Colin and I have decided to give ourselves something to look forward to at the beginning of each week. We have decided to try a new restaurant in the triangle every Monday or Tuesday night. Colin needs something to balance out not looking forward to starting the work week, I want the date night with the opportunity to spend time alone together without distractions.
We are using the lists of "five faves" in the entertainment section of the local news station, WRAL, to find highly rated restaurants in various categories. Categories on our list to try first include; "best restaurant," "best vegetarian," and "best barbecue."
The first restaurant selected was 18 Seaboard, located in a historic-looking area of Raleigh, very close to Peace College. This restaurant was listed as one of the top 5 "best restaurants" and boasts locally sourced food.
Not having been to this area of Raleigh very often, we struggled to find parking when we first arrived. Once we drove around to the back of the restaurant however, we found a much larger parking area with plenty of open spots. My first impression of the restaurant was that it set a romantic mood. The lighting was low, the tables were not crowded together, and the contrast between the dark wood tables and light colored tableware was relaxing. Once I paid closer attention, I decided my favorite decorative area was the single brick wall.
The menu offered lots of variety for a "sustainable" restaurant, and I ended up going with a Mahi-Mahi wood grilled fish after consulting my app on sustainable fish to be sure it was not high in mercury or in danger of overfishing. Colin opted for the wood grilled BBQ brisket. My fish was from Florida and only the Swordfish was locally sourced. Since Swordfish is high in mercury (a big no-no for women of childbearing age) and I really wanted fish, I went with the Florida Mahi-Mahi. Our choices for sides included mashed potatoes with goat cheese, pistachio-lavender grits, bacon braised collards, and fennel with bok choy.
Brisket, grits and collards above
Mahi-Mahi, mashed potatoes and fennel/bok choy below
The standout (in a not-so-good way) was the very salty fish! I know restaurants use a lot of butter and salt to flavor their foods, but someone definitely overdid it with the salt shaker. The vegetables (both the fennel/bok choy and collards) were also doused in butter. I love food that tastes good and is healthy and it just seemed like the chefs were not able to provide delicious flavor with healthy ingredients. It's such a shame that so few restaurants can provide both local, sustainable ingredients AND good flavor. There are lots of other healthy seasonings that could have been used instead of the butter and salt (things like lemon and vegetable oils for marinating, and seasonings likes fresh rosemary and thyme). The pistachio-lavender grits, and BBQ brisket were merely ok. The best food on both of our plates was the goat cheese mashed potatoes.
For a restaurant that sources local ingredients and offers a seasonal menu, prices compared to similar restaurants ($16-28 per entree). The service was fantastic, the ambiance - very romantic, the presentation was beautiful, but the taste left much to be desired. Colin and I left the restaurant feeling full, but not feeling satisfied.
Do you have any restaurant suggestions in the triangle that are sustainable and tasty?
