Reviews for Oro, Beasley's, and Market

While I was home last week, Jessica and I tried a few restaurants in Raleigh.  I posted the reviews on my Spanish blog but here's the link for you to enjoy!

http://adamsspanishadventures.blogspot.com/2012/07/raleigh-restaurant-reviews.html

Homemade Pizza Margherita

Due partly to the fact that I am not a multi-millionaire and partly that I actually enjoy cooking, I more often than not do my best to make good home-cooked meals rather than going out.  Jessica and I each have our specialties (she is the baker plus makes great stuffed squash, quesadillas, and chicken pastry while I go more for Italian options as well as chicken dishes) but one thing we both love is pizza. 

Most all grocery stores (Food Lion near us, but also Lowe's, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe's, etc.) sell frozen pre-made balls of pizza dough.  While using one skips the "dough-making" process, I still count it as a raw ingredient and feel I'm in control from the start!  It is simple as defrosting the dough the night before and I'm ready to go.

My typical pizza is a standard cheese with tomato sauce (either store-bought pasta sauce or, more often, my own sauce that I make using crushed tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, onion flakes, oregano, and basil). but I tried a Margherita style last night with great success.  I begin by forming the dough into a thin, roughly circular shape (each frozen ball actually makes two pizza crusts for me).  While I get the ingredients ready to top, I pre-heat my oven to 475 degrees with our pizza stone inside so that it is hot when I put the dough on.

With the stone ready, I place the dough atop and begin adding my flavors.  I start by brushing the whole pie with a thin layer of olive oil, followed by freshly microplaned garlic, salt, and pepper.  While I'd normally add the tomato sauce for my standard pizza, I instead threw on quartered cherry tomatoes (purchased on the vine and amazingly fresh) for the Margherita style.  Fresh mozzarella (key for this type of pie) was then sliced, broken into smaller pieces, and scattered across the top of the pizza.  While I normally would cover the entire pizza with cheese, I instead left some areas open and others with just the tomatoes, which worked quite well for the finished product.

The pizza was ready for the oven so I placed it in and got started with the final topping... fresh basil.  I sliced the basil into thin strips, and after ten or so minutes of cooking the pie, added the basil before putting the whole thing back in until the cheese and crust started browning. 

The end result was a delicious, fresh-tasting pizza!  The white, green, and red colors set the pizza off even before the first bite, but the flavor combinations of the basil, tomatoes, and cheese really paired perfectly.  While the standard pizzas I typically make are good, this pizza was definitely a step above (without really spending much more... the tomatoes weren't any more expensive (maybe $1-2) than crushed tomatoes in a can and the basil $3 at most).  I can't wait to experiment more with different quality meats and other toppings, but I think the Margherita may always be my favorite!

Mia Francesca in North Hills

Last night, Jessica and I met another couple at Mia Francesca (http://www.miafrancesca.com/) in North Hills for dinner.  From what I can tell, this is a chain that is located almost exclusively in Illinois but that has come to Raleigh in the past six months.  The restaurant offers a fast-changing menu (every two weeks they switch their pasta and entree courses) and features fresh-made pasta and an assortment of typical Italian fare.

The decor and atmosphere of the restaurant is very nice; the bar area is extremely open and the hardwood floors and tables create a very rustic feel.  If I were to nitpick, I'd say that the tables are a bit close together and somewhat small (our table of four barely had room for all of the appetizers, bread, and glasses on it) but those were minor issues that didn't really cause any problems.

For starters, our table ordered an assortment of meats and cheese (Genoa salami with tre crema and pecorino Romano cheeses) as well as their featured bruschetta, which last night was diced tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella topped with coppa ham.  The meat and cheese tray was excellent; all of the offerings were very sharp and stood well on their own or when coupled with the small baguette slices and fig jam.  I enjoyed the bruschetta even more, as the creaminess and freshness of the mozzarella was a perfect compliment to the saltiness of the rich ham.  Both appetizers were sizable and great for sharing with the whole table.

Jessica and Joe both had the roasted chicken for dinner.  They were served a half-chicken roasted with garlic, rosemary, lemon, and olive oil and paired with roasted potatoes.  The chicken was extremely moist and flavorful, with the "sauce" producing a great punch of garlic, rosemary, and especially lemon.  Jessica loved the sauce and probably would have been willing to drink it with a straw!  I thought it was a tad too lemony for my taste, but it definitely came as advertised.  This is actually the one dish that remains on their menu all the time, and it is clear they've worked to perfect it.

Erin had the salmon, which was as good a piece of that fish as I've ever tried.  Without knowing the dish was salmon, I would have never guessed as the flavor was mild and not fishy at all (which I normally find in salmon).  She seemed to really enjoy the dish!

I ordered the ravioli stuffed with veal and served in a creamy Parmesan sauce with crispy pancetta.  The pasta itself was fantastic; it's rare for me to have homemade pasta (as opposed to the dry version in grocery stores) and it makes a world of difference in flavor and texture.  These ravioli were light and flavorful on their own, rather than simply a vehicle to hold filling or carry sauce.  The best part of the dish, though, was the sauce.  The crispy pancetta in the Parmesan cream with herbs could be poured over top shoe leather and I'd pay whatever they asked!  The sauce was salty, fatty, and beyond flavorful, yet remained somewhat light which was a true pleasure.  I enjoyed the veal stuffing in the ravioli, although it could have certainly used more spice (or something) to kick the flavor up a notch.  I loved the entire dish, but I would have been just as happy having a homemade fettuccine with the sauce and pancetta without the ravioli stuffing!

Mia Francesca has a dessert sampler that our table ordered, which had a chocolate-covered tiramasu, a lemon creme fruit parfait, and sorbet.  I was too full to try these, but the rest of the table raved about each.

A block away from Vivace (another favorite of Jessica's and mine as written here Link), Mia Francesca took a real chance in opening another upscale Italian restaurant.  Heading into dinner last night, I had doubts they could match what Vivace turns out, but I was pleasantly surprised.  While Vivace is more modern and trendy, Mia Francesca holds its own with a traditional, rustic approach.  Both offer amazing Italian flavors in slightly different ways, and both are worth a trip to North Hills.

Saint Jacques in Raleigh

As a Valentine's Day tradition, Jessica and I have started going out for dinner the day after rather than the actual holiday  Most restaurants craft a special prix fixe menu to celebrate Valentine's Day, and in our experience, that menu is overpriced and lacking originality and variety.  We've found that by going on February 15th, we can access the entire menu and not deal with the cost and crowds, which can negatively impact service.



Blue Cheese and Pear Napolean



This year, we decided on Saint Jacques (http://www.saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com/) for our special dinner.  In addition to being highly recommended by our friends, Saint Jacques also annually finds itself on the Top Restaurants list for the N&O.  Counting Saint Jacques, Jessica and I have now conquered 20 of the 26 top restaurants in the area!



The experience at Saint Jacques is a unique one from the start.  Located in an unassuming strip mall off Falls of the Neuse Road, the restaurant shares a wall with Jumbo China and a parking lot with Harris Teeter.  Stepping inside, however, you feel like you've instantly entered France itself.  The decor is simple but elegant, and the entire staff is helpful, respectful, but never overbearing.  The owner (I assume at least) meanders through the tables during dinner checking on everyone just enough that you feel taken care of, but not so much that you wish he'd stop.  Overall, the service is second only (and only by a slim margin at that) to the Fearrington House in Pittsboro.

Our meal started with an amuse bouche (an excellent tart bite) before Jessica and I ordered our salads.  Jessica chose the blue cheese and pear napolean while I went with what was a French spin on the standard caprese salad.  Both dishes were aesthetically stunning; Jessica's salad was stacked artfully with layers of puffed pastry, blue cheese mousse, and pear while the red tomatoes set off perfectly with the crispy basil and marinated mozzarella on in my bowl.  Jessica liked (but didn't love) her choice; she said it was a bit strong in blue cheese.  I, though, loved every aspect of mine.

TomoZarella

The tomatoes were fresh and absolutely delicious when eaten with the olive oil and white balsamic dressing.  The buttery croutons (some crisp, some a bit softer) added much needed crunch, especially when matched to the smooth, fresh, flavorful mozzarella.  The cheese was the star of the dish, as it was coated with herbs and the dressing to raise up its overall mild taste. 

After our salads, we were given a palate cleanser that, to me, would best be described as red wine sorbet.  It was refreshingly cold and extremely flavorful.  I am not sure whether it inherently "reset" our palates, but I certainly enjoyed the unique combination of texture and taste.

For dinner, Jessica went with fish while I chose duck (more and more becoming my favorite meal, maybe because I never make it so it's something "new" when I'm out).  The menu had a few other selections I'd like to try on another visit, most notably the scallops with lobster ravioli and the wild boar.

Jessica's meal (pictured at the top of this post) was again visually stunning, with height on the plate and contrasting colors and shapes.  The technical execution of the dish, and the resulting taste, was even that much better.  The fish (corvina in this dish) was light and flaky, with one crisp side to give crunch as a contrast.  The corvina was accented perfectly by the roasted tomato flavor, although in my taste I didn't much catch the champagne dill elements.  Maybe this was for the best, as Jessica isn't huge into dill, but overall, the flavor and the contrasting textures really made this a successful effort.

Duck Atumn

My duck, which was both crisped skin breast medallions and confit, hit on both preparations.  The medallions, probably my preferred style here, was a perfect medium with the crunchy fat perfectly executed.  The accompanying cherry sauce (common for duck) was great; my only recommendation would be to add more on the plate!  The confit was tender and rich in taste; other than the exquisite duck confit at Blue Ribbon Bakery in New York, this was the best I've had.  One minor modification would be slightly more focus on the skin of the confited leg; a bit more crunch would have vaulted this into the "best" discussion.  Underrated on my plate was the apple, turnip, and potato gratin.  It was a combination of those three flavors (with just enough crunch on the apple to avoid having a mushy consistency) with the taste of macaroni and cheese on top... utterly delightful.  I am not really sure there's any way that they could improve on this; it is one of the best side dishes I've ever tried.

If dinner wasn't quite enough, we finished our meal with dessert.  We went the route of the special and had a pastry ball filled with cooked-down apples, butter, and cinnamon along with ice cream.  A caramel sauce finished the plate.  I am almost never one to really like dessert, but I must say this was worth the space in my stomach.  The crunch, hot pastry with apples matched with a taste of the ice cream and a scraping of the caramel sauce was an unworldly experience.  I've never had something that was hot and cold, crunchy and smooth, and sweet and savory, but this bite hit all of those spots!

I'll be honest, I rarely write a bad review (maybe because I'm too nice but more likely because Jessica and I think long and hard about where we eat before spending the money!).  That said, I really believe that Saint Jacques is part of the top class of restaurants in the Triangle.  The whole experience is great, starting with the incredible staff and service, and continuing with unique menu selections that have familiar tastes combined in different (and French) ways.  It's easy to love the standard nice places (Second Empire, Nana's, Four Square to name three) but Saint Jacques really offers a different and equally great experience.  Saint Jacques, like J. Betski's, brings things to the table (both literally and figuratively) that other places cannot.  The best recommendation I can give to a place is that it makes me want to come back, and Saint Jacques is already on our radar for another dinner soon!

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.