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Events

April 16, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Event: Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha Fundraiser for Rise Biscuit and Donuts

Event flyer for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Event flyer for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

When it comes to biscuits and donuts, you can count me in! As a fan of Rise Biscuits and Donuts, you can bet I was excited when I got notice of their upcoming Big Biscuit Brew HaHa event. A fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and NC Triangle Man & Woman of the Year competition. Rise’s Gray Ferguson is the sponsor for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha and funds raised during this event will go to L&LS. At $35 a ticket it seemed like a great way to raise money for a great cause AND chow down on some biscuits, donuts and beer on April 7, woohoo!

Crowd waiting for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Crowd waiting for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

What makes this event really cool is that the six Rise Biscuit and Donut chefs were paired with local celebrity chefs from Poole’s Diner, Crooks Corner, Pazzo, 18 Seaboard, Mateo along with six NC breweries to create biscuit-donut and beer culinary trifectas. I showed up a bit before 6pm at the Rickhouse and there already was a line formed out front.

Lines for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Lines for the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Once we were let inside, we each go three tickets to vote on our favorite biscuit, favorite beer and favorite pairing of all three. Additional tickets were available for $1 each so I grabbed 10 for the evening. As my friends and I went from table to table it became readily apparent to me that I was NOT going to finish all six offerings. I figured I would be good for three before passing out from carb overload. While the biscuits were not full-sized, the donuts were the real deal and the beers were maybe 6 oz. pours. But we’re talking about 3 carb bomb categories here, so the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha is not for the faint of heart or stomach.

Pork belly biscuit and stout donut at the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Pork belly biscuit and stout donut at the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Everyone was excited and working hard at either prepping dishes or chowing them down. I really enjoyed the shrimp biscuit (with tomato, cabbage and hot sauce) from Matt Kelly at Mateo which came at things from a different angle. And all the donuts were awesome but definitely full of sugary calories, yum. Room was a bit tight in the Rickhouse but staff made their best efforts to keep tables cleared for the large crowd.

Championship belts at the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining
Championship belts at the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

I made it to about my 4th biscuit-donut-beer combo, a tender porchetta biscuit and tapped out, no mas! My stomach was in no shape to eat any more so it was time to enjoy the scene at the Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha. For the event, there were three ornate “championship belts” for the winners which was a very nice touch. And while I didn’t get to stay for the entire event, I did hear that the porchetta biscuit from Pazzo-Rise Southpoint and the beer from Fortnight (lemon shandy) won the evening along with the Rise Carrboro-Crooks Corner for their pairing.

BigBiscuitBrewHaHa-PorchettaBiscuit#1
Porchetta biscuit at the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

All in all I’d have to say that the 2016 Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha was a rousing success for Rise, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society along with the foodie crowd at hand. Great food, great fun along with lots of money raised for a great cause. Here’s to a 2nd year of the Big Biscuit Brew Ha-Ha in 2017 and there’s still time to donate to Gray Ferguson’s campaign as the L&LS Woman of the Year, here!

 

Filed Under: Durham, Events Tagged With: Biscuits

November 9, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Trilogy Restaurant Media Preview- November 2015

Filed Under: Chapel Hill, Events, Photo Album Tagged With: Movies

December 22, 2018 by Ron Wen

Media: A Feast for the Eyes and Stomach, Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham

Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

As a fan of the culinary arts scene in the Triangle, I’m always on the lookout for cool, food events and special dinners. While it’s always great to go out and eat, it’s even better when you’re talking about a one-off specialty dinner. A recent invite to Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts hit my email inbox and I was pretty excited! Any event that ties in modern art with culinary art is a winner in my book. This edition of Feast from the Furnace would be led by Chef Tyler Vanderzee from NanaSteak. But my big question is: How can you cook a meal in a super-hot glass blowing furnace?! Well, I was about to find out…

Entry to Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Entry to Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Inside of Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Inside of Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

If you haven’t spent much time in Durham, it might be a bit tricky to find Liberty Arts! Located on Pearl Street on the E. Durham side of things, Liberty Arts is a bit off the beaten path and in a lot surrounded by a bit of fencing and barbed wire. But don’t let that look scare you because you’re going to find some amazing things behind that steel, sliding door! Inside, I meet Liberty Arts board member Ilene Hadler who has extended me the invite to tonight’s dinner. We grab a glass of wine at the open bar and then we go on a tour of the Liberty Arts collective and space which is really impressive.

Touring Liberty Arts in Durham with Ilene - nctriangledining.com
Touring Liberty Arts in Durham with Ilene – nctriangledining.com
Happy diners at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Happy diners at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I’ve spent a lot of time in the Raleigh arts community but Liberty Arts certainly takes it to another level! This collective of a dozen artists and creators cover a broad swath of eclectic mediums. The artists at Liberty Arts hand-make everything from metal masks, woodwork, typography, smoking pipes and more. During the Feast from the Furnace dinner, guests are encouraged to wander around and explore the workshops of each artist. There’s also a store up front offering up a variety of pieces to the public. We head on back to the dining room area where the guests are assembling with glasses of wine and beer in hand.

Leigh and Aubrey speaking at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Leigh and Aubrey speaking at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The dinner is opened up with some words from Liberty Arts board members, Leigh and Aubrey. We’re given some backdrop to Liberty Arts, the upcoming dinner and glass-blowing artist, Elijah Leed. Elijah gets the evening started working a molten ball of glass in the super-hot furnace (2,000 degrees). With the help of an assistant they are able to blow out and shape the glass into well-honed cup. And as the glass-blowing exhibition moves along, our dinner is being prepped by Chef Tyler and his team. They’ve got a lot of the ingredients in carbon steel pans which are able to withstand the intense heat in the furnace!

Glass blowing with Elijah at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Glass blowing with Elijah at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Chef Tyler prepping the meal at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Chef Tyler prepping the meal at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I’ve managed to take a look at the menu from our master of ceremonies, Leigh and it looks like we will be having the following four-course meal:

  • Wild ramp naan with charred artichoke and Greek yogurt with caviar
  • Roasted scallop with parsnip puree and charred shishito pepper
  • Blackened beef short rib with acorn squash and red mole sauce
  • Poached seckel pear with goat cheese, almonds and dates with honey
Scallops and peppers for Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Scallops and peppers for Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Ramp naan with artichoke and caviar at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Ramp naan with artichoke and caviar at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I watch the culinary prep the dishes and they are quickly searing a lot of the ingredients in the furnace before quickly assembling the small plates for the guests. It’s a smaller dinner, maybe 30 people but we are all happily enjoying and waiting for our meal, seated at two sets of tables. Our first course comes out, a seared green naan with a spoonful of artichoke and dollop of caviar. It’s a fun, green appetizer with plenty of mouth-feel and texture. Chef Tyler is certainly getting pretty creative for tonight’s dinner!

Seared scallop with parsnip puree at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Seared scallop with parsnip puree at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Blackened short rib and squash at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Blackened short rib and squash at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Dishes #2 and #3 are the highlights of Feast from the Furnace. The seared scallop is cooked just right and placed on top of a creamy and sweet, parsnip puree. A well-seared pepper plays off the entire dish offering up some spice and flavor along with the scallop. It’s a good looking dish with a lot of color and nice presentation. The short rib is more of a classic presentation that feels like autumn. Paired with the soft, seared squash, you get a lot of beefy chew along with the mellow, chocolate mole sauce. A fun mix of American and Mexican on one plate!

Pulled glass at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Pulled glass at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Elijah continues with his glass blowing demonstration and a heated, globe of glass is brought into the main exhibition area of Liberty Arts. He and his assistant, pull and the tug the glass until a long, cylindrical rope is pulled out across the room. It must be at least 25′ long and it’s left to cool on some wooden frames. It’s pretty incredible how malleable this molten glass is, but it obviously takes some serious skills to work in this medium!

Prepping dessert at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Prepping dessert at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Seckel pear with goat cheese, dates and honey at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham -
Seckel pear with goat cheese, dates and honey at Feast from the Furnace at Liberty Arts in Durham – nctriangledining.com

We head back to our table where we are served up dessert, a seared pear topped with goat cheese, dates and a small cookie. It’s a clean and tasty preparation for fruit and the dripped honey adds a bit of sweetness to enhance the plate, well done! As the tables clear, I say goodbye to my hosts and head out into the night, full and happy! It’s not every night that you’re treated to a feast for the palate and for the eyes. But Feast from the Furnace does just that, offering up a glimpse into the artistry and talents of the wonderful collective at Liberty Arts (Picture gallery below). If you’re a curious diner, check out their website and look for details on the upcoming Feast from the Furnace dinners. They have upcoming dates for January 19 and February 16. I promise you that they will be offering up some great culinary and artisanal skills for the evening. It’s an adventure that a Triangle foodie should experience at least once in their lifetime!

 

Feast from the Furnace

Liberty Arts

918 Pearl Street

Durham, NC 27701

919.294.8006

Location on Google maps

 

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Filed Under: Durham, Events, Media

January 9, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

News: Toast to the Triangle Charity Event on March 6 in Raleigh!

Purchase Tickets to the 2016 Toast to the Triangle
Purchase Tickets to the 2016 Toast to the Triangle

Just a reminder that the annual Toast to the Triangle charity event is coming up quick on March 6! This charity event supports the Tammy Lynn Center which is committed to providing programs and services to individuals and families with developmental disabilities. The Toast to the Triangle is a celebration and competition of local culinary talent and includes an auction to raise money for Tammy Lynn Center. Last year over $200,000 was raised and of course the bar should be even higher for 2016!

PURCHASE TICKETS

ToastTriangle2016-FoodSign

What’s even more exciting is that 2016 will be the 30th anniversary for Toast to the Triangle and I’m excited to participate in the event as an honorary judge for the food competition. Some confirmed restaurants participating in this year’s event are Azitra, Bella Monica, Cameron Bar & Grill, Faire, Mura, Plates, The Oxford, Twisted Fork and Kamado Grille. Winners will be chosen in multiple categories as part of the competition, please see the listing below for last year’s winners!

ToastTriangle2016-DiningRoom

And there’s so many ways to participate in Toast to the Triangle. Buy a ticket and enjoy yourself at the event. Volunteer to help out with the event preparation and day of event. Donate an item for the Toast to the Triangle auction or directly sponsor the event, financially. It should be a fun and classy evening to raise money for a great cause. The Tammy Lynn Center has been around for over 45 years serving the community. Tickets are $75 each and discounts are available for multiple ticket purchases.

ToastTriangle2016-Apps

ToastTriangle2016-Dessert

So get ready to raise a glass and enjoy Toast to the Triangle on March 6th at the McKimmon Center, NC State! I’m excited to be participating in the event and look forward to seeing y’all there…

Ron

2016 Toast to the Triangle General Admission

 Restaurants, beverage purveyors, in-kind donors, auction and raffle donors, and financial sponsors all team up to provide over 1,300 guests with an exciting evening of food, drinks, and friendly competition.  Group discounts are available.
1 Ticket – $75
2 Tickets – $67.50 Each
4 or more tickets – $62.50 each

 

PURCHASE TICKETS

 

2015 Toast to the Triangle Food Winners

Best Appetizer – Relish Cafe & Bar
Best Entree – Neomonde Bakery and Deli
Best Dessert – Simply Cakes, LLC
Best Visual Theme – Neomonde – Morrisville, NC
Best Presentation – Mura @ North Hills

People’s Choice Awards:
Best Restaurant – The Angus Barn
Best Dessert – NC State Ice Cream ‪#‎HowlingCow‬
Best Beverage – Raleigh Wine Shop

Save

Filed Under: Events, News-Upcoming, Raleigh

March 23, 2016 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

News: Bull City Vegan Chef Challenge, April 1 to 30

BullCityVeganChefChallenge2016

A shout out to all you vegans in the Triangle! Don’t miss the upcoming 4th Bull City Vegan Chef Challenge going down in the month of April. Visit one of the participating restaurants serving up their signature Vegan challenge dish, try the dish out and rate it on multiple elements. Vegan challenge dishes will be presented in the appetizer, entree ($7 – $15) and dessert categories and there are currently 15 Durham restaurants competing! Votes will be tabulated and the winner crowned at Ponysaurus Brewery on May 7.

Check out the Triangle Meatless Monday event page where the Vegan Chef Challenge dishes will be profiled in advance. Then go forth and eat!

 

2015 BCVCC Participants

 

Beyu Caffebullcityveganchallenge_edited

The Cupcake Bar

Dos Perros

Durham Co-op Market

The Federal

Geer St. Garden

Gocciolina

Guglhupf

Happy + Hale

Luna

Monuts

Parker & Otis

The Parlour

Parts & Labor – Motorco

Pinhook

Rise

Saltbox

Filed Under: Durham, Events, News-Upcoming Tagged With: Vegan Restaurants

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