Nana's in Durham

I took my parents to Nana's (http://www.nanasdurham.com/) a couple of weeks ago to show them one of Durham's finest restaurants.  Jessica and I had been here once before, to celebrate my birthday, and it was one of the best meals I've had in the Triangle.  For this occasion, my parents and I were celebrating my upcoming wedding so we wanted one final meal out!

To start, the three of us split two appetizers; the polenta with pork belly and the special fried softshell crab.  The polenta was exceptionally creamy (I've never seen a chef accomplish such a texture), possibly owing to the ricotta cheese component, and had a perfect flavor to match with the tender pork belly.  The pork belly was confitted and had great meaty flavor that seemed to infuse the whole dish and tie things together.  The fried softshell crab was equally delicious, in the exact opposite way.  Contrasting the creaminess of the polenta, the crab was beyond crispy but still extremely light.  The flour breading had just enough flavor to pair well with the fresh crab flavor, and the surrounding sauces added good acid taste.  The two appetizers exceeded our table's lofty expectations and set the perfect stage for our main courses.

I chose the duck breast with carrot-foie gras sauce for my main course.  With this, I had the couscous and herb spaetzle as my side dishes.  I'll start with the duck; it was, of course, prepared perfectly to medium rare with rendered fat and a slightly crisp edge.  The duck taste was bold and terrific, and the sauce with it added an extra level with the punch of the foie gras flavor.  I'd never had this combination, instead normally having a sweet sauce with duck, but this original take was much appreciated and enjoyed.  My side choices were equally impressive; the couscous had great texture and was mixed with Moroccan flavors and spices while the spaetzle was unbelievably good.  Instead of the soft texture normally found with this German dough-like item, this was crispy and slightly flattened, giving a great textural component to an already tasty package.

Along with my meal, I tried the main proteins from both my mom's and dad's dishes.  Both had fish; halibut and grouper I believe, and both were fantastically fresh and flavorful.  One had a mushroom-based sauce and the other was Greek-inspired; I typically don't favor either of these flavor profiles but really enjoyed both here.

Just as with my first trip to Nana's, I was yet again impressed this time around.  The quality of ingredients is always high and the flavor combinations and dish execution cannot be matched by many chefs.  I'd also specifically point out just how good the service, and our particular server, was on this trip.  We never waited for water or drink refills, and the waiter was willing to make recommendations and decisions quickly to aid in serving us the food we'd like most.  All in all, anyone in the Triangle should be looking for the next chance to celebrate something at Nana's to take in fine dining at its best.

The Oxford in Raleigh

In the past month, I've had the chance to try both lunch and dinner at the Oxford (http://www.oxfordraleigh.com/), which is an English gastropub located on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.  My typical visits to the Oxford are at night to hang out at their bar and listen to live music, but I was pleasantly surprised with their food, both in variety and taste.

For lunch, I tried their fish and chips, which is cod fried in a Newcastle Brown Ale batter.  The fish was extremely mild and fresh-tasting, with the beer-batter providing most of the flavor (as it should).  The crispiness of the batter was excellent, although it became a bit soggy just as I was finishing the huge portion.  I could really taste the beer used in the preparation, and I felt that with a little salt, the fish flavor was spot-on for an "authentic" dish.  With my meal, I had actual chips, which were homemade, rather than fries (as are traditional) and was very pleased.  Overall, I think their lunch menu has a lot of good options (my dad had a turkey reuben that he enjoyed) and the taste, at least for mine, was great.

Jessica and I shared dinner at the Oxford another night with friends.  We started with their calamari and also their polenta cake special, which was accompanied by a tomato and beef ragout.  Both appetizers had good taste and came fresh to the table, and were plenty large to satisfy the four of us.  The calamari was good though nothing overly special, but the polenta was a unique combination of textures and flavors that really pleased the table. 

For my main course, I had the cranberry and pomegranate glazed duck breast with butternut squash puree and mashed potatoes.  The duck was perfectly cooked to medium rare, and the sweet fruit sauce was a good compliment.  I would prefer the duck fat / skin to be a bit crispier, but it was flavorful and rendered down properly so I can't really complain.  Both of my sides dishes were executed perfectly; the squash puree was surprisingly sweet, flavorful, and smooth (a huge eye-opener for a non-vegetable eater like me) while the mashed potatoes were of the standard preparation but still very good.

I came away from my lunch and dinner at the Oxford very impressed with their food and service.  The menus are filled with authentic British choices while still being open enough for those wanting something more American, and the flavors on everything I tried were top-notch.  They executed familiar dishes well and also introduced a few new taste combinations that were very successful.  With its location in the heart of Fayetteville Street, with fun bars to both sides and all around, I'd highly recommend the Oxford as a great place for dinner to start the night out in Raleigh.