Category Archives: Restaurant Reviews

November 13, 2013 · 11:01 pm

Sola Coffee & Cafe’ Introduces New Dinner Menu!

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Sola for Dinner ~ Assorted Meats & Cheeses

If you follow me on instagram and twitter then you know I am no stranger to Sola Coffee & Café. They are one of my “go to” places for great coffee and espresso drinks in Raleigh. Yet my pictures of coffee and cool latte art only tell half of the story at Sola. Over the past year Sola has blossomed into a great café with a creative and ever growing food menu that now offers great options for the dinner crowd in addition to their already well known breakfast and lunch offerings.

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Bruschetta

Earlier this fall Sola introduced a new dinner menu featuring additional menu items diners can enjoy at their café after 5pm Mon-Sat. The new dinner menu features small plate items like meat and cheese boards with fresh fruit, nuts, olives and local honey, bruschetta, and new fresh salads and artisan pizzas. This is all in addition to their already fantastic menu of homemade soups and sandwiches that Sola continues to offer (along with their famous mini doughnuts which are always available!)

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White Garden Pizza

If you follow Sola on facebook you will often catch updates about the homemade soups they offer, like this weeks vegetarian chili! My current favorite new menu item at Sola is the White Garden Pizza (pictured above) with mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, spinach, pesto, basil and a flavorful balsamic glaze. As with all their menu items, the ingredients for the new dinner options are always fresh in addition to locally and regionally sourced whenever possible.

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Local Beers & European Wines

With the addition of new food items, Sola has also started offering a select menu of locally brewed craft beers and several great European wines. I love the local beer scene in the Triangle and am thrilled to see Sola offering brews made by some of my favorite local places like LoneRider Brewery and Big Boss Brewery. If you are more of a wine drinker they have a nice selection of whites and reds to enjoy with dinner. I’m a big fan of gruner veltliner wines out of Austria. I find the spicy fruitiness and dry finish of a gruner makes for the perfect white wine to enjoy during the colder fall months.

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Mixed Green Salad

If you have been following my blog recently you know I have been writing a bit about upcoming marathons and half marathons I am preparing for. Part of my training is about eating better and that includes eating more healthy salads. Fortunately I have found lots of great salads at Sola. I particularly enjoy their mixed green salad (shown above). It has a healthy portion of mixed greens along with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, almonds, red onion, and garbanzo beans. The homemade dressing is fantastic and is made using a secret recipe!

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Affogato

Of course, just because I am eating healthier these days doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a treat now and then. There are several sweet options to enjoy at Sola including yummy affogatos (espresso shot poured over a scoop of ice cream) or a slice of cheesecake or chocolate cake. They also now offer a gluten free apple crisp desert which I think is great. It is very yummy and I appreciate the fact they provide options for people with dietary restrictions looking for gluten free items.

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Live Music at Sola

If you are looking for a fun date night location in North Raleigh check out the Live Music scene at Sola. They typically have live music each Friday and Saturday night starting around 7:30pm. I’ve heard everything from bluegrass and Jazz to Celtic music played at sola. It is great to see the community support great local artists and I love that there is a great place to grab dinner and hear live music in North Raleigh now on the weekends. Visit their events calendar to keep up to date on the live music schedule.

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Cappuccino

Of course no matter when you visit Sola you can always enjoy a great coffee or espresso drink. My current drink of choice is the cappuccino. I always make sure I leave room for coffee after dinner! To learn more about Sola and keep up to date on their special events and new menu items visit their website and follow them on facebook.

Make sure you stop by Sola this week and pick up your free invite to their “Thank You Raleigh” celebration scheduled for this Sunday, November 17th. The invite is good for one free drink at the event – donations will be accepted to support the Friends of Guardian ad Litem Program of Wake County and the children they represent.

Sola Coffee & Cafe
7705 Lead Mine Road
Raleigh, NC 27615
919-803-8983

Website: http://solacoffee.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/solacoffee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SolaCoffeeCafe
Twitter: @SolaCoffee

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October 16, 2013 · 3:53 pm

A visit to Watts Grocery in Durham ~ “Strange Seafood” Event Recap!

Watts Grocery - Durham, NC

Watts Grocery – Durham, NC

Watts Grocery in Durham has long been at the top of my list of the great Triangle restaurants to visit. For one reason or another I’ve never managed to make the trip over from Raleigh to dine there until very recently when I was invited to attend a special “Strange Seafood” event hosted there last month. I can’t believe what I’ve been missing! My first experience at Watts Grocery was exceptional and the culinary creations by Chef Amy Tornquist were fantastic.

Dining Room - Watts Grocery

Dining Room – Watts Grocery

The “Strange Seafood” event I attended was a partnership with the Walking Fish Cooperative, an award winning community supported fishery that links fishermen on the coast of North Carolina to seafood-loving consumers in the Triangle. Attendees enjoyed a 5-course dinner that showcased an array of sustainably harvested strange seafood from North Carolina paired with wines from Hope Valley Bottle Shop. Proceeds from that night went to benefit Saltwater Connections, a regional initiative aimed at sustaining livelihoods, cultural heritage, and natural resources along North Carolina’s central coast.

Strange Seafood Menu

Strange Seafood Menu

Full disclaimer, although I love to blog about food I am have an unfortunate shellfish allergy that makes it challenging for me to fully enjoy seafood since many dishes typically have shellfish in the ingredients in one form or another. So on this night I sampled what I could, and quizzed my dinner companions for their thoughts on the dishes I could not try myself. Fortunately I was sitting with some of the areas best foodie bloggers like Matt Lardie of EatWriteGo, Kristen Baughman of Gadabout Food, and Jill Warren Lucas of EatingMyWords. It was great fun spending the evening with the three of them and bending their ear a bit about local foodie happenings as we chatted over each course.

Appetizer - Hush-puppies and Fried Okra

Appetizer – Hush-puppies and Fried Okra

As luck would have it I was good to go with the  appetizer served for our table share. It consisted of hushpuppies and fried okra. These fried delights were light and tasty and the basil mayo & tabasco aioli served accompanying them added a burst of flavor that really tickled my taste buds. The wine served with this course was actually nice light champagne.

2nd Course ~ Smoked Jumping Mulle

2nd Course ~ Smoked Jumping Mullet

First course was Sea Asparagus & tomato salad with chapel hill creamery feta cheese & lemon vinaigrette (image). The sea asparagus was something many at our table had not tried before but all agreed it went very well in the salad. The wine pairing for the first course was a lovely Muscadet.  The second course (pictured above) was a smoked Jumping Mullet with pickled red onions, arugula salad, and a grilled baguette

Wine

Wine

As I mentioned earlier, I was somewhat limited in the number of dishes I could try due to my allergies (I knew this going in to the event) but was thrilled to be a part of the evening and enjoyed listening to my foodie friends describe the flavor profiles of each dish. I was not however limited in my ability to try each dishes wine pairing and I made sure I thoroughly enjoyed those. Picture above is the fine burgundy that accompanied the evenings third course.

3rd Course - Pan Seared Hand-Gigged Skate

3rd course – Pan Seared Hand-Gigged Skate

The third course was none other than a Pan Seared Hand-Gigged Skate with capers, sauteed potatoes, and green beans drizzled with a brown butter sauce. I have caught my fair share of skates in my day but never realized they could be turned into such an elegant dish. It was at this point that Chef Amy Tornquist stopped by our table as she made her rounds to checking on the guests in the dining room. It was great listening to her stories about how she tackled the challenge of creating such inventive dishes with the unique seafood she was presented with for the evenings menu.

Dessert - Fig and Apple Cake

Dessert – Fig and Apple Cake

The fourth course was Sheephead Stew (yes that is a fish – and a scary looking one at that) with collards, smoked tomatoes, and house bacon (image). This was served with nice medium bodied Pinot Noir.  The fifth and final course was dessert. This was an incredible fig and apple cake served with vanilla ice cream and a fig caramel. It truly was amazing. I don’t think I left a crumb on my plate. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic evening of wine and fine seafood.

Chef Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery in Durham, NC

Chef Amy Tornquist of Watts Grocery in Durham, NC

Although I could only sample a few of the night’s dishes I truly enjoyed my first visit to Watt’s Grocery and can see why Chef Amy Tornquist and the restaurant are so highly regarded. Not only was the food wonderful but I loved the setting inside the restaurant with the spacious bar and the artwork adorning the walls in the warmly light dining area. The tables are spread throughout the restaurant in such a way to make private conversation easy and perfect for a date night, while at the same time close enough to make the restaurant feel like a place inviting to larger groups looking to enjoy an evening of great food with their friends. I look forward to my next visit and am particularly looking forward to trying their weekend brunch menu which I hear is fantastic!

About Watts Grocery
With roots firmly planted in North Carolina, Watts Grocery takes its name from the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood where chef Amy Tornquist has fond childhood memories of the Watts St. Grocery candy and snack stop in Trinity Park. Featuring local foods by the forkful, Amy weaves them into her cooking to create a distinctive take on North Carolina cuisine. Watts Grocery combines easygoing Southern hospitality with dishes such as fried oysters with remoulade, chicken and dumplings topped with cheese biscuits, and Meyer lemon mousse. Durham’s night owls feast on the unconventional bar menu featuring fried chicken gizzards with garlic aioli, hush puppies with basil mayo and red velvet cupcakes.

Upcoming Dining Event!
Watts Grocery to Host Farm to Fork Dinner October 23, 2014
If you missed the Strange Seafood event but would like to experience Watts Grocery at a future event you are in luck! On Wednesday, October 23, Watts Grocery is teaming up with Four Leaf Farm & Bluebird Meadow to host the Farm to Fork Wine Dinner. Guests will enjoy a five-course meal paired with wines by Drew of the Hope Valley Bottle Shop. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by dinner. Tickets are $55 (tax and gratuity not included) and can be purchased by calling Watts Grocery at 919-416-5040.

For more information, visit wattsgrocery.com or call 919-416-5040. Watts Grocery is located at 1116 Broad Street, Durham, NC, 27705. Connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.

 

 

 

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September 1, 2013 · 4:19 pm

Donatos Pizza Comes To Raleigh!

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Donatos Pizza in Raleigh’s Seaboard Shopping Center

Donatos is a regional pizza chain that started out of the Ohio area back in the early 1960’s and recently opened it’s first location in North Carolina in downtown Raleigh’s Seaboard Shopping Center just across the street from Peace College.  This happens to be right across the street from where I work and I am a big pizza fan so of course I had to stop by and check it out!

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Donatos Thin Crust Edge-To-Edge Pepperoni Pizza!

Dontatos is known for its “edge to edge” toppings covering almost every square inch of the surface of the pizza. The manager at the Raleigh location told me there’s more than 100 slices of pepperoni on their large pepperoni pizza. I didn’t count them all on my pie, but let’s just say there were a lot! I was pretty hungry the day I visited so I wasn’t shy and dove right in to see what their pizza is all about.

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Thin Crust Slice

I was fairly impressed with the pizza. They have both hand tossed and thin crust pizzas with just about every topping you can think of.  I went for their classic thin crust pepperoni. It had a great balance of cheese, and a flavorful sauce layered over the thin and crispy crust. Of  course each slice had a nice serving of pepperoni as well. I was a happy camper and did some serious damage to the pie before I threw in the towel and boxed the rest to take home with me. They also offer salads, wings, and oven baked subs.  You can view their full menu here.

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Cinnamon Twists

I have a bit of a sweet tooth so I also had an order of their cinnamon twists that are baked right there in the shop and topped with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with warm icing. Before you ask – I did not eat all of this myself. I did consume a “healthy portion” of cinnamon twists but had plenty leftover to bring home to share!

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Donato’s Gluten Free Pizza

I was also happy to see that Donatos offers a take-n-bake Gluten Free option for their pizza. It uses the gluten free crust from Udi’s and you can take the pizza home to bake in your own oven. I don’t have a gluten allergy, but I know people who do and I appreciate places that try to find ways to work with their dietary concerns.

All in all I was very pleased with my first visit to Donatos and wouldn’t hesitate recommending them to somebody looking for a solid pizza. I look forward to heading back and trying some of their baked subs on my next visit. The location in Raleigh is more of a pick-up spot than a dine in location but they do have a few tables and you can eat there in a pinch.They also offer delivery, pick-up, and catering services. For more information check out their website here.

Dontatos Pizza
111 Seaboard Avenue
Suite 122
Downtown Raleigh

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August 20, 2013 · 10:15 am

Chef Dean Thompson of Flights Wins Fire in the Triangle!

Chef Thompson's new knife

Chef Dean Thompson is the proud winner of a handmade chef knife by Ironman Forge in Charlotte. He is pictured with event host and founder, Jimmy Crippen (left).
Photo courtesy Competition Dining

Last night’s “Battle North Hills” wrapped up Fire in the Triangle. Sixteen chefs from the Triangle competed in the competition that began July 8 and concluded last night. On Monday evening, bragging rights went to Chef Dean Thompson and his team from Flights at Renaissance Raleigh Hotel. He won in a competitive battle against Chef Scott James of Midtown Grille, another North Hills’ restaurant in Raleigh, N.C.

In the dining room at Rocky Top Catering’s 1705 Prime, guests waited to hear the final numbers, eyes riveted on the event host and founder, Jimmy Crippen. Crippen briefly quizzed each chef and his team members about how the day had unfolded. After recognizing the outstanding team at 1705 Prime, Crippen rattled off the scores for all six courses. Chef Dean Thompson and teammates Anthony Zinani and Matt Thompson took home the trophy, a $2000 check, a handmade chef knife by Ironman Forge in Charlotte, and the coveted red chef’s jacket only a Competition Dining finals winner can receive.

Flights team with the $2000 check

Left to right: Mac Sullivan (Pate Dawson-Southern Foods), Matt Thompson, Anthony Zinani, Dean Thompson, Jimmy Crippen (Founder of Competition Dining)
Photo courtesy Competition Dining

The $2000 check was presented by Mac Sullivan, chief executive officer of Pate Dawson-Southern Foods, lead sponsor of the event, and Jimmy Crippen, host and founder of Competition Dining.

Fire in the Triangle challenged the chefs to use two featured ingredients, Certified Angus Beef® and Fullsteam Brewery’s El Toro and Hogwash. The chefs were required to use beef in two courses and Fullsteam Brewery’s “plow-to-pint” beers in each of their three courses for 140 diners. The chefs are not told what the featured ingredients will be until noon on the day they compete.

Course 5, Flights

“Homer Simpson” Beer, Coffee & Doughnuts, Beef Cake & El Toro Tiramisu, Banana Ice Cream, Hogwash Caramel, Chocolate Glazed Krispy Doughnut, Beef & Wonton Sprinkles — Chef Dean Thompson of Flights
Photo courtesy Competition Dining

Visit the Competition Dining flickr photo album for last night’s event for more delicious images of the wonderful dishes prepared by Chef Dean Thompson of Flights and Chef Scott of Midtown Grille. For more information about the Competition Dining Series visit their website and check out the great video below by Kelly McCullen of UNC-TV about the event.


Next Up – “Fire in the City” Charlotte
The competition dining series now moves on to their next event “Fire in The City”, taking place in the Queen City of Charlotte. Chef’s for the Charlotte series will be announced at 6pm on Wednesday August 21st. Tickets for “Fire in the City” are on sale now and can be purchased here. If you can’t make the event but want to follow the action online follow @CompDiningNC on twitter or on facebook. 

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August 16, 2013 · 3:31 pm

Elevation Burger Brings Organic Burgers to Raleigh!

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Elevation Burger in Brier Creek

On Thursday I had the opportunity to get a special sneak peek at Elevation Burger, a new casual burger restaurant opening up in Raleigh’s Brier Creek shopping Center. One thing to note right off the bat is that this place is different from other burger places in that it features 100% organic, grass fed, free range beef. This is something that can be tough to come by when getting a burger locally. I am pretty excited about this new dining option. If you want to check them out they will be holding their public Grand Opening this Saturday August 17th from 11am-9pm.

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Elevation Burger with Aged Cheddar

In addition to the 100% organic burgers the menu also includes veggie burgers with a vegan option, fries cooked in olive oil, salads, and a host of different (and very addictive) milkshakes and malts. There are tons of great topping options, including a great six month aged cheddar cheese as well as organic bacon . I went for their flagship “Elevation Burger”  made up of two beef patties. My toppings of choice were the aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, and ketchup. I really enjoyed the burger. The aged cheddar really added a great flavor to it. The fries were pretty standard, but overall I was very pleased with the meal and enjoyed the fact that it was organic since what I eat and where it comes from is something I take seriously. Like the Elevation Burger motto says “Ingredients Matter”.

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Counter Service

Typical counter service is offered at Elevation Burger. You simply place your order at the register and they call your name when your order is ready. I was there pretty early when only a few people had arrive for preview night so they actually brought the food out to the table. Not sure if that will be the approach when they are busy, but it was a nice touch. I also had several friendly employees stop by the table to check on me to see if I needed anything else and offered to clear my table.

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Indoor Seating

The inside seating area is open and spacious with wood floors and lots of tables and lots of natural light from the windows lining the walls. One thing I noticed was there were no TVs on the wall and no blaring music. Actually there was no music at all. I like unplugging when I eat out so I found this a welcome absence. I asked the owner Marc Finch about this and he explained that Elevation Burger “strives to provide a conversation-friendly atmosphere with no televisions or background music to distract families from spending time with one another.”

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Coca Cola Free-Style Machine

As with most new places Elevation Burger has fully embraced the new Coca-Cola “free-style” drink machines that offer tons of drink & flavor options. I don’t drink soda anymore so I opted for an iced tea. It was interesting drinking their tea because they don’t offer the typical sweet or unsweet options. They simply offer a Cinnamon Orange brewed tea that apparently originated from California roots of the founder of Elevation Burger.

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100% Organic Beef

The Elevation Burger grand opening event this Saturday will be centered on the theme “Elevate your Education” to help inform guests about the ingredients they’re eating, why it’s healthier and the benefits of eating organic. The event will also be the first of many tied to local schools. Elevation Burger is helping to kick off the school year right by encouraging its guests to bring school supplies to the event. All supplies collected will be donated to Brier Creek Elementary School, of which Elevation Burger recently became a proud sponsor. For more information about Elevation Burger and their menu check out their website and facebook page below.

Elevation Burger
8301 Brier Creek Parkway, Suite 101
Raleigh, NC 27617 (map)
website: http://www.elevationburger.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElevationBurger
twitter: @elevationburger

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