This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

You know those nights when one of you is in the mood for sushi and the other is jonesing for a burger? You're not alone, judging by the already sold-out sneak peek events this weekend for The Cowfish (4208-100 Six Forks Road; 919-784-0400; thecowfish.com) in the Captrust Tower at North Hills.

The restaurant opens to the public on Monday, and will serve lunch and dinner daily. Burgers, made with a half pound of humanely raised Angus beef, are available with just about every topping you can imagine, from fried capers to grilled asparagus to black truffle cheese.

If beef is not your thing, choose from seven alternatives: veggie, ahi tuna, grilled chicken, turkey, grilled portobello, lamb and chipotle bison. And if your mind boggles at all the possibilities, a list of Cowfish signature burgers comes to the rescue with the likes of Granny's Southern Pimento Cheese Burger and The Jalapeño Popper Show-Stopper.

Sushi cravings are catered to just as assiduously with an extensive selection of sashimi and sushi in every form from nigiri to hand roll. House specialty rolls raise the ante on the usual selection with creations such as the The Motherload, which features a slice of every fish on the Cowfish menu (and is priced accordingly, at $24).

Torn between burger and sushi? Check out the Burgushi section, where you'll find an assortment of sandwiches, rolls and bento boxes that incorporate both into the same presentation. The Nature Boy's WOOOOO-shi BuffalOOOOO-shi Roll, for one, an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink tribute to Ric Flair, professional wrestler and favorite son of Charlotte, home of the original Cowfish.

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.

Go HERE to read the review.

Go HERE to read my story in today's Weekend section about local chefs serving up burgers, fried chicken, fried and grilled seafood, doughnuts, pizza and biscuits.

Chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham is shown above.

Go HERE to read Greg's review of this restaurant by Urban Food Group, which also owns Coquette, Vivace and Porter's City Tavern.

I was on furlough last week and out sick Monday. I want to make sure you saw these stories in the N&O while I was out:

• Wilbur's Barbecue in Goldsboro marked 50 years. Read Josh Shaffer's story.
• Kathleen Purvis wrote a story about the popularity of Greek yogurt.
• Greg Cox offered a list of good burger joints in Friday's Cheap Eats list.
• Bolt Bistro & Bar will open in the former Mint location in downtown Raleigh. Go HERE to read that business story.
• And Durham photographer Kate Medley has a collection of food photos up at UNC-Chapel Hill until mid-August. Go HERE for that story.

Kathleen Purvis shares 10 rules for making your best July 4th burger with recipes for Pimento Cheese Burgers, Juicy Lucys, Bacon-Pork Burgers and Vegetarian Burgers. (Remember: Recipes show up on the right-hand side or their links to printable versions below the story.)

My column this week is about baking on the grill: a trick we learned while we were without a stove a month or so ago. I share a recipe for peanut butter bars.

Suzanne Havala Hobbs' On the Table column is about making a healthier tomato sandwich.

Linda Gassenheimer's Quick Fix column shares a recipe for an open-face steak sandwich.

Diane Rossen Worthington's Seriously Simple column shares a recipe for slow-roasted salmon with miso vinaigrette.

We share a Detroit Free Press story with a recipe for grilled steak with olives and feta.

We share a Chicago Tribune story on how to make a better potato salad.

We share a wire story offering three recipes for canned tuna, an underappreciated workhorse in the kitchen. Go HERE to read it and check out the recipes for curry tuna noodle casserole, stuffed rigatoni and crispy tuna sliders.

Congrats to the five Triangle burger joints that got a mention in this month's Southern Living magazine: Only Burger and Bull City Burger and Brewery, both in Durham, Chuck's in Raleigh, Buns in Chapel Hill and Johnson's in Siler City. (The latter is one of my favorites in the state.)

Go HERE to see the Durham mentions in the story, courtesy of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Click on the pdf below to see the entire story.

Documents:

Greg's Hot List: Meister Burgers

What is it about summertime that makes a burger just taste better? I'm not sure, but I do know that you can research the subject at these area eateries.

Abbey Road
1195 W. Chatham St., Cary
481-4434
www.abbeyroadgrill.com

Barry's Café
2851 Jones Franklin Road, Raleigh
859-3555
www.barryscafe.com

Buns
107 N. Columbia St., Chapel Hill
240-4746
www.bunsofchapelhill.com

Click Read More for the complete list.

Friday Night Date Menu...The Recipes 

This is a follow-up to my earlier blog post.

I don't know about you but these lean economic times have me "eating in" more. Well all is not lost for with a little planning it can be just as much fun as going out. Now someone has to do the cooking but keep the menu simple and you'll save time and money.

Friday Night Date Menu

• Turkey Burgers(recipe to follow)
• Alexia Oven Fries
• Double Chocolate Cookies(recipe to follow)
• Houge Cellars Late Harvest Riesling