Chops

Living a mile from downtown I am very pleased. I heard the rumor, but figured it would be in the Grasshopper spot and not downtown. Reading Charlie's posts on Mexican food you know he knows the cusine. Piedmont, Rue Cler, and now Dos Perros.........tough to beat that. quote=Varmint,Jun 28 2007, 12:52 PM] My friend Charlie Deal (detlefchef) has finally gone public with his plans to open a new Mexican eatery in Durham. Named "Dos Perros" after his two dogs, the restaurant will feature a fairly broad range of items, including mole, seafood, slow-roasted meat and chicken, and, of course, great drinks. Here's the press release: If you've been to Jujube in Chapel Hill, you'll know that Charlie really works hard at his craft. He knows food, and he's been dying to open an "expanded taqueria" for years. That's going to be happening, soon, and it will be a great addition to the local scene. ←

I will second Varmint with Cloos sliders. Outstanding....... My favorite would be Wimpy's grill in Durham. They grind the meat daily and you get a decent crust from the griddle. I like my burgers old fashioned with yellow american, grilled onions, and mustard. Double Cheeseburger - $3.79. For a restaurant burger Porter's is quite good. Anyone try the burger at South? Fried Egg is an option! Speaking of fried egg, the kitchen sink bison burger at Ted's Montana grill is quite good. It goes something like this......egg, cheese, bacon, ham, etc.... Heart Attack on a plate.

My favorite NY Style would be J&S Pizza in Apex. I love talking to the elderly italian couple running the place. It's as authentic as I can find in the area. Pizza Italia on Westgate Rd. in Raleigh was also pretty good, but I have not been there in years. The owner said he is unable to get the same dough in Raleigh as in NYC because of the water. I guess its not hard enough........

If you are looking for casual southern foods then head to Gladys & Ron's Chicken and Waffles. In between downtown and midtown.........

I want Trader Joes in downtown Durham.............Anyway, I did hear from a Harris Teeter rep that they are planning a store somewhere near the Northgate Teeter that closed down. It will be a year or so, before it is done. That is all I know, so maybe someone else has more info. For those of us near downtown Durham, any news of any grocery store going in is exciting.

Being from the North, I will give my 2 cents worth on Pizza in the Triangle. My personal favorite is NY Pizza right off the Harrison exit on 40 across from SAS. I go to Randy's the most because I live near the Broad St. location. I used to like Pizanos (sp?) pizza in the Walmart plaza on Wake Forest Rd, but it has been a year or so since I have been there. Durham is no doubt pizza challenged......... Great post on RTP, but you left out Sara's Empanadas and Park Diner. Both of them are in the same plaza not far from 54/55. I have not worked in the park in years, but I am pretty sure they are both still there. Is Brier Creek considered RTP for lunch? Has anyone been to Elod yet? I heard they have eastern europe fare, which is rare in this area.

Phlawless, Have you considered setting up a table at one of the Farmer's markets? The baker that sells the sweet and savory empanadas at the Durham Farmers Market does a killing. She seems to always be completely sold out by Noon. You may be able to gauge the interest in that setting. Of course I would recommend the Durham Farmers Market since I live in Durham and would love the idea of buying pies or tarts while picking up my fruits and vegetables.

I have rented in downtown Raleigh, owned in North Raleigh, and I now live in Old North Durham and there is no place I would rather be. If it was up to me I would have bought a condo on Main St. in Durham, but the finacee wanted a house so we are a mile down the road. I agree with bandregg, where is this crime in the downtown area? I agree that crime is an issue in Durham, but between Roxboro and Duke is safe. It seems to me that main st. is the only piece left between brightleaf and American tobacco. Durham residents who live near downtown will support a good restaurant on Main st.. If you are looking for the Duke crowd or the Southpoint crowd, then that area will not work until it is more built up. With all that being said good luck working with the city council...................

Anyone been to Super Taqueria lately? I dove by last week on Tuesday or Wednesday at lunch time and they were closed. I was worried that they might have closed. I see there was a mention about the taqueria next to the post office on Roxboro, but what about the new one between Super Taq. and the post office. It is a meat store and Taqeria a block before the post office on the same side of the street.

I don't have time to get into it, but Limones in Asheville is one of the best restaurants in NC. It has a Mexican/Californian type menu, excellent drinks, great brunch, and very good service. Quick sample of my brunch last time I was there: Smoked duck sausage sandwich w/ peppers & Onions, acorn sqush & pecan tamal, pickled veggies. My fiancee had a NY stirp w/ fried egg............that's just brunch. Oh........try the blood orange margirita.

I am a big fan of Super Taqueria. The tongue taco and pork taco are top notch, as is the condiment bar. I do get funny looks in there, since I am always the only non-Mexican in the place. Check out the Sunday special......usually ceviche.

It's Lyon Farms and it is between Lynn rd. and Strickland on Creedmoor. They also have a spot at the Durham Farmers Market. I picked up some Purple Cherokees last Saturday. Yep. It was on Creedmoor on the east side. Between Millbrook and Strickland - that's a few miles, I know, but it should be there. I just can't remember where exactly. ←

I am a huge rhubarb fan and have used it in salas and bbq sauce. I personally like it raw dipped in sugar, but I like tart flavors. Use your favorite fruit salsa recipe and replace the fruit with rhubarb and add a little honey.

Speaking of ex's.........I named a european bitter, "Bitter Ex". I also brewed an IPA on July 4th and named it "1776 Ale".[ quote=sparrowgrass,May 9 2005, 01:11 PM] My ex (affectionately known as "The Evil One") worked for the US Forest Service, so I made "Smokey Beer" and "Woodsey Ale". Now it is Sparrowgrass Hill Ale. ←

My favorite dessert paring is a rich Chocolate Chees pie or Chocolate cake and Lindeman's Framboise. A close second is a classic cheese cake and Rogue Chocolate Stout.

Bell's Oberon Allagash White Scrimshaw Pilsner Rouge Honey Cream Ale Leffe Blond Dogfish Head Aprihop Magic Hat #9 PBR

I'm not sure where you are staying in Durham, but if it is near Duke and downtown then head to Brightleaf Square. The #1 attraction would be Fowlers Market. It's a gourmet market that serves up some excellent sandwiches and salads for lunch. If you like you alcohol for lunch you can buy a bottle of wine or individual beers in the market area and have those for lunch also. It is the only place that I know of in the triangle that carries prime beef and foie gras. There is a little bit of shopping in that area as well. Morgan Imports - home store, eclectic, Hamilton Hill - Jewerly, and a few other knick knack places. Brightleaf is really the only place in Durham where you can walk around and shop and get some lunch. Other restaurant options for lunch in that area include mexican, oyster bar, irish pub, greek, pizza, and a couple other pubs.

I went out to Zelly & Ritz last night and I will have to give it mixed reviews. Here is my breakdown of what my girlfriend and I had: Assorted Cheese Plate & Cured Meat Plate: These are 2 separate dishes and this is what we started with. The meats were Mortadella, Pancetta, and Procuitto. The Cheeses were goat, Camembert, and a cows milk cheese(can't remember the name). The meat plate came with a sausage tart and the cheese plate came with a onion tart. I was disappointed with both of these plates. I was expecting some cured meats that were harder to find (Serrano) and the cheese was average and the goat cheese was too firm. Both tarts were a decent addition, but they force the plate to take much longer to prepare in the kitchen. I believe the dishes were 8.95/ea. Root vegetable ragout: This also was a bit disappointing, since I was expecting a soft root vegtables and the majority of them were still quite hard. Now to the good stuff........ Rack of Lamb w/ golden raison sauce: I only had a small bite of this, but it was cooked perfectly and the flavor was outstanding. It comes as 2 small chops. This was my girlfriends dish and she loved it also. $12.95 Duck & Cherry Pie: Now this is what I expected when I decided to come to Zelly&Ritz. Very unique blend of chopped duck with cherries and a puff pastry topping. The sauce was a port and cherry reduction. If you are thinking rich, then you are correct. It was the highlight of the meal w/o a doubt. It was lighter than a english style pie with the crust being much lighter and the sauce not as thick as a gravy. $8.95 We skipped on the dessert, but I remember seeing a panna cotta, molten choclate cake, another type of chocolate cake, and assorted homemade ice cream and sorbet. All $6. All in all I will return especially for the Duck & Cherry pie. Both my girlfriend and I love cheese and cured meat plates and since we were disappointed in those, it stated the meal off poorly. I would recommend it to friends and I would like to go back and try some of the seafood dishes as well as the risotto dishes. One last thing......the wine: Good size list of bottles and glasses. A little disappointed to not see more Spanish offerings, but a nice list nonetheless.

Fowlers meat department is perfect if you are looking for prime aged beef and some game type meats. If you are looking for something more simple, then the prices are too high. I've had some homemade venison sausage and some aged strips and they both were excellent. They now have foie gras for a small fee of $70/pound. I will quickly mention their beer selection is outstanding for the size. I feel like I know my craft beers and Fowlers delivers in this area. The beer buyer is the former buyer at Whole Foods Durham. They do not have the selection of Peace St. Market or Sams quick shop, but they do have quality.

I just saw foie gras at Fowlers in Durham.

I have been to Poole's twice so far and agree with some of your assessment, but I do think it is perfect for that area. Yes, the food can be up and down and yes, it can be pricey for a tuna melt or grilled cheese. I would recommend some of the "farmhouse" selections, especially the chicken pot pie. The pie has a nice flakey crust and is huge for the price. Also, you must try the macaroni and cheese. It is creamy, slightly spicey, and delicious. The reason why Poole's will do well is the clientel it is catering towards. Lunch: Business crowd (price is not important, just happy to have somewhere other than Sam and Wally's to walk to). Dinner: Rockers and artists - Last time I was in there the place was about 75% full and more than half of the crowd were musicians that hang out next door at Kings. Tell me a better 2am meal for a crowd that has been rocking out all night then pot roast w/ mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a $1.25 Shlitz can. Maybe not for all, but I like Poole's atmosphere and the mac & cheese, so I'm sure I will be back.

Where in North Raleigh is "The Forks"? Also, I heard Rachael Ray was at Mama Dips last week as part of her "$40 a day" show. Anyone know where else she went?

If you want great fresh seafood head to Harpoon Larry's in Hampton. It's a little shack, but they have excellent fish sandwiches that you can get anyway you want. They have a blackboard w/ the fresh fish for the day, it usually contains at least 6 different kinds. Good beer too!

BeerGirl, I am heading to Newport and staying at the Bed & Beer in July. I am a big Rogue fan, do you have any recommendations for me? I am only going to be in Newport for 1 night. My favorite Rogue was Mogul, but that was discontinued. I would have to go with I2PA now.

I just returned from a quick trip to Charleston and I am surprised I have not heard anyone mention, "Anson". I thought it was easily my favorite restaurant of the trip. It is quaint and not overly loud and most importantly the food is outstanding. Not to mention it is easy to find........it's on Anson st. Has anyone been there??? On another note, you clearly cannot go to Charleston and not stop in to McCrady's wine bar and get a flight of cheese. 12 various cheeses with full desciption for $20. I had such a good time I went back 2 nights later. The waiter was very nice, he pointed out where they purchased the cheese so I could go out and get some. Highly recommended w/ a wine list second to none.