Skyland Family Restaurant

This place is in a bad location and will be nearly impossible to find unless you get some word of mouth, stumble upon it, or read Trend Magazine. It is located in a seemingly cloaked shopping plaza along the very busy South Boulevard corridor near the very busy intersection of Woodlawn Road, in South Charlotte, NC. Most of you have probably whizzed right past it many times. I found it last year -- 2008 -- because I have a keen nose for well established local mom and pop eateries, most of whom are Greek owned and operated.

I have ordered take outs from this restaurant several times since and the food is consistently delicious; no matter what I order. On this particular occasion, February 20, 2009, I ordered my absolute favorite fish -- Flounder. I like it both fried and broiled. This time I ordered it fried, along with broccoli soup [Soup of the day], fried squash, cornbread, and yams. The total came to $8.93.

While waiting for my order to be created, I really enjoy looking at the old photographs along the walls which are standard in most Greek eateries. One of the first things that I do also is check the sanitation code. It must be over 90 for me to stay. I did not jot down this restaurant's score, however, you can rest assured that it was over 90 because I stayed. The restroom is always clean as well.

It typically takes about 10 minutes for my order to be created at Skyland, this time was no different. The gentleman that is there each time that I stop through is very business-like and I believe he is the same guy from San Remos on Central Avenue in East Charlotte [Review pending]. One day I will ask him.

As usual, my order was prepared just right and so tempting that I could not wait to get home before starting in on it while stopped at red lights. The flounder was as always lightly crisped on the outside and soft but not gooey on the inside. The fried squash was of the same caliber and goes well with ketchup. In the South, everything is fried! The candied yams were good enough to substitute for dessert, and the broccoli soup was okay -- I have had better. I did not care too much for the tarter sauce because it tasted processed like what you buy from the grocery store.

All in all, this was the usual memorable stop for me and I can not wait until the next experience.

Click here for address, website, and menu!

Romantic Get-A-Way

Valentines Day has come and gone but if you are a true romantic, it should by all means measurable last all year long.With that said, we have added a romantic one-day get-a-way to Ranlo, NC – Just Northwest of Charlotte – for an extended shot in the heart by Cupid. The Raffaldini Vineyards opened five years ago [2004] in Wilkes County on sprawling acres of scenic terrain near the Blue Ridge Mountains. This quaint, Italian-style vineyard opened its tasting room to a large group of thirsty guests and today has established itself as one of North Carolina’s premier wine and event destinations.

“Their goal is that when uncorked, a bottle of Raffaldini wine will evoke the Italian ideals of a slower pace of life and an emphasis on friends, family, great food and, of course, reflection,” said Barbara Raffaldini, managing partner and family member.

Although emphasizing “La Dolce Vita” with visitors, Raffaldini has worked tirelessly to enhance NC’s wine industry by experimenting with Italian grape varietals never grown before in the US, adding a state-of-the-art winery and two-story tasting room and event venue and leading the petition to form the Swan Creek AVA.

Nestled in the Yadkin Valley Region of North Carolina, family-owned Raffaldini Vineyards brings Old World charm to the Old North State. Known as “Chianti in the Carolinas” Raffaldini currently produces five single varietal wines and four blends: Vermentino, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Sangiovese Riserva and Montepulciano.

Click here to join us on one of our monthly romantic excursions.

The Dive N Restaurant

I have been passing by this place in Pineville, NC, for years and always wondered what they had to offer in terms of southern cuisine. Finally, on a busy Friday afternoon, I decided to stop in while the traffic thinned a bit. I was not too crazy about having to perform a u-turn with all the Friday traffic so I decided to park inconspicuously next door at the quick stop and walk on over.

I found the interior decor of this establishment quite interesting in that it featured artifacts from the good-old days -- at least for me -- from the 1950's through the 1970's. These artifacts proved to be quite entertaining as I waited for my take out order. My favorite was a scaled replica of the restaurant from years ago. It is made of real wood and I was told by my server that one of their customers hand made it using an old photograph. That feat took a lot of talent, attention to detail, and patience!

I found the staff at this establishment quite friendly and cordial as I was deciding what to order. Since it was Friday, I decided to order the fried fish plate which came with fries, cole slaw, and sweet tea. The fish was of a type that I had never heard of and turns out was a blend of two different fish species one of which was Grouper -- one of my favorites from Florida.

I was quite pleased at the two heaping portions of fish that came with my order and the friendliness of the staff. Heck, they even offered to freshen my sweet tea before I departed!

If you are going to check out this place, make sure you plan to sit a spell if its rush hour because they are located at one of the most congested intersections in the area.

Wanna Go? Click Here For Address!