LaPlace Restaurant 111 N. Churton St., Hillsborough 919-245-0041 laplacehillsborough.com It was only a few minutes into the meal before I realized that this was the ideal restaurant for a date. Rarely do I value the mood, vibe, mojo as highly as I do the taste, aroma, ingenuity involved in creating a dish. But in the […]
Elizabeth Shestak
Bio: Elizabeth Shestak is a freelance food writer living in Durham.Email: [email protected]
Posted inFood & Drink
Fill up on healthy greens at Hungry Leaf
There was a time when a “nice” dinner out, particularly in the South, was marked by the presence of the salad bar. If there wasn’t a buffet-like table featuring limp lettuce, mealy tomatoes, desiccated cucumbers and carrots and stale croutons, then it wasn’t much more than fast food. And let’s not forget the buckets of […]
Posted inFood & Drink
New Middle Eastern eatery is so-so
Pita Grill 1129 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill 919-929-6800 Daily 11 a.m.– 9 p.m. $$ Like so many things in life, our opinions of a food experience often hinge on our expectations. When I anticipate Mediterranean cuisine, the bar has been permanently raised thanks to the offerings at Mediterranean Deli on Franklin Street in Chapel […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Local 22 joins Durham’s funky food scene
Local 22 2200 W. Main St. Durham 919-286-9755 Daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m. $$ I had read a lot about chicken livers lately, and while I’m a fan of paté, I felt unsure about liver on its own. So the fried chicken liver and waffles on special at Local 22 seemed like an ideal place to […]
Posted inGuides
Candy ranks high at Miel Bon Bons
Miel Bon Bons 2514 University Drive Durham 919-237-3358 Initially, it looked like a shiny, brown stick. I wondered why it was on the workspace next to baking molds and a bag of chocolate. When I learned it was actually toffee-covered-bacon, I wondered how this news had not made its way to my mouth, or at […]
Posted inGuides
Videri: dark, but not bitter
Videri Chocolate Factory 327 W. Davie St. Raleigh 919-755-5053 The aroma of roasting cocoa beans wafts through the Videri Chocolate Factory in Raleigh, where machines and human attention bring the ingredients to life. The roaster, winnower, grinder and temperer transform the beans into the “liquid gold” that Videri co-CEOs and chocolate makers Sam Ratto and […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Sake Bomb’s mix of cuisines is inconsistent
Sake Bomb 4215 University Drive Durham 919-401-4488 Open daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m. It’s interesting when people talk about sushi being fresh, as if sometimes it isn’t. Praising a sushi restaurant for its fresh fish is like rejoicing over your chicken being cooked thoroughly. Fish should be fresh, especially if eaten raw. At Sake Bomb, Durham’s […]
Posted inGuides
The best sushi in the Triangle
Though it is possible to get freshly made sushi at your local Kroger, and even less freshly made sushi at places like Costco and Trader Joe’s, there is a major difference between freshly made and fresh tasting sushi. Sushi that is made at 10 a.m. and sits in a container for hours is usually the […]
Posted inGuides
Walking Fish community-supported program brings sustainable seafood to the Triangle
What’s in season & where to buy it Black sea bass Hard blue crabs Clams Croaker Southern flounder King mackerel Spanish mackerel Mullet Oysters Spotted sea trout Shrimp Snapper Grouper Spot Striped bass Yellowfin tuna • RALEIGH • Saltwater 4 Fenton St. 919-834-1813 Earp’s 1414 S. Saunders St. 919-833-3158 Capital Seafood Market 676 Maywood Ave. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Antonia’s in Hillsborough is a remarkable Italian eatery
Antonia’s 101 N. Churton St. Hillsborough 919-643-7722 Lunch Thursday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Dinner Tuesday–Thursday 5–9 p.m. Friday–Saturday 5–9:30 p.m. Brunch Sunday 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. When I went to Tuscany on my honeymoon, I could not resist gnocchi. So when I ventured to Antonia’s in Hillsborough, I looked forward to ordering it. Since I was told […]