JosephP's Profile
Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill
this is a great review! Frankly, I was looking for a write up that I'd submitted for the restaurant and began reading yours thinking it was mine. Well done.
Durham, NC Nice dinner with older kids
Try Watts Grocery. One of the best restaurants in the area, yet has a casual and low key vibe. Piedmont is also good. The best restaurant in the area (by almost all accounts) is Magnolia Grill. Great for an anniversary dinner. Most nights you can find some pretty tame things on the menu but its a little more adventurous than the others.
Wilmington Suggestions
Was just in Wilmington this past weekend and had some really good meals. Stayed in a loft above Deluxe and really enjoyed that. Upscale, but casual and good food and drinks. Around the corner was Circa 1922. Tapas style, but pretty interesting and a really good bar scene on the weekends. Caffe Phoenix is down the street and is a nice and casual lunch spot with decent sandwiches, salads, etc. Had breakfast at Dixie Grill and it was excellent. Probably the most casual of all the places we ate and potentially the best food. Just good comfort food at a good price.
It was my first time in town and I was really pleased with the selection. Some of the beach places and some of the other touristy spots were really disappointing but the places I mentioned above were pretty solid. Enjoy!
Triangle CSA's
we couldn't get into the produce portion of Harlands-creek, but they partner with Fickle Creek farms and Chapel Hill creamery to provide meat, cheese and eggs. We have loved all that we have gotten in the past few weeks. Got an organic chicken this week that was absolutely delicious. The cheese is outstanding. We are hoping to get into Harlands-Creek if someone drops out mid-year. We arranged all of this through the Durham farmer's market and it has been great. We pick up from the market on a weekly basis. It gives us a chance to get all sorts of produce and pick from our favorites so it has worked out pretty well.
Kandas - Morrisville, NC - Great Indian Food
I live near both Kandas and Saffron and am glad to have so many great Indian places nearby. If you haven't tried Saffron, check it out. In my humble opinion it is the best Indian restaurant in the Triangle (I'm a NY foodie who also happened to own an Indian restaurant so I have some point of reference:) ). I too worry about Kandas. My wife and I went there for lunch on Saturday when you would think people would be taking advantage of the buffet and there were just a couple of other tables. I hope they do well, but I just don't see them getting the volume they need. Hopefully the runoff from Neomonde will help. Thanks for the review. I hadn't tried the dishes you mentioned but will definitely have them now!
Fantastic Experience at Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill
I thought I would post a note about my recent dinner at Bonne Soiree. I'm sure it doesn't need much more press after the Bon Appetit article, but I thought I would do it in appreciation of a fine experience. Being an international foodie, I'm always on the lookout for a total dining experience in the Triangle. There are some great restaurants, but so often they miss on one or more of the many aspects that take a restaurant from good to great.
My wife and I read about Bonne Soiree and decided to give it a shot. We are glad we did. The chef's execution of dishes was flawless. Everything was exactly as it should have been. Textbook in every sense. My lamb was done flawlessly, the vegetables were tender and crisp at the same time. We did the wine pairing and each offering perfectly complemented our dishes. On top of the food, the service was also outstanding. Helpful and insightful, without being overbearing. The knowledge of the dishes, food sourcing and wine was terrific.
We left there feeling very pleased with the entirety of the experience. Sure, it wasn't cheap but I don't think this is the kind of place you go to every night for take out. It was well worth the expense and certainly wasn't out of line pricewise with any other nice establishment in the area. The wine pairing was actually a fantastic deal.
All in all, a great time. I highly recommend it for a special night out.
RTP: Saffron
Glad to hear such great reviews of Saffron. My wife and I lived around the corner and have been there many times. We absolutely love it. As a former owner of an Indian food restaurant and a person who frequented the chef's former haunt in NY, I humbly agree that Saffron is the best Indian food in the area. I haven't been to every place, but I've been to most and the consistent quality and inventiveness of the food is wonderful. Azithra is very good and a lovely space, but I think the consistent quality of the food is better at Saffron. Just my opinion...
