"O" yeah!

On Friday I had my mind on only one thing.  Class, after class I couldn’t focus.  Professors were asking me questions directly and I was so lost in my own thoughts that I never had the correct answer.  I was like a dazed little schoolgirl in love.  I kept staring out the window as my heart ached for none other than………… the “Screaming O” roll from Mura.

A few years ago one of my best friends from high school and I went to Mura and ate over $80.00 worth of sushi (mostly in Screaming O).  We just kept shoving it down our throats like a couple of wild hyenas around a dead wildebeest.  We couldn’t stop no matter how full we got… no matter how hard we tried.  Of course, we didn’t pay for all of the rolls.  She was totally dating one of the current managers there (who I am sad to say no longer works there, or I’d go there more often).  I hadn’t been there in years seeing as the last time I had gone, the wait staff looked at us like a pair of starving barbarians.

Anyway… I figured I had waited long enough and my craving was just too strong.  I called Taylor Shaw and we met up at North Hills… despite the fact that I hate that mall because the girl whose father owns it once had a 9^th grade slumber party (for the ENTIRE 9^th grade class at Saint Mary’s School) and didn’t invite me.  Yes.  I was one of 2 loser girls who weren’t invited.  There were 105 girls in the class.  I admit it.  I sell my soul to the devil every single time I go there.  And it is absolutely, 105% worth it.

The delicious 8-piece roll is beautifully displayed on some kind of fancy leaf, a lemon slice on the side and a heaping mound of pickled ginger (MY FAVORITE!) and a flower on top.  On the inside is spicy tuna, crispy shrimp tempura (breaded, then fried shrimp), seared tuna on top and drizzled with creamy “O” and eel sauce.  The shrimp tempura is a fantastic crunchy contrast to the sticky rice and chewy seaweed.  The spicy tuna isn’t spicy at all but just adds a little bit of a kick.

Oh my god.  I just realized that the “Screaming O” has spicy tuna. I didn’t even read the menu because I never even remembered what was in the roll; I just know I liked it.  How long is it going to take for this salmonella poisoning to kick in?  Maybe I can skip my finals.

I digress.  Salmonella or not, it’s good as hell.  The secret “Screaming O” sauce, which I’m sure is nothing but mayonnaise (disgusting. BUT I DON’T CARE) spiced with some kind of seasonings adds a creamy, tangy, taste with just a liiiiiiiiittle bit of spice to it.  The eel sauce puts a good sweet and sour taste to it, too.

Mura always gives you a ton of ginger… possibly to settle your stomach for the oncoming salmonella poisoning.  My mom and I both love ginger and always fight over the last piece… they give you enough to go around the table TWO TIMES!

Taylor and I ordered martinis too because she had such a terrible day.  I must say, they couldn’t be any stingier on the alcohol.  I guess ya can’t have it all though.  The buzz that we got off the sushi alone was enough to keep us sitting at the table a little longer before driving.  Anyway, Taylor ordered a Lemon Twist, which consisted of a mixture of Absolut Citron, Limón cello (gross), lemon juice, simple syrup, and a sugared lemon wedge.  I ordered a Spiced Mango because it sounded interesting.  It was a blend of Cruzan Mango rum, muddled basil and jalapenos, simple syrup and a splash of sour and Sierra Mist.  I thought that the jalapenos and basil mixed in to the sweet sounding drink would add a kick of interesting flavor or a little bit of heat, but the whole thing tasted like kool aide only more a little more gross.  I don’t recommend it.

Other than that, I love Mura and if you like sushi you should definitely try it out… even if I wasn’t invited to that slumber party when I was 14.  It’s a little on the pricey side.  I go once in a blue moon.  The “Screaming O” is $14.00, however they have many other interesting rolls for as low as $8.00.  That’s almost as cheap as it gets at the grocery store but I say that the “Screaming O” is worth every penny.

Taylor Shaw said “After we went to Mura the other day and ate the ‘Screaming O,’ I have had such a bad craving for sushi so I went and got some more.”  Even she agrees.

Tea Time with Ingrid!

Now that the semester is winding up and I am running out of restaurants to try and money to spend, I have decided to do one of my final blogs on my Easter Sunday meal at my mom’s house.  In order to escape the rancid smell of dog feces, rotting cabbage and garbage that is the customary stench of my beautiful four-bedroom townhome, I drove to Cary to my parents’ house for a peaceful Easter dinner.

As I walked into the front yard, my morbidly obese cat and my old, fat dog greeted me as apposed to my drunk, deadbeat neighbors who I have grown so accustomed to over the past eight months.  I walked into my parents’ house, which always smells like clean laundry and flowers… as long as something isn’t cooking on the stove.

My parents and I sat down for lunch/dinner, which was at 3 pm.  My parents are German, and dinner is usually pretty early.  My mom was given a beautiful tea set some years ago and never has any reason to use it so, instead of doing the traditional ham dinner, my mom has a high English tea!

The kitchen table was covered with a white tablecloth with pink butterflies on it and the pink china tea set with a tiered centerpiece.  Each tier had a different “course” of the meal.  Super fancy.

The first tier was a plate of my mom’s famous made from scratch scones with raisins.  She had homemade clotted cream and strawberry jelly to slop on top of them.  Since scones are so dry and taste like a sugary desert of sand in your mouth, the fluffy cream and the sweet and sour jelly were muy perfecto on the English pastries.

The next tier was an assortment of finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off.  There was an egg salad sandwich with sprouts on a roll, cream cheese and pineapple on cinnamon raisin bread, chicken salad, cucumber, pimento cheese, and cream cheese with smoked salmon.  Each little sammy was even more delicious than the next.

Finally, my mom ordered a bunch of beautiful cookies from The Teet.  I only tasted the chocolate mousse ladybug, a pistachio tart, and had a penneyfour.  I really liked the penneyfour because it was so little and pretty and tasted exactly how it looked.

There was also some gross tasting, really strong authentic tea from India that was given to my dad as a gift.  I never add sweeteners to my tea or coffee, nor do I ever use creamer but this stuff was so potent that I had to do something to tone down the taste.  I used a sugar stick and a ton of creamer and it tasted less disgusting, but still not great.  

Easter dinner at the Carney residence was amazing.  The service was almost as amazing as the food, minus the occasional badgering of when I would walk the ancient dog who should really be in a wheelchair by now, or about when I am going to come home and clean my “filthy pig sty,” it was iiiiiimpecable.  Thanks, mom and dad for such an amazing Easter and for the basket of candy (not that I need it after this super foodie semester...). 

Special shout out to my brother:  You missed out, Butthead!  I know you're jealous.  Hope you enjoyed your bacon burgers with Shiara in Charlotte… Sucker.

Bundle of Joy

I woke up this morning after a long night out for one of my best friends’ birthdays feeling like the wrath of Satan’s yahootie.  I was groggy, tired, cranky, and had a terrible craving for the saltiest, greasiest, most high cal, high fat thing I could get my grimy “little carney hands” on to settle my queasy stomach.  Luckily I have a ridiculously good-looking neighbor who happens to have equally as naughty and good taste in food as I do.  I called him up and asked him if he had any ideas of where I could eat and he said he knew just the right place. 

We rode together to a place in the Mission Valley Shopping Center called Bada Wings at 2161 Avent Ferry Road.  I have passed this place a million and one times and never even thought to stop in.  I never really eat wings unless I’ve been drinking and I have a box of them in the freezer.  We walked into the typical looking sports bar and sat ourselves at a high top table.  Just a few minutes later our friendly server came up with a couple of much needed waters and and asked to take our orders.  Kellen, the neighbor guy suggested that we order the ultimate food sponge to absorb the residual stuff from the night before… the Cheesy French Fry Wrap.

This perfectly sized, perfectly stuffed burrito is packed full of crispy French fries, Monterey jack cheese, homemade ranch, and………. Bacon.  This delicious “side dish” (as the menu itself calls it) could be all yours for the low price of $3.95… $4.95 if you want an extra side of………….. BACON. 

WHAT A GREAT HAND TO SIZE RATIO FOR $3.95!!!

When our food came out in no time flat, I was in complete and utterly overwhelming awe.  It was too pretty to bite into… but I had to force myself.  Thank you, Raleigh Food Gods for making my mind, body, soul and mouth explode once again with flavor and giddiness.  Our cranky moods literally turned the instant we bit into the soft blanket of flour tortilla.  This thing gave me the biggest rush of adrenaline I have had in weeks.  I knew that what I was doing was so wrong… but in the moment it felt oh, so right. 

The sweet and creamy Monterey Jack cheese that melted around the crispy french-fries, and salty crunchy bacon was a perfect balance with the tangy ranch.  The burrito from heaven wasn’t drowned in ranch so it wasn’t a huge mess to eat.  It was the best meal I’ve had in a while, not to mention my date was SMOKIN!

Kellen, a smart and handsome 25-year-old student at NC State said “The taste of these wraps are like gas prices… unbelievable! I have been craving one for weeks now.  Thanks for driving my loofah self to go get one!”  And you’re every so welcome, my creepy little neighbor, you!