The Michael Family Restaurant Group Re-Emerges

One of the first sets of restaurants to bow out in March, while the dust was just starting to be stirred up, was the Michael Family Restaurant Group. Mama Zoe Michael’s, Waldo’s Wings, Cin Cin Burger Bar and Yamas Mediterranean Street Food all shuttered up and waited to see where the pandemic was going to take the world.

They were looking out for the safety and health of their customers, their employees, themselves. No one knew what was going to happen. Truthfully, no one knows now. The Michael Family then turned to renovations and construction working on Mama Zoe Michael’s on the renovation that they had been talking about for at least a year prior. It gave them the perfect opening to make that happen. I passed some time.

But, the dust is starting to settle, at least in terms of potential outlooks. On April 23, Waldo’s Wings announced they were going to reopen. That was a start. Yesterday, Cin Cin Burger Bar and Yamas Mediterranean Street Food both opened.

It was a glorious few days, indeed. Lea and Mel went to Yamas to grab some grub and so did we. I wasn’t passing on the opportunity to have some delicious Yamas that I had been craving for the last month. I was giddy and laughed all the way home.

While we were waiting for the curbside order, we saw this beautiful rainbow. Many people posted about it on social media. It was amazing and I think the perfect symbol for this town and all the restaurants, small businesses, service workers and the citizens of this fantastic town.

No word, just yet, on when Mama Zoe Michael’s will reopen, but I imagine it should be soon. Chris is a “spur-of-the-moment” kind of guy and I think when he’s ready, that trigger will be pulled quickly and without hesitation. When I know something I will post it here and/or on the Facebook page.

Waldo’s Wings is located at 2855 Reynolda Road.
Cin Cin Burger Bar is located at 1425 W 1st Street.
Yamas Mediterranean Street Food is located at 624 W 4th Street.

Go grab some food from one or all of these wonderful restaurants and post about it. Tag me if you’d like.

Diamondback Grill Re-Emerging This Weekend

The past few weeks have seen several businesses either revamping, repurposing, or simply jumping back into the fray after the nightmare we call COVID-19 set the entire world upon its proverbial head.

One big announcement came from Kimberly Gregg, owner of Diamondback Grill, the quaint eatery nestled in the heart of Buena Vista. The message was that Diamondback was re-emerging. This is wonderful news. Kimberly’s husband, “Murph” posted a long and touching post on March 28 that detailed the restaurant’s history, the area’s history, the importance of the community in which it sets and how difficult it was to lay off employees and shutter the dreams he and Kimberly had worked so hard to build and nurture. It was sad, but there were glimmers of hope in that message and it seems that now is the time to return. It is a time for rebirth, re-emergence and progress forward.

According to a post made on Diamondback Grill’s Facebook page (some edits for context):

We’re reopening THIS FRIDAY, May 1st for curbside/takeout!!! Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on menu additions + nightly specials!

You can also go to our website www.diamondbackgrill.com to join our email list for the latest updates….catering, themed dinners, etc.

ALSO… we’re selling bottles of wine for 60% OFF 🍷!

Here are all the ordering details below! We cannot wait to get back to serving you homemade and delicious dinners…

Tuesday-Saturday for now from 5-8:30 pm – we will have someone outside monitoring arrivals for a quick, safe, and easy curbside pickup. 

We will continue to honor COVID guidelines by wearing masks, gloves to prepare the take out orders, as well as continuing to sanitize.

Three ways to contact Diamondback Grill and utilize their services:

  1. Call 336-722-0006 after 3 pm to place your order and pay over the phone. Or…
  2. Order and pay using the SwipeBy app. Or…
  3. Preorder online by 3 pm and pay via PayPal which is coming soon.

Diamondback Grill is located at 751 N Avalon Rd. in Winston-Salem.

I cannot wait to have some Diamondback goodness, soon!

Delicious By Shereen Picks Deliveries Back Up

Exciting news for fans of the delicious things that Delicious By Shereen!


HOME DELIVERY ROUND TWO: VEGGIE FRIENDLY! ⁣🥬🍅🧕

Our first home delivery day had a few kinks (🚘 🌧️  😓), but we’re confident that we’ve worked them out and are excited to offer our vegetarian family meal for delivery next Friday!⁣

Experience a new culture and support your Syrian refugee neighbors without leaving the comfort and safety of home! 🏠 Our veggie family-sized meal feeds 4 people, costs $40, and includes:⁣

🌯 Falafel wraps⁣
🥟 Veggie turnovers⁣
🥗 Hummus⁣
🤤 Baklava with walnuts⁣

We will be taking a very limited number of orders to test our new delivery model, so be sure to get yours in when the order form goes active on Monday! Delivery will be 2-6 pm on Friday, April 17th.⁣

💻 To place your order online on Monday, please head to — http://deliciousbyshereen.com/onlineorders/⁣

🧼 Yes, we are being extra cautious cleaning equipment, utensils, and surfaces and ensuring that no one who is sick or has a cough or fever is involved in the preparation or distribution of the meals.⁣

🚚 Our free delivery radius includes within a 5-mile radius of zip code 27104.⁣

Thank you, as always, for your support! ♥️ We are so grateful to be able to offer work to so many of our employees during this challenging time.⁣

#DeliciousByShereen

Krankies to Reopen with Limited Menu and Virtual Grocery Store

Krankies released some news:


🥁Drum roll, please!! It’s the moment you have all been waiting for!

We will be re-opening with limited days and hours. As promised, we will be adding a virtual grocery store to our website with items available that you might be having trouble finding at the store (we have toilet paper!). We also know that you all have missed the chicken biscuits, so those are back and available along with other items on our limited menu!

Everything must be pre-paid online (no cash transactions at this time).

We will be open on Tuesday and ‪Saturday from 8am-4pm‬. If you plan to purchase groceries please place those orders 48 hours in advance.

Please notice the images below (to the right) with directions on how to shop! Any item off of the limited menu can be ordered on Tuesday or Saturday from 8-4 online (no walk ups). Click the link below to start shopping! https://linktr.ee/krankies

Wutyasay Food Truck Update

Roger from Wutyasay Burger contacted me with an update:


Hi, Tim.

I wanted to give you an update on what we at WutYaSay-Food Truck is up to during this time.

We are Fridays and Saturdays for the month of April at 1350 Jonestown Road Winston-Salem.
FISH FRY and More
12NOON-8PM on Fridays and 12NOON-4PM on Saturday
Www.wutyasay.com

Next week we will be doing Smoked BBQ Chicken Plates on Friday along with our normal Fish Fry Friday offerings.

Starting May 4th we will be open Monday-Friday 12NOON-8PM with the full menu and daily special focuses.

Old Salem Museums & Gardens to Bake Bread for Second Harvest Food Bank

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Old Salem Museums & Gardens continues to look for opportunities to be helpful and support our community in these unprecedented times. The Old Salem Winkler Bakery Annex, which, on March 13, 2020, temporarily ceased operations due to COVID-19, is getting back to baking. Beginning Monday, April 6, Chad Smith, Head Pastry Chef, will bake approximately 50 loaves of bread per day, Monday through Friday, to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC.

“The health and wellness of our visitors and staff are our paramount concern during this crisis. But we continue to look for safe ways to make our resources useful during this ever-evolving situation,” said Frank Vagnone, President and CEO of Old Salem. “We are so glad that we can help those in need of food by using our already existing facilities and skills to bake bread.”

“Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC is deeply appreciative of the proactive and thoughtful ways in which the Old Salem community has stepped forward to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC and our local partner programs,” said Eric Aft, CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank. “From converting its gardens to Victory Gardens to help feed local families, to donating cases upon cases of fresh milk, to reopening its bakery to prepare fresh bread for partner programs of Second Harvest, Old Salem (staff and volunteers) are determined to help make the lives of local families who are struggling in the face of the COVID-19 public health threat, better. We welcome and appreciate their partnership in this important work.”

In addition to baking bread for Second Harvest Food Bank, Old Salem is transforming its garden plots for the 2020 growing seasons into “victory gardens” to grow food for those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Old Salem will partner with community groups and food banks who best serve this mission to ensure the food grown in Old Salem’s gardens is distributed to the people who need it.

Burke Street Pizza to Unveil New “Stay At Home” Menu

Uncle Buzzy’s closed last year and while it was a smart business move, the loss left its rabid fan base devastated. “Buzzy’s” wasn’t the “carnival food” extravaganza that it was made out to be in the beginning. That, at least to me, was more of a gimmick than the focus of the food. To me, the sandwiches, dogs and burger menus were the focus. I had never had, and haven’t since, as good a Philly as I had at Buzzy’s. The burger would have been in my top 10 list, probably top 3, had it been available when I did it. The footlong Nathan’s hotdogs were delicious. The sandwich menu brought a few things you don’t find around here. Like “Beef on Weck” (a Buffalo staple), the Italian Beef (Chi-town-inspired) and others were what helped make Uncle Buzzy’s a favorite among those who looked past the “carnival food” schtick and went for the real, may I say, damn good food.

Dave Hillman, the owner of Uncle Buzzy’s as well as Burke Street Pizza, Quiet Pint Tavern and West End Poke, told me that a lot of people had been asking about some of the offerings they loved at Uncle Buzzy’s being offered at one of his other restaurants. He’s been mulling options since Buzzy’s closed and he’s had some conversations with me about doing it for a while. But, the timing was never right. Until now.

This “Stay-At-Home” order and pandemic crisis has brought, along with the obvious bad things, a world of innovation and risk-taking to the restaurants of WSNC; everywhere, really. Dave, being a good businessman and restaurateur is no exception. Even before the pandemic, we got good, authentic poke in West End Poke and that was something this area, especially downtown, needed. Yes, there is another poke restaurant in town and, I will admit (and I think Dave agreed with me) that it was good. But, something about this is magical. But, that’s not the point. The point is Dave tries things. Some magic is being brought to Burke Street, hopefully, this Tuesday.

Now, let’s not get our collective hopes up for an Uncle Buzzy’s revival. That’s not what this is. But, it’s the best possible scenario and it offers the best of two worlds: Uncle Buzzy’s specialness to Burke Street Pizza’s solid food foundation via a new “Stay-At-Home” menu.

This new menu features some welcome favorites!

First, there’s the famous Nathan’s Foot Long Hot Dogs. The “original” grilled hotdog, for sure. The Classic Carolina with chili, onions, and slaw. The Swiss Mountain Dog with sauteed garlic and thyme mushrooms, swiss cheese, crispy onion straws, and horseradish aioli. The Smothered & Covered Tater Dog with, of course, tater tots, melted chipotle cheese, grilled onions, diced tomatoes, and green onions. The Chili Cheese Frito Dog with chili, melted chipotle cheese, Frito corn chips, diced tomatoes, and jalapenos. Is your mouth watering, yet? Wait, there’s more…

Double Stack Burgers are made with 6.5oz of fresh, never frozen, 100% choice beef on a potato roll. Featured is a Griddle Burger with pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion (you can add cheese for a nominal fee). The Sweet Luther: donut glazed bun, American cheese, spicy candied bacon, and chipotle mayo. Mushroom Swiss pretty much the way the Swiss Mountain Dog came. The Greek with tzatziki sauce, tomato, cukes, onion, and Feta cheese. Pork Belly Burger with a sweet soy glaze, crispy pork belly, Asian slaw, and wasabi aioli. Then… yeah, then there’s they Frat Burger which sounds like a dare gone deliciously wrong: FOUR patties. FOUR slices of American cheese. Caramelized onion, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Whew!

If you want to pull back on the red meat for a bit, there’s the new chicken options: A fried chicken sandwich with provolone, sweet bbq sauce, and a honey mustard slaw. A Sriracha Ranch Fried Chicken with pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion. A Three-Alarm Hot Chicken dipped in habanero hot sauce, topped with pickled jalapenos, provolone cheese, lettuce, and a side of ranch. Chicken! Bam!

Then it’s roast beef time! Beef on Weck, that lovely Buffalo-inspired sandwich that features seasoned au-jus dipped, rare roast beef topped with horseradish cream, served on a sea-salt crusted caraway roll. Now, some will say this is not from Buffalo, and they’d be correct. It’s Buffalo-INSPIRED. But, I’ve had it and it’s fantastic. I’ve never had the actual Buffalo sandwich. The Nacho Beef Sandwich, with melted chipotle cheese, jalapenos, Queso Fresco, sour cream, served on a sub roll. And, finally, that Chicago-esque Italian Beef. I have had an Italian beef at Portillo’s in Chicago and this was just as delicious. Roast beef in seasoned au-jus, with giardiniera Italian relish, hot cherry peppers (if you’d like) and served on a sub roll.

Some of these things were my favorite things at Uncle Buzzy’s. The only thing missing is the cheesesteak and since that’s already served at Burke Street Pizza and is their top-selling sandwich. I’ll just go with what they’re doing well, and be happy about it. My The Less Desirables co-host Danielle Bull said she’d put the Burke Street Pizza chicken Philly up against any in town. That’s a big ringing endorsement.

So, keep an eye on the Burke Street Pizza Facebook and Instagram page for when this becomes “official.” Dave told me he is definitely hoping for Tuesday. Note, too, that this is only available at the original Burke Street location. It will not be at the Sherwood/Robinhood location. As with everything else currently going on, you can get these selections for takeout, curbside, and delivery. Order by phone (336) 721-0011 or online.

Is everyone else as excited as I am? I know that you are. Take pics when you get these delicious items and send them to me. I’d love to see it.

Canteen Market & Bistro to Hold Sidewalk Sale on Sunday

Canteen Market & Bistro will open for a couple of hours this Sunday for a Sidewalk Sale! Stop by anytime between 2 – 6 pm to stock up on items from their market! If you BYOB (bring your own bottle 😉) they will fill it with draft beer or wine for free with any $50 or more purchase!

Duke’s Restaurant Update

I checked in with Duke’s Restaurant this morning and this is what they sent me:


©Lucas Bourne

We are open with limited hours, takeout and delivery and we offer curbside to those who prefer we bring their food out to the car for them! You may call (336)768-3108 and ask to speak to Spiro or Jimmy for more details!

Cobblestone Farmers Market Offers New Service

In this continued time of innovation and regrouping, Cobblestone Farmers Market has a new service they’d like to share with you.


ATTENTION – NEW Market Option!
Wednesday Pre Order and Pre Paid Pick Up 🚙

Pre Order through your individual vendors and come drive through 1001 S Marshall to safely pick up on Wednesday from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Quick Link for all Vendor Pre Order Information: https://tinyurl.com/preordercfm @ Winston-Salem, North Carolina