The pancakes taste like they come out of a Bisquik box: very dry and bland. They brought out all of our plates except one, which we had to ask them for and then wait another 5 minutes for them to actually bring it to our table

negative

French pastries - YES! I've tried numerous pastries at Amelie's and my favorites must be their macarons. By god the seasonal pumpkin macaron is like tasting everything there is to love about the fall season in a few small bites. Just wonderful. I love to bring out-of-towners here after dinner to pick up goodies to take back to the house for later. One of my favorite things about Charlotte for sure.

positive

My wife and I went to Rania's Kabob Grill yesterday. The food was surprisingly good. I had the stewed lamb shank & my wife had the eggplant borani. Both were served with the traditional Kabuli brown basmati rice. The food was good. The only thing that I would note is that it was a little excessive on the butter, but otherwise good. I never expected an Afghani restaurant in suburbia, but even I am now convinced (perceptions are not everything). My wife and I were originally skeptical at the view from the street (hidden inside a strip mall just South of the hospital). It looks very casual, like a sports bar. This was not the case. I am guessing that prior to this restaurant, this location was some kind of bar or some kind of fast food restaurant. Interestingly, my wife and I had a Groupon for this restaurant, but in the end we decided to just pay the check and not use Groupon. Usually we only use Groupon when the restaurant does not show promise (as the restaurant is effectively selling at a loss when they use Groupon). In this case, we believe the restaurant to be of good value, and using Groupon would not be fair. Since the food is slightly unique, as it is Afghani (a combination of Middle East / Persian + Indian subcontinent) I would like to see some decorations hinting at the Afghani culture. Perhaps a poster or enlarged photo of Bamiyan (or a Kabul or Kandahar street scene), or of former King Zaher Shah, would be a nice touch, if done tastefully. I have no doubt that Afghanistan is a wonderful country with a deep and rich culture (despite the turmoil and war it has seen). This restaurant would be a perfect place to show some unique cultural things on walls. I say this because Afghani culture and food is unique, and you do not want to get lost in the "sea" of other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants in The Valley. This will help with market distinction in regard to competing, and showing what is different. And attracting new customers. I definitely hope that this restaurant is a success and continues to succeed moving forward.

positive

Resembles Disney land from outside but is nowhere close to a luxury hotel. The moment you enter the lobby you are greeted with a wierd odor that turns you off. It's way too strong and gave me sneezes. The so called tower room had a horrid view... Facing the other tower. And the amenities suck. Pillow covers and comforter were torn and room stank. The only things positive was that house keeping was prompt and pool area is awesome to relax. Oh and did I mention it's the only hotel on earth that does not have wifi and just one horrid LAN cable.., well that's ridiculous. Even motel6 has high speed wifi... Next time I visit Vegas. I wouldn't mind paying a few extra bucks n staying on the strip in some pricey hotel... At least I cud brag abt it...
negative