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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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Summertime is a great time to head to the beach. We decided to take a trip to Ocracoke Island recently. As soon as you get on the island, you slip into a more relaxed mood. The little village is very walkable, or you can rent a bike or a golf cart to get around most places. There were many great choices of restaurants to try, but we decided to check out the Flying Melon Cafe.
The Flying Melon has a pretty, [...]

 
Both my sister, Nancy, and I are huge fans of “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo. Watching these creative chefs gets us excited about food and its endless possibilities. We both became big fans of Hugh Acheson, executive chef of several restaurants in Athens, including the 5&10. So, when my niece, Alexandra, was graduating from the University of Georgia, my sister immediately got on the phone to make a reservation at the 5&10 for her graduation dinner.
We were [...]

My husband and I were in Sanford the other day and decided we wanted to find a place to eat in the downtown area. I had heard some good things about The Steele Pig, so we decided to check it out. It was easy to find parking on Steele Street and when we got there it was about 15 minutes before they opened for dinner, so we strolled around the block and did a little window shopping, then came back [...]

Driving to the quaint village of Saxapahaw can be a fun endeavor by itself. The rolling pasture land is beautiful and yet, you are a mere 15 minutes from Chapel Hill. In recent years, Saxapahaw has had a bit of a renaissance after the old cotton mill was renovated. One of the many establishments that is in the building is the Saxapahaw General Store.  Actually, the General Store had been operating as a gas station convenience store for many years, [...]

Some restaurants in the Triangle region have become famous from being featured on shows like “Man Versus Food” and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” and written about in magazines such as “Southern Living,” “Bon Appetit” and Zagat. The Pit is certainly one of those restaurants. Even though I have lived in the Triangle region since 1994, I had never had the opportunity to go to the Pit until my friend, Steve, said he had a coupon to use and he had [...]