Sayre Weir

By SAYRE WEIR

Growing up in a household of bargain-hunters taught me how to get the most bang for my buck on our bi-weekly trips to the grocery store. When I tagged along with my dad, he insisted I pack a pencil and scrap paper, and each trip turned into a Saturday math class. By age six, I traded the pencil and paper for a calculator, increasing the time efficiency in addition to the cost efficiency of our trip.

My brothers and I competed to find the bag of frozen potatoes with the least price per spud, and the winner was awarded with his or her choice of dessert. One Saturday I was the first to find the cheapest bag of frozen potatoes, but little did I know that my prize-winning taters were produced in Idaho, while the Davidson Farmers’ Market had a stand of slightly more expensive but locally grown potatoes right across the street. Read the full story

The meat is seared and the you cook it to your taste at your table. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

By DAVID BORAKS
CorneliusNews.net

Hot Stone Grill has opened at Kenton Place in Cornelius, bringing a dining concept you probably haven’t seen before: tabletop cooking on, well, hot stones. “It’s natural, it’s healthy, it’s tasty,” says owner Henry Lentzy.

The new restaurant began a “soft opening” on Thursday, serving up an diverse menu that reflects the international backgrounds of its partners. The menu boasts dishes from Germany, France, England, Greece, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Russia.

But at its heart, as its name suggests, is hot stone cooking, a concept Mr. Lentzy and partner/general manager Nazira Atme have borrowed from Europe. Ms. Atme, born in France with a Lebanese father, said there are similar restaurants in the U.S., in New York and San Jose. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The ownership group has shifted at Davidson’s Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse, with a founding partner leaving, and new partner joining the business. The restaurant in downtown Davidson also is introducing four new menus this fall. Also below, news about a food truck rally coming up at Community School of Davidson, a new olive oil shop at Birkdale Village, and another hands-on cooking class at Wooden Stone in Davidson. Read the full story

Baked apples served with a syrup made of boiled-down cider.

It started with a cocktail. We were up in Maine last month for a wedding on North Haven Island. We stayed at the lovely Nebo Lodge and one evening, before heading out, I had a bourbon-cider drink that was autumn in a glass. Crisp, yet still warming, it made me think of going back to school, Saturday football games, and changing leaves.

Last week, getting ready for dinner with friends, I searched for a drink recipe that would imitate what I had enjoyed in Maine. In my search, I stumbled across this recipe for Ciderhouse Whiskey on the Saveur online site. It featured an ingredient called cider syrup (aka boiled cider) which is apple cider that is boiled down to a thick, sticky syrup that sings with spice and tangy tartness. A little of this syrup, mixed with bourbon and garnished with a lemon peel, makes a serious and stocky drink that demands to be sipped. Read the full story

It’s a weekend for dining-related fund-raisers, from the North Meck Rotary’s Food Truck, Beer & Wine Festival at Kenton Place to Flatiron Kitchen’s Fall Festival in downtown Davidson. Coming up Wednesday, the Community Arts Project will have a fundraising night at Birkdale Fox and Hound. Also below: news about the closing of Roxy’s Coffee & Wine in Cornelius, an anniversary at Restaurant X in Davidson, and guest chef Neela Paniz at Davidson College.

Read the full story

Jeweled rice topped with pistachios and dried fruits is supposed to bring good luck at a Persian wedding. (Nikki Sawyer Moore photo)

If you’ve planned a wedding, you know what it takes. Guests lists, linen choices, the juggling of families and friends, invitations, attire, and a plethora of other decisions about details big and small. Managing it all without turning into a raging bridezilla (or groomzilla in the name of gender equality) requires finesse and more than a little patience. It’s a wonderfully exciting time, but it’s also exhausting. Read the full story