by Laura
Last Friday, Harold and I went out on the town and made our first stop at Southern Season. Every week they have some sort of tasting event between 5-8 p.m., and this time it featured hard ciders. What we love about this set-up is that you can normally stroll in at any point during those three hours, squeezing in a few drinks before dinner. Plus, the staff takes the time to explain what you’re kicking back while still keeping the vibe casual.
The verdict? European ciders aren’t nearly as tasty as their much sweeter American counterparts, the accompanying Cabot Clothbound Cheddar is my new favorite cheese, there are glasses specifically designed to handle quick-fizzing drinks (that we got to keep!), and it’s not too shabby an evening when your company includes a former White House pastry chef. Roland must have been there to teach a class and decided to stick around to enjoy the bounty. This article will give you an idea of his capacity as an entertainer – we found out lots of fun facts, including Bill Clinton’s allergies & dietary restrictions. No chocolate for Bubba!
Unfortunately, the combination of drinks with the Thai dinner we had next (Hurray! The new place in town is decent!!!) made staying awake for the Chick Corea concert difficult. Now I’m beginning to understand why the elderly can barely keep their eyes open, since I’m already struggling at 30. Major props to the drummer who was touring with him, though – his beats kept us partially in the game!
Some other local favorites I’m looking forward to this fall – along with a few road-trips:
- Checking out the waterfall loop trails and changing colors at Hanging Rock State Park
- Checking off a couple more excursions from the to-do list: rafting at the U.S. Whitewater Center and the newly updated North Carolina Museum of Art
- Northern Virginia wine tour with some amazing ladies
- Continuing my quest to find apple cider donuts and the perfect pumpkin, while on a Maple View Farm hayride
- Trying the honey & ricotta crostini at Toast
- Expanding our Triangle area biscuit tour to include the aptly named Biscuitville
- Road trip to Savannah! Historic mansions, spooky graveyards, Paula Deen, and Southern charm.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, I suppose I’ll keep going to school, too. 
Laura
Harold
