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Southern Food

November 27, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary for a Fantastic Combination of Sweet and Savory

Front of Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Front of Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Chicken and waffles! One of those odd culinary combos like pizza and honey or salt on watermelon. But chicken and waffles are all about creating that savory mouth sensation of sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, along with a lot more. And one restaurant that is doing chicken and waffles really well is Dame’s Chicken & Waffles. Originally Dame’s opened up in downtown Durham but since then, has expanded to new locations in Greensboro and now Cary, woohoo! Given the small size of the original spot, I usually passed on Dame’s but with its new and bigger location, I have a much better chicken and waffle oasis.  And if you or your stomach are intrigued, read on my friend!

Entryway of Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Cary - NC Triangle Dining
Entryway of Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Dame’s Cary is located in a convenient and busy shopping plaza right off of Harrison Avenue and next to Bass Pro Shops. When I show up at 10:30 am on a Saturday, the place is already busy and I love the feel of their space! Large open dining room with marigold walls, bright artwork overhead and an open kitchen area in the back. I get seated at a 2-top and order up an unsweetened tea to start off the meal. And thankfully, Dame’s menu is pretty simple with 8 or so specialty waffle options all offering up a fried chicken, waffle type (regular, sweet potato, blueberry) along with a flavored butter “shmear”! It’s pretty quick for me, I’m going with the Carolina Cockerel which features chicken wings, blueberry waffle and peach-apricot shmear. You can also sub out different waffles and shmears if desired.

Dining room at Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Cary - NC Triangle
Dining room at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

As I wait for my meal I scan the crowd. Everyone is chatting and happy waiting for their chicken and waffles and I don’t blame them a bit. And I gotta believe the brightly colored artwork and light decor helps with the mood of the dining room here. Dame’s has the feel of well-appointed cafe, nothing too fancy but pretty good in its own right.

Carolina Cockerel at Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Cary - NC Triangle Dining
Carolina Cockerel at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary – NC Triangle Dining
Light brown leghorns at Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Light brown leghorns at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Given how busy Dame’s is, it doesn’t take too too long for my eats, maybe 15 to 20 minute. A beautiful plate is laid on the table, making me salivate immediately! I’ve got three perfectly fried wings (drum, flat and tip) sitting on a speckled, fruity waffle. I ask for some syrup and start to dig into lunch. I always like trying out each individual element of a meal to see where it stands by itself and I can certainly tell you that Dame’s fried chicken is excellent. A light coating that’s lightly spiced, the chicken is tender and juicy, they use a good bird here. The waffle is soft and pliable and when drizzled with syrup, brings you back to mornings as a kid. The shmear has some fruitiness that is a nice spin to everything else on the plate. And yes, more syrup please! Take some chicken, add some waffle and dip it in the syrup, dee-licious! I get about halfway through the meal but have to tap out. While there’s a lot of flavor happening on the plate at Dame’s, a bit of caloric discretion never hurts for this plump foodie.

Back counter at Dame's Chicken & Waffles in Cary - NC Triangle Dining
Back counter at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

A take-out box and my check is brought out, I wrap up my meal. The line of people is getting quite long here at Dame’s Chicken and Waffles, even though it’s only about 11:30am. So what can I say, I guess I’m not the only fan of the salty, sweet, crispy and soft mouth combination you get with chicken and waffles. And while you probably shouldn’t be eating here every week, I can say that Dame’s is doing a fine job when you get hit with the craving. So rock on Dame’s, glad to have you on this side of the Triangle, finally!

 

Dame’s Chicken and Waffles, Cary

1823 Bass Pro Lane

Cary, NC 27513

919.234.0824

Location on Google maps

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Filed Under: Cary, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Fried Chicken, Southern Food

June 25, 2019 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Humble Pie in Raleigh, Still a Classic Urban, Foodie Oasis

Humble Pie, Raleigh- nctriangledining.com
Humble Pie, Raleigh- nctriangledining.com

When I first got to the Raleigh area in 2007 I immediately began exploring the area, looking for restaurants and bars that would remind me of what I left in San Francisco. More often than not, I was usually disappointed but one of the first restaurants that felt like the City to me was Humble Pie!  I’m not exactly sure how long Humble Pie has been around but it was a popular destination before the Warehouse District got busy and popular.  Before the Pit, Jose and Sons, Crank Arm Brewery and so on, Humble Pie was the only reason to head to this hood outside of some dancing. Humble Pie works mainly for two main reasons: its tasty small plates and its urban chic interior.  And it does a lot of things really well, read on about this Raleigh classic!

Interior of Humble Pie, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Interior of Humble Pie, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

From the outside, Humble Pie looks a bit bland: bricked exterior, large and beige wood patio along with its signature H sign out front as the only hint of what lies inside. A heavy oak door pulls open to reveal its very cool interior!  High ceilings with rough hewn beams, black and white tiled floor, and colorful paper lanterns make for a very hip, urban feel.  They’ve got a nice bar in the back along with a private room.  And that bland patio with tiki bar outside?  Rocks it out when you’ve got nice weather and brunch on your mind.  So Humble Pie delivers lots of different ways to enjoy their eats: at the bar, on the patio, or in their dining room.

Fried oysters at Humble Pie - nctriangledining.com
Fried oysters at Humble Pie – nctriangledining.com
Seared scallops with pesto sauce at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle
Seared scallops with pesto sauce at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle

The menu is diverse providing a bunch of time-tested small plates for you to nosh on as a group or put together as a meal.  The crisp sauteed green beans make for a great starter.  I’ve enjoyed their braised short rib tostadas and spinach tart, two solid crunchy savory dishes. For my last visit I had some beautiful seared scallops in pesto sauce with fried capers along with some broccolini with an egg on top.  Two very different dishes but both well-prepared with nuanced flavors and textures, yum!

Broccolini with egg at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Broccolini with egg at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Biscuits with sausage gravy at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Biscuits with sausage gravy at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

For brunch, Humble Pie also does an even better job!  Try their classic biscuits and gravy, you can’t get much more Southern than that.  Or their shrimp and grits in the broth of gods (as they say on their menu).  Toss in a mimosa and their lovely patio and you’ll be in seventh heaven on a Sunday afternoon.  Just make sure to stop in AFTER noon time so you can enjoy an adult bevvy.  And service at Humble Pie is usually very professional.  The staff seems pretty stable making for consistently good service which is appreciated.

Shrimp and grits at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Shrimp and grits at Humble Pie, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Bread pudding at Humble Pie - nctriangledining.com
Bread pudding at Humble Pie – nctriangledining.com

So this Raleigh institution, Humble Pie is still delivering some great eats and a great atmosphere.  Its diversity of dishes, cool environs and solid service means you typically can’t go wrong here.  But it’s not cheap, you will spend some money at the Pie.  But you know what?  I’m ok with the price since Humble Pie executes so well across the board, bon appetit!

 

Humble Pie

317 S Harrington Street

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.829.9222

Humble Pie menu

Location on Google maps

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Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews, Retakes Tagged With: Best, Patio, Small Plates, Southern Food

December 9, 2019 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Event: Chef and the Farmer, an Argentine Thanksgiving with Chef Vivian Howard

Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to celebrity chefs based out of North Carolina, Chef Vivian Howard probably leads the pack! Given her national exposure on PBS and her television show, A Chef’s Life, Chef Vivian has brought a certain amount of acclaim and panache to the small town of Kinston, NC. But I admit that I haven’t watched her show but instead, ran into Chef Vivian over the past two years at a variety of events. I don’t always buy the foodie hype around chefs but after a great meal at her restaurant, the Boiler Room, I decided to check out her main restaurant, the Chef and the Farmer. As luck would have it, she had a special chef’s dinner running in November so I grabbed a ticket, grabbed a friend and decided to see what all the fuss was about.

Dining room at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Dining room at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

The ride from Raleigh is about 90 minutes, not a bad ride but certainly one which needs a worthwhile destination. The Chef and the Farmer is located in a larger, brick building which I initially thought was an office but no! There’s a subtle, wood-carved sign by the front door giving away the restaurant inside. We chat with the hostess up front and it’ll be a short wait before our dinner is seated. I scan the dining room and there’s definitely a more urban feel to the space. Even though it showcases a lot of multi-hued wood-paneling, the concrete floors and colorful abstract art hung up gives the space a modern, design sensibility. Open kitchen to the back right, busy bar to the left, the crowd at the Chef and the Farmer is definitely a little older than what I ran into at Boiler Room. Probably due to its higher price points and more formal dining experience.

Gallery room at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Gallery room at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

Soon enough the hostess nudges us all to head to a side doorway, up a flight of stairs and to the second floor and their Gallery Room where tonight’s special dinner is to take place. They’ve got four tables set up, 10 to a table. A paper menu with the evening’s fare is presented at each place-setting. While there was a basic menu presented on the website, you get all the details here on the paper menu which looks great. The theme for tonight’s dinner is My Argentine Thanksgiving which pays homage to Chef Vivian’s semester abroad during college and her attempt to create a Thanksgiving dinner while overseas in Buenos Aires. It looks like a delicious mix of S. American and Italian cuisine with hints of the South! We meet our tablemates Randy and Warren and sit down to eat.

Fernet float at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Fernet float at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com
Plate of empanadas at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Plate of empanadas at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

The dinner starts of with a cocktail for the evening, a fernet float! A digestif paired with coke and a scoop for vanilla ice cream, delicioso. Next up is a large plate of plump, perfectly fried empanadas. While the basic beef empanada is wonderful, the stand-out flavor to me is Chef Vivian’s corn, onion and cheese which is hearty but a bit lighter on the tongue. For this specialty dinner, there’s also a wine list with suggested pairings and you can mix and match as needed. Everything’s quite affordable in the $8 to $12 range and from Argentina.

Ensalada rusa at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Ensalada rusa at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

Next up on this wonderful menu is the ensalada rusa, a tossed mix of beet, apple and sweet potato in a light citrus dressing. It’s refreshing but also substantial with a lot of crunch and flavor! One common theme you’ll find throughout Argentinian cuisine is “hearty”, they don’t mess around with their food or calories. As we’re finishing up the salad, a cheer goes up in the room and looking around, I spy Chef Vivian joining us for the evening. Dressed in denim coveralls and looking comfortable, she tells us about her experience overseas, her homesickness and her attempt to re-create Thanksgiving in Argentina which is heart-warming. She does some meet and greets with some of the tables and sits down to sample some of the dinner.

Turkey milanese at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Turkey milanese at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com
Beef ribs with cranberry-orange glaze at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Beef ribs with cranberry-orange glaze at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

The meal moves on to the heartier, meatier offerings, hooray! We are offered up a huge, turkey milanesa: a flattened turkey cutlet fried in bread crumbs with a bit of arugula for contrast. And then a plate of boneless beef ribs spiked with cranberry orange glaze and pomegrante. Wonderful given the flavorful, luscious fat on this cut. The fruit makes for a good counterpoint and adds some brightness to the dish but I LOVE beef ribs. And if Argentina serves up a lot of anything, it’s beef. Paired with a fantastic sweet potato gnocchi with chorizo, you’re going to have to roll us away from this dinner table soon….

Sweet potato gnocchi at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Sweet potato gnocchi at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

While the meal has been progressively more delicious, one of our tablemates has stopped eating and is enraptured by Chef Vivian! As a huge fan of her show, she seems to have lost her appetite given how thrilled she is. And eventually, Chef Vivian is able to make it over (she’s pretty popular tonight as you can guess) and greets Randy with a hug. She’s a very gracious lady and takes time to say hi to her fans, we get together for a group photo and then she’s off for the night. We finish the meal with a wonderful dulce de leche cake made of cornbread chiffon and spiked with crushed pecans. It’s similar to light, layered corn cakes and topped with some citrus segments, yum. But let’s face it, we’ve been eating all night and can barely fit this last course in.

Dulce de leche layer cake at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Dulce de leche layer cake at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com
Our table with Chef Vivian Howard at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC - nctriangledining.com
Our table with Chef Vivian Howard at the Chef and the Farmer in Kinston, NC – nctriangledining.com

We say our goodbyes, grab our leftovers and head into the evening totally stuffed and happy! For my first visit at the Chef and Farmer, you can’t get much better than tonight’s experience. A wonderful meal, great service and the chance to spend some intimate time with Chef Vivian! I found her menu to be full of flavor while still staying true to its country (Argentina and USA) roots. She plays around a lot with international ingredients and cuisine while retaining the simplicity of great country food, kudos! I’m already looking forward to a return visit to the Chef and Farmer for a standard dinner service to see what they do off the regular dinner menu. But if you’re already a fan of Chef Vivian, one of these specialty dinners will really be a thrill. Sign up for her email list to get regular notice. At $75 per person for this Argentine Thanksgiving, it was a very worthwhile visit and I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same way too.

Note: Chef Vivian will be returning to the television screen on PBS with her new series: Somewhere South which debuts on Friday night, March 27. On the show she’ll be digging into the food of the new American South and Southern food traditions.

 

Chef and the Farmer

120 W Gordon Street

Kinston, NC 28501

252.208.2433

 

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Restaurant & Bar Reviews, Travel Tagged With: Southern Food

September 21, 2019 by Ron Wen

News: Tin Roof Raleigh is Now Open

Front of Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Front of Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Over on Glenwood South, the new Tin Roof bar/restaurant is now open! A small chain based out of Nashville, Tin Roof is part bar, part eatery and part live music venue. And it’s a beautiful space with plenty of room to stretch out in. Bar and stage on the first floor, open patio and bar on the second floor. You can watch all the action pass by on Glenwood Avenue. I’ve been able to stop in once for drinks and appetizers and will do a full review after more visits. Until then, enjoy the pics below and stop on by if you’re in the hood.

Sidewalk seating at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Sidewalk seating at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
First floor at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
First floor at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Live music stage at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Live music stage at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
2nd floor patio at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
2nd floor patio at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Loaded tots at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Loaded tots at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Stairwell art at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Stairwell art at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
South by Southwest quesadilla at Tin Roof in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
South by Southwest quesadilla at Tin Roof in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

 

Tin Roof Raleigh

300 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27603

919.322.2333

 

Tin Roof Food Menu

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: News-Upcoming Tagged With: Southern Food

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