ToothTooth's Profile
L'Uva in Durham Now Open
The lady and I went to try the new brunch service at L'Uva this past Sunday and were pretty pleased overall. The brunch menu is a mashup of their lunch and dinner offerings but they really seem to be promoting their $5.00 antipasto brunch plates. For $5.00, you get three choices from a modest selection of meats, cheeses, veggies, etc.
We each got an antipasto plate plus a strawberry spinach salad and a cup of tasty tomato gazpacho. The antipasto plates were very generous portions for the price and we decided that we could have easily done without our additional orders of salad and gazpacho. Everything was very good with exception of the frittata that was part of my antipasto plate. That frittata was outrageously salty to the point of being inedible. I think someone must have spilled the salt box in that batch.
Anyway, the weather was pleasantly cool and we enjoyed our brunch on the patio whilst sipping sangaria. Bonus: Sangaria carafes are half price on Sundays.
Last Dinner at Magnolia Grill
After waiting in line for a while early this past Friday evening, I lucked into a table for two. Excellent meal. Had many of the things already mentioned in this thread. Grits souffle, sprint salad, grilled pork chop, grouper. All of them utterly delicious.
I always ruin dried chickpeas - any tips?
Last night, I made this Greek chickpea recipe (BAKED REVITHIA) that I saw on a PBS cooking show recently:
http://thecookingodyssey.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64%3Atraditional-baked-revithia-chickpeas&catid=35&Itemid=55
Since I was using dried chickpeas, I followed the recipe exactly and soaked them overnight in water with 1/2 cup of baking soda. The soaked chickpeas were then drained and rinsed and added to the tomato sauce that is part of the recipe. Everything was going fine until 45 minutes later when I pulled the final product out of the oven and found that the tomatoes had turned an unpleasant dark reddish brown color and the chickpeas had also turned a weird dark brown color. The taste of this dish was definitely strange. Almost no tomato taste remained and the chickpeas seemed overly mushy. I was using a stainless steel cooking vessel so it wasn't an aluminum/acid reaction that caused this.
I blame the soaking method for ruining this dish. After reading this thread and other posts on the internet, it seems that one half cup of baking soda added to one pound of dried chickpeas is way too much.
Anyone have any ideas why this would cause the dish to fail? Seems to me that PBS has a broken recipe on their hands.
ISO good traditional Italian near Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington NC
Terrazzo Trattoria would be really close to where you're staying and they have stuffed shells.
http://www.terrazzotrattoria.com/Terrazzo_Menu.pdf
http://www.terrazzotrattoria.com/
Chapel Hill: new Vietnamese/Thai
Speaking of Bánh mì in Chapel Hill, lets not forget that Lime & Basil makes an EXCELLENT one ($5.00 each) although its only available for take out.
Real Butchers in RTP area???
King's Red & White supermarket in Durham is always voted as one of the best butchers in the Triangle in the Independent's "Best of the Triangle" poll. More discussion about triangle butchers and King's Red & White here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/500203
Another Broken Egg Cafe in Cary (maybe Durham). Anyone tried?
Is a chain. Haven't been. One location recently opened in Durham and one is "coming soon" to Morrisville. None in Cary.
Durham:
2608 Erwin Road, Suite 120
Durham, North Carolina 27705
Morrisville:
Park West Village
1121 Market Center Drive
Morrisville, North Carolina 27560
Sunday night dinner in Chapel Hill
The last two times I've been to Tonali I didn't have any problems with service, although I have definitely had some problems in the past.
Its funny you mention the issue you had with brunch because I ran into something very similar, but with a different result. Just a few weeks ago, our party of four arrived at Tonali for brunch around 11:00am and we waited outside until the doors were opened. When we went inside, we were informed that brunch didn't begin for another 30 minutes but the owner told us he could accommodate us anyway. We were seated promptly and the owner took our order shortly after. He really went out of his way to take care of us. We had a very pleasant and tasty brunch.
At a recent dinner with my wife, we had very friendly and attentive service. Based on my recent experiences, I'd say they've really focused on ironing out the service problems they've had in the past.
Sunday night dinner in Chapel Hill
I've only been to Piedmont once since the change in ownership and that was just a few months ago. The quality is very high but the portions have gotten considerably smaller and a bit more expensive. As an example, I ordered an appetizer plate I shared with my wife that was described as being "complimented with a small celery leaf salad". That "salad" was literally six small celery leaves on the plate. I just had to laugh, it looked to be more of a garnish and certainly didn't warrant being mentioned in the appetizer description.
That quibble aside, the steak I ordered was also quite small but very tasty, cooked perfectly and probably about the correct portion size for a human being. Overall, we enjoyed our meal. I should also mention they have a very interesting drink menu at the bar too.
Sunday night dinner in Chapel Hill
Tonali is most definitely still open. I drive by it frequently since its very close to my house. I had brunch there recently and had a nice dinner there just a few weeks ago. Its really an overlooked gem of a restaurant and gets almost zero love here on the CH board.
http://www.tonalirestaurant.com/index.html
They serve high quality food using farmer's market ingredients. Fresh juices in their margaritas and sangarias, etc. The ambiance at Tonali isn't going to compete with some of the other high quality restaurants in the area, but its cozy and comfortable there. Nanataco really shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Tonali. Tonali is on a much higher level.
Anywho, Tonali is closed on Sunday so mark it off your list. I'd endorse Vin Rouge or G2B as solid Sunday supper choices.
Oh, and speaking of "Sunday Supper", I just remembered that Piedmont in Durham does a sunday supper each evening that allows you to choose a few dishes that are larger portions and then served family style. I haven't tried their Sunday supper since I don't tend to eat substantial dinners on Sunday evenings, but it seems like it would make for a fun evening. The Sunday Supper menus are different each week and usually posted only to their FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Piedmont/141127116730
http://piedmontrestaurant.com/
Meat sandwiches for lunch in downtown Charleston?
On their printed bunch menu, it was listed as "Redneck Ramen", but if you look at their brunch menu online, its listed as "Pork and Hominy Stew" and described thusly:
"Smoked Pork Broth, Fresh Hominy, Greens, ‘Burnt Ends'. Add a Sea Island Farm Egg ~ $2".
Of course, I opted to add the egg to our bowl. It was pretty awesome. Smoky, porky and corny.
Meat sandwiches for lunch in downtown Charleston?
I spent a long Easter weekend in Charleston this past weekend and had the softshell craby sandwich at Grocery for brunch on Saturday. Good stuff! My wife had the shrimp and grits and we shared a bowl of "red neck ramen" which was seriously tasty stuff.
Carrboro - Meltdown foodtruck sighting
Personally, I think this is the best food truck aggregator in the Triangle area:
http://bullcityfoodtrucks.com/
Carrboro - Meltdown foodtruck sighting
Its a grilled cheese truck. I had a mexi-melt from their truck this past Saturday when I was out at the Brickside Festival in Durham. Various mixed spicy peppers, onions and messy delicious cheese. Good stuff but I'd give the edge to Will & Pop's in terms of grilled cheese creativity.
Cheapest place for debuyer carbon steel fry pans?
Pretty cheap here:
http://www.bakedeco.com/dept.asp?id=602
Fresh tortillas in Durham
I know for certain that Salamandra in Durham is using fresh ground masa to make their tortillas. Their tortillas are a little thicker and a little more yellow in color than what you might be used to, but they're really good.
Also, a recent issue of the Indy had a story about Tonali and the article mentioned the owners making their own masa in house.
http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/at-tonali-the-secret-of-fish-taco-success-is-in-the-tortilla/Content?oid=2885136
Old North State BBQ food truck in Durham NC
I like this truck pretty well myself. It always hangs out at Fullsteam on Sunday evenings during "Olde Timey Funday". I met the owners once and they seem to be really great people. Definitely serving some good food.
On a related note, I had the chance to try the Chick-N-Que truck a few weeks back. They served me one of my favorite bbq sammiches eva!
http://www.chicknque.com/
Gluten Free Food Trucks in Durham
I know Chirba Chirba was trying to develop a GF dumpling but, to my knowledge, it hasn't been made available on the truck yet. Depending on what day it is, Local In Motion usually has a few GF offerings. Your mileage may vary depending on the severity of your gluten sensitivity.
On an unrelated note, why aren't any of the Hispanic taco trucks ever at these rodeos?
New Restaurant in North Hills (Raleigh) - The Yard House
This thread is hilarious!!! Gimme some more!!!!
The Clay Pit-- Durham, NC
The Clay Pit went out of business long ago. The Treehouse Cafe now operates in that location.
B.B.Q near Raleigh
Not sure if this is important to the OP or not, but Danny's isn't NC style bbq either. Its "Florida style" whatever that means.
B.B.Q near Raleigh
I've only had their pork bbq but I must say that Smokey's pork bbq is, indeed, tasteless in its own non-NC style and a waste of time.
Allen & Sons can't be beat in the Triangle area, but a little closer to the airport is a VERY GOOD second choice: Backyard BBQ Pit.
http://www.sweetribs.com/backyard-bbq-durham-nc-story.html
Non-stick alternative Pan for Omelette and Searing Fish
Just get a carbon steel crepe pan for omelets and a carbon steel skillet for fish and you'll never need to buy another pan for these purposes. There is a good discussion about carbon steel pans here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/696019
I'm a somewhat recent convert to carbon steel, but I highly recommend it. I regularly use my De Buyer carbon steel crepe pan to make perfect omelets and various other egg dishes. Only requires preheating the pan and using little butter to ensure that nothing ever sticks. Boo-yah!
Authentic szechwan option in Durham
I've eaten at Happy China twice recently and I've enjoyed it both times. I've had the fish in Szechwan sauce and the dry sauteed green beans. For such a simple dish, the green beans are outrageously good - lightly charred and tossed in a spicy sauce. I could eat a whole lot of that dish. The fish in Szechwan sauce had a pleasant spice and made for a nice warming dish on a chilly winter evening. I'm looking forward to working my way through the rest of the menu. It seems like they're doing good business so hopefully they'll be successful in that location.
Gluten and dairy free restaurant recommendations in Chapel Hill area?
I wanted to update this post to note that Bull Street Market cafe in Durham and Sandwhich in Chapel Hill both have a gluten-free bread option for all of their sandwich offerings.
http://bullstreetgourmetandmarket.com/durham-nc/
http://www.sandwhich.biz/index.php
Chinatown in RTP?
Beyond the article that was in the N&O over the weekend, there's some information here:
http://chinatownncusa.com/
L'Uva in Durham Now Open
I ate there last Thursday night for the first time and had a really good meal. We sat outside on the heated patio since it was early in the evening and the weather was so mild. We ordered a couple of salads, one was a special that included prosciutto and house made mozzarella balls (really good), a bowl of a very tasty (butternut?) squash soup, and the pork osso buco (excellent). I'm looking forward to going back soon.
CholaNad - Chapel Hill, NC
I had dinner at CholaNad this past Friday night. I thought the atmosphere was very nice. The food was quite good but the portions seemed small for the quality and price. I regret to say that the service certainly wasn't up to par.
I usually appreciate service that is laid back and casual, but what we had was casual to the point of being sloppy. Although they were very friendly and accommodating, the two servers we had didn't recognize the names of items we ordered from the menu, couldn't answer questions about entree ingredients or preparation methods and, lastly, started clearing our table before asking if we were finished eating. Then, when they finally did clear our table they accidentally swiped a curry laden spoon across my jacket and tried to pretend they didn't notice that this had occurred.
I'll write this experience off to growing pains of a new restaurant, and I'll certainly go back again, but I hope others are getting better service that what we had.
I did think it was a nice touch for the chef to walk around the dining room to chat with his dinner guests.
Chapel Hill finally approves food trucks
I don't use Twitter out of principal, but I have added a few food truck twitter feeds to my google reader. I suppose you could do the same with whatever news reader you choose to use.
Also, there's another twitter feed aggregator for local food trucks:
http://bullcityfoodtrucks.com/
