Monthly Archives: August 2021

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 212

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In Episode #212 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

We are now featured on the Triad Podcast Network!

Tim and Ray talk about:

  • Ray’s last show. No show next week.
  • Andreas Kazakos passes away.
  • WS Food Truck Festival.
  • Bojangles closes for employee rest.
  • Culver’s opens its first triad location.
  • Tim and Stephanie went to Honky Tonk Smokehouse and DiLisio’s.
  • Athena Greek Taverna. Cin Cin. Grandma Ruby’s. Camino Real. Camel City Coffee. Earl’s. Pulliam’s have news.
  • 237 Fifth to become Timmy’s Hot Chicken.
  • Vincenzo’s cutting back hours.
  • Eat Drink Burger Week coming.
  • Tim talks about The Country Spinner and a Burger Tour ’21 update.
  • “The List” is discussed as well as other food news.

The Man Who Ate the Town website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and curating to know when and how your favorite WSNC-area restaurant is doing business!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill.  Healthy, grilled meats, wood-fired pizzas, fresh ingredients, and phenomenal wine dinners. Those are just some of the offerings of Carrabba’s. And, Daniel Butner, the local proprietario, is the salt of the earth and a pillar of good in the community. Go taste the goodness that is Carrabba’s and see why Tim and Ray are always talking it up!

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

Bon Appetit!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 211

Posted on by

In Episode #211 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

We are now featured on the Triad Podcast Network!

Tim and Ray talk about:

  • Cody’s closes down.
  • Quanto Basta is having a Wine and Dine.
  • A new collaboration venture.
  • Eat Drink Burger Week coming.
  • Tim talks about The Country Spinner and a Burger Tour ’21 update.
  • “The List” is discussed as well as other food news.
  • Winston-Salem Strong. This website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and resources for businesses and individuals that are needed at this time, including unemployment, SBA loans, tips for servers, and many other services. All this in one place. Winston-Salem Strong!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill.  Healthy, grilled meats, wood-fired pizzas, fresh ingredients, and phenomenal wine dinners. Those are just some of the offerings of Carrabba’s. And, Daniel Butner, the local proprietario, is the salt of the earth and a pillar of good in the community. Go taste the goodness that is Carrabba’s and see why Tim and Ray are always talking it up!

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

Bon Appetit!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 210

Posted on by

In Episode #210 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

We are now featured on the Triad Podcast Network!

Tim and Ray talk about:

  • DiLisio’s is temporarily closed due to C-19.
  • Tim and Stephanie attended the Sweet Summer Luv Luv Festival and Big Sip.
  • Diamondback Grill shoutout.
  • Eat Drink Burger Week coming.
  • Tim talks about The Country Spinner and a Burger Tour ’21 update.
  • “The List” is discussed as well as other food news.
  • Winston-Salem Strong. This website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and resources for businesses and individuals that are needed at this time, including unemployment, SBA loans, tips for servers, and many other services. All this in one place. Winston-Salem Strong!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill.  Healthy, grilled meats, wood-fired pizzas, fresh ingredients, and phenomenal wine dinners. Those are just some of the offerings of Carrabba’s. And, Daniel Butner, the local proprietario, is the salt of the earth and a pillar of good in the community. Go taste the goodness that is Carrabba’s and see why Tim and Ray are always talking it up!

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

Bon Appetit!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Touring from the Home Kitchen (Recipes) – Mauritius – Seafood Rougaille

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Mauritian cuisine is, typically, a borrowed method of cooking, borrowed cultures, and adapted over years of French, Indian, British, Chinese, and African occupation and habitation. Mauritian dishes are not too spicy, by default, but can be modified to be as spicy as you’d like. On our trip, especially this being the first “trip” we took on the Country Spinner, we went with three dishes, Cheese Fritters, Ojja, and Rougaille. I’m going to split them throughout different posts as to not overwhelm you with text and make it difficult to follow. Also, I’m going to tell you what I messed up on or did very well in true transparency. This is really more of an experiment than how to do everything right. I did mess up some things. We worked around it.

Seafood Rougaille

Here we go…

Prawn rougaille (roo-GUY) is a Mauritian dish that is usually cooked with king prawns in a rougaille sauce. What does that mean? Well, rougaille is a Creole dish that is tomato-based with incredibly rich flavors thanks to the combination of spices used. Rougaille is a traditional dish that is handed down from generations before so recipes will vary from generation to generation. That’s okay. What I made is a Creole-style dish that I made “my own.” This was one of my favorite dishes that I’ve made.

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped finely
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 cups tomatoes peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1-4 Red or green chilies chopped (according to your heat preference)**
  • 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 2 thyme sprigs (leaves only)
  • 1 bell pepper (thinly sliced)*
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup of diced pineapple (drained)
  • 1 pound extra-large peeled and de-veined shrimp
  • 1/2 pound of cod (or other firm but delicate white fish)
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
  1. In a saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add in the onion and half the garlic and fry until golden.
  3. Pour in 1/2 the wine to soften the onion then add in the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes over high heat then reduce to simmer.
  4. Stir in the cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and white pepper and drizzle a bit more olive oil.
  5. Add in the parsley, chili, bell pepper, thyme, and pineapple, and remove from heat after just a few minutes.
  6. In another frying pan, heat up a little more oil and fry the remaining garlic until fragrant. Add in the shrimp and cod, season with salt and black pepper, and cook for two minutes.
  7. Deglaze the pan with the remaining wine.
  8. Add the seafood into the rougaille and stir through the fresh cilantro.
We served it on top of couscous, which is popular throughout Africa. Enjoy!

*I used 1/3 each red, orange, and yellow pepper. I don’t like green bell peppers.
**I used just one serrano pepper, seeded and chopped. Use more for more heat.

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turned out and I’d love to see some pictures. Either email me or hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Thank you for reading!!

Touring from the Home Kitchen (Recipes) – Mauritius – Ojja

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Mauritian cuisine is, typically, a borrowed method of cooking, borrowed cultures, and adapted over years of French, Indian, British, Chinese, and African occupation and habitation. Mauritian dishes are not too spicy, by default, but can be modified to be as spicy as you’d like. On our trip, especially this being the first “trip” we took on the Country Spinner, we went with three dishes, Cheese Fritters, Ojja, and Rougaille. I’m going to split them throughout different posts as to not overwhelm you with text and make it difficult to follow. Also, I’m going to tell you what I messed up on or did very well in true transparency. This is really more of an experiment than how to do everything right. I did mess up some things. We worked around it.

Here we go…

Ojja (oh-zjuh) is originally a Tunisian (northern Africa, Mediterranean coast) dish.  It’s made from eggs, known for its ease of preparation. simple and fast, and super tasty! While Ojja is often eaten with bread, we chose a large-scale cracker. Also, the recipes I found all called for Merguez sausage, a lamb sausage. No one around here (Winston-Salem, NC) had those, so we went with chorizo instead, trying to keep the Mediterranean vibe.

  • 4 chorizo sausages cut into sections
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree (I took 1 tbsp of tomato paste and diluted it with a little bit of water. Still thick but manageable)
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway
  • Harissa (a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste) – use to taste or not at all, your preference
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 fresh tomato, diced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces water
  • 1 bell pepper, sliced ​​or diced, I always use red, orange, or yellow, green bell peppers are too bitter
  • 2-4 eggs
  • Parsley (for garnish)
  1. In a pan pour olive oil, the chopped onion, and the crushed garlic and fry for a few minutes then add the tomato puree and the harissa and simmer for a few minutes then add the fresh tomato cut into small dice, chorizo, and spices.
  2. Add salt and pepper and simmer for ten minutes on low heat then add water.
  3. When the chorizo has cooked, add the pepper.
  4. When the sauce becomes a little thick, break the eggs on top of the mixture. Cook for ten minutes without simmering (cover if you want hard-boiled eggs).
  5. Ensure that every portion has its own egg to break over the dish.
  6. Finally decorate with parsley and serve with good bread, lavosh, or crackers.

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turned out and I’d love to see some pictures. Either email me or hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Touring from the Home Kitchen (Recipes) – Mauritius – Cheese Fritters

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Mauritian cuisine is, typically, a borrowed method of cooking, borrowed cultures, and adapted over years of French, Indian, British, Chinese, and African occupation and habitation. Mauritian dishes are not too spicy, by default, but can be modified to be as spicy as you’d like. On our trip, especially this being the first “trip” we took on the Country Spinner, we went with three dishes, Cheese Fritters, Ojja, and Rougaille. I’m going to split them throughout different posts as to not overwhelm you with text and make it difficult to follow. Also, I’m going to tell you what I messed up on or did very well in true transparency. This is really more of an experiment than how to do everything right. I did mess up some things. We worked around it. I will say that I can’t find any pictures that I took of this recipe and I realize that sucks. I think I have everything else, though. This picture is from someone else. I don’t know who but it isn’t my picture.

(not my picture)

Here we go…

Cheese fritter is a snack that Mauritians like to consume during picnics or other occasions. It is also very popular during the month of Ramadan, probably because you can premake the batter and do these really quick after sunset.

These Cheese Fritters came out a little overdone because I had the oil too hot, I think. The lesson was learned and the next time (and there will be a next time) I will make sure to have a candy thermometer or similar to make sure the oil is at a good temperature. One thing, we looked for chickpea flour instead of regular wheat flour as chickpea flour (or more precisely, bessan powder for the recipe) is what the Mauritians use.

  • 3 cups chickpea flour
  • 1 pinch of baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 chopped serrano peppers, seeded
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh chives*
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • Cubes of cheese**
  • Oil
  1. Pour chickpea flour, salt, pepper, cumin, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl and mix everything well.
  2. Gradually pour your water in until you get a very soft and consistent paste. Don’t just dump the water in. Mix vigorously, adding more water if necessary, then leave for 10 minutes.
  3. Pour coriander, peppers, onions, and chopped chives into the batter and mix thoroughly.
  4. Heat your saucepan or pot over medium heat and pour in the oil.
  5. One at a time, add the cheese cubes to the batter, using a tablespoon to cradle it (so you don’t lose it in the batter) but making sure it is completely coated by the batter.
  6. Dip the battered cubes into the oil and brown for about 2 minutes or just before the cheese starts oozing from the crisping batter.
  7. Let drain before serving.

*If you don’t have fresh chives, you can use dried, but I’ve found that fresh has a brighter flavor.
** Use a good melting cheese. We used Dubliner and that was not a good melting cheese. You want one that melts but also keeps its consistency. I suggest a fontina, gouda (smoked or otherwise), mozzarella, or gruyere. And, if you have some pimento cheese sitting around, roll some in a ball and use that, I think that would be good.

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turned out and I’d love to see some pictures. Either email me or hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Thank you for reading!!

Touring from the Home Kitchen: Mauritius

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Flag of Mauritius

Hi there! Hello! Bonjou! Bonswa!

No, those aren’t misspellings of bonjour and bon soir. Those are Creole words for hello. Why Creole?

Because the first spin of the “Country Spinner” was Mauritius. French Creole is just one of the languages heard in Mauritius. While there is no official language in the country, per se, English and French are the “de facto official” languages.

Have you heard of Mauritius? Not a lot of people have. At least not a lot of the people that I ask that question.

Mauritian Lagoon with underwater “waterfall” (© is not mine)

The Republic of Mauritius is a small island country that is located in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Madagascar, which itself is an island (a large island) off of the eastern coast of Africa. This isn’t just one island, either. There are four main islands — Mauritius (main island), Rodrigues, Agaléga, and St. Brandon — each with a small cadre of their own islands.

What I am assuming is the main island, Dina Arobi (Abandoned Island) was first seen by Arab traders in the 900s. They seemingly had no interest in the island and went about their business. The first confirmed discovery was in 1507 by Portuguese sailors. They obviously had no interest in the island(s), either. It was nearly 100 years later that the Dutch came to occupy Mauritius. There were several attempts by the Dutch at colonization and nothing stuck for them. By 1710, the Dutch were gone.

France showed up in 1715 and named it Isle de France. Then, the British came along and seized the islands, which also included Tromelin, the Chagos Archipelago, and, Seychelles (a whole other island country). The British held the country until 1968 when Mauritius (and its group of islands) gained its independence. There are a few parts that are disputed internationally between Mauritius and France, and Mauritius and the UK, even to this day. In 1992, Mauritius formed its own Republic, and it is how the country is governed to this day.

Aldabra Tortoise (©World Atlas)

The famed “dodo bird,” before extinction, called Mauritius home. It was where they were based. The birds were close to 50lbs so they were a big source of food, but with a lot of settlers coming on boats from other locations, rats and other vermin ate dodo eggs, and eventually, they were gone. The last one was killed in 1681. But, fear not, there is plenty of wildlife to see, study, and admire.

Because Mauritius has been colonized and occupied by so many different countries and peoples, it boasts one of the most diverse cultures in all of Africa, if not the world.  As I mentioned about the language, French and English act as the languages of Mauritius, 84% speak Mauritian Creole (based on French Creole), 5.2% of the people speak Bhojpuri (an Indian language).

48.54% of Mauritius practice and profess Hinduism as their preferred religion, 32.71% are Christians (a majority of which is Catholic), 17.30% practice Islam. The oddity of these religious breakdowns is that Mauritius (with a population of 1.2 million) has the highest rate of Hinduism in all of Africa.

Currency is not the pound nor the franc (or a variation thereof), as you may expect given their history. The currency is the Mauritian rupee. $1USD is equal to 42.46 Mauritian rupees or 1 MUR = 0.0235483 USD. Mauritius is the third richest country in Africa with a GDP per capita of $21,628 (according to WorldAtlas.com). Like Seychelles, the economy of Mauritius is also centered around tourism.

Mauritius’ largest city is its capital, Port Louis, which is located on the main island, Mauritius. Tourism is the fourth economic driver in the country. Pandemic protocols require tourists to stay put for 14 days, so that’s a problem. Most of the tourism is based on beach-bound tourism and other man-made attractions. It is a beautiful country with many miles of beaches.

This is a food blog, yes? Cuisine, just like language and culture is diverse, but widely borrowed from other countries. French, Creole, Chinese, and Indian are major components of the cuisine. But, Mauritius is quite capable of its own flare.

On our cuisine tour, we had cheese fritters, (made with chickpea flour and Dubliner cheese), Ojja (Mauritian Shakshuka), rougaille (shrimp/tomato dish) on couscous. In the next Touring from the Home Kitchen post, I’ll post the recipes of these dishes.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Mauritius, possibly for the first time. Stay tuned for the recipes!

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 209

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In Episode #209 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

We are now featured on the Triad Podcast Network!

Tim and Ray talk about:

  • Tim has a rant.
  • Clemmons Kitchen pulling back hours.
  • Honky Tonk Smokehouse vacationing.
  • Black Mountain Coffee’s Cocktail Lab event.
  • Tim and Stephanie had both Diamondback Grill and Carrabba’s.
  • Quiet Pint opens after a week of remodeling.
  • Doc Brownstone’s Sweet Summer Luv Luv Festival.
  • Eat Drink Burger Week coming.
  • Tim talks about The Country Spinner and a Burger Tour ’21 update.
  • “The List” is discussed as well as other food news.
  • Winston-Salem Strong. This website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and resources for businesses and individuals that are needed at this time, including unemployment, SBA loans, tips for servers, and many other services. All this in one place. Winston-Salem Strong!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill.  Healthy, grilled meats, wood-fired pizzas, fresh ingredients, and phenomenal wine dinners. Those are just some of the offerings of Carrabba’s. And, Daniel Butner, the local proprietario, is the salt of the earth and a pillar of good in the community. Go taste the goodness that is Carrabba’s and see why Tim and Ray are always talking it up!

Washington Perk & Provision Company. Better than a convenience store but not quite a grocery store, in the heart of Washington Park and Downtown WSNC.

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

Bon Appetit!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 208

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In Episode #208 proudly recorded in The Less Desirables Studios in The Lab at Industry Hill:

We are now featured on the Triad Podcast Network!

Tim and Ray talk about:

  • Lena Gallins and Mama Zoë Michael are on to talk about TWO new Yamas Mediterranean Street Food locations, happenings with the Michael Family Group, and more.
  • Cagney’s Mediterraneo Pizza and Grill, Clementine’s, Salem Organic Supply, Quiet Pint.
  • Pig-N-Out announces retirement and closure.
  • Spring House and Chef Tim Grandinetti bring back the Sweet Summer Luv Luv Festival August 11-14.
  • Washington Perk under new ownership.
  • Crumbl Cookie, DiLisio’s, and Taste of the Triad.
  • Eat Drink Burger Week coming.
  • Tim talks about The Country Spinner and a Burger Tour ’21 update.
  • “The List” is discussed as well as other food news.
  • Winston-Salem Strong. This website includes the food and beverage list that we have been forging and resources for businesses and individuals that are needed at this time, including unemployment, SBA loans, tips for servers, and many other services. All this in one place. Winston-Salem Strong!

Don’t forget our sponsors:

Carrabba’s Italian Grill.  Healthy, grilled meats, wood-fired pizzas, fresh ingredients, and phenomenal wine dinners. Those are just some of the offerings of Carrabba’s. And, Daniel Butner, the local proprietario, is the salt of the earth and a pillar of good in the community. Go taste the goodness that is Carrabba’s and see why Tim and Ray are always talking it up!

Washington Perk & Provision Company. Better than a convenience store but not quite a grocery store, in the heart of Washington Park and Downtown WSNC.

Mojito Latin Soul Food is creating scrumptious Cuban-inspired, Latin-infused street/soul food. A welcoming atmosphere, delicious food, robust cigars, and good times await.

Diamondback Grill. A lovely farm-to-fork eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. Murphy and Kimberly Gregg and company offer fine dining in a casual atmosphere complete with a 20′ wine bar, expert craft cocktails, televisions in the bar area to watch the game or candlelit dinners in the formal dining area. This gem is waiting to be discovered!

The Man Who Ate the Town is part of The Less Desirables Network. Give it a listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Amazon Music, Audible, basically anywhere you can listen to podcasts. Or you can listen here (at the bottom of the post).

Bon Appetit!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download