Sunday Nights at Southern Rail + Robert’s at the Franklin
Posted on | November 10, 2008 | No Comments
Did you know that Southern Rail has a completely different menu on Sunday nights? Not that their regular memu isn’t great. It’s just that if you go in on Sunday you might get to try something new. Last night I had duck served over roasted root vegetables and my husband had rainbow trout over a gumbo like base. Both were fantastic. The waiter explained that since they serve brunch on Sundays, it was hard to get the prep together to serve the full menu. So the chef does a more limited menu based on what’s on hand and also uses the opportunity to try out new dishes as well. BTW - $2 off all draft beer on Sundays. This is well worth a special visit.
In other news, it looks like they’ve expanded into that place that had the turkish furniture next door and they’re calling it The Station. They’ve got all kinds of stuff on the calendar like watching football on Sundays and Mondays, live music on Thursdays and a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays.
So what to do on a Sunday after dinner? We headed up the street to Robert’s at the Franklin to hear some live jazz and the place was hopping. Not sure if that was just the homecoming weekend effect or it’s always that way, but the band was terrific. The only down note was that the bartender ignored us for a good 30 minutes when we went up to get a 2nd drink. We already had a tab open. When she finally acknowledged us we ended up just closing it out rather than having another drink. They should do better than that.
[where: chapel hill, nc] [where: carrboro, nc]
Tags: date night > dining out > dinner > Franklin Hotel > jazz > live music > Robert's at the Franklin > Southern Rail > Sunday night
You say oysters, I say Squids
Posted on | November 7, 2008 | No Comments
So right this minute we’re shucking fresh raw oysters at home and cracking open the first of what will ultimately be several beers because we don’t have to drive. Oh yeah!!!
Best oysters in town come from Squids. You can go there an eat them–but here’s a little bit of local knowledge–you can actually order them for yourself. Just call ‘em up and order as few as a dozen or as many as a box — we’re not sure exactly how many are in the box but it will feed a lot of friends.
Shuck them yourself, make up some cocktail sauce, slice up some lemons and put a couple sixes on ice. Volia - you’ve got an instant party for two or twenty.
In the interest of the theme of this as a date night publication you know what they say about oysters don’t you…..
[where: Chapel Hill]
Tags: Chapel Hill > Chapel Hill Restaurant Group > date night > dining out > eating out > Oysters > restaurants > squid's > Take Out
Where to Eat for RSVVP - Tues Nov. 11
Posted on | November 6, 2008 | No Comments
Here’s your chance to satisfy your appetite and your conscience at the same time. Participate in RSVVP — you get to eat out, restaurants donate money to help others eat.
All you have to do is go out to eat on Tuesday November 11 at any of these participating restaurants.
On that day, they will be donating 10% of their gross receipts (that’s REVENUE not profit) to aid shelters and community kitchens throughout North Carolina.
Now in its 20th year, this event benefits The Interfaith Council for Social Service in Carrboro, the Urban Ministries of Durham Community Kitchen, and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Raleigh.
Here are some ideas about how you can participate:
CARRBORO
Take your kids out to breakfast before school at Elmo’s Or enjoy a relaxing latte at Open Eye Cafe.
Grab lunch with co-workers or friends at Tyler’s Tap Room or Carrburitos.
Enjoy an after work drink at Glass Half Full and then move on to dinner at Provence or Panzanella at Weaver Street Market.
CHAPEL HILL
Enjoy breakfast at Penguin’s at Whole Foods or at the Weathervane at A Southern Season. Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen is playing too.
Lunch is tough because there are just so many choices, but here are my calls for a socially satisfying lunch - The Barbecue Joint, Citrus, Sandwhich and 411 West.
For dinner, I’ll be picking somewhere nice, hanging on the idea that ten percent of the bill will be going for a good cause. Currently the front runners are Lantern, Crossroads at the Carolina Inn and JuJube.
DURHAM
How about lunch at Toast, Pops or Watts Grocery. Drinks and maybe an appetizer at Six Plates and then dinner at Magnolia Grill, Nana’s or Rue Cler. Top it off with coffee and dessert from Franchesca’s Dessert Cafe.
HILLSBOROUGH
Three restaurants participating in Hillsborough. Cup A Joe, Weaver Street Market and Banditos. Make a day of it!
RALEIGH
In Raleigh, pick up a pre-prepped meal from Entree Vous and take it home to share with the family. You can pre-order and pick up or you can choose from what they already have on hand.
Also Lilly’s Pizza in Five Points is on-board. Local restaurant, local, all natural and organic ingredients. Homemade dough. Great pizza.
WAKE FORREST
The local Carolina Ale House is participating. Stop in to help a great cause.
Tags: 2008 > benefit > Carrboro > chairity > Chapel Hill > dining out > Durham > eat out > Hillsborough > InterFaith Council > November 9 > Raleigh > restaurants > RSVVP > Wake Forrest
Jordan Lake Music Festival
Posted on | November 2, 2008 | No Comments
Went to the Jordan Lake Music Festival today. Mellow vibe. Beautiful afternoon for it. Took the kids and had a great time. Saw Old Habbits again — bluegrass band out of Raleigh. I mentioned them before in my post on Saxapahaw. There were two other bands there today as well. There was also a line up of bands on Saturday.
Anyway, the event benefits the clean up of Jordan Lake so anybody who camps there, has a boat there, goes to the beach there or just heads over to see the Eagles or the stars needs to be in on this.
It’s hosted out at Jordan Lake Farm and the guy who owns Specs — the eye glasses place — is the host. There’s one at Southpoint and one on 9th Street in Durham.
Anyway, sorry I didn’t get this out in time for you to go, but wanted you to know about the effort. I’ll keep an eye out for the next one in the Spring and let you know in advance.
[where: apex, nc]
Lunch for 2 for under $20 [sneak preview]
Posted on | October 14, 2008 | No Comments
Here’s a sneak preview of my article that will appear in the November issue of Southern Neighbor. Look for the whole thing in the paper in mailboxes and newsstands early November.
So it’s November. You’re busy, you’re shopping, you’re working and you’re trying to figure out how to keep the credit card from going “TILT” over the holidays. We recommend beating the stress by taking a break for lunch with a friend. But of course you don’t want to stretch your wallet even more. So we went looking for a few local restaurants that have good food and even better value. Here’s what we found:
Fiesta Grill
You might have heard people talk about Fiesta Grill, but have you ever been? It’s more or less outside of Carrboro (but somehow has a Chapel Hill address) and has super fresh Mexican food. In fact, it’s caught the eye of more than one travel writer and appeared in a national magazine or two.
It’s located in a tiny square of a building and you can guess that this might not be the typical Mexican place by the interesting parking lot mix—think pick-ups, priuses and the occasional BMW. Inside, you can order take out (I know someone who won’t make tacos unless they pick up the tortillas from Fiesta Grill) or sit down at one of the six or seven tables. If you sit, you’re immediately rewarded with warm tortilla chips and freshly made salsa.
The menu is actually pretty extensive and includes tacos, burritos, tostadas, chimichangas, fajitas and more. We asked for advice in ordering and apparently one of the most popular items on the menu are the fajitas ($10.95). And now we know why. The tortillas were soft and warm, the meat was perfectly seasoned and the veggies were fresh. We were also recommended the burrito de chile verde ($7.25). When served, the thing was as big as my head; it easily could have been two lunches. For those who want something lighter, try the a la carte menu. It’s a great deal – the list includes items like a taco for $2.50, an enchilada for $3, and a chile relleno for $3. If you’re up to spending a few bucks more, it all washes down very nicely with Mexican beer.
Fiesta Grill
3307 Hwy 54 West
(at the intersection of White Cross Road, 5 miles west of Carrboro)
919-928-9002
www.fiestagrill.us
Closed Mondays
Tags: authentic > burritos > Carrboro > fajitas > fresh > inexpensive > lunch > Mexican
