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I love Asheville. In fact it is one of my favorite cities in North Carolina. My husband, and a couple of my friends and I were walking around downtown recently. It was raining and I was quickly running out of steam. I needed some protein. We were going to eat at Salsa, but there was a 20 minute wait and I wasn’t about to wait a minute longer to get some food! So, we dashed into Farm Burger.
When we first [...]

Stepping into Klara’s Restaurant on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, just across the street from North Carolina State University, I felt like I was coming home to Cleveland, Ohio. When I was growing up, one of the many groups of immigrants who had settled in the Cleveland area were Eastern Europeans and I grew very fond of the food they eat. So, it was a treat when my friend, Steve, said “Let’s go to Klaras,” for one of the last meals [...]

We all love the convenience of a fast food restaurant, but many people would prefer to have fresh, local, organic and sustainable ingredients in their food selection, including getting a sandwich. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have both? Well, that’s what the folks at Sandwhich in Chapel Hill thought too.
We recently got a Groupon for Sandwhich that gave us a great excuse to try this place out. I had heard some good things about it but never got [...]

I have a great weakness for sweets and when I heard that a bakery had opened in downtown Durham almost three years ago, I was thrilled! Scratch Bakery was an instant success and had throngs of people coming to try out its homemade pies and cakes. Unfortunately due to my busy schedule, I hadn’t actually eaten there until recently.
I found out they were also serving lunch, so my friend, Kent and I decided to try out their lunch service. Scratch [...]

When I first heard people talking about chicken and waffles I thought, “Hmm…that sounds like an interesting combination.” I also thought it must be a Southern phenomenon as most of the places I heard that were serving chicken and waffles were places in Georgia.
So when Dames Almost World Famous Chicken and Waffles opened in downtown Durham, I was delighted. I knew that I’d eventually try it out! Every time I’d come by, there was a huge long line to get [...]

I always like to remind myself that even though it’s fun to try out the latest new places, I also like to go back to more established, classic restaurants that serve consistently good food. There’s a reason places like 411 West, an Italian restaurant owned by Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, are successful for many years.
We had a friend in town recently and decided to stroll down Franklin Street until we found something that looked good. We decided to go to [...]

Walking into the Top of the Hill last night, I felt like I was entering the cast of “Boardwalk Empire” and would run into Nuckey Thompson at any moment. No, this was not just any night at Top of the Hill, this was the Bootlegger’s Banquet, an event set to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Prohibition and what a great way to celebrate than to try out the new TOPO Piedmont Gin from Top of the [...]

We are so lucky to have a thriving wine industry in North Carolina. In addition to the great wines being produced by places such as Raffaldini, Grassy Creek Winery and Ragapple Lassie Winery, there are also some wonderful restaurants that are feeding the many tourists who are coming to the Piedmont region. Some of my friends and I recently visited Sander’s Ridge in Booneville during a weekend outing to what I call “NC wine country.”
Sander’s Ridge is located on a [...]

I once spent a summer in Colombia, South America, when I was growing up and one of the things I loved was that we would have arepas at each of our meals. Arepas are corn meal-based rolls or fried bread (depending on how they are made), that are a constant presence for Colombians and Venezuelans. I have always been on the look out to have a good arepa since then and on occasion there have been places in the Triangle [...]

Vegans and vegetarians (and even many of us meat lovers) are cheering because Raleigh has a new all vegan and vegetarian restaurant in town! Fiction Kitchen on Dawson Street started first as a pop up restaurant at Pinhook in Durham. Executive Chef and co-owner Caroline Morrison, after getting her culinary degree from Wake Tech, worked as a line cook at many of the Triangle area restaurants, creating all kinds of unique and flavorful vegan and vegetarian dishes.
She and Siobhan Summer [...]

While strolling along Franklin Street the other night, my husband and I discovered a new Asian restaurant called Mei Asian. It’s a quaint, little restaurant near a clothing store and where the Bank of America used to be.
The décor is lovely with deep rust colored walls and modern artwork adorning the walls. There is a little bar in the back of the restaurant. The restaurant is family owned by Mei and her husband. Their two little daughters are often seen [...]

On the corner of Geer Street and Foster Street in downtown Durham is a quaint, little restaurant that has quickly become one of my “You have to try this place” restaurants when someone comes to town. Geer Street Garden is located in an old gas station and has lots of charm. Old brick walls, exposed air ducts with a sealed foam ceiling and a bull on the wall reminds you that you are in an old part of Durham, just [...]

Foodies in the Triangle region get really excited when Triangle Restaurant Week comes around. Triangle Restaurant Week is a week-long celebration of culinary excellence that features some of the top-flight restaurants in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, and Chapel Hill. Most of the restaurants will offer a three course meal for just $30 or some for $20. Considering that most of these restaurants would cost $60 or more for a three course meal, you better bet that we are going to attend [...]

Ah the sacrifices I sometimes have to make for you, my readers! I sacrificed counting my calories for you (twice, actually!) in the past few weeks so I could check out Rise in Durham.
Ever since I heard that the folks who created Only Burger were going to open a doughnut shop, I was anxious to try it out. Rise is located in a strip mall behind Streets at Southpoint near the Target. They specialize in doughnuts and biscuits. The place [...]

I was very flattered to get a tweet from Kim @TriangleLocalista to meet me recently. If you are ever looking to find out where to shop, eat, or play, Triangle Localista is a great source to find out what’s happening in the Triangle area. Kim is very enthusiastic about our region, so it was really nice to meet someone who cares about this region as much as I do!
We decided to meet at the Page Road Grill, a new restaurant [...]

The other night it was cold and blustery out and nothing sounded better than being able to dig into some warm, spicy Indian dishes. So, my husband and I ventured over to Mint in Chapel Hill.
Mint is located in downtown, on Franklin Street. The dark, modern furniture with the golden tones on the wall and minimal artwork make a pleasant impression. Lots of windows in the front give people a place to sit and look out at the activity happening [...]

I have been dying to try Ãn in Cary and was waiting for the right moment to come along to give me the excuse to splurge a bit and go. Ãn is not exactly cheap, but oh, so worth it! Luckily, one of my oldest and dearest friends, Toni,  was coming to town for a quick business trip so I told her to meet me at Ãn, since she was staying near the airport. Ãn is located in the Arboretum, [...]

I have tried to go to Tracy’s Deli in Chapel Hill for about a year, but every time I got to the location, it was closed. If you work outside of the Chapel Hill area, it is hard to get to this place when it’s open. The only time you could possibly eat here is on a Saturday morning. Tracy’s Deli was open for a time for dinner, and I tried to come at that time too, but it was [...]

If you haven’t already noticed the Triangle region is becoming a real Mecca for local breweries. Just this week, Fortnight Brewing Company announced it is fully funded and will be purchasing property somewhere in Cary. Fortnight’s beer will focus on making English beers.
Also this week, Crank Arm Brewing Company announced it will be locating in downtown Raleigh in the Warehouse District at 319 West Davie Street. Business partners Adam Eckhardt, Michael Morris and Dylan Selinger plan to feature two flagship [...]

Recently, it was our wedding anniversary, but someone forgot all about it. Yes, my husband was in the dog house and he knew it. In his defense, we were both super busy that week getting ready to travel out of town for a week and even I almost forgot about it. He sure made up for it though.  I’m happy to report, my husband is out of the dog house because he picked Babylon, a Moroccan restaurant in downtown [...]

Our old neighbors were traveling through town, so we decided to try the new Pittsboro Roadhouse and General Store. Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, one of our old favorite local restaurants was re-emerging to hopefully be a new favorite place to hang out. I think we left with mixed reviews and need to go again to really determine if it will be a regular hang out for us or not.
The new decor is really nice. I love [...]

One kind of restaurant that had been missing in the RTP area until very recently was one where you could take clients, or meet for business. You had to drive over to the airport area, or meet in one of the cities nearby to do that. Yet over 39,000 people work in RTP. Luckily a few years ago Mez, a contemporary Mexican restaurant, opened up on Page Road, just outside of the RTP boundaries. Now it has become the place [...]

I’ve been in the mood for Indian food, so when my friend, Glenn, emailed me and said he’d like to meet for lunch, I suggested a couple of Indian restaurants. We decided to meet at Dawat Indian Restaurant in Morrisville. Dawat is located off of Davis Drive and McKrimmon Highway, in a small shopping center. If you blink, you might miss it!
We arrived early, so we were the first customers of the day. We decided to do the buffet because [...]

Last night my husband found a package at our front door and brought it in the house. “It’s for you,” he said. The box, marked “Fragile” (pronounce this with three syllables in your head!), got my heart racing. Could it really be? I eagerly ripped open the box and tore through the packaging. “It’s a major award!” I cried. She was beautiful. I carefully lifted her out of the box and beamed.
OK, no, this is not “A Christmas Story,” but [...]

Nothing tastes better at times than a good dose of Chinese dumplings. There’s something comforting about those doughy little balls of delight. And now you can get your fix by following the Chirba Chirba food truck!
Until I visited their website, I did not know that Chirba Chirba literally means, “Eat, eat!” and what an appropriate name! I get excited every time I hear they are nearby and seek them out when I need a dumpling fix. My favorite dumpling was [...]

My husband and I were in Apex the other day as we are taking our dachshund to get treatments at Harmony Animal Hospital. We were in the mood for pizza, so we asked the staff if there was a good pizza place in town. Several people suggested we try Anna’s Pizzeria, so we decided to give it a try.
Anna’s Pizzeria is located right in the middle of the historical downtown section of Apex. Its cheery exterior was immediately welcoming. We [...]

One of our old favorite places to eat is Dalat’s Oriental Restaurant, a Vietnamese restaurant in Raleigh. I say old place, because we used to frequent this place much more often when we lived in Cary ten years ago. Now that we live in Chatham County, we don’t have a reason to go to Raleigh as often as we used to. Dalat’s is located in the Mission Valley Shopping Center, very near North Carolina State University.
The inside is nothing to [...]

When you first enter Milltown in Carrboro, you pick up the alternative vibe. The beer-brand logos on the walls, old booths and laminate tables remind you that you are next to a college campus. This place is a beer lover’s paradise.
The folks at Milltown opened across the street from Cat’s Cradle and the Carrboro Arts Center hoping to get a crowd before and after performances, which is a very good strategy. Milltown opened about seven years ago and has quickly [...]

We went out with friends the other night in Carrboro and decided to try Glasshalfull, a small plate restaurant and wine bar. The weather was so nice we opted to sit outside, which was quite pleasant.
We started with a beet hummus, which was something I could eat daily. The hummus was nice and light and had a pretty pink hue from the beets. The beets did not overwhelm the taste of the hummus. It was served with yucca chips which [...]

I have eaten at Watts Grocery several times for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it each time I have eaten there. The restaurant features ingredients from local farms, and typically uses items that are in season. Chef Amy Tournquist grew up in Durham and has been very committed to making this an icon in the restaurant scene and she has certainly succeeded in fulfilling her vision. But I had never been to Watts Grocery for brunch until a few weeks ago [...]

Neal’s Deli and Sandwich shop in Carrboro has its own special uniqueness to it. This small, funky little deli is reminiscent of  the delis of New York and is also a hippie hang out. It’s not a typical Jewish deli, but has many sandwiches that you would find in a Jewish deli, such as corned beef, Reuben and pastrami sandwiches.
I had read a lot about Neal’s Deli as this place became so famous it’s been featured more than once in [...]

The other day my husband and I were taking our friend, John, around the Triangle. It was his first visit not only to RTP, but to the United States. He had traveled all the way from South Africa for a conference at the place where I work. We wanted to make sure he had a chance to try some North Carolina barbecue, so we took him to the Original Q Shack in Durham.
The Q Shack has been around for many [...]

Sometimes you want something light and comforting and nothing fits the bill better than Pho. What is Pho, you ask? It’s a Vietnamese dish that is soup filled with lots of great ingredients including noodles, vegetables, fresh herbs and more.
The other day I was meeting some old friends for lunch and it was very hot outside, so none of us wanted a heavy lunch. Besides, as gals in our forties, we are all trying to stay trim and fit! We [...]

My friend, Tom, and I wanted to go to downtown Durham the other day to have lunch. We were headed to Dames Chicken and Waffles, but it was closed due to a problem with their air conditioning unit. So we started to walk down Main Street and just a couple of doors down was a new place called Taberna Tapas Diner. So, we decided to give it a try. The inside of the restaurant was really attractive, with exposed brick [...]

Many students and faculty at North Carolina State University like to go to Nur Grocery and Deli, located in a strip mall on the corner of Avent Ferry Road and Western Boulevard. Mohamed Abdel-Hady, the owner of Nur Grocery and Deli, started this establishment in 1980 and has served inexpensive  Middle Eastern food there ever since, though it was originally located on Hillsborough Street. I vaguely remember it at the old spot. Anyone else lived here long enough to remember [...]

 
Sometimes you want to quick meal that’s inexpensive. But most of us don’t want to resort to the typical fast food place because we don’t want all the processed food. One nice alternative is Martin’s Curry Rice in Morrisville. The restaurant is located off of Highway 54 and Cary Parkway near the Carmike Theater, next to the Amante Pizza place.
Martin’s idea came from him visiting Japan, where he saw many people selling curry rice near the railroad tracks and on [...]

North Carolina’s wine scene has exploded over the past several years. When we traveled to Traphill recently to go to Stone Mountain State Park, we decided to check out a couple of wineries. One of the places we tried was Grassy Creek Vineyard in State Road, North Carolina, near Elkin, just off of Highway 21.
After driving down a long gravel road, you arrive to a charming old horse barn that has been converted to a tasting room. We were greeted [...]

When my sister and I were younger, we were picky eaters (I was even more so than my sister). One thing we hated were beets. That was not the fault of the beet, but  in the way they were prepared. Back in the 70′s, people mainly ate them as canned beets or the dreaded pickled beets. To me, they were sour and bitter.
This was not the fault of our mother, either, who was actually a great cook. She was before [...]

I’ve been on a vegetarian kick lately, though I am by no means a vegetarian. I am just trying to cut down on my red meat intake and live a healthier lifestyle. One way I’ve been doing this is by participating in Meatless Monday. I made this my New Year’s resolution and am happy to say I’ve stuck to it this whole time! It’s actually way easier than you might think it would be.
One nice thing is that there are [...]

One of our favorite Thai restaurants in the Triangle region is Thai Cafe in Durham. This restaurant has been around for many years, because it delivers consistent, high quality Thai dishes at an affordable price. Owners Oddy and his sister Kanchana have built a reputation as being one of the better Thai restaurants in the area.
Scott and I stopped by to eat dinner there recently when we were having a craving for Thai food. The restaurant is located in a [...]

We traveled to downtown Greensboro recently and wanted to have some good locally sourced food. A person who was in the downtown area suggested we try Fincastles Diner. This charming, old-fashioned diner is located on South Elm Street, within easy walking distance to the famous Woolworth’s, where the civil rights sit-ins occurred in the 1960s, and the current International Civil Rights Museum is located. The restaurant features burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches using local foods and honoring some Southern traditions.
We [...]

During the Piedmont Farm Tour, we decided to stop by Captain J. S. Pope’s Farm. Pulling up to a pretty farm-house in the middle of acres of gentle, rolling, grass-lined hills, I was excited to get to see lots of little lambs.
As we got out of the car, we were greeting with the smell of lamb on the grill, an enticing scent that makes my mouth water. I felt guilty eating a lamb burger in front of the lambs, but [...]

 
One of my favorite RTP-area lunch places is Cafe Meridian, located off of Highway 55 near Meridian Parkway. This place has a variety of hot and cold dishes, some with a Mediterranean flair. The place was originally called Doce and was owned by George Bakatsias, but he sold it a few years ago to Rich and Gina Kazazian. It was a good move. The Kazazians take pride in their restaurant and consistently produce fresh,  high quality foods.
The menu has some [...]

I was spending the day at NC State recently and decided to try one of the restaurants on Hillsborough Street. Just past the round-a-bout on the corner of Hillsborough and Oberlin Road is David’s Dumpling and Noodle Bar. Previously, this was the home of Red Hot and Blue, and later, Darryl’s.
When you walk in, the building has an Asian flair, the walls are simply decorated, mainly showing off the old brick walls, with murals of David Mao, the chef/owner and [...]

A few weeks ago when our nephew and his girlfriend were in town, we decided to take them to some North Carolina vineyards. As many of you may already know, North Carolina is becoming a great place for making wine. We decided to try Raffaldini Vineyards as one of the places to try. Raffaldini’s is located in the Yadkin Valley area, off of Highway 421, just north of Highway 77.
In the midst of a downpour we drove past very orderly [...]

I don’t know about you, but one food I usually crave is a good pizza. Nothing is better than one that is steaming hot, right out of the oven, with lots of mozzarella cheese and garlic!
There have been a couple of food trucks that feature pizza that have popped up in the Triangle area and one I particularly like is Pie Pushers. Pie Pushers truck is mainly seen around the city of Durham. They serve pizzas that feature locally grown, [...]

Elkin is a quaint little town near North Carolina’s wine country and near Stone Mountain State Park. My husband and I like to go there because it’s not that far from the Triangle region. Recently we took our nephew and his girlfriend there for a few days.
We decided to check out a little place for lunch in downtown Elkin near an old bridge that crosses the New River. The brick, nondescript one-story building is near the railroad tracks, on Front [...]

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a big beer drinker, but when I do drink it, I want a really good, locally crafted beer. One of my favorite places to go these days is Fullsteam Brewery in Durham. Durham is the home to many tremendous local, independent restaurants and this brewery fits well with the food scene.The most admirable thing owners Shawn Lilly Wilson and Chris Davis are doing is to create a southern-style beer.
Fullsteam has a fun, [...]

I always look forward to traveling to Charlotte, not only to see one of my oldest and dearest friends in the world, but also to enjoy the great culinary scene in the Queen City.
This trip we traveled over to the Plaza Midwood area near the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s campus and ate at Loco Lime Mexican Inspired Grill. Loco Lime shares a building with Kickstand Burgers and Bar, which I hear serves some great burgers and local brews. [...]

Nothing says summer like a good, juicy peach. You bite into that soft, fuzzy skin and discover the sun wrapped up in its tender, yellow flesh. The juice runs down your cheeks as you savor its sweet taste.
But in this day and age when you go to the grocery store, usually all you get are hard, tasteless peaches that barely resemble the fruit we grew up with. That’s why I am ever on the quest to find a decent peach.
That’s [...]