Ah, food. I love food. And I have the hips to prove it.
Last Friday night though, was an exceptional night for food. For one of my favorite foods too, no less! That night I had a steak worthy of the highest praise from none other than…me.
On the recommendation of a co-worker, Eric and I visited a brand new restaurant in Goldsboro, NC called Carl & ‘Chelle’s (which I am guessing is short for MI-chelle). If am not mistaken they have only been open since September. Now, living here in Goldsboro I have received recommendations-a-plenty from people regarding where to eat. Some places have even been pretty good. The majority of the time however, the places left me wondering what the hell these people were smoking before they came out with their recommendations. So suffice it to say, expectations were a little bit reserved. Still, being a bit of a food/steak snob, I simply MUST go to a place that came this highly recommended. We were not disappointed.
The restaurant is small, with only about 8 tables total. We arrived just before 6pm and waited about 20 minutes for a seat. While we were waiting, a couple who had just finished eating saw us waiting and asked us if we had ever eaten there before. We told them no, and they told us that it would be well worth the wait. Expectations and hope went even higher. It must be good when people leaving are raving to complete strangers about the quality of the fare, right? When we sat down, the first thing that we noticed was that there were no menus. I have been to such an establishment before and believe you me, it takes a huge ego and exceptional quality to get away with that. After the waiter took our drink orders, the chef himself rolled up to our table with a butcher block and two whole cuts of beef. Tonight they were serving Ribeye and Filet Mignon. I began to drool. I knew we were in for a treat. I picked the 8oz Filet while Eric went with the Ribeye. Both ordered medium-rare. Always a pleasure going to a restaurant where the quality of the beef is good enough to be ordered at the temperature you desire. Your choice for a side was either a baked potato or a twice-baked potato. There was also a salad bar which was basic, but plenty of traditional options.
In short order, out came our meals. Holy cannoli. This steak was utterly amazing. It cut like butter. It was seasoned to perfection. It was cooked perfectly. I have been to some of the best steakhouses in countries all over the world, and this steak was without a doubt in the top three. Maybe even the top two. It brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes. In Goldsboro. A mere 25 minutes from home. I will be recommending Carl and ‘Chelle’s to anyone who will listen to me. Anyone with taste, that is.
