Food Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining

April 29, 2018 by Ron Wen

In Praise of Poutine! Some Great Options for Fries, Gravy & Cheese in the Triangle

Who here likes fries, raise your hand? And how about some brown gravy, raise it up high! So what would you expect would happen when you combine the two?! We’re talking about pure deliciousness here and by gum, they call it poutine! Brought to you by the people north of our border, this Canadian treat (Quebecois, to be exact) has been landing on menus all throughout the Triangle! And I’ll confess to loving this meaty treat and I’ve been searching around the Triangle to find the most delicious version of poutine around.

Oxtail poutine at the 41Hundred in Raleigh – $13

Out in North Hills you’ll find the 41Hundred located in the Renaissance Hotel. Part bar, part lounge and part restaurant, the 41Hundred offers an array of small plates, sandwiches and appetizers at very reasonable prices. But what caught my eye (and stomach) here at the 41Hundred is its oxtail poutine, whoa! While I first tried this dish for a media event, I came back for a second go-around and it was still great! Thin skin-on fries covered in a deep brown, oxtail-laden gravy with pieces of white cheddar?! Sign me up, please. If you haven’t tried oxtail before, you’ll be blown away by its deep meaty flavor and luscious richness when slowly braised. And it works perfectly for this poutine, don’t miss out! I just wish that I didn’t have to walk by the 41Hundred every time I leave my gym, way too much temptation.

Poutine at the Bottledog Bites and Brews – $9

Further west you’ll find the very under-rated Bottledog Bites & Brews in Cary! Why’s that? It’s a humble little bottle shop on the side of a plaza so unless you’re looking for it, it’s very unlikely you would stumble in on the place. But here’s where things get better. While Bottledog offers up some stellar craft beers, it also has some of the best poutines around along with delicious flatbreads, hot dogs and beaver tails. They’ve got 5 or so poutines on the menu ranging from your basic fries, gravy and curds along with some spin-off options that include Montreal smoked meat (pastrami-like) and even hot Nashville chicken. But whatever version you’ll choose, you’ll love the rich gravy over tender potato. Give me a fork and I’ll jump right into this platter!

Poutine at the Oak & Dagger Public House – $7.50

Next up on the poutine list is the Oak & Dagger Public House in Raleigh! Known for their beers and bar food, I decided to stop in after a reminder online. Oak & Dagger is doing their poutine a bit differently using waffle fries for the potato base and a more lightweight, tangy gravy! Along with the curds and scallions, you’ll dive into this meat and potatoes dish. And while I certainly liked this poutine plate and price, it was a bit light on curds so I’ll have to put this plate behind the other three on this list.

Poutine at the Jack Tar and Colonel’s Daughter – $10

Well we’ve covered poutine in Raleigh and Cary, but what about Durham? Recently I tried the poutine at the new Jack Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter in the Bull City. This nouveau-diner is doing quite a few classics that have been twisted up in gourmet fashion but their poutine stays pretty true to form. Thin, skin-on, nicely browned fries covered in a light gravy and yellow cheese curds, yum! While this version is pretty solid, I would have like a more hot gravy to cover and melt the cheesy bits, more effectively. And a bit more depth and savory to the gravy would have also been nice. But still a very tasty starter at the Jack Tar and Colonel’s Daughter for a reasonable price.

So if you’re dying for some fries and gravy, what are you waiting for? Time to visit one of these great restaurants for a big ol plate of poutine. There’s a handful of other places I need to check out for this list (Milltown, Townhall Burgers) so I’ll be adding to it! Which I am certainly looking forward to because who can resist potatoes and gravy?!

A Plethora of Poutine Plates in the Triangle

41Hundred, Raleigh
Bottledog Bites and Brews, Cary
Jack Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter, Durham
Oak & Dagger Public House, Raleigh

April 19, 2018 by Ron Wen

News: Thrive NC is coming to Raleigh on May 10 and 11, Foodies Rejoice!

While you may realize that the Triangle and Raleigh has been in a food renaissance of late, we sometimes forget that not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy all the foodie riches. With all the farms in our lovely state, it’s hard to believe that North Carolina is in the top 10 for food insecurity in the nation. That means our at-risk population (children, seniors, and others) are unable to regularly obtain a healthy and nourishing meal.

This past Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend a media tasting sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina to discuss their upcoming Thrive NC event coming to City Market in Raleigh on May 10 and 11. Executives from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Dr. Patrick Conway and Reagan Greene Pruitt, VP of Integrated Marketing and Community Engagement) told us a bit about the inaugural Thrive NC event and why it was so important for the citizens of NC to be involved. Given our rich history in farming and agriculture, we can make our community more aware of this food insecurity, right in our midst. By discussing how it impacts peoples lives and health for the worse, we can work together to find a fix. During the Thrive NC media event, we also got to meet Chef Jeff Seizer (Royale) and Sophia Woo (MOFU Shoppe) who will be participating in Thrive NC

To help raise awareness of food insecurity in NC, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will be hosting a series of events (Thrive NC Summit, Day of Service, VIP Reception) revolving around the importance of food for economic development and children’s nutrition. These events are invitation only BUT you can support their efforts by joining us on May 10 and 11 at the public Thrive NC events!

Dumplings and brussels sprouts from MOFU Shoppe

There will be a showcase of local food, chefs and culinary displays that looks pretty fantastic, in my opinion. On Thursday, Thrive NC will have Vivian Howard (Chef and the Farmer), Sam Jones (Sam Jones Barbeque) and Teddy Diggs (Il Palio) in the house. Followed by Andrea Reusing (Lantern), Cheetie Kumar (Garland) and Ashley Christensen (Poole’s Diner) on Friday for chef demonstrations. There will also be a variety of tastings from local restaurants and beverage sponsors for you to enjoy. Live music will be provided by Kasey Tyndall, Joe Kwon and others for your enjoyment.

Sounds like a lot of fun and deliciousness for a $30 ticket, eh? What makes it even better is that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will be supporting a variety of local charities from this event. From A Place at the Table to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Raleigh City Farm and more. Check out the list below for what’s planned to be on the Thrive NC menu, wow! I’ve linked to my food blog reviews if one is available.

So what are you waiting for, foodie friend?! It’s time to go grab your Thrive NC tickets, hope to see you there on May 10 (Thursday) and May 11 (Friday)!

Thrive NC at City Market, May 10 and 11

Purchase Tickets!

Participating Restaurants for Thrive NC

18 Seaboard – Core Sound Oysters (Thurs)/ Polenta and Pork Belly (Fri)
42 & Lawrence – Coffee
Beasley’s Chicken and Honey – Carolina Reaper Hot Chicken Sandwich
Bida Manda – Lemongrass Pork Sausage
Brewery Bhavana – Char Siu Bao
Carroll’s Kitchen – Variety of Kolaches
Centro – Pulled Pork Tacos
Counting House – Braised Short Ribs (Thurs)/Roasted Pork Belly (Fri)
Gonza Tacos y Tequila – Tacos
Hummingbird – Spiced Chicken Wings
Il Palio – Tomato Braised Lamb Meatballs
Kimbap Cafe – Kimchi Fried Rice Lettuce Wraps
La Farm Bakery – Assorted Breads and Spreads
Lily’s Cheesecake – Assorted Cheesecakes
Lucarne – Pork Belly Chicken Liver Mousse
Mandolin – Carrot Spaghetti (Thurs)/Smashed English Pea Tart (Fri)
Mez Durham – Chipotle Chicken Tinga Tacos
MoFu Shoppe – Pork and Chive Dumplings
Oak City Meatball Shoppe – Mini Meatballs and Mac and Cheese
Oro Restaurant & Lounge – Truffle Mac and Cheese
Pizza La Stella – Specialty Mac and Cheese
Poole’s Diner – Lump Crab Doughnuts
Royale – Mini Burger with English Muffin Buns
Sam Jones BBQ – Whole Hog Pork Sliders
Sassool – Local Sweet Potato Hashwi
Smashed Waffles – Sweet Waffles
Southern Charred Bar & BBQ – Pulled Pork, Brisket and Chicken Wings
Sweetwater Ices – Lemon Sorbet and Strawberry Sorbet
Tonbo Ramen – Pork Belly with Tonkotsu Ramen Broth
Trophy – Crispy Bacon with Grilled & Smoked Chicken
Under the Oak Farm – Sweet Potato Salad
Vic’s Ristorante – Penne Primavera in White Wine Sauce
Whiskey Kitchen – Smoked Chicken & Sausage Gumbo with Shrimp

Participating Breweries and Spirits for Thrive NC
Anheuser-Busch
Appalachian Mountain Brewery
Aviator Brewing Company
Bold Rock
Brewery Bhavana
Carolina Brewery
Catawba Brewing Co
Dogfish Head
Durham Bull Beer Co
Lonerider
Stella Artois
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Trophy Brewing
White Street Brewing Co
Whiskey Kitchen

Featured Wines

Whites
Bloem White – South Africa
Westerly Sauvignon Blanc – California
Cantina Valdadige Pinot Grigio – Italy
Schlossmuhlenhof Muller Thurgau Troken – Germany

Reds
Terrapura Cabernet – Chile
Bodegas Barreda “Stereo” – Spain
Domaine La Lyre Red – France
Ayre s Pinot Noir – Oregon

Rose
Ferry Lacombe “Mira” Rose – France

Sparkling
Florinda Cava – Spain

December 24, 2017 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Fab Five Recommendations for Food Photography

Churro waffles at soca in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Churro waffles at soca in Raleigh – One of my favorite pics this year, partially because the dish was also fantastic! The lighting at soca was perfect inside and the plate has a lot of texture and color. Shot this one at a near overhead angle, maybe 80 degrees off the table.

You know the saying, a picture is worth a 1,000 words and it’s never been more true than when you talk about food blogging or social media. We’ve all been tempted by a foodie photo on twitter or Instagram and every now and then, a really good food picture will make you hungry and salivate. And sometimes I’ll find one of my pics up on a website or in an email to tempt others. Given my background as an amateur photographer (years ago), I’m amazed at the versatility and ease at which we can take food pics nowadays. I remember the days of carrying TWO SLR’s, one loaded with color film, the other with black and white film (OMG). But there are still some basic rules and guidance you should follow to get the best food pics out there, whether you’re carrying an iPhone, point and shoot or full-blown digital SLR.

So I thought I’d share some of my top tips that I’ve learned the hard way over the years. Photography is all about light, shutter speed, distance-focus, composition and color, five really important points to consider. And I’m going to assume your auto-focus is working properly on your camera!

Shrimp and grits at Humble Pie in Raleigh – Love this pic, shrimp and grits are usually basic but the translucent element of the shrimp and broth really pop out here. Pretty sure I was outdoors on a cloudy day on their patio for this shot.

First of all, lighting. Light is key to any photography and the more natural, flat light you can get, the better. Too little or too much direct light (bright sunlight) and your pics will not have any color or get washed out. Ideally, choose a dining spot where you’ve got some good, flat and even natural lighting. The right time of day can be crucial here, mid-day hours are usually better. Barring perfect lighting, you’ll have to adjust for low-light situations which is often the case for night-time restaurant visits. So choose your dining spot carefully if you’re really looking to get some great food pics! A seat by a window is usually best or a decently-lit inside table. Watch out and avoid spots with colored lighting and bulbs, they will make it very hard to get a good image.

Patio at Mulino Italian Kitchen, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Patio at Mulino Italian Kitchen, Raleigh – A wonderfully lit night shot on their fantastic patio. You can guess I shot this pic carefully with two hands, feet spread apart to steady the lens and with a higher ISO. It came out really sharp which surprised me. The Samsung S7 is strong in low-light conditions.

Second, shutter speed. If it’s dark and you shoot at too slow a shutter speed, you’ll get camera shake and a blurred pic which is definitely no bueno. Some options to compensate is to bump up the ISO (film speed) which is tricky on the iPhone but doable on Android. Use ISO 400 preferably, 800 for worst case. At ISO 800 and beyond you’ll usually start running into graininess in your photos. Another way to compensate, is to shoot your pics with a sturdy base. Lean up against a wall, put both elbows on the table and shoot with two hands. With the right physical support, I’ve gotten decent images with longer shutter speeds (1/8 second) that are still usable. Newer smartphone cameras are pretty fast with large aperture lens (1.8 to 2.0) so choose wisely! A larger aperture lens will allow for faster shutter speeds and minimize shake.

Pancakes with apple at the old Provenance in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Pancakes with apple at the old Provenance in Raleigh – A nice shot with lots of textures and colors. I wanted to capture the apples on top but to also pick up the layers of pancake so I had to find a compromise angle for both. While it’s a bit mono-chromatic (yellows-browns), I think I got the complexity of the dish.

Third, distance and focus. I always suggest getting as close to your food subject as possible to capture the detail but cameras sometimes have problems at close (macro) distances. Make sure you tap where on the image your camera should be focused on when you’re in tight (close to subject). Alternatively, you can try to take a photo at distance and then crop the photo digitally to make it look like it’s “close”. But you will lose detail here, even if it may seem like an easier proposition.

Skillet burger at Kindred in Davidson - nctriangledining.com — Skillet burger at Kindred in Davidson – Sandwiches are usually tough because the bun covers everything but this burger is stacked just right to open up the insides. Getting close shows off the melty cheese and textured ground beef, I get hungry looking at this pic!

Fourth, composition. This aspect of photography is key and what I’d call the photographer’s eye. Part of composition is distance and I usually suggest getting as close as possible to fill the frame and eliminate any distracting background details. Although sometimes you will want some background, especially if it’s interesting. Composition is affected by the angle you shoot at. Some people like their food pics directly overhead for a 2 dimensional viewpoint. I prefer about a 30 degree angle (relative to table) so I get some texture/height of the dish. You should also consider moving the plate and/or spinning it to get the right view of your food. There are definitely good and bad sides for food dishes so consider the perspective before you snap that pic! I also prefer not shooting at 90 degree angles with the lines of your subject squared up in your viewfinder

Crab mofongo at soca in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Crab mofongo at soca in Raleigh – soca does an amazing job with plating/color and this crab mofongo shows it off. Great porcelain bowl, creamy rice, white crab with pickled red onions show off a lot of color and texture.

And the last and final point, color! Color is so important for any picture but you’re often limited by your subject and lighting. Some dishes are just bland in color (brown, beige, orange, mono-chromatic) and there’s nothing you can do. Other issues are the type of lighting you have (fluorescent, tungsten, colored). Use your Auto-White Balance (AWB) settings on you camera/phone to compensate for the temperature of your light (cool-blue to hot-orange). Good cameras will allow you to set a custom temperature by shooting a white card to set it up. Or avoid the problem altogether by shooting in natural light (see Tip #1). Unfortunately some dishes just don’t photograph well even though they are still delicious!

Christmas at the Angus Barn, so much to look at in this fram but shot this pic hand-held standing on some stairs. Luckily there was enough light from the tree to allow for faster shutter speeds. — Christmas at the Angus Barn in Raleigh – So much to look at in this frame but shot it hand-held, standing on some stairs. Luckily there was enough light from the tree to allow for faster shutter speeds.

Digital photography has totally changed the picture-taking game. Not only because you can take as many pictures as you want and cull out the best ones (volume photography) but you also have the ability to fix/edit photos, in post-processing. I rarely ever use photos I’ve taken, directly into my blog. Normally there’s always some cropping, lightening and color editing to maximize the impact of the picture. And of course, your equipment and smartphone camera. While I’ve typically been an iPhone guy, a switch over to the Samsung Galaxy S7 brought me a slew of compliments on my posted pics. Although I do have interest in possibly getting a Lumix G7 or G85 mirrorless camera sometime, soon. In the end, smartphone cameras are excellent overall and will do a great job 90% of the time. So just practice, practice, practice with your food pics! Eventually the hardest part of photographing a food pic will be holding back on digging into your delicious meal!

Five Ways to Improve Your Food Photography!

Light – Find natural and flat light, no flashes!
Shutter speed – Keep it over a 15th to a 30th second and max, ISO 800.
Distance-focus – Stay as close as possible, watch the background!
Composition – Shoot directly overhead or at a nice 30 degree angle, find the best view of your plate.
Color – Use AWB or set your white balance and edit images on your smartphone if necessary to maximize color. You may need to post-edit on your PC or MAC.

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August 20, 2017 by Ron Wen 3 Comments

Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week, 2017

If you’re a foodie and live in Raleigh, well I’ve got some good news for you. It’s that time of the year for the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week from August 21 – 27! Admittedly there are a bunch of restaurant weeks to keep up with but this one’s pretty simple since it’s focused on the Oak City. And it’s a bit more affordable with lunches in the $5 to $10 range along with dinners at $21 and $31. I’ve already started to scan the menus (some are still coming in) and setting up a plan of attack! But here’s what caught my eye on the menus. I’m including links to my reviews when available!

18 Seaboard Restaurant – This long-time Raleigh favorite serving up Southern cuisine always does a nice job for restaurant week! The charred watermelon gazpacho and classic shrimp and grits would be on my mind.

The Big Easy – A fun and boisterous Cajun-New Orleans style eatery on Fayetteville Street. Very interesting space with a diverse menu featuring alligator bites and crawfish etouffe, yum!

Carolina Ale House – It’s simple, it’s casual and if you like sports, you can’t go wrong with Carolina Ale House. The food has definitely gotten better, in my opinion and the Glenwood Avenue location can’t be beat with its patio!

Five Star – Another Raleigh favorite, Five Star has really improved its food game over the years. And with a $21 dinner menu for 4 different starters and 5 mains, you’ll find something here to keep you happy (heatseeker shrimp, crispy sesame beef).

Plates Neighborhood Kitchen – Plates always does a great job for restaurant week and given their excellent service and quiet patio, always highly recommend a visit here! The sticky toffee pudding is the signature dessert to get.

Provenance – A fancier, avant-garde restaurant for Raleigh, they recently changed chefs but I’ve continued to hear good things about Provenance. The chicken confit buns and farmer’s agnolotti sound pretty tasty to me.

Royale – Given the $31 three-course meal option, you’re going to get a great value at Royale! I’d have my eye on the garlic soup, duck leg confit and profiteroles given the classic French menu here.

Trophy Tap & Table – And I’ve had the chance to eat at Trophy Tap & Table once and was impressed with their simple but well-done eats. They’ve got a nice menu of 3 appetizers, 3 entrees and 3 desserts covering Southern eats and a lot more. A nice deal at $21.

2017 Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week, August 21 – 27

18 Seaboard Restaurant // $31 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Charred Watermelon Gazpacho
with jalapeno meringue, pickled watermelon rind, and basil

Butterhead Salad
with burnt peach, goat cheese, pancetta arrotolata, and sprite melon vinaigrette

Oyster Beignet
with crystal cane syrup, cotija, and citrus marigold

Course 2
Shrimp and Grits
with Pamlico Sound shrimp, cheddar grits, bacon, mushroom.pepper, and scallion

Woodfire Grilled Pork Tenderloin
with farmers market succotash, grilled okra, burnt tomato vinegar

Farmer Market Lasagna
with cashew ricotta and smoked tomato gravy

Course 3
Tomato and Peach Icebox Cake

Buttermilk Creme Brulee
with fresh peaches

Chocolate Mug Cake
with House made marshmallow fluff

The Big Easy // $21 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Louisiana Pretzel
Soft baked pretzel smothered with a crab and artichoke dip and topped with parmesan cheese.

Alligator Bites
Straight from the Bayou, marinated alligator tails quick fried in a creole breading, served with Dijon mustard.

Crab Stuffed Poppers
Poppers stuffed with crab, cheese, and jalapenos, breaded and fried.

Pimento Fritters
Homemade pimento cheese, breaded and fried. Served with ranch dressing.

Course 2
House Salad
Spring mix, served with tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, onions, croutons and cheddar cheese.

Caesar salad
Crisp hearts of romaine, tomatoes, red onions, croutons, and parmesan cheese, tossed in Caesar dressing.

Course 3
Jamabalaya
Chicken, tasso ham, Andouille sausage, trinity vegetables and rice, topped with spicy creole sauce.

Crawfish Etouffee
Plump Louisiana crawfish sautéed in a butter roux with trinity vegetables and spices served over rice.

Chicken Opelousas
Egg battered chicken breast slow cooked in a artichoke, mushroom, and white wine sauce. Served with rice and fried spinach.

Shrimp Platter
Fresh shrimp perfectly fried to a golden brown. Served with hand cut fries and coleslaw.

Cheese Ravioli
Spinach ravioli filled with a three cheese blend served with a blue cheese cream sauce. Topped with seasonal vegetables.

Carolina Ale House // $21 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Cheese Curds
Wisconsin White Cheddar fried bites with red pepper jalapeño jam.

Frickles
Fried dill pickle chips with housemade horseradish ranch.

Course 2
Southwest Chicken
Grilled chicken breast, topped with guacamole, spicy pico de gallo, crisp onion strings and a tomato gravy with Southwestern rice.

Chorizo Meatloaf
Housemade with ground beef, bacon, chorizo sausage, poblano peppers and savory seasonings. House mashed Yukon Gold potaotes, chipotle-bacon gravy and crisp onion strings.

Grilled Chicken Apple Walnut Blue Cheese Salad
Grilled chicken breast, julienne apple, walnuts, mixed greens, blue cheese crumbles, cucumbers, craisins, and Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Course 3
Turtle Caramel Cheesecake
Creamy NY-style cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. Topped with walnuts, caramel, and chocolate sauce.

Peach Cobbler
Covered with a walnut brown sugar crumb topping and baked warm with Breyers® Vanilla ice cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

Five Star // $21 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Curry chicken empanada

Heat seeker shrimp

Japanese eggplant

Crab rangoons

Course 2
Five star generals chicken

Crispy sesame beef

Honey walnut shrimp

Salmon with Thai chile-honey glaze

Chinese spiced ribeye

Course 3
Warm chocolate cake with ice cream

Coconut rice pudding with fresh fruit

Mango sorbet

Plates Kitchen // $31 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Twice Cooked Pork Cheeks
Braised and fried pork cheeks, Hoppin’ John with field peas, heirloom tomato, local greens

Oysters Bienville
Baked oysters stuffed with mushroom, pepper, Grana Padano, roux, bread crumbs

“Second Season” Fig Salad
Raleigh City Farm greens, local figs, house made mascarpone cheese, hazelnuts, Pedro Ximénez vinaigrette

Course 2
Worldly Short Ribs
Soy garlic glaze, edamame puree, quick kimchi, carrots, bok choy

Catch of the Day
Pico de gallo, farm greens salad with key lime vinaigrette-marinated cannellini beans

Squash Spaghetti Marinara
Julienne local squash, shiitake mushroom, NC grown field peas, red pepper, edamame

Course 3
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Moist and sweet date cake covered with vanilla toffee sauce, whipped cream

Chocolate Peanut Butter S’more
Chocolate flourless cake, peanut butter, marshmallow, caramel sauce, candied peanuts (gluten free)

White Chocolate Bread Pudding
NC peach ice cream, creme anglaise, toasted pecans

Provenance // $31 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Heirloom Tomato Salad
cucumbers, sunflower shoots, herbed ricotta, savory eclair

Chicken Liver Toast
lusty monk mustard, pickled summer vegetables, brown butter crumble

Chicken Confit Steam Buns
kimchi, savory lemon curd, pickled summer vegetables

Course 2
Pork Loin
Carolina gold rice, herb puree bound field peas, summer vegetables

Steak Frites
salt and vinegar fries, potato puree, mushrooms, bearnaise

Carolina Coast Catch
Carolina gold rice and squash risotto, shaved vegetables, beurre blanc

Farmers Market Agnolotti
shaved vegetables, brown butter, crumble, beurre blanc

Course 3
Sorghum Panna Cotta
pecan praline, smoked vanilla ice cream

Paris-brest
seasonal fruit, pastry cream, caramel

Chocolate Mousse
coffee ice cream, oat crumble

Royale // $31 Dinner Menu

Course 1
Garlic Soup

Grilled Radicchio
served with arugula endive pomegranate seeds and whipped goat cheese

Heirloom Tomato Salad
served with croutons black pepper aioli and scallions

Course 2
Duck Leg Confit
over Royale Potato Salad with salsa verde

The Royale Burger

Locals Shrimp Pasta
with summer vegetables and basil

Course 3
Peanut Butter Tart

Profiteroles

Trophy Tap + Table // $21 Dinner Menu

Course 1

Trophy Poached Shrimp Salad
local heirloom tomatoes/IPA poached coastal shrimp/arugula/candied peach vinaigrette

Cornmeal Hushpuppies
black pepper honey

Smoked Chicken Empanadas
charred serrano + cilantro salsa/pickled onions

Course 2
Picnic Style Brisket
BBQ baked beans/roasted corn/potato salad/toast

Blackened Quarter Chicken
pickled okra/cheddar biscuit/buttermilk crema

Baja Fish Tacos
shredded cabbage/green onion/jasmine rice/lime sour cream

Course 3
Tres Leche Cake
horchata whipped cream/toasted cinnamon

Chocolate Chess Pie
chantilly cream/lemon zest

Mango Sorbet
sweet chile + brown sugar dust

July 4, 2017 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

An Alternative to Beer at the New Bull City Ciderworks

Front of the new Bull City Ciderworks on Roxboro St in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Front of the new Bull City Ciderworks on Roxboro St in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

With all the craft breweries popping up in the Triangle you knew that there would be other libations that would start manufacture in the state. Liquors from TOPO, Mystic Liquer and Krupnikas for example. But how about a nice adult beverage without the grains or gluten? And that’s what you get at the new Bull City Ciderworks in Durham? Here’s how my visit went to their new location on Roxboro Street…

Bar at the new Bull City Ciderworks on Roxboro St in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Bar at the new Bull City Ciderworks on Roxboro St in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

The popular Bull City Ciderworks started on Elizabeth Street in Durham but due to some city construction, had to find a newer and bigger home. Supported by a local Kickstarter, they’ve done really well, moving into a prime location near the DPAC. It’s a great space, at least twice the size of the original location. Inside, they’ve got an upgraded bar in and industrial space with concrete floors and some wood paneling. Large roll-up garage doors, board games and more to keep you busy, you can definitely while away an hour or two sipping on their ciders.

Large space at the new Bull City Ciderworks on Roxboro St in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Large space at the new Bull City Ciderworks on Roxboro St in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

And they’ve got a much larger offering of ciders ranging from 4 or 5 regular ciders, 8 or so seasonals and then some guest taps. Bull City Cider Works tends to do a sweeter cider but offers a variety of cider styles to keep most everyone happy, especially those that need to stay away from glutens. They’ve also got a food truck schedule, the Kings Sandwich shop Airstream was there during my visit. Bull City Cider Works is pretty busy during our holiday visit so I guess the city likes doing something other than craft beer, too.

So if you’re ever out and about in Durham you might want to check out the new Bull City Ciderworks for an impromptu visit. While I enjoy my beers, there are now so many craft breweries in the area, it might be interesting to switch things up with some cider. Especially if you’re in the DPAC area for a show, so a big cheers to the new Bull City Ciderworks! Because man (and woman) can NOT live by beer alone even if we may think so.

Bull City Ciderworks

305 S Roxboro Street

Durham, NC 27701

919.237.2357

Location on Google map