Rebekah

That Awkward Moment When Someone Labels Me a “Food Critic”

Published on March 26, 2015May 12, 2016 by RebekahLeave a comment

It happens all too often, and most assuredly slips off the tongues of the most well meaning people. A common misconception, an innocent remark on the road to Hell paved with good intentions. In the awkward and embarrassing seconds that follow, the damage has already been done; the label already applied. It’s that first impression introduction where a good friend is excited to show me off, to brag a little about my success–and it’s almost always in front of someone whose slaved away in the food industry. It goes something like this:

The person introducing me to {Insert stranger}: “Hey, so-in-so! I want you to meet my friend Rebekah. She’s a food critic.”

Screeeeeechhhhhhh. First impression fail. Stop right there. Back that train up. Let’s rewind and reboot. No. No. No. Can anybody say awkward?

It’s happened upon meeting the restaurant owner on my first visit to a new eatery. It’s happened while shopping at my local farmers’ market on Saturday morning. It happens commonly at work functions and social events. And I get it. I really do.

People think it’s cool and different that I write about food. They love revealing the fun fact that my blog is one of Urbanspoon’s top Georgia food blogs and that I was a contestant on Season 2 of ABC’s “The Taste.” Some like to share about my writings as the former Statesboro Herald Food Columnist or that my Grilled Georgia Peach Recipe wound up on The Dr. Oz Show. While I sincerely appreciate the enthusiasm and support, there’s absolutely nothing worse than being labeled a “critic” of any kind, much less of something I dearly love and respect, and more importantly that utterly contradicts the very nature of my personality. Ask any one of my best friends and they would tell you that I would find the bright side of the situation even if my life mirrored The Book of Job (okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but you get the point).

I created Some Kinda GOOD, and I emphasize the GOOD, because my mission has always been to bring positive attention to the chefs and restaurant owners out there doing amazing things. Whether it be a mind blowing dish or a super passionate cook, I love sharing great food discoveries and cool places with others. In the more than three years that Some Kinda Good has been in existence, you won’t find a negative restaurant review on my blog because honestly, I have much better things to do with my time. Who am I to criticize the creation of someone else’s dish, when Lord knows I’ve butchered too many a meal to count. Furthermore, I can’t conceive of a more arrogant attitude than to think I would go out to eat with the intention of judging every morsel of a dining experience. I actually enjoy eating, and don’t get my kicks by broadcasting negative opinions about other folks who’re just trying to make an honest living. That’s simply Some Kinda Bad.

If you’ve seen the fantastic movie “Chef” starring Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson, you’ll remember this scene where a famous and influential food critic visits a restaurant for the second time after writing a terrible review. The head chef confronts him face-to-face in the public dining area and completely loses it. This scene captures every single reason why I never want to be THIS GUY.

So, if we’re ever out in public together and you’d like to introduce me to someone, do me a huge favor and please consider this: “Hey so-in-so!! Meet my friend Rebekah. She’s a food enthusiast.”

It’s way more accurate, lacks the negative connotation and doesn’t make me want to crawl under the table. Thanks for that.

Table for Two at Home

Published on February 12, 2015March 10, 2019 by Rebekah3 Comments

Valentine’s Day is well on its way, and if you find yourself without a restaurant reservation, or simply prefer to have a romantic night at home, I’ve got a three course restaurant-quality meal that’s Some Kinda Good and easy to prepare. What’s more romantic than setting the mood in your own home, and cooking next to the one you love? Continue reading “Table for Two at Home” →

Chef Patrick White Impresses at Emma’s Restaurant and Lounge

Published on February 7, 2015May 12, 2016 by RebekahLeave a comment

Tucked away inside Holiday Inn Statesboro, located just off the Highway 301 Bypass, sits an unassuming and pleasant surprise, a dining experience most travel outside of town to achieve. This secluded piece of Statesboro paradise known as Emma’s Restaurant and Lounge boasts understated elegance, a local head chef with humble beginnings whose food packs a flavorful punch and a skilled bartender unafraid to experiment.

A beautiful cheese board (left) and cajun fried oysters (right). — A beautiful cheese board (left) and Cajun fried oysters (right).

Not long ago, I was invited to sample the new dinner menu developed by 23-year-old Executive Chef Patrick White and his team. Our meal began with a well thought out cheese board, or “Fromage Plate” featuring Grand Cru Reserve, Finley Blue Cheese and Fontina paired with dried apricots, fresh fruit, walnuts and large water crackers. Accouterments also included house made three berry jam and local truffle honey. My fiance, Kurt, joined me for the meal, and we ordered the Cajun fried oysters served with spicy aioli and a roasted garlic and herb creme fraiche too, because I was intrigued. Crispy on the outside with a subtle kick, one bite expanded my palate and left me wanting more.

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As we waited to taste the next course, I sipped on a signature cocktail from the bar…this electric Pink Lemonade. It was bright and refreshing made with freshly squeezed lemon and Van Gogh pomegranate vodka.

Before White wore the coveted and hard-earned white chef’s coat he sports proudly today, he gained appreciation for the industry by working as a Waffle House line cook while attending the Culinary Arts Program at Ogeechee Technical College. Born and raised in Statesboro, he graduated from Southeast Bulloch High School. He later got a job at Emma’s as a dishwasher, and in less than two years, climbed his way up the ladder all the while training under former Emma’s Chef Jason Scarboro. Ain’t that America? I have mad respect for his ambition, dedication and will to succeed. Amazing what working hard and dreaming big will do for you!

The soup and salad course didn’t disappoint. Emma’s sources many of their ingredients locally and prides themselves on good relationships with area farmers and purveyors.

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Kurt ordered the Local Shrimp & Grits. This $17 entree is made with andouille sausage, red onion, red bell pepper, madeira wine cream sauce and spicy onion tangles. The edible orchid was a fun touch! Beautiful presentation.

I ordered the $23 Grilled Angus Ribeye served with an Idaho and sweet potato hash with exotic mushrooms, topped with a cherry tomato and herb reduction. That was one really big steak, and I was extremely thankful for to-go boxes.

At Emma’s you can order sides for sharing. We opted for the garlic and herb sautéed Bacon Braised Brussel Sprouts and the Herb Encrusted Bleu Cheese Mac & Cheese.

Brussel Sprouts

Throughout the evening, White checked in frequently to see how we were doing and if we were enjoying the meal. He circulated around the restaurant taking care of his guests and thanking them for coming. I overheard a couple in the booth behind us say they’d driven from Richmond Hill, a community near Savannah, Georgia about 57 miles away, to try out the new menu. What a testament to the quality of service, food and reputation of Emma’s!

Because we couldn’t hold another thing, we ordered one dessert to-go and split it the next day. The chocolate cake was moist and decadent, served with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

Thank you Chef White for an exquisite meal and for your undeniable attention to detail and eye-catching presentation with each plate you served. But mostly, thank you for serving us a meal with passion from your heart. You made a lasting impression, and your food was only the beginning.

Our feast at Emma's Restaurant and Lounge. — Our feast at Emma’s Restaurant and Lounge.

All Things New in 2015; Some Kinda Good Greets the Lowcountry

Published on January 30, 2015May 12, 2016 by Rebekah5 Comments

Hey Some Kinda Good followers! 2015 is full of promise and all things new. I’m super excited to tell you about a few major changes that have happened in my life in recent months–I’ve moved from the coastal plains of Southeast Georgia to the South Carolina coast, my left hand has a shiny new friend and my career has grown LEAPS and BOUNDS after a very longtime coming. Take a look at my “news!”

My boyfriend Kurt graduated to fiance after proposing to me on Dec. 20. — We got engaged on December 20, 2014.

New Ring
1) Allow me to begin with the most exciting of all. My good lookin’ proposed over the holidays in his native Savannah at a quaint and perfect local Italian restaurant. I said YES and we couldn’t be happier! May the wedding planning commence.

New Job
2) I’ve accepted a brand new job in my absolute dream location! It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m thrilled to be back in the health care field working as the Director of Marketing & Public Relations for a wonderful hospital system in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

The view from my second floor balcony. Beware of gators!

New Home
3) I’ve relocated from Statesboro, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina. I have to pinch myself every few seconds while walking around my two bedroom apartment (sneak peek below). I find myself saying out loud throughout the day, “I live here now. I really live here!” I love my kitchen; it has a breakfast bar and lots of cabinet space. As many of you know, Charleston is full of award-winning restaurants and celebrity chefs. It will take me a lifetime to discover all it has to offer and I will enjoy every last-minute of it, especially sharing my food finds with you! As I get to know Charleston, I welcome your favorite restaurants, coffee shops and hangouts. Have you been? What beach do you recommend? What are the top places I should check out? I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t love the Southern, coastal city. In other news, my final Statesboro Herald food column will run on Sunday, February 15. ‘Boro locals, there’s a special message from me to you there…don’t miss getting your copy.

Having a glass of wine and reading a good book in the open air is a welcomed way to unwind at the end of a long day.

I live only a few miles from the beach, so my bedroom reflects that!

I’ll be spending lots of time in my beautiful kitchen this year!

Ewok seems to be adjusting well to his new lifestyle. He LOVES his pet playground!

It was the famous American baseball player Babe Ruth who said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” It’s true what they say about perseverance, and hard work really does pay off. 😉

Pearls of Wisdom and My First Oyster Roast

Published on January 7, 2015May 12, 2016 by Rebekah1 Comment

An oyster roast is one of the most casual ways to throw a coastal party while highlighting local ingredients. — An oyster roast is one of the most casual ways to throw a coastal party while highlighting the sea’s bounty.

In my mind, coastal Georgia and everything that comes along with it–like Lowcountry boil parties and oyster roasts–is next to Jesus. With my Holiday Cheese Ball in tow, I attended my first oyster roast in Savannah recently and ate my fill of the slippery, salty mollusks. The New Year’s Eve get-together was a fantastic way to say goodbye 2014 and hello 2015, while at the same time learning a thing or two about how the locals throw a sho’ ’nuff (sure enough) shindig.

A metal sheet is placed over the outdoor fire pit, perfect for steaming the oysters.

Longtime Savannah food writer Martha Nesbit describes the scene at an oyster roast perfectly in her cookbook, Savannah Celebrations. “Singles or clusters are roasted over a sturdy piece of steel placed over a roaring fire. The oysters are covered with a burlap sack, which is hosed down; the oysters steam underneath. The oysters are ready when they pop open; the cooks have the responsibility of shoveling the oysters from the fire to the table, which is usually wooden, at least waist-high and unadorned.” I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Oysters on the half shell grilled on the Big Green Egg.

The host and cook behind these bad boys was my friend Kyle Byrd. He grilled these oysters on the half shell with garlic butter, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, fresh herbs and hot sauce on the Big Green Egg. Some Kinda Good, what you talkin’ ’bout!

During the party, we also ate steamed oysters. My favorite way to eat them was with a dab of cocktail sauce on a Saltine cracker. Take a look at how Kyle and my good lookin’ date (two good ol’ Georgia boys) prepared them in this 15 second Instagram video:

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#NewYearsEve #OysterRoast

A post shared by Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser (@skgfoodblog) on Dec 31, 2014 at 6:35pm PST

And now, for seven pearls of wisdom I came across while researching oysters:

1. Nearly two billion pounds of these mollusks are eaten every year.

2. The saying “The World is Your Oyster” comes from Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor: “The world’s mine oyster. Which I with sword will open.”

3. Eating four to six oysters a day provides a complete daily supply of copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. Oysters are one of the most nutritionally well-balanced of foods, containing protein, carbohydrates and lipids. The National Heart and Lung Institute suggest oysters as an ideal food for inclusion in low-cholesterol diets and an excellent source of vitamins.

4. Norwegian Rune Naeri set the Guinness World Record for the most oysters eaten in 2003: He devoured 187 in three minutes.

5. The largest oysters can grow up to three feet long in shell length.

6. Depending on the location of their cultivation, there are significant differences in the flavor profiles in the oyster. East Coast oysters tend to be more briny while West Coast oysters tend to be sweeter.

7. Almost all oysters can secrete pearls, but not all are valuable. The pearl oysters come from a different family than edible oysters.

What fun facts would you add to my list?

Georgia Cocktail Meatballs Make a Perfect Party Appetizer

Published on December 9, 2014January 2, 2018 by RebekahLeave a comment

Some Kinda Good Georgia Cocktail Meatballs

Grape jelly combined with apple hickory BBQ sauce and hot pepper jelly is an unlikely combination, but when paired together with perfectly seasoned meatballs, they make the most decadent and savory bite. Continue reading “Georgia Cocktail Meatballs Make a Perfect Party Appetizer” →

Give the Gift of Food: Double-Drizzle Pecan Cookies

Published on December 9, 2014December 28, 2016 by RebekahLeave a comment

Food gifts are always welcomed gifts and each year on Christmas Eve, I like to bake something delicious to give to my friends and family. Continue reading “Give the Gift of Food: Double-Drizzle Pecan Cookies” →

Statesboro Cooks Showcases Host Rebekah Faulk’s Holiday Menu

Published on December 9, 2014January 30, 2015 by Rebekah3 Comments

I’m very excited to share with you our new episode of Statesboro Cooks, highlighting my Holiday Inspired Menu Featuring Pastured Pork Tenderloin. In the 30-minute program, I host and serve as an executive producer with my friend, Tyson Davis. If you’re in the Statesboro area, you can catch the show on local cable, Channel 99, at 7:30 p.m. 7-days-a-week throughout the holidays. If not, check it out on YouTube at the link below! I hope you’ll make these recipes, and thank you for watching.