Paco’s Tacos and Tequila

Last week I went to Paco’s Tacos and Tequila for lunch with a friend. This place is nestled in the back corner of by Williams Sonoma in SouthPark. It's owned by the same group who runs Cantina 1511, Big Daddy's and Mama Ricotta's. These places are all pretty good so I was expecting something comparable...

Upon entering, we were seated quickly and brought water and menus. I looked around and it had a bar/Tex-Mex feel with old gas station signs and cowboy decor. We were sitting for about 5-7 minutes still waiting to see our waiter (and noticed that the table near us who were seated after us had chips and salsa already!). I shouldn't have been that excited about chips and salsa but it was lunch time and I was hungry. Finally... our server arrived with the chips and salsa and to take our order. Again, another table near us was told about lunch specials - us, nope - not really.

We ordered the following:

Me: Enchiladas - a full order (3) for $12. I ordered the cheese (with the chile con carne), chicken (with queso) and the beef (which had another 'chili' type sauce)

Friend: Tacos (2) for $10. One beef brisket and one chicken.

Now... to the chips and salsa. Very disappointing. Chips tasted like Tostitos and the salsa was watery and bland. There was no spice or flavor and pretty much tasted like they took a can of tomatoes and pureed them to make a salsa. Where's the spice??

The food came out about 15 minutes later and was warm (not hot...). Both dishes were served with Spanish rice and charro beans. My beans were still smoking but my friend commented that the beans were cold. The Spanish rice was not too good either - very tomato pastey....

Now - on to the main dish:

Beef enchilada: I did not like the sauce. It was overly smokey and was overpowering to the dish. The beef was pretty good but again, I couldn't get a good taste of it due to the sauce.

Chicken enchilada: Not too bad - the second 'best' of the three. The queso I could have made at home with some cheese and Rotel tomatoes. The disappointing part was the chicken. It was just grilled chicken thrown into a corn tortilla. Come on guys... I expect more flavor from you! Especially since you can achieve it at Cantina. I would have expected some spice, flare, flavor, something in the chicken... but no. What about shredding it even and simmering it for a bit??

Cheese enchilada: Surprisingly the best of the three. Yes - the simple cheese enchilada. The chile con carne sauce did it. It was quite tasty and played well with the crunch of the fresh onion.

My friend commented that the beef brisket taco was outstanding but had the same idea about the chicken taco as I did the enchilada.

The server came by once to refill our water and then afterwards we had to waive down servers to get another refill.

Paco's Tacos and Tequila did not meet my expectations - especially when it's in the same group as Cantina, Big Daddy's and Mama's... I give this place two ghosts. Come on, you can do better.

6401 Morrison Blvd

Suite 8A,

Charlotte, NC 28211

(704) 716-8226

http://www.pacostacosandtequila.com/

The Liberty

The Liberty is a new restaurant in the South End. Opened by Tom Condron (the chef behind Harpers), The Liberty fashions itself as Charlotte’s first Gastropub and is located in the old McIntosh's. Upon entering The Liberty, the décor is cozy in a pub-feel way. I enjoyed the keg pillars, wood-cracked walls and the beer foamed lighted pictures. I went at lunch so unfortunately I could not get a beer (but will next time!). The beer menu has 20 beers on tap and many bottled-beers. The menu has the typical pub fare – pretzels, homemade pickles, fish and chips, burgers and bangers as well as salads and sandwiches. I did notice that some of the lunch main courses were also on the dinner menu but at a difference of $5-$7 (the moral of this story – go for lunch anywhere to taste the main dishes at a lower price).

I ended up meeting the spouse since it was a good central location during working hours and we both decided to order a cup of soup – the Creamy Fall Tomato Soup with White Cheddar Popcorn – it was a blistery, windy day outside. For my entrée, I ordered The Liberty’s Chicken and Dumplings and the spouse settled on the Shrimp and Grits.

The soup quickly arrived. It was a creamy tomato soup topped with about 5 popcorn pieces. The soup was hot and warmed me up. The popcorn gave a nice contrast to the soup with a slight cheesy taste and some slight texture. I did notice that the soup was pretty salty – however, I did finish. Shortly thereafter, the entrees arrived. My chicken and dumplings – to my surprise - was lightly fried chicken on the bone served with ricotta dumplings, spinach, carrots and mushrooms. I guess that’s why the Chicken and Dumplings is presented as “Chicken and Dumplings” on the menu. The dish was similar to the M5’s chicken dish I ordered (see M5 review). The chicken seemed a little dry – especially for the dark meat portion. I ended up tasting more the the lightly fried part than the chicken flavor itself. The ricotta dumplings were actually ricotta gnocchi. They were nice and plump and had a nice, crisp flavor and was the redeeming quality of this dish. The sauce served with the dish was more like a beef broth + butter concoction and was ok – I have had better. The sauce seemed more like an afterthought. Comparing this dish with the chicken/gnocchi dish at M5 – I would choose the M5 dish 100 times over. The spouse’s shrimp and grits dish was pretty large and was topped with pepper relish and gravy. I tasted the dish and the grits were well cooked however the gravy seemed very soupy – almost watery – and covered just about the entire dish to where you couldn’t tell if there were grits in the bowl. It wasn’t the typical ‘gravy’ I have had with shrimp and grits… but all and all… the spouse ate it up. I compared this with the shrimp and grits at the New South – and again, I would choose the New South’s shrimp and grits.

The service was ok. It wasn’t overly busy but the waitress seemed preoccupied and rushed. Our meal for lunch was pretty expensive ~$45 with tax and tip. I think I was expecting more from all the hype I have heard from it. May be the freshman jitters but I give The Liberty 2 ghosts. I plan to visit again in the future once it’s settled some.

www.thelibertycharlotte.com
1812 South Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28203-4730
(704) 332-8830

CLT Food Ghost Hits Atlanta: South City Kitchen and Woodfire Grill

Well... I made a trip to Atlanta for work and will highlight two restaurants: South City Kitchen and Woodfire Grill. Since Atlanta is not too far away, I figured it was time to do a 'highlight' special... South City Kitchen. This restaurant was recommended by a friend due to reviews that was heard. I was there with a group of ~10 people and we decided to head out and give it a try.

Tucked away in a historic home in Midtown, it appeared to be a nice, homey place plucked out of our own Elizabeth district. We were seated promptly (we had reservations) and were greeted by a friendly waiter. He told us about the restaurant and specials (Pork Chop Stuffed with Pimento Cheese) and suggested some wine. First glance of the menu was of course - southern food and a similar twist to our own New South Kitchen (see review). I settled for the She-Crab Soup for the starter and the Special. Mostly everyone ordered something different and another patron ordered the Special as well.

Our courses surprisingly came quickly - even with our party of 10. She-Crab Soup arrived and at first glance was a pale white with a thin consistency. I did not see much she-crab as I do in my Charleston area soups... but hey - I gave it a try. My first bite was warm and the taste confirmed my first look at the soup... pale, thin and lacking flavor. There was two pieces of she-crab that I could tell but not much else. I could not taste sherry or spices or even salt - clearly, a disappointment. Other patrons at the table ordered fried green tomatoes and fried okra. Again - they confirmed that it was pretty good but could have used some seasoning (I concurred).

The main courses arrived. I was pumped about the Special - who doesn't love a homemade pimento cheese....stuffed in pork?! Actually - it was two hammered out pork chops with pimento cheese spread in the middle. I took a bite and it was subwarm temp. The pimento cheese tasted store bought and not nearly as good as the Penguin's pimento cheese (yes - I compared a burger joint with an 'upscale' restaurant). The pork was so thin, you basically got a mouth full of the cheese. The 'stuffed pork' was served with brussel sprouts (the only redeeming item of the meal) and mashed potatoes (again - room temp). I did not order dessert.

Some patrons said that their meals were good but not rememberable. Ouch.
The service was good and prompt and I can't complain - but with the bland, sub-warm food with no adventure -

I give South City Kitchen 2 ghosts.

http://www.southcitykitchen.com/midtown/index.htm

Woodfire Grill

Woodfire Grill is Top Chef Kevin's restaurant near Buckhead (Top Chef Vegas). I had the impression that since it was a 'Top Chef' restaurant that it would be over popularized based on that alone and Kevin would not even be cooking... I will be proved wrong. I went with a group of 4 and reservations are heavily recommended. We could only get a 5:30 PM reservation made a week before. Once entering the dining area (there is a lounge in the entry), there is a small grill area opened to the dining room.... and guess who was there actually working - Top Chef Kevin! Amazing. I will also noted that the decor is hip and music is the alternative/coffee house flair.

Our waitress arrived and was laid back and was knowledgeable about the menu. The menu is always changing and based upon what products are available at that time. Also, they have a 3-course and 5-course 'blind tasting' which I would have loved to do but the entire table has to select that option.

Before our appetizer and meal, we were served an Amuse-Bouche. An Amuse-Bouche is a French term for ‘outside of work’ and is a one-bite appetizer that the chef makes to highlight different flavors. Our Amuse-Bouche was grapefruit, fennel and yogurt - a simple tarty/sweet bite.

I ordered the risotto for my appetizer (or formally called creamy sunchoke carnaroli risotto). The risotto was layered with roasted apples and celery salsa, risotto and topped with toasted walnuts and fried sunchokes. This was presented very nicely and smoking hot. My first taste was spectacular... the three layers of flavor was a tap dance on my taste buds. The apples and celery provided a nice plate for the creamy risotto and the crunchiness of the walnuts and sunchokes complemented the others perfectly. I enjoyed every bite.

For my meal I ordered the Duck Breast. This was served with black eye peas (smashed) and sautéed endives. duck cracklins. pickled squash. spicy duck vinaigrette. The duck was ordered medium and was perfect. A nice balance of flavor and salt - added with the crunchy duck cracklins and endives gave made this dish unforgettable. Every bite of this dish was remarkable.

Lastly, for dessert, I ordered the cocoa nib doughnuts (served with passion fruit caramel and coconut ice cream). The serving was a good size with 3 small crispy doughnuts drizzled with the caramel. The coconut ice cream was a cool break to the sweet serving.

For a "Top Chef" restaurant I was impressed.... very impressed. All portions was great and full of flavor. I will definitely go back and I wished it was closer. This is the second restaurant in CLT Food Ghost history that will have 5 ghosts. Kevin - you cook one hell of a meal.

http://www.woodfiregrill.com/

PJ O'Reilly's

PJ O'Reilly's is a new Irish pub off Ardrey Kell Road near Ballantyne. I found this place by accident as it is hidden in a shopping center and no bright lights (which the no bright lights is a good thing!). I went in and was very happy to find it was 100% no smoking and there were several televisions that decorated the walls. The restaurant was also decorated in the homely, pub flare.

The menu had a variety of food and not limited to "Irish" - Irish food (corned beef, cabbage and potatoes) and some English dishes (bangers, fish and chips) and America (burgers, chicken fingers, cheesesteak). I had settled on the Rynne's Ruben (corned beef, kraut, swiss and 1000 island dressing) and wedding rings (aka onion rings). I also ordered a Guinness for an appetizer.

The food took a little bit (but hey - it's a new place) but the server was very friendly and had a great attitude. She made the wait shorter by bringing another Guinness. My food eventually came and I was more excited about the wedding rings than the sandwich. They were fried in a Guinness batter - hot and crispy. As far as the Ruben, I was disappointed in the corned beef. Being Irish (ah oh!) - the corned beef was thick, dry and fat was covering the entire piece of beef. The beef was also very tough and grainy. I did not care for this at all and did not finish my meal. I was surprised that an Irish pub would serve corned beef in this condition. If made correctly, the corned beef would have been moist and the fat would be barely noticeable (noting that corned beef is a fatty meat) - primarily since the corned beef is cooked in its own juice and brine.

I was disappointed that the menu did not have enough true Irish food. Don't get me wrong, Irish food is not the most appetizing but it was more American food with witty Irish names. The service was great but the food failed. Again, this is a new place so I am sure there are some things to 'banger' out. I am torn but I will have to give PJ's 2 ghosts. Service and atmosphere = good but the food = not too Irish.

Feel free to give them a chance - I am sure I will be by there again for another Guinness and possibly another try.

http://www.pjoreillys.com/site/index-1.html

Senor Tequila Cantina Grill

I am a sucker for Mexican food - I will admit. I have actually been there before but wanted to write unbiased and not have my previous experiences effect my experience.

I decided to go at a non-peak time (2PM) for lunch and was able to seat myself right away. The waiter came by and brought my menu and fulfilled my drink order. During that time, another waiter brought some chips and salsa. The chips were cold and seemed that they have been sitting out for a while and had no flavor (i.e. salt, crispness). The appearance of the chips also seemed to be store-bought chips and not homemade chips that most Mexican restaurants make. The salsa was pretty good but not as flavorful as I have tried at other restaurants. 10 minutes must have passed until the server came to take my order (and I was one table out of three). I ordered the Senor Tequila Lunch Special from the lunch menu and it consisted of a burrito, taco, chicken flauta and cheese quesadilla. I asked for beef for the burrito and taco. At this time, I had finished my drink and it took about 5 more minutes for the server to come and refill my drink. 15 minutes later - the food arrived.

At first glance, the food seemed like it was worth waiting for... however, the food was at a 'room temperature' and my chicken flauta was actually shredded beef and the cheese quesadilla was beef... I guess a beef burrito and taco means to make everything beef. Since I have already spent more time there waiting than eating, I decided just to dig in. The burrito was simple - stuffed with beef and topped with cheese and red sauce. I will say that the beef was pretty flavorful and tasty - however, it could have been warmer than the room temperature. Next, was the taco - topped with lettuce and cheese. The taco was as expected and the bottom of the shell was greasy - which is common with the 'beef taco.' I dove into the 'chicken' flauta next... this was served with a red sauce. The red sauce was definitely needed as the shredded beef was dried out and again - not warm at all. I choked those down only to start on the 'cheese' quesadilla. The flour tortilla was cooked nicely with the right amount of cheese. I was on beef overload at this point so I basically ate the around it. Again - the server lacked the drink refills and dining follow-up.

Overall, the service was sub-par and the food was adequate - but not great. Especially being one of three tables, I would have expected better - including hot food. I was disappointed that I ended up with Beef everything instead of my original order (and what was described in the menu). Like I said, I am trying to let previous visits not sway my review - but I will note that service before was terrible. On this visit - service gets 1 ghost. Food has been a little better previously but on this visit - I give it 2.5 ghosts. Overall - an average of 1.75 ghosts and I will round up to 2 ghosts... It should not be too difficult to deliver what the customer asked for. Again, I could have asked them to correct it but after waiting already - I was hungry and ready to eat (and the 'store-like' tortilla chips did not satisfy my wait). I will also mention that the menu/meal is overpriced for what you get.

If you want some great Mexican - try El Valle (see previous review). They're spot on.

Senor Tequila Cantina Grill
6414 Rea Rd
Charlotte, NC 28277-2528