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News & Observer restaurant critic Greg Cox dishes out the latest on the local dining scene. Pull up a chair and chew the fat with Greg about everything from the hottest new spot on Glenwood South to that great little out of the way taqueria you discovered in Durham. Email Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net.
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In order to join the conversation, you must be a member of newsobserver.com. To register or to log in using your existing account, click here.Read Greg's restaurant reviews, as well as Specialty of the House, a recipe request column, and Epicurean.
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Father's Day specials at area restaurants
Submitted by gregcox on 06/16/2009 - 14:43Looking to treat Dad to a special meal for Father’s Day? Check out these deals.
Acme Food & Beverage Co.
110 E. Main St., Carrboro
929-2263
Dads eat free, brunch or dinner.
An
2800 Renaissance Park Place, Cary
677-9229
Three course Father’s Day tasting menu, $39.99
Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
787-3505
Special Father’s Day lunch menu, noon to 3pm; learn to grill from Iron Chef Walter Royal (call for details)
Chamas
905 W. Main St., in Brightleaf Square, Durham
682-1309
Fathers eat free with purchase of another dinner (limit two dads per table); coupon required for special, available signing up for mailing list here: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001RpCZPV7rN6QvELVKR2h6gA%3D%3D
Fairview
3001 Cameron Blvd., in the Washington Duke Inn, Durham
490-0999
Father’s Day brunch and golf clinic, 10:30am-2pm
Michael Dean’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar
6004 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh
790-9992
Three course dinner, $19.99, served 5-9pm
Peak City Grill
126 N. Salem St., Apex
303-8001
Father’s Day brunch buffet, 10:30am-2:30pm
Savoy
7713-39 Lead Mine Road, in Greystone Village, Raleigh
848-3535
Father’s Day brunch, 10am-2pm
Twisted Fork
3751-170 Sumner Blvd., in Triangle Town Center, Raleigh
792-2535
Three course dinner, $19.99, served 5-9pm
Xios
800 W. Williams St., in Peakway Market Square, Apex
363-5288
Free dessert for Dad
Watts Grocery
1116 Broad St., Durham
416-5040
“Special item” in addition to regular brunch menu
Throwdown between Ed Mitchell and Bobby Flay tonight!
Submitted by gregcox on 05/27/2009 - 13:42Ed Mitchell, noted barbecue pitmaster and owner of The Pit (www.thepit-raleigh.com) in Raleigh, is the featured opponent tonight at 8:30pm on the Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. Mitchell and Flay will battle it out for bragging rights in the barbecued ribs category.
If you miss tonight's airing, you can catch the repeat on May 28 at 3:30am (you may want to Tivo that one if you're not a night owl) and again on June 6 at 4:30pm.
Bargain Bytes: Lucky 32 turns 20
Submitted by gregcox on 05/18/2009 - 09:04Lucky 32 restaurant (www.lucky32.com) is celebrating its 20th anniversary* on May 20-June 20 with a special anniversary menu that includes 3-courses-for-$20 options and daily prizes. They're also offering half price wine each Wednesday, with 70 wines by the glass.
*What's that, you say, how can Lucky 32 be celebrating its 20th anniversary when the Cary restaurant opened in 2001? Actually, the celebration is in honor of the 1989 opening of the original Lucky 32 in Greensboro. But, as is often the case, little brother gets to crash the party.
Barbecue Boot Camp!
Submitted by gregcox on 05/12/2009 - 09:41Calling all aspiring pit masters! The North Carolina Barbecue Society will be hosting the first BBQ Boot Camp for Teens & Adults on May 22-24 at the YMCA Camp in Hanes-Stokes County, NC. From Friday night through Sunday morning campers will participate in hands-on BBQ cooking classes with four of the country’s top pit masters. For more information go to http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/ and click on the Upcoming Classes link or call 336 765-NCBS (6227).
Sisters’ Catering Company offers special thank you to area volunteers
Submitted by gregcox on 05/01/2009 - 15:32If you’ve attended a wedding reception or other catered event in Raleigh, there’s a good chance it was catered by Sisters’ Garden & Catering Co. (2400 E. Millbrook Road; 872-2100; www.sisterscatering.com), which has been in the business since 1976.
And if you’ve done volunteer work for a school, nonprofit or religious organization, you might like to know that Sisters’ Garden is hosting a Coffee Club as a way of saying “thank you” to all community volunteers. Throughout the months of May and June, coffee, pastries and savory breads will be served each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30-11am.
The price of admission is normally $5. But if you tell them “Greg sent me,” it’s free.
Mother's Day dining options
Submitted by gregcox on 04/22/2009 - 13:48Area universities traditionally schedule graduation weekend to coincide with Mother’s Day, so many of these restaurants fill up fast. If you haven't already booked reservations, better get a move on.
1250 Heritage
1250 Heritage Club Ave., Wake Forest
453-2020
An
2800 Renaissance Park Place, Cary
677-9229
Azure Grille
407 Meadowmont Village Circle, in Meadowmont Village, Chapel Hill
960-0707
Bistro 64
103 Edinburgh South Drive, in MacGregor Village, Cary
380-1322
Elaine’s on Franklin
454 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
960-2770
Fairview Dining Room
3001 Cameron Blvd., in the Washington Duke Inn, Durham
490-0999
Fins
110 E. Davie St., Raleigh
834-6963
www.myspace.com/finsrestaurant
Four Square
2701 Chapel Hill Road, Durham
401-9877
Genki
3420-314 Ten Ten Road, Cary
363-6636
Hilton North Raleigh
3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh
872-2323
Il Palio
1505 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
918-2545
The Irregardless Cafe
901 W. Morgan St., Raleigh
833-8898
La Résidence
202 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill
967-2506
Margaux’s
8111 Creedmoor Road, in Brennan Station, Raleigh
846-9846
The Mint
219 Fayetteville St., Raleigh
821-0011
Panciuto
110 S. Churton St., Hillsborough
732-6261
(dinner only)
Peking Garden
126 Millbrook Road, in Colony Shopping Center, Raleigh
848-3023
Provence
203 W. Weaver St., Carrboro
967-5008
(dinner only)
Rey’s
1130 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh
380-0122
Saffron
4121 Davis Drive, in McCrimmon Corners, Morrisville
469-5774
Savoy
7713-39 Lead Mine Road, in Greystone Village, Raleigh
848-3535
Simpson’s
5625 Creedmoor Road, in Creedmoor Crossing, Raleigh
783-8818
(dinner only)
Skylines Cafe
8878-100 Hwy. 70 West, Clayton
550-7619
Sunset Grille
231 Grande Heights Drive, Cary
380-1991
(Cary location only)
Taverna Agora
6101 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
881-8333
Tavola Rossa
5300 Homewood Banks Drive, Raleigh
532-7100
Xios
800 W. Williams St., in Peakway Market Square, Apex
363-5288
Zest Café
8831 Six Forks Road, Six Forks Station, Raleigh
848-4792
Greek Easter celebrations at area restaurants
Submitted by gregcox on 04/16/2009 - 13:29Two area restaurants have announced plans for a traditional Greek Easter celebration this Sunday, April 19.
Taverna Nikos
905 W. Main St., in Brightleaf Square, Durham
682-0043
Spit-roasted lamb in addition to the regular menu, DJ and belly dancers, starting at 12 noon.
Xios
800 W. Williams St., in Peakway Market Square, Apex
363-5288
Traditional Orthodox Greek Easter brunch including spit-roasted lamb, tsoureki Easter bread and more. Festivities from 1:30-6pm.
Bargain Bytes: Spirits Pub & Grub
Submitted by gregcox on 04/16/2009 - 12:58Spirits Pub & Grub (701 E. Chatham St., Cary; 462-7001), a brand new eatery brought to you by the same folks who own Daniel's, is wooing new customers with these food and drink specials:
Sunday - $4 well Bloody Marys, $7 shrimp po' boys with wedgies
Monday - $4 well drinks, $1.50 chips and salsa
Tuesday - $2 domestic bottled beer (bottles that are priced at $3), $8 Hofman hot dog night (2 Hofman hot dogs, slaw, and wedgies)
Wednesday -$4 well Cosmos, $6 coconut shrimp
Thursday - $3 North Carolina drafts (currently Big Boss Bad Penny, Carolina Brewing Company Spring Boch and Pale Ale, Highland Gaelic Ale and Oatmeal Porter), $3 pickle chips
Spirits is also offering $5 Hurricanes on Carolina Hurricanes hockey playoff game days home and away.
Great Harvest in Cary baking Honey Bunnies for Easter
Submitted by gregcox on 04/08/2009 - 09:31
Great Harvest Bread Co. in Cary (1220 NW Maynard Road; 460-8158; www.greatharvestcary.com) is baking up a batch of their popular honey whole wheat bread in the shape of bunnies for Easter. They’re selling them for $12.95, with $2 going to the new Western Wake Farmers’ Market (http://westernwakefarmersmarket.org), which is slated to open on May 2.
Owners Paige and Tom Williams describe the Honey Bunnies as “adorable” and say they’re “perfect for dining table centerpieces, for hostess gifts and nestled into children’s Easter baskets.” It had better be a large basket, though, because the Honey Bunnies weigh in at a substantial two pounds, 5 ounces. Personally, I don’t care how cute they are. I’d eat ‘em.
Easter dining options
Submitted by gregcox on 03/24/2009 - 09:59You say the only thing you want to do in the kitchen on Easter weekend is dye eggs? Here’s a selection of restaurants that will gladly do the cooking for you. As always, reservations are a good idea. I’ll add to the list as I learn of others. Feel free to add your own.
Bogart’s
510 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
832-1122
Easter brunch with jazz, 9:30am-2:30pm, $19.99 (children under 10 $7.99)
Carolina Crossroads
211 Pittsboro St., in the Carolina Inn, Chapel Hill
918-2777
Brunch buffet including carving station and separate kids’ buffet station
Fairview Dining Room
3001 Cameron Blvd., in the Washington Duke Inn, Durham
490-0999
Brunch buffet, seatings at noon and 3pm, $45 (children under 12 half price, under 6 free)
Fearrington House
2000 Fearrington Village Center (8 miles south of Chapel Hill on Hwy. 15-501), Pittsboro
542-2121
Four course prix fixe lunch, $65.
Hilton North Raleigh
3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh
872-2323
http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/RDUNHHF/index.do
Brunch served 11am-2pm.
Il Palio
1505 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
918-2545
Three course prix fixe lunch, 11am-3:30pm, $45; four course prix fixe dinner, 4-7pm, $55.
J. Betski’s
10-120 West Franklin St., Raleigh
833-7999
Homemade pierogis ($9 per dozen) and fresh kielbasa ($10 per pound), available for takeout.
La Résidence
202 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill
967-2506
Brunch buffet, seating inside and on the patio, 11:30am-2:30pm, $28 (children 4-10 $15, students with ID $22)
Margaux’s
8111-111 Creedmoor Road, in Brennan Station, Raleigh
846-9846
Four course prix fixe brunch, 11am-3:30pm, $34.95 (kid’s menu available)
Michael Dean’s
6004 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh
790-9992
Serving 9am-3pm, $19.99 (children under 10 $7.99)
The Old Granary
2000 Fearrington Center, in Fearrington Village, Pittsboro
542-2121
www.fearrington.com/village/granary.asp
Brunch served à la carte.
Parizade
2200 W. Main St., Durham
286-9712
http://www.ghgrestaurants.com/parizade/parizademaster.html
Brunch buffet, 11am-2:30pm.
Posta Tuscan Grille
500 Fayetteville St., in the Marriott City Center, Raleigh
227-3370
Brunch buffet, 11am-3pm, $29.95 (seniors $26.95, children 5-12 $13.50, 4 and under free)
Revolution
107 W. Main St., Durham
956-9999
Brunch served 11:30am-3:30pm, $39.99 (children under 10 $19.99)
Savoy
7713-39 Lead Mine Road, in Greystone Village, Raleigh
848-3535
Three course prix fixe brunch, 10am-2pm, $29 (children under 12 $12)
Twisted Fork
3751 Sumner Blvd., in Triangle Town Center, Raleigh
792-2535
Restaurant open 11am-9pm, brunch served 11am-2pm , kids eat free with a paying adult
Watts Grocery
1116 Broad St., Durham
416-5040
Sunday dinner specials added to the brunch menu for Easter Sunday.
Xios
800 W. Williams St., in Peakway Market Square, Apex
363-5288
Traditional Orthodox Greek Easter brunch including spit-roasted lamb, tsoureki Easter bread and more. NOTE: This meal will be not be served on April 12 but a week later on Orthodox Easter Sunday, April 19.
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