Good Food For a Good Cause

Hello friends!!  Have you had a good week?  Ours has been shorter, thanks to Monday's holiday.  The weather here has been beautiful for the past two days; I fear it is the calm before the storm.  I've been so preoccupied with my family situation that I haven't started preparing (just in case).

In spite of everything going on here, I have had the folks in Texas in my thoughts and prayers.  On this beautiful day here in North Carolina, it's heartbreaking to think of all the people whose homes have been destroyed and those who have lost loved ones because of Hurricane Harvey.  However, I'm so proud of all the Americans who've stepped up to help in so many ways -- one of the things I love best about our country!

Earlier this week, Hal and I ate at what has become one of our favorite restaurants.  It's a Tex-Mex restaurant called The Porch, and boy is it good!  The owner is a woman and a native Texan, to boot.  My husband first went during his lunch hour with a group of co-workers, and he talked me into going one evening for dinner.  This is the place to go when you're hungry folks.  ;)

The best part about our meal Tuesday?  We were able to participate in "Tacos for Texas," the current fundraiser at The Porch.  For a suggested donation of $12 per person, you got free tacos or burgers, and 100 percent of the donations went to Hurricane Harvey relief.  According to our local news station, the restaurant raised $6,200 dollars that evening, with all of it going to people impacted by the hurricane. 

These pictures were taken with my iPhone, but the quality's not too bad.  This is the regular dinner menu, and they also have four daily specials that change every few weeks or so.  It makes me hungry just to look at this menu; the food is so fresh, innovative, and delicious.

I love the Bridge Street Burrito and the Porch Taco Plate, and the specials are usually terrific.  My husband likes the Chicken Flautas, the Korean BBQ Taco Plate, and the Texas Brisket Taco Plate.

The other thing I love about The Porch is the decor and the atmosphere.  You can see part of the kitchen in the right background above.  There's a cowbell hanging in the pick-up window that the cooks ring when an order is ready for the servers to collect.  I love all the colorful artwork.  We have Mexican restaurants galore all over our city and state.  They, too, have colorful decor which I've always admired.  But after awhile, the food can start to taste the same at every place.  Not so at The Porch.  This fusion of southwestern United States and Mexican cuisine makes it different and oh, so tasty.

These pictures are actually from April of this year, but I think I ordered this same dish on Tuesday night.  It's the Bridge Street Burrito, and it's awesome.  😎  That's Hal's dish in the background, but I can't remember what it was.  We chose to eat from the regular menu because the tacos were outside and the rain was on its way.  It eventually chased folks inside.  We were still able to donate to the cause, though.

More fun decor...

Obviously this is the bar.  I love their creative light fixtures.  In the foreground is what appears to be a chandelier made of mason jars and Edison light bulbs.

 In the background near the kitchen window are jumbo-size veggie/fruit cans which have been turned into punched-tin, electric lanterns.  This is just so cool.  :D  Love those tin squares behind the bottles, too.

The blue lamp adds a cozy touch to the hostess station.

"The Porch" is located in an old building (West End Millworks) that was formerly historic Hoots Milling Co. roller mill and warehouses.  Also located in these buildings are a craft beer and brewery, a martial arts studio, a yoga studio, and a glass-blowing studio.  These next three pictures are actually from the fund-raiser, and I obtained them from our local television news station's website.

I've never been to Texas before, but I'd sure love to go someday.  I'm happy to see all the fund-raisers taking place to help the citizens of Texas -- every little bit helps.  Thank you for stopping by and reading today; I just love your visits and comments.  Have a great weekend!

Denise