Watts Grocery

Last week we made our way to the well-known and highly rated Watts Grocery in Durham.  The restaurant has come highly recommended to us by several people and offers sustainable fair from local farms.  Colin was really excited when he saw they had chess pie on the dessert menu online, so we decided against an appetizer so we could save room for dessert.

We were a bit worried that we would need reservations, since the restaurant seems to be very popular, but when we called there was only an opportunity to leave a message. We took our chances, hoping that a 5:45pm dinner on a Wednesday night would not be a popular time.  Upon arrival, there were very few people dining and plenty of open tables. The space was larger than I anticipated with quite a few tables and a bar area.

Shortly after we ordered, we were presented with four very basic dinner rolls and butter. I'm guessing the butter was local and maybe the bread was baked in-house, but Colin was expecting more.  He commented on expecting who grain rolls, or some sesame seeds, and maybe some olive oil and vinegar, or chive-butter.  The dinner rolls did not match our expectations for a pricey, sustainable restaurant.

Since the restaurant sourced it's meat locally, we decided to try the steak and the chicken.  The Pan Roasted Chicken Confit came with yellow grits and butterbean and pea succotash.  I had to go back to the menu to know what the butterbeans were because they were so soft and very rich. Originally, I thought they were pork fat.  The dish was very flavorful, maybe a little too rich and flavorful.  After a few bites, I was already full (well, saving a little room for dessert).

The Grilled Hand-Cut Angus Ribeye came on smoked tomato and bacon braised collard, and with broccoli and Four Leaf Farm pea shoot butter.  It's too bad we didn't have the butter for the bread! Neither of us used the butter with the steak dish, which was also very flavorful. The meat was very tender and cooked perfectly to Colin's liking (medium-rare).  The collards, in their smoked tomato and bacon sauce were a bit too rich for me, but Colin was a huge fan.  While the steak did not beat his favorites in NYC (The Post House, Strip House and Angelo Maxies) or the amazing steaks we ate in Aruba, he thought the meat was the best we've had in the Triangle.  His highest marks went to the collards, which he'll likely try to replicate at home.

Both entrees tasted amazing as leftovers (especially since I could cook the steak a little more to my liking)!

Pan-Roasted Chicken Confit

Grilled Hand-Cut Angus Ribeye

Once Colin got his heart set on the chess pie, he had me convinced we had to get it for dessert. So when the waitress came over to ask if we were finished, and we requested a box to pack up our leftovers, Colin immediately ordered the chess pie.  Imagine the letdown when the waitress explained that the dessert menu had not been updated online in awhile!  Oh boy were we disappointed.  It pretty much ruined the whole experience for Colin.  We were brought the updated menu and couldn't find anything on it that remotely resembled the chess pie, so we paid for our bill and left.  

On our way out of Durham, we stopped to get dessert at Dulce Cafe.  There were only a few varieties of desserts to choose from (but had lots of each dessert).  We had been preparing for chocolate so we went with the chocolate cake filled with a cherry filling and a chocolate/chocolate cupcake.  We brought it home to enjoy in the comfort of our sweatpants!  The desserts were good, but certainly nothing to rave about. I doubt we will make a trip out there for desserts again.

Chocolate cake with cherry filling (L) and chocolate cupcake (R)

Where can we get amazing chess pie in the area?  

Now we just can't seem to let it go!

UNC Men's Basketball

Last weekend, our friends gave us their tickets to the UNC - Virginia Men's Basketball game.  It was a perfect way to spend a wintry mix of snow and rain.  Thankfully, the roads were not hazardous mid-day and we were able to hop on and off the park and ride shuttle with door-to-door service.

I know the UNC basketball team is not good this year, but it is always fun to see a game live and I am a big fan of college sports.  While neither Colin nor I are die-hard fans of a specific team, we both enjoy watching sports and future professional stars.  And there are few things that compare to being in a crowd of devoted fans when their team makes a comeback or makes a great play.  While UNC had a rough first half and has had a rough season, it didn't seem like the fans cared.  They stood behind their team the whole game.

UNC did manage to pull away in the second half, allowing us to take in all the positive energy before heading back home.  During halftime, recent UNC grad Tyler Zeller had his jersey hoisted into the rafters with the likes of Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Antawn Jaimson, Vince Carter, and many others.  A few of the recent grads who play in the NBA were at the game, supporting their fellow teammate (though MJ was not there - not surprisingly).  Throughout the game, we got to see many of the highlights of former UNC stars who made names for themselves in the NBA.  It was quite an impressive display.

UNC - Virginia Men's Basketball February 16, 2013

We are expecting another wet day on Saturday, giving me some cabin fever. But no plans so far. Thankfully, we've had nice Sundays to balance out the weekends.  

If you've got any suggestions for things to do indoors on Saturday (besides watching TV), please share!

Going International for Lunch

Last week, we decided to go out to lunch instead of going to dinner.  The weather wasn't great and the backyard was muddy, so Darwin didn't get to spend his days running around with his buddy Phoenix (who is temporarily staying with us).  Instead of keeping him cooped up all evening so we could go do dinner, we opted to meet for lunch downtown.  Meeting for lunch isn't ideal because we don't get to take our time eating and chatting.  Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperating and our backyard is very muddy from all the rain and snow. Yes, we did get some snow this weekend!  For most of Saturday morning, the snow was coming down in beautiful, large snowflakes, but as the temperatures rose into the mid-upper 30's, it turned to slushy snow.  Our back deck and backyard was covered with a little over an inch by the end.  Most of the snow/ice was melted by the sun on Sunday, but there are a few large patches that didn't get any sun and now remain icy.

I'm certainly ready for some spring weather! I hate the cold.

Enough about the weather, let me share the details about our lunch at Buku.  I had been there with my former foodie coworkers over a year ago, and had enjoyed my lunch. The reviews were good, so I convinced Colin to meet me there for lunch.

We opted for a global-inspired lunch starting with the empanadas.  The waiter was kind enough to allow us to order a spicy and a regular instead of two of just one kind.  Colin ordered the South African lamb kebabs, which were cooked with peppers and mango chunks and were served with potato salad and lentils. I ordered the Massaman curry, a vegetarian dish with vegetables, curry and a coconut sauce, served with rice on the side.

The empanadas were very good. The main difference between the spicy and regular was the spicy salsa on top.  The sauce was good, but I prefer the guacamole that came on the regular ones.

Empanada and Empanada Picante

The lamb meat was very tender and I really enjoyed the combination with the peppers and the mango (?) pieces. The potato salad was also very good.  The lentils seemed a bit too raw for my liking and I would have preferred them served warm instead of cold.  Colin was not a fan of the meat, veggies or the lentils.  He only gave a positive review to the potato salad.

South African Lamb Kebabs with potato salad and lentils

I really enjoyed the Massaman Curry, especially the unique flavor the coconut added.  Once again, Colin was not impressed, so I got to polish it off!  I will admit the flavor was a bit mild, even with the coconut, but I sometimes prefer a dish that is more mild.  I've been to many restaurants where the food tastes overly flavorful because of all the salt and/or butter used.  I enjoy my meal when I eat it, but then don't feel great afterwards.  After eating at Buku, I felt full, satisfied, and didn't go back to the office in food coma.  I prefer having a hearty meal at lunch, but don't like overdoing the carbohydrates, which can make me tired during the afternoon.  Even with the rice and potato salad, I didn't feel stuffed or tired.

Massaman Curry (vegetarian) with Jasmine rice

I enjoyed the romantic atmosphere of Buku's main dining area, especially since we decided that would be our Valentine's Day meal. The service was excellent and efficient for the lunch hour, with our appetizer served quickly after ordering.  We didn't get to spend that much time together, or enjoy a very leisure dining experience, but I'm sure Darwin appreciated our attention that evening.

Overall, I enjoyed my meal, but will admit their menu is pricey. The website claims they use high quality produce, hormone-free beef and sustainable fish, but I don't really know what that means. I doubt the produce was organic or local, and we had lamb, not beef.  The restaurant also claims to be "global street food," but I don't know any street empanadas that cost $3.50 each, or street lamb kebab entrees to cost $12.  In NYC, street kebabs on a heaping pile of rice cost under $5.  I recognize we have to pay for the service and the dining experience, but I think Buku's description of itself sets the wrong expectation.

If you've ever eaten at Buku, is there a menu item you love?

We are probably going to dine in Chapel Hill or Durham this week, any suggestions? 

Bathroom Renovation

We had our first major home renovation project this past winter.  It was actually more like the project started in the fall and ended around early winter.  When we bought the house, the previous homeowners inspection report indicated there was some water damage under the master bathroom, which had records to show the problem had been repaired.  What we had not noticed however, was that the shower pan that leaked was fixed, but the subfloor had not been repaired.  Our home inspector did not report any problems on the report and when Colin took a look after we bought the house, he noticed the water damage in the wood.

After an exhausting process with our home insurance company, which ultimately denied the case because it was "pre-existing" when we purchased the insurance, we decided we needed to get it fixed.  Since the entire shower area was going to be torn up, we decided to update a few extra things.

Our not-so-lovely 1987 shower in the forefront

White tile on the floors and around the garden tub before renovations

Our new, updated shower with a built-in seat

It's hard to see it, but we also have a built-in niche for shampoo and soap

The white tile looks like marble in the shower and around the tub

The floor is a slate color tile

We didn't update the vanity side of the shower, which is still in decent condition and we actually wanted to pain the walls a blue that was not quite so bright, but this is how it turned out.  On the day we went to paint, we found wallpaper under the very light green paint that was on the walls.  Since I'm type A and could not paint another layer knowing there was wallpaper underneath, it took  us about two additional weeks to get all the wallpaper removed, sand the walls, prime them, and then paint.  There are some areas where we didn't do the best job sanding, but it looks much better than it did.  At some point we will likely change the color to the blue we want, but it will remain like this for awhile.

Unfortunately, we didn't really want the master bathroom to be the first major renovation in the home.  We spend most of our time in the open living/dining area and really want to remove the carpet in the living room and the vinyl in the kitchen to put down laminate wood floors.  Since we had to address the damaged wood under the shower, our more desired projects have had to wait.  Now that it's been a few months since we finished the bathroom, we are planning the next phase and hope to get the floors done this spring.  It's a somewhat stressful process, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.  I've found one of the most challenging aspects to be finding laminate wood that both Colin and I like and that looks like real wood.  We'll likely have a professional put it down for us, but we are toying with the idea of doing the trim ourselves.

Can you suggest any laminate wood you love??

Do you suggest the home improvement staff at Lowes or Home Depot, or a local person?

If you've ever done the trim yourself, do you have any tips or would you talk us out of it?

Delicious Italian at Bella Monica in Raleigh

For the past few months we've been planning to try the pizza at Bella Monica in Raleigh.  One of Colin's major quests in the area has been to find pizza that he can brag about to his New York friends.  Few pizza places have met his expectations so far.

Bella Monica has received lots of great reviews on Yelp.com and was also a "Triangle's Best" in 2012.  I didn't look at the menu before we arrived, so I was surprised when our margherita pizza was actually on flatbread

In addition to the pizza, we also ordered the portobello and sun-dried tomato lasagna entree and split a cannolli for dessert.

The whole meal and atmosphere was wonderful. I had called for reservations, but was told there was only overflow seating available in the wine bar. While we didn't get to sit in the low-lit, intimate seating area of the main restaurant, we had a nice table in a second area of the restaurant.  Shortly after being seated, we were served two very large portions of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The food did not come out very quickly, but we also didn't wait too long. I didn't expect so many people at 6pm on a Monday night, but it was very busy.  While I am a bigger fan of thicker crust pizza, the flatbread margherita was very good. The basil and tomatoes were fresh, but there wasn't very much sauce on the pizza itself. Colin thinks the sauce is the best way to judge a good pizza, so it was difficult to evaluate.  The lasagna was good, but not amazing.  I wasn't a huge fan of the oozing cheese that filled the bowl.  I like simple and fresh ingredients for the most part, and this dish was a bit too full of cheese and oil for my taste.

Unlike the lasagna, the cannoli was amazing! It has been rare to eat a cannoli that is filled just before eating. Most of the ones we buy are already prepared when we order them. This one tasted like it was filled just before it was served to us. The filling was so soft and creamy!  It was almost as good, if not as good, as the Termini Brothers cannoli we had in Philadelphia.

Good, but not amazing, portobello and sun-dried tomato lasagna

Tasty margherita pizza on flatbread (and missing the sauce)

The highlight of the meal - a delicious cannoli

We took most of the pizza home, having filled up on the lasagna, bread, and cannoli. I will add that the leftover pizza remained good for a few days after our dinner.  I ate the pizza leftovers heated up and cold and both were very good.  

I give Bella Monica a thumbs up for good pizza.  It's not NYC pizza, but they make a good flatbread pizza.  The seating is limited, so I suggest reservations or take-out if you don't want to wait.  The overflow seating in the wine room is not as intimate as it is in the rest of the main restaurant, but the service and food seemed to be the same.

Triangle Restaurant Week - Irregardless Cafe

Last week's Triangle Restaurant Week was a perfect opportunity to try one of the area's best restaurants in the area.  The event covered restaurants in Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Morrisville, Apex, Cary, Raleigh and Wake Forest.  The event corresponded with our decision to start going out to eat on a Monday or Tuesday as something to look forward to at the beginning of the work week (now that football season is almost over!).

We really wanted to go Watt's Grocery in Durham, since it came highly recommended by friends and yelp, but to our dismay, there were no reservations available. Instead, we decided to try the "Contemporary American" restaurant Irregardless, known for it's popular vegetarian and vegan options.

Triangle Restaurant Week offered $20 and $30 3-course prix fixe menus.  Irregardless offered a $20 3-course vegetarian meal and $30 3-course non-vegetarian menu.  The vegetarian entree options included Shepard's Pie, Chile Rellenos, and Roasted Vegetable Polenta. The non-vegetarian entree options included pan-roasted salmon, Morgan Street chicken, and BBQ Short Ribs.  Our appetizer options included a Middle Eastern Platter, Garden Salad, Vidalhia Onion Pizza, spicy soup, or bean soup.  The dessert options included a flourless chocolate cake, creme brule, and apple berry crisp.

We decided to do one vegetarian option and one non-vegetarian option. I didn't get a picture of the appetizer, but we each split the white bean soup (which was delicious, but too small), and the garden salad.  We then split the Shepard's Pie and the Morgan Street Chicken, and finished off withe the flourless chocolate cake and creme brule.

The Shepard's Pie

The Shepard's Pie was good, but tasted a little too much like the dough of the crust. The vegetable interior and the sauce didn't give the dish quite enough flavor.  

The Morgan Street Chicken

The chicken, which was described as a breast of chicken, marinated in lemon tahini sauce, coated with crushed cashews and panko crumbs, and topped with an herb compound butter, was also not as delicious as we expected.  To me, it tasted just like the pork chops my mom used to make in the "shake and bake" seasoning.  The chicken was really dry, and just didn't provide the flavors I expected.

The flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce

Along with the white bean soup, the flourless chocolate cake was the highlight of the meal.  It was so rich and delicious.  We probably should have each gotten our own piece!!

The Grand Marinier Creme Brule

We actually ordered the Apple Berry Crisp, but were served the Creme Brule instead. We each took a bite and decided it was good enough not to complain and make a big deal about the mix-up.

Overall, it was a fairly disappointing $50+ meal.  We each could have gotten delicious bean soup from the vegan/vegetarian restaurant The Remedy Diner and 2 slices of amazing flourless chocolate cake from Hayes Barton for $25 and been perfectly satisfied with our meal.  I was most disappointed because Irregardless has such a great reputation.

Oh well, at least we will get to try another place tonight! I expect it will be much less expensive, I hope it will be very tasty, and I look forward to sharing the details with you in a future post.

Have you ever tried Watt's Grocery?

What is the best Restaurant Week experience you've ever had?

Two Days After a Day at the Beach, We Are Freezing

I'm sure many of you, my friends and loyal readers, are experiencing this very cold winter day. It's hard to imagine that just two days ago, Colin and I were basking in the sun while laying on the warm sand in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Temperatures crept towards the 70s and at the peak of the day on Sunday.  I actually had to remove my layers down to my tank top and actually got some tan lines!

I guess we are now back to reality, with high temperatures today reaching only into the 30's (unless you count the warmest part of the day being midnight, at 44 degrees, when temperatures started falling).

Over the weekend, we drove the 3-3.5 hours to Myrtle Beach and stayed in a very inexpensive (off-season priced), and nice La Quinta Inn. The hotel chain allows pets to stay for free and it was very clean and comfortable.  It was only a block and a half from the beach and a little over 3 miles from downtown Myrtle Beach.

We arrived around 2pm on Sunday and temperatures were in the mid-upper 50's - perfect for a nice, long walk on the beach!

Our 7 mile walk (roundtrip) took us from the hotel to the downtown area and back

Darwin loves the beach if we don't force him to swim and battle the scary waves

Downtown Myrtle Beach

Checking out the boardwalk

The "main drag"

We even walked to have dinner at The Carolina Roadhouse.  I didn't take a picture of our dinner, but it was very good, especially the mac n cheese!  Colin got the Albuquerque Chicken, which was topped with ham and cheese, and I got the marinated sirloin steak.  Our hotel had given us a coupon for a free appetizer and we opted for the creamed spinach nachos. They definitely loaded the nachos with cheese, which was very tasty, but not so good for the thighs. I felt less guilty since we walked so much.  We ended up taking most of our meal back to the hotel, stored it in the fridge and heated it up for lunch the next day.

Darwin loved getting to lay on the bed with us in the hotel room. We don't let him on the bed at home (he gets to lay on the couch though), so it was a special treat. Colin managed to get a picture of him passed out!

Darwin passed out on the bed, checking into the TV occasionally

I like that mid-low priced hotels actually give you free things like wi-fi and breakfast. Unfortunately, the breakfast options were limited to mostly starchy items like waffles, bread, bagels, cereals, etc.  Colin and I were surprised they had hard-boiled eggs, but I was disappointed there was not much fruit.

After breakfast, we decided to enjoy the beautiful day and enjoy a mid-morning run on the beach. The air temperature was already in the upper 50's by 10am and there was not a cloud in the sky.  Our 3.2 mile run was slightly more difficult on the way back when we had a light wind to contend with.  

We literally laid on the beach, basking in the sun from noon until almost 4pm - it was glorious.  I've been reading the Poisonwood Bible, a fairly large novel, and I read almost the whole book in those 4 hours, with no other care in the world.  

I will frequently have to think back to the weekend to get me through the next week since temperatures are predicted to hover in the 30's and 40's.  I love the sun and I am grateful it feels so warm here in North Carolina, but I don't like temperatures below 50 degrees!  Thankfully, the temperatures don't typically stay cold for too long, and I had a wonderful weekend to hang on to for a little while.

How do you manage to get through the really cold winter days?