August 6, 2012 · 8:14 am

Picture of the Week – Grilled Cheese Cook-Off in Raleigh!

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Grilled Cheese Cook-Off

This week’s photo was snapped during the Grilled Cheese Cook-Off in downtown Raleigh. The event took place during the Wednesday afternoon farmers’ market in City Plaza using cheese from triangle area cheese-makers.

Restaurants participating in the Grilled Cheese Cook-Off  included:

buku
Busy Bee Cafe
Capital Club 16
Gravy
Market Restaurant
Sarah Cecilia’s Good Food Company
Zely & Ritz

Buku won 1st place, Zely & Ritz – most creative & Capital Club 16 got “cheesiest”

You can view the rest of my photos from the grilled cheese cook-off in my flickr photo album.

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August 3, 2012 · 9:03 am

Food Trucks in Raleigh for August “First Friday” & Food Truck Rodeo at North Hills Monday August 6th!

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American Meltdown Food Truck

As many of you know, Raleigh’s restrictions on food trucks are a little stricter than those in Durham. As a result the food truck scene in Raleigh is often a little less active than the Bull City. However, when First Friday rolls around you can count on finding trucks in downtown Raleigh. Below is a quick list of trucks that will be out and about in Raleigh today (Friday 8/3/12) and info about a food truck rodeo going down at North Hills on Monday 8/6. As always, follow your favorite food trucks on twitter to keep tabs on where they will be each week!

Food Trucks in Raleigh Today!

Friday Afternoon
11:30am-1:30pm – News & Observer Food Truck Rodeo
Only Burger
Klausie’s Pizza
The Parlour

Friday Night
Sympathy for the Deli – Lonerider Brewery from 5-9pm
Baguettaboutit – Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) from 6-10pm
American Meltdown – Marbles Museum IMAX Theater from 5-9pm tonight

MondayAfternoon (8/6/12) – North Hills Food Truck Rodeo
North Hills mall (in parking lot behind Bruegger’s) from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 

Captrust, is hosting a food truck rodeo to benefit the the Payton Wright Foundation. 10% of all sales to be donated to the foundation, which raises money for pediatric brain cancer research.

The trucks scheduled to be there:
Klausie’s Pizza
Chirba Chirba Dumpling
Captain Ponchos Taco Truck
Gussy’s Greek Street Food
Olde North State BBQ
Big City Sandwiches
Big John’s Hot & Spicy
Kona Ice
Lumpy’s Ice Cream

More info on North Hills Food Truck Rodeo on their event facebook page here.

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August 2, 2012 · 10:14 am

FemCity Research Triangle Park Hosts “The Around Town” Social For Business Women – August 15th!

~The Around Town Social Series Launches in August 2012~

FemCity RTP, the first local chapter of Femfessionals launching in the Triangle is also nationwide business community of women who are passionate about helping other professional women succeed in their work and in their communities— FemCity RTP introduces its inaugural signature “Around Town Social”.  Designed to provide an opportunity for professional women to connect and enjoy “Post-Work” business connections. The first FemCity RTP Around Town Social event will take place on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at Unwine’d Wine Bar from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.

Admission to the Around Town Social is complimentary for Femfessionals members; $15 for non-members.  Wine tasting will be included.  For details about registration, Femfessionals membership, events, or sponsorships, visit www.femfessionals.com or contact rtp@femfessionals.com.

About Femfessionals and FemCity Research Triangle Park {RTP}

Femfessionals connects ambitious professional women through Signature Connection events, originative workshops, philanthropic events, social media and www.femfessionals.com, creating individual communities within cities (FemCities) around the world. A Femfessional is a savvy business woman characterized as positive, open-minded, driven, professional, ambitious and desirous of forming strong strategic connections to benefit each other personally and professionally, and to the benefit of her community. Not only is she motivated to succeed, she is passionate about the success of others around her.  She is quite remarkable!

Since FemCity RTP’s founding in August 2011, this group of community-minded women has generated sincere business opportunities valued at upwards of $500 -$1,500, donated over $425. in food and personal care products to local non-profit groups, and, as a result of a special donation to the Annual Dress for Success event “All Dolled Up that took place at Spy Raleigh in May 2012, facilitated a silent auction valued over $900.

@FemCityRTP on Twitter
www.facebook.com/FemCityRTP on Facebook;  http://pinterest.com/FemCityRTP on Pinterest.  http://www.femfessionals.com/FemCities/Research-Triangle-Park.htm

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July 31, 2012 · 12:05 pm

Fire In the Triangle Conclusion Tonight! Fire In the Triad Starts August 13th!

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Fire in the Triangle ~ Dining Room at 1705 Prime in North Raleigh

Tonight is the final showdown of the competition dining series “Fire in the Triangle“.  Chef Ryan Payne of Chapel Hill’s Weathervane and Chef John Childreers of Cary’s Herons Restaurant will go head-to-head to determine the winner of what has been an exciting competition dining series. Tonight’s final chef “battle” is the conclusion of a two month long competition dining series where each evening, two restaurants “battled” it out side-by-side in a single elimination, “Iron Chef”-style format.

“Fire in the Triangle” featured a total of 15 chef “battles” where diners sampled each course from two chefs in a blind tasting alongside a panel of culinary and celebrity judges. Diners, alongside culinary and guest judges, rated each dish and determined who moved on to the next round and who went home. The winner of tonight’s final battle will win a grand prize of $2,000, a coveted “Red Chef Jacket,” and a hand-forged trophy by Gaines Kiker Silversmith in Blowing Rock, NC.

Check out the Durham Foodie blog by Johanna Kramer where she and other guest bloggers did an awesome job of recapping the entire series of “Fire in the Triangle” chef battles over the past two months of the competition. Each recap includes the secret ingredient revealed for each battle along with descriptions and pictures of the incredible dishes prepared each night. Be sure to check her blog tomorrow for a full recap of tonight’s final event!!

Fire In the Triad Chefs Announced!
If you have foodie friends in the Triad, be sure to tell them about the “Fire in the Triad” series that is coming to Greensboro in August! The competing chefs (pictured below) have just been announced. See the press release below for more information about the event and details on how you can purchase tickets to “Fire in the Triad”!

Fire in the Triad Chefs

Fire in the Triad Chefs (Kneeling,L to R: Tim Bocholis (Bistro B); Kristina Fuller (Bistro at Adams Farm); Jonathan Wheeler (Southern Lights Bistro); Chris Blackburn (Josephine’s); Michael Harkenreader (Undercurrent). Standing L to R: George C Neal III (1618 West); Tim Grandinetti (Spring House); John Bobby (Noble’s Grille); Jay Pierce (Lucky 32); Leigh Hesling (Green Valley Grill); Chris Russell (B.Christopher’s); Mark Grohman (Meridian); Janis Karanthanas (Mozelle’s); Jon Willis (Emerywood); Taylor Brett (Bin 33); John Milner (Milner’s); soux chef)

Yesterday, the Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series and Fire In the Triad announced the participating chefs at a press conference at the Painted Plate in Greensboro, NC. The 15 dining events start with a slate of 16 chefs. The first two competitors battle it out on Aug. 13. The chefs will battle in single-elimination brackets until only two are left standing at the finals on Sept. 25. All events will be hosted at Painted Plate at 2001 North Church Street in Greensboro, NC.

Chefs from across the region applied for the competition, and 16 were chosen. Each chef will bring two additional chefs to serve as members of his or her team. The competing chefs for Fire In the Triad are:

Aug. 13
Lucky 32, Greensboro (Jay Pierce) vs. The Bistro B & Wine Bar, Kernersville, NC (Timothy Bocholis)

Aug. 14
Josephine’s Bistro, Greensboro (Chris Blackburn) vs. Noble’s Grille, Winston-Salem (John Bobby)

Aug. 15
Southern Lights Bistro, Greensboro (Jonathan Wheeler) vs. Meridian Restaurant, Winston-Salem (Mark Grohman)

Aug. 20
1618 West Seafood Grille, Greensboro (George C Neal III) vs. Spring House Restaurant, Kitchen & Bar, Winston-Salem (Tim Grandinetti)

Aug. 21
Green Valley Grill, Greensboro (Leigh Hesling) vs. Emerywood Fine Foods, High Point (Jon Willis)

Aug. 22
Undercurrent Restaurant, Greensboro (Michael Harkenreader) vs. Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, Winston-Salem (Janis Karanthanas)

Aug. 28
Bin 33, Greensboro (Taylor Brett) vs. Milner’s American Southern Cuisine & Cocktails (John Milner)

Aug. 29
The Bistro at Adams Farm (Kristina Fuller) vs. B. Christopher’s, Burlington (Chris Russell)

Sept. 5
Winner of Aug 13 vs. Winner of Aug. 14

Sept. 6
Winner of Aug. 15 vs. Winner of Aug. 20

Sept. 11
Winner of Aug. 21 vs. Winner of Aug. 22

Sept. 12
Winner of Aug. 28 vs. Winner of Aug. 29

Sept. 18
Winner of Sept. 5 vs. Winner of Sept. 6 (semi-finals)

Sept. 19
Winner of Sept. 11 vs. Winner of Sept. 12 (semi-finals)

Sept. 25
Winner of Sept. 18 vs. Winner of Sept. 19 (Finals)

Chef Ref Laurence Willard assists teams

Chef Ref Laurence Willard assists teams at Fire in the Triangle (Photo Courtesy Compdining NC)

The goal of the “Got To Be NC” North Carolina Competition Dining is to showcase North Carolina culinary talent and agricultural bounty. In addition, time is given to the Office of the State Fire Marshal in North Carolina to support local fire fighters, as cooking is the number one cause of house fires. Instructional tips about kitchen fire safety will be shared during each event.

Sponsors include The North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA), Southern Foods/Pate Dawson, OUR STATE Magazine, Crippen’s Country Inn & Restaurant in Blowing Rock and h.ITS Technology. Local sponsors include the Greensboro, North Carolina Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visit Winston-Salem, The Greensboro News-Record and GoTriad.com.

Corn Cup Tuille with Whipped Corn Cream, NC Peaches, Blueberries, Corn & Corn Crème Anglaise

Corn Cup Tuille with Whipped Corn Cream, NC Peaches, Blueberries, Corn & Corn Crème Anglaise – Prepared by 518 West Italian Cafe at “Battle Corn” at Fire in the Triangle. (Photo courtesy of Compdining NC)

HOW IT WORKS: Paying guests will sample each course in a blind tasting alongside a panel of culinary and celebrity judges in a series of 15 dinner competitions. Each evening, two restaurants “battle” it out side-by-side in a single elimination, “Iron Chef”-style format. Guests savor a six-course menu (three dishes from each chef without knowing whose food they’re tasting) created around a “secret” or “featured” ingredient. For almost all dinners, the ingredient will come from a North Carolina source. The secret ingredient is revealed to the chefs only an hour before they start cooking, and it must be used in each of their three courses.

Diners, alongside culinary and guest judges, will rate each dish and determine who moves on to the next round and who goes home. At stake in each series is a grand prize of $2,000, a coveted “Red Chef Jacket,” and a hand-forged trophy by Gaines Kiker Silversmith in Blowing Rock, NC. The runner-up receives $500. Tickets for dinners cost $49 excluding beverage, tax and tip. The semi-final and final ticket prices are $59. Diners can attend as many dinners as they like.

Don’t Delay! More than 300 tickets have already been sold for the “Fire in the Triad” competition. The Triangle series sold out completely by the second event. Tickets are on sale online only at www.competitiondining.com

For more Information:

www.competitiondining.com offers event dates, ticket sales, bios and videos featuring participating chefs

www.facebook.com/competitiondining offers daily news and updates, photos of chef dishes and more

www.youtube.com/user/CompDiningNC shares videos of the winner after each competition, video bios on each chef and more

www.Twitter.com/compdiningnc use the hashtag #compdiningnc and join the fun

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July 30, 2012 · 4:26 pm

Bull City Burger & Brewery in Durham – A “Must Go” for Burger Lovers!

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If you are looking for one of the best burgers in the Triangle then you need to get yourself over to Bull City Burger and Brewery (BCBB) located at 107 Parrish Street in Downtown Durham (Map). BCBB has been open a little over a year but for some crazy reason I have only recently had the opportunity to eat there. Actually, these photos are from my visit back in April for my Birthday. I’ve been back since and have been meaning to post this review for some time but one thing lead to another and I am only now getting around to sharing my thoughts on this great place.

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BCBB serves lunch and dinner seven days a week and offers ample seating with approximately 90 seats inside in addition to 50 seats of outside patio dining. The interior has an old fashioned looking stamped tin ceiling, with warm LED lighting, and natural light spilling in from large front windows providing a great view of the sidewalk of Parrish Street. The dining area features open seating with communal style picnic tables made of reclaimed wood. Or if you prefer, you can grab a stool at the bar and order / eat your food there. I enjoyed sitting at the bar. It has a large mirror along the length of the bar wall behind the taps and glasses providing a great view dining room and steel fermenters in the brewery situated behind you while sitting at the bar.

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BCBB is not your run of the mill burger joint.  The food served there is high quality – from the burgers all the way down to the toppings.  The restaurant can be best described as “farm-to-fork,” as they work closely with local pasture raised beef farmers supplying beef with no hormones added and antibiotic-free meat. This is a HUGE plus in my book. It is important to me that not only do the burgers taste amazing, but that I know where my food is coming from and what it has and doesn’t have in it. These burgers are locally sourced and made of high quality beef. The beef is grinded daily to make their hamburgers and all-beef hotdogs.  BCBB also works with other local farmers growing produce to be used in their burger toppings, such as tomatoes, cucumbers for pickles, and lettuce.  In fact, most of the items on the menu are produced on-site including the house made buns, sauerkraut and bacon.   They do not use artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, or hydrogenated oils.

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With all the great offerings on the menu, I have to admit I am pretty traditional when it comes to what I want on a burger. I just want quality beef, cheese and some pickles along with mustard and ketchup all situated on a fantastic bun. In addition to the traditional burgers offered, BCBB also has an extensive specialty burger menu for those looking for something extra special. Like the The Over Easy with bacon and fried egg, and the Green Monster with Gruyere Cheese, Raw Onion and Roasted Poblano Peppers.  They also serve all beef, hotdogs, chili, and a non-meat three bean burger. Their fries are equally amazing and come two different ways. You can get “dirty” fries done in peanut oil, or “duck frites” made using duck fat and fresh rosemary. Both are amazing! You can view the full menu here.

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BCBB is also a working brewery and they brew their own beer. They usually have eight beers on-tap at any given time rotating seasonally throughout the year. Beer is available by the pint, pitcher, sampler and Tower of Beer Power in the restaurant, as well as to take home in growlers and kegs. I love the idea of samplers when it comes to beer. This allows you to try three or more different beers in small four once pours for $1.35 per sample. On my visit back in April I selected four beers to sample: Bryant Bridge Gateway Golden Ale, Full Frame “Reel” Amber Ale, Parrish Street Pale Ale, and the “Stonewall” Jackson Brown Ale. I was very pleased with all of the beers I tried and think BCBB doesn’t get as much attention as they deserve regarding their well crafted brews. It is my opinion that they are some of the best beers made right here in the Triangle.

The is beer is indeed awesome, but the folks at BCBB take wine seriously too and feature a great selection of estate grown wines from around the world, which are served on-tap via the Enomantic self serve wine dispensing machine.

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So, while it has taken me a while to share my thoughts on BCBB, let me close by saying this is place is a “must go” on any foodies list. It is a double whammy offering the best in locally sourced burgers and some of the best beer made in the Triangle.  You can read more about Bull City Burger and Brewery on their website or follow them on facebook and twitter for updates to their menu and details about future events.

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