A glorious day of eating and drinking: Loco Lime, Grapevine and Twenty-Two

After the usual Saturday morning routine the Mrs. and I decided to throw caution to the wind and make a day of a meandering car trip. We didn't go far but it was nice to cruise around and chat. Our first stop was a new American-Mexican restaurant owned by the same folks who have opened Hawthorne's Pizza and Common House. Both of which are solid restaurants but not worth going out of my way for. The decor is exactly what you would expect, an over the top color explosion with tchotchkes and mariachi music playing in the background. We were seated promptly and our server quickly followed looking to take our drink order. I ordered a Port Royal as I am unfamiliar with Honduran Beer but was quickly shot down, they had a run on it the previous night. Undeterred, I ordered my Mexican favorite, Dos XX and started perusing the menu. Some chips came to the table with a couple of dipping options one being a standard salsa and the other being this amazing tomatillo-jalapeno dip that had a slight creaminess from the addition of avocado and sour cream. I could not get enough. A quick word about my feelings on Mexican food. I love both kind; I love deep fried americanized abominations of cheese and meat, I also love authentic simple tacos al pastor that can be had from many local eateries. Loco Lime is definitely for the fans of the fryolator arts. After looking through the menu I decided on a combo plate of the two items that all places like this should be judged, Chile Relleno and Tamale.

The Mrs. went for her personal favorite of Huevos Rancheros. When the plates arrived I was pleasantly surprised by what I found before me. The Chile Relleno was fried to perfection; with a tender poblano filled with beef and cheese encased in a lovely crispy batter. The tamale was only slightly less impressive. The masa was cooked perfectly with the ability to hold its shape while remaining tender without any chewiness. My only complaint was the masa to chicken ratio seemed a little skimpy on the chicken. The plate was then finished with Rice, Beans and a "salad". If it is Americanized Mexican fare you seek, skip the chain places and head to Loco Lime.

Our next stop was down in Fort Mill, SC. The Grapevine is a small wine and beer store and bar, located in Baxter Village. I have been following them on Facebook for a time and had been impressed by their dedication. Their true claim to fame is the growler program with five or six hard to find beers on tap at all time for re-fills. I held off on the growler since it is such a long haul from our place but If I find myself there on a regular basis, as I suspect I will, I might have to break down and get one. The space is quite small with the front half taken up by the bar and some cafe tables. The back is split between beer and wine fairly evenly. As I examined the beer selection I was amazed at the selection packed into such a small place but what truly got my attention was as I scanned the rack my eye hit a bottle of Thomas Hardy Ale 2007 and above that sitting on top of the rack was an, unfortunately empty, Pliny the Elder bottle. I touched it just because I could. I made due with the Thomas Hardy and moved on down the rack. My other find of the day was a bottle of the 2008 reunion from Bison which is a red rye brewed with caraway. Look for a review of that soon. After shuffling through the rest of the store I made my way to the bar to pay. There, I was met by Dave who tried to get me to partake of the tasting they were doing of Barleywines. I declined but the Mrs. and I decided to sit and have a drink. I asked for and received a glass Of the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, a clean hoppy beer with a smooth malty finish, worthy of its moniker. We chatted with Dave and a couple of apparent regulars who were doing the tasting. After finishing we set sail for home; doing a quick grocery run on the way.

On the way home we remembered we had plans with Mr. and Mrs. Whiskey to check out a photo exhibit of a mutual acquaintance being held at a newly opened bar we had been meaning to check out, two birds and all that. After retuning home and slaving in the kitchen over loaves of bread and cupcakes the Mrs. got cleaned up and back out the door we went.

Twenty Two is a small modern space located in Plaza-Midwood, mixing bar and gallery space. The show last night was a photography exhibit by a fried of Mr. Whiskeys whom I have met on a number of occasions over the years. His Photos were interesting, mostly fish-eye, of people within the counterculture of Charlotte and travels abroad. The bar is a little pretentious feeling but the beer selection is amazingly diverse for a place with only seven or eight taps. I started with a Blache Du Buxelles, a quintessential Belgian white. I moved on to take in the exhibit and chat with those I recognized. I then moved on to a Delirium Tremens, another stalwart of the Belgian beer scene. After finishing drinks and conversations it was off to home and bed.

Loco Lime - is located in Plaza-Midwood at 1101 Central Ave. - Website

Grapevine - is located in Fort Mill, SC at 1012 Market St. - Website

Twenty Two - is Located in Plaza-Midwood at 1500 Central Ave. - Website