by | April 10, 2013 · 2:36 PM

Rising to the Occasion

by Laura

I haven’t posted on this blog in forever (wonder why?), but since life as a parent seems to involve weekly runs to Target, I felt that it was only right to acknowledge one major side benefit to this new lifestyle.  A couple of months ago, a breakfast spot opened next to Target called Rise Biscuits & Donuts.  Turns out, even though the waits are insanely long, if you make your husband stand in line while you run across the parking lot to pick up a few things, upon your return, you might just find the best biscuit ever waiting for you.

One major bonus for me is that I’m partial to eggs that are a bit runny, and that’s a topping option.  You can go creative with rotating specials like their Huevos Rancheros,  Chicken Fried Steak, Califlower, or Mac & Cheese varieties, but the basic menu is more than good enough. And, if you want some sweet to go with your savory, you can really pig out courtesy of their decadent donut case.  Most of their varieties seemed a too little over-the-top and gimmicky to me (reminiscent of Voodoo Donuts in Portland), but then I tried their creme brulee and chocolate pudding options….and, well, I’m in trouble!

I took my sister here for her first NC meal post-Ethiopia and she agreed that the waits are worth it – although according to their Facebook postings, sounds like they’re taking some steps to speed up the ordering.  Enjoy – and don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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by | October 14, 2012 · 4:29 PM

Durham Staycation

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by Laura

This weekend we were supposed to go enjoy the fall foliage in Asheville, but our trip got pushed to later in the week. No matter, since there was plenty of beautiful weather to enjoy here in the Triangle!

After picking up a pair of tickets to hear the First Lady speak (Mobama!), it was off to Bull City Burger & Brewery, which prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients. Sipping drinks out of re-purposed Mason jars while chowing down on pasture-raised beef, we were just one farmer’s market away from a hipster trifecta! The fries (especially the sweet potato) were excellent and well-seasoned, and Harold got pretty happy about the exclusively Boylan soda fountain…but I have to say, I feel like the menu focus (as indicated by their name) creates a certain expectation for excellent burgers. And…mine was just okay. Hint: don’t order yours medium well, or your meal will be way too dry and overdone.

We did better the next day at Pizzeria Toro, a new wood-fired pizza place. It is not your basic NY slice, but it is both delicious and high-quality. Like, I am super pumped about this restaurant and kind of want to go back already even though we just left. We got the pepperoni but I thought many of their white pizza options also sounded intriguing. There is no way this place isn’t a smash hit.

Between exciting local grub, Duke Gardens and Duke Forest strolls, and the creation of Abbie’s first Halloween costume – not to mention some solid homemade chocolate chip cookies – staying home never looked so good (at least that’s what we’ll say to our friends wondering what life is like in the thrilling world of new parenthood!)

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by | October 12, 2012 · 4:29 PM

Upsides & Downsides

by Laura
Let me start by saying that if there is top-notch Chinese food in North Carolina, we have not found it yet. Gourmet Kingdom in Carrboro comes close, with decent lunchtime grub and an authentic menu.  When online reviews claimed that Super Wok in Cary was a similar experience, we thought it was worth a try.  Sadly, this was just another meal where we didn’t know who to feel sorrier for – people who think this is the best that Chinese cuisine has to offer, or people like us who know that it’s not!

To be fair, we offered off the American lunch menu instead of asking for the authentic one at Super Wok, which perhaps was a mistake. And it’s not that the food was terrible – it just wasn’t very good, either.  On the plus side, we got to witness the drama of what seemed to be a heated argument between two employees…but the excitement failed to transfer onto our plates. (See what I did there?)

However, it wasn’t an entirely wasted trip, because I could get my brows threaded at Chandni’s, which has a location right down the block.  I can thank CP for introducing me to the world of threading, an Indian grooming specialty, which, I might add, is only $7, and in my opinion, less painful and much quicker than waxing.  These ladies are super efficient, expert eyebrow artistes.  (Like Harold was only outside waiting for about five minutes kind of efficient.)

In other local business news, we went to brunch this weekend at Crook’s Corner, which I hadn’t visited in forever.  Still yummy!  Lots of interesting egg dishes and some good French toast, even though we passed on their signature shrimp and cheese grits (for the record – also pretty delicious).

For our anniversary, we headed to Carrboro to check out the wine bar at Glasshalfull.  I think the food here is quite elevated, but the setup is better for grabbing a drink and a snack, rather than a full meal.  Bottles of wine were all half price on Mondays, so that helped make dinner more economical – but the portions are these odd medium sized plates that make it hard to figure out the right amount to order and share.  The prices are similarly askew- my crab mac n’ cheese was $12, but Harold’s (only slightly more substantial) skirt steak was $21.  Still, the chill ambiance made for a nice evening and we were happy with our menu choices, which also included the flatbread and strawberry, basil & ricotta cheesecake.

Considering that there are a ton of worthy local options beyond BBQ & Southern grub, we probably shouldn’t complain too much.  But…if someone wanted to establish a place to grab some moo shu chicken and a New York slice, you would have at least two customers!

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by | September 30, 2012 · 2:46 PM

Atlantic Beach

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by Laura

Since my maternity leave is about to end, I wanted to make it over to the coast before having to return to the daily grind. We didn’t have time to go for longer than overnight, so we opted for Atlantic Beach, which is only about three hours away. Plus, it’s dog friendly, so Noodle got to come along, too.

Atlantis Lodge was well-reviewed as a retro-style motel right on the beach that also allows dogs. Since my one requirement was waking up to a sea view, the balcony and big windows in our room did the trick. And, Abbie slept well thanks to the giant sound machine we call the ocean!

The Atlantis was certainly a cool throwback – and super convenient, especially when you want to be able to go back and forth to your room with baby (and baby gear) with ease. There were dog treats waiting for Noodle upon check-in, and they had lots of other nice touches like the use of their lounge chairs & umbrellas. As someone who tends to be picky about room cleanliness when traveling, I would say that while the place wasn’t absolutely spotless, I felt comfortable.

For dinner, we tried Amos Mosquito’s, which was more or less your typical touristy seafood restaurant. Our experience with the food was mixed, but I could see why families would make an annual visit a tradition. Plus, the service was excellent, considering that they gave us a prime water view and went out of their way to make sure Abbie was well-situated. If I return again, I’ll save room for the table side s’mores!

The next day, we ventured into the cute little town of Beaufort, home of the Duke marine lab that Harold was unable to visit for his oceanography class trip because he had strep throat, hence leading to life long bitterness about the B minus he subsequently received – his lowest grade ever (nerd alert!). Fortunately, we could build better memories at Beaufort Grocery, which had decent sandwiches and let us sit outside with the dog, even bringing her a bowl of water. It seemed a bit pricey for dinner, but the menu looked like an interesting break from your standard fried shrimp palace.

Earlier that day, we were up in time to be at the Pine Knoll Shores branch of the NC Aquarium right when it opened. There was a marsh boardwalk with views of Bogue Sound and some decent exhibits, including some visiting penguins, a shipwreck replica, and river otters. Harold happens to be obsessed with otters and the like. I’ll admit they looked pretty adorable doing flips off the rocks and doing the backstroke!

All in all, we’d add it to the list of possibilities for next year – and recommend the Atlantis for anyone wanting to walk out of their room right into the sand and surf.

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by | September 21, 2012 · 9:54 AM

Birthday Tapas

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by Laura

Durham somehow ended up with two tapas restaurants opening up down the street from each other – but the one getting the most hype is Mateo, partially because it’s from the folks behind another popular spot, Vin Rouge. I had read mostly positive things about this new addition to the culinary scene, so I figured it was worthy of a birthday meal. Many of the rumors were true: it is kind of loud. It is busy. You need to make reservations unless you want to cram in with the crowd at the bar. But the food is something different for the area – and it’s definitely decent.

We tried the croquettes (liked as an opening bite), pan con tomate (added some heft to our spread), tortilla espanola (with chorizo crumbled on top), ensalada de manzana y manchego (light but with lots of interesting components), gambas (wish it came with more bread to dip into the garlicky goodness), queso frito y huevo (the abundance of fried salty cheese was kind of…too fried and salty), and the chicken pot pie empanada special (great example of how they’re trying to infuse a few Southern flavors). The portions and prices were generally fair for these type of plates (although $7.50 for one mini empanada was slightly steep, even if it was Harold’s favorite dish of the evening). H also tried the Cheerwine sangria, which was good, despite not tasting much like its signature ingredient.

The only quibble is that while the service was quite attentive and friendly, they brought out all of our food at once. This made dinner seem rushed, and the combination of the fast pace and bustling atmosphere seemed better suited for the groups of friends grabbing a quick snack to accompany their beverage of choice, rather than a couple enjoying a leisurely meal on the town. Still, I have a feeling we’ll return on another grown-up night out – if only to explore the dessert menu!

Side note: there’s so much new stuff coming to that part of downtown at Five Points! I’m the most excited to try Pizzeria Toro, as I’ve long dreamed of finding real – aka NY quality – pizza in the South. So far, it’s been nothing but unworthy imitations, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

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by | September 1, 2012 · 5:12 PM

New to the Neighborhood

by Laura

Since I last considered all the purveyors of deliciousness that we hope to patronize in our quest to find as much good food as possible in the Triangle, we’ve been able to check a few new places off our list.

Today Abbie and I headed to Straw Valley Cafe on our way to tackle a few errands.  It’s nice that this Zen-like coffee & wine shop offers some respite from the big box stores across the street.  However, while many folks might love finding an oasis in the middle of a shopping center, to me, its location still made it seem out of place.  Plus, while there were lots of cool courtyards, hidden rooms, and spacious sculpture gardens, it took me five minutes just to figure out which part of the complex actually served drinks.  My fellow customers were so tucked away that at first I thought it was either closed or empty, and once I found the main counter, the non-bakery food menu proved to be limited, making it hard to imagine spending a day here writing.  Maybe I’ll give it another try during a wine tasting night instead!

We also recently decided to grab dinner at Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe, which has taken over a great courtyard area in a retail complex on Franklin Street.  Unfortunately, there is no such thing as “grabbing” food there at peak dining time on a Saturday, and we missed the concert we were hoping to catch afterwards, since it took over an hour and a half to order our food at the counter and have them bring it out.  I get that the food is freshly prepared and yummy – and I’d totally go back during a less crowded time, especially because Vimala has a neat back story and a real community spirit.  But the vibe was not one of urgency and efficiency, and I think they should at least avoid treating the super slow service as a part of the price of admission.  So – thumbs up for the very good grub, but thumbs down for that gnawing feeling in my stomach as we continued to wait…and wait.

Last but not least – Taqueria la Vaquita!  This taco spot has some darn good enchiladas with mole sauce that I paired with horchata to make the perfect lunch.  Harold’s beef tacos weren’t anything special, but I hear the “al pastor” filling is the better bet.  My only complaint is that the prices were a bit north of what you’d expect to pay when eating a picnic table by the side of the road, next to a little kitchen with a giant cow on the roof!

Sorry for the lack of pictures – we were either focused on our new arrival, or focused on hurrying home to get back to her!  Next time we’ll start documenting the food, and not just her chubby little cheeks. =)

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by | August 16, 2012 · 4:46 PM

5 Things I’m Excited About This Week

1. Duke is offering free online classes starting this fall, including one with Dan Ariely!

2. The Daily Skimm is a great little newsletter that lets you in on all the major headlines and latest water cooler talk, summed up so that you can get to the main points in just a few minutes. It’s proving to be a good companion during 5 am nursing sessions, even though it could never replace the Times!

3. The Arrested Development crew is back together again! I think this might just be a top contender for favorite TV show ever. Each character is brilliantly done. It’s all so good! So smart! So awesome.

4. Alec Baldwin has a show on WNYC called ‘Here’s the Thing’. He interviews fellow celebrities for each podcast. I like it. Jerry Seinfeld also has a web show, ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”. It’s kind of just him showing off his auto collection while cracking up with his friends, but Larry David comes on for an episode and there’s a soothing, unhurried tone. Like, hey, I’m super rich now, so I can just amble about driving to various diners with my buddies.

5. This easy peach cobbler recipe was both easy and delicious. Sure, it used up half the sugar in my pantry, but who doesn’t deserve a summertime treat?

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