Monty's Seafood Grill, Charlotte, NC

Monty’s Seafood Grill located at 15205 John J. Delaney Dr, in Charlotte, NC.

Going to Monty’s Seafood Grill was a last minute welcome surprise. My family had been raving about this restaurant for some time. And their last two ventures I had missed, so I knew that the next time I definitely wanted to go.

I always felt that a personal recommendation beats out a generic restaurant review anytime.

Well, let’s get to it!

My first indication of quality began with the bread basket. The salads had already arrived and my sister inquired about bread. The waitress replied, “I’ll bring it right out to you—it just came out of the oven.”

Unless they have invented some new ovens that cool food instead of heating… I’m going to have to say she didn’t tell the truth.

We ordered fried calamari for our appetizer. I love calamari and I know what good calamari tastes like. And this wasn’t good calamari.

It was salty and greasy. Besides burning food the worst thing you can do is over salt it. Too much salt is an amateur mistake. No one should have to experience that while dining out.

For my entrée I had Roasted Lemon Thyme Chicken with home made fries, and collard greens.

The chicken was bland; the home fries were missing potatoes if that’s even possible. And the collard greens had some flavor but they were dirty.

My grandmother always told me, “You have to clean collard greens very well. Because if you don’t they taste gritty.” Someone should tell Monty this.

After our meal the hostess came over to the table and asked, “Did everyone enjoy their meals?”
My sisters piped up, “yes we did.”

Meanwhile one of my sisters’ had hid the fat from her filet mignon in the bread basket. And my other sister sent back her wedge salad because the dressing was disgusting.

But me, I didn’t answer.

So the hostess looked at my plate and asked, “And how was your chicken?”

My reply was, “It was all right.”

And her reply was, “well chicken is chicken.”

“Way to stand up for your restaurant,” I thought. But I really wanted to say, “Chicken can be tasty and seasoned.

I have three categories in which I put a dining experience in.

1. Recommended – Meaning I would eat there again and recommend it to others.
2. Toss up – Means you have to decide for yourself by visiting the establishment.
3. Drive By – Means keep on driving pass the restaurant.

So which category does Monty’s Seafood Grill fall in? I would have to say Drive by.

Until next time Bon appétit!

My Tuesday Night Laugh Fest - Hell’s Kitchen April 29, 2008

Tuesdays night’s episode of Hell’s Kitchen began with the elimination of Craig, while Ben narrowly escaped elimination.

As we’re taken backstage you hear Ben say, “I don’t know why I was up there man?”

Pssst, Ben could you come over here for a second. “Maybe it’s because you started celebrating when you still had six tables to serve. And the Red team only had two.” So my response to him would have been, “You jumped the gun. Remember?”

This week’s challenge in Hell’s Kitchen was to make a gourmet pizza. After tasting everyone on the team’s pizza the Red team went with Jen’s pizza. The Blue team chose Ben’s pizza without even tasting Petrozza’s pizza. How insulting.

The Red team won with Jen’s pizza which she called, “a little bit of Italy and a little bit of France.” It’s embarrassing that she won by a very narrow margin because Ben didn’t clean his mushrooms well.

Cooking 101 – You must clean your food properly.

Poor Matt, I get a kick out of his commentary and the faces he makes ever week. I call him, ‘Angry Man.’

And then we have LouRoss who broke down after the gourmet pizza challenge. Only to be called a, “it rhymes with witch,” by Ben. Remember Ben, the one with the dirty vegetables. What nerve.

The two teams managed to get through their dining services tonight. There were a few hiccups from Rosann and Christina on the Red Team and with LouRoss and Matt on the Blue Team.

Tonight in Hell’s Kitchen Chef Ramsey decided that there were no losing teams. So both teams had to nominate a teammate for elimination.

The Blue team nominated LouRoss and the Red team decided on Rosann. But as soon as Christina’s head was turned the back stabbing had begun. And presto the Red team had put her up on the chopping block.

To the teams surprise Chef Ramsey gave both teams a reprieve. With Vanessa leaving earlier that evening he decided she was going to be the only team member going home that night.

The Red and Blue team you better watch your backs. The knives are flying.

Hell’s Kitchen airs on Tuesday nights at nine on the Fox Network.

Are Black Men Expendable in This Country?

It is sad that in this country a black man must walk down the street practically naked in order to be safe from the people we pay to protect and serve us.

Public service announcements will soon read as this:

Attention All Black Males!

Please remove anything shiny from your person. Leave all cell phones, blackberries and keys at home. Keep your mouth shut; don’t even move your lips. Make no sudden movements, please. Or this may be construed as things that would make an NYC police officer fear for his life. If you don’t adhere to these precautions NYC police officers will aim and shoot. Not once, not twice but possibly fifty times or more. These officers will then appear before a judge and be acquitted of all charges. This concludes our public service announcement

Fifty bullets were fired. That’s right fifty bullets.

I shook my head back and forth when I heard the guilty verdict. But what was really disturbing was the fact that I wasn’t surprised by the verdict. My first thoughts were, ‘Are black men expendable in this country?’

But why wasn’t my first reaction outrage? It’s because unfortunately in this country we have been desensitized to verdicts such as these.

My heart cried out for all the men in my life; my fiancé, my brothers, nephews, cousins and extended family. But it also cried out for Sean Bell and his family.

Until we see white faces or hear names like John Smith, Jake Hall or Wyatt Long will we see a cry of outrage in this country.

Clearly, it is evident that policeman are afraid of black faces.

I understand what dangers policeman face everyday. I’ve lived in neighborhoods where I’ve had to watch my back as I’ve walked home from work some nights. I’ve carried paring knives in my purse for protection. I’ve had keys balled in my hand ready to strict if need be. I’ve had friends and family robbed, harassed and guns put to their heads.

But what is disheartening is where do we turn? It’s possible to be a victim of a crime any day of the week. And what’s more shocking is my friendly neighborhood policeman can take my life just as easily.

Sadly, I’d rather plead with a criminal to take all my money and my jewelry and spare my life. Than to say one wrong word or make one sudden movement in front of an police officer for fear I might be gunned down where I stand.

I think the Assistant District Attorney Charles A. Testagrossa summed it up nicely by saying, “We ask police to risk their lives to protect ours. Not to risk our lives to protect their own.”