I was recently invited to the Rusty Bucket located in the South Park area of Charlotte to sample and enjoy their menu. I had no clue what to expect when I arrived but OMG, where has this place been hiding all my life? Ok, apparently they haven't been hiding, I've heard wonderful things from friends but I regret taking so long to try this place out. Keep reading to learn more about my experience and for the yummy yellow rice recipe adapted from the restaurant.

Blaze Pizza, located in South End, Charlotte, NC provides a unique twist on pizza dining and pizza creation. It's the place to go when you're feeling creative!

Blaze Pizza  has a simple concept that makes it one of a kind...pick your own pizza ingredients. I'm not just taking about toppings either, I mean the whole shibang, from the sauce, to the cheese, to the variety of toppings. Blaze Pizza of Charlotte offers the opportunity for us to make our own pizza pie! Wow, whoever had such an idea?

Kramer. Kramer, that's who. Yup, I couldn't come here without thinking of the time that Kramer on Seinfeld had the idea for a restaurant where people created their own pizza pie. Of course he was shot down by Jerry and George, but I always thought it was a great idea. Well, except the part about putting my hands in a 600 degree oven... and rolling out my own dough. Now that I think about it, Kramer's idea needed some tweaks. It seems Blaze has come up with the perfect solution. You let them know what you want on your pizza...they stick it in that super hot oven and like magic, your creation is ready in 180 seconds.

First, it starts with an original thin airy pizza crust. This crust is everythang! I'm not usually a fan of thin crust pizza but this one is a winner in my book. After the crust is selected, the possibilities are endless. Laid out in front of you, you visually create your pizza adding the sauce of your choice, cheeses of your choice, meats, veggies, and finishes...all at no extra cost.

I had not a clue what I wanted on my pizza but I managed to come up with one with a little help from the employees...they are super friendly by the way. My pizza consisted of the spicy red sauce, mozzarella cheese with goat cheese, applewood bacon, grilled chicken, green peppers, half salami, half pineapple, sprinkled with oregano. It was amazing! I call it the "My Forking Pizza." The ingredients were fresh,the crust was perfect, and it was my creation.

Now of course, not everyone wants to create their own pizza pie. Luckily for those folks, Blaze has some some signature pizzas you can choose from. Next time you swing by, let them know you want the "My Forking Pizza." They probably will have no clue what you're talking about but it would make me feel special 🙂

I couldn't leave without providing this clip from Kramer's Pizza restaurant idea. This clip made me question whether or not cucumbers belong on a pizza. Ironically, I don't believe Blaze has it on their menu.

The next time you're in the mood for pizza I would suggest checking Blaze Pizza of Charlotte out. Let your creativity shine through when making your own pizza pie.

Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse, located in Davidson, N.C.,  prides itself on its big city culinary experience specializing in high quality meats and sides.  I had an opportunity to partake in a cheese and wine tasting experience here and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Read about my experience below. 

My first ever cheese and wine tasting experience occurred at a cute restaurant located in Davidson, NC known as Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse . Shout out to The Charlotte Food Bloggers for organizing this event.

Davidson N.C. is a cute little town located north of Charlotte. I usually  wouldn't make  the 30 minute drive up I-77 but had to check out this cheese and wine event hosted by this restaurant. Hubby and I have always wanted to throw a cheese and wine party and I figured that this would be a great place to get ideas.

Let me take a moment to discuss this cheese and wine party my hubby wants us to host.  He wants our guest to wear tuxedos and ballgowns and he wants a butler to carry around the cheese and wine on huge platters. He wants to call it a fancy affair and have everyone walk around with perfect posture. This may not seem odd to many people, but my hubby likes to wear overalls on a weekly basis. It just totally shocks me that he wants to have this party. I mean seriously, check out the picture of us below at his grandmother's house...wine and cheese party people or nah?

Alrighty...back to my cheese and wine tasting experience at Flatiron. First, we were greeted by our host, Jason, who would guide us through our wonderful cheese and wine experience. Jason was a great host and had already picked out the combination he thought we would enjoy. 

Our cheese trays came with 6 kinds of cheese (Appalachian Creamery, Buttermilk Blue Cheese, Goat Cheese, Sheep Cheese, Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, and Double Cream Soft Cow Cheese). The tray also came with palate cleansers to help cleanse the palette after each tasting (olives, walnuts, the best fig jam ever, grapes, and dried apricots). Grilled bread also was brought to our table as a palate cleanser and it was amazing. I could have eaten that all by itself as a meal.

We tried a different wine with each kind of cheese...yes, that's 6 glasses of wine....no worries, I didn't finish all my glasses but if I were close enough to uber, I sure would have.

My favorite cheese, although pungent, salty, and soooo blue was the blue cheese. It was paired with a Riesling wine known as P.J. Vackenberg from Germany. The blue cheese taste, which was strong in this cheese, shocked me at first but having it with that Riesling really calmed down that flavor. I ate the whole piece.

My least favorite cheese was a sheep cheese known as Manchego. My first, and possibly last time trying this. This cheese is hard, chalky, and pretty much flavorless in my opinion. It was matched with a red Spanish Tempranillo wine, which I loved.

I could go on and on about each cheese and the multiple wines but I would strongly urge you to check out Flatiron if you're in the neighborhood or don't mind the drive or uber ride un I-77. Among other items, they have an Artisan Cheese and Meat Plate on the menu.

I had a blast at my first wine and cheese tasting experience at Flatiton in Davidson. I'll also note that they have a complintmentary ine tasting once a month. Information can be found here KnoWine Night .