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."

March 29, 2013 - Lee Garden, Cherokee, NC 

SPRING ROLLS 

Lee Garden is located in the Food Lion shopping center at Casino Crossroads in Cherokee, NC. It has been in operation for a couple of years. It is the second Chinese restaurant to open in Cherokee.



Lee Garden is your basic buffet or menu style Chinese restaurant. There is really not much difference in the selections, decor or food. It is much better in selection and quality than Yummy Yummy in Bryson City. You can often get a good meal here just from the buffet,which is what most folks do. The decor is simple and nothing exciting or different. The place is clean and the wait folks nice, if you choose to order off the menu.

EGG ROLLS 

We decided to order from the menu, just to see how some of their menu dishes were prepared, presented and tasted. We knew their buffet was pretty standard. We also wanted to see if ordering Tofu would throw them off. It didn't.

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

FRIED RICE 

TOFU AND VEGGIES 

Greg chose to order the buffet and we all sampled some items from his plate. As you can see from the buffet, it was well stocked that night, with semi fresh looking fare.
Our dinners we ordered from the menu were pretty good, but there was just too much sauce for my taste. The food was good, there was plenty of it and at the moment, we all enjoyed our dinner.

However, the next day, we all suffered from a stomach ache. Lisa and I ALWAYS get sick when we eat Chinese, which is why we choose to not eat it. But, with several Chinese restaurants being on our list, we don't have a choice but to brave it sometimes. I don't know what is in their food,but I wake up with a stomach ache the next day.
This time was no different.

The buffet had a couple of soups to pick from, which were the standard fare; Wonton, Egg Drop and Hot and Sour. There were pretty much the same dishes also: General Tso Chicken, Beef with Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef Skewers, and so on. So, if you miss this place on your tour, no big loss. There will be another one just like it in the next town, and the next and the next.

January 3, 2013 - Harrah's Noodle Bar, Cherokee, NC


 Well,  here we are in our next visit to Harrah's. The first was really a good event. Lets see if this visit will be just as good. The casino is really confusing to around since the renovation. Two large parking decks, valet parking, parking lots..and you really don't know which one you are supposed to head for. Greg (for some reason) knows his way around this place, so I just rely on him to get us where we are going. We always park in the parking deck and seem to be close to the elevators that will take us to the right floor we need to be on.

CASINO PARKING LOT GOING INTO CASINO

BANK OF ELEVATORS LEADING TO CASINO FLOORS

Some of the restaurants are on the first floor and some on the second. I dont' think any are in the Hotel like they used to be. But I could be wrong. The only thing about going to the Noodle Bar is you have to cross over the Casino floor at some point. Which means, you get to breathe in all that lovely cigarette smoke, and end up smelling all stinky... like someones ashtray.

NOODLE BAR MENU

This will be mine and Greg's second visit to the Noodle Bar and the others' first visit. We are missing Beth and Robert tonite. They felt they needed a beach break and so are heading down there. Siiiggggh.... I think I need a beach break too. But not sure one in January would do the trick. Maybe I can hold off til Spring at least. As you can see from the menu, it is not an extensive one. But after this second visit, I can honestly say... you don't need a lot if the food is good. And believe me... it is!

They have appetizers, Congee (which I didn't know what that was), dishes with Sticky Rice (which is steamed rice, not fried), dishes with Fried Rice, and Noodle Soups. The Congee is apparently a Rice Soup, which has been cooked for several hours and the rice is really sticky. Our waitress advised us against it and very adamantly stated we would not like it. She even admitted she didn't like it. She felt it was a dish more for "Japanese" folks.. not regular folks like us. Apparently the Japanese have developed a liking for this traditional dish and have a great fondness for it. We took her advise and steered away from the Congee dishes.

NOODLE BAR MENU AND PICTURES 

We did take our time ordering as we really did not know what to get. The last time Greg and I were here, we just got some steamed dumplings and noodle soups. We felt we needed to stick to something we kinda knew. But this time, we were feeling adventuress. Greg ordered Kim Chee, which is fermented cabbage that has peppers in it and is typically very hot. He loves it. He also ordered the Pepper Steak. It came with steamed rice. It is really good with large pieces of steak, red and green peppers in a brown, savory juice.

STUDYING THAT MENU....HARD

THE NICE LADIES THAT WORK THE RESTAURANT

FRIED LOBSTER MEAT FRIED RICE

FRIED DUMPLINGS WITH SAUCE


I ordered the Fried Dumplings this time, which cam with a plum sauce for dipping. They were filled, fat and flavorful. Very yummy. I also ordered the Fried Lobster Meat Fried Rice. I think I read the menu wrong, cause I thought it was something different. However, I was not disappointed. There were large, tender pieces of lobster in my dish, with egg, peas and carrots. The typical Fried rice. It was really good with some of Greg's Pepper Steak juice on it. I also tried the Hoysin sauce, Soy Sauce and Fish Sauce. They were all good mixed in. The portions were large, and while the presentation was not fancy, it was pretty and just a good hearty dish. 

PEPPER STEAK WITH STICKY RICE

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN WITH STICKY RICE

Lisa ordered the General Tso's Chicken  and it came with Steamed rice. It was also presented nice, with very generous portions. She could not eat it all, so Pam and I helped her finish it off. There were Thai peppers in hers and they added just a little bite. Really nice flavor.

FRIED DUCK WITH GREENS

Rosemary was the really adventuress one tonite. She ordered the Fried Duck. It came with steamed rice and greens. I have no idea what kind of greens those were. I forgot to ask her. Hers' must have  been absolutely delish cause there wasn't nothing left of that Duck but the web between it's feet. I didn't try it but she did say it was really good. She and Lisa also ordered the Fried Dumplings and shared them. They were popular tonite cause Pam ordered them too.

SPRING ROLL EGG ROLL

Pam also ordered the Spring Roll Egg Rolls. Pam was eating light tonite. They do look pretty don't they? They  also must have been really good, cause Pam tried to fanangle another order from the waitress. She is always working an angle. But, its like she said..... You never know until you ask.

KIM CHEE 

We all tried Greg's Kim Chee and it was toasty. Greg of course loved it and we all felt our heads blowing up. That is one thing four menopausal women do not need is more heat.

SOME SATISFIED AND FULL CUSTOMERS....

Tonite was good, with only one drawback. There are no tables at the Noodle Bar. Only one counter. So we all had to eat sitting in a line. This really stifled our conversation and was very awkward. We were not able to talk to each other at all unless you were sitting next to someone. We tried, but felt we were hollering due to the casino noise. The Casino is right at your back. I don't know if you can see it very well in the pictures, but maybe  you can see the poker room no more than 10 feet  from us. The waitresses (Asian) are really funny and informative if you aren't familiar with the food. They were a bit shy about having their pictures taken, but overall were good sports.

Rosemary drew out of the hat and our next stop is Sylva. We will be at the Chinese restaurant next to Roses on Thursday, January 10th at 6:30. Come join us if you can. Greg will be the only one who enjoys that trip, as I can't stand those Chinese restaurants. But.. they do have a Mongolian Bar where they will cook your food to order. That will be what I will be getting, as I am very wary of buffets in Chinese restaurants  ( or any restaurant, really) as the food tends to sit out for quite a while.

On our way out, we checked out the Craps table. I know nothing about Craps and don't understand the table areas. Oh well... I guess I'll keep my money this time.

December 13, 2012 - Brio, Cherokee, NC 

This is our first stop in Harrahs' Casino, but not our last. There are numerous restaurants in the casino, but I am not sure all their names, locations or selections. But... together, we will discover them all. Since we were going to the casino, I did not dress up. I thought... .casino - casual. But all the rest of our party dressed up like we were going to the Grove Park Inn. I felt like a urchin. But those folks looked great. 

This restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of the casino. There are now two parking decks- one for the casino and one for the hotel. Since the renovation, getting around is very confusing. You have to pay attention to the tiny signs scattered around the outside. It is best to park in the casino parking deck and take the elevator to the restaurants. This way you avoid the outside parking lot, the bus ride to the casino, and the walk through the casino floor. Or you avoid the valet parking too. Either way, you end up at your restaurant not smelling like an ashtray. 

Tonite, we were all in attendance, except for Lisa who was somewhere else. I don't remember where, but she  had something else to do. Or maybe she was sick. 

We all met at the casino and unbelievably, all made it with little trouble. 

Brio is a very pretty restaurants. It does look like a Tuscan villa style restaurant, with inside and outside (sort of) seating. There are booths, bistro style tables, white table cloths and lots of plants. 

We were seated at a large round table, which soon proved to be too little. We had to wade through the jungle of plants to get to our seats. We were seated om the outside of the restaurant, which means that we were able to watch everyone that passed and in turn, they were able to watch us. 

This place is like Lulu's..... if you don't want to be seen, don't go here. Even though Brio seems to be in a hidden corner, there is a lot of foot traffic going past. 

The lighting inside this area of the casino really played havoc with my attempt to take pictures. The shutter speed was so slow due to the lighting, that most of the pictures came out blurry. I apologize for that up front. 

What is Beth thinking of? 

The hallway beside Brio and Pam trying to figure out the difference between the sign language "I love you", and the Rock and Roll sign. 

Three different appetizers -Bruschetta variety, hummus, and artichoke dip 

Well the jury is still out on those signs... and the discussion continues.  I think Pam just didn't believe we knew what we were talking about


We had a local girl for our waitress. I think she was fairly new or just unsure of what she was doing. She was pleasant enough, but was very slow....at every phase of the meal. Maybe she just had lots of tables. We spent a great deal of time perusing the menu, trying to decide what to order. There was a nice selection of appetizers, salads and main courses. In fact, there was too much that looked good. We all ordered an appetizer, which in hindsight, was a mistake. The appetizers were large enough for the entire table. So, there we were, with three large appetizers. All were good and nicely presented. I could not say which was better.... maybe one of the other folks had a favorite. 

 CRAB AND SHRIMP FONDUTA - Bubbling hot and creamy, with Parmesan crisps for dipping 

BRUSCHETTA QUATTRO 

ARTICHOKE, ROASTED GARLIC AND SHRIMP DIP

BISTECCA INSALATA -A wedge of lettuce, Gorgonzola, bacon, Roma tomatoes and creamy Parmesan dressing 

Rosemary, Beth and Robert ordered a salad. I didn't as I figured that would be way too much food. However, the salad was a bit on the disappointing side. Although the salad looks nice, I think of these types of salads as lazy salads. It consists of a quarter of iceberg lettuce (which in nutritional value is like eating air), with some bacon bits, tomatoes, and dressing on top. Not much of an effort in the salad department. 

LOBSTER AND SHRIMP FETTUCINE - Shrimp and lobster tossed with mushrooms, green onions and a spicy lobster butter sauce

GRILLED SALMON - With Romano crusted tomatoes, citrus pesto, asparagus and crispy shoestring potatoes

CAMPANELLE CARBONARA - Grilled chicken, crisp bacon, Parmesan cheese and sauteed spinach

PASTA BRIO - Rigatoni, grilled chicken, seared mushrooms and roasted red pepper sauce

LASAGNA  BOLOGNESE AL FORNO -Oven baked and layered with authentic Bolognese meat sauce, Alfredo, Ricotta and Mozzarella

All the dishes were very nice presented, with very generous portions. Too generous really. Enough to share if you are on a budget. The food was hot, bubbly, and loads of flavor. Every dish was incredible. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and some of us had to get to go boxes. 

We laughed and laughed and laughed some more. We heard how Beth and Robert met, got together and ended up together. Very sweet story. We also laughed at ourselves during some of our drinking escapades, and crazy younger days. We saw tons of folks we knew from Bryson and Cherokee. We also noticed there seemed to be a great number of folks who were wearing lit necklaces. Of course, Pam and Rosemary wanted one. So we had to stop some folks and ask where they got theirs. Seems there was an employee appreciation event going on downstairs. And it seems like except for a meal, Harrah's didn't spring for much in terms of appreciation, if all the folks got was a little lit necklace. But I guess with over 3,000, you can't expect much. 

We lingered at Brio as long as we could. Actually, we were just sitting trying to digest. But, alas, time passed and we had to go. We did walk around a bit trying to move some of that food we just ate. We watched the gamblers at work, checked out some boutiques through the windows and meandered our way to the parking deck. 

This meal and experience were completely enjoyable. The company, meal, atmosphere were a definite do again.... SOON. 

THE CHESTNUT TREE, CHEROKEE, NC

The Chestnut Tree is in the Holiday Inn, located on Hwy 19 just on the Bryson side of Cherokee. It has changed names a couple of times and menus, but the owners are the same. They have advertised specials for meals, that are open to the public, not just their guests. They now serve a Breakfast buffet, Friday night Seafood Buffet, and Prime Rib on Saturday. 

The dinning room is very nicely decorated in Native American decor, with many of the items being handmade by local artists. There are carvings, baskets, painting, prints, etc. There are also many, many pieces for sale in the display cases outside in the lobby and the small giftshop. 

Many of the waitresses have been working at the Holiday Inn for decades. Its comforting to see familiar faces when you go there. Especially when they know you and greet you like an old friend. 

Tonite we had the pleasure of John and Rosemary's company. Its is always good to have new blood around the table to keep us on our toes, and make sure Lisa doesn't get to far out of line. 

Instead of going to The Chestnut Tree on Thursday for our usual night, we decided to go on Friday for the Seafood buffet. Greg and I had been many times and found the food plentiful, fresh, and varied. I was especially fond of the crab legs. I will travel many a mile for good, fresh crab legs. 

PART OF DINING ROOM. GLASSED ON TWO SIDES.

This night I think we were all disappointed. John was the only one who didn't eat from the buffet. He ordered the Prime Rib, which came with choice of two sides. He chose Mac & Cheese and Mashed Potatoes. According to John, his meal was pretty good. His Prime Rib was moist, and tender. He was as satisfied customer.

PRIME RIB DINNER WITH MAC & CHEESE AND MASHED POTATOES

While the buffet initially looked appetizing, upon closer examination and tasting.. it left a lot to be desired. There was a wide variety of offerings, in both seafood, veggies and desserts. There was even a nice salad bar and soup. The soup that night, appropriately enough,  was Clam Chowder. Greg and I  were the only ones who ate the soup. It was just OK. Nothing special and certainly not homemade. Wasn't bad.. but nothing memorable either. The salad bar looked pretty fresh, with several options. Nothing fancy, just basic salad bar fare.

OYSTERS, BOILED SHRIMP 

There were cold appetizers on the bar such as Oysters on the half shell and Boiled Shrimp. I didn't eat either, but the others did. I am very wary of uncooked food that has been sitting out for long periods of time.
Also on the buffet were peas, mixed veggies, rice, broccoli, pasta with a Red sauce and Alfredo sauce,  green beans,  mashed potatoes. All looked very unappetizing as if they had been sitting out for a very long time. 

As far as seafood, there was fried shrimp, fried fish (cod I think), frog legs, shrimp scampi, fried oysters, fried trout and boiled fish ( cod, I think). No roast beef as before and no crab legs.

 For dessert, there was berry cobbler and cherry cobbler. It looked OK, but again, was just OK. It was dried and looked like it has been sitting in the pan for quite awhile.

The company was spectacular that evening, which made up for a dismal meal.  We were so glad to have Rosemary and hope we didn't make her lose a couple of stitches that night. She and John were both welcome company. We laughed and talked and didn't go back for seconds. The seafood buffet used to be pretty fabulous, and I am not sure what has changed, but  it is definitely not worth the price nor the trip. You can get a better meal at Long John Silvers or Red Lobster. This buffet has seen its' better days. So.. no recommendation for The Chestnut Tree.
We are a bit off track for one reason or another, but onward.. We only have Anthonys, The Fryemont Inn, The Iron Skillet, and Tuckasegee Tavern left. The light at the end of the Swain County tunnel.