Jay Gee's, Sylva, NC - August 15,  2013

This is a new restaurant in Sylva, that just opened in the last couple of months. It is a cousin to Jimmy Mac's in Bryson and is owned by the son (I think) of Jimmy Mac's owner. It is located on Main Street in the  old Merriweather's.
The decor doesn't seem to be changed much from the previous tenants,  except for the ginormous TV in the back of the room. You can see that in one of the pictures. Well, not only is the mother of all TV's in the room, but several offspring as well. You all know by now that is the biggest pet peeve of mine, as I think meals ought to be about conversing with your dinner company and not zoning out in front of the boob tube, while ignoring your company. Why go out to eat if all you're going to do is watch TV. You can do that at home.
I also hate it when people spend their entire time on the phone when you are eating with them. Just rude.

Note the big TV and its offspring

Juke Box

We had some extra guests at Supper Club tonite. Turner just happened to be available to eat with us tonite. I think she thought there was an agenda at these weekly suppers, but no.. we just let the conversation go as it will and let the good times roll. Unfortunately, Clayton was not able to come. 

Tonite, Turner and I went to the bathroom just as we walked in. The bathroom is located in the front as you start down the long hallway towards the main center of the restaurant. We were greeted with a huge surprise when we got in the bathroom. Something in the bathroom stunk horribly! I don't know if the sewer was not working correctly, or the toilets were malfunctioning, but it was all we could do to do our business and get out before we were gassed. We did report this to the waitress, but not sure if it was addressed that night. 

Fried Pickle Spears

Fried Mushroom Appetizer

We ordered two appetizers, which included the Fried Mushrooms and Fried Pickles. Now, you KNOW how much we love Fried Pickles. I still can't believe I have gone all my life and have never eaten them until recently. I am eternally indebted to Pam for their introduction. The mushrooms were fairly good. The pickles were a bit of a surprise, as they were not pickle chips, but pickle spears. That little alteration  created an entirely different taste and texture. I personally didn't like them, as they lost their crispness and the coating fell off. I tried to eat one, but after a couple of bites, I quit. No one else cared for the spears as much as the chips. So, the pickle spears remained uneaten. On a side note, they were really salty also. 

Sample Salad

The salads were OK. I did like them much more than at Jimmy Mac's. Jay Gee's has no cold green beans or olives. Tomatoes, onions, croutons, and cucumbers. Much more likable. 

Sweet Potato Fries

Jay Gee's offers Sweet Potato Fries, which are pretty good. You can choose from Honey Mustard dipping sauce or Ranch. The main menu here is pretty much the same as at Jimmy Mac's. Jay Gee's also offers seafood, pasta, sandwich's, steaks, and soups.  They offer a  homemade soup daily, which JM's does also. The soup is fairly consistent in its likability. Lots of variety and good taste. The soup is one of Lisa's favorite things to order. It does make a good fall and winter lunch. Warm, hearty, and tasty.

Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries

For lunch, there is a nice selection of sandwiches to choose from. Ham and Cheese, Burgers, Cheese steaks, as well as some seafood selections such as Po' Boy's. All come with Fries or Homemade Chips. I prefer the chips. They are crispy, tasty and not soggy or too salty.

Steak and Potato

The steak's they offer include Sirloin, Ribeye and they come with a Baked Potato and Salad. The steaks are OK. Not fantastic, but adequate.

Philly Steak with Homemade Chips

I ordered the Cheese steak, and it was one of the best I've had. The bread was good, crusty and soft, with loads of filling. The meat had good flavor, was lean and the cheese perfectly melted.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Turner ordered the soup and she stated it was great. It did look good. This was just one of the varieties offered.

Vegetable Pasta

The veggie pasta didn't look too great. I can't testify as how it tasted. I can honestly say that the biscuits were horrible. We could not eat them as they were salty.Yes! salty... we could not figure out what happened in the making process, but we felt that someone must have mistaken the sugar for the salt or the salt for the Parmesan Cheese ( as they were supposed to have PC on top). Anyway, they were inedible. We did not report this to the waitress.

Rancho Viejo, Cherokee, NC - October 17, 2013



There's not much to be said about Rancho Viejo that hasn't already been said about the other Tex Mex restaurants we blogged earlier. This one is located in Cherokee, and one of  many that have come and gone over the years. Mexican restaurants don't seem to last long in Cherokee, for some reason.

Guayabitos actually started in Cherokee. They were located in the old El Camino restaurant on Soco. Then they closed and moved to Bryson. Rancho Viejo is located in the Food Lion shopping center near the Casino Crossing. At the intersection of 441 and Casino Road. 

They seem to do a brisk business so maybe they will stay. They do have a large roomy interior with plenty of seating consisting of both booths and tables. If you have a large party, there will still be room. The decor is minimal, and not crowded, cluttered like Guayabitos. The booths are roomy with high backs so privacy is afforded.
They also serve lunch and dinner, with no change in the menus, except the price. 

Pollo Fundido 

The menu consists of everything similar and no variances from the other Mexican restaurants in the area (Sazone excepted). The signs that all tout stating "Authentic" is not really true. The food on the menus is all Tex Mex and obviously altered to the demands of the American palate. I personally find them bland,  boring and really nothing to get excited about. But, then you all know my favorite Mexican - Sazone- and it is authentic, fresh, and cooked to order. 

Cowboy Fajitas 

Fajitas sides, beans, rice, lettuce/tomato/guac/sour cream

Pork Verde 

The food at these Tex Mex clones is not really awful, but its just plain and the same ole, same old. It's almost as if they all order their food from the same place  and cook it with the same recipes. It is filling, but that is all that can really be said about it. The beans are OK, the rice is OK, but if you choose to not eat it.. I can truthfully say... you won't miss it.

On another note.. only three of us were in attendance tonite. So, the meal was short. We did run into folks we knew, so we stopped to say "Howdy."

August 8, 2013 - Soul Infusion, Sylva, NC

Soul Infusion is located on Main Street in Sylva in a renovated early 1900's farm house. The proper name is Soul Infusion - Tea House and Bistro. They are open for lunch and dinner and have a nice, full menu. They offer vegan options and vegetarian options, which is a nice change. There is seating in the house, on the porch, and in the yard in a garden/patio type setting. 

The inside is done in a Joseph's coat "many colors" palette. Quite funkadelic. Lots of interesting decor on the walls, including local artwork. The bar is framed in galvanized metal sheeting. There is a lot of stuff surrounding the cash register and bar, to the point where it's a little hard to know where to do to order. 

The food is great. They offer fresh, natural homemade soups, wraps, salads and desserts. Huge selection of teas, local brews and wine. Something to offer everyone. 

Taco Salad

Cobb Salad

Black Bean Burger

Chicken Casserole Wrap

Tuna Salad Sandwich & Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Vegan Chili

The food was really good. You could tell it was fresh, the ingredients natural and everything homemade. Because of this, you do have to wait a little bit for your order, but it is worth it. The prices are not high, everything is quite affordable. A great bargain for fresh, homemade food. 

Bar - notice the huge selection

Soul Infusion also has a $7.00 lunch special every day. If you don't want a huge meal, they also offer a half sandwich/soup or half sandwich & side. Just the perfect meal for lunch or a light dinner. SI is a nice, cozy place with a great, relaxed atmosphere for hanging out with your friends and making new ones. Come check out the live music which occurs most weekends.  Come on out and maybe you'll see the ASC there! Plenty of parking.

Live  music most weekends

http://www.soulinfusion.com/index.html

June 13, 2013 - The Jade Dragon, Sylva, NC

 The Jade Dragon is a fairly new restaurant located on Hwy 107 on the way to WCU, between Walmart and Lowes. It has been in existence about a year. It is located in a renovated diner/drive in that was a staple in Sylva. Not sure why it went out of business, as it seemed to be very popular with the locals,  but The Jade Dragon moved in. 

The Jade Dragon is not very big inside as the standard Chinese restaurant  buffet takes up one whole end of the restaurant. While the buffett looks big, it is actually small compared to most Chinese restaurants. There is a variety of booths and tables, large and small to accommodate everyone. 

 As most Chinese buffets have the same fare on the buffet, I decided to order off the menu to see how quickly orders were completed, and how the food tasted. The other folks ordered the buffet. We had everyone in attendance tonite too.

As you can see from the pictures, The Jade Dragon is no different from the other thousands of Chinese restaurants in any state. Same desserts, fruits, rice, soups and dishes. 

As you can see, Watermelon, Oranges, Cold Shrimp

The buffet was clean, did have some variety and the dishes were plentiful, and hot. This is interesting as we were about the  only folks in there. I think there were only about two or three other tables that night. Some of the supper club did report that a few of the dishes did appear as if they had been sitting out for awhile as they looked "old." 

I ordered Mongolian Beef and the dish was plentiful as you can see. It came with a side of rice. The dish was tasty, but really nothing to write home about. It was not memorable and really was no different than if I had ordered it from the restaurant in Bryson, Cherokee, or any other town.

Sample buffet plate

Fried Rice 

The Jade Dragon seems to be popular with locals as the parking lot is usually full. I'm not sure why, as they are no different from any other Chinese restaurant in Sylva or any other town. Just being new, I guess. When the new wears off, I guess folks will drift on to other places. 

May 23, 2013 - Colima's Mexican Restaurant, Sylva, NC

Colima's located in Quin Theater parking lot 

Well, as you can see, the blog has been neglected for a bit. What can I say? Summer and all that comes with it. This night everyone was gone except me, Lisa and Greg. We had a new supper member tonite, Jane Brown. It's always a nice change of pace when we have new faces around the table.

Chili Colorado with beans and rice

Jane is one hard working woman, and I'm glad she took time from her busy schedule to come eat supper with us. Her and Lisa were already in place and imbibing when Greg and I arrived. They probably deserved it. And who are we to deny them?

Enchiladas with beans and rice 

Colima's is located next to the Quin Theater in Sylva. It has been around for a number of years and was the first Mexican restaurant in the area. As the one and only, it enjoyed a long history of  popularity and attendance. BUT! that streak is no more. There are at least 4 Mexican restaurants in Sylva now. I have my favorite, I'm sure you have yours. The other three are the "same old, same old" that you find in every town in America. And you all KNOW my favorite! There is no comparison.

Fajitas 

In my opinion, Colima's used to be better than it is now. They do have a lunch buffet, which I don't think the others do. But it is nothing special and the food is often dried up, tasteless, or cold. The menu is large, but there is really nothing special about it either. You can probably guess what is on the menu, if you've been in any American town Mexican restaurant. And you would be right. The food is typical Tex Mex and not homemade or authentic. 

Sides with fajitas - beans and guacamole salad

It is typically hot and served promptly. The same family owns Colima's that opened the restaurant originally. So, if you like consistently, you will get it here. The wait staff is typically very pleasant, and will spend some time chatting with you if you are in the mood.

Chicken soup

 The meal we had tonite was really not memorable. We did have a good time catching up, chatting, and getting to know Jane a bit better. We spend a longer time there than necessary just because we enjoyed the evening and the company. Jane has such a  great sense of humor, she is a joy to be around.

Colima's is usually crowded and I do feel they get a large amount of their customers from movie goers. It's close and convenient to the theatre and if you want a quick bite before the movie, or have a limited time for lunch then you might want to give them a try. But, don't expect great food or anything different.