Guilty Gourmand

Varmint, Thanks for posting. The fruits of Jim Currin's labors are a real treasure. For those in other parts of the Triangle that might not be able to get to the State Farmers Market in Raleigh, the Carrboro farmers' market also has a fine selection of heirloom tomatoes as well, mostly all organically grown.

Perhaps the only thing better on a hot summer day than a Mountain Dew in a glass bottle would be a 6.5 ounce bottle of Coke pulled out of the barrel of ice water at the little country store down from my grandmother's farm. Those of course were also made with real sugar rather than today's high fructose corn syrup. I keep trying to find versions of the real thing in the Triangle area at passover but have not had any luck. Anybody out there been successful in finding kosher coke in N.C.?

Unfortunately the Biscuit King closed earlier this year but I believe you can still get similar food from Charlie's Bar and Grill nearby http://indyweek.com/durham/2004-03-03/porch.html Perhaps Biscuitville's biscuits are less greasy than Bojangles--I think that varies from location to location but I'm not really sure I can say as I generally throw out the grease-o-meter when getting biscuits. Seems to me it's hard to go too wrong with a ham biscuit from either one. I will, however, nominate Big Ed's in Raleigh for having the worst biscuits. Old biscuits reheated on the grill---yuck.

Biscutville is good but I much prefer Bojangles' biscuts and the rest of their food in general. I know there are several Bojangles along that stretch, particularly around Burlington and around Greensboro.

It's been awhile since my last visit to the Grill and awhile since I had the coconut cake but we've always found everything there to be just perfect, particularly considering the extended run of hype and high-praise the restaurant has received. I usually get a steak--not very imaginative I know but they are so excellent it's hard not to get along with some of their excellent sides. Last time my wife ordered a special that included a simply prepared red snapper. It was the best fish either of us had ever tasted.

Chad, Thanks very much for your reply and your review of Louis. It certainly sounds fantastic and I'm glad to hear that things are running smoothly--Louis' skillset deserves to be showcased by such fine service and management. Although it may be awhile before I can bring myself to visit, it certainly made my mouth drool. Also, please do provide more info on your relatives' upscale restaurant in Durham as it becomes available. Wcmckinney, Having grown up in coastal NC, I share your appreciation for any restaurant that offers a selection beyond the standard fried seafood platter; however, our experience at Louis's was when it was in Charleston and was more than just spotty service. Our treatment was really abhorable, at best. We thought about protesting at the time but there didn't seem to be any point as it was the manager who was responsible for the bad service. I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I'm still completely mystified. My wife and I made reservations well in advance, arrived promptly, were well dressed (coat and tie) and were prepared to spend a good bit of money that night. I suppose we were obviously tourists generally there for a one-time experience and, in hindsight, it was shortly before the restaurant closed so maybe that played into it to some degree. While I'm willing to cut anyone some slack for having an off night what we experienced was rude and insulting. I promise to move on now and am glad to hear that Pawleys Island has such a fine dining alternative.

Just a general note on some of the earlier discussions having just returned from a weekend in Charleston and having eaten at the Charleston Grill. Is Charleston overly touristy these days? Yes, probably so. But I did not find my meal at Charleston Grill to be either over-hyped or over-priced. Was it expensive? Yes, of course. Was it the best, most creative and imaginary food I've ever had? No, I had to pay Charlie Trotter far more to have tomatoe ice cream for that honor. But our meal at Charleston Grill was excellent, the menu, especially the specials, had some nice, unique selections and the service was exceptional. If trying too hard is a crime, I wish more of the restaurants in the Triangle area would get locked up. My point is that while the scene may be over-hyped by some standards, I don't think it deserves quite the thrashing as above. Finally, on a related note about Louis Osteen, this probably is not fair since it was my only time eating there but back when Louis was in Charleston my wife and I received the worst service in his restaurant we have ever experienced, bar none. I'm not sure if it involved Louis' wife or a glorified hostess-manager or what but basically our waiter had come over to greet us and tell us about the specials, etc. and this woman came over and audibly instructed him not to wait on "these people" until he responded to some trivial question or request from what was apparently one of their regular loud and obnoxious customers. Both the waiter and hostess walked away, the waiter in mid-presentation, without so much as a word and he didn't return for several minutes. No apology or anything. It was truly bizarre. My biggest regret is that we didn't leave after that. Our food was very good but nothing worth that kind of insult. As I said, I suppose that isn't fair based on one limited experience so long ago but it was really inexcusable in my book and I have tried to publicize the incident widely. I sincerely hope Louis has solved such attitude issues at the new restaurant.

MAF, thanks for the information on Whitley's. I had never really been able to get an objective opinion.

I have never been but have heard good things about Whitley's Barbeque in Murfreesboro which is a fair bit off of I-95 compared to Ralph's but in the same general area. Not sure whether they cook with wood or not--hopefully some other posters may be able to provide some additional insight on this spot.

I've been to Ralph's a couple of times and generally agree with Holly's review. Not really sure I'd give it 3 statins though. The chopped is some of the finest I've ever had so when she describes it as minced she's not kidding. The taste is ok but nothing great. Also, they tend to promote the buffet / steam table so you can get a lot of food but it's not the best presentation. On the pluse side, it's not very far from I-95 and is a real local institution in Weldon. Go any time around meal time and the place is sure to be packed.

I had the pleasure of grabbing a pulled pork sandwich from the Q Shack for lunch on Sunday. As Varmint notes, it is much more of a Tennessee than NC style but I found it to be very good. Even though I grew up down east, I'll gladly take good Tenn. style q over much of the bad eastern style that's around downtown Raleigh. Chose mac-and-cheese as my side which was excellent as were the hushpuppies. What a great addition to the Hillsborough St. dining scene--I look forward to sampling more of their wares soon.

I'll agree with Zeb that the Barn and Sullivans offer vastly different experiences but in response to cornpone vibe I must add that, imho, the Barn is much more than a cross between a Cracker Barrel and a Ryan's Steakhouse. Please don't get me wrong, I like Sullivans too and if it were not a chain I would probably like it even more but the whole faux rat pack / gangster feel and boxing motif along with the schmoozing bar scene can have its drawbacks. In the end, what I like about the Angus Barn is that it is a one of a kind Triangle original where I can get great cuts of meat charcoal grilled. Seems the thing to do is to come up with another celebration so you can experience both.

Scottie, If you want to experience real local color, fine food and a great wine list, I vote for the Angus Barn. While others may claim that Sullivans has claimed top steak house honors in recent years, I still prefer the Angus Barn as it is a true dining institution in the Triangle spanning I guess roughly 40 years now. Before the fancy national steak house chains like Sullivans and Ruth's Chris' and other fine culinary destinations arrived on the scene, the Barn was always the one constant landmark for celebratory dinners in the Triangle not to mention the decades of lobbying and state politicking that has taken place there. I have not eaten at the Capital City Chop House but have eaten at that chain's sister restaurants in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Although I had generally acceptable food and experiences at those restaurants, I believe the Barn is your best bet for a real local steak house.

Mark, Thanks for the additional information in your later response. Without the benefit of that I must say that I was surprised about your response during the Post live chat but that background info really helps us better understand your concerns. The complaint does indeed sound questionable.

SethG, I hope you enjoy Kiawah--it's a great spot. There at the resort we have enjoyed good casual lunches at the Ocean Course Grill at the other end of the island (you have to call and make reservations and get on the list in order to get through the guard gates at the other end of the island). Nothing fancy but good solid sandwich and salad selections on the clubhouse porch overlooking the course and the ocean. For an even more casual lunch (burgers, fried shrimp), try eating at the Sundancer Grill by the pool at the Inn. The resort also has a very nice gourmet restaurant for dinner that we have never tried but understand is very good and draws some folks from Charleston for special occasions. We have, instead, always gone into town (40 minutes or so) for dinner and have had fantastic meals at Pennisula Grill as well as good experiences at Anson and Hanks. Closer by at the Bohicket Marina just outside the Kiawah gates check out Rosenbank Farms--pretty good regional upscale selections but it can get crowded at peak times. As for grocery stores, there are a couple of Piggly Wigglies on the road to Kiawah Island that are pretty good stores by Pig standards but probably not what you are looking for. I would say you'll have to head for Charleston for the bigger and more ethnic selections and I'll have to defer to the locals on those. I believe the resorts are building some big markets right outside the Kiawah gate, including some sort of Fresh Fields or Whole Foods type market but the last I heard they were still a long way from being open. Have fun.

DScott, I'll second Zeb A on the Vin recommendation given the day and time and group you describe. However, having just sampled Toler's new late summer menu at Bloomsbury last weekend, there are some very exciting new appetizers there if you get the chance.

Afraid I haven't been to Chattanooga in awhile but I do recall a recent (last couple of months) Southern Living article on sites and scene around Chattanooga that included some restaurant recommendations. Hopefully others will have more detailed information but that article might be worth tracking down if you have not already seen it.

Dscott and Varmint, Have either of you tried Provence in Carrboro? I have not had an opportunity to visit yet but have heard very good things from friends in Chapel Hill. Perhaps it's out of the desired price range for this outing.

Joler, thanks for the recommendation. We ended up at Noble's Grille [www.noblesrestaurants.com] on Saturday night and had a very nice dinner. We had been to Noble's restaurant in High Point a couple of times and have always enjoyed it very much but this was our first time at the W-S Noble's. Although the atmosphere is nice, it's not particularly romantic or cozy due to the glass / steel nature of the space (on the ground floor of an office building). The service was very good and wait stuff knowledgable of the menu. The food was well-prepared although nothing terribly exotic or adventurous--basically upscale Mediterranean-influenced fare. We started by splitting a bowl of their Cream of Tomato Basil soup which was very good. My wife had a mixed green salad with spiced, toasted walnuts and a nice vinaigrette which we thought was excellent. I had a Bibb lettuce salad with 6 or 7 good size fried shrimp and a roasted pepper remoulade which was very good although not exactly what I expected. The contrasting tastes worked okay but took awhile to come together. My wife had the pan-seared Salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and a medley of root vegetables that she said was great. I opted for a 3 peppercorn filet with similar root vegetable medley. The vegetables were very nice and the steak was an very good cut of beef and had a nice peppercorn sauce. My only complaint was that it was not coooked evenly throughout although not a major problem. We look forward to trying Fabian's on another visit as the grandparents (i.e., babysitters) live in W-S. We also heard good things about a restaurant called 1703--any thoughts on that? Thanks again.

I would appreciate any thoughts / recommendations for an anniversary dinner in Winston-Salem this weekend. Thanks.

Kings and Wilburs both serve great BBQ and are real institutions on Highway 70 between the Triangle and Atlantic Beach. Growing up, my family always preferred King's (seems you generally went to one or the other) which uses electric cookers. With all the emphasis on hardwood places these days, I felt compelled to switch over to Wilbur's but I must admit that I sometimes find the base meat a little drier than I prefer. You really cannot go wrong either place though. There is also McCall's BBQ in Goldsboro which I have never tried. Has anybody tried it? For folks heading to beaches at Topsail Island, Wrightsville, or points south via I-40, great BBQ is available on that route as well. I highly recommend a stop at Stephenson's BBQ just outside the Triangle. Although it has a Willow Spring address, it's really closer to McGee's Crossroads just a few miles off of I-40. We often try to have an early lunch there and get some extra BBQ to take to the beach for later. I believe Stephenson's uses hardwood coals which, in my opinion, gives it some of the best flavor in the state.