Top Points of Interest - Eats

The PIT - Raleigh

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:18:17 -0600

Recently, there has been a lot of press (including national) about The Pit in Raleigh. Given the excitement, it obviously has been high on our list of places to try.

The restaurant seems to be divided into a few major sections - one fancier appearing dining room which could be out of any nice restaurant, the rest more run of the mill. It was clean and comfortable; hard to say for most barbecue places.

The menu is extensive, but doesn't necessarily read as anything unique in itself - just fairly standard southern fare. Thankfully, the menu doesn't do the food justice. We ordered the baby back ribs and pimento burger, as well as the jalapeno corn bread for an appetizer.

The baby back smoked ribs were simply incredible - the sauce, a lightly spicy, mostly sweet (maple syrup) was delicious, but wholly finger licking good, wish I could eat the bones too.

We will be back...!

328 West Davie St
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 890-4500

Chubby's tacos opening in Woodcroft Plaza!

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:47:00 -0500

Signs are up for the new Chubby's Tacos in Woodcroft Plaza - Yes!

Update! Chubby's in Woodcroft is open as of 12/9/09.

Saigon Grill - finally another Vietnamese restaurant?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:17:17 -0500

I've driven past the Saigon Grill on North Roxboro a number of times. It is housed in a rather non-descript building on the west die of the road with a gravel parking lot which did not serve as an inviting setting... but given some of the feedback from others, it was worth a try.

Since it is mid-August, the noodle dishes didn't seem incredibly appealing, so I only ordered the fresh spring rolls and a staple pork chop / shreddded pork / egg cake over rice dish as a take out.

The spring rolls were filled with some of the freshest ingredients I have had in this area; with pork and shrimp, and were absolutely delightful! Almost worth the drive just based on these appetizers. The rice dish was pretty par for the course; fresh, but nothing spectacular. We are ready to head back soon, and try the full menu. The restaurant decor is spartan, but clean. Noticeably absent on their menu were subs and some of the fresh "salad" like dishes seen at other Vietnamese restaurants. However, they did have some other specialties on the menu that I'm eager to try... and maybe we'll save the pho for the fall or winter.

Saigon Grill
2929 N Roxboro St
Durham, NC 27704
919-220-5979

Chubby's Tacos - finally a taco place worth frequenting

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:48:00 -0500

We've been hoping for solid fish tacos and a taqueria or equivalent trully worth frequenting. A number of the local authentic taqueria's just don't have the environment that you feel comfortable frequenting, even though the food may be solid.

Chubby's tacos on 9th street changes that - no, it is not less rustic or more clean inside - its still an interesting crowd - but at least it is more welcoming. The fish tacos (though pricey at $4 each) are very good. Large pieces of tuna with a spicy sauce - these aren't Tijuana style, but they are very good. The other "regular" tacos are less expensive, down to $2, but also very good. A huge salsa spread lets you choose your heat level and flavoring. The store is tiny - we find it just as easy to get carry out and eat somewhere close - maybe the lawns over on Duke campus.

Korean BBQ Buffet! - more carnivorous delights!

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:37:01 -0500

Great Korean BBQ is already hard to find in the area - the Korean Steakhouse on Capital Blvd survived only a few months. However, it has been rescued and converted into a BBQ buffet - at reasonable prices, too!

While the overall selection is somewhat limited, it is sufficient for a great lunch, and provides greater variety than a "normal" meal. Beef, fatty pork, and chicken were all availabile for grill at your own table.

a bit more than a taqueria... Costa Azul

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:32:54 -0500

Taqueria's have become popular throughout the Triangle; the majority seem to be located in Durham. Having spent a fair amount of time in San Diego - I've been happy that they have become more popular locally. Finding something to differentiate each one of them, however, has become difficult. Furthermore, differentiating them by culture may be even more difficult if you aren't familiar with the subtleties. It's nice when each taqueria has a specialty that separates it from the rest.

Costa Azul is an Honduran taqueria - there "taco" offerings were standard, having tried the carne asada and pollo. They were a bit dry and the filling was a bit uninspired. The torta's, however, were a bit unexpected. The "cuban torta" was a large sandwich with two layers of meat (beef & ham), a layer of fried egg, peppers, lettuce and tomato. An additional paste that was likely a pate was also present. The sandwich was served toasted and delicious! Though the location was a bit out of the way for the rest of the Triangle, Costa Azul will be a favorite of ours. Best part abou5t its location, however, is that it is located next to JJ Fish...

try the tortas - skip the tacos.

Costa Azul
2721 Guess Rd.
Durham NC 27713

Greensboro, NC - Cheesecake worth driving for?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:15:30 -0500

With the Cheesecake factory becoming almost ubiquitous in most medium sized cities, there aren't as many opportunities for competitors... unless they are really really good.

You wouldn't necessarily expect that Greensboro would have an extraordinary cheesecake store - I wasn't expecting much when I found the little store in Downtown, near UNC-G.... but I was pleasantly surprised.

Cheesecake by Alex - simple name - and no question has to what they specialize in. About 10 different offerings were available in their display case. More unique flavors, such as Creme Brule sparked my person interest. For just under $4 a slice - the cheescake was smooth, flavorful, and just right. The crust added just enough texture, without being overwhelming - I was a bit disappointed that I didn't have more stomach to have more. For those in a similar situation - they offer a sampler that works out to about $2 something a slice... which we will definitely get next time. The brownies, muffins and cookies looked wonderful also!

Cheesecakes by Alex
315 S Elm St
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 273-0970

Greensboro, NC BBQ Chicken - the best wings around?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:42:47 -0500

Have you ever dreamed about a wing's place that made you feel like they fried each wing individually - with such a care that it was not the quantity of wings, but the quality, for once?

It's hard to believe that there would actually be such a place, but we've found one in Greensboro, NC. Greensboro isn't famous for a whole lot - High Point is just near by, plus a couple of universitities... but we've found some very special gems, that make it worth a trip from the Triangle.

In a small ethnic mall, next to a large shopping center is a little storefront with bright green, red and yellow colors. The name, "BBQ Chicken", doesn't quite do the fried chicken justice. Each little wing actually feels like it was fried in its own little vat of fresh oil - none of the old oil taste at the places that churn out chicken. The flavors are a bit shifted for Asian tastes, primarily Korean... but they are delightful. The hottest wings are a more subtle burn then the tongue searing flavors... but burn, it does.

We didn't have a chance to try the rest of the Korean offerings - but with the care the restaurant owners put into their wings - we have to think everything else will be just as good. Yum!! - Roadtrip!!

Hammer's BBQ Chicken
4929 W. Market St #2107
Greensboro, NC 27407
(336) 235-2607

JJ Fish - best fried gizzards in town?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:45:00 -0600

Fried gizzards - move on if you don't like them or are unwilling to try them. I grew to love fried gizzards at a place across the street from a lab I used to work in Kansas City, Go Chicken Go. While obviously not the healthiest of snacks, the hot sauce at that place was delicious... and it goes perfectly with fried gizzards. I don't try them every place I go, but seeing that JJ Fish had them, I had to try them.

Fried "fresh" and served hot, the gizzards are a great; their hot sauce is more run of the mill Tabasco type sauce. Their fried fish is solid, but we generally go there just for the gizzards.

JJ Fish.
2726 Guess Rd
Durham NC
(919) 471-9400

Another Donut chain?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:07:00 -0600

In NC, Krispy Kreme generally reigns supreme in the donut wars. Dunkin donuts, generally are a far second; I can only think of a few store locations off the top of my head, and none that I would be willing to drive any distance to get to. The Fractured Prune is always fun - but one can only have a limited number of "artificially" flavored cake donuts. Enter Daylight donuts. I wasn't aware of this chain until we were brought a box - of the largest donuts that I had ever seen, especially relative to the KK size.

Daylight donuts remind me of the donuts I grew up on - large, minimally artificial (not that a donut isn't artificial to begin with, but this is to contrast the Fractured Prune, which has closed). The standard basic flavors and types are all available - cinamoon, long johns, etc.

Limited hours - but yummy in the morning!

Daylight Donuts
http://www.daylightdonuts.com/
1244 NW Maynard Rd
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 388-0150

Brasa - Brazilian steakhouse, but pass on the meat?!

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:56:00 -0500

We've tried to avoid going to Brasa for a while now - unfortunately most of the reviews from friends didn't put it in the best of light, especially as compared to Chamas. However, we were recently in the Briar Creek area, and to our dismay, found TQ Zheng closed (a reasonable Chinese restaurant). Searching for a quick lunch, we found that Brasa had a buffet lunch for around $12 for hot and cold bar; $18 or so with four cuts of meats; $20+ for the "full" experience. As we were early, only a few others were seated.

The salad/cold bar was mildly above average; some reasonable pastas/ potato/ chicken salads; nothing extraordinary. The hot bar was not unreasonable, with a few different chicken dishes. Probably the best dish was the chicken stew... and the others were a bit bland, though probably sufficient for a good lunch.

I was excited about the four types of meats - in particular the bacon wrapped filet. The sausage was reasonable. But, the other meats all were a bit tough and just had an old, not very fresh taste to them. As one might guess, I was rather underwhelmed by the experience. Any steakhouse lives and dies by the quality of the meats that they serve - and it was clear to me that Brasa was unwilling to serve meats that would live up to its name.

Try it for lunch if you'd like... good luck on dinner. There are many other choices in the area - and for that price with that poor quality - I'd rather just buy a steak and grill it myself.

May is NC Soft Shell Crab Month

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:51:11 -0500

May is Soft Shell Crab Month in NC!

Unfortunately, my favorite soft shell crab place closed about a year ago... so I'll let you know if I find another great one!

Blue crab in NC

Great southwest taste - at a reasonable price?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:41:29 -0500

Jibarra has definitely opened the Triangle's eyes to great sophisticated Mexican cuisine. Unfortunately, it is also at a price that is a bit out of reach for a non-special location. We were searching for unique brunch places, when we saw the ad for the Sedona Grill. Searching the address reveals that it repaced the Hudson Oyster Bar & Grille - a place with great potential, but never quite living up to it. With that in mind, the menu looked interesting... at least interesting enough to give it a try.

The interior had been remodeled into tastefully separated bar and dining area. Multiple options on the brunch and lunch menu were rather interesting - our mouths watered at the Tejas Tango (Honey-Pine Nut Cream Cheese Stuffed Artisan Bread, Grand Marnier Custard) and the Huevos Caballeros (Chorizo & Potato Enchiladas topped with Colorado Sauce, Jack Cheese and Fried Eggs). We also had a bowl of the corn and shrimp chowder - a huge bowl with a slight spice.

The Tejas Tango was a delightful brunch dish - with a complex blend of flavors, and just enough sweetness from the whipped cream. The Huevos Caballeros was a solid meal; both were large enough in portions to probably be shared. A sweet potato and potato hash rounded out both dishes. The flavors were complex - not the simplified flavors of many Mexican type restaurants. Definitely a nice enough place to really enjoy a great set of complex Tex-Mex flavors.

With such an inspired brunch menu, we look forward to trying out the dinner menu and desserts soon!

Going to NYC?

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:06:00 -0500

Going to NYC anytime soon? Apparently an old friend has been in Time Magazine for his inspired Dessert Truck in NYC. Located at 8th St. and University place, in the Greenwich Village area.

If you are up there - try it their delicious desserts out!

Dessert Truck
8th St and University Place
New York City

Don't even bother going... Ginza

nospam@example.com (Ray) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:25:00 -0500

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the US is in Boston, called the Ginza. I dearly miss the perfect soft shell crab there, the baked eggplant... and that's just from the appetizer menu!

I was excited to drive by a new local restaurant in Cary, with the same name. Taking a nice location near Henry's Gelato on Darrington Drive, I hoped for the best...

But unfortunately, got the worst. The restaurant is elegantly decorated, but that was about the extent of positives I could come up with. As sushi lovers should know, the rice is the most important part of sushi - in a word, the Ginza sushi rice was horrible. Pieces were even completely dried, rendering the sushi barely edible. For the price, you might as well enjoy Harris Teeter leftovers.

The noodle dish we tried was mall-like - maybe acceptable for a mall shop... but not for a stand-alone Japanese restaurant.

Don't even bother going - but just so you know where to avoid:

Ginza
1077 Darrington Drive
Cary NC