The Weekend in Asheville

For Jessica's birthday weekend, we went to Asheville, NC with friends to visit the Biltmore and sample what the rest of the city had to offer.  Located about four hours west of Raleigh, Asheville is a "hippie" town with a cool downtown scene that has countless bars and restaurants... perfect for a weekend away.

We began our trip with dinner at Lexington Aveneue Brewery, or LAB (http://www.lexavebrew.com/), in downtown.  LAB brews their own beer and also features a variety of cuisines on their menu, including several spin-offs of standard dishes.  I tried their beer flight, which was excellent and had several that I'd order again, before ordering my Buffalo duck wings. 

I was a bit apprehensive with my order, as I'm not huge into Buffalo sauce, but our waitress gave me a sample ahead of time and I found it to be more Asian-influenced than the typical flavor.  The duck wings, which are big but not overly meaty, came served with some fried duck skin tossed in the same sauce, all on top of a bed of fried brussel sprout leaves.  The duck skin was sublime and the highlight of the dish; the crispy texture and strong duck flavor were amazing and made up for the mediocre wings themselves.  The brussel sprout leaves were shockingly good... I HATE brussel sprouts but the individual leaves fried crisp were quite tasty.  Our table mowed through the huge pile I was served.  Others at the table tried the pho, the sliders, and a flatbread pizza, with generally good results.

Our night continued at a small French bistro for drinks and dessert, where I felt slightly out of place, and then ended at the Bier Garden.  The Bier Garden feels like a bar attached to an empty food court, but the menu was plentiful for any drinks you'd want and the large screen televisions allowed us to watch Oklahoma State mess up the whole BCS this year!

We began Saturday with a trip to the Biltmore.  The whole scope of the place is ridiculous; the land on which it sits is huge and the house is comprised of 250 rooms!  My favorite rooms in the house were the swimming pool (shockingly advanced with a heating system) and kitchen (which actually had various rooms for baking / cooking / storing foods).  I'd recommend a trip here for those who love historic landmarks.

Bistro pizza

After the house tour, we went to another area with their winery and shops.  Our group settled on the Bistro for lunch, a slightly overpriced and fancy lunch locale that delivered with their food.  I had the beef short rib pizza, and wasn't disappointed.  They added caramelized onions, bacon, and BBQ sauce to the short rib and cheese, all of which really combined for good flavor.  My only minor criticism would be that the braised short ribs not be cooked down in tomato sauce, which didn't seem to mesh as well with the other flavors.  Had they just gone with a sweet BBQ sauce alone for the pizza, it would have been a bit more successful.

After lunch, we enjoyed a wine tasting and tour of the winery (all included in our Biltmore ticket!).  I am not huge into wine but thought their testing was well done; the server seemed knowledgeable even if he did slosh wine on my friend.  The tour was okay but would have benefited from a better guide as the girl didn't seem to know too much about the process.

Before dinner, our group visited the Grove Park Inn, which seems to be the crown jewel hotel in Asheville.  Overlooking the city from the top of a hill, the Grove Park Inn had a cool veranda area, a nice looking golf course, a great indoor bar / sitting spot, and even a fantastic gingerbread house competition!  We had a drink here, enjoyed the competition, and went on our way to dinner.

Butter chicken at Mela

For arguably the best meal of the trip, we tried the Indian restaurant Mela for dinner.  While the wait lasted far longer than we were told it would (more like 45 minutes instead of 20, so make reservations), it was well worth it.  I tried their chickpea-batter fried calamari to start, and was impressed.  The batter itself packed a lot of flavor, and the crispiness held strong through the course of eating.

I chose the butter chicken (a special that night) for my entree, along with garlic and regular naan.  The butter chicken was, to me, like a better version of chicken tikki masala.  The sauce was slightly sweeter but still very similar to the creamy tomato sauce I'm used to.  They packed my bowl with chicken, made tender from simmering in the tomato cream sauce, and served with white rice.  Everything was prepared perfectly, with the naan (as always for me) the star of the show.  I really enjoyed the chicken but probably preferred the naan dipped in the sauce better! 

After dinner, our night ended as the wear from the day and the night before hit hard.

The final stop on our food tour was the Tupelo Honey Cafe (http://www.tupelohoneycafe.com/), an Asheville staple in downtown.  The restaurant fits in perfectly with the city's atmosphere... hippie and organic with an open kitchen showing all of the chefs hard at work.  We were seated at the high-top "bar", giving us a perfect view of the cooking and food preparation!

I chose their fried chicken and biscuits for breakfast (pictured at the top of this post).  The fried chicken breast was killer; heavily flavored from seasoned flour and crisp without being greasy.  On a biscuit or sandwich, this would blow any other version I've had out of the water.  Instead, though, they serve the chicken over two split biscuits covered in milk gravy.  First, I had zero chance of finishing with all that was on my plate (especially since they served Jessica and I each a biscuit beforehand).  Second, I've never had ANYTHING that better showed off the Southern style of cooking.  The biscuits were great and the milk gravy was beyond rich.  It was creamy and seasoned well, making the whole biscuit concoction seem almost more like mashed potatoes!  After hearing so much hype for the Tupelo Honey Cafe, I was worried I'd be disappointed.  Surely, I was not and I've love to try it for dinner sometime.

Our trip to Asheville was great.  We enjoyed a wonderful weekend with friends and sampled such a wide variety of cuisines, from modern American to Indian to true Southern.  While the Biltmore is the main attraction for tourists making the trip to Asheville, I think the downtown area and Grove Park Inn are worth the drive alone.

TerraFin Station in Garner

After hearing many great things about TerraFin Station (http://www.terrafinstation.com/TerraFin_Station/Home.html) at 40/42 in Garner, I finally had a chance to try it myself a couple of weeks ago.  I went with a group of friends after a day of golf and sampled several of their best known dishes.



Lobster and shrimp mac and cheese



The restaurant is split into two areas; one main dining area and then a more pub-style bar area.  The dining room looked nice enough but the casual atmosphere and quality juke box in the bar area was great.  We were served by the bar tender and never had issues getting more drinks or having food come out quickly.

To start, we all sampled their calamari, wings, and fried shrimp.  Each was good in its own right; crisp from the frying process without being greasy and generally fresh-tasting.  I didn't really notice anything that stood out from the group, but I enjoyed the BBQ wings best for the sweet flavor and crunchy texture.  For bar food, all three certainly held their own.

On special, the chef was offering Guinness-braised short ribs with mashed potatoes.  Our table split an order to sample, and I was quite impressed.  The beef was extremely tender and plentiful, with good flavor and great marbling.  While I typically prefer short ribs to be finished in a sweet sauce to compliment the beef flavor, I found the gravy-style sauce perfectly suitable and quite good actually.  The mashed potatoes were fairly standard, but also tasty.



Ribeye (shown with mashed potatoes



For my main course, I chose the ribeye and had lobster and shrimp mac and cheese as my side.  To the steak first... TerraFin specializes in hand-cut Angus beef and they certainly didn't disappoint.  The ribeye was perfectly cooked medium-rare and extremely juicy.  The marbled fat, my favorite part of this cut, was melt-in-my-mouth delicious and was taken over the top by the butter finished on top.  For the cost (less than $20), I am not sure I can think of a better steak.  Compared with the major steakhouses charging $35-40 for various beef cuts by themselves, I'd call this a steal!

The lobster and shrimp mac and cheese, another TerraFin specialty, was different than I expected but still very good.  It's clear the chef knows how to cook the shellfish as both the shrimp and lobster pieces were perfectly cooked, still tender and flavorful which is tough to do with a hot pasta dish.  Both are served in great quantities in the dish, which is a surprise given the cost and the common method of skimping on lobster in particular.  As far as the pasta goes, I'd rather they use either macaroni or spirals.  The penne didn't hold the cheese sauce very well (which also had great flavor) and generally looked odd on the plate to me.  While the whole flavor profile of the dish was spot-on, I found it somewhat visually challenging, which always makes a difference.

Overall, TerraFin Station delivered consistently good food with quality ingredients.  I didn't find the creativity in dishes that can separate good from great, but I enjoyed everything I tried and felt that the prices were beyond reasonable.  While it's a bit of a drive for anyone living west of downtown Raleigh, I'd highly recommend TerraFin Station for those in the Clayton area looking to find upscale food that won't break the bank.

Second Empire in Raleigh

For Jessica's birthday, we went to one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Raleigh, Second Empire (http://www.second-empire.com/).  Second Empire was the first "nice" restaurant I ever tried in Raleigh (with my mom on one of her visits here) and it is probably most to credit for my love of food and fine dining.

The restaurant is split in two pieces; there is a more formal upstairs dining room and a more casual, but still very nice, Tavern in the basement.  In the main dining room, I'd recommend that you wear a jacket so I always lean towards the Tavern as the menu is the same (actually, you get more options!) and it's not quite as stuffy.  I have never been dissatisfied with the food or service, which is probably second to the Fearrington House only, eating downstairs.

Pork belly

To begin the meal, Jessica and I tried a cheese plate.  Our server recommended one and we added two of our own, all of which ended up being delicious.  The cheese is served with crisps and small baguette pieces, as well as fruit.  I found the baguette to be best with the cheese, as I could make a sandwich.  I'd also mention that the bread and butter service here, with freshly baked bread, is amazing.  One of my friends once said that he could be fine just eating their bread and I'd be hard to disagree.

For appetizer, Jessica and I split their pork belly, which came over top of a bean and tomato ragout and a green tomato and mango salsa.  Pork belly is quickly becoming one of my favorite foods, and this was a great example why... the belly was both crisp and tender, with bacon-y flavor magnified many times over.  I find that sweet Asian glazes are the perfect compliment to the pork, and Second Empire followed suit perfectly here.  I wasn't into the bean ragout (as I don't like beans) but Jessica seemed to think it was okay.

Beef short rib and cheek

For my main course, I went with a duet of beef short rib and cheek.  It's hard for me to verbalize the difference in the two, as both are very tender and flavorful, but I'd say the short rib is a bit more "beefy" while the cheek is more tender and refined.  I personally prefer beef (or veal) cheek as it seems to be a but more buttery, but both are always great, especially with a sweet reduction.  Again, Second Empire more than met my expectation for this with their brown ale reduction from a local brewery; the sweet flavor from the beer raises the dish to another level.  As my sides, I had butternut squash mash as well as mashed potatoes.  Both were good, but nothing overly unique or mind-blowing.  The clear stars of the dish were the meats, just the way I would want!

Jessica had delicious scallops for dinner as well as a gingerbread cake with pear and maple ice cream for dessert.  I tried the scallops, which were very good although again nothing new, and Jessica claimed dessert was an all-time great!

For me, Second Empire will always have a special place in my foodie pecking order.  It's ultimately what began my food journey in Raleigh and I've never had a bad meal here in eight or so visits.  Some may complain that prices are too high but I don't really agree; I've never once felt robbed with my meal.  Time and again, the food, service, and atmosphere at Second Empire deliver for me a great dining experience, both for special occasions and a surprise night out.

Our Trip to Newport

This past weekend, Jessica and I (along with our friends Trace and Jase) went to Newport, Rhode Island for the wedding of our friends Natalie and Jared.  We made it a three-and-a-half day weekend trip, so it was a nice mini-vacation.  Along the way, we found great food in all sorts of places and really had a wonderful time.

5:30 PM arrival in Boston - The group flew into Boston and then drove to Rhode Island, which offered the perfect chance to sample THE staple of New England eating... Dunkin Donuts.  I polished off a Fall Harvest doughnut (glazed with orange icing and sprinkles on top) and we were on our way.

7:30 PM in Newport - After checking into the hotel, we all decided to check out a sports bar for the Penguins game as well as the Yankees-Tigers showdown.  Across the street from where we stayed was Tickets (http://ticketsbarandgrill.com/), a solid spot offering 10% off our bill (which we may or may not have gotten, who knows) from our hotel.

Upon entering, everyone noticed how great the pizza looked but Jason and I decided to hold off until the hockey game for that... the table instead started with coconut shrimp and sweet potato fries.  The shrimp were HUGE and extremely good; they were firm but tender and very fresh-tasting.  The coconut flavor was minor, which I appreciated not being a huge fan, but the overall taste was great.  The sweet potato fries were standard but also excellent, another great start to the meal.

The entrees were somewhat less successful, although mine was solid.  Jessica and Jason tried the fish tacos, which lacked a sauce to pull together the flavors, while Trace had okay salmon.  My fish and chips (made with tilapia) was tasty but had two problems.  First, the batter wasn't fully crisp upon serving; I suspect steam from the cooking process caused the problem.  Second, and more critically, the fish wasn't the best cut.  I noticed a slight discoloration which isn't catastrophic but consistently produces an off flavor that I don't find appealing (I've never understood why restaurants don't cut this part out, except I know the exact reason is cost).  Still, the fish and chips were solid as were the countless Crown and Cokes put down to this point.

Tickets Pizza

10 PM at Tickets - With the girls tiring and the Pens game about to start, we split with the girls going back to the hotel to sleep and Jason and I bunkering down for opening hockey night.  Into the second period we pulled the trigger on ordering a pepperoni pizza and were blown away by the deliciousness.  Sure, the drinks and sports added to the experience, but the pizza was absolutely killer (a great "What could have been?" for the weekend is if I tried ordering three minutes later than I did when the kitchen would have been closed and we didn't try it... YIKES).  I dominated my first three slices and Jason had two; soon-to-be-groom Jared and his buddy Josh came to visit shortly thereafter (a nice guy move if I've ever seen one) and Josh killed the third for Jason.  In the third period, Jason caught me with his third and I then "won" with my fourth during the shootout which the Pens ultimately won (on Geno and Letang goals).  The fourth piece was over the top but too good to leave on the table... who knows when I'll ever go back!

1:30 AM in Newport - Bedtime

12 PM at Cafe Zelda - Those without wedding duties gathered at Jared's dad's restaurant, Cafe Zelda (http://www.cafezelda.com/) for lunch and too many drinks.  This began the infamous "Storm's Brewing" running joke from Jason that really held for the whole trip and then some, celebrating what can best be described as a mediocre beer, Newport Storm.  I, for my part, stuck with the standard Crown and Coke and had an amazing steak sandwich for lunch after great bread with gorgonzola dipping sauce.

The steak sandwich was medium rare hanger steak piled high on a roll and topped with cheese and caramelized onions.  The beef was extremely tender, more so than I knew hanger steak could be, and also full of flavor.  This was only heightened by the cheese and especially the sweet onions, which probably made the dish.  As I watched others with their sandwiches and what not, I knew I had the best thing which is always a great feeling (Jared will argue the Savoyard is much better, but that's difficult to imagine for me).  After too many hours of drinking and game-playing (some ring toss game that needs to be seen to understand as my word skills would make it sound far too confusing), it was off to the wedding.

4:30 PM in Newport - Wedding highlights (great bride and groom of course, but the random stuff...
- Best pita chips I've EVER had for appetizers plus great bruschetta
- Three (3!) types of clam chowder (Manhattan, Rhode Island, New England)
- New drinking game learned (simplest I've played)
- Rolls and beef were my dinner highlights (I will always contend I could live off of good bread and butter for the rest of my life)
- A dog trotting through the ceremony and everyone taking it in stride
- One of the best wedding dance efforts from the whole reception I've ever seen

10:30 AM in Newport - Brunch time the day after, and I went this time with the burger.  Cleverly, I replaced the mushrooms with bacon and was the envied person at the table again.  My knack for picking the best menu options at restaurants is really growing into one of my best life skills, which is both a compliment and an indictment on my lack of other skills.  Our brunch ended with a tough effort from the waitress trying to split the check (20 minutes!) but hardly ruined anything for me.



Legal's Shrimp

 4 PM in Boston - After stopping quickly at Legal Seafoods (http://www.legalseafoods.com/) so Jessica could try their clam chowder and I could down some fried shrimp (both of which were delicious of course), we toured MIT and Newbury Street before heading to the North End for dinner.  We found ourselves at Ristorante Limoncello (http://www.ristorantelimoncello.com/) and I was impressed.

The bread was served with fresh olive oil and olives themselves; I enjoyed the bread and the fruity taste of the oil a lot.  Jessica had their caprese salad which was served with amazing buffalo mozzarella, truly a step up from standard varieties.  They seasoned it perfectly and made me wish they had it in fried form (of course they did not). 

For dinner I had their shrimp in tomato cream sauce with fresh spaghetti; the dish was simple but excellent.  Four large shrimp were perfectly cooked and tasted especially good covered in the sauce.  The pasta was served al dente for an extra bite; it was more that way than I've ever had but I really enjoyed it.  The fresh pasta was noticeable and really a pleasure to eat in the sauce, although I'm sure I did not do it properly for the all-Italian staff (who were amazingly attentive in a PACKED restaurant).  Our whole meal was simple, fresh, and very "authentic", which is all we could ask.

After dinner, Jessica and I walked to Mike's Pastries (http://www.mikespastry.com/) a famous and ridiculously crowded bakery also in the North End.  While I felt like we were part of a mob, we were able to get her order in and be whisked away in our cab in 20 minutes or so. 

From the pizza at Tickets to our North End trip and everything in between, neither Jessica nor I could have asked for a better weekend of friends and food.  The wedding was great, the group of friends even better, and the food a perfect combination of new and old, basic and elaborate.  Hopefully we'll make another trip up!

Recent Dining Experiences

In the past several weeks, I've had the chance to eat twice in Clayton at Skylines Cafe (http://skylinescafe.com/), as well as go to Fleming's (http://www.flemingssteakhouse.com/) in Raleigh.  Without full reviews, I'll offer a couple of thoughts on both places...

Skylines

While Clayton is light in nicer restaurants, Skylines serves solid American food (steaks, seafood, pastas, etc.) without being too expensive.  Jessica and I have tried it twice, and I'd say it's one-for-two in my book with my meals. 

They consistently serve solid appetizers (calamari being one of the best) but their entrees are a bit hit and miss.  On my first trip, I had their jambalaya with chicken.  The dish had a one-note bland flavor of bell pepper and didn't have the strong variety of flavors (sausage, tomatoes, chicken) normally found in such a dish.  My second effort, though, introduced me to swai, a white fish that was breaded and served with a sweet lime-tequila sauce.  The fish was cooked perfectly, light but crispy from the breading, and the sauce was an ideal compliment to complete the dish.

Skylines does a good job with their lunch, and while the service can frequently be slower than you'd like, it's normally friendly.  For "foodies" in the Clayton area, it offers one of the few places to feel like you've stepped out of the typical chain restaurants and into a nicer dining establishment.

Fleming's

Fleming's, like Ruth's Chris, Morton's, and other "chain" high-end steakhouses, consistently puts out a good product.  They use quality beef and traditional preparation that always leaves me extremely satisfied at the end of the meal.  As I've gotten more into food, though, I feel that these steakhouses (and even many of the non-chains you can find around the country) are less appealing to me when compared with local restaurants offering more variety.  While the steakhouses all are very good, they lack the variety and creativity that I seek more often when I'm spending top dollar for dinner.

Fleming's, serving a very good but standard steak, does have a few menu items to separate themselves from others.  Their bread "butters", sundried tomato for one and chive / cream cheese-ish for the other, are both delectable.  I also highly recommend the chipotle macaroni and cheese, which is creamy, cheesy, but with a kick at the end that is quite unique.  I always enjoy their bone-in ribeye, a huge chunk of beef served medium rare with great flavor, but even this is something found at most good steak places.

More and more, I think steakhouses are starting to lose their grip on the "foodie" public.  While relying on the dark wood old school atmosphere, they are falling behind on food innovation and creativity.  I've seen more and more places start to offer steak options, such as dry aged versus wet aged, Wagyu beef, and other "special" cuts, but I believe the chefs at these places will need to really step ahead if they're to grow and continue to be fine dining destinations.

Buku in Raleigh



For dinner last night, Jessica and I tried Buku (http://bukuraleigh.com/buku/) in downtown Raleigh.  I had eaten dinner there once before, as well as brunch and lunch, but this was my first focused look at the former Fins chef's new effort.  We simplified the process by settling in at the bar rather than getting a table and enjoyed a great meal filled with such great variety and flavor.



Buku starters

To start, we sampled their world breads with three dipping sauces (cilantro chutney, mango habanero salsa, and raita) as well as their crunch tuna roll and Cambodia roll.  The breads were fantastic; they had Indian naan with thinly sliced onion as well as a pita type bread and something similar to a burrito shell but more hearty.  The supply was ample and everything came hot, seemingly straight from the oven.  I was not a fan of our chutney (cilantro is not my thing) but the raita and salsa were both excellent.  The raita was cool, smooth, thick, and refreshing while the salsa had a good fruit flavor and heat as an after taste that worked very well.

The rolls were good as well, although both could probably use a little tweaking to match my tastes.  I enjoyed the crunchy tuna roll very much but would next time favor the spicy tuna roll; I didn't like the roll being warm and while the tempura offered a crunchy texture, I don't think it was worth compromising the refreshing nature of cool sushi.  The Cambodia roll was filled with shrimp and a variety of vegetables; I felt it was exceptionally fresh, crunchy, and when paired with its spicy peanut dipping sauce, quite flavorful.  However, for me, I think spicing the shrimp or replacing it with marinated chicken (Jessica's idea!) could bring it to an even higher place.

Short ribs

Thankfully, Jessica and I ordered our meal as we went; at one point we planned to order far more food than we actually did but the portions were large and filling so we geared down.  After really enjoying our appetizers, we moved on to our main dishes.  Jessica ordered the sake-braised short ribs and I went with the cochinita pibil, which was essentially pork tacos with pickled onion and habanero salsa.  The short ribs were, without question, the highlight of our excellent meal.  The beef was beyond tender, with the fat truly melting into the meat to form a single consistency.  The sake and black sesame flavoring adding a sweetness to the beef, which is always my favorite combination with short ribs.  The tacos, while good, did not quite match the short ribs.  The pulled pork was tender and the corn tortillas were soft and fresh; I simply found that the habanero salsa could have been included slightly more.  In the bites where I had the sauce, pork, and onion together, I was very impressed.

Jessica had Buku's tiramisu for dessert; it came in a fancy glass and had the chocolate sauce poured down through the layers with fancy handy work from the server.  She immediately proclaimed it one of the best versions she's had, matching that at Il Palio in Chapel Hill.

On top of the wonderful food, our service at the Buku bar was excellent.  The bartender consistently provided us with great recommendations and ultimately shaped the meal we had.  She steered us to the short ribs, the tacos, the breads, and their sauces, probably the four highlights of the meal.

Every aspect of our Buku experience was top-notch; we loved the food, the atmosphere, and the service.  It is the rare restaurant, because of the small plates concept, that allows the diner to sample so many different world flavors to truly have a unique meal.  Going back, we could select a completely different menu and I suspect still be wildly satisfied.  For those who like international food, or those looking to expand their palate, few places could offer what Buku does.

Chart House on Hilton Head Island

Each year, my family goes to Hilton Head for vacation over Labor Day.  One night of each week, we try a new restaurant to sample some of the island's fine seafood dining.  We have tried restaurants on coves, near the ocean; restaurants old and new, but nothing has matched this year's dinner at Chart House (http://www.chart-house.com/), located on the north end of the island.  This year, we went to celebrate my uncle's birthday, but for any reason or excuse, this is the best place we've been!

To start, the service was excellent.  Our waitress was extremely attentive and helpful with recommendations, although she was probably a tiny bit talkative for the table.  Our glasses were always kept full, the bread service (including fantastic fresh-baked poppy seed rolls as well as sweet cornbread and jalapeno biscuits) was fast, and each entree came piping hot and exactly as ordered.  I felt like we were neither rushed nor ignored, which is always tough at busy restaurants.

Our table ordered the fried calamari and fried green tomatoes as starters.  The calamari came with assorted other fried items (peppers, sweet potatoes, plantains) and was quite tender and flavorful.  I didn't notice any greasy taste or texture with the squid but felt the sweet dipping sauce could have used a bit more spice as a compliment.  The fried green tomatoes were equally good; the crisp breading wasn't soaked with oil and remained crunchy throughout eating.  I thought that the tomatoes were less acidic and more "meaty" (both good things) than other varieties of this dish that I've tried.  Overall, the appetizers and bread were a great start to our meal.

For my main course, I was overcome with choices but went with the spicy yellowfin tuna served with wasabi mashed potatoes.  Additionally, two sauces (wasabi cream and ginger soy) dressed the plate and added complimentary taste without covering the tuna at all.  The tuna itself was seared rare and served with blackening spice that was a thin coating perfect for the thickness of the tuna.  The meaty, mild flavor of the rare tuna was the best I've had (possibly tied with 42nd Street Oyster Bar randomly) and all of the accompaniments really added to the overall dish.  I loved the mashed potatoes, particularly with the variety of sauces, but didn't notice a lot of difference between these and the standard mashed Yukons served.

While my meal was perfect, I was fortunate enough to try several others from my family; mahi mahi, crispy redfish, and stuffed shrimp.  All were topped decadently with lump crab and various sauces that gave richness to already delicious seafood.  I couldn't pick a favorite really, all had great parts to them, but I was surprised most by the stuffed shrimp, which I typically find to be basic and bland (these were not; the spices and crab stuffing really carried a lot of taste adding to large, flavorful shrimp).  All in all, I didn't have a single bite during my meal that wasn't amazing.

The Chart House set a new standard for our family in Hilton Head dining.  Few restaurants in Raleigh or anywhere else outside of New York really compare in my opinion.  We've tried many of the best places on the island here but to a person, we're all excited to come back to the Chart House next year to see what they offer next!

Chicago Chophouse

A recent trip to the Midwest to visit some friends took my wife and I to Chicago. We spent the weekend in downtown Chicago, and did the typical touristy type activities, as neither my wife, nor I had ever been there. By Friday night, we all had worked up quite an appetite, so I resorted to google searching “Chicago Steakhouses” on my phone. Fortunately for us the options were plentiful, and we decided on The Chicago Chop House. We made reservations for 9:15pm, and went back to our respective hotel rooms to freshen up before dinner.

Paola and I arrived at the restaurant at about 8:50pm or so, as we had no idea how long it would take to get a cab from our hotel to the restaurant. Obviously, not as long as we had allowed for, but this was no issue, as we just grabbed a seat at the bar and had a drink before dinner. The restaurant ambiance and overall feel was quite nice, and very unique. The entire restaurant was decorated with Al Capone artwork and news clippings, which added to the unique feel of the establishment. There was also a pianist who played throughout the night, not loud enough to be a nuisance, but just loud enough to tell what was being played. At one point, the pianist went from “Faithfully” to “Come Sail Away” to “Don’t Stop Believing.” If you know anything about me, this was one of the highlights of my night.

There were two levels to the restaurant, but we did not go up to the second level, so I couldn’t tell you anything about it. The downstairs area was fairly small but inexplicably, we never felt cramped in the slightest. There was a good sized bar in the middle of the downstairs, with a very personable bartender, who got extra points from me for her ability to tolerate the guy sitting next to me at the bar, who was the kind of person who had just enough to drink to try and talk to everyone at the bar within non shouting range of him. This would include the bar tender, who just smiled and laughed off his terrible remarks.

After a simple glass of red wine and a dirty martini, we made our way to our table and were greeted by Benjamin, our waiter for the evening. You could tell he was from the Chicago area, based solely on his accent. He was extremely knowledgeable about the various cuts of meat that were offered (I didn’t realize the difference between wet aging, dry aging, etc., even though the name suggests exactly what it is), as well as the wine in their extensive wine list. We looked through the wine list, and quickly came to the realization that we were well out of our league when it came to drinks. The cheapest bottle of wine I remember seeing was $70, with most of the bottles settling in the $200-$400 range. Oddly enough, the wine by the glass prices were fair, so most of us chose to go that route.

Benjamin returned to discuss appetizers, all of which sounds extremely tasty. We settled on an order of sashimi grade yellow fin tuna with a ground cacao, pepper and espresso rub. This was easily the best tuna I have ever had, and was cooked to perfection. After the four of us mowed through the tuna, our steaks were delivered. I ordered a dry-aged bone-in filet, which was butterflied to allow even cooking all the way through, as I like my steaks cooked a little past medium. Paola ordered the wet-aged filet cooked medium-well. Both steaks were phenomenal and cooked to perfection.

Benjamin continued to come by and check on the table to make sure our glasses were never empty, and that everything was cooked the way we liked, but did not come by so often that it was annoying. As nothing annoys me more about a waiter, then when they come to ask how everything is before you’ve even taken the first bite of your meal. Everyone at the table finished their dinner, with Paola being the only one to take part of their meal in a doggy bag. This worked out great for me, as I ate the remainder of her steak, cold, for breakfast the next morning. It was still extremely tasty.

Having a later dinner reservation, we finished with drinks and dinner at close to 11:30pm, and were pretty much the last people in the restaurant, but we never felt like we were being rushed out of the place, or anything of the sort. Overall, the food, service and ambiance of The Chicago Chop House was amazing...but, it came at a price. It definitely isn’t the cheapest of options, but I think it's worth experiencing at least once if you are in the city. I can’t imagine there are too many places where you can hear Journey and the Styx, while eating phenomenal food with phenomenal service.

Written by guest blogger Andy Thore.

Cantina South on Glenwood

For one of Jessica's friend's going-away parties, a group of us went to Cantina South for dinner last night.  The restaurant has replaced Bogart's downtown, and while they've significantly changed the decor, it's hard not to be reminded of Bogart's, one of my favorite bars downtown, upon entering.

We started at the bar, and a familiar trend for the night began.  The restaurant has only been open for a month or so and it is clear they're still working out many kinks.  In an uncrowded bar, it probably took 10-15 minutes to have our drink orders taken.  The variety of specialty cocktails were good though, and the bar area is nice, so I chalked this problem up to growing pains.

Upon moving to our table, we were given the option of the regular menu or the Restaurant Week menu (three courses for $20).  Both Jessica and I chose the $20 route to sample a variety of their offerings without breaking the bank (normal appetizers were around $10-12 and entrees at or above $20).  For starters, Cantina South doesn't provide free chips and salsa; this is not completely unexpected but still a bit annoying.  The table ordered guacamole though, which was extremely well-received!

I also sampled their tuna ceviche ahead of my three-course meal.  This was definitely the highlight of the evening; the sweet mango, avocado, and red onion complimented the fresh tuna very well, and the "sauce" was really flavorful if even only on a chip (or one of the three plantain chips served alongside).  I could have done without the cilantro, but that is par for the course so I can't dock points.  All in all, it was some of the best ceviche I've had and certainly something worth trying here.

Unfortunately, the rest of my meal was a letdown.  For both appetizer and entree, I had duck; first in flauta form and then as a roasted breast and quarter.  The duck flauta appetizer wasn't terrible but it also really didn't have much standout flavor.  It could have been pork, chicken, or beef and tasted the same, and would have benefitted greatly from a sweet dipping sauce.  The dinner wasn't a whole lot better; the breast had a nice spice crust but was overcooked and the breast/leg quarter was difficult to even cut because it was tough.  Additionally, they ignored a signature of duck (crispy skin) and instead had a greasy outer coating that offered little flavor.

Dessert was a banana empanada for me, which was solid.  Jessica had their lime cheesecake, which was good but lacked any true lime flavor.

Overall, it's hard to figure out Cantina South.  Having been open only a few weeks, I believe it's probably worth waiting for another six months or so to a) give them a chance to figure out what they're doing and b) see if they stay in business.  The ceviche showed a flash of brilliance, but the duck was overcooked mightily on two separate dishes.  I am not sure if the chef (who is allegedly a Mexican national) hasn't yet trained his cooks properly or if the restaurant is just trying to win on volume and location and not quality, but there is work to do.  The service was only marginally better as I felt that the two waiters were trying to convince us how good everything was rather than letting us decide, but that too can be corrected. 

In summary, if you want traditional Mexican food that you're familiar with, go to your local place, save money, and enjoy.  If you feel a bit more experimental with flavors and ingredient combinations, go to Mez (http://www.mezdurham.com/) and get a top-notch meal.

Cooking at Home: Meatballs

Most nights at our house are spent cooking dinner rather than going out; it's the best way to save money and also keep the idea of going to a restaurant a "special occasion".  It's often tough to find a homemade meal that is simple to make, packed with flavor, and reasonably healthy, but I've come up with a basic meatball and red sauce recipe that manages to do all three (~ 600 calories for two meatballs with the sauce, plenty for me).  Below is the recipe I follow, but of course there are many opportunities within what I've done to make it better and make it your own!

Red sauce ingredients (makes ~ 8 servings with the meatballs)

- 1 can (7 cups) of crushed tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano but any will do)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic (just enough to taste it in the sauce; no need to use less but more would work)
- 3-5 tablespoons of sugar (to taste; helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes when not using San Marzano)
- Salt / pepper / dried basil / dried oregano to taste

Directions

- Heat the olive oil in a sauce pot at medium heat
- Saute the garlic (I use a micro planer rather than chopping or using a garlic press) until just before browned
- Add the tomatoes and reduce the heat to low
- Add the seasonings and sugar to taste (continue during cooking as the sauce reduces)
- After 2 hours, the sauce is ready

Meatball ingredients (makes 8 meatballs, I find that 2-3 are appropriate per person)

- 1 pound of 80/20 ground beef
- 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (preferred over grated)
- 2 eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and form meatballs (slightly smaller than racquetballs)
- Cook for 15 minutes then flip and cook for another 15 minutes
- Cover with sauce and enjoy

Flights at the Renaissance Hotel in North Hills

After a bit of a dining hiatus, Jessica and I finally made it back out to try another restaurant from our list, Flights at North Hills.  Situated inside the Renaissance Hotel, Flights is what I'd call a hidden gem, with a modern, open dining area that seems more lounge than fine dining establishment.

Gemelli and cheese

We tried two appetizers to start; the fried gemelli and cheese and the night's special, which was cornmeal crusted scallops with a bacon-corn relish.  The fried gemelli and cheese was a spin on truffled macaroni and cheese; instead of being presented as a creamy bowl of pasta, the dish was served as three fried "nuggets" filled with the familiar white truffle oil and cheese flavors.  The crust of the fried bite was perfect; exceptionally crisp but not the least bit greasy, and the inside was perfectly creamy and bursting with flavor.  The nuggets were served over a tomato cream and basil oil, a surprisingly effective flavor addition that turned a traditional favorite into a more modern presentation.

Scallops

As good as the mac and cheese bites were, they paled in comparison to the scallop dish.  Two large scallops were coated on both sides with cornmeal and pan-fried until crispy and just cooked through.  The combination of crunch and sweetness from the scallop was enough to earn high marks, but the addition of a thick-cut piece of bacon as well as an amazing bacon-corn relish went above and beyond.  Jessica commented that we can never have corn again without bacon bits, as the two flavors were a perfect compliment and instantly made us question how we'd never had it before!



Cornish hen

For my entree, I had another twist on the traditional fried chicken and waffles.  Here, they served a whole Cornish game hen with a cheddar-jalapeno waffle, accompanied  by skillet potatoes and a terrific parsnip and chive puree with red eye gravy.  The Cornish hen was great; the breading was filled with flavor and perfectly seasoned.  The crispiness was a good match for the juicy meat of the bird, and the puree was an amazing match with both the meat and the breading, creating a taste I've never had before but want again soon!  The waffle was good but a bit heavy; I think a lighter version would have worked better with the dish.  The potatoes were nothing overly special and could have used a bit more carmelization.  Still, the bird and puree / gravy combination was a unique and extremely successful combination that I'd recommend highly.

Jessica had their filet, which was magnificent and one of the better steaks I've had at a non-steakhouse.  She enjoyed the rest of her meal and also was very impressed by their Dulce de leche root beer float as dessert.

Flights is a bit different than most of the other restaurants we like in the area; the dining area is modern and understated and food presentation is highlighted with each dish.  Still, the variety and uniqueness of the menu, coupled with the great service and terrific flavor of everything we tried, makes Flights another place I'd strongly recommend.  Few people seem aware that it exists, much less that it's very good, but that's even more reason to get ahead of the curve and try it!