klmonline's Profile
If you could eat anywhere in West Virginia (WV)?
Great suggestion and just the kind of thing I'm looking for. Thanks for your help, Judybird!
raleigh nc - vino restaurant or other italian
Just tried Tuscan Blu last night. I'm sad to say I was disappointed. We started with a Caesar Salad that was goopy with a heavy dressing that had no lightness of fresh ingredients. My SO had a grilled salmon that was fine... very simple and unburdened with any disguising flavors or sauces. But served with some very wet and flavorless sauteed spinach. I had fiocchi di carne ("beggars purses" of pasta stuffed with a meat filling) in a marinara sauce. The pasta was al dente... no complaints there. But the meat filling was mushy and not well seasoned. And the marinara seemed like diced tomatoes in their juice just heated up a bit. No transformation or spices. And then the waitress brought around a big bowl of that fine-ground (powdered?) parmesan looking like Kraft green-can stuff. It just didn't feel like a quality Italian restaurant meal. Oh, and stay away from their house Chianti by the glass!
Fire Pit BBQ, Wake Forest - First Impressions
Thanks for that, CD. Apparently the search functionality doesn't find phrases with different spacing. I put a linkback to my impressions over on that thread as well. I hate jamming up the boards with duplicate subjects. Sorry.
Wake Forest, NC BBQ tour
Oops... I had searched for "Fire Pit" but not "Firepit" so I missed this thread and started a new topic instead. Sorry. Here's my write up of a trip to the new kid on the block: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/847959#7323579
Fire Pit BBQ, Wake Forest - First Impressions
Thanks to a brief mention in the News & Observer, we decided to try out the new Fire Pit BBQ (http://www.firepitnc.com/) in Wake Forest today. They claim to use only oak and hickory wood smoking... No gas allowed. I was pleased to see that they are open on Sundays, giving us barbeque fans a 7th day option for getting our pork on.
Factual stuff first... This is a relatively small restaurant in a shopping center in an outlying part of Wake Forest. There are around 10-15 tables (depending on how many have been pulled together for larger groups), plus 10-12 stools at a long wooden bar. You look at the menu on a big chalkboard at the front, order and pay at a register, then sit down and wait for your name to be called. Bare wood tabletops. Pick up some silverware wrapped in a napkin. There are about six fountain sodas, sweet & unsweet iced tea, and bottled beer.
You can look at the full menu online, so I won't bother to go through the offerings. Even though they had a good crowd this afternoon, our food was ready very quickly. Portions are large. We felt we could have easily shared a two-meat platter. Beware... They list hush puppies as an option for a side, but when I ordered them, she didn't bother to tell me that you get a few hush puppies and a roll automatically with the platters. So I was rolling in carbs and would have preferred to try a different side if I had known.
I truly believe there are no absolutes in the world of barbeque. So all impressions and opinions stated from here on out are mine and mine alone. They reflect my personal prejudices and preferences and probably won't match yours.
We tried the St. Louis style ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. Sides included the Lexington-style red slaw, collard/mustard greens, and corn pudding (as well as an abundance of the aforementioned hush puppies, which were light and airy, but missing some seasonings to make them more interesting).
The slaw was swimming in vinegar. Far too much liquid for my taste. The vinegar covered every other possible tasting note. The greens seemed very real and home-cooked. Slightly bitter, as those greens typically are. The corn pudding was very moist, with lots of corn kernels. But it was so sweet I felt it worked better as a dessert than a side. They need to cut the sugar a bit.
The ribs are cooked with a dry rub coating the outside to form a crispy dark bark. It features a good amount of pepper, but is not "mouth on fire" hot. The meat was tender and came off the bone easily. It had the telltale pinkness from wood smoking that it should have. They were perfectly acceptable, but not quite up to the greatness of the best of that style that you can get through the central part of our country. Pretty good for North Carolina however.
The brisket was moist and tender, with just a touch of fat left at the tips, but otherwise lean. It was cooked gray throughout. I felt it was very bland tasting... no discernible flavor notes to comment on. It cried out for a sauce, but the only sauces available are NC style vinegar sauces, which I don't like to use with brisket. I felt that both the ribs and the brisket should at least have the option of a thick "sweet 'n tangy" red sauce (Midwest/Texas style) for those of us who want to goop 'em up that way. However I realize that this is considered heresy in many parts of NC.
The pulled pork was unquestionably the standout for me. Thick, big pieces of pork easily identifiable as pulled from a slow-cooked hog. Just like going to a pig pickin'. Thoroughly juicy, tender, and melt-in-your mouth. Highest marks in my book.
I'll be interested to hear your takes on it to compare and contrast our preferences.
Blue Bell ice cream now in Raleigh/Cary
Sorry, blewgo. I was referring to Double Rainbow ice cream, mentioned in cervisiam's sidetrack post about Trade Joe's.
Affordable Raleigh Brunch?
I have enjoyed the all you can eat Sunday brunch at Cantina South on Glenwood. It's $15, so just a bit above your target price, but lots of options and an easy-going pleasant atmosphere.
Blue Bell ice cream now in Raleigh/Cary
Whoa! That is good to know! Time to rush over and get me some relabeled Double Rainbow. A San Francisco favorite (named for the rainbows painted on the twin tunnels going through the mountain on the far side of the Golden Gate Bridge). I used to absolutely love their white pistachio when I lived out there.
I haven't been able to bring myself to buy a big ol' tub of Blue Bell because of the ingredient list. It may taste great, but I didn't like the use of high fructose corn syrup and several multisyllabic chemical compounds. I went looking for an ingredients list online and found that they don't put any ingredient listings on their website, so I can't back this up with specifics. From a little Googling, it seems as though they used to be made with simpler ingredients and have added extras lately.
If you could eat anywhere in West Virginia (WV)?
Really appreciate that fast and informative reply, Hobbert! Absolutely the kind of help I was looking for. Many thanks.
If you could eat anywhere in West Virginia (WV)?
I am thinking about doing a driving loop through West Virginia just for random sightseeing and pleasure. I have zero knowledge of the state and its environs. Time to change that.
I have complete flexibility on destinations. My SO likes "quaint, charming towns" with interesting non-chain stores, so I plan to hit some of the "Main Street, USA" places on the West Virginia tourism site. That includes names such as Point Pleasant, Ripley, Philippi, Mannington, Fairmont, Morgantown, Kingwood, Martinsburg, and Ronceverte. Believe me when I say that none of those place names has any significance to me! :)
We also love good food of all types - regional specialties, fine dining, hole-in-the-wall, every ethnicity. As long as it tastes good.
So can you start a reply with "If you happen to be near <>, I suggest checking out..."
I may adjust my routing accordingly.
Thanks, West Virginians!
New soul food place in Cary?
My buddy and I went there for lunch yesterday (a Wednesday). It was quite the experience. The place serves “home cookin’ soul food.” Meatloaf, fried chicken, mac ‘n cheese, etc. It is located in the heart of Cary in the former site of Cindy's Restaurant, a short distance from Academy St.
We walked in at 12:05pm to an empty room. No décor on the walls. Some card tables with thin white plastic sheets and folding chairs. One big signboard up behind the counter. Three or four personnel who were very solicitous. I asked them what item they were particularly proud of. Two of them looked at me, nodded approvingly, and said “Our crab cakes.” I said “Great! I love good crab cakes. I’ll have that.” They shook their heads and said, “No, we don’t have crab cakes today.”
So I got the meatloaf. My buddy ordered fried chicken. Our waiter asked whether he wanted white or dark meat and took our order. Came back shortly to ask me whether I wanted ketchup or gravy on my meat. Disappeared for a while. Came back to ask my friend whether a thigh and leg would be all right. Disappeared for a while. Came back to say they were all out of thighs, so would he like two legs? My friend sighed and said, “Just bring me the meatloaf too.” Disappeared for a while. Came back to ask whether he wanted ketchup or gravy. Disappeared for a long while.
Eventually he returned, carrying two plastic plates in that classic three-compartment split design. I had two big slabs of meatloaf and my two sides. My friend had two sides and a big empty compartment. The waiter assured him that his meatloaf would be out soon.
I gave my friend some of my meatloaf so he could eat. His meatloaf showed up after a while.
Now we walked up to the counter to pay. The woman at the register asked if we wanted one bill or separate checks. I don’t know why, but I said separate checks. She carefully punched in one of the orders and said, “Okay, the FIRST one comes to $12.01” and then started punching numbers again with a concentrated look on her face. I said, “Okay, the SECOND one also comes to $12.01. We had exactly the same meals.” She thought about that and had to agree with my logic.
We each reached into our pockets and pulled out some bills. Placed them on the counter in two piles. The woman reared back in horror and exclaimed, “PLEASE! One at a time!”
My friend didn’t have a penny, so he asked me if I had change. I pulled out a dime and handed it to the lady. She carefully made change and handed it to my friend, who walked away to put a tip on the table. Then the woman handed me my change. Can you guess the next sentence?
Correct… She gave my friend $8.09 for his $20.10 and handed me $2.99 for my $15. I smiled sweetly, took the mass of metal and stuck it in my pocket.
I share all that just because it felt like a Monty Python sketch and I was laughing as I walked out.
Obviously they still have some smoothing to do on normal operations, but they were all extremely nice and seemed to honestly care that we were taken care of. On to the more important question - the food:
You order a main course and get a choice of two sides. I tried the fried okra and sweet potato casserole. The okra was just fine... Not soggy, but not quite as hot and fresh as it might have been. The sweet potatoes were as sweet as I expected and fully satisfying. My friend had the green beans, which were cooked long and limp in the traditional Southern style. His potato salad was very tasty and probably the best tasting side of the four we tried.
The meatloaf was a very large portion. It is cut in two thick slabs and seared on both sides for a very nice caramelized crusty crunch. There is good seasoning in it and it was moist without being soggy or greasy. The brown gravy was tasty. No complaints whatsoever.
You also get a big slab of cornbread which was very much to my taste. Moist, dense, and fresh. No kernels of corn, cheese, or vegetables mixed in, for those who look for such things. If you ask, they will bring you some butter pats.
I hope they get more business than I saw yesterday. They seem like nice people and the food is very obviously real, rather than carted in by a large food service delivery truck. I'll go back to try some of the other offerings (hopefully the crab cakes).
SF-Style Sourdough in Durham
Burgeoning,
Sourdoughs are actually extremely different from place to place. Differences in starters are huge, with several distinct major groupings. Old established bakeries (such as traditional ones in San Francisco, where the bread is a major part of the cultural heritage) can trace their starters back a hundred years or more.
Then there are differences in ingredients and baking processes, just as there are with any bread. It influences everything from the density and chewiness/flakiness of the bread to the thickness/darkness of the crust.
And environmental factors do seem to influence sourdough starters and their development because of the heavy dependence on the little critters in the mix.
I'm not saying that there is an objective "betterness" of one sourdough bread over another. Everybody has their own preferences and I acknowledge and celebrate them. I'm just saying that if you grew up in the San Francisco area with a certain profile of sourdough bread standing strong in your mind, you can easily tell the difference from all the other sourdoughs that are "not hard to come by."
I was simply trying to share this discovery (new to me) with others who might possibly share my background and be interested in the find. If you get interested enough in the subject to read further, Wikipedia has a long page on the subject with 42 reference citations. This simple bread does stir a passion in some folks! :)
SF-Style Sourdough in Durham
Haven't tried either. I'm not in Durham all that often, but maybe I'll have to do a special sourdough shopping trip for comparison purposes!
SF-Style Sourdough in Durham
We had brunch yesterday at Vin Rouge in Durham. They gave us a little tin bucket filled with sourdough bread slices. As a transplant from the San Francisco Bay Area, I didn't expect much... I've tried many sourdoughs at many places around the Triangle and none are "San Francisco style" - or taste.
But imagine my astonishment to see the proper thick crust, air pockets, and slightly chewy texture I had been missing, along with a good sourdough taste. I asked where they sourced their bread and my waiter said it came from Vita.
A quick GPS search, and in no time I was at Vita Cafe and Restaurant next to Parizade in Erwin Square Plaza on Main St.
30 seconds later I was walking out the door with a big loaf of sourdough for $4.
If I wanted to be a total snob and nitpicking jerk, I could say the crust was just a bit hard and thick, making for difficult slicing. And that the loft was just a bit low. But that would be silly, given that this is the only source I have found around here for a sourdough loaf with the qualities I remember from California. Recommended to those with a hankerin' for a bite of San Francisco.
Nueske's bacon at The Meat House Cary
I just found that The Meat House in Cary (Kildaire Farm Road) carries Nueske's bacon. Since THM is a franchise, other locations may or may not carry the same items.
Nueske's is a limited distribution upscale slab bacon. The butcher will slice it to your preferred thickness and weight. The Cary location had applewood and cherrywood smoked varieties. I know Nueske's also makes a peppered that wasn't represented at the store when I went in.
I had read about Nueske's on various internet sites as a much-loved treat for bacon afficionados. So I gulped hard and ponied up the $10.99/pound (WHAT??!?) for the cherrywood variety. My impressions were quite favorable. It's a very lean bacon with a ton of flavor. I thought the cherrywood was just a touch sweet for my taste, but it still left a very pleasant mouth taste. And the aroma filling the house was delightful.
This is quite a different experience than the $3.50/pound grocery store specials. If you are a baconholic you might want to try it as a special treat.
Just tried Cantina South's new Sunday brunch buffet (Raleigh)
I bought a recent Groupon to Sunday brunch at the new Cantina South restaurant in the Glenwood complex that holds Red Room, Draft, The Globe, etc. We went last weekend and it turned out to be their first day offering the brunch, so here are opening day impressions. [Background note... I used to be a tour director and ate more breakfast/brunch buffets than I care to think about. I generally hate them now and I tend to be overly critical, so take that into account!]
The brunch is offered from 11-2. I don't know why we can't get SOMEBODY in Raleigh to open earlier for people who want breakfast food at breakfast time! (Sorry, personal pet peeve.)
They serve alcoholic beverages after noon on Sunday. We tried a frozen margarita (apologies to purists... My SO doesn't like "real" margaritas so I had to compromise). The mix was goopy, sour, and overpowering. I couldn't taste the alcohol. Not recommended. But they have a full bar and many tequilas, so I'll have to go back and try a real drink some other time.
Breakfast items include the usual cook-to-order omelet bar and griddle bar (with the usual stack of premade pancakes and french toast sitting in warming pans. Ugh.) I didn't bother with these, but there was a good selection of ingredient choices for omelets, including chorizo.
A large bowl held a nice assortment of berries, grapes, and melons. An optional sweet dressing was on the side. The fruits were fresh and not soggy. The usual cutting a little too far down into the rind on some melon pieces (have to maximize return on investment for the melons), giving an unpleasant flavorless crunch on some of the chunks. But not a deal-breaker.
The main buffet line more than satisfied me. There was excellent selection and variety. On the unimpressive side was the nemesis of all brunch buffets... slightly undercooked scrambled eggs in a warming pan. Ugh. But there was an interesting and unusual bright red tomato salsa on the side that featured a lot of cinnamon. Not spicy enough for my taste, but a fun curiosity. There was also a huevos Mexicano scramble with a variety of ingredients. But the premade, warmed eggs simply killed any enjoyment for me.
The rest of the foods were tasty. You could grab soft tortillas (taco size, not burrito size) at the front of the line and build your own soft tacos to taste. Or you could just ladle foods onto your plate. A full condiments bar offered toppings such as chopped onions, shredded cheese, salsa, and an obviously house-made chunky guacamole. No complaints.
Meats were well seasoned and tender. There were several cuts and types on offer. My favorite were small marinated steak tips. Food variety included fish, chicken, pork, beef, beans, fried eggs, etc. Bacon was plentiful and had an excellent flavor. Really excellent! But they slightly undercooked it once again to compensate for having it sit in a warming tray. I prefer more crispness.
Another winner for me was a fried potatoes medley. They used many different types and color of potatoes, cut into small chunks. Nice from a visual and taste perspective.
Three desserts were on offer. I didn't try the chocolate cake, although my SO (who is a chocolate fiend) wasn't overly impressed. Lime cheesecake bars didn't have enough sour tang for my preferences. I liked the tres leches cake bars (everything is cut into small squares for easy serving). But the frosting was VERY sweet and you have to enjoy the taste of coconut, as it is very pronounced.
Service was friendly and prompt. Our waitress kept taking used plates away quickly and was smiling and pleasant. When we first sat down, the omelet maker glanced over and saw that we didn't have tableware yet and that our waitress was busy elsewhere, so he ran to get us some setups and promised he would get our server quickly.
The chef/owner(?) came out and spent time at each table to find out what we liked and what needed improvement. He was personable and proud of the food he was serving. He really gave the impression that he wanted to fine tune the buffet to keep improving it as they understood what people wanted. Doing a good buffet is a LOT different than cooking plates to order, and it is always a challenge. I appreciate a restaurant that takes it seriously, and I absolutely make allowances for this being the first day it was offered!
Despite the negative comments included above, we both enjoyed this Sunday buffet and we would go back without the Groupon.
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Red Room
510 Glenwood Ave, Ste 101, Raleigh, NC 27603
Cantina South
510 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603
Rey's in Cary, NC
One visit from me last year. My opinion exactly matches Leadmine's. Nice food, pleasant atmosphere, grown-up ambience, very good waitstaff. Food good. Not a budget meal, but better prices than R.C. or Morton's. Definitely the kind of place I would take clients on a company expense account.
NY style deli opening soon in Chapel Hill
Warning: This is off topic and involves a chain restaurant, but this thread seems the best place to share an amazing discovery with my SE board friends who despair the lack of good Jew Food in the Triangle (check my past posts to assure yourself that I'm a legit board peer and not a shill trying to do marketing).
Go to your local Panera bread and buy a "miche" of their rye bread. Pure heaven. Just the right texture, rye flavor, slight sourness, and proportion of carroway seeds. I have been blissing out with this totally unexpected source of Jewish rye.
Note that you have to get the miche, which is enormous and costs a lot. Plan to put some in the freezer if you don't have a big family. But the smaller normal loaf comes out all wrong for some unknown reason. The big miche loaf has just the right sponginess and complexity of flavor. The smaller loaf doesn't work.
I've had three loafs from two different locations in Cary and Apex. They have been uniformly excellent. Who would have guessed?
Battistella's New Orleans Kitchen, Raleigh
Here's their formal press release about the new location. No definite opening date yet ("late Spring").
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release-rss/authentic-new-orleans-restaurant-opening-in-downtown-raleigh-204524.php
Fish & Chips in the triangle
Natty does an okay version, but my fave rave is at The Corner Tavern & Grill in Cary. They use a big honest piece of fish and it is breaded very nicely. Best I've found locally. The Corner is tucked in an inside corner (duh!) of the Maynard Crossing strip mall at Maynard Rd. and High House, near a Kroger grocery store. They separate the room into a bar area and restaurant area.
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The Corner Tavern & Grill
1301 NW Maynard Rd, Cary, NC 27513
Good Donuts in RDU/Triangle ?
Many of the small town arts and crafts fairs have a booth with one of these. Although in recent years I have seen the spiral cut potato chip on a skewer seeming to take over some of their turf.
If I may skew the thread just a little bit, does anybody know of a donut shop in the Triangle that makes old fashioned apple fritters? My preferences are: A big doughy, slightly flattened monstrosity, bigger than any one person should rationally eat. Real chunks of apples in the batter. Cooked dark and crispy on the outside, but moist inside. Coated with sugar glaze. Sweet Traditions in Cary was my only supplier before they closed shop. Now I am bereft and disconsolate.
A pie shop slated to open in former Conti's Market location (Raleigh, NC)
Wow... $27 for a shepherd's pie?!?! They must have put the whole shepherd in there.
Saint Jacques in Raleigh -- Very good French food, not as good as I expected
Thanks for the review, Skid. I love detailed descriptions of dinners like this. I haven't been to SJ yet, so no personal opinion. But I did note with interest that it was the only Raleigh entry on OpenTable's "Best Service In The US" restaurants list released today. http://bit.ly/fI2gNx
The other NC showing was The Fearrington House Restaurant.
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Fearrington House Restaurant
2000 Fearrington Village, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Group Restaurant Suggestion Near Prestonwood C.C. in Cary, N.C.
Some strange suggestions so far! :) I'm not cutting down the respondents' tastes at all, and I applaud their willingness to help. It's just that when I hear about a "law school prom" with people staying at a hotel and having an evening at the Prestonwood CC, I think they are going to be dressed nicely and want a nice atmosphere. For me, that cuts out Chinese buffets, casual burger joints like Abbey Road, or Mawa's rather spartan interior.
Trying to find a place that would be appropriate for nice clothes, a socially inviting group area, and a budget is going to be tricky. I think Tribeca Tavern is a very good idea. It has a more upscale vibe than you would expect from a burger-oriented restaurant.
Biaggi's is an okay idea. I think Maximillian's would probably work very well. You might be able to take over Klara's in the heart of downtown Cary for an ethnically-themed interesting choice of dining options.
There are also a few options in the wrong direction (they put the hotel between dinner and the country club): Bonefish Grill or Bella Mia for coal-fired Napoli-style pizzas.
Good luck!
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Tribeca
968 Broad St, Augusta, GA 30901
Bella Mia
2025 Renaissance Park Pl, Cary, NC 27513
RDU quiet special restaurant
A waiter says, "Certainly, sir. One moment." Then reappears with a wooden box containing an array of specialty sea salts. Quite the production for a simple little salt shaker request.
RDU quiet special restaurant
Elaine's is excellent food, agreed. Make sure you take Lulu's comment about dining early seriously. As soon as people start coming in, the small space and proximity of tables will raise the noise level past your comfort level. Heron's on the other hand is extremely quiet, with most tables set far away from other diners. It can be like eating in a church rectory. They do a very good job of pampering (just ask for some salt and see what happens!).
ISO Good dinner around Edenton, NC (drive is okay)
Replying to my own message just as a thank you to those who responded with suggestions. We were in town on January 1, which is a dark night for almost every restaurant (despite being a Saturday this year). I guess the staff are just too tired after dealing with New Year clients the night before. Mac's Back Door was open and we had a pretty good meal served by very friendly people. I had their tuna plate, and I have to admit that I did not have high expectations. But the tuna was wonderfully rare - just barely seared - with a black pepper crust. It was plated beautifully, in a fan on top of some hearty brown rice with some pickled vegetables ("Asian style"). There was a sweet pink sauce bordered by a green wasabi sauce and the sweet and spicy worked quite well together. I was pleasantly surprised.
My S.O. had salmon, which was prepared simply, just lightly broiled, sitting on a square of risotto that I thought was tasty (she's not much of a risotto fan, so we traded rice bases). That plating was a little barren without much visual interest, but it was cooked correctly, which is the important thing.
We started with Mac's version of Oysters Rockefeller - unlike any I have had elsewhere. They included chunks of Andouille sausage and bacon, with no sauce and just a hint of breadcrumbs dusted on top. The sausage was of excellent flavor, but there wasn't enough liquid content and it missed the spinach that should be prominent.
All in all, very satisfactory.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Looking for apple fritters in Cary, NC area
Sweet Traditions bakery on Harrison in Cary is gone, leaving me bereft of my occasional guilty pleasure of a huge, crispy, brown, apple-chunked, sugar-glazed, moist, calorie-laden apple fritter. Can anyone suggest another source?
New York Style deli in Raleigh nc??
I agree that their menu is a hodge-podge of various food types, but I think you are making just as big an error by equating religious distinction with geographical distinction. There are Jewish dishes associated with Russia, Poland, Germany, Spain, Israel, and plenty of other places. So Jewish-style doesn't have to be the opposite of American-style, just as it doesn't have to be synonymous with Israel or Russia. Admittedly, this wouldn't normally include an avocado, turkey, bacon wrap with cheese and mayo!
I'm wondering if incorporation of pork products or dairy and meat is even an automatic disqualifier in this day and age when such a minimal proportion of Jews (at least in America) try to keep kosher. Heck, almost any "Jewish-style" deli in America is likely to serve a Reuben without being called on it. And that's meat and dairy. Once you start down the slippery slope of non-kashrut, who's to say that bacon doesn't get a pass next?
I don't really care what else a restaurant feels like putting on its menu in order to expand its potential customer base. As long as I can get myself a really good pastrami on rye with brown mustard. Half sour pickles. Cheese blintzes fried up golden and crispy. (Excuse me while I wipe drool off the keyboard.) For me, the test will be whether they do the core items well... Not whether they add other dishes that may sell to people with different tastes from mine.
