valentina’s clutches. In doing so, they attract the attention of Yelena’s adoptive father Alexei (David Harbour), the erstwhile Soviet hero Red Guardian; as well as that of Buck Barnes (Sebastian Stan), a former super soldier-turned-congressman hoping to use the Thunderbolts’ testimony to bring Valentina down.

 

The Thunderbolts can best be read as Marvel’s answer to DC’s Suicide Squad (particularly James Gunn’s take): a crew of government-approved (until they become a liability), morally ambiguous, empowered losers. As with the latter, the Thunderbolts’ status as lesser-known characters frees them from the burden of audience expectations and allows the film to simply be fun, which it is when it isn’t also serving as an allegory for mental illness.

 

Just as the Thunderbolts are unlikely heroes, Jake Schreier is a head-scratching choice for the director’s chair. His previous work includes a John Green adaptation and the quirky (but decidedly not action-heavy) Robot & Frank. Joanna Calo (Bojack Horseman and The Bear), who provided script rewrites during production, likewise brings an unexpected pedigree. Original screenwriter Eric Pearson, on the other hand, is a seasoned Marvel vet, and perhaps for that reason, Thunderbolts* never feels too far afield from other MCU offerings.

 

The old adage about not watching action movies for the plot applies here as the story is a threadbare excuse to throw these characters together. And yet it wouldn’t be accurate or fair to say that the movie lacks depth. While trauma often informs superhero backstories, it’s often given no more than a passing allusion between fisticuffs and wisecracks. Here, however, it is front and center. This actually puts Thunderbolts* in an unwinnable situation. The movie gives its characters enough dimensionality to make us want to know them better without giving enough time to develop them further. At just over two hours, Thunderbolts* is well-paced. Add another half-hour though, and it might feel like a slog.

 

Despite these limitations, the cast does admirable work. Plaudits especially go to Pugh, whose previously dismissive attitude is tinged with heavy doses of purposelessness and grief, and to Pullman. SPOILERS AHEAD. The latter plays what are effectively three different characters sharing one body: Bob, who suffers from mental instability and addiction, the Sentry, a godlike hero who resists being trotted out as a public relations win, and the Void, a malevolent shadow who can make people relive the worst moment of their lives again and again. That Pullman nails all three aspects is a testament to his range. The supporting cast is equally game. As Valentina, Dreyfus embodies power-hungry realpolitik, but unlike her DC equivalent Amanda Waller (all icy intimidation), she’s almost chipper in her disregard of others. Imagine Elaine Benes abusing her authority in J. Peterman’s absence, only with much higher stakes. Stan plays Bucky as perhaps the most level-headed member of the Thunderbolts, which, given his past (artificially enhanced, formerly brainwashed assassin with a bionic arm), says a lot about the team’s dysfunction.

 

Thunderbolts* is unlikely to win back anyone who has sworn off Marvel movies for good. Inasmuch as it ends in a way that sets the stage for the next MCU entry, it can feel like a link in a chain. But the movie’s themes, performances, and finely calibrated mixture of humor, excitement, and pathos all still make Thunderbolts* worth your time.

 

Santorini

 

Located at 2107 Kirkwood Street in High Point, Santorini offers Greek cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Sunday. Lunch specials are available. 

I was not pleased to see High Point Korean BBQ close its doors, and a Greek restaurant stepping into the space didn't inspire much enthusiasm. But as the signage and menu for Santorini came together, that changed. Mythos Grill was my favorite Greek restaurant when I lived in Greensboro, and Santorini is, for all intents and purposes, Mythos of High Point (they aren't affiliated, but Santorini's owner was involved with Mythos at one point).

The menu here offers everything you'd expect: gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, dolmades, moussaka, and more. You can go light with an app, sandwich, or salad, or you can pile on the carbs with a pasta dish. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will find plenty here.

My wife swears by Mythos's avgolemono (lemon chicken soup), and so that was a no-brainer. I added a combination platter (gyro/chicken souvlaki/spanakopita) and fried zucchini to round out the take-out order. It was ready in under fifteen minutes, and the price was fairly reasonable.

The food was good across the board though it leaned more toward "reliably comforting" than outstanding. The soup was on-par with Mythos's version, the zucchini was fresh and generously portioned, and everything in the combination platter was nicely seasoned. That said, the gyro came in a slab that some might find off-putting, and the spanakopita could have been flakier.

There are plenty of places in High Point where you can get a decent-or-better gyro, falafel, or pita wrap, but if a Greek-specific craving hits, keep Santorini in mind.

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.