18 Seaboard in Raleigh

Last Thursday, Jessica and I went with friends (who graciously treated us to celebrate our engagement and upcoming wedding) to 18 Seaboard (http://www.18seaboard.com/) in downtown Raleigh.  18 Seaboard is part of Seaboard Station, located off of Peace Street and next to J. Betski's in the shopping complex.  We hadn't been back here together since our first date for more than two years ago, so it was a fitting celebration!

The restaurant served us all a pimento cheese crostini as a first bite, and then had standard bread service at the table.  The crostini was good although I thought the pimento cheese was a bit on the "creamy" side, if that is possible.  The flavor was good but the texture was somewhat off for me.  The bread and butter at the table was fairly standard, but quite good.  As always, I had to hold myself back from eating too much and filling up ahead of the meal.

Both Jessica and I started our meal with an appetizer; she had the warm manchego cheese and I had the sweet potato bisque.  Jessica's dish was delicious for the one bite I had; the cheese was melted and served on focaccia with some greens and a sweet sauce.  My soup was wonderful as well.  It was extremely smooth and somewhat light but also very flavorful.  The bisque was served piping hot with a cool cream (with apples and pecans mixed in) that provided a nice contrast. 

For the main course, I tried the special for the night, which was wild boar short ribs with grilled shrimp and roasted new potatoes (Jessica had the tuna, which I tried, and really enjoyed it as well.  It was perfectly cooked medium rare and had good flavor and texture).  My dish was finished with a cherry reduction, and also served with a side of cheese grits.  The shorts ribs were fantastic; I was given half a full rack (six bones or so) of the most tender, flavorful pork with the sweet sauce a great addition.  The boar was a perfect combination of meat and fat, which gave an excellent combination of taste and texture.  The roasted potatoes and cheese grits were also well-prepared and delicious (as was the shrimp, which served as a nice compliment to the rich board).  As a whole, the dish was one of the better things I've had in the past few months dining out.

For dessert, Jessica and I split a specially prepared cake to celebrate the night... I only had a bite or two but the cake was good and the cream cheese icing, which I normally don't enjoy, was excellent.

I couldn't imagine a much better night out with friends.  18 Seaboard served wonderful food with unique and flavorful components that aren't frequently found elsewhere, and the upscale casual atmosphere was perfect to catch up with friends while also making for a special night.

The Las Vegas Experience

The Las Vegas group - Robby, Andy, Sarah, Mikey, Adam (Ryan not pictured)

For the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, I ventured to Las Vegas with my brother and two friends to enjoy the games, the gambling, and the food.  While the focus of this blog is normally on the third part of that grouping, I'll instead give a running diary of the trip and everything it had to offer...

5:15 PM EST - My buddy and I decided that we wanted to have a drink in Las Vegas called "Easy Money", but we weren't quite sure what should be in it.  Our plan, then, was to have bartenders fix us something that they created in hopes that it'd catch on as "Easy Money".  My first attempt came at the 42nd Street Oyster Bar at RDU Airport, and the result was... Crown Royal, Grand Marnier, and a maraschino cherry?!?  Needless to say, I was underwhelmed.

Sometime between 10 PM EST and 11:30 PM PST high above America - Next try for the drink on Delta Airlines, and their offering was a double Woodford Reserve with a splash of Coke.  Better I suppose.  The best part of the flight was a random guy telling me, "Pitt would have made a really good 2 seed" whatever that means.  This is on Wednesday before they played a game.  Maybe he meant a 10 seed.

12:30 AM PST - For our first meal of the trip (the often overlooked second "dinner" that is in play anytime you fly across the country to the West Coast), we tried First Food and Bar (http://www.palazzo.com/first.aspx) at the Palazzo, our hotel for the weekend (As an aside, I cannot recommend the Palazzo as a hotel enough!  Our suite had two queen beds and a huge wrap-around couch, which is probably enough room legitimately for six people if you're in a budget crunch.  It was cool having space to hang out in the room without feeling cramped.  As an added bonus, our bay window overlooked the Wynn golf course and the airport, plus the back end of the Strip).  First had their bar menu going, and I tried the Buffalo chicken lollipops, grilled pepperoni pizza, and Dorito mac and cheese.  Although expensive for bar food ($15 or so for the entrees, $8 for the side), all of the items were tasty, unique, and plentiful.  The Buffalo chicken was just as it sounds; chicken flavored with hot sauce served on the bone to look like a lollipop.  The grilled pizza was an oval flatbread-type thing with large, thin slices of gourmet pepperoni.  The Dorito mac and cheese was exactly as it sounds; creamy mac and cheese with crumbled Doritos on top, an obvious delight.  This was a good start to the food part of the trip.

Sometime between 1:30 AM and 3:30 AM - We finally hit the blackjack tables at the Palazzo.  I inexplicably won $80 (not a lot to most but riches to someone who traditionally digs himself a $300 hole the first night) before packing it in (for some reason, I entered the table with only $190 instead of $200, which became a running joke for the weekend).  No need to give it all back early.

Thursday, March 17

7:30 AM - Time to give it back early at the blackjack table... mission accomplished.

The Hilton

8:30 AM  until 1 PM - For the games, the group (at the urging of my brother) decided to watch at the Hilton.  I cannot recommend this highly enough.  The games are shown on five huge HD projection screens in what amounts to a large theater typically used for shows.  The seating area eventually fills up and you are left watching games with probably 1000+ people who either a) like a team, b) bet on a team, or c) both, leading to cheering and groaning throughout.  Next to being at a game, I'm not sure the atmosphere can be matched.  On top of the spectacular atmosphere for the games, the side bar offers $1 hot dogs, $2 draft beers, $3 Jim Beam and Cokes (my buddy despises Beam but drank them all weekend on principle!), as well as countless other food items.  The hot dogs stole the show; perfectly cooked all beef franks.  The rest of the food (pretzels, chicken bites, sandwiches, etc.) were good enough for the cost.  With all of this going for it, the Hilton became our game-watching spot for all three mornings (another highlight, the ridiculous NAPA commercials with the guy "Gimme six of these, and wash it down with this!!!").

1:05 PM - Apparently when you need a cab for five people in Las Vegas, you must ride in a yellow one.  Who knew?

1:30 PM to 3 PM - Our first Treasure Island run of the week... we calculated being up $500 between the four of us, solid play for low betting.

3 PM until 6 PM - My two buddies and I planned to hit up Shadows (our traditional spot at Caesar's Palace for games and drinking in the afternoon).  As we enter Caesar's, Andy proclaims, "I love this place, it's the one casino where I always know where I am", a quote to remember in two sentences.  Shadows was inexplicably closed, shutting down our whole plan and leaving us grasping at straws.  Flustered, we decide to exit the hotel through the Forum Shops, a great idea that puts us, obviously, at some service entrance where they were unloading lemons and oranges as no one could figure out how to get out.  After avoiding jumping into the truck to help unload, we finally managed to move our way down the Strip in search of another sports bar for the games.  Finally reaching the Monte Carlo, with zero interest to continue any further, we are told that the wait for their sports bar is two hours!  Well then, Sbarro it is.

8 PM - For our second legitimate meal of the trip, Robby and I hit up the Khotan Bar (http://www.treasureisland.com/restaurants/khotan.aspx) at Treasure Island (which we were again killing at the tables).  We split the Kobe sliders trio and I enjoyed the spare ribs as well.  The sliders were dynamite; the Kobe beef (which I'd never had before on a burger) was incredibly tender and flavorful, and the buns were the sweet Hawaiian variety.  The spare ribs were equally good, and more than enough to eat on their own.  Prepared with an Asian barbecue sauce, the ribs fell off the bone and matched any ribs I've had in the South.

9:30 PM until 12 AM - Andy and Robby basically swapped places, leading to Andy and I wandering down to the Mirage, only to find nothing of interest.  Up for the trip, I was in no great hurry to force myself into a table, so the night was finished (Of note this night was Jersey, the obnoxius guy from... New Jersey who basically ruined our blackjack table with bad jokes, uncomfortable dealer banter, and general crappiness.  Jersey started innocently enough, and just seemed goofy, but as he progressed with his act, it became more unbearable.  From insinuating that he and the dealer were a couple and ordering her to track his finances to getting mad when players played by the book to claiming he could count the rotation of the automatic card counter, Jersey was a disaster.  And for those thinking he was a typical "Jersey Shore" type, incorrect; he was a poorly dressed, socially awkward, inexplicably self-confident dude that belonged at the Barbary Coast tables).

Friday, March 18

7:30 AM to 7:50 AM - I just got blasted at the blackjack table at the Palazzo again.  I never once busted and even carried 19s and 20s into many showdowns with the dealer, only to see a five-card 21.  After seeing the guy next to me burn $500 on a hand splitting 8s three times, I got up myself.

8:30 AM until 2 PM - Hilton time again.  This session of games had Ohio State playing, leading to a great exchange between me and a fan.  Being from Pittsburgh, I have a general distaste for the state of Ohio, so jokingly I would give thumbs down to a woman with an Ohio State shirt on whenever you walked past me in our row of seats.  All in good fun for us, I thought, as we both spoke nicely to one another and laughed at my gesture.  Out of the blue, while conversing with my friends, her brother leans down about two inches from my face and unleashes the biggest "Booooo" I've ever heard, followed by "Michigan Sucks!" of all things.  Of course, I have no rooting interest in Michigan and I bet AGAINST them when they played (a fitting way to show how terrible I did at the sports book this weekend), so I was baffled.  We decided that when he came back, we'd ask him to repeat this ridiculousness so that we could film it, which we did.

3 PM until 6 PM - Hanging out in the room drinking, the glory of a nice suite in Las Vegas.  We watched a handful of games (including North Carolina scoring over 100 points against LIU yet failing to cover for my parlay I had with them and Duke, costing me $80) and finally dipped into the drinks that Ryan had brought over from Los Angeles.  This brings up another underrated aspect to the trip; my brother drove from LA so we had car access, which was huge.  His willingness to pick us up (from the airport, to the Hilton, etc.) made the trip much more convenient and time-efficient.  I wouldn't go so far as to rent a car for a trip here, but if someone has one, all the better.

Wagyu beef at CUT

8 PM - My one request for the trip was dinner at a nice steakhouse; the group ended up picking CUT at the Palazzo (http://www.palazzo.com/cut.aspx).  We were seated in a cool booth that had two people on the back wall and two on the ends.  The restaurant brings their wagyu beef offerings on display to the table to show their specialties, and also has their wine list on an iPad, a cool touch.  For bread service, we were offered an assortment but everyone chose the pretzel roll, which was superb.  Coupled with butter, the salt and warm bread matched any soft pretzel I could imagine, but with a lightness that is tough to come by.  I think I put down two or three more before the meal.
For appetizers, the table split Kobe steak sashimi, pork belly, and prosciutto burratta.  The Kobe steak sashimi was fantastic; large strips of beef served raw with just enough seasoning and green onion to add flavor.  The pork belly was even a notch above; the crisp edges and fatty middle were cooked perfectly until tender to literally fall apart as you ate them.  I didn't sample the third dish, but reviews from Ryan and Robby were excellent.

Porterhouse for two

Ryan and I split the porterhouse for our main course.  Served tableside, the meat is finished with a garlic butter sauce and then cut into nice strips and plated.  We added bone marrow to accompany the steak, which was my first time trying.  Honestly, I didn't really get it; it just seemed like fat that lacked much flavor and added little to the dish.  The consistency is probably best compared to maybe the fat on brisket, but without the flavor.  Our side dishes were fries and macaroni and cheese, neither of which disappointed in the least.  As for the steak, it was perfectly cooked and flavorful.  The filet side was tender but I enjoyed the strip far more for the crispy grilled fat and overall flavor.  I've had many steaks in Las Vegas and while this one certainly held it's own, I wouldn't say it's the class of the town.  Overall though, the meal delivered greatly, particularly on the appetizers with their originality and bold tastes.  CUT fits right in with the Las Vegas scene with their trendy atmosphere and unique food offerings.

10 PM - My final table at Treasure Island was shared with a group of good guys from Kansas City.  After a great deal of jokes, drinks, and losing, I recovered to be up $75 on my initial buy-in.  Having had a good week, I rolled the dice and threw it all in (I know, big time spender, but I normally go with $15 hands).  Of course, as anyone who's been to Las Vegas would know, I was dealt 7 and 4, meaning I needed to throw another $75 in to double.  I asked for the card down (granted) and watch in terror as the dealer gives himself a six-card 20.  My only hope now is that a face card is laying upside down in front of me.  And as luck would have it... Jack.  Bedtime for me.

Saturday, March 19

8:30 AM until 2 PM - Breakfast at McDonalds (A+ as always) and then the Hilton.

4 PM until 9:30 PM - Andy, my brother, and I hit up the Hard Rock for my first time.  After watching the Pitt debacle in my brother's friend's suite (complete with a pool table mind you), we hit the blackjack table for a few minutes before dinner.  The Hard Rock plays killer music while you gamble and has the most personable dealers you can imagine.  Little did we expect James, though, the king of all dealers.  In a million words, I could never describe how cool this guy is, so maybe the easiest way would be just to say he truly is the epitome of "smooth" in every sense.  Transfixed by James, his hilariousness, and his ability to get Andy $300 in winnings, we burned the rest of our trip at the table, skipping dinner for a few extra hands.  We'll be back James, I promise!

How would I grade this Las Vegas trip?  Easily the best of my six; good friends, great times watching games and gambling (I ended up slightly ahead in my overall bets), a fantastic hotel room, and James.  The group is already planning for next year...

Maximillian's in Cary

Jessica and I tried Maximillian's (http://www.maximilliansgrill.com/index.aspx) last night in our continuing quest to eat at the best restaurants in the Triangle, as judged by the News and Observer.  Maximillian's is located on Chapel Hill Road off of exit 290 on I-40, and sits in a strip mall with a music store and Woody's Bar and Grill.  I'd heard somewhat mixed reviews about the place so we wanted to try for ourselves and see what we thought.

Upon arriving, we were seated in a fairly small and cool dining area.  There was a group of tables sectioned off from the bar and then an upstairs seating section as well.  The menu had a great deal of variety; plenty of appetizers and salads as well as pork, chicken, beef, and seafood options for dinner.  Additionally, the waiter had several specials for each category; two more appetizers, an additional salad, and four main courses.  For me, I thought possibly having a paper menu to update each day may work better as I had trouble remembering all of my non-listed options, but it was nice to have a lot of choices.

For appetizers, Jessica had the "Mexican fazool", a spin-off of the Italian classic soup.  It was quite delicious; large chunks of pork were mixed with traditional Mexican flavors like peppers and corn in a flavorful broth.  A few crisp tortillas were used as garnish as well.  I went with the bread plate, which was good but toed the line between an appetizer and standard bread service.  They offered focaccia with melted mozzarella over top, with a side of shaved Parmesan and a balsamic / olive oil / herbs mixture.  The bread was delicious, and both the cheeses and the dipping sauce worked well.

For Jessica's main course, she ordered the Voodoo Pasta, which was touted as the restaurant's most popular dish and their spiciest.  I went with one of the many specials, a lobster, shrimp, and scallop dish served with rice noodles and vegetables.  Both dishes came to the table in large bowls, and looked like great varieties of ingredients with different colors, sauces, and spices sprinkled throughout. 

Jessica's dish, which I tried, had the tuna prepared properly (seared rare) but really lacked any particular flavor or spice.  We both expected something bordering between spicy and insanely hot, and instead found almost no heat whatsoever.  Additionally, the broth (for lack of a better term) that sat in the base of the bowl seemed to give every part of the dish, whether it was the tuna, shrimp, or pasta, the same flavor, eliminating the variety that seemed so prevalent with the presentation.  It would be hard to call this dish "bad" but I would say it was disappointing, as it didn't really stand out on any account.

My dish also had a broth in the bottom of the bowl that muddled flavors a bit, but overall, held up better than Jessica's.  I had a whole lobster (on the smaller side, but still generous with the other seafood), four or five scallops, and several shrimp with a spicy sauce that was more in line with what I expected from the waiter's description.  All of the seafood was cooked perfectly, and the differences in flavor between the lobster, scallops, and shrimp were noticeable if not well-defined.  The portion was huge, so I ended up saving most of the noodles and eating only the seafood, which was still plenty.  My biggest complaint, which I partially expected, was the cost of my special; it was $15 more than anything on the menu and I would have expected this to be pointed out by the waiter, although I didn't ask (I'm not one to really complain about the cost but it'd be courteous in a situation like this when the gap is quite large).

Overall, I'd say that both Jessica and I were disappointed with our meals.  The food was certainly solid and everything was cooked well, but the main courses didn't have anything that truly stood out in them, something I think is imperative for finer quality restaurants.  I'd be interested to come back and try something simpler the next time, as maybe I'd see a better focus on a specific flavor rather than the muddled efforts we had.  Without tring something else, though, I would certainly have to recommend most other places we've conquered on our quest ahead of Maximillian's.

Heading to Las Vegas!

I'll be heading to Las Vegas this week to gamble on and watch the NCAA Tournament; along with spending time at the sports books and blackjack tables, I'll of course also sample some of the best food the Sin City has to offer.

This is my sixth trip to Las Vegas, and while none have been food-driven, I've still had the opportunity to eat at fantastic restaurants up and down the Strip.  People often overlook Las Vegas when they talk about major foodie destinations, but I cannot think of a place with a more concentrated group of fine dining establishments run by celebrity and world-renowned chefs (even matching New York City, which of course is far better overall based on their plethora of fantastic neighborhood eateries).

One unique aspect to Las Vegas food culture is the abundance of buffets; one can be found in basically every single hotel.  I have tried the buffets at Treasure Island, the Mirage, Excalibur, and MGM Grand.  As a rule of thumb, I'd say that the quality of the buffet matches fairly well with the quality of the hotel (Excalibur was fine but by far the most basic, while the Mirage and MGM Grand were probably the fanciest).  I've never been, but the buffet in Planet Hollywood has the best reputation.

For higher end restaurants, I've tried Mesa Grill, N9NE Steakhouse, SW Steakhouse, BLT Burger, and Wazuzu.  Each had their own unique feel and food, and all were exquisite.  I'd recommend SW Steakhouse highly; in addition to the wonderful food, the restaurant sits out on the man-made lake at the Wynn and entertainment goes throughout the night.  At N9NE Steakhouse, a trendy restaurant at the Palms, you eat in a "cool blue" space, and can do your best guessing whether guys are their with their wife, girlfriend, or hired help.  The rest were equally amazing, and there are countless others (Emeril's steakhouse Delmonico's, Joel Robuchon, and Michael Mina are three of the best) that will match any restaurants worldwide with steaks, seafood, and ambiance. 

For my trip this year, we have reservations at CUT (http://www.palazzo.com/cut.aspx), a Wolfgang Puck steakhouse in the Palazzo that features several different styles of beef (dry-aged, corn-fed, American "Kobe", and authentic Wagyu) in a trendy dining atmosphere in line with "new" Las Vegas.  One look at this menu, or others in the fine dining category, and you can see the quality of ingredients the chefs are using in every dish, as well as the variety of options they are offering, especially at the steakhouses where diners have plenty of non-meat alternatives.

When people think of Las Vegas, they think of gambling, money, and "sins" of all kinds.  Often overlooked is one of the preeminent dining destinations in all of the world, and one that continues to grow, diversify, and improve with the construction of each new hotel and the development of the next great chef.

Ballymor in Raleigh

On Friday after work, Jessica and I joined her friends from work for dinner and drinks at Ballymor Irish Pub (http://www.ballymoririshpub.com/) located at the intersection of Falls of the Neuse and Spring Forest Roads.  The restaurant serves authentic Irish food and drinks (plenty of beers, either on tap or draft, plus loads of scotch and whiskey) and atmosphere to match.  The walls are covered with various pictures and decorations from Ireland, and the impressive wood bar in front lets you know that you've entered a proper pub.

Our table

Our group was able to secure the coveted corner spot for our festivities; a perfect square table with high walls surrounding that could turn into a closed-in box if desired.  As everyone enjoyed their various beverages (Guiness on tap the clear favorite), the table ordered three appetizers to start.  The first, curry chips, were house-made potato chips sprinkled with their own curry seasoning blend.  While I was unable to try these (due to my Lent sacrifices this year), I did thoroughly enjoy the wonderful smell that filled the area when they were served.  The other two choices were fried calamari and baked provolone cheese.  The calamari was fried perfectly; not greasy at all yet crisp and flavorful.  The baked provolone was also delicious, and fairly unique as it was the cheese itself barely coated in flour then sauteed and baked, finally served with a tasty marinara sauce and small crisps of bread.  I was impressed with all three appetizers and would recommend them to others at the restaurant; combined, they offered plenty of food for the eight or nine people at the table and all were cooked well and consumed quickly!

The dinner choices for the group ranged from Guiness stew to crabcakes to salads to shepard's pie (apparently officially "farmer's pie" because it was served with beef instead of lamb) to my selection, the fried cod sandwich.  The meals all had one thing in common... the portions were HUGE.  The shepard's pie was built to feed two or three, and the serving of fish on my sandwich could easily have been split by three.  Everyone seemed to enjoy their entrees as well as the various sides that were ordered.

My fish sandwich was served simply on toasted sub roll (I ordered without the mustard and tartar sauces) with mashed potatoes on the side.  The fish was incredibly fresh and had a Killian's beer batter that was crisp and flavorful.  The cod fillet was thicker than any I've ever seen; this was great for the moistness and tenderness of the fish but didn't quite fill the sub roll and also led to a ratio of fish to breading that I would have liked to swap.  Now, most people would clearly prefer more fish and less breading, so I realize I'm in the minority, but a larger, thinner piece of cod would have made this fish sandwich absolutely unreal!  I was able to finish about 3/4 of my sandwich before I was full, and I was extremely hungry, so there are no worries here with getting enough to eat.

Ballymor is a great hangout for friends for happy hour or after the work week; they have a vast array of drinks and authentic Irish pub food to satisfy your hunger and thirst, and a fun atmosphere to match.  I haven't be to a lot of Irish places for dinner, but from what I've seen in Raleigh, Ballymor surely stands with Trali in Brier Creek as the top of the class.

La Volta in Raleigh

A few friends and I met for dinner last night at La Volta (http://lavoltarestaurant.com/), an Italian restaurant on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.  Unassuming from the street, La Volta opens up into two distinct dining areas (plus a private dining room) and a small bar area, and has a casual feel throughout based on the open floor plan and lighting (which is not subdued like other traditional Italian places).  Our server was new, which may have led to a few issues (I'm not sure what he based recommendations on and he could have been slightly more helpful with questions), but overall, it didn't really impact the meal at all.

For starters, we ordered house-made meatballs, fried calamari, and the antipasto platter.  I did not try the meatballs, but I did use the marinara sauce to dish the complimentary focaccia in, and that combination was wonderful.  The fried calamari was good, but nothing truly out of the ordinary.  It was crispy and not really greasy, but could have used a bit more seasoning and also something to make it stand out a bit more from the standard version.  The antipasto platter was quite tasty; the prosciutto and salami were delicious, as were the fresh mozzarella and provolone.  I did not try the various peppers, artichokes, and olives, but the rest of the table seemed to enjoy them.  All in all, the appetizers and bread were all flavorful and well-prepared; nothing stood out as amazing to me but everything was worth ordering again.

For dinner, I was able to sample a  bite each of the veal saltimbocca and chicken marsala (both matched the traditioinal Italian preparations and carried good flavor) while I myself ordered the pappardelle alfredo.  Typically served with fettucine, this version of pasta alfredo used broad egg noodles instead, which were easier to eat and still held the sauce well.  I thought the alfredo sauce was delicious; it had the typical flavor I look for (which is not always the case, as too often cream dominates over the cheese and garlic) without being too heavy.  In hindsight, I should have asked to add chicken or shrimp (maybe the waiter could have suggested this) but I was pleased and still full before finishing my entire plate.

Overall, La Volta does a good job preparing classic Italian dishes with good flavorful, solid portions, and reasonable prices.  The location downtown is convenient for those wishing to head out afterwards, and most tables can see the areas surrounding Fayetteville Street, making people-watching enjoyable.  I am sure there are better Italian places in the Triangle (Il Palio for one) that put their own spin on typical dishes (often for a higher price), I think you could do far worse than making reservations and sitting down for a nice dinner at La Volta.

Angus Barn in Raleigh

I had been to the Angus Barn twice before, and in neither visit did I really understand the rave reviews that so many people have for this Raleigh landmark.  It had been more than four years since I last visited, though, and since Jessica and I are moving through the top restaurants list (on which Angus Barn resides), we thought it'd be a good try to give it another try.  Luckily for us, we had reservations, as even on a Tuesday night around 6:30 PM, the restaurant was packed both at the tables and in the lounge areas (from what I could tell).

The atmosphere at the Angus Barn certainly sets it apart from other high-end steakhouses; instead of the modern, trendy or old school classy looks that most have, the Angus Barn is homey, with a general store in the front and wooden tables with checkered table clothes.  The dining area is HUGE, and there are several other areas to see (such as the wine cellar and the Turkey Lounge, neither of which we visited) on the grounds.  If you're used to a feel of elegance at steakhouses, you'll need to adjust to the more casual, country setting here. 

Instead of the traditional bread and butter served by most other restaurants, the Angus Barn serves homemade crackers with two separate cheese spreads and Texas toast.  The cheese spreads were fantastic; one was a white cheddar that tasted very similar to white cheddar Cheeze-Its (but fresher) and the other was a traditional orange cheddar.  Both were so good that Jessica and I finished our whole basket of crackers (maybe best described as extremely thin pita chips) without much trouble.  The Texas toast was equally good; served warm and toasted on the edges with just the right amount of butter already applied.

For appetizer, Jessica and I couldn't really decide on one thing, so we used their "create your own" feature to sample the ribs, a crabcake, and an enormous king crab claw.  The ribs fell off the bone and had a sweet, smokey, meaty flavor.  I'd put them with any ribs I've had in Raleigh as some of the best.  The crabcake may have been even better; while it wasn't just pure crab, the crab certainly was the greatest component, particularly in flavor, and the other items (peppers, breading) worked well to compliment.  The king crab claw was served chilled and contained probably 3-4 ounces of meat.  The meat was firm and flavorful, but I'd prefer it to be served steamed and with butter, so I'd request that the next time.

We also both had soups, which came with our dinners.  Jessica had the baked potato soup, which had cheese and bacon as well, and it was delicious.  The consistency was almost a very thin mashed potato, and the additional flavors worked perfectly.  I had the French onion soup, which was the best I've ever had.  The cheese and crouton were able to make it into every bite, and the onion flavor was sweet without there being too many actual onions to deal with (something I don't like).

Steak au poivre

By the time dinner rolled around, both Jessica and I were probably full enough to not require anything else, but that didn't stop us from eating more!  Jessica ordered the sea bass, which was highly recommended by the waitress (who was terrific all night) and it did not disappoint.  I ordered the ribeye cooked medium rare with au poivre sauce and thin fries.  For the simple stuff first; the fries were solid but nothing spectacular.  Coupled with the fact that I was already basically full, I didn't eat too many although they weren't bad.  And onto the highlight... the steak was cooked absolutely perfectly; seared on top and bottom but tender and bright pink throughout.  Ribeyes are my favorite cut, as they offer the most marbling and fat, and this did not disappoint.  My favorite part is the piece of almost pure fat (with just enough meat) that sits in the middle of the ribeye, and thankfully I saved this for the final bite as it was amazing!  The au poivre sauce was good, and coupled well with the peppercorns seared into the steak.  I would have preferred either a slightly sweeter sauce or a few fewer peppercorns, as I felt the balance was slightly off, but this is a minor complaint as everything really tasted great and I finished all thirteen ounces without any issue.

Jessica ordered a chess pie for dessert, which she loved, but I was too full to even venture in for a bite!

After two misses, I am finally onboard with the Angus Barn and its reputation in Raleigh.  It takes a second or two to get used to the setting and the differences between here and other well-known steakhouses, but once you do, you'll enjoy amazing food, huge quantities of it, and a unique atmosphere that captures both the South and fine dining in a way most places can't.