3 out of 5 stars

Shucker’s has reopened in a new location – from what I hear with a new owner and a completely new menu from what they used to have when they were tucked off North Capital Blvd. After a friend had a delicious experience with two salads here, we decided it was time to take out the crew and test the offerings.

The menu is small but has many attractive choices. For our appetizer we started off with some decent calamari, it tasted fresh but was a little limp due to sparse breading. We also ordered the lobster queso dip, which was disappointing. The dip was too cheesy for any of the other flavors (including the lobster) to come through. Our table also received some complimentary baskets of hush puppies, which were still warm- crisp, and perfectly spongy inside. They were truly the highlight of the whole meal.

At entree time, I ended up choosing the cornmeal crusted catfish with a side of macaroni and cheese. Other guests tried a po’boy, a seafood quesadilla, fish tacos, and shrimp n grits. The catfish was fresh and flaky, but didn’t have a nice crispy breading that I was hoping for. My side of macaroni and cheese was tasty but apparently accrues a $1-$2 upcharge, compared with the other sides which are included. The menu mentioned nothing about it so we felt a bit ripped off by this. However I liked my macaroni and cheese, which includes some sort of smoked cheese (maybe a gouda). The coleslaw was also crisp and fresh.

Generally all my guests were underwhelmed with their meals (especially considering the prices), agreeing that most of the items which contained cheese had way too much of it. The exception was the friend who raved over her fish tacos. Also I hear that the ahi tuna and blackened shrimp salads are delicious. However I can’t give a solid recommendation due to the inconsistencies all around – unclear menu, lackluster service, and better side dishes than entrees. I am guessing we missed out on trying Shucker’s real winner, which should be the oysters.

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3 out of 5 stars

I’ll admit I had high expectations going in – this place was featured on TV. My confessional continues: I don’t have much experience with satisfying NC BBQ, other than some home-smoked pork I had at my friend Adam’s house in Charlotte. Nothing has ever come close to that experience. Especially not this one.

Nevertheless, The Pit has a great blend of modern and historic flair to the interior, plus a nice patio. Our table of 8 seemed to enjoy their food, with the most raves going to the grouper salad and the fried chicken. Ironically most agreed the pulled pork was bland and the mac and cheese was as well. I enjoyed my crispy sweet potato fries, and the homemade baked beans with a lightly flavored accompaniment. The gratis apps of hush puppies and biscuits were both a little crisp and dry. The special mojito on the menu was a disaster.

Consensus from reviewers seems to indicate that The Pit’s strengths are the apps and sides. That’s disappointing! My search continues for the ultimate BBQ pork.

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4 out of 5 stars

The food at Nina’s is delicious, enough so to outweigh the excitement of seeing Steven Seagal sitting at a neighboring table. Ok so it wasn’t really him, but it was someone dressed in a suit and sporting an extremely long rat tail accompanied by slicked back hair. Seeing that was exciting, like spotting a rare egret in the wild. However, it also makes me wonder about the fashion sense I may or may not have inherited from my Italian ancestors.

The waiter brought us bread with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil combination to dip it in. It also had garlic and cracked pepper and some red onion in it. The simple ingredients had just the right tang, and tasted incredibly fresh. For our started we ordered calamari, which was perfectly flash fried (light and crispy) with the most flavorful marinara to dip it in. Each element of the sauce came through, the red pepper, bold tomato, garlic and seasonings. It was perfect. We finished it all.

My mother’s entree was the clear winner. It was the homemade canneloni with a cheesy ricotta, spinach, prosciutto and mozzarella filling, topped with a tomato meat sauce. Luckily she and I like to share so I got to have half of her entree. I ordered the penna alla vodka, and it had a rich pink sauce and tender chicken slices on top. However it didn’t exceed expectations. Glen’s baked salmon turned out well but he didn’t seem bowled over. We finished up the night with horribly bitter coffee and a killer (good) slice of cheesecake.

There is no question whether I’d go back – I look forward to learning which items on the menu are the true stars. No matter what you order, the preparation won’t disappoint. I can’t wait to have another bite of that amazing red sauce.

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