5 Course Wine Dinner @ Wang’s Mandarin House

Hey Legacy Farm! When was the last time that you had a five course meal at  a restaurant for a reasonable price? Or at all? I know that at my house, most meals are three course at best.  Many times, unless soup and salad is involved, I can’t really eat more than three courses, if they are hearty sizes. Well, Wang’s Mandarin House is giving you is giving you the opportunity to dine out at a reasonable cost.

Wang’s Mandarin House is serving a 5 course wine dinner with Delta Wholesdale at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, July 28th. Call 763-0676 for reservations. Meal tickets are $35.  This dinner is paired with 5 different wines for you to indulge in. I think that this is a great deal, seeing that some three course dinners run up in the $30 ranges.

So if you have a taste for Chinese food, why not stop by Wang’s Mandarin House and sample some of the ‘best Chinese food in Memphis’.

photo credit: paper or plastic?

Are You Looking to Save More Money?

Hey Legacy Farm! Who out there loves a great deal? Everyone? I thought so. So where do you go to get these great deals? Of course there’s your usual mall or grocery store, but what about for those of us who are more technically inclined? Your questions have been answered: Groupon.com

Groupon.com is this great little website that brings you daily deals on restaurants, fitness centers, stores, and other little goodies around town. They’re always offering some money off of some product or service, or giving you the money to make the deal.

How does it work? Well, every day, Groupon posts something cool to do based on the city. In your case Legacy Farm, the city would be Memphis. (Don’t worry, it finds deals for the surrounding areas as well). Now, you only get the deal advertised if enough people join the site and that campaign that day, so it’d be a good idea to invite your friends. If enough people sign up, you get the coupon and are on the way to major savings! Then, check back the next day for more savings! Please note that the coupons are on a timer.

Today’s deal is $5 for $10 worth of Middle Eastern and American Cuisine at Castle Restaurant on Park Ave in Memphis, which is about 20 minutes from Legacy Farm. This is the description of the restaurant from groupon.com:

Image via Wikipedia

Castle Restaurant’s tiny, bustling restaurant space is full to the brim with delicious aromas from its menu of classic Middle Eastern and American dishes. Entrees such as the eight-piece falafel plate ($6.99) neatly sate chickpea cravings, while beef shish kebab and chicken shish taouk platters ($8.99) toss meaty protein into the savory mix (each entree is served with a choice of rice and salad or bread and salad). Or take an aquaplane to the States with a fish sandwich ($3.99) or Philly steak sandwich ($4.69). Side orders of hummus ($2.99) and eggplant dip ($2.49) are always ready for the dipping, while lentil soup ($1.99) and tzatziki (with yogurt and cucumbers; $1.99) are available for warming up and cooling down respectively. Fill a cavernous stomach with falafel, hummus, and hamburgers, and celebrate the delicious side effects of globalization.

Sounds good, right? Remember, you must present your Groupon before dining. Hurry to the website now, in order to start saving!

Do you use Groupon.com frequently?

Best Potato Skins in Town

Hey Legacy Farm! Everyone has their favorite ‘guilty pleasure’ food when they go to certain restaurant. I have a weakness for potato skins, and I’ve found some great ones at The Belmont Grill on Poplar Pike.

I’ve had some really good potato skins before, and these are definitely up there. The chefs at Belmont only use fresh potato skins; they scoop them fresh every day. I think that’s the best part. You still get little pieces of potato in them, not just the cheese and bacon. The skins are deep fried, then placed in a broiler when the cheese and bacon are added. The end result are nice, crisp, flavorful potato skins. They’re a pretty decent size too.

At Belmont Grill, you can get two for about $3 and 5 for about $6. You only get so few because these are just an appetizer. But they’re pretty much the only reason I go.

Have you ever had Belmont’s potato skins?

Hey Yo! Get Your Froyo @ YoLo!

Hey Legacy Farm! Had a frozen yogurt craving lately? Well you’re in luck, because pretty soon you won’t have to travel to Poplar Ave for your favorite frozen yogurt. In the recent frozen yogurt boom, locally owned self-serve yogurt shop YoLo is opening up two new locations this summer: one in East Memphis and the other right here in Collierville.

So, what makes this new frozen yogurt shop any different from all of the rest? Well, you know how the toppings are essentially the best part of froyo, and many shops charge you extra just for the toppings? Well, YoLo will let you pile on as many toppings as you like, and charge you by the ounce.

All the flavors are kosher and gluten-free, and most of them are low-fat, if not fat-free. They also have a non-dairy mango sorbet with real mango puree for vegan fro-yo fans. YoLo has something for everybody! Another great thing about the business is that they will be supporting local businesses as well. They’re hoping to use as many local vendors as possible for the toppings; dry toppings such as cookies and brownies from local bakeries and cold toppings, like fresh fruit from local farmers. I’m already craving a cup right now!

Keep your eyes peeled for the opening! I’ll definitely keep you updated!

photo credit: yogolove_brazil

3 Foods to Stay Away From on Date Night

We’ve all been there. It’s time for your first date with a new potential boo. So you’ve picked your best outfit, arrived at a great place to eat, and when the menu is placed before you…you blank.

What do you order on your first date? Well, I can’t tell you what to order, seeing as how I don’t know what restaurants you frequent. What I can advise you on is what not to eat.  Here are 3 foods to stay away from on date night:

1. Salads: Sure this is a healthy choice, but it may not be the best. Ladies, men like women who can eat. A hearty appetite is sexy. And guys, we ladies know that you like meat. So order it! As long as it doesn’t get stuck in your teeth…
2. Spaghetti: Okay, this is a no-no for any gender. Spaghetti is way too messy to be eaten sensibly on a date, even if you twirl it on a spoon first.  If you’re craving pasta though, try a simple rigatoni or penne.  At least this way you know sauce isn’t getting on your clothes.
3. Spinach and Leafy Greens: When on a date, it’s wise to stay away from leafy greens…period. Why? Because they are almost always guaranteed to become stuck in your teeth in some kind of way. That’s not the best way to secure a new beau.

Do you have any other ‘non-date foods’ to share?

The law of the nacho…

Meat, cheese, spicy veggies, and chips. It can’t be that hard to make a Cinco de Mayo staple dish, i.e. nachos, right? Well according to a couple of food blogs out there, there are certain ‘guidelines‘ one must follow in order to make a spectacular plate of nachos. Here are a few:

1. Choose thick, corn tortilla chips. I guess you could make your own, but why?  They’re not going to be any better than Tostitos.
2. Don’t buy pre-grated cheese (ever). Grate it yourself so that the cheese will be fresh and finer in texture which leads to uniform melting.
3. Don’t overcrowd your nachos. Build them on a cookie tray in layers–first tortilla chips, then grated cheese, followed by a two or three minutes in a very hot oven to quickly melt the cheese on the first layer. Then take it out of the oven and repeat with more layers.
4. Never used canned, pre-sliced black olives. They have no place on pizza, nachos, or baked potatoes. I’m not even sure a dog should eat them.
5. Don’t go fancy. It’s tempting to throw on all kinds of imported, artisanal ingredients, but don’t. Save your short rib chili, chorizo, applewood-smoked turkey sausage, and Chanterelle mushrooms for another day. Good nachos only need five ingredients: chips, cheese, beans, salsa, and jalapeno slices.

How do you prepare your nachos?

Craving Sushi?

Sometimes I just have a huge hankering for sushi. The funny thing is, the taste had to grow on me, because a couple of years ago, I ran from the site of it, lol. Now I can’t get enough. To get my ‘sushi fix’, often I’ll drop by Fuji Café on W. Poplar St. The sushi there is very good, and the staff is very friendly. The only thing is, wait time can be slow when the restaurant is busy. Which is often since the food is so good. So if I were you, I’d avoid the lunch rush. If you can’t make it there, you should try Sekisui or Osaka. What can I say? Collierville has good sushi.

Are you a fan of sushi? If so, where do you normally go for some?

Like Indian Cuisine?

I’ve had a few samples before. What I tasted was pretty good, if not very SPICY. Since I don’t really like spicy food all that much, I doubt I’ll try that particular dish (who’s name escapes me at the moment), but I’m up for trying something different. That’s one thing that I have on my life’s to do list: taste an authentic dish from every culture in the world. It’s possible!

But if you’re a fan of Indian Cuisine, there are a couple of places around that are said to be pretty good:

• Mayuri Indian Cuisine on Quine Road in Memphis
• Swagath, formally Masala Indian Cuisine located on Hacks Cross Road in Memphis
• Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine

Have you ever eaten at any of these restaurants?

What is ‘okay’ to eat with your hands in public?

This question has only popped into my heads on first dates. I know the foods listed on the ‘unwritten codebook of female first date etiquette’ which is a branch off of ‘the big book of female secrets for dummies’, which are things like spaghetti, hamburgers, anything that causes you to slurp or lick your fingers heavily. You save that for the second date. But I know that there are certain foods that people don’t find fitting to eat with your hands in public.

Thus, I’m posing the question to you Legacy Farm. What foods are okay to eat with your hands in public? When I’m out by myself, it’s a for all be all with whatever I get, but standard etiquette practices apply. Some people are different. I eat pizza with my hands. Others eat it with a knife and fork. Is this a suitable food for eating with your hands, or did I miss the memo somewhere? I think that some of the best foods in life (all sandwiches, chicken wings, ribs, pizza) are meant to be eaten with your hands, but I could be wrong…

What do you think?

Does Anyone Know any Really Good Wing Places in Collierville?

Hey Legacy Farm! I’ve made a bet with a friend that I would eat the hottest hot wings in Collierville. We made the bet because it’s a known fact that I only ever eat mild or lemon pepper wings. I’m not a big fan of HOT foods. I like to enjoy my food, not have to down four glasses of lemonade after every bite. (Water does NOT work).

So, I need your help. Where would be the best place to go for the hottest hot wings in Collierville?

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