Out of all the restaurants that have gluten-free menus and offerings, Pies & Pints is at the top of my list! We weren't sure what to expect, but knew that they had been featured on the Food Network, so we wanted to give them a try. Looking up their website, they seemed to have a decent offering of unique pizzas, and it noted that they did have gluten free items. So we went!
The most amazing aspect of our time their? They were willing to make ANY pizza OR sandwich gluten free!! Now, a lot of pizza places will do a gluten free crust on your pizza, but to also offer to make gluten free bread for the sandwiches? Unheard of! Thinking back, we should have gotten at least one sandwich to try, but we opted to all get a different pizza. We LOVED them all! Out of 10 stars, I give this pizza place 10 stars! And, what makes that better is that I am often not a pizza fan at all, nor is my mom--so for an impression that big, well, it takes a lot!
Anyway, here are the dishes we ordered and loved:
So this was our appetizer, the Char-Grilled Hot Wings. Very tasty with flavors of sriracha and cilantro. Not 'to die for' exactly, but very tasty none-the-less.
This was my pick and also my favorite of all the pizzas we tried; the Cuban Pork Pie. Seriously DELICIOUS! Pulled pork, onion, pineapple, feta, jalapenos, creme fraiche and cilantro... It just has the perfect balance of sweet (pineapple and onion) to savory (pork and feta) with fun bursts of spice throughout (jalapeno) topped with an earthy freshyness brought to you only by cilantro. Now, this was TO DIE FOR.
This was the husband's pick (no surprise there), and they actually don't have it on their menu anymore...and I can't remember it's name. But it was basically a spicy red-sauce with lots of meat and mozzarella. Yes, it was good, but doesn't it say a little something that it isn't on the menu now? ;)
This was the first gluten free pick: Chicken Gouda Pie. So yummy!! It was loaded with chicken, bacon (can't go wrong there), smoked gouda, red onions and a chipotle crema (can't go wrong their either!!). I don't always like chicken on my pizza but this is one way I would not turn it down!
And the second gluten free pick of the night: Mediterranean Shrimp Pie. None of us had ever tried a sea food pizza and this was pleasantly surprising! I don't know that I'd think to order it if I were in a pizza mood, but if I were in a big Mediterranean or sea food mood, this is a great way to fix that craving! It was a 'clean' bite too, with shrimp, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and your typical seafood pairs - lemon, garlic and herbs. A refreshing and light pizza!
Lastly, it will really help your dining experience if you have a really cute baby at your table. Oh, and the iced tea was good too!
So, the next time you're in Fayetteville, don't let Pies & Pints pass you by!
Okay... so anyone who knows me, knows I love food. And, if they know me really well, they know my favorite food time of year is fall/winter when everything turns warm and hearty! So to kick it off right, the first 'fall' inspired dish I chose to make this year is potato soup! My original intention was to make the classic soup, a creamy white soup with celery and onions but as I browsed multiple recipes, one caught my eye. Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) has a soup with the addition of carrot (orange in my white soup?!?!) and her added spice is Cajun seasoning! I love Cajun seasoning! So, I had to give it a go!
Her blog/recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/01/perfect-potato-soup/
Now, instead of going step-by-step with the recipe, I might as well just give you the link to her blog with the recipe. She has great pictures to go along with each step and it is super easy to follow, so I encourage you to try it! And I will leave you with a few of my favorite parts of the process. ;)
This is the smell of heaven... carrots, celery and onion together are perhaps my all-time favorite trio when starting out a recipe. I often try and sneak these three into many of my dishes if I can!
And then of course you get the smell of heaven on steroids when you add bacon into the mix. As a side note, bacon is a MUST in any good potato soup. Don't even try without it!!! ;)
P.S.
PLEASE top this soup with some sharp cheddar! Although it isn't pictured at the top, I promise it will only add fulfillment to your dining experience.
