We had lunch here soon after it opened. The place looks great but we think there are a number of issues for them to work out. Until then we will hold our rating hostage at two out of four plates.

1087 West King Street–the northwest most edge of old Boone!
Boone, NC 28607
828-355-9591

Hours:
Mon -> Sat 7:00 am ->Midnight
Sun 7:00 am -> “Early evening”

Ray: I had the buffalo chicken sandwich (unbreaded chicken breast, cucumber,  spinach, ranch, buffalo sauce), to which I added tomato and lettuce.  This sandwich comes with a choice of fresh fruit or chips and a “lil  cookie”.  I requested the chips in addition to the fruit, since  they were out of soup of the day.  This sandwich was ok… barely.  It was tiny for the price. 

Tom: I had the Roast Beef sandwich, prepared with grilled red peppers and onions, mozzarella, cayenne, and mayo on a baguette. It was microscopic, especially for eight bucks. In the photo that really is a quarter on the plate! My first bite produced a mouth full of gristle, typical of , say, the prepackaged sandwich roast beef at Lowe’s Food (get their deli–it’s worth it). You would think a place like this would have better beef, maybe Boar’s Head.

Ray: The chicken breast was not breaded, which I  expect for a buffalo chicken sandwich.  It did in fact have an  unappetizing slimy consistency.  Even worse, though, whatever hot sauce Galileo’s uses for buffalo sauce is singularly unmolested by spice.  In other words, if it didn’t say buffalo chicken on the menu,  you’d never guess that is what you’d ordered.  In contrast, the fruit was great: fresh and tasty. 

Tom: I found my sandwich actually was tasty after I got past that first bite. It was nicely spicy, fine for me but probably mild for you. The baguette was nicely pressed, just right. But, did I mention it was small?

i got the chips instead of the fruit–a mistake, I think. These were straight from the (bottom of the?) Lay’s bag. Your fruit was definitely the better buy.

Ray: The cookie was likewise quite tasty, with a  big dollop of chocolate in the center.  This brings us to the tea.  I  ordered half sweet/half unsweetened tea.  What I got was not what I  expected.  On further inquiry, it was determined that the tea was a  peach tea, although this was not stated on the menu.  The tea was very weak to boot.  Overall, a pretty nasty brew.

Tom: I thought the tea was weaker than homeopathic “medicine,” which is really just expensive distilled water with perhaps a molecule or two of active ingredient. My tea may have had a few tea “molecules.” They did come in nice, solid goblets, a break from the plastic Pepsi cups that other places sell their soul to get free. The silver-dollar size lil cookie was indeed good, and available separately at 6/$1.80.

Ray: Our food was served on nice Japanese-style plates and with a “medium weight” flatware that is a bit better than the standard stuff found in town.

Our service was courteous, but a bit slow for a couple of sandwich  orders.  Also, my chips were forgotten until I reminded the server thatI had ordered them in addition to the fruit.

Tom: I enjoyed using the free Wi-Fi. In fact I did my first tweeting while eating! (If you want to follow my tweets see our home page for info. I have an iPod Touch which allows tweeting discretely…).

Ray: The atmosphere here is nice.  There was some light rock playing in the background during our visit.  The tables and chairs are basic but nice, but the booth seats look a bit uncomfortable (simple straight back  plywood benches).  There are some very nice stained glass panels in the
front windows, covering the themes of the mountains, ASU, and their namesake, Galileo.  Near the bar (a few stools only) is a neat large chalkboard with the offerings of the day on it.  It is paradoxical to
me, however, that the servers in these nice surroundings wear “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” T-Shirts.

Tom: Yes, it is very nice. There is one large flat screen TV in the main eating area and one over the bar. There is some mid-level price (~$300) original art for sale on the walls. I was surprised that the person working the register had no clue as to why it was named Galileo’s, other than the Galileo glass having come from Texas with the owner.

Ray: To be frank, I was pretty disappointed in Galileo (the restaurant, not the scientist).  One of the owners is from Texas, so you would think they wouldn’t make the mistake of foisting peach tea on unsuspecting  customers.  You’d also think someone from Texas would know how to find a hot sauce that is actually hot.  And isn’t one Texas claim to fame that “everything is bigger in Texas”? Well, I don’t think these sandwiches were Texas sized, but the prices surely were.  My sandwich was at least
a bit larger than Tom’s, but paradoxically, his was $8 while mine was “only” $5.75.  In addition, while we were checking out, I pointed out to the person checking us out that there were flies crawling over the desserts that were displayed on the counter next to the register.  Her attitude toward this was nonchalant, to put it lightly.  This lead me to look for a health inspection certificate, which by law must be prominently displayed in view of the customers.  Such a certificate was nowhere to be found.  To their credit, the manager on duty noticed my lack of satisfaction and asked me for “constructive criticism”.  I hope my comments to her are acted upon, but frankly, Galileo’s needs a serious overhaul in its menu and pricing before I’d reconsider my rating.  Their rating is only as high as it is based on the nice interiors.  As a friend pointed out, Galileo’s looks like a British pub both inside and out.  However, I don’t think they even serve alcohol.  If they were to remake their food offerings to be more pub-like and pub-priced, and start serving a good selection of microbrew and imported beers, it would be a great place.

Tom: You kids get outta my back yard! Sheesh, you are a bit harsh! I agree with those points but will balance it with the great potential that this has–it could be a 3.5-plate rated place if they take care of these points and find their way a bit.  I note there is not an online posting of their Health Inspection Report, yet.

Ray: I wouldn’t recommend Galileo to anyone at this time.

Tom: I would give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they address our concerns. This can be a great hangout for students and town folk alike and (at least) I will check them out again and see if there are some changes. Right now, expect relatively high prices. I think better sandwich deals are found at Pepper’s.

Menu

 We  ate a lunch here not long after they opened. Rated at 3 plates, it is a nice place if maybe a bit pricey. Like the restaurant before it, the wrong location for a nice place?

Boone Mall
Boone, NC 28607

828-355-9800

Hours:
Tue -> Sat 11:00 am -> 9:00 pm
Sun Noon -> 5
Mon: closed (restaurants really still do this??!)

Ray: I started out with a salad (lettuce, tomato, black olives, balsamic vinaigrette).  This salad was delicious, with very fresh ingredients.  We then shared an appetizer of garlic knots.  These were ok, but not really garlicky enough! 

Tom: I agree about the knots–they were drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan but “knot” a sign of garlic in sight, or smell/taste. The salsa with it was mild to benign. I had a small (”side”) Caesar salad, which was very good, generously large and had an excellent dressing.

Ray: I did spot one chunk of garlic in my portion. Our pizza (my half was tomato, pepperoni, onion, &
banana peppers), was quite good.  The crust was thin, the veggies, fresh.  The size of our pizza was sufficient enough that I took a couple of slices away for lunch the next day.  It was still quite good a day later! 

Tom: I had my half tomatoes, ham, green olives and onions. It was indeed very good but I think pricey among area pizzas. Methinks the mall has a high lease cost!. I, too, took home a couple of slices. Maybey they could make lunch pizzas a bit smaller and less expensive?

I also had a glass of white zin and had to ask if the glass was really supposed to be only half full. She replied it was a standard 6-ounce serving. This was $4.95.  And, I continue my rant about only carrying Pepsi products (Ok–yell in John Belushi’s voice, “No Coke — Pepsi!”), and using those dang, cheap Pepsi glasses.  Especially at a nice restaurant.  Just stop it!!

We also split a canoli for dessert–very nicely prepared and presented. While a tasty treat I think 3.95 for one is again, a bit steep.

Ray: The food here was served on nice plates, with great heavy flatware that one can actually use without having it bend in half with you.  Kudos. The service was cheerful and fast, right in line with the time it would take to bake a pizza from scratch

Tom: I thought the service while fast was a bit erratic. The salads came out right as we were finishing the garlic knots, although we asked to have them served at the same time. My silverware were not replaced for the pizza after being taken with the salad. I had to borrow some from an another table..

Ray: I still think you should have asked the people at that table for permission!

Tom: I took them from an unoccupied table! Of which, there were several at the time.

Ray: Basically, Primo’s decor has not changed since the change of ownership from Mangia Buona. There are nice, comfortable tables, chairs, and booths, with Italian-themed prints along the walls.  There were fresh flowers on the  tables, and curios above the divider between the main restaurant and the
bar in the back.  Light music was playing in the background.

Tom: Yeah–pop music. At least Joe’s Italian pipes in Italian, including the soothing crooning of the chairman of the board…

Ray: Primos is a nice, relaxing place to enjoy a meal with friends, family, or business acquaintances.  The food is good and ample, and the service is fast and friendly. I wouldn’t hesitate to take family or friends to Primos for a nice, filling Italian meal.  The pizza is not quite up to the Capone’s standard, but the nicer atmosphere more than makes up for this slight deficiency.

Tom: Yeah, it might be not as good as that wonderful deep-dish pizza at Flipside, either. Also, we walked out poorer by about $25 each, not a particularly inexpensive lunch. Nice, but perhaps a bit too nice for a Boone Mall restaurant.

Health Inspection Reports — none available as of 6/28/09

We ate a couple of times here at this icon of Boone Restaurants.

1972 Blowing Rock Rd.
Boone, NC 28607

828-264-4433

Web site

Hours:
Sun -> Fri 4:00 pm until…
Sat 4:00 pm until …

Ray: I had the 7-Pepper Ribeye (10 oz) with baked potato, salad bar, and soup.  The ribeye was cooked just as I ordered and very tasty.  Very tender with just the right amount of fat.  The 7 pepper seasoning added just the right spiciness.  No steak sauce required here!   

Tom: I had the Beef Kabob and it was great. The steak melted in my mouth–six delicious morsels, separated by slices of red onions and green peppers, the veggies cooked until they almost caramelized. All of it was moist and with a bit of tang–very good.

I chose the rice pilaf, nicely prepared, fluffy, not mushy (like the packaged stuff you can buy at the Teeter), and not hard or dry (like my lame attempt at home when I did not have a box of the mushy mix). And how did you find your baked potato?

Ray: I moved my steak and there it was! Seriously, the baked potato was cooked correctly and also tasty, unlike many these days.

Tom: It’s a good thing we did not order an appetizer–I thought my foot long kabob looked a it lite but that, the soup, and the salad bar trip was more than enough. Quality and enough quantity.

Ray: How unlike you–the quintessential porker!

Tom: Big word for you, guy. What was your take on the salad bar?

Ray: My “take” was great–I took a lot! The salad bar, although not huge, was well kept with very fresh items. The Italian dressing was likewise quite good.

Tom: Yeah, and the caviar was a nice touch. The rolls were soft and tasty as well.

Ray: The soup of the day was French onion, although it was “make it yourself”, meaning the soup is in
a large tureen and the diner must add their own croutons and cheese to taste.  This made it a bit different from what you would normally think of as French onion soup, but it was still pretty good.

Tom: Yeah, and it was mildly rich, not a lot of zing to it. The sprinkle on cheese just was not the same as the stringy-cheese-and-scissors you get at Pepper’s. but, Okay.

Ray: Befitting the good food here, the plates and flatware are a notch above what you will usually find in Boone. The interior of Peddler is based around the dark paneling and wooden chairs, tables, and booths.  The decor calls to mind steak houses of old.  For those who want a bit brighter dining area, Peddler has a few tables up front in a solarium.  The walls are decorated with faux hanging plants and country art prints.  During our visit there was light classical music playing.

Tom: This is definitely one of the finest dining experiences in Boone, and has a decades-old reputation for quality. I liked them cutting your ribeye on a cart at the table. The Peddler reminds you that only restaurants can obtain prime-rated beef.

Ray: Our visit to Peddler this time was quite a good experience in almost every way.  The veggies were fresh, the soup tasty, and the steak quite good. However, Peddler can be hit or miss.  I’ve been here on two other occasions before our review, once about a year ago and once a couple of years ago.  On those occasions, I wasn’t as satisfied, because my steaks were either too fatty or too tough.  Hopefully, those problems are behind Peddler.

Tom: Yes, I remember that night. Maybe that was just an anomaly. This is certainly the place for special nights. Not real cheap but not excessively pricey.

Ray: Yep, I would recommend Peddler as a great place to go on those special occasions.  It’s not an everyday place (at least on my budget), but it is worth the extra cost for a special event.

Menu

Health Inspection Reports

We  ate supper a few times at Mr. Originals. A very nicely renovated facility with great food!

2698 NC Highway 105 South

Boone, NC 28607

828-268-9899

Hours:

Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm

Ray: Despite my trying to tell Tom the platters we were ordering would be sufficient, he insisted we start out with a Greek Sampler Platter (4  grape leaves, chunks of feta, tzatziki, pepperoncinis, olives, and  pieces of pita).  This sampler would make a great meal.  The peppers  were nice and hot, the tzatziki just right, the pitas fresh, and the  feta was outstanding.  In fact, it’s the best feta I’ve had since I was  in Greece a couple of years ago.  The grape leaves were good too,  although I suspect they are like most grape leaves in Greek restaurants,not homemade. 

Tom: Yes, that was a great sampler platter. The pepperocinis were a bit hot for me, Mr. Torch Breath–I prefer milder ones like those delivered by Papa John’s. But, I asked a real Greek restaurant owner in Washington, DC, about these “Greek” peppers. He said they are an American fabricaton–not a standard item in Greece.

The feta was the best I have ever had! We split the leftovers from that platter into takeout boxes. Could not waste even a scrap! Unfortunately for me, my daughter noticed it in the fridge and scarfed it before I could get to i!

Ray: For my main meal, I had the Souvlaki Platter (pork tenderloin chunks, tzatziki, pita, small Greek salad (lettuce, tomato, cukes, green peppers, onions, pepperocini, olives, feta cheese, and  house dressing) and fries).  In a phrase, the plate was great!  The  tenderloin chunks were indeed very tender, tasty, and succulent.  The  salad was tasty, with the exception of the tomatoes, which were of the  nasty gas-ripened variety.  The fries were also quite tasty, and crispy, just the way I like them.  I washed all this down with several glasses of sweet tea.

Tom: I had the Gyro Platter and the small Greek salad. The salad was excellent–I think a large one by itself would make a great meal. The platter, served open face, included a generous amount of pork tenderloin, just as advertised, and the pork was perfect. I chose the homemade potato salad as my side and it was indeed excellent.

I returned solo the next night in eager anticipation of a pizza–choosing the small Greek Gourmet White, with mozzarella and feta cheese, and olive oil. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed–maybe my hopes were too high. The cheese was kind of bland compared to the wonderful feta we shared in the platter. It may indeed have been cooked a bit too long, not quite as moist as I would like. My “gold standard” for a white pie pizza was the great ones you got years ago at Sollecito’s, run by the family, including singing to diners! Unfortunately, they made a bad business decision, moving to 105 South, nearwhere Sagebrush is now, and lost the student customers. They and their white pies did not last long there.

Ray: Yeah, this is a new location for Mr. Originals, too, whom you may remember used to be beside the “Merryland” day care center.

Tom: Yes, that was a real dive. This new place is really nice.

Ray:  Mr. Originals is now beside the Blimpie on NC 105.  The new location is quite nice.  There are
murals on the walls of Greek scenes, including one which reminds me very  much of the island of Kastelorizo, which I visited a few years ago.  In addition to the murals there is a large aquarium and a number of Greek statuettes and other knickknacks.  There is usually Greek music playing
in the background, which adds a nice touch to the atmosphere here.  Finally, the booths are comfy.  Happily, the booths and tables are  spread out far enough so that Mr. Originals doesn’t have the crowded feeling many restaurants have.

Tom: But, the hard surfaces do make for more noise when busy, and it has always been busy when I was there. Much different than before–not as many visited the old location, I suspect. Note that this is owned by the same people as the Parthenon, near ASU.

Ray: Mr. Originals is the best Greek food in the best Greek atmosphere in Boone period.  The new location is very nice, and the food is delicious and plentiful.  Can’t get much better.

Tom: I agree–anyone who likes Greek (or has not ever tried it!), should try it out. I’ll even give there pizza another try at some point, and update my comments.

Ray: I would not hesitate to take family and/or friends to Mr. Originals. It’s a great place for a tasty Greek meal.

Menu - page 1
Menu - page 2
Menu - page 3
Menu - page 4
Menu - page 5
Menu - page 6
Menu - page 7
Menu - page 8

 Health Inspection Ratings

Between us we ate separately and together a few times at Burrito Fresh Express.

208 Faculty Street
Boone, NC 28607
828-262-1140

Hours:
7 days a week, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Delivery 11-2 and 5:30-9 (99 cents)

Ray: I visited BFE twice, once for supper and a few days later for lunch with Tom.  Both times, I had a burrito with pinto and black beans, guac, lettuce, tomato, onion, banana peppers, and spicy salsa.  The difference was that one burrito was spicy chicken and the other steak.  Since Tom had the spicy chicken also, I’ll let him take those comments.  This burrito was BIG.  All the ingredients indeed seemed to be fresh, especially the tomatoes.  The steak was tasty, and in combination with the veggies was very illing, especially for the ~$5.00 cost of a burrito here.  The burritos at BFE come with a side of nachos, which were ok, but nothing special.  There is a nice salsa bar which has everything from a pineapple salsa to a hot salsa.  BFE also has a very good selection of hot sauces.  I washed my burrito down with a cup of tea which was ok,but a bit weak. 

Tom: I have only had lunch there, so far. I chose the, well, burrito! What else would I have? Actually, they do have tacos, fajitas, quesadillas and nachos. I chose a spicy chicken burrito with rice, black beans, grilled peppers, and pico salsa. I got a couple of different salsas for the side of nachos. And, you’re right–it was huge. Plenty for a lunch and probably a supper as well. I had the teas well–yes, weak.

Ray: The food was served in typical fast food shop fashion: in baskets and paper cups with plastic utensils.  Not elegant, but exactly what one might expect at a discount burrito place.
Tom: And how did you find the decor?

Ray: Well, I looked around and there it was! The atmosphere here is basic, with simple tables, booths, and chairs. There are a few ASU and local themed prints on the walls, along with a strange burrito-and-fish themed mural. There was an NPR station playing lightly in the background.  Free Wi-Fi is provided.  The high wood wainscoting around the walls is a nice touch, but the floors were a bit rough.  Several flat screen TVs round out the interior decor.  There are a few round metal and picnic tables outside for the warmer months.

Tom: I was not sure if the trim painting was a theme or just sloppy–pain dripped on the baseboards. I think after this many restaurants (we have seen three there already, ourselves), it may be in need for a makeover.

Ray: I enjoyed my meals here.  The choice of fillings is quite extensive! One could probably eat here many times and never have the same combination of fillings in a burrito twice.  On the other hand, the
burritos here are still slightly inferior to the burritos at “Habenero” in the ASU Food Court.  The lower price at BFE more than makes up forthe difference, however.

Tom: Yeah, we need to review the Food Court! If they will let us in there!

Ray: I sneaked in by way of a delivery truck!

Tom: I like the food as well. I think you get about as big a burrito as you do at Black Cat. It would be nice to get a beer or margarita with it, though. I hope they survive–that may be one problem with this location, being hidden out of sight, behind Blockbusters.

Ray: I wouldn’t hesitate to take friends to BFE if we were in the mood for a quick, filling burrito.  The atmosphere is relaxing and the presence of free Wi-Fi is a definite plus.  Think of this as the Trolley Stop of burritos.

Health Inspection Reports: not available yet, so keep an eye on them!

Menu

We ate lunch here on an ASU break so there were not a zillion students..

421 Blowing Rock Rd.
Boone, NC 28607

828-268-9683

Hours: vary, depending on whether ASU is in session

Ray:
We split a medium Supreme deep dish (Onions, black olives, green peppers, mushrooms, Italian sausage, cheddar and mozzarella).  It was delicious! Fresh ingredients, tasty sauce, and plenty of it.  If you haven’t experienced a Flipside “Chicago Style” deep dish, you’re in for a treat. It’s different than any pizza you’ve probably ever had.  They consist of a crust formed into a bowl one to two inches deep depending on the size of the pizza, filled to the brim with ingredients.Tom: And, it is advertised as 3 inches thick! Actually it measured out at two and a quarter inches.

Ray: Hmmm…maybe that 3 inches is before cooking!

Tom: Whatever! Anyway, I agree that it was a great pizza. The green peppers were not too soft and the sausage had a great aroma and texture. It appears that the sauce was added after baking so as to not make the pizza mushy. I did bite into a bit of undone crust, however. Maybe that’s the price of such a thick concoction.

Ray: The only downside was that I found their tea ($1.75) a bit too sweet, even when mixed with unsweetened tea.

Tom: Yes, even i found the tea too sweet and not very strong. It’s kind of hard to confirm the strength of tea served in red plastic “Coca-cola” glasses. I have to continue questioning the use of these “adware” products as quite tacky.

Ray: Not great, but given that this is a big student hangout in the evenings, I can’t fault them.  Nice stuff would just get destroyed.

Tom: Yeah, but it is still tacky and I’ll bet that plain plastic glasses would be stolen less often than Coke insignia stuff.

Ray: The food here is served on styrofoam plates with cheap stainless flatware. Our service was fast, efficient, and accurate.  Keep in mind that these deep dish pizzas take longer to cook than a regular pizza.  Flipside is not fast food.

The decor at Flipside consists of typical “sports bar” items: ASU banners, beer signs, and several flat screen TVs.  The music was a bit too loud for my taste for lunchtime.  The bar itself is a nicely done wood bar.

Tom: This is a great place for pizza, but don’t come looking for the thin kind. I think that this would be a good hang out after the game for those tired tailgaters who want a bite after the game.

Ray: Flipside serves great (and different!) pizza in a decent atmosphere for reasonable prices.  The have specials on two-for-one pizzas during mid-week.  Be sure to bring some friends, though.  Two porkers like us had a hard time finishing one medium, and the previous time I ate there, I found it impossible to finish a small all by myself.

However, be aware that Flipside changes character at night when ASU is in session.  It becomes more of a drinking/party bar like Klondike than an eatery.  Try it at lunch time.

Menu - page 1
Menu - page 2

Health Inspection Reports

I sampled Beef’O'Brady’s one extremely busy day–when ASU was playing LSU! While we normally don’t do chains (at least, the more mundane ones), BoB’s seems worthy of an honorary mention!.

276 Watauga Village Dr. #G
Boone, NC 28607

828-265-8585

Hours:
(will add ASAP..)

Tom: I joined a few friends at BoB’s to watch the big game–too bad the game did not come out as good as the wings!

I post this “min-review” in leiu of a complete one–we wil try to visit again soon. It is hard to judge the service given the capacity-crowd of the day but I got served fairly promptly even though I tagged in after half-time to a group already eating. If they can do this I would expect normal service to be very good!

The wings I ordered arrived as promptly as could be expected and were hot, juicy and the chicken fresh. I had already sampled them previously from someone’s takeout so I ordred Extra Hot since the Hot had not seemed as hot as Wings-to-Go’s “Hot,” which was just right for me. The sauce was just right but I expect that Ray will find their “NUCLEAR,” the hottest available, a bit mild. We will wait and see!

I think the wings, bone-in here, were a bit fresher and jucier than those at Wings-to-Go, but that could depend on the supplier. Still, I will give BoB’s an edge in the ratings for now. I liked the fact that I could order a Coke to go with them–too many places are Pepsi-only. (C’mon restaurants, it’s not worth having no selection just to get some free glasses!)

I enjoyed the TV screens–they are large and numerous. This is clearly a sports place so don’t expect a quiet evening meal!

I also appreciated the local flavor of the decor, with ASU championship stuff in the party room and local elementary school names painted on the top of the booth casework.

I look forward to coming back, maybe even drag Ray to sample the Nuke sauce. Stay tuned!

Menu

Health Inspection Reports

We ate lunch here one summer day. Methinks we need to visit again at breakfast time. Soon.

211 Boone Heights Dr.

Boone, NC 28607

828-268-2362

Hours:

Mon -> Sat 7:00 am -> 3:00 pm

Sun 8:00 am ->3:00 pm

Web site: www.mountainbagels.com

Ray: As with Troy’s, I attempted to order the chili as an appetizer.

Unfortunately, this is yet another place that believe chili is not to be served in the summer time. See my rant entitled No Chili in Summer Blues elsewhere on this site for why I think this is a ludicrous position.

Tom: I agree that this arbitrary rule is kind of ridiculous, but remember that con carne’s are seasonal.

Ray: Huh? Well, given this, I opted for three stuffed grape leaves, a Mountaineer sandwich (roast beef, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard on onion bagel, minus the cheese). The bagel was good and fresh, with just the right amount of onions, and the lettuce was good.

Tom: I wanted the soup of the day but there was no soup of the day that day! What is that all about? Instead, I got the Greek salad–lettuce, red onions, cukes, tomatoes, a few Greek olives (red), and of course feta cheese–good, but no pepperocini! I thought all Greek salads came with some peppers! Another outrage! At least it had tomatoes…

Ray: However, the tomatoes in my sandwich were of the gas-ripened variety. Worst of all, the roast beef was quite tough, a big disappointment. The sandwich came with a side of potato salad which was ok, but I’m not really a good judge of potato salads. The grape leaves were not home-made, but were nevertheless quite tasty, and my pickle spears were crispy. I washed all this down with a glass of iced tea which was good, not weak like some. Although I didn’t try any, the desserts and pastries looked very delicious!.

Tom: For my main serving I had the Babaganouch …

Ray: Bless you.

Tom: No, I did not sneeze–that’s the name of my entrée! It is roasted eggplant, pureed & seasoned with tahini sauce, garlic & lemon juice. I had it on a pita.

Ray: Sounds like a girly lunch…

Tom: Real men don’t eat Babaganouch? Well, I wanted something different and this place features bagels and Mediterranean–odd, but good! It was very tasty–I liked the sauce. I added lettuce and onions. Nice combo.

Ray: Yum. Well, the presentation was basic: the food here is served in paper baskets and paper/plastic cups with plastic flatware. About what you would expect at a bagel shop.

Tom: Well, my meal was Greek but not“green“– a paper tray with paper wrapped “wrap” sandwich, and a styrofoam salad container. They probably get a lot of takeout orders but there is plenty of seating. I guess if you see a help wanted sign and you are a dishwasher, you need not apply.

Ray: Indeed, Mountain Bagels has nice booths and tables, with festively painted walls and some minimal artwork. Clearly, someone put some thought into the interiors, which are relaxing and nicely done, from the wooden tables to the wooden slat blinds and coordinating colors.

You order at one end of the display case, and pay and pick up your drink cup at the other end. Once your order is ready, one of the folks brings it out to your table. Our orders came out fast and accurate. I would recommend Mountain Bagels to someone who wanted a light meal and perhaps a good quiet place for a chat.

Tom: But, we need to return for breakfast to really see what they offer. Lunch seems a bit of an afterthought–not their specialty.

Menu

Health Inspection Reports

203 Boone Heights Drive

Boone, NC 28607

828-268-2362

Hours:

Sun -> Thu 11:00 am -> 10:00 pm

Fri -> Sat 11:00 am -> 11 :00 pm

Web site: www.wingstogo.com

Ray: I had the Golden Chicken Tender Sandwich with crispy fries and the Homicide sauce. The sandwich comes with lettuce and tomato, both of which were fresh, as was the bun. However, the best part of the sandwich was the sauce! Finally, a sauce that makes your lips tingle for hours and gives you that hot pepper endorphin rush! However, if you don’t like really hot sauce, the Homicide is not for you. If not, there are a number of other heats and flavors which should suit almost any taste. .

Tom: I chose the 10-piece lunch wings basket and substituted the onion rings for the fries. Yes! My “Hot” sauce was, for me, exactly right–not too hot to enjoy the meal! And, dear readers, this was the first time I have ever seen a sauce too hot for Ray! So they had some fire?

Ray: Yes, but I put the fire out with a tasty glass of iced tea, which was not weak like some in town.

Tom: And they served a few chilled celery pieces, wrapped in a moist paper towel, with your choice of bleu cheese or Ranch dressing, to help quench the fire.

How were your fries?

Ray: The fries were just as ordered, crispy and lightly salted.

Tom: I noticed that you ordered them “crispy”–that can make a difference?.

Ray: Yes, if you don’t specify that you will likely get some soggy fries. How were your onion rings?

Tom: They were great! Large, lots of them, a sweet batter on nice onions. These are tied with those at Troy’s and Build Your Own Burger, and an order of magnitude better than those at the fast-food places.

Ray: The food here is served in baskets and styrofoam cups, just what you would expect at a wings place.

Tom: Yeah, and I liked the big roll of paper towels on the table–just right for some slobs like us!

Ray: Our server was friendly and efficient, but the service seemed a bit slow. However, you pointed out a comment on their menu that stated that Wings to Go is not a “fast food” restaurant. Our orders did seem freshly cooked. Given that, the time from order to food seemed aboutright.

Tom: How did you find the atmosphere?

Ray: I inhaled and there it was! Actually, the atmosphere here is laid back, with ASU and beer memorabilia on the walls, a few TVs, a bar in the back, and light music in the background. What first impressed me about this place, however, is that it is huge (at least for Boone). Despite the moniker Wings To Go, there is plenty of room to sit down and enjoy a meal. A nice touch is that the whole front of the restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows which gives you a “porch” feeling without being outside. This would be especially nice in winter.

Tom: I couldn’t help but notice the black suspended ceiling tiles. I think after I started commenting years ago about ugly stained tiles everyone has been painting them dark, a concession to apparently impossible to solve leak problems. Can you say Snuffy Smith?

Ray: The food here was good, and the Homicide sauce was fantastic! We don’t usually review chains, but the heat of the sauce here warrants an exception. I would heartily recommend Wings To Go to anyone looking for a true HOT sauce in an informal environment.

Tom: I agree–this is a good place for families as well as small group events. I do think that they would benefit from a smaller, say 5-serving, wings lunch. I could not finish 10 wings and had to take several home. I did finish those onion rings, though! Rings and fries don’t reheat very well. (Anyone who could invent a reheater for rings and fries that really worked should get a Nobel for it!)

Health Inspection Reports

We had a couple of meals at Troy’s, first right after it changed hands (Mel’s had been there), but still had the old sign, and more recently after things had changed more.

1286 NC Highway 105

Boone, NC

828-265-1344

Web site:

http://www.troys105diner.com/

Hours:

Monday -> Thursday: 7 AM -> 9 PM

Friday -> Saturday: 7 AM -> 11 PM

Sunday 7 AM -> 4 PM

Ray: I wanted to start out with a cup of chili, but unfortunately, the proprietors of Troy’s are under the highly mistaken impression that chili is only to be served in winter. I’ve never understood where this crazy idea came from, since it is always hot in Texas, and they serve chili year round. I thus passed on an appetizer.

Tom: I agree–it’s silly, and with global warming don’t even have a winter any more! Soon, I suppose no chili, either?

I had heard about their great, homemade soups so I had to try the soup d’ jour of the day.

Ray: From the Department of Redundancy Department?

Tom: Whatever. Anyway, it was a vegetarian pasta, with tomatoes, carrots, string beans, celery, corn and macaroni in a very tasty, spicy clear base. It was truly excellent.

Ray: For my meal, I had the hamburger all the way with crispy fries ($5.75).
The burger was very good, with a fresh bun, fresh veggies, and a good, well cooked patty. The fries were indeed crispy, a nice change from the greasy, soggy fries some places serve (hint: if you like crispy fries, order “fries, crispy”. Most places will oblige you… but if you don’t specify “crispy”, you’ll likely get the standard fare). I washed the burger down with a glass of iced tea ($1.60) which was a tad on the weak side, but not bad.

Tom: I had the Under the Boardwalk B.L.T., one of the Route 105 Sandwich Baskets. They are served with a pickle spear and fries, but I substituted the onion rings for the fries.

Ray: Trying to keep your cholesterol level up?

Tom: Hey! I just pop another Lipitor! Anyway, the onion rings were great, probably better than my previous #1 rating at Build Your Own Burger. There was a good dozen or so large rings with a nice sweet batter and not too greasy. These and BYOB’s are an order of magnitude above the fast-food offerings in Boone.

Ray: And the sandwich?…

Tom: The BLT was good, although they made it on white instead of the requested wheat. And, I think it had less bacon than your bacon burger–you had three large slices, more than my BLT.

Ray: But you reduced the dangers of saturated fat!

Tom: No, with the recent recalls on lettuce and tomatoes, the bacon is the safest ingredient! Seriously, a BLT should have more, well, B!

Also, the “Pickle Spear” listed on the menu turned out to be three, count them, three slices of dill pickle. Kind of meager.

Ray: Are you through ranting?

Tom: Yes. I won’t even go into the steaming half-pot of burning coffee visible on a sideboard hotplate.

I also had the tea, sweet–it was Okay for me. How did you find the presentation?

Ray: The burgers here are served in plastic baskets, pretty standard for a diner. The flatware was the same cheap stamped Chinese stainless most places seem to have these days. Nothing fancy, but Troy’s is after all a diner..

Tom: Yeah, and they had nice, large paper napkins for us sloppy eaters.

Ray: The atmosphere here is pure diner. The outside of the building is classic diner stainless steel, while the inside has the typical diner bar in front of the kitchen, with comfy booths in an adjacent room.
The music is provided by a juke box, which further adds to the diner motif.

Tom: But nobody actually played the juke box! It would be nice if they fed it change to keep a diner ambience with music all the time. Heck, get a DirecTV or Dish Network system and play the 50’s music channel.

Ray: My lunch here was good, just what you would expect at a diner. I was, however, profoundly disappointed that Troy’s has followed Pepper’s lead in refusing to serve chili during the summer. Inexcusable! I’ve had desserts here a couple of times, and they were very good. It’s too bad Troy’s hours have been cut back to a 9 PM close on most nights. One less place in town to go during the dead of night.

Tom: Yes, a diner should be open more hours.

Ray: I would recommend Troy’s as a good place to go for an informal meal, a dessert after having a meal elsewhere (or indeed right at Troy’s!), or for breakfast after a long night of studying (or partying).

The burger and fries were good, and the amount of fries substantial, far more than even a porker like me could eat.

Tom: I will come back, too. At least, if it’s open! Let’s return in winter to put their chili to a test!

Ray: Sounds like a plan!

Menu (their site)

Health Inspections Report