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April 9, 2013 by Ron Wen 1 Comment

The Best Dining and Food Around Cameron Village (District) in Raleigh

CameronVillage-Sign

When it’s time to do some shopping and get your credit card revved up, the Village District is one of the most popular spots in the Raleigh area!  But of course as you do your power shopping, who doesn’t work up an appetite?  And as an older, classic shopping plaza, Cameron Village has got tons of choices for great gifts but not quite as many great ones for dining. While there are old stand-by’s such as Carolina Cafe and the Flying Biscuit, I’d probably lean towards some newer choices. And since I live right in the hood, I tend to be picky when it comes to a good meal when visiting the Village District!

Front of Tazza Kitchen in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining
Front of Tazza Kitchen in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

My all-time favorite at the Village District is probably Tazza Kitchen which replaced my OLD favorite, Cafe Caturra.  Located on the backside near Walgreens, look for the wood-paneled patio area. Tazza Kitchen has a great feel inside: dark and hip, it reminds me of a spot you might find on the West coast.  Tazza specializes in items from their imported from Italy, wood stove.  So we’re talking pizzas and other dishes served in cast-iron platters.  And it’s all pretty darn delicious!

TazzaKitchen-HoneyBlackPepperPizza

For openers, try out their brussel sprouts with bacon and egg.  Or how about some luscious pork, veal and beef meatballs?  But my favorite is still their thin-crust, Neapolitan style pizzas.  I’ve done a sausage with black-pepper honey along with a white bechamel-onion-bacon pie, both were excellent. Add in some great wine choices by the glass along with local NC beers and you’ve got a wonderfully versatile restaurant for small groups.  A great stop if you’re in Cameron Village, here’s the full review on Tazza Kitchen.

Cool interior at Ajisai Japanese Fusion in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Cool interior at Ajisai Japanese Fusion in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bento box at Ajisai Japanese Fusion in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bento box at Ajisai Japanese Fusion in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Next on my Cameron Village list is the new Ajisai Japanese restaurant!  A super modern and slick take on sushi and more, Ajisai has a cool bar lit up with blue LED lighting and a smallish dining room.  While sushi is never cheap (and you don’t want it to be), Ajisai does a great lunch for $10 – $12 for bento boxes, sushi and more.  Given the great décor and food, it’s a great and unconventional choice for lunch in Cam Village.

Inside of Tupelo Honey Café- NC Triangle Dining
Inside of Tupelo Honey Café- NC Triangle Dining

The recently opened Tupelo Honey Cafe is causing a big buzz in Raleigh and for good reason!  Large portions of inventive Southern fare means you get the best of both worlds: a satisfying meal with plenty of flavor!  I’ve tried their Appalachian egg rolls (pulled pork-collards), Cajun mac n cheese with blackened shrimp, ham wontons and shrimp and grits.

Fried shrimp and cauliflower at Tupelo Honey Cafe in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Fried shrimp and cauliflower at Tupelo Honey Cafe in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Everything is really satisfying at Tupelo Honey Café and delivered with Southern hospitality.  Located in the new development off of Oberlin Road (on the edge of Cameron Village), parking may be tricky but there are spaces behind the restaurant in the work-live structure.

Entrance at soca
Crab mofongo at soca

On the corner of Oberlin and Peace you’ll find the very lovely Soca! Known for its Latin-American menu with a creative flair, you’ll find everything from churrasco steak to lamb patties and more. Great cocktails and a stunning dining room compleate the meal. And their patio may be one of the best in Raleigh during good weather, a fantastic. outdoor dining experience.

Front of Village Draft House in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Village Draft House in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Village Draft House has been a Cameron Village favorite for years. With great bar food and burgers, what really draws people to Village Draft House is their large selection of excellent beers! Take note that Village Draft House is not as big as it used to be, they’ve cut back on their dining space a while ago.

French dip sandwich at Village Draft House in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
French dip sandwich at Village Draft House in Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

My last visit to Village Draft House was for an excellent French dip sandwich paired with great onion rings! Wednesday is typically draft night special with all pints at $3.50 minus the higher ABV offerings. Village Draft House is a great spot to grab a quick bite or catch the game in Cameron Village…

Cantina18-FrontDayCantina18-ShortribBurritoSlaw-Close

And don’t forget Cantina 18 which delivers a nice spin on Southwestern eats from the folks that run Seaboard 18.  Their new two-story space is modern and open spurning more traditional Southwestern decor. Quesadillas, tacos and more in a comfortable casual setting.  Cantina 18 has a nice brunch menu and sidewalk seating options for fresh air!

RiseBiscuitsDonutsCameronVillage-FrontOpeningDay

On the more casual side, grab a chicken biscuit at Rise Biscuits and Donuts! Newly open in Cameron Village, Rise is a popular spot for donuts, pastries and their savory biscuits. Just beware that there’s little to no seating inside the space.

ChickFilACV-FrontDay

For more casual fare, grab a sandwich at the only two story Chick-fil-A in the country!  This spot can get crazy busy with a long line at the drive-thru but they are fast and polite.  Who can resist a solid chicken sandwich and their famous waffle fries?  This Chick-fil-A is big and great for children with a small patio and play area.  Super popular with mom’s and kids, don’t miss their double drive-thru in back.

WhichWichCameronVillage-FrontDay

You’ve also got a new Which Wich in Cameron Village which puts out some great sandwiches customized just the way you want it.  Step inside, grab a bag and check off your sandwich type and customized ingredients.  While Which Wich doesn’t put out an over-sized sammich, they’re solid, tasty and made on some great bread.  Certainly worth the effort and a step up from Subway.

So once you’re doing shop, shop shopping, consider any of the above choices to fuel up yourself.  You definitely have got some good dining choices if not great.  Right in Cameron Village or just outside, choose from fresh sandwiches, sushi, burgers, Asian and more to refill your tank after you’re done shopping.

Best Dining, Restaurants at Cameron Village in Raleigh

Soca (Latin American)

Tazza Kitchen (Pizzas, Seasonal)

Tupelo Honey Cafe (Southern)

Village Draft House (American, Burgers)

Rise Biscuits and Donuts (Bakery, Donuts)

Cantina 18 (Southwestern)

Chick Fil A (Chicken)

Which Wich (Sandwiches)

Complete List of Food and Dining at Cameron Village

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Filed Under: Local Information, Overviews Tagged With: Cameron - Village District Restaurants, Shopping

May 7, 2013 by Ron Wen 1 Comment

Stylish Swedish Furniture and Savory Eats at IKEA in Charlotte!


As luck would have it, a business trip brought me down to Charlotte, NC and given I don’t get down here that often, I took a day off to hit up IKEA on the way back home.  I had already grabbed some sandwiches at Le’s Vietnamese but really wanted to do some shopping and eating at this Swedish big-box furniture store.  While IKEA is a huge chain in Europe, its presence here in the States is somewhat limited, they tend to be located in suburban areas of large, hip US metro’s.  This particular location is well-planned, right off the highway with easy access and egress to the parking lot.  The royal blue exterior and bright yellow lettering draws you in and plays off of the colors of the Swedish flag!


It’s been a while since I’ve shopped at IKEA so I was pretty excited.  The one thing you have to realize is that IKEA is a testament to Swedish pragmatism and efficiency.  In a country where everything is quite expensive, IKEA is about maximizing your space, materials and money.  Most everything is self-serve here so there’s minimal staffing.  Upon entering, check-in at the kiosk for a IKEA family card, grab a yellow bag and you’re ready to shop.   There’s an IKEA cafe right at the entrance but it’s not open right now at 11am. On the upper floor is all the showcases for your kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom.  The bigger furniture, they’re all set up as display models and if you like something, scratch it down on a paper  pad or take a photo of the tag.   You can shop and pick up all the items at the end.  Walking through IKEA is a bit like a maze, you get forced through on a path and stop and browse when you see something you like, very cool.


But it’s a big showfloor and you could spend hours here which is why they offer their patrons some eats!  At the halfway point is the second IKEA cafe and now that I’ve been shopping a bit, I guess it’s ok to grab a bite.  IKEA does it’s food all cafeteria-style, remember the self-serve mantra.  At the front are cash registers and the dessert case.  You can choose from traditional entrees like Swedish meatballs, salmon, ribs and chicken tenders.  I grab the meataballas with mashies for my meal, add in a drink and it comes to a little over $5.  Pay up at the register, grab your drink at the soda fountain and find a table.  As you walk around IKEA it’s odd to see so few employees in this big space but they run lean.  Again, think self-serve.  The dining room is light, airy and open with mod Scandinavian type decors, lots of white, chrome and organic shapes.  My meal is a nice pile of plump, browned meatballs, 15 to be exact.  A scoop of red-skin potato mashies and a spoonful of tangy, sweet and tart lingonberry which adds some acid to the meal.  And it’s tasty: meat, carbs and a little bit of fruit making for some Swedish comfort food.  Definitely a good deal for $5, it’s a lot of food.  I self-bus my plates and glasses, then it’s back to shopping!

The lower floor at IKEA is where you pick up all the smaller household items ranging from kitchen gadgets, vases, picture frames, rugs and bedding.  Once you’re done there, you enter the main self-serve warehouse where you grab your larger, flat-packed items.  Everything at IKEA is designed for efficiency, you grab an odd wheeled cart and pull the boxes off the shelves.  At the end, I hit a long line (not that many cash registers open) and there’s one final cafe where you can bring home a hot dog, ice cream similar to what you might find at Costco. And then it’s back home with your stylish and cheap Swedish shwag! While I wouldn’t come here on a weekly basis, shopping and eating at IKEA is a lot of fun.  It might be crazy to come visit on the weekends but if you can shop during off-periods, it can be a relaxing, fun and tasty outing!  And who can argue against a delicious plate of swedish meatballs?!

 

IKEA- Charlotte

8300 Ikea Blvd

Charlotte, NC 28262

888.888.4532

 

Location on Google maps

IKEA on Urbanspoon

Filed Under: Charlotte, Local Information, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Cafeteria, Shopping

December 7, 2018 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

Food and Culinary Deals at Costco Wholesale in Raleigh for the Holidays!

Front of Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

I’m not sure what I was thinking when I got my Costco membership.  I mean, what’s a single guy going to do with a 72 pack of toilet paper or a 10 pack of Brita filters?  But you would be surprised, my friend!  Once I learned the in’s and out’s of being a Costco member and navigating the parking lot, you realize there is definitely some value for even a single person with a membership. Especially if you’re into food and cooking, go figure.  And the more times I visit Costco, the more I find to enjoy and eat.  Let’s go for a quick tour!

Foodsaver at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Foodsaver at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Let’s start with Costco’s kitchen goods.  While they don’t have a huge selection, what they do have for kitchen brands is pretty strong.  I’ve been thinking about trying out sous vide cooking so I’m sort of in the market for a vacuum food sealer.  And while Costco doesn’t have more than 2 or 3 choices of any particular item, the 4880 Food Saver they have for $119, retails for over $175 elsewhere.  BIG savings!

And then I see a set of 4 KitchenAid ceramic knives for $25 which is typically $28 – $35 elsewhere.  KitchenAid mixers?  They’ve got them here and a LOT cheaper then Williams-Sonoma where I used to work.  If you’re in the market for kitchen tools, I think you’d do pretty well here. Costco usually also has a great selection of cookingware sets along with decent quality knives.

Custom cakes at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Custom cakes at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Moving on to the wine, baked goods and meats section, they’ve got a very nice selection of bottles here and from what I’ve been told, the wine-buyers at Costco are SUPER picky.  They are the 7th largest wine retailer in the world which means huge buying power.  I have yet to buy a bottle yet but will take some time to research their selection a bit.  Just past the wines are the baked goods, and I recently bought a 1/2 chocolate sheet-cake for $18!  You can choose from 20 or so decorations and choose from 2 types of cake and have a custom message on it.  And it was a decent cake with light butter cream, another great deal!

Meat section at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Meat section at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Just past the cakes there’s the bulk meat section where Costco sells vacuum-sealed USDA Prime and Choice meats, all at a good price.  I’ve done a couple of delicious prime rib roasts from Costco beef and you’ll know I’ll be back here sometime soon. Just be aware you will need some hungry mouths to take advantage of the family packs here.

Kirkland products at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Kirkland products at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Further in past the frozen goods, there are tons of foodstuffs with the in-house brand, Kirkland.  And while I may not want a bottle of Kirkland wine on my table, who cares when it comes to spices and other bulk cooking items?  I grab a 64 oz. container of organic extra virgin olive oil for $14, it goes for 50% more on Amazon.  A huge 160 oz. container of canola oil for $14 probably goes for at least $18.  And the best thing is that Costco usually stocks items that are above average in quality so you’re getting a great deal on really good food items!  I have yet to cost shop other items but I’d expect the same sort of discounts.  Costco employees are scattered through-out the warehouse demo’ing food items and handing out samples.  Some people say you can put together a lunch here just by grazing on the food samples.

Fresh flowers at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Fresh flowers at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

In addition to the food, you’ve obviously also got some great deals on electronics, basic clothes items, vitamins and more.  About the only thing they have that doesn’t seem to be a good deal are the movies, DVD’s and blu-ray discs.  Right before you check out, Costco has a great fresh flower stand which is well worth whatever price you pay.  Head on off to the cash register, make sure you grab a box to take your stuff out in and square up with cash, debit or the Costco AMEX card.  The lines can get long here but most Costco employees I’ve run into are well-trained and quick, phew!

Food stand at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Food stand at Costco Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Self-serve food kiosk at Costco in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Self-serve food kiosk at Costco in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

But the food fun doesn’t stop here because right past the cash registers, you’ve got the Costco food stand.  Like many big-box stores, the experience can be so lengthy they need to provide you with some food (see my IKEA review).  And you can eat really on the cheap here. Hard to believe, but the food here is all pretty darn good, order your food at the self-serve kiosk and they’ve got a pick-up area for efficiency  Costco has their classic 1/4 lb. beef hot dog and drink for $1.50, a chicken bake for $3 and a slice of pizza for $2.  The beef hot dog is an 10″ long, filling beastie and you self-serve your soft drink.  Where else could you eat for under $2?!

The pizza is a medium crust with plenty of cheese and toppings, and of course, the slices are big.  If you want the whole pie, we’re talking only $9.95.  The chicken bake is a thin, well-browned Parmesan crust filled with chicken chunks and a bit of sauce, tasty stuff.  So AFTER you buy all that great food inside Costco, you get some more on the way out to fill yourself.  I’ve even heard of the Costco food challenge where you have to consume $10 worth of eats in under an hour.  Don’t think it’s impossible but I’ll pass for now.

Overall I’m really impressed by what I’ve found so far in my first month of membership and I’d highly recommend you check ’em out if you’ve got one in the area.  The newest Costco for the Triangle is coming to Apex in March 2016. Once you park, it’s not too painful outside of paying up at the cash register.  With their ridiculous buying power, Costco dishes out some great deals and eats for food lovers and aficionados.  Don’t let Costco’s big box presence scare you off from the great values inside, it’s totally worth the trouble…

 

Costco Wholesale

2838 Wake Forest Road

Raleigh, NC 27609

919.755.2801

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Food, Local Information Tagged With: Shopping

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