Just catching up on last week's restaurant review when I was on furlough:
Greg Cox gave 3 stars to Cary's La Casa de las Enchiladas in Cary. (The restaurant is owned by Manuel Madrigal who used to own Salamandra in Durham.) Go HERE to read his review.
This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:
Dos Taquitos, longtime favorite Mexican restaurant and watering hole in North Raleigh, opened its much-anticipated second location on Glenwood South last Friday. Dos Taquitos Xoco (410 Glenwood Ave.; 919-835-9010; dostaquitosnc.com) is a joint venture of Dos Taquitos owner Carlos Salamanca and Niall Hanley, whose Hibernian pub across the street should reopen soon after being closed by a fire in December.
"Xoco" is derived from an Aztec term for "little sister," and this newcomer is every bit as brash and playful as her older sibling. Rainbow-hued serapes, piñatas, bar lighting fashioned from glowing green skulls wearing re-purposed sombreros, and ceilings strung with constellations of colorful fairy lights are just a few highlights of a festive decor that has become a Dos Taquitos trademark.
A vintage VW bus is slated to become a private dining room, available by reservation only. The patio - already the most colorful on Glenwood South - should really start hopping as soon as the heaters arrive.
Xoco has faithfully copied her big sister's menu of Tex-Mex and regional Mexican specialties, too, right down to the tricolor enchiladas de Puebla and signature "Carrrrne Assssada!" (It tastes better if you say it that way.) It's a good bet she'll be mixing plenty of margaritas, too.
Dos Taquitos Xoco serves lunch and dinner daily. The bar stays open Thursday-Saturday nights until 2 a.m.
Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.
A new Southwestern restaurant called Taqueria del Sol will open at Cary Crossroads Shopping Center on Nov. 12.
Taqueria del Sol was started in Georgia by chef Eddie Hernandez. This is one of its first franchise locations outside of that state, according to a press release.
The Cary location is only the beginning. Franchise owners CCG Restaurants, which most recently owned 14 Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchise units in Florida, will develop seven to 10 Taqueria del Sol units in North Carolina in the next several years.
The restaurants offer a playful take on tacos, including a fried chicken taco with strips of fried chicken breast, lime jalapeño mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato and a Memphis taco with chopped smoked pork, a spicy jalapeño coleslaw and tequila barbecue sauce. A popular special is the cheeseburger taco with ground beef, spices and jalapeños, cheese dip, lime jalapeño mayonnaise and lettuce and tomato in a flour tortilla.
The restaurant will be located at 204 Crossroads Blvd., Suite 212. Its hours are 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat.-Sun. For more information, visit the restaurant's Facebook page (http://goo.gl/CwZy1).
(Oddly enough, the Atlanta locations are hosting a Southern Foodways Alliance fundraising dinner on Nov. 11 featuring our local chefs Amy Tornquist and Bill Smith. )
Just got a couple of press releases with some pretty big news:
Niall Hanley, owner of the Hibernian Irish pubs in Raleigh and Cary, is going to convert the former Rosie's Plate at 701 N. Person St. into as yet unnamed pub.
And Hanley is partnering with Carlos Salamanca, owner of Dos Taquitos, to open an authentic Mexican eatery in the former Diner location at 410 Glenwood Ave.
This news is based on press releases issued by Kimball & Company, a restaurant brokerage company. I'm waiting to hear more information from Hanley this morning.
UPDATE: Today's Retailing column has the full story on Hanley's latest plans in downtown Raleigh plus opening another Hibernian pub in North Raleigh.
This Tuesday night, Centro in downtown Raleigh is offering a three-course tequila tasting dinner for $50 a person. The tequilas will be Tres Generaciones. For more information about the event, go to centroraleigh.com/events. To make a reservation, call 919-835-3593.
If you like to combine your drinking with your exercise, Centro also hosts a Margarita Run on Wednesday nights.
At 6 p.m. every Wednesday, gather at Centro and head out with fellow runners for a three- or five-mile run. Then return to the restaurant and head upstairs for a $5 taco bar and $5 margaritas.
REMINDER: On Wednesday, Jibarra will host the first dinner in its new “Madre Mia” series featuring dishes inspired by the Ibarra family’s homestyle favorites.
Price for the three-course dinner is $25, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to the nonprofit organization Share Our Strength.
You can find further details, including the menu, here.
