fast food... "with avocados, please!"

When we're on the road, it often feels like we simply have no choice but to swing through the drive-thru, get our sugar-loaded Dr. Pepper, and oh-so-delish Mickey D's fries; we all know they're the best. This, we speculated, might be one of the hardest habits to break as part of our "No Chain Challenge".

But we were actually wrong.

On our last trip down I-55, towards the warmer land of South Mississippi (Hattiesburg, we love thee), we had some good food in tow. Specifically, these sammies with turkey (veggies only for Jeff), carrots, avocado, bell peppers - so good and fresh that no condiments were necessary!

And it only took me (Abbye) about 10 minutes to get these sandwiches together, and that's pretty ding-dang fast!

local: doesn't always mean kind

Have you ever been chastised when you walked in the door of a cute little coffee shop, the one you like to frequent on Sunday mornings with your journal and book and a mostly-good cup of coffee? Me neither; that is, until about a month and a half ago.

Oh dear, I've debated writing this blog. But, if I'm taking a "No Chain Challenge" in favor of local restaurants, telling you all the reasons that local is generally a better choice, then I also have to tell the truth about these experiences - even the ones that are less than desirable.

The victim? Poplar Perk'n (or me, depending on how you look at it). The crime? Pen marks.

What? That's right pen marks. One Thursday morning, I go in to get my coffee, and 3.8 seconds after I walk in the door, I hear, "Hey, you're the one who was in here on Sunday. You got pen on our couch." Stunned. "What is she talking about?" I think.

"What? I'm so sorry..."

"Yeah, weren't you writing over there? Well, you got pen all over our couch; we'd just gotten it that morning." ("We're not mad at you or anything," another barista chimes in.) Really? Seems you're not happy with me either.

The story could be longer, but I'll stop here. I'm sorry about your couch; I'm sorry I brought a pen anywhere within 100 feet of your couch. But don't worry; I won't be coming back anytime soon. I'm too embarrassed and shocked that I was treated like a 5 year old.

The point is this: local establishments still choose their standards; they still choose who to hire; they still choose how to (or how not to) value their customers (who, honestly, didn't mean to get pen marks on that nice, new couch). This is by far uncommon in local, Memphis restaurants (though I can think of one other coffee shop that makes me feel not-cool-enough when I visit).

But still - go there. Support local business. Figure out for yourself. But dear friend, please don't take an ink pen through those doors...

Mosa: rainbow curry recommendation

Lemongrass, coconut milk, cilantro: we could call these the trinity of goodness in this dish. This red curry (looks more orange-y, actually) is too good. Perhaps too rich for my usual lunchtime dining, but that is no complaint! The cilantro garnish - another Pates favorite - added a real clean, crisp taste. (Any cilantro lovers out there? We find that folks either love or hate our favorite herb!) Mine featured tofu, which gloriously takes on the good flavors in this dish. Of course, you can order it with your preference of meat.

Panang Rainbow Curry is the name, and you won't find it on the menu at Mosa, but you can expect to hear it as a recommendation from the owner (who has been there almost every time we've visited) and listed on the specials board.

And what is Mosa? Locally owned, dishes inspired by the many flavors of Asia, this restaurant boasts great food and an owner who isn't beyond taking orders and sauteing veggies on the stove - in other words, he knows his restaurant.

Jeff's dish: the Korean BBQ, also on the "specials" board. Since Jeff is already a lover of Korean BBQ, he really liked this dish. Though it was nice reminder of his time in Vancouver (10 weeks during college), it wasn't the same. Should you order it? "Absolutely," is Jeff's response. But if you have not had homemade Korean BBQ, you'll need to book a flight to Canada and make some Korean friends with a grill and a hankering for a good feast!

Visit them at one of two locations: 850 S. White Station, Memphis, TN; or 1825 Kirby Pkwy. As they say on their website, "...make the Mosa your day!"

Three Angels Diner: what took us so long?

Please forgive us. We've broken a very important rule of blogging: we didn't blog. We introduced ourselves, our "rebirth", and then left you hanging. So, without further ado, a word about Three Angels Diner.

Why go to Three Angels? Fittingly, three reasons: location, Urban Farms, good food.

Three Angels is just down the street from our house. As in, mere blocks. We can ride our bikes, walk, or on this particular Friday night, drive (because it's rainy, dark, and Jeff has a hurt foot). They are located in the historic Broad Avenue Arts District, which is just on the edge of Binghampton; we're proud to be living here during its revival. We try, when we can, to be supporters of business in the very place where we live - right down to the same neighborhood.

Urban Farms. As we at down on this Friday night, we were ready for the veggie specials, some of which were from Urban Farms, a new happening, also right here in our very neighborhood (volunteer workday tomorrow, 2/20, 1-3pm - join us!) Whatever seasonal veggies are growing at UF right now, you can be sure to see some of them on the daily specials menu at Three Angels. Local supporting local. Perfect!

Good food. Fried egg sandwich, veggie chili (w/tofu, yuuuuuum), adult grilled cheese, to name a few. On this night, I got the fried egg sandwich - really good, though nothing to scream and shout about. This sandwich had a fried egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese on really great bread. Their homemade chips were my side item (now these are delish!) Jeff ordered mashed sweet potatoes with cumin and garlic, and if you know the Pates, we LOVE cumin! So, thumbs up for this side item!

There are many other great reasons to visit Three Angels: liveliness, art, fun atmosphere, open late. See for yourself! Check it out at 2617 Broad Ave., Memphis, 38112.

Three Angels - local, friendly, go there.

blog re-birth: The No-Chain Challenge

Foodie for Hire: a clever blog name, if my opinion counts for anything. Almost two years ago, my husband Jeff created this blog, in hopes to write about great restaurants, as well as some of his own food creations, complete with pictorial proof. (aka: he was gonna take a pictures of it.)

Alas, he doesn't have the most time for writing and now he has a job that doesn't allow space for it either. We think, though, that Foodie for Hire can still live on, in the hands of me - the partner, the wife, the one who loves to write: the one named Abbye. (with some writing from Mr. Jeffersby, Matthew Clark's affectionate name for him.)

"No-Chain Challenge"

What is this, you ask? It's the product of hours on the snowy/icy roads between the foothills of Tennessee and the Mighty Mississippi (Memphis-town). "Hey, why don't we commit to local-only restaurants and write about it?" And here we are.

We've been giving this a try for about one month now, but here we are, putting it into type and calling it a "go".

Why a "No-Chain Challenge"? Because there are so many good reasons to choose local. [Often] fresh ingredients, owners who know your city (and after only a few visits, your name and favorite drink), and good live, local music. And there are so many more reasons. Perfect? No way! Will there be some who we choose not to dine with for the long haul? I'm sure.

But overall, we think we're going to discover some pretty great reasons to choose local restaurants (and local everything else, too).

Tonight's local eatery of choice: Three Angels Diner.

Mere blocks from our house, we'll be joining a handful of our closest friends here tonight. We'll let you know how it goes...

In the meantime, may all your dinner tables be filled with good food, great friends, and loads of laughter.

Cafe Berlin

Well for those of you who don't know, along with trying new foods and New establishments I also enjoy music. My wife is a grand singer/songwriter and I play various types of drums and percussion. We enjoy traveling with a friend of ours; Matthew Clark(who is the hand model in the post about burritos). We especially enjoy playing in peoples homes. We call this event a house concert. We get to share meals and stories with people who care more about people and others lives than what is on the top 40s chart.

We recently set out on a 6 hour road trip to Columbia Missouri. We left on a friday around noon and returned by 6pm Saturday. It was quit a quick trip, but worth every moment. We enjoy listening to books on cd when we venture for long durations of time such as these. I find that listening to these books on cd gives me a break from music and oddly, I am more alert when driving. I think it is because I am such a music fan I check out sometimes and get into the music when no one is engaging me. On this particular trip we listened to Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods", of course read by the author. It's really the only way to listen to a book. we had a blast visiting our friends and playing for them and their friends. Though the trip was quick the time was well spent with our friends Eric Papp and Bethany Lindaman. These are great people with a love for music and food, but even more Love for Christ.

Every time I trek new terrain I put forth a valiant effort to dine somewhere where I have never tasted the culinary flavor. So being that Columbia was a college town I knew there had to be some great independent cafes or bistros. And since we were visiting college friends I knew they would not let me down. We asked our friends what a good place would be to savour the local flavor and they suggested Cafe Berlin.

http://www.myspace.com/cafeberlin

This place was great!! The patrons were quite an eclectic group of folk. There were school teachers, college students, business men, and hippies alike. Cafe Berlin has something for everyone. The names of the dishes are half the experience of dining there. They had names like "the starving artist" and "anonymous tacos". They even make a breakfast burrito out of a pancake.

Brilliant!!!

They also used a lot of organic, all natural and/or local products, which of course, my wife loved!! They also have a collection of various coffee mugs and plates that people have lost a love for, but Cafe Berlin redeems them for use for their patrons.

Some friends got pancakes with apples, sausage, and red onions on them. Now this combination is unlikely and probably under appreciated. It is however a fantastic surprise to those that dare to try it. The saltiness of the sausage counters the sweetness of the syrup and apples. The onion when sauteed breaks down and a sweetness comes out that goes well with the dish. It was great.

On this Saturday morning I tried the Carey Burrito. Not sure where the name refers to, but it was surely not a disappointment. It a flour tortilla shell wrapped around scrambled eggs, feta, roasted potatoes, apples and cilantro. It was served with a side of tzatziki. Tzatziki is a greek herbed yogurt sauce commonly found in a gyro. The Carey burrito was amazing! It was fresh and the clean taste of the cilantro complimented all the components of the dish. The sauce was a nice cool addition. I especially liked the tzatziki on a bite with mostly potatoes. My beverage of choice to wash the burrito down was an espresso drink dawning the name "Dirty Hippie" which is a chai latte with espresso. Hmmmmmm... unlikely again, but not disappointing.

If you ever find yourself in Columbia, Mo you should make it a point to dine at Cafe Berlin.

Great food. Great Service. Fantastic establishment.

Reconciliation with everything on it

I had lunch today with a fairly new friend. He's a great guy who has chosen to live in the inner city and fight for reconciliation in this city and in the lives of troubled teens. I simply wanted to get to know this guy a bit better and as a foodie I always think that there is no better way than to break bead with another. When attempting to decide our culinary destination I asked if he had any particular craving and He mentioned Roxie's Grocery, I obliged, and we set out. He had told me that it kind of a secret and to me that translates into a great hole-in-the-wall place that never disappoints.

Roxie's is definitely a place thats holds true to this assumption. When we walked into the establishment The lighting was very dimly lit and there wasn't much organization. Some of the coolers didn't work and the others didn't work that well. Items for sale behind the counter had been in the same spot for months or possibly years. It was a classic old tyme grocery. I loved it. We got the Roxie special which is a burger, seasoned fries, and a "pop". The crinkle cut fries were cooked a bit too much, but hey, that happens to the best of them. The drink was Strawberry Fanta or "red drank" to some. The burger however was fantastic. we ordered them with everything (which is lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, mustard, and mayo). It was seasoned quite well with plenty of pepper in the mix. Some would find this to be a bit much, but for me it was right on spot. The bun was toasted with butter on the griddle which always adds the perfect amount of crunch to the sandwich. The burger was big and hearty. It was incredible to say the least and the price the same; right under 11.50 for both of us. you can't beat that anywhere in town.

The thing that kind of took me by surprise was the fellow patrons/loiterers at Roxie's. We were the only ones of caucasian ethnicity and I assumed that we may get a few looks from our fellow dinners. But everyone was extremely nice they greeted us and told where to find the waste basket and napkins. The thing that really blew me away happened when our napkins flew down the sidewalk. A guy who was sitting in a chair got up and retrieved us fresh napkins and said "though you want some clean ones". I was slightly blown away.

How many people would do that for anyone of any color in a Wendy's in east memphis?

I believe that it is small things like this along with things like moving back into urban neighborhoods that will bring reconciliation to racially divided city like Memphis.