blog-worthy fare: cloudy with a chance of flank steak

after a cloudy trek, my family and i enjoyed classic american fare with a southern twist at the mimosa grill in downtown charlotte. the restaurant is nestled in the corner of a spacious atrium, avoiding the occasional traffic in the otherwise quiet city. the dining room was both bright and inviting and we were lucky enough to be able to sit in the corner of their glass porch. once the impending rain finally started, the sides and top of the room became speckled with raindrops and the calming patter of the rainfall on thick glass added to the ambience created by tiny white candles on each table and natural stone floors- rustic chic at its absolute finest.

getting into the actual meal, we chose two appetizers to share. the first one was a flatbread pizza topped with fennel sausage, roasted peppers and ricotta cheese. this was a true flatbread; crispy and super thin, topped with enough to be a pizza, but not too much as to cause the crust to collapse. the creamy, mild ricotta cut through the spiciness of the sausage, creating a perfect balance. next up, we chose a fam favorite; hummus with grilled veggies and toasted pitas dusted with chili powder. the hummus was suuuper creamy and was not full of garlic or salt, allowing the true chick pea flavor to compliment the spicy pita perfectly. alongside the plate came an adorably tiny skillet of a surprisingly sweet olive tapenade which was delish when spread over a dollop of hummus. also on the table was a basket of fresh biscuits; such a treat coming from up north where restaurants serving biscuits in place of bread are a rarity.

for my main course, i satisfied a steak craving with a 7 oz flank steak, or “american wagyu,” as the menu described it. my steak was cooked to absolute perfection- crispy on the outside and just barely warm in the middle- exactly how i like it. without asking, the steak came with a little crock of mashed potatoes(loaded with bacon and scallions and topped with melted gruyere. omg.) and more of the grilled veggies that surrounded our hummus in the prior course. the menage of produce included yellow squash, zucchini, red and green peppers and tiny asparagus spears and served as a bed for the star of the plate. to wash it all down, i sipped on the restaurant’s signature mimosa tea, a twist on the classic arnold palmer.

dig in!

xx gabby