eatRaleigh - Triangle Food blog

Luchadoras 2

2012-02-02T05:20:00.000-08:00

When I started this blog I never imagined that I'd type an entry about an event in Durham. Not that I dislike Durham, though I do enjoy a fun rivalry with my Durhamite friends, yet its the fact that there's a surplus of quality blogs about Durham County (ie Carpe Durham). Notwithstanding, when I saw the poster for Luchadoras 2, I knew that I had to make my own account of the event.

Luchadoras champion, Crazy Legs, dancing with the kids

Lucha Libre translates to "free wrestling" in Spanish, otherwise known in the US as professional wrestling. Wrestlers in Mexico are called Luchadores and many of the wrestlers wear masks, a practice that has been in existence since the Aztecs. Female wrestlers are called Luchadoras, thus the name of the event. Professional Wrestling was my passion as a kid. I grew up during the end of the Hulkamania era and the beginning of the WWFE Attitude era, which introduced me to dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. Those dreams were later dashed by my short statue and horror stories of short careers with hectic road schedules.

Fanatic Mask van

The Luchadoras 2 event was held at Motorco Music Hall benefiting the NC Dream Team. Motorco created for an intimate setting as the crowd were inches away from the action. Motorco had an extensive list of brews, many of them local, such as the Foothills Total Eclipse Stout which had a deep coffee taste.

Bar menu at Motorco

While the Luchadoras were the main event of the afternoon Captain Poncho's Tacos also entertained the crowd with their offerings of authentic tacos.

Captain Poncho's Taco

I've always found it difficult to pin down taco trucks in this area. Most of them do not use twitter and in my experiences are phantoms of the night, parking at one location and never appearing there again. When I finally do get to track one down, I fill with the anticipation of a kid at Christmas time.

Al Pastor, Chicarrones, Lengua

The tacos were simple but tasty. In my experiences, al pastor features marinated pineapple pork but Captain Poncho's version used beef instead. It was still sweet and savory but I think it does lose something in the absent of the pork. The chicharron taco had good heat that added to the flavor but didn't kill you with spice. My friend, George, was more daring than most as he ordered a taco de lengua. But cow tongue isn't foreign to him as he grew up with such culinary delights his whole life, and he said that Captain Poncho's version of beef tongue was up to par.

George & Luchadoras Tag Team Champions Las Tecnicas

Luchadoras 3 has already been schedule for February 25th. It's an incredible time, regardless if your interest level in professional wrestling.

Luchadoras 3
February 25th, 2012
Motorco Music Hall - 12pm
http://luchadoras.tumblr.com/

Motorco Music Hall

723 Rigsbee Avenue Durham, NC 27701
(919) 901-0875
http://motorcomusic.com/

Captain Poncho's Tacos
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Captain-Ponchos-Tacos/139473779418250

Triangle Restaurant Week Kick-Off Party

2012-01-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

Triangle Restaurant Week was started in 2008 by the folks at Blvd.tv. For a week, local Triangle restaurants feature fixed price menus, either for $20 or $30, which includes an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. It's a perfect opportunity to have an all encompassing taste of various restaurants around the Triangle.

To celebrate the beginning of this extraordinary week of culinary discoveries, Triangle Restaurant Week threw a ballin' P. Diddy-like party. But without rap stars, Cristal, or setting a model's hair on fire. So really, not like a P. Diddy party but still a party full of over indulgences.

Free booze provided by Harpoon Brewery

We didn't quite know what to expect when we got to the party. The advertisement stated that there would be hor d'oeuvres. Our hope would be heavy hor d'oeuvres that would be enough to qualify for dinner. Instead we were treated to a buffet of local culinary treats.

Saffron of Chapel Hill

Sara and I arrived to the party as it started and were able to grab seats in front of the Saffron serving station, which boasted Indian treats such as paneer and lamb biryani. It was a wonderful sampling of their food and probably my favorite out of the restaurants at the event.

Irregardless' mac & cheese

We made our way to the Irregardless station, where we found cupcake portions of their mac and cheese. Without the benefit of a hot serving dish to keep the mac and cheese hot, the dish didn't reach the potential it could have.

Moving right to the next serving station was the new Indian restaurant in downtown Raleigh, Mantra. They too had an impressive spread of Indian delights. They were Sara's favorite restaurant during the party.

Melting Pot - Chocolate Strawberries

After filling ourselves full of spicy Indian treats and savory mac and cheese, we turned our sights towards sweets. Luckily The Melting Pot offered dipped chocolate strawberries, a great way to finish off the night. Well, so we thought.

After we were relaxing, trying to allow the food to work its way down our stomachs, we saw one more table setting up a serving station. To our delight it was Five Star serving their fried shrimp and crab rangoons. It was quality I've become accustomed to with a meal at Five Star.

It was a great party and start of this excellent week. I urge you to go out and try one of the participating restaurants.

Triangle Restaurant Week
January 23, 2012 - January 29, 2012
http://www.blvd.tv/trw/

David's Dumpling and Noodle Bar

2012-01-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

Regardless of Chef David Mao's reputation, I really didn't like Duck and Dumpling. And if this was an entry about Duck and Dumpling I'd talk about how the food was over-finessed, over-priced, and under-porportioned. But this isn't an entry about Duck and Dumpling. The executive chef of Duck and Dumpling, David Mao, ~~left~~ retired from the Empire Eats franchise in 2010, but soon after news broke of David's Dumpling and Noodle Bar. Visions of my trip to Hong Kong noodle houses started to fill my head. My anticipation was running high as the opening date approached.

David's Original Half-Fried Dumplings

With David's modest price point, we are always able to afford some dumplings along with our entrees. Taking a bite through the soft dough and into the savory filling, you immediately recognize the origins of Chef David's stellar reputation.

Malaysian Curry Noodle Soup

Chef David is often seen roaming the floor and doing odd jobs around the restaurant. He has often stopped by our table and to see if our food is up to par. Even some of Raleigh's other culinary elites have visited the Dumpling and Noodle Bar. I had a food geek moment when I witnessed Ed Mitchell sit at the bar talking to Chef David.

The curry noodle soup has become one of Sara's favorite dishes in the Triangle. Even with its low price, the soup is packed with fresh herbs, noodles, meatballs, tofu, and other various goodies.

Roast Pork and Dumpling Soup

While Sara sticks with one dish on David's menu, I've enjoyed trying almost the entire noodle menu. On this visit it was time to conquer the roast pork and dumpling soup. Once the plate was in front of me the scent of sesame oil filled the air. The fresh greens and dumplings made for an awesomely delicious and affordable soup.

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Jibarra - Brunch

2012-01-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

What is a man and his dog to do when the lady of the house is out of town? The answer of course is have an epic Sunday brunch. The brunch choices ran through my head, almost overwhelming my cerebral cortex. Then randomly, or maybe Tebow-vention, I found a review for Jibarra's "royal brunch." Yogurt, coffee, entree, and dessert, all for 18 bucks. Royal brunch? More like epic brunch.

Yogurt

The first thing I noticed once the yogurt came out was its consistency. A very milky and soupy yogurt. Not something that I was expecting but I enjoyed the vanilla flavor from the yogurt while digging to find the hidden treasures of granola and fruit buried underneath.

Huevos Ranchos

Talking to the bartender about the brunch menu, she commented on that the new addition to the menu were, a much requested, huevos ranchos. Initially intrigued about the new menu item, I ordered the ranchos. After I placed the order, I started having buyer's regret. I thought I've should've ordered something more daring or original. Despite my second guessing, Huevo Rachos did not disappoint. Perfectly done eggs nested under flavorful beans and a crispy corn tortilla. The marriage of peppers and egg yoke were a wonderful mix of savory with sprinkles of heat. The rice was cooked properly but I'd wish it was more incorporated into the dish rather than on the side.

Pan De Natas

In the grand finale of this epic brunch was the pan de natas dessert. The butter-cream bread custard had a perfect texture. Slight crispy outside with a soft inside. The homemade ice cream scooped on top cloves and cinnamon were the star of the dessert. Together the three ingredients created a Voltron of amazing dessert.

Completely satisfied with my epic brunch I returned home to complete my bachelor weekend of football and beer for breakfast.

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Happy New Year

2012-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

I am truly grateful for your readership. Whether you are just browsing or if I'm a trusted opinion in your culinary journey, I'm overjoyed that you've decided to take some time out of day to stop by. As we enter into a new year, may you be full with joy, happiness, and of course amazing food from our beloved city.

RBC Center - Carolina Hurricanes

2011-12-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

I began following the Carolina Hurricanes towards the end of 2008, my first full year living in Raleigh after graduating from Campbell. My roommate at the time always commented on how we needed to start attending games and once we finally did I was hooked on the fast pace of the game, the roar of the loudest arena in the NHL, and of course the awesome stadium food. That year happened to be the year we unexpectedly made it to the conference finals.

While the Canes aren't having the same results this year, the game is still fast, the roar from the crowd is still loud, and the stadium food is still excellent.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Walking into the RBC Center (uh, I mean PNC Arena), the delightful scents of the surrounding food vendors greeted us immediately. Automatically the smell of barbecue pork drew me to the North Carolina BBQ Company cart. The pork is so tender that it falls apart in the hands of the servers. After taking a hand full of the pulled pork and placing it on top of a bun, in traditional Carolina fashion, I top it with a helping of coleslaw. The crunchy cabbage brings texture contrast to the tender pork. The sandwich's procession of flavor is complete with the tang of the vinegar-based eastern Carolina BBQ sauce and the heat from a couple of dashes of Texas Pete. They also offer the a sweet western Carolina BBQ sauce, but that'd just be insulting the eastern host.

Stuffed pretzels

With the BBQ pork sandwich devoured and myself depressed due to the Canes' first period performance, mine and Sara's sweet tooth starts to demand satisfaction during the first intermission. Queue the cream cheese filled pretzels, soft pretzels filled with a slightly sweet and very smooth cream cheese.

Cheesesteak Station

After the second period and the Canes' deficit growing even larger, I went to search for more culinary comforts. The scent of searing beef and sauteed onions drew me to the cheesesteak station. Despite a couple of dry cheesesauce-less bites, the sandwich was flavorful.

The Canes at the end of the game made a valiant attempt to comeback but weren't successful. But even with the absent of a winning season there are still tons of reasons to come and support the Canes, one being that eight of the team's owners are based in North Carolina. Overall it's a fun time with a fun crowd while eating great food.

RBC Center - Carolina Hurricanes
1400 Edward Mills Rd. Raleigh, North Carolina

(919) 861-2323

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/

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Chuck's

2011-11-29T19:20:00.001-08:00

Wandering late at night around downtown, the wife and I were trying to find something that would satifity our craving for fourthmeal. But no worries, we did not head to Taco Bell. Instead, while trying to persuade Sara to try out Beasley's, we were able to settle on Chuck's.

Chuck's was the second part of Ashley Christensen's ~~takeover~~ revitalization of South Wilmington St. Ashley Christensen has become Raleigh's culinary queen over the past few years. Between battling against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, being a James Bread Award semi-finalist, an Independent Weekly cover story, and being featured in publications the likes of Southern Living and Food & Wine, it's clear as to why she has been able to reign over downtown Raleigh's culinary scene.

I started out our meal with a pumpkin pie milkshake. Despite friendly encouragement from our server to spike it with some bourbon, I resisted the urge. I was driving that night after all. The milkshake was creamy and smooth. The spices had a delightful subtleness, as they did not overpower the palate.

Belgium Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli

My only complaint about the fries at Chuck's is that they are a wider fry. Maybe it's all the McDonald's I ate as a kid but I prefer skinny fries. They came out hot and crispy with a choice of various sauces. We went with the safe bet, the roasted garlic aioli. The server let me try some of the Comeback Sauce, described to me as horseradish-based sauce yet all I tasted was Russian dressing. I wasn't a fan at all.

The High and The Valley

Bloggers have been raving about the burgers at Chuck's. I'll emphatically add to the chorus of bloggers and agree that these burgers are the real deal. A perfect sear, which sealed in all the juices and created a beautiful crust, on flavorful local beef that was juicy throughout the burger.

Chuck's isn't Burger King, and you can't have it your way per se. Chuck's won't let you create your own burger and in all honesty, there is no need to. Chuck's burgers are topped with architectural excellence with each topping having its own place and purpose.

Sara had the High and Valley: crushed avocados, bacon-onion jam and blistered red peppers. The bacon-onion jam was delicious and made the burger.

Spirit Animal

With Sara taking the High and Valley off my list of options, I was stuck between the Dirty South and the Spirit Animal. Reading over the Spirit Animal's toppings (cream cheese, roasted poblano peppers, grilled tomatoes, and tortilla dust) the prospect of the creamy cream cheese with the saltiness of the beef swayed my decision, although by the middle of the burger I was craving some kind of heat element from the burger. I was questioning the use of tortilla dust when I ordered the burger but it gave a little crunchiness throughout the tenderness of the meat.

Ashley Christensen continues to make me a believer in her status as Raleigh's culinary queen.

Chuck's
236 S. Wilmington St. Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 322-0216
http://www.ac-restaurants.com/chucks/

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Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar

2011-11-18T19:25:00.001-08:00

I was fortunate enough to win tickets to Buddy Valastro's "Cake Boss Live" tour. Well, after watching the show I'm not sure "fortunate" is the right word. But despite the questionable entertainment value of the Cake Boss's live show, it did grant Sara and I an opportunity to have dinner at the newly opened Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar. And when the television directly in front of you is broadcasting Lucha Libre, you know it's going to be a good meal.

Rising from the ruins of the 101 Lounge and Cafe, Calavera replaced what was once a modern and noticeably cold decor with a fun and bright atmosphere full of Day of the Dead masks and patron candles.

Other than offering two salads, the food menu for Calavera is exclusively empanadas, which is a bit disappointing when trying to eat enough for dinner. Due to the lack of other options, we were able to try all nine of Calavera's empanadas.

Empanadas, red salsa, tomatillo salsa

Calavera offers seven savory empanadas and two dessert empanadas. The stuffed pastry treats are baked rather than fried, giving them a lightness while still achieving a crispy crust. After trying all of the empanadas, Sara and I were tremendously impressed with the Holy Frijolies. A combination of black beans and sweet potatoes, the Holy Frijolies reminded us of an extremely well done southwestern egg roll.

Among the other standouts for Calavera were the Havana Jerk and Al Pastor. The Havana Jerk, Calavera's jerk chicken empanada, was wonderfully sweet with the heat hitting you at the end of the bite. The Al Pastor's spicy pork was terrific compliment to the tomatillo salsa served along with the empanadas.

Red and Green Salsa

Despite having seven empanadas each we were still hungry enough to have another meal after the Cake Boss bored us enough to start hating cake. I would like to see Calavera introduce some sides dishes to serve along with the empanadas to really create a complete menu. Nevertheless, if Calavera continues to serve tasty empanadas and broadcast Mexican professional wrestling, it still a spot worth checking out.

Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar
444 South Blount St #101 Raleigh, NC

(919) 617-1661

calaveraraleigh.com

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Fleming's Steakhouse Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-11T07:24:00.001-08:00

Let me first thank everyone who entered the giveaway. Thank you for coming to the blog and leaving a comment or tagging @eatRaleigh on a tweet. I'm very thankful for your readership and I will continue to provide giveaways whenever possible.

To determine a winner I drew numbers 1-100 until the random generator drew a number that was entered in. It took a bit of time but we finally found a winner:

Finally after drawing nine numbers we got a winner!

Congratulations to CindyGolden!!! I will be in contact with you.

Thank you everyone for entering the giveaway and visiting eatRaleigh!

Fat Daddy's

2011-11-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

One dreary October night Sara and I wandered out of Crabtree mall in search of something filling and comforting. Driving up Glenwood Avenue, we passed restaurant after restaurant unable to find one that would satisfy our cravings. "How about Fat Daddy's?" I asked. "The place with the old stuff on the walls?"

Fat Daddy's certainly doesn't lure you in with its decor, which it feels like an old school Bennigans (oh how I miss you Monte Cristo) with its random collection of tackiness. But their reputation of quality burgers and massive topping bar tempts you through the front doors.

Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

Impressively, Fat Daddy's has a decent collection of craft brews. A large collection of Rouge brewery bottles, many of them 22 oz. As I mentioned before, I'm a big dark beer fan and choose the Rouge Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout. A smooth stout that was the perfect compliment to burgers.

Burger and Fried Orka

Though I am no expert Burgiatrist, as the guys over at The Straight Beef, I'd like to believe that I recognize a quality burger. And to me, Fat Daddy's has quality burgers. The buns are made from Fat Daddy's in-house bakery then buttered and toasted... as all buns should be. Though the burgers came medium well, it didn't completely rob the burger of its juices. The meat was flavorful with a solid sear. I topped the burger with the premium toppings of bacon and swiss, both commendable additions to the burger. However, the main attraction of Fat Daddy's is their extensive topping bar. From cheese sauce to fresh jalapenos, there seems to be an endless amount of toppings. Well, it's actually closer to a dozen but thats still impressive. I stacked mushrooms, jalapenos, and a tomato slice to complete my mountain of deliciousness.

I was delighted to see fried okra as a choice for sides. The massive boat of deep fried veggies came out sizzling hot. The coating is what you expect with any fried okra and I wouldn't be surprised if they came out of a bag. Yet, I still enjoy consuming those crispy little treats in between bites of my burger, regardless of their origin.

Sara and I embarked back into the cold and rainy night but with the comfort of quality burgers in our bellies.

Fat Daddy's
6201 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27612-2615

(919) 787-3773 ‎
http://www.facebook.com/fatdaddysnc

PS: There are two more days until I draw for the Fleming's Steakhouse gift card giveaway on November 11! Click the link for more details.

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Giveaway - Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

2011-10-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

To promote their new small plate menu, a PR representative from Fleming's Prime Steakhouse e-mailed me their press release. This alone would not interest me, but included with their press release was an offer for a gift card for my readers. It's a very gracious offer and a wonderful way to give back to those of you who visit the blog. Though I have never been to Fleming's, thus unable to comment on their food, I can say that free food does taste better.

Unfortunately, I only have one gift card, and thus only one winner.

If you would like to enter into the giveaway, please do any of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post with a number between 1-100.
2. Tag eatRaleigh in a Twitter or a Facebook message with your number selection, 1-100.

I will post the result from a random number generator November 11.

Good luck!

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Debuts Small Plates

New Healthy Dishes for Lighter Dining and Sharing

Raleigh, NC, October 2011 – Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar continues to set the standard in steakhouse dining with its introduction of seven Small Plates to its menu. These lighter, healthier dishes represent a whole new way to dine at Fleming’s – to be enjoyed anytime with a glass of wine, shared with friends, or as a starting course to a meal. They can even be an alternative to a large entrée.

Fleming’s Small Plates are reminiscent of a Mediterranean style of dining and dishes like the Sliced Filet Mignon with Shiitake Risotto blend Asian influences with European flavors. Others like the Lobster Tempura are a variation on a Fleming’s favorite.

“One of my favorites is the Lobster Tempura,” says Russell Skall, Fleming’s Executive Chef. “We took a guest favorite that was an indulgent, high-calorie appetizer, and recreated it. You still have the succulent lobster and dipping sauce only now it’s paired with a salad and has only half the calories.”

Skall began creating and testing Small Plate combinations nearly two years ago. What started with close to 100 original dishes was paired down to 25, then 10, and finally the best seven that now join the Fleming’s menu.

The seven new Small Plates include: Sliced Filet Mignon on shiitake risotto, chili oil, drizzled with porcini butter; Jumbo Shrimp Scampi Skewers with chimichurri dipping sauce and avocado citrus salad; New Zealand Petite Lamb Chops with pistachio-mint pesto, “F-17” sauce, and polenta fries; Ahi Tuna Skewers with wasabi aioli, sweet tomato vinaigrette, and homemade wonton chips; New Bedford Scallops with meyer lemon-honey glaze, baby carrots, green beans, and asparagus; Filet Mignon Skewers with gorgonzola-bacon fondue, mozzarella and sweet tomato salad; and Fleming’s Lobster Tempura with soy-ginger dipping sauce, arugula, jicama and apple salad.

“Small Plates let our guests customize their meal and their dining experience,” says Skall. “They are a direct response to requests we’ve received for more choice in portion size, light options and items to share.”

Fleming’s Small Plates range in price from $15.50 – $22.95. As with the majority of Fleming’s menu, they can be modified to be gluten free upon request. Guests also will find a contemporary new look and feel to Fleming’s menu designed to be lighter and easier to read and including original artwork from noted artist Thomas Arvid.

Also debuting this month is Fleming’s newest “5 for $6 ‘til 7” bar menu with five wines from the new Fleming’s 100, Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen (available 2 for $6), and the Stiletto – a 99-Calorie cocktail in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

About Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

The nationally acclaimed Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar offers the best in steakhouse dining – Prime meats and chops, fresh fish and poultry, generous salads and side orders—with a unique wine list known as the Fleming’s 100, which features over 100 wines served by the glass. Fleming’s was launched in Newport Beach, California in 1998 by successful restaurant industry veterans Paul Fleming and Bill Allen. Today there are 64 restaurants nationwide. Fleming’s is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including Wine Enthusiast’s annual Award of Distinction and Wine Spectator Magazine’s Award of Excellence.

For more information about Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and the Fleming’s 100, please visit www.FlemingsSteakhouse.com

State Farmer's Market Restaurant

2011-10-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

This isn't the first time I wanted to do an entry on the NC State Farmer's Market Restaurant. I wrote my first attempt on the restaurant in 2009, right before they closed their doors for a few months for renovations. Those were long and biscuitless months during which my post was in purgatory.

Before Sara embarked on her friend's bachelorette weekend, we decided it would be smart to fill her belly with carbs to absorb the alcohol she'd soon consume. We knew that the NC State Farmer's Market Restaurant would accommodate.

Biscuits and hushpuppies

Immediately the waitress welcome us with the wonderful combination of biscuits and hushpuppies. Fluffy and buttery, the biscuits were still releasing steam, indicating their freshness. As I placed a slice of butter in the middle of the biscuit, it melted into every nook and cranny.

My first experience with hushpuppies was during a visit to Long John Silver's when I was a kid. I bit into the fried mystery, revealing its cornmeal center with actual kernels of corn and thought it was the oddest side dish I'd ever had. Once I migrated to NC and realized it was a staple of Southern life I gave the fried treats another try. Hushpuppies like the ones at the State's Farmers Market Restaurant are the reason I fell in love with fried pieces of cornmeal. Coming to our table freshly fried, I always risk burning my mouth with my impatience. The wonderful grainy texture and subtle sweetness were a welcome start to the big flavors that awaited us in rest of the meal.

Granny' Cone's Sampler - Homefries, bacon, NC Ham, Sausage, Spiced Apples, Eggs, Biscuit

When I first read over the menu, I thought I would get something on the "lighter" side. Maybe a Garden Fresh omelet, I thought. How I arrived to ordering the largest meal on the menu, the Granny Cone's sampler, is beyond me- as if the inner glutton possessed me the moment I ordered. Sitting atop of this mountain of food is the NC Country Ham. The sizable piece of pork is cured in such a way that adds a depth of distinct saltiness. Next in line in the pork parade is the bacon. Finally, a piece of bacon that achieves the correct crispiness! And when you think your sodium intake has reached its limit, you realized you still have sausage patties on the plate, respectable pieces of sausage but at that point I was a victim of pork overload.

The eggs were cooked well with the yoke oozing out once I punctured the center with my fork. They were a delicious compliment to the homefries and biscuits. The spiced apples added a facade of healthiness and a measure of sweetness to a salty plate.

Granny Cone's Sampler - Silver dollar pancakes and sausage gravy

When I was in undergrad sausage gravy was more of a joke rather than an actual food. It started when someone bet my friend Ryan to suck sausage gravy up his noses through a straw. Despite that graphic association with sausage gravy, I really enjoyed the gravy at the NC State Farmers' Market Restaurant. It was not overly thick and it had a nice kick from the sausage. It was a great partner with the biscuits.

Pancakes

As the crescendo for this gut busting plate was the silver dollar pancakes. But Sara's pancakes were gut busting by themselves. Taking nearly the entire plate, the NC Farmers' Market Restaurant pancakes feature a crisp crust with a plush inside. It made the pancakes a delicious sponge for the warm syrup served alongside.

Corned Beef Hash

Sara paired the sweet pancakes and syrup with a side dish of corned beef hash. She loved that the restaurant was able to achieve the correct ratio of salt in it's seasoning. Coming fresh off the flat top, Sara delighted in its savory flavors.

With our stomachs expanded and properly padded with carbs, Sara was ready to take on a night out on the town with her girlfriends.

NC State Farmers' Market Restaurant
1240 Farmers Market Drive Raleigh, NC 27603-2361(919) 755-155
http://www.ncsfmr.com/

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Poole's Diner - Dinner with Top Chefs

2011-10-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Chef Kenny, Hannah, Johanna Kramer, and Chef Erica hiding in the background.

Sara and I didn't know what to expect as we were driving towards Poole's Diner. Not that we had questions about the dinner's quality, but more of a question about the dinner's company. Neither one of us had been part of a tweet up or had ever met any reality television or culinary celebrities. Would we have enough to talk about? Is it going to be awkward? Am I going to know what everyone is talking about? Will everyone enjoy the food? I was asking myself questions as if I was meeting someone for the first time off of an online dating site.

We sat inside of Poole's Diner waiting for the rest of our dinner party, a group of individuals we had never met before. I assumed we parked next to Ellen and Katy of Girls With Guts, but to avoid any awkwardness I tweeted them instead of knocking on their window. After the introductions we made small talk until Johanna Kramer, a.k.a. Durham Foodie, entered Poole's after which we were finally seated. As we made chit-chat at our table, I compulsively check the front door to see if the rest of the party arrived. Suddenly at the hostess's station stood a stocky, physically imposing fellow. Immediately I knew it was Chef Kenny "The Beast" Gilbert. Chef Kenny, Chef Erika Davis, and others sat themselves at our table.

Beef tartar

At first, it's easy to be intimated by Chef Kenny. Equipped with professional wrestling sized biceps and the nickname "The Beast," it's understandable how one could be weary. But once I began to talk to Chef Kenny, the very first thing I realized is that he is a genuine person. The perceived bravado that Chef Kenny portrays wilts away once you hear him talk about his passion, his food, and his willingness to share some of his beef tartar, wonderfully seasoned rare beef topped on a nicely toasted crostini.

We began the dinner with passing around a smorgasbord of appetizers. The apps were passed so quickly and conversations were flowing so freely, I was unable to take any pictures or take note of the wonderful flavors. Chef Kenny started to discuss with me his newly opened restaurant, Nipper's Beach Grille in Jacksonville, Florida. The Caribbean inspired restaurant sits on the water, allowing boats to dock right up to the restaurant. Though seafood, especially conch, is a consistent theme of the restaurant menu, Chef Kenny seems particularly proud of his Mac & Cheese.

Macaroni Au Gratin

Much like Nipper's Mac & Cheese, Pooles Diner's Macaroni Au Gratin is one of the top dishes of the restaurant. Cheese and pasta goodness bubble underneath a flawless crunchy cheddar crust. The moment my spoon broke through the crust and scooped the oozy and cheesy bite of macaroni I knew I had fallen in love.

It was interesting to watch Chef Kenny as he tasted the Macaroni Au Gratin. He silently took a bite and nodded his head to himself as to say he found it satisfactory. Then as he proceeded to take another taste someone at the table pressed him for his opinion. Being humble but not overly enthusiastic he commented that it was a good macaroni, and he enjoyed the cheddar and other cheeses that were used. He elaborated on how his macaroni and cheese differed drastically from the one at Poole's. The mac and cheese at Nipper's Grille is made with chorizo con queso and jerk chicken. Definitely a tasty sounding dish in its own right.

Soft Shell Crab

As we moved onto our entrees, our conversation changed to Kenny's future endeavors. Chef Kenny told me about his hopes in opening an Asian fusion restaurant in the near future in Jacksonville. He's ideas include Asian influenced burgers, one topped with sriracha slaw. He envisions the decor of the restuarant inspired by japanese tattoos. Which also led to a discussion of his admiration for tattooing, including one that states "The Beast" which was inked shortly after his dismissal of the Top Chef competition.

I began to dig into my crisp fried soft shell crab and we moved to the topic of reality television. I wondered about the legitimacy of the challenges and the concept of Top Chef. "It's actual reality!" Chef Kenny boasted. Laughing to himself, he recounted how he would come into the kitchen that day and had no prior knowledge of the pending challenge. When I asked Chef Kenny about producers or camera crews creating scenarios in which he or his competitors would become frustrated or angry, he retold a story of when the crew gave them a vague time frame of when they would arrive to the house but then arrived extremely early, waking him up with cameras in his face.

As I continued to savor the freshness of the crab and the wonderful creaminess of the aioli, I asked Chef Kenny about any other reality TV cooking competitions, specifically Iron Chef. To my surprise he had already been contacted by the producers of Iron Chef but unfortunately he was unable to receive the message until after the opportunity had passed. But he his very open to doing another TV cooking competition.

Pork shoulder

While Chef Kenny and I were chatting about his opinions on food blogs and social media, Sara was indulging in Poole's pork shoulder. The pork meat sat on top of velvety and savory butter beans while the meat itself was a tender treasure. Sara thought there was the perfect amount of fat and an impressive size portion.

I always wondered about a chefs' stance on food blogs, like how it feels to have one person, possibly with no culinary savvy, criticize the finer details of their restaurant and/or food. Surprising to me, Chef Kenny was welcoming to an individual's voice and understanding of the new found impact that media like blogs, Twitter, and Facebook carry. It shouldn't have been too surprising to me as Chef Kenny does carry his own social media presence.

The night continued with drinks and desserts until it was time to depart. Satisfied in our dinner and our company, I was disappointed that I was not able talk to Chef Erika due to the volume of the restaurant and the seating arrangement. We were able to talk after her cooking show, but that's our next entry.

Poole's Diner
426 South McDowell Street Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 832-4477
http://www.poolesdowntowndiner.com/

Chef Kenny "The Beast" Gilbert
http://kennygblog.passionate-culinary-enterprises.com/
http://twitter.com/chefkennyg37
http://www.facebook.com/chefkennyg

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Giveaway: Southern Ideal Home Show Tickets, Sept. 23 - 25

2011-09-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me when people find this small corner of the Internet and reach out to e-mail me. Sure, most of the time it's just press releases or advertisements, but it still impresses me that someone felt it beneficial to add my e-mail account to their mass emailing list. But the other week within the sea of spam and junk mail was an offer to attend the Southern Ideal Home Show. Along with attending the show, I was asked to hang out with Chef Erika and Chef Kenny from Top Chef.

During the e-mail conversation, I got a hold of tickets to the Southern Ideal Home Show to giveaway to my audience. My initial thought was, "I have an audience?" But once I got past the absurdity of that statement, I realized how great of an opportunity this is to give back to those of you who happen to visit this blog on your way to tasty adventures around Raleigh.

So if you are interested in tickets to the September 23 - 25 Southern Ideal Home Show, all I ask is for 2 of the 3 following things:

1. Leave a comment on this entry. Could be anything, though questions for Chef Erika and Chef Kenny would be helpful.

2. Follow me on Twitter or like my page on Facebook.

3. Post the following message on either your Twitter or Facebook profiles: "Free Southern Ideal Home Show tickets via @eatRaleigh! http://goo.gl/1XpHx"

If you guys are able to complete 2 of those 3 things for me I will be able to get you tickets to the show while supplies last! I'd be tremendously grateful as well.

Southern Ideal Home Show

http://www.southernshows.com/hfr/

Klara's

2011-09-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

When Sara and I went out on our first date, I decided to take her to Bocci Italian in Cary. Once I parked in the middle of Cary's downtown, we wandered around trying to find the restaurant that was resting underneath an unassuming office building. Feeling increasingly embarrassed with each passing second, we found ourselves in front of a white restaurant building that looked similar to a house. I was convinced that we had arrived to our destination. Yet after spotting the sign, I knew we were still lost. For the next five years I would not know what that white restaurant was until Sara felt like exploring more Eastern European options around the Triangle.

Sara scoured the net in search for a restaurant, and to her excitement she found the Czech restaurant Klara's. She browsed their menu and emphatically added Klara's to the restaurants we needed to visit. To our surprise, once we arrived at Klara's it was that same white restaurant we found so many years ago.

Czechvar

We entered the restaurant and my eyes automatically spotted the bar which displayed varieties of Czech beer on tap. Not being familiar with any of the beers, I discussed the choices with the waitress. She had good knowledge of the beer and I settled with the Czechvar. It came with a nicely sized head releasing a light hoppy aroma. It was sweet and was very light on the palate.

Cutting board

Searching for an appetizer, we were poised with many tempting options. With Sara and her love for bologna, we went with the cutting board, a collection of bologna, salami, ham, kielbasa, mixed cheese with horseradish and mustard. The meats were cured nicely and complimented the grainy mustard or the spicy horseradish. The cheeses were a hard, parmesan type cheese and a chuck of brie. The brie was smooth and nutty, and it played well with the meats.

Stuffed Potato Dumplings

As soon as I read the description of the stuffed potato dumplings I knew what I would be having for dinner. When the plate came to our table I was immediately impressed by the portion size. These days there aren't many dishes that I can't conquer in one sitting but I conceded to the doggy bag for the dumplings as I was unable to finish the entree. The monstrous dumplings were very dense and a bit bland by themselves. But once you combine the dumpling with the sweet caramelized onions, the sour sauerkraut, and salty bacon and ham it became a wonderful plate. I do wish there was a sauce that would give more moisture to the dish but it was a great plate regardless.

Pork Schnitzel

After much indecision Sara choose to try Klara's version of pork schnitzel. The schnitzel was very well breaded and fried yet the pork was not pounded and a bit too thick. A few of the bites I was able to steal from my wife still had some connective tissue. Sara was a tremendous fan of the potato salad. Lighter on the mayo, she was taken with the vinegar touch to the dish.

It took us five years to discover what that white restaurant really is, and we were both glad we finally found out.

Klara's

200 South Academy Street, Cary, NC 27511

(919) 319-5656 ‎

klarasrestaurant.com

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Milton's Pizza & Pasta - Lunch Buffet

2011-09-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday in Raleigh a critical decision is made by those who are either finishing their services at church, waking up from sleeping in, or recovering from Saturday night's debauchery (or possibly all three): where to have that glorious mid-day meal often refereed to as brunch. This particular Sunday we were participating in some post-service chats when our friend Erik announced his love for Milton's lunch buffet. I've heard of Milton's before but it was always one of those North Raleigh restaurants beyond the Beltline, too far to compel me to visit. As Erik proclaimed the quality of their endless amount of Italian-American food, my mind started to envision the joys of feasting on the delights.

Garlic bread, buffalo wings, sausage and peppers, pepperoni pizza, mushroom and chicken pizza

Plate one. I grab for the first thing I see, which was the garlic bread. I was hoping for a nice crusty bread saturated with butter and garlic but instead it was overly toasted and dense. Roughing up roof of my mouth and hard to chew, I finished the rest of the bread just off of principle. Being close to football season, and the fact that we will actually have a football season, I was craving for a tailgating classic: queue the buffalo wings. They were fried nicely and tossed with a mild buffalo sauce. On my way to the wings, I saw a couple of individuals spoon sausages and peppers on their plates. Decent taste, but left a bit of grease on the palate. I skipped the pasta to arrive at what I was really looking forward to, the pizza. With limited space on my plate I went with the freshest looking pies, the pepperoni and a mushroom and chicken pizza. I bit into the slice of pepperoni and immediately realized that pizza had been out much too long under heat lamps as the crust was stiff. Along with the unpleasant crust, their red sauce packed a salty punch. The mushroom and chicken pizza helped redeem the mediocre plate. Still at a ripe freshness, the crust still had flakiness. There was a creamy alfredo instead of a salty red sauce. And both the chicken and mushrooms were tender and flavorful.

Ribs, lasagna, jalapeno pizza, vegetable pizza

Approaching my second plate, Erik repeatedly commented on the quality of the ribs. To my delight they were flavorful. The meat was tender with a good bit of fat and coated with a red sauce. At first I was tempted to pass on the lasagna. In a deep tray and not pre-sliced, I considered it too much of a hassle to fish it onto my plate. But my sense of culinary duty got the best of me and I figured I could not determine the quality of an Italian restaurant without tasting the lasagna. The cheese had a nice ooze, the sausage inside was nearly overly sweet, and the pasta was tender. The jalapeno and vegetable pizza was decent but I started reach my food wall, thus making it difficult to appreciate any flavors by this point of the meal.

Wings and pizza

When I go to a buffet and see the typical steep price that comes attached to it, I always eat myself into oblivion in hopes to "get my money's worth." Plate three was purely a plate to get my money's worth. Though cheese and carbs were expanding in my stomach I suffered through some more wings and pizza.

Dessert plate

When we were first seated, our waitress insisted that we save room for the cheesecake. While I didn't save room, I never pass on trying dessert. Unfortunately, the cheesecake bites were warm. The graham cracker crust was loosely packed and flavorless. The whole thing tasted of left out cream cheese rather than cheesecake. Along with the brownie, both were disappointing. I did, however, enjoyed my cookie square. It was soft and chewy, sweet and chocolaty.

The best part of the meal came at the end where the three of us sat and talked for two hours while the waitress kindly checked in on us despite the fact we had long but finished our meals. And no matter what you are recovering from on your Sunday, that's a good way to spend it.

Milton's Pizza and Pasta
8853 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC
(919) 847-0604 ‎

miltonspizza.com

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Tasu Asian Bistro

2011-08-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Há Căo

Despite what others might think of a modestly sized region in the Southeast, the Triangle loves its sushi. What once was the barometer of an American's culinary adventurous spirit has sparked a convoy of sushi restaurants opening despite gloomy economic times. Just off the top of my head I can think of four sushi places that had opened in the Triangle just this year (Tasu, Sushi-O, Sushi Love, Sushi Nine). Trying to find a foothole in this crowded market, some restaurants have touted their daily "buy one get one" sushi deals. The Scrooge in me rejoiced in the thought of all the pennies that I would pinch.

The first attempt at dining at Tasu started with PetSmart calling to inform Sara and I that they would be unable to groom Norton because he was not allowing the groomers to pick him up to place him on the grooming table. I went to go rescue the poor chow-chow as Sara waited for the food we just order minutes before the call. After comforting the frantic dog at home, I rushed back to the restaurant but the mood for the evening was already ruined. We sat in frustration and quiet, eating our sushi without really enjoying a bite.

In hopes to redeem that night, we decided to try Tasu again and left the dog at home. Hungry, we decided to begin the meal with dumplings. A standard streamed shrimp dumpling, the outside was delicate yet sticky with bits of it sticking to the lettuce leaf. Biting through the wrapping revealed the dumplings' pillowy shrimp filling. The mellow shrimp flavors of the filling were enhanced by the salty and hint of citrus from the ponzu sauce.

New York roll, Tasu roll, Alaskan roll, The Woman in Red roll

A colorful plate of sushi was placed down in front of us and after achieving the correct soy sauce/wasabi ratio in my sauce dish I began with the Woman in Red roll. Topped with the a dot of sriracha sauce and filled with spicy tuna, the roll gave a hint of heat in the beginning. The masago popped in my mouth with each chew as the flavors from the tuna, cucumber and albacore blended together.

After cleansing my palate with a piece of pickled ginger, my chopsticks turned to a piece of the Tasu roll. The roll which, topped with seared mackerel, gave a "fishy" taste that you don't get from other sushi. The pickled ginger I found odd in the roll as you would chew on a crisp piece of ginger ever so often and it would dominate your palate. I did, however, appreciate the tempura crunch as it give a good texture contrast to the rest of the dish.

The avocado from the Alaskan roll gave a wonderful creaminess but by that point all the rolls' flavor were mending together. Being my apathetic self, I stopped cleansing my palate with the picked ginger. The New York roll also had a nice creaminess, but from cream cheese, which was met with the pop of the wasabi tobiko. The depth of flavor from the smoked eel shine through in this roll despite my palate being cluttered by other flavors.

We were able to leave Tasu without rushing to rescue our scared dog from his groomer, but instead we left with full bellies and a bill that was cut in half. A night that surely was redeemed.

Tasu Asian Bistro
2007 Walnut Street, Cary, NC 27518-9205

(919) 896-7289

http://www.tasunc.com/

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Galaxy Cinema

2011-07-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

It might be weird to do a blog entry about a movie theater, but just as Galaxy Cinema isn't the typical movie theater, its concession stand isn't the typical concession stand. Sure, they'll have the standard popcorn, soda, and candy, but that's just a sampling of what they offer your movie experience.

Galaxy Cinema is one of a handful of independent theaters in the Triangle area. While other theaters provide stadium seating and blockbuster hits such as Kevin James hanging out with gorillas, Galaxy offers independent, foreign, Bollywood, and classic films with conventional seating.

Drinks galore

When I found Galaxy Cinema I was initially impressed that they served beer. The juvenile in me relished in the idea that this was somehow rebellious. The beer selection is not just the usual suspects (PBR, Yuegling, Miller Light) but Stella Artios, Newcastle, and a collection of Indian brews that brings depth to the selection. Along with the beer, they also have a couple of choices of wine and a full service espresso bar. Try to find that next time your checking out the latest White Chicks movie at Crossroads 20.

Sweet Jane's Bakery cookie

This particular Friday was the first showing of the documentary Page One. With Sara being a huge journalism geek, I figured it would be a fun date night activity. Unfortunately it happened to be the same week their cookie supplier was out of town, thus leaving only their peanut butter cookie left. The cookies at Galaxy Cinema (from Sweet Jane's Bakery) had long been my favorite until Escazu decided to blow up that market. The mocha cookies, my favorite out of their opinions, is impressive in size as well as taste. Yet with those sold out, I took the opportunity to invest my money into discovering a new beer.

Samosas

While the cookies selection was slim, the weekend did bring a welcomed culinary addition: samosas! These lovely fried Indian treats are only offered during the weekend at Galaxy Cinema. Without the ability to freshly fry them, it seems they place them in a microwave. This causes the outside pastry to be a bit soggy, but I was able to forgive that considering its a freakin' samosa at a movie theater. The filling was tasty with a bit of heat at the end of the bite. Not a bad samosa, especially taking into account that it's from a movie theater.

Samosa and Flying Royal Horse

To wash down the samosa, I ordered the Flying Royal Horse lager. The beer was extremely carbonated and I got a decent amount of head when I poured it into a glass. The taste was very sweet, a cider-like sweetness. So sweet that Sara almost enjoyed it. It wasn't bad but it wouldn't be a beer I'd bring to a party.

Places like Galaxy Cinema keep the Triangle unique and interesting. Even in a place as highly criticized for being homogeneous as Cary, there are businesses that don't quite fit the cookie cutter mold.

Galaxy Cinema
770 Cary Towne Boulevard, Cary, NC 27511-4222
(919) 463-9989
‎ mygalaxycinema.com

Sweet Jane's Bakery

4823 Meadow Dr Ste 115 Durham, NC 27713
(919) 544-1313

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J.Betski's

2011-07-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

Fresh kielbasa sauerkraut and spicy mustard

When I've had discussions about the best meals in Raleigh, whether it be in person or online, J.Betski's would inevitability come up. Sitting quietly next to ~~Peace College~~ William Peace University, J.Betski's constantly delivers quality Polish/German dishes, continually adding to its stellar reputation.

When Sara and I first visited J.Betski's on a packed Friday night, a long wait for a table (our fault for not making reservations) and constant phone calls from work made for a stressful dining experience. Yet despite the constant distractions we still were treated to a wonderful meal. Sara was anxious to go back and satisfy her Polish heritage.

Sara is a huge fan of kielbasa, but unfortunately for us our kielbasa typically comes from Hillshire Farms. It didn't take away any of our enjoyment of eating kielbasa, but we still didn't know what it was like to taste a fresh, handmade kielbasa. Being too hungry for manners, I quickly sliced a piece of the sausage as Sara was still getting situated. The casting had a wonderful bite to it and played well with the graininess of the spicy mustard. The flavors popped with each chew, and wonderful seasonings finished with the flavor of the spicy mustard.

Duck breast, potato pancakes, orange slices and blackberry sauce

After some indecision Sara choose to go with her favorite poultry, duck. Cooked perfectly to medium rare, the duck breast had the spices that made the meat pastrami-like in taste. The potato pancakes had an excellent crust and a soft, pillow inside with the perfect savory seasonings. The sweet and tart citrus along with the salad provided a great freshness and balance to the dish. Sara raved about the dish until she wiped her plate clean with a last precious peace of potato pancake.

Pork schnitzel, Austrian Potato and dill cucumber salads, lingonberries

I went with a more traditional dish. Though I was a bit apprehensive because the dill cucumber salad didn't excite me, I ordered the pork schnitzel. To my delight and surprise the cucumber salad was delicious and light. The pork schnitzel itself was fried perfectly. The flavors from the lemon and lingonberries took the pork to amazing heights of flavors.

Local peach and cheese strudel

We had discussed about going to 18 Seaboard for dessert because of the great things we heard about their pastry chef, but after having such a fantastic meal already, we decided to stick with J. Betski's for dessert. As an award for our loyalty we were treated to a local peach and cheese strudel, a crispy pastry enveloping a wonderful filling of sweet peaches. A lovely capstone for a great dining experience.

J.Betski's
10 West Franklin Street, Raleigh, NC 27604-8011
(919) 833-7999 ‎
jbetskis.com

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Boylan Bridge Brewpub

2011-07-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

If I chose my favorite restaurant based purely on outdoor dining and views, the Boylan Bridge Brewpub would be the winner. Perched on Boylan St. surveying Raleigh's cityscape, Boylan Bridge serves homemade beer and unique casual dishes along with a fantastic view.

The wait for the opening of Boylan Bridge felt like reading through Homer's epic poetry. The project inched itself into fruition as individuals like myself would drive by the space wondering just what the heck was taking so long, only to have concept menus and layouts to curb my anticipation. After years of waiting, Boylan Bridge finally opened its doors in 2009.

Boylan Bridge was a disappointment the first time I visited. The service was slow, the menu was unappealing, and the food was barely mediocre. Since that first visit, Boylan Bridge has redirected itself under a new general manager and debuted a new menu.

Endless Summer Ale

Typically I'm the kind of guy who enjoys a darker pint but with the Carolina heat beating down on us, I settled with something lighter. The Endless Summer Ale had a good flavor, refreshing taste, and great drinkability.

Boylan Bridge Nachos

My friends will tell you that my nacho mantra is this: Raleigh Times' pork BBQ nachos are not only my favorite nachos, but one of my favorite dishes in Raleigh, period. That being said, Boylan's nachos are definitely towards the top of a crowded nachos list. The beer cheese sauce truly shines in the dish. The caramelized onions are another feature that helps these nachos stand out above the rest.

Asian sesame chicken wrap with fries

Plating isn't always a concern of mine but I really dig the planks that Boylan Bridge serves their dishes on. What's on top of the planks isn't bad either. Searching for something on the lighter side, I decided to have the Asian sesame chicken wrap. Typically with a chicken wrap I prepare myself for dry chicken, yet to my surprise this chicken was moist. I enjoyed the sesame dressing as well, though something tells me it's not homemade. I really enjoy Boylan Bridge's fries: properly seasoned and nicely crisp. They make me wish Boylan made a cheese fries appetizer. The combination of the beer sauce and fries would result in full foodgasm face.

BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado) with house salad

Sara decided to go with the BLTA even though one of her favorite dishes, chicken pot pie, tried to sway her. The bread on the sandwich was advertised as Texas Toast, which in my mind makes me think of double thick toast slathered in butter and toasted to a golden brown. But instead the toast was a meager size and slightly toasted. Not necessarily a disappointment, as the bread wasn't bad. Once again, I have a personal grievance with the bacon. The flavor was there, but the crispiness was non-existent. The lettuce had a good crunch to it and the avocado (always a temptation for Sara) added a nice creaminess and flavor. Also, oven roasting the tomato was a nice touch.

Norton loves the water at Boylan.

It's worth mentioning that Boylan Bridge is extremely pet friendly, or at least dog friendly. I don't know the reception would be if you ride your pet komodo dragon to the Brewpub. But once we were seated, Norton was immediately given a water bowl and along with many compliments. We visited again recently and the wait staff treated Norton like another guest.

Boylan Bridge Brewpub
201 South Boylan Avenue Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 803-8927 ‎
boylanbridge.com

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Hope Cafe - The Vespers Concert

2011-07-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

video courtesy of Hope Cafe

On the edge of Raleigh and Scotty McCreeryville, aka Garner, sits the Hope Cafe. Off of Tyron Road, the space is part of a little, unassuming plaza. With all the concert venues around the Triangle it's easy to pass by the Hope Cafe without a second glance. But inside the meek exterior is a cafe full of hospitality, warmth, faith, arts, and eats.

If it wasn't for The Vespers having a free show at Hope Cafe that night, I too would pass by the space without taking another look. But after the Mumford & Son's concert in Raleigh's Amphitheater, I was hoping for a more intimate folk rock experience. As with many good things, I was introduced to the Vespers through their appearance at Campbell. Their enchanting vocals combined with soaring harmonies drew me in, comparable to a folk/bluegrass version of Eisley.

Turkey Sandwich on wheat

The Hope Cafe's menu is not going to surprise you or impress you with culinary innovation. Sandwiches, breakfast, coffee, all standard cafe fare. Though they do have a sandwich called "Noah's Ark" which I was very curious about. The show had started when I reached the front of the line so it was too loud to ask any questions. My hope is that there's "two of every kind" of meat stuffed inside the sandwich.

So instead of dipping my toe in uncertain waters, I chose the safe bet and went with a turkey sandwich topped with mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon. The turkey itself was quality. Freshly sliced, moist, and flavorful. I decided to get the sandwich on wheat, despite the availability of croissants. Nevertheless the bread was enjoyable. I'm disappointed that I didn't ask where either of those items were made. The produce was fresh as well. The bacon gave the sandwich another layer of flavor but I will go back to my typical issue, it didn't have the crispiness that I so desperately desire.

Iced Coffee

I'm not the guy to comment on the taste of coffee. If it doesn't taste burnt, I consider it a win. With that said, I enjoyed my iced coffee. They use Larry's Beans, which I have had and enjoyed before. Not to mention they're a local roaster and a fair trade company.

Chocolate Mint Frappe

Midway through the show Sara, who has a thing for Dunkin Donuts' Coolattas, was in the mood for a frozen drink fix. In place of the Coolatta she decided to try out Hope Cafe's chocolate mint frappe. Nicely blended, the mint and chocolate was noticeable throughout and none of those huge chunks of ice you get with some other frozen drinks.

Quite possible the neatest thing about the Hope Cafe is that its actually an 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All proceeds from the cafe go into projects such as well-drilling in Africa for safe water.

Hope Cafe

201 Tryon Road #109

Raleigh, NC 27603-3652

(919) 896-8997

http://hopecaferaleigh.com/

The Vespers

http://thevespersband.com/

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bu•ku - Brunch Buffet

2011-07-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

"Why can't two (single) bros go out and rock brunch Sunday morning style?"

The birthday of my former roommate and long time, source-of-memorable-moments, source-of-forgotten-moments, abuser of offensive language, and friend, Ryan, was a couple of weeks ago. Due to traveling and our typical tendency to put things off for Future Ryan and Future Elliot to deal with, I wasn't able to give Ryan his present until much later. Ryan learned just recently that bu•ku does brunch and was especially gitty to try it. I figured that it would be a great present for a traditionally hard person to shop for.

Plate number one. I was feeling pretty hungry so I grab the first thing I see (other than a plate), which was a savory scone. I honestly have forgotten what was in the scone. Next was a sticky cinnamon bun topped with crumbled bacon. The sugar gave the pastry a nice coating that offered a yummy crisp but also a chew once you bit in. The bacon settled the sugar taking over your whole palate. The buffet had an impressive array of opinions for its made-to-order omelets. Ryan had crab in his. I remember seeing salmon as a choice. I settled for a sausage, spinach, monterey jack, and onion omelet.

The omelet process could have gone smoother as the cook confused our omelet order while plating, and even disagreed with us as we tried to correct him. I also wish he allowed the onions to saute a little longer as they were pretty raw and there were too many. Following the line of the buffet, the attendant individually opened each warming station when we needed to make a selection. I hope that's a little bit comforting to those who view buffets as petri dishes of germs. He informed us that the sausage was made with mango salsa. It was a great piece of sausage and lighter than I expected as well. And of course I had more bacon, cooked to a nice crispiness.

Plate number two. I am still feeling like there is room in the belly and am excited to try the buffet's egg dish. At first I thought it was typical eggs Benedict but it turned out to be a poached egg over roasted pork on top of a flatbread. I enjoyed it but I wished there was a sauce to tie all the flavors together. The breakfast burrito was better than average while the dusted potatoes were also very standard. Maybe it was that my stomach was starting to expand at that point but the croissant was disappointing-- dense and not flaky, more like a dinner roll.

At this point I am full. I could have easily ended my dining experience there. But I was determine to have dessert. Walking up to the line of the buffet, I started to think that I've missed two important stations: waffles and carving. Surveying the meat at the carving station, I was asked if I would like a piece. I responded with "I don't know if should eat more..." "You're at a buffet, you should go for it," the carver said with conviction, which lead me to plate number three.

Among the choices of white chocolate chips, bananas, and sauces at the waffle station there was also the hazelnut goodness of Nutella. I smeared the spread on the fresh waffle and plopped a spoon full of the whipped cream. I greatly enjoyed the waffle but it was more of a canvas for the Nutella than anything else. At the carving station I picked up a piece of ham and roast beef. The roast beef was juicy and tasted great. In my stuffed state I couldn't appreciate the ham.

I was still determined to have dessert even though by then I was well beyond my limit. Ryan raved about the chocolate square treats. In that little square was a smooth chocolate and a toffee-like crunch and chew. The cookie was a very good maple pecan cookie. The meal concluded with a spicy chocolate that was well worth the additional misery my stomach felt.

Ryan and I left with bellies full of indigestion and brunch goodness. On the way out we murmured to each other empty vows to never eat that much again.

bu•ku
110 East Davie Street Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 834-6963
http://bukuraleigh.com/buku/

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Artsplosure

2011-06-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Artsplosure has been setting up in downtown Raleigh for more than three decades. Designed to showcase artistic expression, it's a great opportunity for locals to see what the community has to offer in the areas of music, pottery, paintings, and naturally... all things fried. Despite the heat of the day we trekked downtown with Norton to test out the food.

Deep fried mashed potatoes.

I think it goes without saying that these treasures were amazing, and they completed our culinary adventures of the afternoon. A delicate but crunchy crust enveloped the velvety potato goodness inside. The dipping sauce was a nacho-like cheese, but more adult with a kick that complemented the potato balls perfectly. We could have eaten several more!

These hefty crab cake sandwiches were worth every dollar. Almost too big for me to hold with two hands, the tender crab was full of flavor and the bun only enhanced the flavor and made it more like a meal than a street snack. The simple recipe seared perfectly, sealing in the classic Old Bay flavor.

Ice cream is everyone's summer (or maybe year round!) favorite. Smitty's Ice Cream did it right for Artsplosure visitors. While in line Smitty's ran out of our first choice, cappuccino crunch, so we knew that meant many others knew the quality was good. Cookies 'n' cream certainly didn't disappoint. The texture was super creamy and bits of cookie popped up constantly. The summer heat quickly overtook the huge scoop, but of course our eager taste buds were faster.

Norton enjoying the last of the Smitty's cone.

Street festivals are a great way to experience an area's culture. Artsplosure lived up to its name with creative options, and also kept traditionalists happy with the classic fried options and, of course, ice cream. We look forward to Artsplosure every year not only for the food, but for a chance to appreciate the arts and the talents of our neighbors.

Artsplosure
http://www.artsplosure.org/

Sherri's Crab Cakes
http://www.sherriscrabcakes.com/

Smitty's Homemade Ice Cream
2306-A South Church St.
Burlington, NC 27244
http://www.smittyshomemadeicecream.com

We didn't get the information from the vendor who sold the deep fried mashed potatoes. If you are the vendor feel free to leave the information in the comment section!

Market Restaurant - Love Wins Ministries fundraiser

2011-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

I've had Market Restaurant's food before so I didn't need extra incentive to dine there. From the first visit I found the concept, menu, and food interesting and excellent. Local and fresh is the moniker of a lot of restaurants but Market actually delivers on that promise. So when Sara and I learned that they had teamed up with Love Wins Ministries to help with fundraising efforts for the ministry, we were excited to be able to have excellent food for a good cause.

Sara was the first person to introduce me to Hugh Hollowell, the leader of Love Wins. She had been able to meet him through her work and built a friendship with him. We are both admirers of his work with social justice and the homeless. Hugh walked through the crowd at the Market that night, talking, laughing, thanking every person that decided to dine and help out the ministry. With his big personality and big heart he enhanced an already pleasant dining experience.

Crack Fries

Enthusiastically we ordered the crack fries, hand tossed in truffle oil with fresh herbs, asiago cheese and served with homemade ketchup. Fries were, well, fried to a perfect crisp. The flavors married together nicely. I am not a huge fan of condiments and even less of a fan of plain ketchup. But the housemade ketchup had a great tang to it. They're possibility my favorite fries in Raleigh.

Goat cheese and mushroom tamales

The first time Sara tried a tamale, after looking at it strangely, she began trying to eat the new food discovery with the banana leaf still enveloping the filling. I didn't share the same difficulties with the Market's goat cheese and mushroom tamales, especially since the banana leaf was already removed. The smooth and tangy goat cheese was a great complement to the grain of the tamale's maize. The corn salsa refreshed the palate so that the goat cheese was not overwhelming.

Asiago-crusted Chicken Breast

Surprisingly, the most simple dish turned out to be our favorite. From the dish's appearance it's your typical chicken dish: no frills and nothing exciting. But the fresh oven pasta does not belong in the category of typical. The pasta was tender, fresh and soaked up all of the wonderful mushroom sauce.

Beyond the food, the pasta, and the fries was the fact we were able to contribute, even in the smallest of ways, to a tremendously important organization.

The Market Restaurant

938 North Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27604(919) 754-0900 ‎eatatmarket.com

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Remedy Diner

2011-06-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

So hip, they need hip sugar.

While browsing the news on the Raleigh blogsphere, I heard about the construction of Remedy Diner. I was ecstatic as I thought Raleigh was going to be treated to a traditional greasy spoon diner, serving late night breakfast to drunken Landmark Tavern occupants. When the mock menus came out, I was a bit disappointed.

Remedy Diner was not the greasy spoon I was expecting. Not to say they don't make diner-like food, but it does not smell of fried bacon and the decor doesn't make you think dingy. Remedy Diner turned out to be a hip little space with a bit of punk flair and a leading restaurant for vegan/vegetarian options. For my die hard Durhamite vegetarian friend, Remedy Diner is the only restaurant from Raleigh that she "liked" on Facebook.

Tempeh Tantrum

We swung by for lunch after Sara got her mother's day pedicure from Alter Ego, a convenient walk for her newly painted toes. As I was browsing the menu, I whispered over to my wife, "What the hell is Tempeh?" After debating the possibilities, we went to the Blackberry to assist. We discovered that tempeh was a traditional soy product from Indonesia, at least according to Wikipedia. All this was to see if I wanted to order the Tempeh Tantrum or the Goat Cheese salad, and I decided that I need to get something I've never had before.

The sandwich came loaded with tempeh, vegan bacon, vegan pesto, avocado, and lettuce. The first thing that came to mind was that nothing... nothing... nothing compares to real pork bacon. Not turkey, not vegan, nothing. The vegan bacon certainly was salty but did not have any crunch. The tempeh had a surprising sweetness and definitely had its own distinct flavor, unlike its cousin tofu. At the end of the sandwich I ended up missing a protein in the sandwich but I appreciated Remedy for serving something that was new to me.

I think that too often with vegan/vegetarian food, places attempt to emulate the experience of eating meat rather than bringing out the charateristics of the ingredients on hand and making an excellent dish. Even some dishes on Remedy's menu illustrate that idea by having dishes like "Philly Fake Steak" or the vegan "Meatball" sub on the menu.

Turkey Pesto

Sara went with the Turkey Pesto sandwich. The turkey, by Boar's Head, was excellent. The bacon had a great crunch and saltiness. Combined with the creaminess of the avocado, a great textural contrast, it was a simple sandwich done right.

It's easy to look at the decor of the Remedy Diner, its patrons and staff, and think of it as a dwelling place for urban hipsters and pseudo postmodern intellectuals. Well to tell you the truth, you would actually be right. But it all contributes to a very interesting dining experience.

The Remedy Diner
137 East Hargett Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 835-3553 ‎
theremedydiner.com

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Marmalade Skies Frozen Yogurt

2011-05-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

When I used to think about frozen yogurt, my mind immediately went to images of TCBY or Seinfeld, "it's non-fat!" That was until I went to visit my friend Casey at Yale. Walking the streets of New Haven, my friend informed me and Sara of a restaurant that not only serves yogurt but allows you to control the amount and toppings. We were enthralled with the idea and gleefully slam down the yogurt dispenser's lever. Piling on the toppings I jokingly said to Casey, "Mine is going to be like 6 dollars," thinking it would be a ridiculous amount of yogurt. The cup ended up to be $6.75.

When we returned to Raleigh I searched the interwebs to find a place that replicated the concept, thus leading me to Marmalade Skies. Tucked away in a little nook off of Walnut St., once you open the doors you are welcomed with a soundtrack of acoustic, alternative, and 90's rock. Nostalgic for me, confusing for Sara who never listened/heard of Pearl Jam or Dave Matthews Band's Under the Table and Dreaming. The workers wear tie-dye and the walls are full of bright colors.

You start at the back of the space with the cups and yogurt dispensers. Marmalade Skies has 8 flavors daily. Besides the main stays of tart, vanilla, and chocolate, the others are rotating featuring flavors such as cookies & cream, cake batter, red velvet cake. I typically enjoy going with vanilla as the canvas for my concoction.

Fruit, wet, and candy toppings

Dry toppings

I've learned after multiple trips to Marmalade Skies that one shouldn't overload on the yogurt. While the yogurt is tasty, the real star of the show is the toppings. This particular trip, me and Sara split a cup, so I allowed the Mrs. to decide the toppings.

Final product

The final product was cake batter yogurt, topped with pound cake, Reese's cups, sprinkles and Sour Patch Kids... but I eat those separately.

the result

....."See, how could this not have any fat? It's too good!"

Marmalade Skies Frozen Yogurt
280 Meeting St. Cary, NC 27518

(919) 859-7373
http://marmaladeskiesfy.com/

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Ruben's Downtown

2011-05-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

When I started to hang around downtown Raleigh, Biscuit Station was already closed. As I drove by its location and looked up at its dilapidated sign, I'd imagine the wonderful biscuits it produced. The location laid dormant for a couple of years. I kept wondering, with downtown Raleigh's blossoming food scene, why someone has yet to reopen a restaurant in what I felt like was prime real estate.

Ruben's Downtown answered the call. When I saw the announcement that Ruben's would be inhabitating the old space I roamed the Internet in hopes of finding more information about the concept of the restaurant, but alas I found nothing. Months passed and I wonder if the place would be opened at all. Suddenly hand painted labels started to fill the front glass. A new sign replaced the deteriorating Biscuit Station sign. At first, I was underwhelmed by the outside appearance. Passing by it just seemed amateur. But after the tornado devastated our typical dog park, we were force to take Norton to Oakwood park, thus causing us to pass by the location everyday. With each pass, I found the bright orange hand painted signs more endearing.

Grits Casserole

Entering into the space I was greeted with friendly faces from owners and customers alike. There was a hand painted mural in the back and a hand painted table, all which added to the uniqueness of the experience. Researching the restaurant once they finally created a Facebook page, I saw an enticing photo of grits casserole.

I like to remind everyone that I am not a native Southerner. I didn't grow up on grits and I can't tell you how they are "supposed" to taste like. Honestly, I just started to like grits and it's mostly because I found out you can throw things like shrimp or Gouda in them. With that said I enjoyed the grits in the grits casserole. They had a nice texture. The casserole was advertised to have 3 different sausages, and after eating it I was able to detect kielbasa and breakfast sausage. I imagine the third was turkey, but I of course could be wrong. The sausage made up most of the flavor of the dish and was very hearty. The cheddar made a nice crust on top but I wish it was more stringy throughout the dish. Egg was there for extra flavor and filler. Overall a nice bowl of food, especially for 2.99.

I enjoyed Ruben's, and I hope in the future I am not passing by at a dilapidated sign and left to imagine the food they used to produce.

Ruben's Downtown

(919) 354-1470

100 N Person Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rubens-Downtown/216842531666163?sk=info

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Food Truck Rodeo - Rebus Works

2011-04-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

As the battle rages on between food trucks and the City of Raleigh, businesses continue to bring food to the victims of the whole fight, the people. To kick off their new Saturday Market, Rebus Works hosted a Food Truck Rodeo. These events have been becoming increasingly popular in Durham but only a few of those events are ever hosted in Raleigh.

Traditional Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

I've seen the talk about the Grilled Cheese Bus pop up in my FaceBook newsfeed for weeks. The anticipation to finally get this food truck on the road was thick, as was my anticipation to try the food. We arrived at the rodeo only an hour into the event and the Grilled Cheese Bus had sold out signs covering up the front of their menu. Disappointed, I stood in the in line for the Bulkogi Taco Truck which was so long it merged into what would be the Grilled Cheese bus line. As we slowly tip toed forward in the Bulkogi line a voice in the Grilled Cheese Bus yelled out, "Four more sandwiches left!" My ears perked up and I frantically called Sara, who was taking care of the scared puppy (darn loud generator), to take my spot in line.

Once the sandwich was purchased I heard a lot of people questioning the price. "$4.50 for a grilled cheese? I mean how hard is it to make a grilled cheese?" To be honest I questioned it myself. But the products are all local and the taste was delicious. The bread had a great crust and had a nice chew. The whole sandwich was complimented by the a nicely done tomato soup.

Gunmandu

After the sandwich was all but gone we were still slowly moving forward the line for Bulkogi Taco Truck. Sara and I were fortunate enough to enjoy their food before so we were excited to have them again. Yet unfortunately the trucks were unable to handle the crowds, it seemed. Despite having 6 food trucks there, everyone had a huge line. With these huge lines came with long waits and rushed food. This is were the Food Truck Rodeo idea fails. Part of the experience of dining from a food truck is great food on the run. Also most of the trucks were running out of food quickly. Almost as important, the beer ran out before we even arrived.

Bulkogi typically puts out great food. Since the rodeo I've order there again and the food was delicious. But while the gunmandu was great the kimchi quesadilla was horribly burnt. So much that Sara couldn't enjoy even one bite of the food.

Kimchi Quesdilla

I look forward to the day that the City of Raleigh relax the rules on food trucks so we as patrons do not have to rely on these types of events to enjoy their food. Because as of right now I'd rather catch one in the middle of the night on a street corner than suffering the waits of a food truck rodeo.

"Loud noises scare me... but I love grilled cheese!"

Rebus Works

301-2 Kinsey St Raleigh, NC

919-754-8452

http://www.rebusworks.us/

Grilled Cheese Bus

http://grilledcheesebus.org

Bulkogi Taco Truck
http://twitter.com/#!/ncbulkogi

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PieBird

2011-04-18T16:56:00.001-07:00

I think you know your town has made it culinary-wise when restaurants start opening that focus on one dish. I remember browsing the streets of Philly and being impressed with how many of those types of restaurants were able to survive. Could you imagine a place that just did Pad Thai surviving in Raleigh? Not yet anyways. That's what I found intriguing about the opening of PieBird-- would Raleigh be able to keep an pie place alive?

Black Bottom Pie

Ideally I wanted to grab a couple of pieces of pie and head back home. But once we arrived at the cozy location off of Peace St., there wasn't any counter for slices to go. What else surprised me was the fact there was a hostess who sat us rather than us grabbing our own seats. Listening to the seats around us it appeared that the service was still trying to work out its opening week kinks. There were a lot of apologizes from the staff to those patrons and even our server wasn't exactly sure of the whole dessert pie menu.

Listing off the pies, I inquired about what Black Bottom pie was. Once she said the words Oreo cookie crust, I knew that Black Bottom would be my choice. The custard had an interesting texture, it was very firm. The meringue on top was extremely soft and sweet. I had it mostly by itself because combined with rest of the pie made the flavor too sweet even for myself. Of course my favorite part of the pie was the crust. In the end I regretted not trying out a traditional pie crust pie because it would truly showcase the "pastry angels," as they like being called, skills.

Blueberry Pie

Lucky for me Sara decided to go with the Blueberry Pie. When it first came out surrounded by a bright yellow sauce, I immediately thought it was a very weird shade for a caramel sauce. I dipped my finger in the sauce and to my surprise it was mango sauce surrounding the pie. I wasn't quite sure how blueberries and mango would compliment each other but it ended up to be a delicious piece of pie.

We have cupcake places, we have hot dog places, but is Raleigh really ready to expand their repertoire to accept a pie place? I hope it is.

PieBird
618 N. Person Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

919-508-7612

http://piebirdraleigh.com/

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Big Boss Brewery - "Who's Your Paddy?"

2011-03-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Big Boss Bad Penny conditioned with cocoa from Nahaulli's Trading Co.

I believe that Big Boss Beer is synonymous with the our beloved city of Raleigh. As I list my favorite things about this city (location, people, food) Big Boss's brown ale Bad Penny is high on the list. Unaware of beer distribution laws, I desperately attempted to have Big Boss at my wedding in Massachusetts, only to have my hopes dashed. The first time I ventured off to the Taproom was with my good friend Chad. We steered off of Capital Blvd. and in the middle of factories and industrial buildings we find ourselves at the happy center of Raleigh's beerverse.

With St. Patrick's Day approaching and Sara's family in town, I was in search of an adequate place to celebrate. Through their Twitter, Big Boss announced their "Who's Your Paddy?" event. Beer, food trucks, and music. It was clear that we would be attending.

OnlyBurger serving the masses

Being a frequent watcher of Food Network since I was 15, (I can attest to the evolution of the channel from being just cooking shows to now TV shows related, sometimes loosely to food), I've been aware of the food truck phenomenon for a while. The first real food truck I heard about in the Triangle was OnlyBurger. My mouth watered reading their site that described daily ground meat and how they toasted their buns. I was anxious to satisfy my carnivorous cravings only to be left wanting as the truck wasn't running at the time I found the site. Finally when I got the update that they were back on the road I recruited a co-worker and tracked them down. The burger was juicy and flavorful. The bacon was perfectly crispy and the bun had that nice crunch from the butter toasting. One thing that I don't think gets mentioned while discussing OnlyBurger is their fries. They are crispy, seasoned perfectly and OnlyBurger does not skimp on the serving.

OnlyBurger burger and fries. Not our prettiest photo.

As Sara and I stood in the OnlyBurger line, I scoped the area for the next food truck to visit. Immediately the words "Duckfat Tater Tots" grabbed my attention. I wandered over to Ko Kyu BBQ's truck and waited in line. And waited. And waited. Before I even ordered Sara had purchased our OnlyBurger burger and we both ate it. Once I reached the end of the line, I ordered the tots and a short rib quesadilla. After what felt like another aeonian length of time we received our food. The duck fat tots were extremely crispy, complimented by the hot sauce served at the truck. Sara noted she didn't find any difference with them being fried in duck fat. The short rib inside the quesadilla contrasted nicely with the blue cheese inside, but it was not the simplest or cleanest dish to eat standing up. While in line I started to have a conversation with the group in front of me. After we got our food and had a taste, one of them wanted me to make sure I mentioned that the BBQ slider was disappointing, especially considering the wait. The rest of my time there was spent talking to Jan from the Carolina Ballet. So over food from a truck and microbrewery beer we listened to her insight on the arts and the state of ballet in Raleigh. Quite insightful and something adolescent Elliot would never imaged he'd do.

Then again, he didn't think he'd be in North Carolina, eating anything other than chicken fingers and drinking mircrobrews.

Duck fat tater tots and short rib quesadillas - Ko Kyu BBQ

Big Boss Brewing Company
1249 Wicker Drive, Raleigh, NC 27604(919) 834-0045 ‎bigbossbrewing.com

OnlyBurger
919-714-1622
http://www.durhamcatering.com/onlyburger

Ko Kyu BBQ
http://www.kokyubbq.com/

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Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream

2011-03-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of being in undergrad at Campbell was the proximity to Sunni Sky's. For CU students it's a study break, a social meet-up, a haven from the tiny town that we affectionately call "The Creek." Like a hipster at an Arcade Fire concert, I can arrogantly boast that I knew about Sunni Sky's before the fame. Before USA Today and Food Network graced it doors, I was taking dates there and gaining my freshman 15 (it was actually 50) there. While everyone in the country only seems to know Sunni Sky's for the cold sweat and exit wound flavors, all the locals know Sunni Sky's for its cake batter and free samples.

Oatmeal cookie. After a couple bites and melting.

Sunni Sky's is popular in the community partly because of the seemingly unlimited samples they are willing to provide you. I think my record count might be 6 but I was finally able to settle down and pick a flavor, and I didn't think oatmeal cookie would be on the top of my flavor list. With flavors like cake batter, pumpkin pie, sugar cookie, and tiramisu, I assumed that those flavors would be my favorite. But when I tried the sample of oatmeal cookie, with its huge chunks of cookie and creamy ice cream, I was in love.

Peanut butter fudge. Had to bring the photoshop skills to make this presentable.

Sara decided to have the peanut butter fudge. It tasted like peanut butter straight out of the jar. Our chow-chow Norton was constantly begging for it.

Norton having leftover PB straight out of the jar

It's been almost a decade since I was a wide-eyed, culture-shocked freshman moving into the middle of rural North Carolina. And as I became grateful for the open spaces, Southern charm, Cheerwine, and chopped pork, I became equally grateful for Sunni Sky's.

Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream

8617 Hwy 55 South Angier, NC 27501

919-427-7118

http://www.sunniskys.com

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Shorties' Out of Sight Cafe - Filipino Food Fest

2011-03-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

A good portion of my childhood was filled with big parties full with Filipino foods and dozens of Filipinos speaking Tagalog. It was a comfortable feeling to experience that again at Shorties's Out of Sight Cafe annual Filipino Food Fest. When I moved away from home I knew that quality Filipino food would be scarce (if I was going to be able to find Filipino food at all). And during my years in undergrad, I wasn't able to find any. Evertime I would head back to Florida my mom would already know what I wanted her to cook chicken adobo and lumpia. As I continued to the working world I revamped my search for any restaurant that served Filipino food. Google turned up a place in Durham but I was disappointed to find the restaurant was gone and had been replaced with a Chinese restaurant. I began to believe that Triangle's palate wasn't prepared to keep a Filipino place alive. Yet randomly after much searching I was able to find Shortie's.

Shortie's is a small, unassuming, and hard to find cafe in the middle of an office building that typically caters to Cary High School students and the residents of the building. The problem for me is that their typical hours are just for breakfast and lunch and I couldn't make it back from Durham fast enough to catch them when they're open. Lucky for me I've been able to take advantage of long lunches and half days. And after a couple of years of missing the event, I was finally able to enjoy the annual Filipino Food Fest.

Arriving to the cafe we were gleefully greeted by Shortie. She enthusiastically introduced herself to Sara and welcomed me back after it took her a second to recall that I've been there. With a big smile on her face she asked about the specifications of our order and making sure we had anything, calling me "anak" (child) like she was my own mother. Even though we had breakfast just a couple of hours before I ordered almost all of the menu. Chicken adobo, pancit, lumpia, and sisig. Of course all served with rice. Sara loves pancit, the noodle dish of the Filipino world (technically pancit palabok). I grew up eating pork and chicken adobo. Adobo is chicken cooked in vinger and garlic. The chicken is always tender and has a great tang from the vinger. Sisig is something that I, like a lot of people would, enjoy if they never knew what was in it: chopped pig ear and snout mixed in with onions and peppers. Crispy, hot, and put over some rice, it's one of the best dishes the Philippines has to offer. Then of course lumpia, a skinnier eggroll-like dish full of ground pork (my mom adds ground shrimp to hers). Shortie's renditions of these dishes were reminiscent of my mom's (of course nothing can beat Mom's home cooking.)

Along with the Shortie's personality and her food, there were many members of the Flipino community that came by to introduce themselves to us. They were interested in how long we've been in NC and a little about our story. It was nice to connect with some other Filipinos. I almost felt like I was 8 again.

Shorties Out of Sight Cafe

975 Walnut Street, Cary, NC 27511-4268(919) 467-7196 ‎http://www.shortiescafe.com/

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Hi 5 Sports Restaurant & Bar - CLOSED

2011-02-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Update: The Hi 5 concept has been closed, its has since been reopened as Drafts Carolina Beers and Burgers.

Originally last Friday night Sara and I were suppose to say goodbye to Bogart's as it ends its decade long residency in downtown Raleigh. Unfortunately, so did the rest of the community. Not willing to sit at the bar top, we decided to go elsewhere. Lucky for us, specially since I forgot a jacket and it was a chilly night, Hi5 was just a couple steps down to the basement of the building. My original experience at Hi5 was the same as many people, an undergrad trying to exude my charm to the ladies with high alcohol consumption. Little did I know there was an actual restaurant. Since then I've had a mixed bag of experiences at the sports bar as both a bar and a restaurant, but this isn't a blog about my experiences of being cramped into a small dance floor chest to chest with freshmen with fake ID's and the middle aged men trying to pick them up.

(minus two other wontons, we were pretty hungry)

It felt like a slow start for the basement sports bar, which is why it perplexed me that it took us so long to place our orders. Another initial disappointment was the signature margarita. For $8 (guess they have to make money somehow) it was small, watery and weak. When Sara considers a drink weak, I question even the presence of alcohol. Once we finally received our food, we started with the crab wontons. It's crab, it's creamy, it's fried; a decent way to start our meal. I am a fan of the sesame ginger dipping sauce.

Sara enjoyed her entrée of the Chicken Taco Salad. The chili-lime vinaigrette was very full of citrus but I didn't get any burn of chili. The shell was nice and crispy and the lettuce was fresh. I couldn't give too much of an opinion on the dish since I only took a couple bites here and there.

I was excited to try the Blue Devil burger. Fried jalapeños has become my new favorite burger topping. However, I was faced with disappointment from the moment the plate came out. I decided get a half order of onion rings with my meal. Placing the dish at the empty table behind us, the waitress dropped an onion ring. As she delivered our dinner in front of us, she asked if there was anything else we needed, without any mention of the fallen onion ring. Looking at her and back at the forgotten ring, I begrudgingly said we were fine. Now don't think there was much she could do for me, unless there were some extra rings in the kitchen. But the absence of an apology for wasting .60 cent of my money really irked me. Say sorry, or if you want to go above and beyond offer a way to make it up, don't just hope I didn't notice. The onion rings themselves were good but the burger offered further dissatisfaction. Though they were able to get a nice medium cook on the burger, the toppings were nothing but a faint bump in the radar on my taste buds.

We also shared a side order of mac and cheese. We both enjoyed it, but I am more of a casserole mac and cheese guy, so I never really get to excited about stove top mac and cheese.

I think Hi5's food is better served late night and even further enhanced after a couple drinks. An evening out with the wife? Probably better served elsewhere on Glenwood.

Hi5 Sports Restaurant and Bar

510 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27603(919) 834-4335 ‎hi5raleigh.com

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Escazu Artisan Chocolates

2011-02-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

In the meager existence of this blog I've never commented on my profound love for sweets. Dessert comes second only to my favorite meal of the day, breakfast. I even was once on a crusade to find the best cookie in Raleigh (and still am if people would give me some solid suggestions). So in the epilogue of my Valentine's Day with my wife, we decided to go to Escazu. I was first introduced to Ezcazu's deliciousness when their store front was located on Glenwood South. I was actually hoping for a bakery, someplace I could enjoy a freshly baked cookie (which Escazu eventually did have and it was amazing) or a cupcake. But I stood in front of a collection of truffles. Unsure about spending two dollars on a single piece of chocolate, I reluctantly picked one. And in that one bite you understood the price and the artistry of their product.

I love the current love affair that America has with bacon. This love affair had led me to try various bacon confections, from cupcakes to an octagon cake that Sara made for me.

Chocolate , Reese's, and bacon cake.

That's why when we visited Ecazu that night and saw the rosemary, bacon, and sea salt truffle, I had no other choice other than to try it. The moment I bit into the bite-sized treat it exploded with the rosemary. A couple chews later you begin to get the saltiness of the bacon and sea salt, finished with the smoothness and sweetness of the chocolate.

The real reason I suggested to Sara that we visit Escazu was because they updated their Facebook (glory of social media) about their Pistachio Bar. While I am not the biggest pistachio fan, Sara is quite fond of them. As she was with the bar.

I really don't think you can go wrong with Escazu. It might not be that dollar kit-kat bar but dammit, thank goodness its not.

Escazu Artisan Chocolates
936 North Blount St.
Raleigh, NC 27604
(919) 832-3433
‎ escazuchocolates.com

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518 West

2011-02-15T04:50:00.000-08:00

As the finale of our first Valentine's Day together as husband and wife, I decided to take my wonderful wife Sara to 518 West. We've been there a few times but never visited the place frequently. This is due to the fact that I've never been impressed by a meal there. Yet, it being a favorite of Sara's and my hopeless romanticism, I figured I could bare another meal at 518 West.

I'm not saying that I strongly dislike the food, or for that matter, that I plain dislike the food. It's just that the flavors, smells, and culinary excitement I get from going to other restaurants I've never experienced while dining at 518 West. I really appreciate the freshly made pasta. The taste is definitely noticeable but for some reason it just hasn't ever been enough to motivate me to go back. With all that said, we had a pretty decent meal on our Valentine's Day.

We began the night with the Wood Grilled Shrimp. If you wrap anything in pork I am typically happy. If that thing you wrapped is shellfish, the plate is probably already gone. Nice sized shrimp with the bit of char and flavor from wood grilling, with the saltiness of the prosciutto and the kick of citrus from the lemon made this dish my favorite of the night. The tomato and sauteed spinach were nicely seasoned and were a pleasant addition to the dish.

While discussing what we would have for dinner, Sara confidently landed on the Shrimp Risotto. I, however, jumped around the menu unsure of what I really wanted. I started a long dialogue about how I felt like I should order pasta at 518 West since they make it in house. Apparently my babbling was convincing enough to have her lose confidence in her choice and start selecting from the pasta menu. After much indecision she finally settled with the Mediterranean Primavera. A decent dish full of feta, which is always a plus.

Sara's indecisiveness left me scrambling to figure out what I was going to order, as we have a policy that we do not order the same dish. So in risk of my uric acid levels, I decided to try the Mussels Pomodoro. Plates like this is what frustrates me about 518 West. The dish was unfortunately very bland. The pasta in itself was good, I liked the mussels but I couldn't taste any of the sauce and I had to dose the dish with lemon, squeezing with all my might every last drop of juice.

There are a lot of people who rave about 518 West. My wife being one of them. So it doesn't bother me that I am not one of those people.

518 West Italian Cafe
518 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC
27603 (919) 829-2518 ‎
518west.com

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Tom Yum Thai

2011-02-06T12:59:00.001-08:00

Previously I mentioned how I'm in constant search for Thai food satisfaction around the Triangle area. With my quest and my wife's craving for southeast Asian food we found ourselves at Tom Yum Thai for dinner. I've always been curious about Tom Yum Thai. It sits in a plaza across from Galaxy Theater by Cary Towne Center. The plaza itself has always appeared dormant with no appearance of activity in the stores or restaurants. The building looked like a renovated Jersey's Mike or Subway, which for some reason made me hesitant to try the place. But the allure of a Thai restaurant had me curious to try it.

Arriving at the restaurant we were seated and served by someone who I assumed was the owner. He was extremely personable, interested in our Thai food experience and how we found the restaurant. We enjoyed his company as our waiter as he was suggesting dishes and making conversation. The meal began with Kanom Jeeb, which are Thai style dumplings. The dumplings, along with the rest of the food, came out quickly and served hot. The owner, as he did for many of the dishes, was proud to inform us that the dumplings were made in house and not frozen like other restaurants. The dumplings were flavorful and fresh but not the best dumplings in Raleigh (David's Noodle and Dumpling bar comes to mind).

I ordered an entrée of the Thai Spicy Basil stir-fry with chicken. Tom Yum's spiciness scale ranges from mild to hot to Thai hot. Not wanting to be embarrassed by perspiration and watery eyes but still wanting a decent burn I figured hot would be that happy medium. While I could see how it would be an acceptable amount of heat for normal palate, I was left craving for a little more hurt. I enjoyed the dish, just nothing overwhelmingly unique about the dish. A nice satisfying stir-fry.

The true show stopper was the Duck Basil. Sara and I are both duck fans and we typically gravitate towards duck dishes at any restaurant we visit. This dish came highly touted from the owner and it certainly didn't disappoint. The owner, beaming with pride, described the painstaking process of how the duck is cooked. Raw, boiled, cleaned, filleted, coated and fried. When you bit into the bird you got the delightful crunch then an engulfing taste of garlic and spice. I will came back to Tom Yum just to have this dish again.

Sara found the pyramid of rice very cute.

So in the end was my quest for Thai food quenched? Well, as the owner put it to us as we were departing, "Now you know where there is good Thai food in North Carolina."

Tom Yum Thai
685 Cary Towne Boulevard, Cary, NC 27511
(919) 463-5523
‎ tomyumthaicary.com

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Following through

2011-01-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Somehow Google has been leading a few folks to this humble little site. It's pretty amusing to me to tell you the truth. I began to consider myself the Homer Simpson of foodies as I was starting to find redeeming qualities about every restaurant I visited. Along with becoming more reserved with my culinary options I started to have even more culinary experiences outside of the location of Raleigh.

Bobby Flay's Steakhouse - Atlantic City

Aventura Spa Palace - Mexico

I also started toying with the idea to expand the scope of the blog and start introducing some of my own food victories. I'd say I'm a pretty modest cook, but every now and then I have the ability to surprise myself. Especially when it comes to culturally diverse dishes.

Cheese and Potato Pierogies (Better than I hoped)

Sisig (Not as good as I hoped)

But despite the revamped ideas and good intentions, the blog has remained blank until now. So yet again I promise renewed dedication to the blog. Hopefully this time it will not be empty promises, as there is still a whole city to eat.

Far East Pho - Raleigh, NC

Coming back.....

2009-09-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

I will come back soon! Been doing traveling, got engaged, had a momentary lapse of not wanting to write. But there are new restaurants that I need to try and my culinary opinion to be given!

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe

2009-01-08T05:23:00.001-08:00

I'll admit when I first saw that there was going to be yet another sports bar opening in Glenwood South I was a bit disappointed. I felt that the construction of the new 222 Glenwood complex would open up a great opportunity to add something fun and exciting that downtown Raleigh hasn't seen before. Maybe a nice little bookstore or a really ethnic restaurant. But as disappointed as I was, reading the Tobacco Road's blog did give me some hope for the place. They appeared to have a real focus on the food they were putting out, providing excellent service, and making sure it had a local flair. Suddenly my pessimism turned into excitement.

A couple of nights ago me and Sara were hoping to pick up a pizza from Lilly's but unfortunately they never picked up their phone. So I took the welcomed opportunity to give the place a try. First thing I would like to mention is that my favorite part of the menu was that they have seasonal brews from Big Boss and Triangle Brewing on tap.

Without even realizing it, we had a completely vegetarian meal. Which is always a plus for those vegetarians that have a lack of choices around the Triangle. We started the meal with their Guacamole. I am not a huge guac eater, I really have nothing against it but I never found it necessary to be charge the extra .25 cent or so restaurants typically charge to add it to a dish. Out of the limited amount of guacamole I have had this was top quality. Freshly made with big chucks of avocados, it was quite a treat. The chips weren't anything super special but tasty nonetheless.

Now I don't get the idea about a tomato sandwich. Bread, slices of tomatoes, mayo, pepper..... don't find the appeal at all, but I imagine if I ever had a craving for one, Tobacco Road's would be the one I want. Local NC Tomatoes were a nice touch and the bread was really good. The sweet potato fries however left much more to be desired. They tasted a bit charred and they didn't have any really crispiness. Definitely a second rate fry compared to the ones I can get at NoFo.

The most impressive thing I had there was my entree. The jumbo black eyed peas cakes were a complete surprise. The green salad was tasty enough, very tart due to the citrus that they dress it with but the black eyed pea cakes were one of the best vegetarian dishes I've had in a while. They were full of flavor and actually pretty..... meaty, I guess you would say. It was a very impressive dish.

The place has tons of potential and I only hope that the Glenwood crowd embraces its new addition.

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Tobacco Road Sports Cafe

http://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/

222 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27603

919-832-3688

Cooper's BBQ

2009-01-07T05:05:00.000-08:00

When I first moved up to North Carolina from Florida, I did not have any idea what Eastern Carolina barbecue was. Cast away in Florida's abundance of mass produced chain restaurant food, the only barbecue I knew was Sonny's all-you-can-eat sliced pork. I remember the first encounter I had with true Eastern Carolina BBQ was at Campbell's new student orientation 6 years ago. After piling on the pork, I reached for the sauce only to find an awkward liquid substance inside the bottle. I was searching for the familiar thick ketchup based sauce, you know KC Masterpiece or Bullseye. Reluctantly I poured the vinger base sauce on my pork, thus starting my journey into what true barbecue was.

Fast forward to the present and I am always on the constant search for high quality Eastern NC BBQ. I've heard the local legend of Cooper's for a while now. The fact that I never seem to have cash on me has always detoured me from giving the place a try. But finally in a post holiday eating spree, I made my way over to Cooper's.

The chopped BBQ was pretty good. But in just a meat comparison I must say it doesn't stack up against what I've had at The Pit. I really enjoyed the collar greens I had and along with hushpuppies they served pork rinds, and what self respecting Filipino doesn't enjoy a great pork rind!

I guess Cooper's was hyped way to much because in the end of the day it was just really decent barbecue. Nothing overall spectacular but it was a welcomed trip to my BBQ journeys.

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Cooper's BBQ & Catering

www.clydecooperbbq.com

109 E Davie St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 832-7614

The Roast Grill

2009-01-07T04:27:00.001-08:00

Let me quite simply start this entry off with the fact that I know a good hot dog. I've been around the country and tried dogs all over. The original Nathan in Coney Island, Chicago dogs, LA dogs, New York City street vendor dogs, and even here locally in the Triangle I've had dogs from the State Fair, Cloo's Coney Island, Snoopy's, Cook Out, etc.... all tasty hot dogs in their own right, but in the end of the day, the Roast Grill is my favorite hot dog.

Its easy to look right past Roast Grill. Its better know for their "Hot Weiners" sign that is conveniently located across the gay bar Flex. The place is extremely tiny, only enough space to fit about 12 people. Roast Grill only serves one thing but serves it right. Their are so confident in the taste of their dog that the only condiments that one is allow to order is homemade chili, yellow mustard, onions, and homemade slaw. That's it, they offer no ketchup or fries or chips. Just dogs and glass bottles of Coke. And honestly, there is not need for anything else.

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Roast Grill
www.roastgrill.com
7 S West St
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 832-8292

Thaiphoon Bistro

2008-09-29T06:52:00.000-07:00

Living in Florida, where I spent my teenage years, I became tremendously fond of Thai food. There is this amazing little place by my mom's house (Thai Basil in Clearwater) that had the tastiest pad thai noodles. Then affection for the culture and cuisine grew during my travels to Thailand.
So when I migrated to the Triangle, I went on a search to find a restaurant that could satisfy my cravings for Thai cuisine. I've been to Chai's in Durham, Five Star in the Warehouse District, and a couple of other places around the area, while their food was good, it didn't curb my appetite for Thai food. When I heard that Thaiphoon Bistro was going to open in the space that was formerly Cody's, it sparked a bit of hope.

But alas, in the end I was met with the same disappointment. After being talked out of getting the Pad Thai by the waitress, I went with the curry. While it was good in flavor, it still lack in satifiting my craving for Thai food. My friend Jenny was also underwhelmed with her dish, but I didn't think it was too bad as I had it for lunch the following Monday.

I wish the location success through, the decor was interesting. Full with sleek modern styled chairs and plates stolen straight from Kitchen Stadium. I am sure it will be able to please many of the eaters out there, but as for I, I remain in the search for complete Thai satisfaction.

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Thaiphoon Bistro
http://www.thaiphoonbistro.com/

201 Glenwood Ave
Suite #190
(919) 720-4034

The Big Easy

2008-09-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

Lately it seems like I've been spending an increasing amount of time on Fayetteville street. Whether it's been to go to Raleigh Times, heading over to Downtown Live, or more recently Raleigh Wide Open, Fayetteville street has been having a way to attract me. As I would walk down the sidewalk admiring things like the RBC Building, one restaurant would always catch my eye. There was nothing extraordinarily special about The Big Easy at first glance. Yet something about the space made me want to eat there. When me and Sara finally scheduled a date to go there, I was looking forward to it all week.

I admit that I have a limited experience with Cajun or Creole food. Other than having some generic jambalaya at Red Lobsters or some gumbo out of a can, I've never tried authentic Creole food.

The best part of the meal, other than the live sax player, would be the Louisiana Pretzel. Typically I am not a fan of an overload of crab, but in this dish it worked perfectly with the pretzel.

Both me and Sara enjoyed our entrees, as I was treated to a dish called The Taste of Louisiana, which was a sampler of Red Beans and Rice, Jambalaya, Gumbo and Fried gator while Sara settled with a whole bowl of Gumbo. Not only were they tasty at the restaurant but the gumbo reheated pretty well for lunch the following Monday at work.

I am sure that it was not the exact same amazing flavors that you get when you find yourself in the heart of the Bayou but I enjoyed the experience and look forward to eat there again.

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The Big Easy
www.thebigeasync.com

222 Fayetteville St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 832-6082

Welcome!

2008-07-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is Eat Raleigh, my little corner of the internet where I can post some of the most delicious and satisfying food in Raleigh and surrounding areas.

Searching the internet one day I came to the conclusion that Raleigh, while having an abundance of excellent food, has a lack of food blogs. Well actually, there are no food blogs about Raleigh. I figured that I could change that.

But what qualifications do I have to be the provider of culinary information to the general public? None. I have no outstanding culinary qualifications, nor do I have outstanding journalistic skill. I am just a regular guy who watches way to much Food Network, really loves food and culinary adventure.

I love getting to know a city, a culture, a person, a passion through food.

Welcome to Eat Raleigh!

- Elliot

eatRaleigh - Triangle Food blog

Luchadoras 2

Triangle Restaurant Week Kick-Off Party

David's Dumpling and Noodle Bar

Jibarra - Brunch

Happy New Year

RBC Center - Carolina Hurricanes

Chuck's

Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar

Fleming's Steakhouse Giveaway Winner!

Fat Daddy's

Giveaway - Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

State Farmer's Market Restaurant

Poole's Diner - Dinner with Top Chefs

Giveaway: Southern Ideal Home Show Tickets, Sept. 23 - 25

Klara's

Milton's Pizza & Pasta - Lunch Buffet

Tasu Asian Bistro

Galaxy Cinema

J.Betski's

Boylan Bridge Brewpub

Hope Cafe - The Vespers Concert

bu•ku - Brunch Buffet

Artsplosure

Market Restaurant - Love Wins Ministries fundraiser

Remedy Diner

Marmalade Skies Frozen Yogurt

Ruben's Downtown

Food Truck Rodeo - Rebus Works

PieBird

Big Boss Brewery - "Who's Your Paddy?"

Sunni Sky's Homemade Ice Cream

Shorties' Out of Sight Cafe - Filipino Food Fest

Hi 5 Sports Restaurant & Bar - CLOSED

Escazu Artisan Chocolates

518 West

Tom Yum Thai

Following through

Coming back.....

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe

Cooper's BBQ

Cooper's BBQ & Catering

The Roast Grill

Roast Grillwww.roastgrill.com7 S West StRaleigh, NC 27603(919) 832-8292

Thaiphoon Bistro

The Big Easy

Welcome!

Roast Grill
www.roastgrill.com
7 S West St
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 832-8292