City Beverage

This past weekend, while our respective fiancees were up in DC wreaking bachelor party havoc (and getting wicked paintball bruises), Emily and I had dinner at City Beverage down on 54. Online is has a reputation of being a neighborhood spot, though a bit overpriced and the service a bit slow. Nevertheless, we were lured by the promise of patio dining.

When we got there, the wait for patio seating was about an hour so we opted to sit inside. The interior is an eclectic mix that might be described as "modern tiki bar." To start, we got the homemade potato chips that came with the optional $1 blue cheese dip. We didn't request the sauce but were charged for it...I guess you have to specifically request not to have the sauce.

I ended up ordering the seared tuna tacos. The three tacos came overflowing with lettuce greens, red onions, guacomole, and a spicy, creamy sauce. The salad greens were an interesting touch, but the flavor on a whole was very satisfying.



Emily ordered the veggie burger, which instead of having two buns with a garbanzo bean patty in the middle, turned out to be two garbanzo bean patty "buns" with sprouts, red onion, avocado, and a creamy sauce in the middle. She ate it with a knife and fork and enjoyed it.



We had great conversation while waiting an inordinate amount of time for our check to come and be discharged. I think I prefer the Federal for the food, service, and cost, but City Beverage wasn't a bad experience. I might come back.

Durham's food trucks

The mobile food scene in Durham and I are friends. Nick and I have already been patrons of the city's taco trucks late at night. They are delicious and totally hit the spot after a trip to the bars with friends. We have also gotten burgers and delicious fries from Only Burger. However, Durham has recently become home to an Indian food truck and a Korean-fusion taco truck, Bulkogi. I think this is a clever riff on the original Korean fusion taco truck, Kogi, in my hometown of LA.

Last week, Nick and I stopped by Sam's Quik Stop to get some food from the Indian food truck. The menu only has about 5 or 6 items on it ranging in prices from $5 to $7. Nick and I ended up getting three of the items: beef curry, samosa chat, and aloo tikki chat.

While waiting for the food to be ready, I walked to the end of the parking lot and spotted Bulkogi in the Wachovia parking lot. We decided since we were already there, we'd sample some tacos ($2). Bulkogi has three kinds: BBQ chicken, spicy pork, and BBQ beef. Other items on the menu included tortas, burritos, and quesadillas.



The tacos were good, but not spicy. We didn't add any of the spicy sauce because I wanted to try them as is the first time. At $2 they are the same price as traditional tacos and over just as quickly. I would stop by for a few tacos as a snack in the future.

When we got home, the smell from the Indian food was teasingly delicious. We opened the containers to massive amounts of food. The aloo tikki and the samosa chat each came with some channa masala. It was so good and spicy. Nick even got his "hot" so he was soon reaching for the milk.



I have a feeling we'll be back to satisfy our Indian food cravings now that Green Leaf has closed. The Indian food truck actually rents the Taqueria Rubio bus so look for the bright red bus. They don't have a twitter so I'll just be counting on them to be at Sam's Quik Stop from now on.

Piedmont Restaurant

We're coming into the last stretch for this semester. I'll be glad when December 10th comes around! I can't believe we only have one semester left, too.

I'd like to talk about one of our favorite places. Piedmont is located near the farmer's market so more often than not we eat there for Saturday brunch after getting our produce. Since we generally go after the farmer's market we almost always get the same table. I've taken to calling it "our table."

It's a contemporary space with a loft-like feel. Brunch is simple but sophisticated. I hope to do a brunch post sometime in the future. This post is about a dinner we had back in September that was quite memorable. We don't often do dinner there but I think we were on our way to the theater that night and decided to make a date out of it.



We shared a gnocchi course that was simply amazing. The gnocchi had been seared in butter and had the most delicate flavor, enhanced by the poached egg on top. I love gnocchi but always regret ordering it because the portion sizes are too big for such a rich dish. Here, sharing made for the best enjoyment.

I had a housemade Italian sausage and polenta dish in a tomato broth with broccoli rabe. While this dish hasn't been my favorite out of what I've had there, the execution was solid and the polenta was creamy.



Nick had a fish dish. In fact, I can't remember anything about what was in it except that he really, really liked it. The fish was cooked really well. Oh, I just remembered Piedmont's website has menu archives. Nick's dish was seared NC wahoo with sambuca braised fennel and puttanesca sauce.



We shared a walnut cake with housemade vanilla bean ice cream that was so, so good. I cannot tell you how much I still think about this cake today and wish I had another slice. I was a good friend that night, however, and got a slice to go for a friend that had just taken her first organic chemistry test.



Piedmont is a great place for upscale food in a contemporary setting without the upscale atmosphere. They're laid back because they know their food is great. And that's how I like it.

Tacorriendo Las Delicias

I have a confession to make. Nick and I have not eaten at a midnight taco truck in months. MONTHS. So tonight, after the Duke basketball game we stopped by Tacorriendo Las Delicias on Hillsborough to reunite with our faithful midnight (although it was only 10:30pm) food haunt.

Four tacos: two al pastor, one lengua, and one barbacoa. Not pictured: arroz con leche.



It was as delicious as we remembered. Must come back more often...

Lyndsay, I saw a van at the other end of the parking log advertising tacos de birria y consome. Maybe reason #2478 you should visit Durham??

Twisted Noodle

I can't believe I haven't posted on Twisted Noodle yet. This Thai restaurant is one of our go-tos whenever we don't feel like cooking, or when we feel like having noodles. Sure, it's more expensive than what we would find in CA, but you can't be upset about it when you live in North Carolina.

I have been recovering from a bout of the stomach flu these past few days, and for my first full meal I decided I wanted to eat some favorites at Twisted Noodle. I generally rotate between two things: sauteed glass noodles and teo chew noodles (with soup or "summer style"). I didn't bring a camera yesterday so these photos are from a previous visit.


Nick usually varies his choice. Sometimes he gets drunken twisted noodles, yesterday he got roast duck noodles, and still other times he gets the sauteed cashew stir fry. It's good to note that the roast duck noodles are much better "summer style" than with the soup.


Although we usually get dessert, we didn't last night because I didn't think my stomach would appreciate dairy. We love the rotee with the flaky layers and sweet condensed milk.

Vivace

This post is not to say to the world how charitable, how caring, or how philanthropic Nick and I are, but to let you know sometimes there are other reasons why we dine at the places we do. I forgot to take the camera, so no pictures this time.

Today we had lunch at Vivace, in North Raleigh. It was about a 40 minute drive, not close by any means, but we had errands to run on our way back so it wasn't too bad. We decided to eat there because the staff was donating 100% of their tips to a very good, but sad cause.

Last Wednesday six-year old Ashley Ramos-Hernandez was hit by a car as she got off the school bus near her house. The 83-year old driver did not see her. Ashley didn't make it.

I'm pretty sure it's against the law to pass a stopped school bus in any direction and it makes me angry that such carelessness caused such a tragedy.

Her parents both work for Urban Food Group which owns Vivace, Coquette Brasserie (whose staff is also donating their tips), and two other restaurants. They decided to do this to help Ashley's parents with the funeral costs and other expenses. More details are found here, on the VarmintBites blog.

So Nick and I found ourselves at Vivace at noon today. The inside is cool and modern, with long banquettes and large cube lanterns overhead. We perused the menu while eating sesame semolina bread with a roasted garlic-white bean spread.

I started with a classic caesar salad and Nick opted for a large bowl of mussels steamed with garlic, butter, and tomatoes. My salad was pretty solid, with fresh romaine and lots of shaved parmesan. Grilled bread accompanied his bowl and I got to soak a piece in the delicious broth. Nick really enjoyed the mussels and the tomatoes.

I chose a scallop risotto with fava beans and corn for my entree and Nick got braised shortribs with mushrooms and polenta. We both thought everything was good, but I was so full after barely eating a quarter of my dish. I think I would have enjoyed it more if we didn't eat so much bread and appetizer. We'll just get to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

When our bill came, there was a slip of paper explaining that the service staff was donating their tips to the Ramos-Hernandez family. I hope it persuaded every patron to tip a little bit more than they normally would have for this family.

We ended up having a delicious lunch at a place I had not heard of before, along with being able to help a family in the aftermath of such tragedy. I look forward to dining at Vivace again in the future.

Allen and Son

On Friday night Nick and I pondered our dinner plans. We had spent the whole day lazing around, when we were supposed to take advantage of our day off and explore the area. Instead, we opted to do that during dinner and ventured off to the outskirts of Chapel Hill to eat some Carolina BBQ at Allen and Son.

Over the past year I've heard a lot about this small establishment in the middle of nowhere, from tv reports, the internet, and family friends (thanks, Don & Carol). We tried to go a few weeks ago for Nick's birthday, but they close at 5pm from Monday to Thursday. This time, we headed over at 6:40, with lots of time to spare before their Friday 8pm closing time.

It really is a small little house, with mismatched chairs and green-checkered tablecloths. We were told to choose a seat wherever, so we plopped down at a table watched over by the preserved head of a deer.

I ordered the barbecue sandwich with coleslaw and hushpuppies, while Nick chose the barbecue platter with coleslaw, hush puppies, and fries. He even ordered a side of fried okra. I decided to go with the flow and get some sweet tea. I'm glad I did, because the water had a metallic tang to it. Our waitress later brought over a whole pitcher for us to share.


The barbecue pork on my sandwich was good, but completely soaked the bottom bun, so I had to eat my sandwich with a fork. Did I ever feel like an out-of-towner! Nick and I agreed the hushpuppies were the best we'd ever had. Just the right amount of crispiness to warm insides.


The vinegary, buttery barbecue sauce was used by Nick, but I avoided it. I don't think Carolina barbecue is right for me. This is blasphemy, I know, but I prefer the thick, gloppy sweet sauce found in Kansas City or Memphis any day.


We ended up getting a slice of sweet potato pie to go. We wanted the peanut butter pie, but apparently it's served frozen so it would have melted on us. I'm glad we went, but I'm not sure I'll have a hankering for NC barbecue any time soon.

Magnolia Grill

In March our friends Winnie and Jerry sent us a gift card to Magnolia Grill, which was #1 on my list of restaurants to try in Durham. Nick and I decided to redeem it at the beginning of May to celebrate his new job and my being done with my first year of graduate school. Apparently you have to make reservations a month in advance so we decided to try our luck with a walk in right as they opened.


We each ordered an appetizer and an entree. Nick ordered the special app which was a red snapper sashimi in a hot crab broth and the lamb entree with a local spinach salad and some polenta that was very delicious. I got the pork belly appetizer with a butterbean fondue and some pickled turnips that cut the richness of the pork belly. My NC triggerfish entree came with israeli couscous and squid. There was a great interplay between all the textures on the plate. It was a great meal.


The best part came when we ordered dessert. Nick's banana pudding cheesecake and oven roasted bananas came with a candle on it to celebrate his new job. It was a sweet surprise and a great end to a great meal.


The service was excellent, attentive but not too fussy. We were able to catch glimpses of the dinner service from our table, which was very fascinating. There was a chef in particular who was so tall his head grazed the pots in the rack hanging overhead.

Thank you, Winnie and Jerry, for a fabulous dinner experience! We really appreciated it.

Tacomentary and Watts late night

Since I promised this post while I was gone, I want to tell you all about the Tacomentary I went to with Nick, Emily K, Tali, and Gina. I misplaced the pics, though, so none this entry. Some Carpe Durham contributors made a documentary about taco trucks in Durham. On May 1 they held a screening party at Pinhook, complete with Benito's taco truck parked right outside.

We made it there around 7pm, waited in line for an hour, got our tacos and made it inside for the viewing. It was a pretty cool experience, especially since I love taco trucks. Listening to the proprietors with their hope for the future and the pride in their tacos was heartwarming.

Nick and I got some pastor, barbacoa, and lengua tacos. They were delicious and greasy. Unfortunately for Tali and Gina, the taco truck had run out of vegetarian tacos long before we got there, so they were pretty hungry. We headed over to Broad street cafe to listen to some music and have some beer to wait for Watts Grocery late night at 10:30pm.

Tali had the pimiento grilled cheese with fries, Gina had a salad, I had the asparagus bisque and shared a red velvet cupcake with Nick. Emily wanted to have an ice cream sandwich, but they didn't have any so they gave her some ice cream for free. The bisque was intensely asparagus-y while the cupcake disappointed. I had high hopes after my brown butter cupcake there months ago. For one, there was no cream cheese icing! The texture wasn't as creamy as I'd like, either. I think I'll stick to lunch and brunch at Watts Grocery next time.

Saigon Grill

During the last week of classes, I decided again that I was homesick and only some good Vietnamese food would do the trick. It seems like that's my homesickness cure now! We decided to go to Saigon Grill, which just opened a few weeks ago. We had been there once before while they were still working out service issues. The servers were literally running from the table to the kitchen and back again, and the kitchen was slow to churn out orders. We liked the place but agreed to give them some time to get in the groove.

So, this time service was much more streamlined and our food came out in a reasonable amount of time. We ordered goi cuon (spring rolls) to start. Nick got the pho dac biet (deluxe beef noodle soup) and I got bun thit nuong tom cha gio (vermicelli with charbroiled pork, shrimp, and egg roll).


Their rendition of goi cuon was pretty good, but it's pretty easy to make delicious. Nick thought the pho was decent, but needed more flavor. Maybe more star anise or cinnamon which is the opposite of Pho 9N9's version which was way too cinnamony.


I liked my bun but I was sad that they only gave me one cha gio. The shrimp was the best part! There was a good ratio of noodle to vegetation and meat, which is key in the dish. I also liked that they included mint in the lettuce, bean sprout, and cucumber mixture.


As we were paying our bill, I found out that the owner and his family came from Sacramento! Go California! We were pretty dang excited about that. We'll probably be back many times in the future.

Sugarland

On the last day of our classes at UNC, my fellow Robertson Scholar bus riders from the Nicholas School and I walked down Franklin Street to Sugarland Bakery. The bakery specializes in cupcakes, wedding cakes, and gelato. It also features coffee and a full bar, and is open until midnight daily. How's that for variety?

The interior is super cute and whimsical, with turquoise blue walls, bright accessories, and displays of beautifully swirled gelato and delightful cupcakes.


I made each of my companions promise to let me take pictures of their cupcakes before they ate them. I was pretty satisfied with the quality of the pictures. Everyone was a great hand model!

Erin's chocolate chip

Gina's banana nutella

Matt's blood orange and pina colada gelato

A trio of cupcakes for Matt, Matt's wife Brittany, and me (clockwise from top): chocolate malt, carrot cake, and vanilla latte

Andrew's chocolate malt, complete with some non-verbal commentary. =)

I asked him not to hold his up since he was the only one that got a cool plate, and Andrew was playfully offended that I didn't ask him to be a hand model.

I liked my cupcake a whole lot. The frosting was light and not too sugary, while the cake was moist and full of vanilla flavor. The only beef I had was that the cupcakes were in a refrigerated case, so when served the cake was cold and the frosting a dense lump. I insisted on letting mine warm up to room temperature, which again got me some flack from Andrew. It was worth it though, when my vanilla late cupcake was subsequently the most awesome dessert in the world.

I'll be back to try the mini cone gelato sampler this summer!

Sushi and more theater

Edit: Apparently I forgot to upload the pictures!

On Thursday Nick and I went to a production of Pride and Prejudice on the UNC campus, which was an adventure (not all of it good). Beforehand, we stopped at Akai Hana for sushi in Carrboro, a town in which I have not had much experience. After getting confused by the street numbering, we finally found a little sushi restaurant which only had a few diners because it was just a little before 6pm.

I ordered the chicken teriyaki combination which came with chicken teriyaki, mixed tempura, rice, vegetables, a California roll, and salad and miso soup. Nick got the chirashi bowl. Then we decided to order two rolls: a spider roll and a salmon skin roll. Needless to say, it was a lot of food.

My combo was pretty solid if not outstanding. My friend Lyndsay judges Japanese places by the quality of their miso soup, and Akai Hana's version was pretty good. Nothing next to Zen Toro, but that's to be expected.


Nick enjoyed his chirashi but commented that there was way too much rice for the relatively small amount of fish he was given. This is coming from a guy who loves his rice. I thought the piped wasabi was a nice design touch.


Our rolls were mediocre based on texture and the variety of flavor presented. I decided I will only get salmon skin hand rolls from now on.

...
The Pride and Prejudice performance was marred by confusion of seating. They let people sit in our ticketed seats because we arrived at exactly 8pm (after getting lost) while people were still being seated and the performance had not yet started. They told us we could get our seats back at intermission, which meant awkwardly kicking out the people who had been in our seats during the first act.

I also had issues with casting and off-portrayal of characters. I don't mind if they set the play in a new era or have fun with the text. But I don't think you should totally change the essence of the character. I doubt Elizabeth Bennet would really be that weepy or Mrs. Gardiner really that silly. That is wholly reserved for Mrs. Bennet, thank you very much. Also, there was no chemistry between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. You didn't even get the feeling that she was desperate for him. Where's the fun in that?

Toast and a musical

I think I've mentioned Toast before in this blog but it's high time for a legitimate post. I've been there twice before, liking the place but not really liking my sandwich choice all that much. I take the blame for that in choosing badly for myself because Toast's quality is top-notch.

Nick and I ate here for dinner before watching Legally Blonde at the Durham Performing Arts Center back on Tuesday. I just hit the end of a bad week and the Tax Day special meant we could go for $15 each. Score!

At Toast, I finally hit on a great sandwich choice for myself: the rapini, Italian sausage, roasted garlic, and asiago fresca. It was full of different textures and flavors that all worked together really well. I also got a salad on the side.


Nick ordered the prosciutto, tomato, and mozzarella sandwich that he really liked. He also ordered the soup of the day which was a minestrone with pasta, garbanzo beans, asparagus, and parmesan. It was light and good.


The performance was excellent and lighthearted. It was a night of fun and not a lot of thinking which was what I needed. DPAC is amazing, thought the gradation of the seats are a bit steep. Here's our view from our top row of the balcony seats:

Pho 9N9

Two weeks ago I was extremely homesick and decided that even though I was extremely busy, we'd have to remedy it somehow or I'd never get anything done. So, Nick and I headed over to RTP to have dinner at the best (out of a whopping total of three) Vietnamese restaurant in Durham, Pho 9N9. Apparently the name stems from the fact that the restaurant used to be open from 9am to 9pm.

We ordered goi cuon (spring rolls), bun bo hue (spicy beef noodle soup) for me, pho dac biet for Nick, and some com cha thit nuong to go for lunch tomorrow. It was all decent, and hit the spot, especially the goi cuon. My mom used to make them for me after school sometimes. I am thinking I will try to make them myself when the weather gets warmer and I have some free time.

At the end of the meal the owner's daughter took a liking to me and showed me her teddy bears. She proceeded to diagnose and fix their ailments while I dutifully held the doctor's bag and concurred with her recommendations. Nick was pretty amused by the whole thing.

It was a good way to cure the homesickness. By the way, my lunch the next day was excellent.

Alivia's

Nick and I had a very busy Saturday, so we didn't have lunch until 3pm. I made red rice from leftover rice from the fridge and leftover spaghetti sauce, fried some eggs, and threw together a quick salad with carrots, celery, onion, and mushroom and a balsamic vinaigrette.

That night we had dinner at Alivia's in the Brightleaf area of Durham. It's a non-smoking bar/restaurant with what is supposed to be the best patio in Durham. The environmental law clinic was having a fundraiser there for a campaign against a cement plant that is going to be built along the coast of North Carolina.

Nick, Emily, and I shared a table with Emily A. and her parents. It was cool to talk to her parents about blogging and food. I even showed them the pics I took at Mama Dip's the night before.

Nick and I ended up ordering crabcakes and calamari (with pico de gallo and marinara sauce) for appetizers. Apparently calamari with marinara sauce is a regular thing around here. I prefer my calamari with aioli, but that might be a west coast thing. The pico de gallo was extraneous because it never stayed on the calamari. The crabcakes were pretty good and so was the salad that came with them, but they didn't really seem to go together. The slices of bell pepper were a little difficult to eat with the mixed greens because of size.


I got the portabella sandwich with greens and roasted red peppers and a cup of their chicken vegetable soup. The bottom piece of bread was soggy by the time I picked it up to eat my sandwich. Nick got the Alivia's burger with fries. He really likes the crispy fries and he said the burger was pretty good.


We'll probably be back sometime, but it's not on my list of favorites just yet. I liked my lentil burger at the Federal better, but Alivia's is nonsmoking so it might have to trump once in a while.

Mama Dip's

Yesterday Nick and I attended the kickoff party for Nickipedia. At 5:30, we got there too late for food. We only got small bites of what was left, but while there we kept hearing about a good Southern food place in Chapel Hill called Mama Dip's. The more I heard about it, the more I wanted to eat there. I'm all about immediate gratification, so I suggested to Nick and Emily during the FOREM keg that we stop by for a later dinner. By 7:30pm we were on our way to Chapel Hill.

Looking at the menu, we could tell the place was going to be awesome. They have lots of good food and even more decadent desserts. At first, we were ambitious and planned on ordering TONS of food, including three desserts.

We ended up ordering hush puppies and sweet potato biscuits to start. These sounded really good but never actually came out, so I can't tell you how they are. I think our waiter completely forgot about that part of our order.

I got country fried chicken (dark meat, please) with mac and cheese, turnip greens, and cornbread. Emily ordered the chicken and dumplings with mac and cheese, coleslaw, and cornbread. Nick got the smothered pork chops, fried okra, mashed potatoes, and biscuits. Everything was good but the turnip greens could have been better.

Country Fried Chicken

Chicken and Dumplings

Smothered Pork Chops

We were too full to get dessert (pecan pie, bread pudding, and cobbler) but I will be back. And I will be stuffing my face with food.

Zaytinya - Washington DC

Hey guys, I know this post has been long-delayed. I really haven't had the time to devote to it, and I still don't now. I decided I would make it up to you by doing short entry interspersed by a series of photos. Sorry for the blurriness (dim lighting). Zaytinya was recommended to me by a grad school friend, Tali, who went to Georgetown for undergrad. I must say that he has very good taste. Lucky for him, because it would have been sad bump in our friendship if the restaurant sucked. =) Thanks, Tali!

Zaytinya is a mezze restaurant. A shorthand way to describe that would be to say it's the Mediterranean version of Spanish tapas. However, it's so much more than that. The flavors are very thoughtful together. There are a lot of influences present in each dish, as well.

Coming from an Asian family, eating family style is very close to my heart. The principles here are quite different though: small plates and beautiful presentation meant to invite sharing and discussion of tastes are quite different from huge platters of home cooked, messy you-too-skinny-let-me-put-more-food-on your-plate Chinese family dinners. I must say I love both.

Nick, Emily, and I walked over from our awesome hotel. The interior of Zaytinya is cool, hip, modern, and intimate. We each ordered three dishes that came out in groups of three. The kitchen thoughtfully grouped them together into a three course dinner that worked. This was amazing because we each have different tastes. They also served us unlimited puffy, warm pita with Greek olive oil and pomegranate (a twist on the olive oil and balsamic). The pita probably had me declaring my love for the place alone. Emily and Nick both ordered dessert while I had tea.

Course one:
Santorini fava (yellow split pea) soup (S)
Kolokithokeftedes - zucchini and cheese patties, caper-yogurt sauce (E)
Cretan Snails Skordalia - sautéed snails, garlic broth, ouzo, parsley, potato puree (N)


Course two:
Octopus Santorini - grilled baby octopus, marinated onions, capers, yellow split pea puree (S)
Fish special with really great cabbage that I cannot remember (E)
Spanakopita - house made phyllo, spinach, feta cheese (N)


Course three:
Moroccan Couscous Tagine - portobello mushroom, chick peas, sultans radish, harissa broth (S)
Chicken Melanzano - slow cooked chicken breast, zatar pomegranate, charred eggplant puree (E)
Short Rib Kapama - braised boneless short ribs, tomato-cinnamon stew (N)


Dessert:

Hand Crafted Blooming Tea - white tea with marigold and jasmine (S)

Chocolate Visne - milk chocolate cream with cherry sorbet and three caramels (E)
Turkish Coffee Chocolate - warm chocolate cake, bittersweet chocolate flan, and cardamom espuma finished with espresso syrup (N)

We each declared our favorites of each course. I would say the soup, octopus, and short ribs were clear winners. Debating the merits of each dish made the dinner very enjoyable. However, there were some clunkers. I would not recommend the spanakopita. It looked like a giant eggroll.

I look forward to returning sometime with friends that enjoy food. Emily and Nick were excellent dinner companions. It was nice to enjoy this place because I hadn't had a nice, moderately upscale dinner in a while. If you're ever in the DC area, make sure to stop by this gem of a restaurant.