Category Archives: Food

May 23, 2014 · 11:55 am

Smashburger Durham Giveaway!

Smash Burger Durham 7

Smashburger!

I’m happy to share that the news that the new Smashburger location in Durham’s Lakeview Pavilion is providing Triangle Explorer readers a chance to win two FREE dinner entrees. To enter simply leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite burger topping or milkshake flavor. You can also enter by sharing this post on twitter using the hashtag #ExploreSmashburger or by sharing it on facebook. The winner will be randomly chosen next Friday May 30th at noon and notified via email.

Smash Burger Durham 10

BBQ, Bacon, & Cheddar Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Smashburger has a wide selection of fresh, never frozen Certified Angus Beef burgers “smashed” on a 400-degree flat grill to sear in the juicy flavor and served on toasted artisan buns. They have more than just burgers too, offering tender grilled chicken sandwiches and fresh-tossed signature salads, and handspun Häagen-Dazs shakes. They also offer a variety of irresistible sides including rosemary and garlic–seasoned Smashfries, Haystack Onions and Veggie Frites (flash-fried and seasoned carrot sticks and green beans).

You can read my full review of the from back in March here.

Smashburger – Durham
2608 Erwin Road – Durham, NC (map)
Website: http://smashburger.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smashburger
Instagram http://instagram.com/Smashburger
Twitter: @SmashBurger

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May 12, 2014 · 8:48 am

Local Raleigh Bakery: Boulted Bread Share Program

boulted bread Raleigh

Boulted Bread

With a nod to the community supported agriculture (CSA) model, Boulted Bread in downtown Raleigh offers an order ahead bread pick up twice a week. Here’s how it works: They email an order form to their listserv on Monday morning and customers place orders at the beginning of the week and pick up their bread on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

  • Orders for Wednesday pick up accepted through Monday night.
  • Orders for Friday pick up accepted through Wednesday night.

To Place an Order:
For the week of May 12th – May 16th you can use this order form. If that scares you, simply email Sam (boultedbread@gmail.com).

Pick up:
You can pick up your bread at their shop, 614 W South Street, from 4-7pm.

Parking:
Parking is available in the lot directly beside the shop, on the street, or in the lot behind the building accessible on South Saunders St.

Payment:
Boulted Bread currently accepts cash and check.

Four organic bread offerings the week of May 12th – 16th

Levain ($6) – A two pound, moist, naturally leavened french country style bread made with stone milled, boulted Red Turkey wheat and Spelt. Delicate tang and heirloom wheat flavor make an excellent keeping bread

Seeded ($6) – Levain with flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds. This loaf is hearty and full of flavor.

Baguette ($3) – Our take on the classic form made with heirloom Red Turkey wheat flour and toasted corn meal to create a crisp, light, flavorful bread.

Rye ($6) – 100% NC grown heirloom Wren’s Abruzzi Rye. A dense Scandinavian style bread using rye that has been grown in NC since colonial times. A rich and meaty flavor on this bread with flax, sesame, and sunflower seeds. Traditionally stored in root cellars, it keeps for weeks wrapped tight and stored in the fridge. Perfect sliced thin with butter and smoked fish.

Boulted Bread

Boulted Bread

Boulted Bread is in the process of renovating a spot for their bakery at 614 W. South Street in downtown Raleigh. This is over by the historic Boylan Heights neighborhood. I’m keeping my ear to the ground for the official grand opening, but in the meantime you can enjoy their fresh baked breads each week through the bread share program and Saturdays at the Rebus Works Saturday Market.

Boulted Bread 
614 W. South Street – Raleigh, NC
website: http://boultedbread.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boultedbread
twitter: @BoultedBread
instagram: @boultedbread

 

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March 30, 2014 · 7:33 am

Gregoria’s Cuban Steakhouse Grand Opening Celebration April 4th

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Grand Opening Event April 4th
Gregoria’s Cuban Steakhouse, one of Durham’s newest restaurants featuring contemporary Cuban fare, invites the community to a grand opening party Friday, April 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. The restaurant, which had a soft opening in January, is welcoming community members for an after-work event with free food, festive music from Orquesta la Calve, a nine-piece salsa tribute band, and demos from professional salsa dancers. Additionally, guests can enjoy all-day $2 mojito, sangria and draft beer specials.

If would like to attend the April 4th Grand Opening Event please RSVP to Gregorias@boltpr.com to let them know you are coming.

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photo courtesy Gregoria’s Steakhouse

Menu Offerings
As Fares Hanna, Gregoria’s Cuban Steakhouse owner explains, “Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, African and Caribbean influences, and our menu combines these for perfectly seasoned flavors. It’s a fine dining experience at affordable prices.” Gregoria’s authentic Cuban fare with modern flavor includes specialties like the cubano sandwich, lechón asado, ropa vieja and grilled options ranging from skirt steak with chimichurri to pan-seared salmon. For the grand opening event, a variety of appetizer and dinner menu items will be made into complimentary hors d’oeuvre portions so guests can taste a wide selection of the Cuban fare.

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photo courtesy Gregoria’s Steakhouse

Bar Menu & Happy Hour Special
In addition to the grand opening celebration, Gregoria’s launched a new ongoing bar menu starting on Tuesday, March 25. It includes pulled pork and chimichuri, fried olives stuffed with queso fresco, and more. These new tapas portions will be available Tuesdays through Sundays in the bar, and available at a special happy hour rate of $3 or less per item from 5 to 6 p.m. each day.

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photo courtesy Gregoria’s Steakhouse

History
Hanna previously owned and operated Gregoria’s Kitchen for more than two years, but it closed last year after it was damaged in a fire. He decided to rebuild in a larger location and expand the restaurant’s menu with even more Latin recipes as well as a variety of Cuban-inspired steaks. Hanna refurbished a special event space adding a contemporary Havana ambiance, gorgeous reclaimed-wood bar and a large lush patio that can seat up to 70 guests.

Gregoria’s Cuban Steakhouse
2701 Hillsborough Rd. in Durham
Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. Brunch Saturdays and Sundays between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Website: www.gregoriascubansteakhouse.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/GregoriasCubanDurham
Twitter @gregoriasdurham

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March 16, 2014 · 9:58 am

Big Mike’s BBQ at View Bar in Downtown Raleigh

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The View – Raleigh, NC

I recently attended a media event with a group of my fellow foodie blogger friends to sample some great food from Bike Mike’s BBQ. Big Mike’s started as a food truck and while they still have the mobile aspect of the business, their food can now also be found in its permanent location at View Bar on Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh. This was my first visit to View and I was excited to check out the space and enjoy an evening of great food with friends.

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Tasty Chicken & Pork

Big Mike kicked the evening off explaining how we would get a chance to sample some of his signature creations paired with locally brewed beer from Triangle Brewing Co. out of Durham. This was an added bonus as I am a big fan on Triangle Brewing and find they don’t get as much recognition as  they deserve on the local beer scene.

We started the evening off with a healthy serving of chooped chicken and pork (boston butt) that was dry rubbed and smoked. The dish was accompanied by several dipping sauces which ranged from “Crazy Stupid” hot all the way down more mild vinegar based sauces. I am pretty tame when it comes to levels of food hotness so I opted for the weaker sauces. Of course the Habanero Pale Ale paired with the dish had a little bite to it as well making for a great start to a night of excellent eating.

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Best Chicken Wings Ever!

Next up were some incredible smoked dry rubbed crispy chicken wings. These babies are flash fried.  This process that keeps the flavor trapped in the meat and makes the wings nice and crispy.  I loved these wings and am already looking forward to going back to get some more. I believe they are offered on the menu for $1 a wing. I could easily make a nice lunch out of 5 or six of these succulent yet crispy wings.

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Big Mike’s BBQ “Meatup”

One dish that got a lot of attention was the “Redneck Nachos”. They are comprised of Fritos topped with Eastern NC pulled pork, baked beans, blue cheese coleslaw and a dab of sweet hot mustard. At this point I was already getting full so I dialed things back a notch, enjoyed some more Triangle Beer to wash down the BBQ goodness and snapped a few pictures my friends tearing it up on Instagram.

Another fan favorite of the evening  was beef brisket and collards paired with a Belgian Abbey beer.  The brisket drippings are used to cook the garlic and onions for the collards / kale making for a flavorful side.  I’m usually not a fan of collards but this dish won me over!

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Brisket & Fries

From there we sampled some of  Big Mike’s “fatty” fries, served as a bed of steak-cut fries underneath a layer of brisket, pimento cheese, and jalapenos piled high on a plate. Plates like these make eating Big Mike’s fare family style very easy. At this point I was getting really stuffed so I only took a few flavorful bites of the fries and threw in the towel allowing my fellow diners to finish off the plate and rescue me from my food induced coma.

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Triangle Brewing IPA

Throughout the evening Doc from Triangle Brewing did a great job introducing the beer pairings he had selected to accompany each of Mike’s dishes. I’m a big fan of their IPA and it remains my solid favorite to enjoy with food.  All in all it was a great night filled with some of the tastiest BBQ I have ever had. I was also very impressed with the vibe of View. It’s a nice space to enjoy some food, have a drink and catch a game on the TV. Now that I have been there I look forward to going back during March Madness to catch a few games while dining on Big Mike’s addictive crispy chicken wings. Who’s hungry?

Big Mike’s BBQ at View Bar
610 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC 27603
 http://apexbbq.com
Follow Big Mike’s BBQ on Facebook and twitter at @bigmikesbbqnc

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March 13, 2014 · 11:34 am

Celebrate Pi Day “π” ~ 3.14

piebird

Photo courtesy PieBird

Friday March 14th is Pi Day.  Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, which is approximately 3.14159.

According to wikipedia “Pi Day has been observed in many ways, including eating pie, throwing pies and discussing the significance of the number π. Some schools hold competitions as to which student can recall Pi to the highest number of decimal places.”

While I don’t condone throwing pies, and I am not aware of any local challenges to recite Pi, there are some great places to get a slice of pie on Friday. Below are a few suggestions!

Pie Bird – Raleigh
Known for their sweet and savory pies, PieBird will be serving up dessert pie slices at a special $3.14 price all day long Friday.
http://piebirdraleigh.com

Sugarland Bakery – Chapel Hill & Raleigh
Will be featuring numerous pies and tarts to enjoy at both their Raleigh & Chapel Hill locations this Friday.
http://www.sugarlandchapelhill.com

Yellow Dog Bread – Raleigh
In addition to their great breads, pastries, and coffee, Yellow Dog will have yummy fruit hand pies for sale this Friday.
https://www.facebook.com/yellowdogbread

Scratch – Durham
Scratch is “the place” to get an awesome piece of pie in Durham. They not only have exquisite pastries and pies but also serve excellent Intelligentsia coffee and espresso. Slices of pie will be $3.14 this Friday!
http://www.piefantasy.com

Pie Pushers Pizza at Cocoa Cinnamon – Durham
Not interested in a sweet pie? Stop by Cocoa Cinnamon  Friday evening 4-10pm for “Pi Night”. The Pie Pushers Pizza truck will be parked outside the shop slinging slices of gourmet pizza pie. If you still want something sweet you can always find some excellent locally made baked goods in Cocoa Cinnamon’s pastry case!
http://piepushers.com & http://www.cocoacinnamon.com


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