January 23, 2015 · 9:56 am

G2B Nano Brewery ~ Grand Opening Party in Durham Saturday January 24th

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G2B Nano-Brews

This past week I visited the G2B Gastro Pub in Durham to sample some of their menu items and beers from the new onsite nano-brewery. On Saturday from 12-3pm Chef Travis Robinson, Brewer Andrew Christenbury, and the entire G2B team welcome guests to join them in celebrating the Grand Opening of the G2B Nano-Brewery. Attendees will have the opportunity to try new menu offerings alongside their new beers. The event will feature live music from the fantastic Mint Julep Jazz Band. For more information about G2B and their upcoming events visit their facebook page here.

Bar Straight On

G2B Bar Area
(Photo courtesy G2B)

About G2B
G2B is an upscale, modern American restaurant helmed by Executive Chef Travis Robinson and Head Brewer Andrew Christenbury. Open since May 2011, the restaurant pairs creative New American cuisine with the world’s best craft beers to create a unique dining experience. Chef Robinson brings an extensive fine dining resume to the kitchen, where he focuses on local, pure and natural ingredients. He has created a menu of familiar upscale dishes that are unusual in their depth of flavor.

lauraisbillie

Mint Julep Jazz Band
(Photo by Ashley Warren)

About Mint Julep Jazz Band
The Mint Julep Jazz Band is based out of Durham, NC and is led by trombonist Lucian Cobb and vocalist/swing DJ Laura Windley, who have put their collective knowledge and love of swing music together to create an ideal dance band for swing dancers.

G2B Gastro Pub
3211 Shannon Road
Suite 106
Durham, NC (map)

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January 22, 2015 · 10:37 am

Picture of the Week: Raleigh Tracks

Train Tracks by W. Martin Street ~ Raleigh, NC

Train Tracks by W. Martin Street ~ Raleigh, NC

 

Earlier this week I took a meandering run through downtown Raleigh. I like to take a small camera with me in case I come across anything new (and I always seem to stumble across a place I have never explored before). The photo I snapped above was taken just before the dead end of West Martin Street on the western side of downtown just past CAM Raleigh (map of location). There are many old warehouse buildings in this section of downtown and the area is currently receiving a lot of attention and undergoing a revitalization. It will be interesting to see how it evolves in the coming years.

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January 13, 2015 · 4:51 pm

Drink Local: Deep River Brewing Riverbank Rye-It ~ Clayton, NC

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Deep River Brewing Co. ~ Clayton, NC

I hear the Triangle is expecting some icy weather tomorrow. As you might expect the grocery stores are jumping with people making last minute trips for bread and milk. I’ve got those staples covered already so instead I made sure my fridge is fully stocked with beer in anticipation of the inclement weather. This week I am drinking Riverbank Rye-It Pale Ale from Deep River Brewing Co. out of Clayton. This is currently one of my favorite beers. It’s is an amber pale ale, with subtle hints of rye and citrus. If you haven’t visited the brewery in Clayton yet I recommend you check them out. They have a great tap room featuring most of their beers and often host food trucks on the weekends. You can read more about the brewery and my recent trip to the taproom here.

Meet the Brewers
On Thursday January 15th you can  meet the owners / brewers from both  Deep River Brewing Company and Raleigh Coffee Company at Brew Coffee Bar in downtown Raleigh. Guests can try a new Raleigh Coffee Co coffee infused beer and a special limited batch of Deep River’s Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout. Event runs from 6-8pm and is open to the public.

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January 12, 2015 · 3:58 pm

Running in the Triangle ~ A Look Back & The Road Ahead in 2015

The Upper Neuse Greenway

The Upper Neuse Greenway

This past weekend I ventured out for a brisk Saturday morning run on the Neuse Greenway and used that time alone to reflect on the past year of running. Looking back, 2014 was a fun year of running. I completed my second half marathon in April running in the first inaugural Rock n’ Roll Raleigh Half Marathon and achieved my goal of a sub-4 hour marathon finish in my second attempt at the City of Oaks Marathon in November. I even participated in the Sir Walter Miler event in August logging in my fastest single mile ever at 6 minutes 30 seconds. That may not be fast for some, but for me it was a huge accomplishment!

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Big Boss Run Club

Along the way I made some great new running friends at my two favorite local run clubs, the Big Boss Run Club & the River Run Club and managed to explore many new parts of Raleigh as I trained on miles and miles of the city greenway system. My favorite stretches right now are the Upper Neuse Greenway from Falls Dam to the WRAL Soccer Park (6.5 Miles) and the trails leading from Shelly Lake all the way down to Meredith College (also about 6.5 miles).

Running in Raleigh On a Cold January Day

Running in Raleigh On a Cold January Day

As I look ahead to 2015 I have my sights set on more modest running goals in the coming year, but I’m still looking forward to getting out there and logging some miles. I’ll be taking break from full marathons for a while instead focusing on shorter distances like the All American Half Marathon in Fayetteville in March and the Bull City Racefest in Durham in October. I also hope to finally break past the 1,000 mile mark in 2015 (a milestone that eluded me last year) and maybe take in a 10K or two. Whatever your running goals in the coming year, I hope you enjoy the journey and try a new running trail or two as you train for your next race. Maybe I’ll see you out there on the Greenway one weekend. Until then – run strong!

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January 9, 2015 · 9:59 am

Drink Local: Fullsteam’s Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale

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Fullsteam’s Cack-A-Lacky

One of my goals for 2015 is to try more local beers. I have long been a fan of Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, but never got around to trying their Cack-A-Lacky Ginger Pale Ale until just recently. I wish I had tried it sooner. This is Fullsteam’s first ever canned beer and as the can says, this beer is in fact “Hoppy” and “Zippy” with a flavor that is crisp and clean. I was afraid the ginger would be overpowering but found I really enjoyed the hoppy pale ale notes balanced by the subtle ginger finish. I will definitely be adding this beer into my regular rotation. I picked it up at The Hop Yard bottle shop in North Raleigh, but you can find it and just about any shop throughout the Triangle and of course can sample it at the Cackalacky Tasting & Tap Room in Pittsboro. What are you drinking these days?

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