It’s the first day of school for many little ones in Greensboro. And while that means nothing to Winston and I on Mendenhall Street, it always reminds me of that Nora Ephron line in “You’ve Got Mail” about freshly sharpened pencils. The air began to feel cooler this weekend too – reminding me of my first days in North Carolina. I know most people just hate geese but I’m particularly nostalgic about them. I loved watching them fly over the football field at Elon. Those were the days of dorm rooms and dining halls – afternoon naps and casual wardrobes. I guess you can never go back…

The past few weeks have been particularly busy on Mendenhall. I’ve been spending my usual blogging time researching, reading, writing and talking about bringing food trucks downtown. We’ve built a ton of momentum and I feel good about the direction of thought from our decision makers. Thank you for all the support – from those locally who have spoken up and those across the country who have sent examples of success stories in their own ‘hoods.

Thankfully, my friends at Muller sent me some samples of their newly launched yogurt. Muller is the most popular yogurt in Europe and they have brought it over the pond! A lot of busy days include eating Greek yogurt for breakfast and dinner. I’m crazy about it with fruit, nuts and hearty grains. My favorite Muller product is their Greek yogurt with sweet almonds. It’s basically like dessert for breakfast! Muller is available at local grocery stores and comes in about twelve varieties. It’s perfect for breakfast at home – and a GREAT option for bringing lunch to school or work.

I also was able to take a break last week to help judge at a Fire of the Triad Competition Dining event. If you can imagine the ridiculousness of Iron Chef with a flare of North Carolina – this is it. Hilarious, over the top and very fun. Much to my surprise, the “secret ingredient” that night was North Carolina Bison. After six courses of bison I wondered “Are buffalo now extinct in North Carolina?”  The competition was between Undercurrent of Greensboro and Mozelle’s of Winston Salem. Undercurrent won the competition by only two points – and I have a feeling it had to do with their Herb Crusted Bison Ribeye, Yukon Potato-Mushroom-Bison Ragout, Smoked Corn Cream & Country Ham. Hello! Perfectly cooked meat. The competition is only getting steeper and tastier – so book your tickets online as soon as you can! 

The long weekend ahead promises much cooking and I already have some menus planned. Be on the look out.