Chapel Hill Restaurant Reviews on NC Triangle Dining

February 10, 2019 by Ron Wen

News: Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill Opens Next Week!

Kitties at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Kitties at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to our furry friends, we love ’em all whether you’re talking about dogs or cats! But cat-lovers in the Triangle are going to get a cool, new option to hang out with felines, the Cat Tales Cat Cafe opening soon in Chapel Hill. I had seen the announcement for this interesting concept last summer and kept watch on their space on Franklin Street as construction continued. After a donation of some cat goodies to the Cat Tales Cat Cafe, I was invited for a preview of the space. And I can tell you for sure, it’s going to be an interesting new option in Chapel Hill! Note: As of March 2020, Cat Tales Cat Cafe has found homes for 109 cats.

Cafe area at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Cafe area at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Employees at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Employees at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

The Cat Tales Cat Cafe sits in short, 2-story, brick building at 431 W. Franklin Street in what used to be a clothing store. Enter through the side and you’ll be in the cafe area on the 1st floor. Co-owner Katy Poitras (wearing cat ears) is busily working on the opening day preparations and she greets my friend and I. Cat Tales Cat Cafe will be offering coffee, beer, wine and other drinks along with baked goods from Phoenix Bakery in Pittsboro once things get ramped up. Today they’re putting together the display case and some of the other furniture for their space. Right at the entrance there’s also a bulletin board of the current, kitty employees at the Cat Tales Cat Cafe! All kitty employees are from the Goathouse Refuge out in Pittsboro and available for adoption unless they have already been spoken for. We hear some plaintive mewing outside a second glass door and in the stairwell area, it’s time to meet our furry friends!

1st floor foyer at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — 1st floor foyer at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

We walk through the second glass door and into the stairwell foyer area. One noisy cat has already set up shop here in a fleece sleeper, enjoying the sunlight pouring through the window panes. Up at the top of the stairs is Cat Tales Cat Cafe’s main lounge area decorated with a mint green floral mural and with plenty of lounging space. There are several couches, throw pillows in pink and white and young cats skittering about across the polished, wood floor! The residents of the Cat Tales Cat Cafe are mostly 9 months to 2 years old (teenagers) and are young enough to have a lot of energy but old enough to show off their personalities. They range across a variety of colors, from black to white to grey, calico, long-hair, short-hair and more. I hope they get a couple of gingers sometime soon!

2nd floor lounge at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — 2nd floor lounge at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Residents at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Residents at Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

There are plenty of toys, exploration tubes and teasers scattered about and the cats seem really well-adjusted. They are coming out to sniff, play and explore while others sit contentedly napping in their chosen spots. Upstairs I meet the second co-owner, Ilene Speizer who is contentedly keeping her furry charges entertained. Cat Tales Cat Cafe is limited to 12 furry employees and they will obviously be rotating in the guests as they get adopted. The $12/hour per person visitation price along with the sale of beverages and snacks will help keep the Cat Tales Cat Cafe up and running. All the adoption fees will go directly to the Goathouse Refuge to support their efforts.

We hang out a bit, my friend Steve plays with one cat while I’ve got Coco Chanel cat following me around for a taste of my Corona beer, she must be a bit of a party girl! They are active and curious kitties making for a fun visit. Katy apparently got the idea for a cat cafe right before she moved from Charleston to the Triangle and she estimates that there are about 80 to 100 cat cafes in the country. And now the Triangle has one, too! The Cat Tales Cat Cafe is working hard towards an opening next week in mid-February but keep an eye out on their Facebook page for more details. Cat-lovers rejoice, you’ve got a new hang-out spot to enjoy the soothing play and preening of some adorable felines out in Chapel Hill…

Cat Tales Cat Cafe

431 W. Franklin Street, Suite 210

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Location on Google maps

December 19, 2018 by Ron Wen

Media: Lula’s in Chapel Hill is Now Serving a Fantastic Southern Brunch and Fried Chicken!

Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Over the past year, I’ve been pretty impressed with the food scene in Chapel Hill. Great additions like Hops Burger Bar, Cha House, MidiCi Italian Kitchen and more have really amped up the food scene in the area. And a recent media invite to the new Lula’s restaurant in Chapel Hill spiked my curiosity. I had known about the previous tenant in this space (Spanky’s) and had seen some social media on Lula’s eats so color me curious. And hungry! So I was excited to head out to the Thrill to try out Lula’s new brunch menu on a bright and cheery Sunday afternoon.

Dining room at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Bar at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Stepping into Lula’s, you’ll find yourself in a classic looking restaurant full of polished woods and a black and white checkered floor. The space is bright and sunny, perfect for an afternoon meal along with plenty of seating. For today’s meal, we head upstairs to the private rooms which seats about 90 people. A table full of local social media influencers are waiting upstairs to get the meal started! Lula’s is part of the Chapel Hill restaurant group and helmed by Chef William D’Auvray, formerly from buku and Fins in Raleigh.

Sample brunch menu at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

While Lula’s has been open since June 2018, their brunch menu was just launched in November. They’ve still got the great skillet chicken on the dinner menu but have also added classics such as chicken and waffles, eggs and sausage along with a biscuit benedict. Just be aware that Lula’s has a pretty short menu that’s really focused on fried chicken and Southern classics. Lula’s also offers up some great brunch cocktails with quirky names like the Breakfast Bramble (vodka, yogurt, fruit, blackberry jam, granola), Damn Fine Sunday (vodka, coffee liqeur, vanilla bean syrup) and more.

Breakfast Bramble at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Biscuits with spun sage honey at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Over the course of two hours, we are treated to a barrage of wonderful Southern eats on Lula’s menu! First up are the wonderful biscuits at Lula’s. Now biscuits are a pretty simple food item but Lula’s elevates them to another level. Browned and bumpy, the biscuit here show off a crunchy, perfectly salted exterior along with a wonderfully fluffy interior. Paired with a thick and sticky sage honey, they could be a meal in themselves. But wisely, Lula’s uses them as a carb base for several of the other brunch dishes on the menu.

Maple bacon donuts with vanilla custard at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Sweet potato-squash strata at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

The next winner on the menu is Lula’s raised maple-bacon donuts with vanilla custard! Fresh out of the fryer, cake donuts are doused in syrup and served up with a round of baked custard and piece of crispy bacon. It hits all of your foodie senses with sweet and salty crunchiness along with the luscious custard. A fun play on the common donut and done very well. Counter-balancing the sweet of the donuts is the wonderful, layered strata! Thin slices of sweet potato and squash along with egg are stacked together in a tasty casserole and topped with cornbread and tomato. A great choice if you’re a vegetarian looking for something to eat. I found it quite satisfying even as a confessed meatatarian.

Skillet of fried chicken at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

Biscuit benedicts at Lula's in Chapel Hill, NC - nctriangledining.com

But of course, given Lula’s homage to fried chicken, we were all waiting on the main course! Served up in a cast iron skillet fit for a giant, a heaping pile of lovingly, browned Southern fried chicken is placed on a display table. Our group of influencers swarm about the chicken skillet but all I can tell you is that it’s very good! Soaked in a buttermilk wash and fried in a spice-laden coating, Lula’s does a great Southern fried chicken with plenty of taste and just enough salt. Although I admit, I wish I could have tried some of this cluck-cluck chicken in a dark meat, the breast still held up with good moist tenderness. We’re also served up a wonderful biscuit benedict topped with fried green tomato, country ham and hollandaise. Really nicely done, that biscuit steals the show again, offering up a great alternative to the classic English muffin.

Our lovely brunch finishes up with Chef William’s classic dessert, funeral cake! Apparently given out as solace for grieving friends and neighbors, the funeral cake is stacked high and tall with four levels of what I think is Devil’s Food cake along with a light buttercream frosting. A wonderful finish and touch to this Southern brunch. As we thank our gracious hosts and pass along good-byes to each other, I’m just trying to figure out when I can get back for a repeat visit. While the menu at Lula’s is not that big, they are executing really well on what’s coming out of that kitchen. And what’s coming out of Lula’s kitchen is some wonderful, heart-warming Southern fare with some slight twists. Add in those wonderfully crafted cocktails and I suspect you’ll be a happy camper at Lula’s for brunch. I’m glad to have it here on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill because while Spanky’s may have been a Carolina legend, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t stand a chance against the great eats coming out of the kitchen now. So thank you Lula’s for a fantastic brunch and raising the bar for the Chapel Hill dining scene!

Lula’s

101 E Franklin Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

919.967.2678

Lula’s menu

Location on Google maps

September 11, 2018 by Ron Wen

The Best Neapolitan Pizza in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Carrboro and Chapel Hill

Sneaking a peek at the speckled underside of pizza — Sneaking a peek at the speckled underside of Neapolitan pizza

Pizza comes in many forms and styles: NY thin-crust, Chicago deep-dish, Detroit-style pizza, thick Sicilian and more. But when it comes to REAL pizza in my mind, you have to go back to the motherland, Neapolitan pizza from Italy. Now there are strict rules for true Neapolitan pizza: 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and mozzarella di bufala to get that tender delicious, thin crust, soft melty cheese and fresh tomato flavor. Neapolitan pizza is usually served as a single-serving pie and cooked in wood-fired ovens. But the reality is that when you find Neapolitan pizza in the US, it’s often more like Neapolitan-style and takes some liberties on the official guidelines. But in my opinion for pizza, Neapolitan is the only way to go to truly understand what great pizza is about. And thankfully, the NC Triangle is starting to sprout up more Neapolitan-style pizza places over the past five years! Here’s a quick tour of some of your best options for Neapolitan pizza!

Interior of Capp’s Pizzeria in Chapel Hill

Margherita pizza at Capp’s Pizzeria in Chapel Hill

Mama Mia pizza at Capp’s Pizzeria in Chapel Hill

Capp’s Pizzeria, Chapel Hill – A bit off the beaten path in southwestern Chapel Hill near Pittsboro, I am really impressed with the pizza coming out of this joint! Great crust, crushed tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, Capp’s spins things up a bit with its combinations. Don’t miss the Mama Mia with meatball, red onion and jalapenos. They also do a traditional (for Connecticut) clam pie on the Friday and Saturday!

Pizzeria Toro, Durham – One of the first Neapolitan pizza spots in the area, Toro does some really good pies in a hipster setting. Expect to get a little fancier with their pies and the prices rise accordingly ($14 to $18). While they still do a good pie, I’ve also got some burnt ones here which is not cool if you’re paying a premium. But a good spot if you’re hanging out in downtown Durham and want some Neapolitan pizza.

Pizzeria Faulisi, Cary – A newer entry in the Neapolitan pizza craze, Faulisi does a very solid pie and crust (mix of 00 and Boulted Bread flour). Decor-wise it sits neatly between casual and hipster with a bright, light and white interior along with some counter service. Love their pies, it’s got a snappy crust and keeps things simple the way Neapolitan pies should be. And it sits conveniently right next to Bond Brothers beer so who can complain about great pizza and beer?

Pizzeria Mercato, Carrboro – A cool little pizzeria run by Gabe Barker in a funky little corner of Carrboro. They are doing more Neapolitan style with a snappier (stiffer) crust but it still holds mostly true. They also offer some great appetizers and entrees, do NOT miss their arancini (serious noms). Pizzeria Mercato is more of an Italian restaurant to me, doing really good za. I just wish it was a bit closer to me!

Pompieri Pizza, Durham – Pompieri was one of the earlier entries into the Neapolitan pizza race in the Triangle and it’s still chugging along. The concept and space is quite different, located in an old firehouse, lined with aquariums and family-friendly. The pies are very thin crust and are served uncut with a pair of shears. While they definitely use quality ingredients here, it’s not quite traditional Neapolitan pizza here which is fine for most people.

Poole’side Pies, Raleigh – The newest entry in this category, Poole’side Pies offers up solid Neapolitan-style pies in a stunning setting reminiscent of a classic swimming pool theme. Along with a handful of fun, fried appetizers and interesting salads, Poole’side stretches the Neapolitan concept a bit with some Southern style.

Flirting with Fire food truck, Various Locations – This very cool food truck hauls around a SERIOUS wood-fired oven all around the Triangle! And the one time I was able to try them out at a street fair, I was pretty impressed. Solid crust and they stick to the basic topping options. If you find them in the neighborhood, Flirting with Fire is definitely worth the visit!

Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza, Morrisville – Ok, feel free to laugh at me but I do think that this chain is doing an excellent job serving up Neapolitan style pizza! Given their unlimited toppings model, it’s definitely not traditional but the crust is pretty close! And for $8 you really can’t beat the price. I love my pizza but try not to be a pizza snob, and Blaze hits all the right notes. The casual but cool interior along with Chipotle style ordering makes Blaze super family-friendly, too.

Grandma pie at Hutchins Garage, Durham - nctriangledining.com — Grandma pie at Hutchins Garage, Durham – nctriangledining.com

And there’s more great pizza in the area with more traditional pies such as Hutchins Garage, Trophy Brewing and Pizza along with Oakwood Pizza Box! Which is great news for us all because, not everyone has a friend with a wood-fired pizza oven. As a huge Neapolitan pizza fan it just makes me happy to see these options popping up. I’ve made the pilgrimage to great pizza places around the country like DiFara, Totonno’s, Motorino, Antico, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Apizza Scholls and more. It’s just wonderful to have some good local options here near home! So if you’re a budding pizza fan, give one of these spots a try and I’m sure you’ll be loving that thin-crust za, too.

July 22, 2018 by Ron Wen

Cha House in Chapel Hill, An Oasis for Boba Tea and Asian Snacks!

Front of Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Front of Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

If you’re a fan of boba (bubble) tea, you’ve probably got a favorite GoTo spot in the Triangle. From Vietnamese restaurants to Asian markets, boba tea is often available in a variety of locations but in the past year or so, the Triangle has started to see dedicated boba tea spots open up! From Quickly and Kung Fu Tea in Cary to Cha House in Chapel Hill. And if you’re not familiar with boba (bubble) tea, it’s a popular drink originating from Taiwan that usually has tea, milk and sugar served over ice along with chewy tapioca balls at the bottom. You typically drink it through a large diameter straw, it’s a refreshing and fun way to quench your thirst. And I’ve got to tell you that the new Cha House is a great spot to get your boba (and snow ice) on!

Order counter at Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Order counter at Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Floating tables at Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Floating tables at Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Head on over to Franklin Street in Chapel Hill and you’ll find Cha House. Cha means tea in Mandarin Chinese so you know what this place is all about! Inside Cha House you’ll find a super bright, white and light space bustling with students. It’s modern and open with the tea bar to the left and a bunch of four-tops to the right. Some unusual floating tables in natural woods sit at the front of the space for some casual seating!

Chalkboard menu at Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Chalkboard menu at Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

The huge chalkboard menu up front at Cha House lists out your choices ranging from milk teas, fruit teas, and even cheese capped (light cream cheese) teas! Cha House offers up black, Jasmine, Oolong, Earl Grey, and matcha tea along with taro and chai for your base drink. You can also bling out your milk tea with red bean, boba, lychee jelly or mango along with adjusting the sweetness and ice in your drink. Like many of these boba tea spots, Cha House also offers up a small assortment of snacks (popcorn chicken, green onion pancake, etc) to tide you over. Note that this menu should be expanding as Cha House gets settled in after their opening.

Oolong boba tea at Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Oolong boba tea at Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Interior at Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Interior at Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

I’ve tried out a couple of teas at Cha House, an Oolong milk tea with boba and lychee along with the “Dirty Tiger” drink! The Oolong tea was super-fragrant and smooth with smaller, chewy boba pearls. The lychee jelly is actually minced lychee fruit dropped into your drink, a nice bonus. And the Dirty Tiger is based on brown sugar and milk making for a non-caffeinated drink, perfect for later hours. Note the brown stripes resembling the stripes of a tiger (I guess :-). It was really refreshing and I had it as dessert at the end of an evening.

Dirty tiger boba drink at Cha House in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Dirty tiger boba drink at Cha House in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

All in all I really like the space at Cha House and its take on a modern boba tea shop. Fun for kids, fun for college students and fun for adults, who doesn’t enjoy slurping up some soft milk tea and chewy tapioca balls? The milk teas here are excellent and the modern interior very nicely done, the space just feels right. And they’ve added Taiwanese snow ice to the menu as of September 2018. Stop on by if you’re up for an afternoon refresher or after dinner sweet in Chapel Hill!

Cha House

318 W Franklin Street

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

984.999.4580

Location on Google maps

June 3, 2018 by Ron Wen

Media: Treat Yourself to the Fancy and Flavorful Tacos at Bartaco in Chapel Hill

Front of bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Front of bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to Mexican food, I’m usually looking for a local taqueria serving up tasty carnitas or carne asada in a down-home setting. But every now and then, I enjoy a more modern take on Mexican and tacos. Bartaco is a great example of what you can do with tacos with more fusion-style offering! This small chain of taquerias (16 on the East coast) caught my eye after it opened a Triangle location in the summer of 2017. Thankfully, a media invite to visit Bartaco and try out their secret taco hit my email inbox. It’s finally time for a trip to Chapel Hill!

Beautiful interior at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Beautiful interior at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

bartaco sits in University Place right next to Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill, super convenient! Up front you’ll find a wall of terra cotta planters and a beach-style patio. Inside bartaco, the space has a very organic feel, full of woods and dim lighting, a great looking space. A large U-shaped bar takes up the center of the dining room and the staff uniform puts together white jeans with a blue-checked shirt, it all feels very well put-together. Great ambiance for a date or small party here, the dining room is wonderful!

Dining room at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Dining room at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

At our table, we’re given some help by our wait-person since we’re bartaco newbies. You get a paper menu with all your starters, tacos, side, rice bowls and more. Check off what you want with quantities (or mark L for gluten-free lettuce wrap tacos) and you’ll be good to go. bartaco is pretty busy for a Wednesday night, full of local families and students given its proximity to UNC Chapel Hill. And everyone in the dining room is happily munching on tacos, call me excited!

For our media visit, we’re given free rein on the menu and there’s so MUCH to choose from! While bartaco has a smaller menu (for a Mexican restaurant) of starters, tacos, sides and rice bowls, it has a good variety within each food category. And given I’ve got Linda Eats World with me to help out, we go a little crazy with ordering: plantains, grilled corn, cucumber salad along with Baja fish, rock shrimp, pork belly along with the #bartacosecret, Spiced Lamb!

Fried plantains at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Fried plantains at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Elote corn at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Elote corn at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Our sides come out first, some tender, nicely fried plantain nuggets paired with a creamy aioli, yum! And the grilled corn is fantastic, covered with cotija cheese and a bit of mayo and paprika, excellent. As we’re finishing up our appetizers, the rest of the food comes out and it all looks so good… The only slight miss for me was the cucumber salad. While the preparation was nice, I would have preferred a thinner slice for more surface area and flavor.

Huge meal at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Huge meal at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

And even though we ordered a lot of food, bartaco tacos are about 2 to 3 bites each so it’s manageable! I start off with the spicy lamb which features tender ground lamb with harissa and lemon crema, it’s nicely light with a taste of the Mediterranean! (Note: #bartacosecret is off-menu so you will have to ask your server to see what’s available) The rock shrimp taco is perfectly fried and has quite a bit of spice and heat which is a pleasant surprise. But I’d have to say that the Asian-style pork belly was my favorite! A thick chunk of sweet, lacquered belly, thick sliced and topped with red onion and cilantro. All the tacos are served with fresh wedges of lime for a quick, spritz of citrus on top, if you’d like.

Spicy lamb tacos at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Spicy lamb tacos at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

Pork belly tacos at bartaco in Chapel Hill - nctriangledining.com — Pork belly tacos at bartaco in Chapel Hill – nctriangledining.com

While we’re finishing up our meal, bartaco’s manager sends us out one final pair of tacos, the cauliflower which he has raved about. And I’ll tell you what, it was a totally satisfying bite served in a red sauce. A very worthwhile vegetarian alternative if you’re not feeling the meat.

Service throughout our meal at bartaco was excellent. While the staff here is quite young, the are well-trained and understand hospitality which was a pleasant surprise for me from a chain restaurant. And looking over the menu prices, I’m pretty sure you can get out of here for well under $20 for three tacos and an adult beverage which is quite reasonable. So a slow round of applause for North Carolina’s second bartaco. You’re doing a fine job with a modern, beach-style taco and I can’t wait to come back for a lunch out on that white-washed patio! Oh and as luck would have it, it looks like the third location for NC is being built at North Hills, Raleigh which would save me a trip out to Chapel Hill. Hooray bartaco, look forward to trying out your newest location soon!

Chapel Hill Restaurant Reviews on NC Triangle Dining

News: Cat Tales Cat Cafe in Chapel Hill Opens Next Week!