[Nana's Chop House]

See link below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/reta...gle_story2.html

[Grocery Stores?]

Has anyone been to the Durham co-op grocery store? I read about it awhile back, but do not know where it is or if it is worth it.

[New York Hops for New York Microbrew]

Ithaca makes some excellent beers. My personal favorite is the Flower Power IPA, so I would think this Double IPA would be great.

[Interesting blurb in N&O Business Section]

My guess is Morton's. They have been thinking of coming here for awhile.

[Wine Paring]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I decided to serve the elk w/ a wine(whatever I pick) reduction sauce. The crab will be part of a salad w/ grilled asparagus.

[Wine Paring]

I am serving Elk tenderloin w/ crabmeat and some type of rich sauce. I have not completely thought out the meal. This will be quite rich, so I figured a Cab would work. Does anyone have any other ideas, maybe a style not so mainstream?

[Magnolia Grill]

Ok, I went to Magnolia last night and here is my report:

Service:

Excellent, no complaints. Not much else to say there.

Atmosphere/Surroundings:

I'm sure anyone that has been to Magnolia has heard this before, but it is just way too bright in there. I am fine with the hustle and bustle atmosphere, but turn down the lights a little. I felt like I was on stage. It is interesting to see what they spend their money on. The dinnerware is very basic, I think Denny's have the same plates. It did not really bother me, it just seemed a bit strange.

Dinner:

Outstanding.

My girlfriend went with the fired oysters for a starter and the NY Strip w/ creamed leeks, shitake mushrooms. The strip was cooked perfect and the sauce w/ the leeks and mushrooms was terrific. It really made the meal, I think there was a touch of blue cheese in there. The oysters were very light w/ a touch of heat. Very Good.

I went with the Vension w/ root veggies and spoonbread. It was served with a cabernet au jus. This also was incredible, the spoonbread was a surprise hit for me. The only issue was the portion of venison. It was 4 thin slices, maybe 6 ounces max. The flavor was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly.

Dessert:

Phlawless, what can I say. Perfection.

My girlfriend was in tears eating the Apple/Rasin crips with sour cream vanilla ice cream. I had a bite it was nice and crisp and fairly tart, which I loved. My guess is they use granny smith's.

I had the chocolate tart with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. This reminded me of Angus Barn's chocolate chess pie, just in the form of a tart. When you cut into it the molten of choclate just oozed out. Unbelievable.

Overall:

The food here is outstanding and basically made me forget about any complaints I had regarding the atmosphere. Overall I still prefer 4 square a bit, but you cannot go wrong with Magnolia Grill. Also, I was surprised how reasonable it was. That is always a nice surprise.

[Magnolia Grill]

I am heading to Magnolia Grill tomorrow and I was trying to find a sample menu. The only website I could find was for their cookbook. Is it possible that they do not have a website? Anyone that has been their recently, I will gladly listen to menu suggestions.

Thanks.

[Artisanal Bakers in NC]

Speidie's come either beef, chicken, pork, or lamb. The meat is cut into bite sze chunks and marinated for 24-72hrs in a vinegar type marinade. It does not sound like much, but trust me it is excellent. The original company is called Lupo's, I know they have a website that ships speidies. Make sure you eat them on a good slice of italian bread!

[Artisanal Bakers in NC]

I would not call them an artisan bakery, but Roma's Italian bakery on Harrison Ave in Cary makes some excellent Italian bread. The owners are from upstate NY and they distribute their bread to various local restaurants. It is a nice little family place, go for lunch and try the "Speidie" sandwich, a Binghamton, NY staple.

[dining in hampton roads]

Take a day trip to Williamsburg, there are some excellent restaurants right in the historic area. If you are looking for something inexpensive, try the Green Leaf Cafe. The food is good quality and it is a dream for craft beer fans.

Head to Harpoon Larry's in Hampton(maybe Newport News), for excellent fresh fish. It is a little shack, but it is a fun cheap place for a fish sandwich caught fresh that day.