We are off to a great start on our much anticipated stay-cation. Day 1 was on Wednesday, and we set out on a little raod trip to Pineyville, in the Charlotte, NC area, which is about a 1-1/2 hour trip. Our objective was food! Great food! A few years ago, we discovered Tin-Tin, a Chinese restaurant, that is so amazing. This place is a buffet. Now, I usually treat buffet restaurants with total disdain. Why would anyone want to pay for food that has been sitting on a steam table for who knows how long? ...And Chinese buffet? That simply sends chills up my spine because truly good Chinese food is flash cooked and presented piping hot from the pan still a little crisp and vibrantly colorful. However, Tin-Tin proves that a buffet can serve a great meal. We go with appetites blazing for everything from sushi made right in front of you to a freshly grilled steak. Not very Chinese, I know, but they have a broad range of authentic Chinese foods that even the Chinese fill the place for, and they keep replenishing the pans frequently. They have a huge selection of salads and fresh fruits, soft ice-cream that the kids love to serve themselves. They have cookies and cakes. Steamed fish, crab legs, 'butter" fried shrimp, egg-drop soup, freshly made-to-order soup, peach buns, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, ...you name it, they got it! My photos were not so good this time, but this blog says it all.
Of course, after a meal like that, one would be remiss unless one walked it off. Black Lion, just a half a block away takes care of that exercise very nicely. This BL is a joy to walk through, with colorful, gleaming and lux merchandise a feast for the eyes. BL is a huge store that is really composed of many stores, much like a very upscale flea market. I go with camera in hand because I know that I will see things that inspire me and there have been a few times I couldn't resist taking things home with me. Prices run the gamut there, and you will find shops that purvey jewelry, soaps, Christmas and all sorts of home decor, textile goods and furniture.
I LOVE Chinese food! Looks like you had your little stay-cation well in advance of Irene.
ReplyDeleteI love Chinese food too, and could probably survive on that alone, but then what about Mexican, Indian, Greek, Italian, Thai, and all the others?
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