food

Reminder: Free coupon class at the 'Got to be NC' festival

AmyDunn — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:59:00 -0400

Here's a freebie I hope you won't be able to pass up.

I'll be teaching a free coupon class this Friday at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

The class is part of the annual "Got to be NC" festival -- a celebration of all things North Carolina -- which runs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The one-hour class, with a question-and-answer session afterward, will teach you how to save at least 50 percent at the grocery store using coupons and other savings techniques.

The class begins at 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 17.

Admission to the festival is free and parking is free but you will need to pay a $2 admission to the Food, Wine & Beer Expo where the coupon class is being held.

That $2 will give you access to the coupon class and 100 North Carolina companies giving free samples and selling their products. You'll also receive a sheet of 24 coupons to use at the expo. Folks who attend my coupon class will receive a reusable grocery bag filled with freebies.

The class will be a condensed version of the three-hour workshop I normally offer. I will focus on grocery store savings, giving you the lasted information on store policies, how to save using paper and digital coupons, where to safely print coupons and how to score rebates on meats and produce.

If you can't come for the class, stop by afterward and say hello or ask me a question. I will be at the expo until 2:30.

For more information, click HERE.

Pintful: Two beer bills moving through legislature

John_Frank — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:01:47 -0400

Once a year at the N.C. General Assembly, beer and politics and the politics of beer blend like a summer shandy at the “Rush the Growler” party.

For me, it’s a can’t miss – combining my “day job” covering politics for the newspaper and my “night job” writing about craft beer. And the growler event showcases the evolving mindset at the Statehouse toward beer – particularly craft beer – since 2005 when lawmakers “popped the cap” and lifted the alcohol limit from 6 percent to 15 percent. Click here to read the column and get an update on beer-related legislation this session.

Restaurant Review: Greg Cox gives 5 stars to An in Cary

amweigl — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:03:24 -0400

Go HERE to read the review.

Calling all chefs: applications due for Fire in the Triangle competition

amweigl — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:02:34 -0400

Triangle chefs can now apply to compete in this year’s Fire in the Triangle cooking competition.

The single-elimination, Iron-Chef style competition will be held at 1705 Prime in North Raleigh from July 8-Aug. 19. Chefs have to apply by June 1 to being among the competitors. The chefs who will be competing will be announced June 24. For the application, go to goo.gl/MSdwh.

Fire in the Triangle is one of six culinary competitions held across the state and organized by the state agriculture department’s Got To Be N.C. campaign. The winners of each regional competition will compete in a final cook-off in Raleigh in November.

The public will not be able to make reservations to dine at one of the Triangle competition’s meals until mid-June. For more information and to eventually book a reservation, go to competitiondining.com.

Durham's Farmhand Foods is now Firsthand Foods

amweigl — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:06:44 -0400

Farmhand Foods, the small wholesale distributor of local, pasture-raised meats, has changed its name to Firsthand Foods.

When the Durham company filed its trademark application in 2011, it received a “cease and desist” letter from S.F. Investments, Inc, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods. Farmhand Foods’s co-founder Jennifer Curtis said Smithfield claimed that her company’s trademark was too similar to Smithfield’s brand, Farmland Foods.

While Smithfield-brand pork products can be found in Triangle grocery stores, its Farmland line of pork products are not typically sold within 200 miles of Raleigh. (I have seen them in Missouri and Iowa.) Federal officials had given initial approval for Farmhand Foods to use its name and trademark but Curtis said Smithfield Foods still planned to sue over it. Curtis said her small company couldn’t afford the $60,000 to $100,000 in legal fees it would have cost to fight it.

Curtis’ co-founder, Tina Prevatte, said in a press release: “After a year of trying to protect the rights to use our name, we decided to embrace Firsthand Foods as our new name and focus on growing our markets, supporting the farmers in our network, and continuing to help build a robust local food system here in North Carolina.”

So what does Smithfield have to say about the dispute? Keira Lombardo, Smithfield’s vice president of investor relations and corporate communications wrote in an email: “There was a trademark dispute between Farmhand Foods and SF Investments, which was amicably resolved under a confidential settlement agreement and which involved Farmhand transitioning to a new name.”

As of May 1, Farmhand Foods is now Firsthand Foods. Their products are available at Weaver Street Markets, Chatham Marketplace, LoMo mobile market, The Raleigh Wine Shop and the MAE Farm Meats stand at the State Farmers’ Market in Raleigh. You may be more familiar from their products via their food truck, the Sausage Wagon.

Chocolate Boutique opens TODAY in Morrisville

amweigl — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:43:27 -0400

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

A second location for Chocolate Boutique (3308 Village Market Place; 919-332-0960; mychocolateboutique.com) will open today, with Grand Opening festivities from 4-8 p.m. The original shop is in North Raleigh’s Lafayette Village.

Offering a wide assortment of truffles and other house-made confections, Chocolate Boutique hosts chocolate parties and caters weddings and special events.

The shop is is the newest entry in a lineup of restaurants and food shops clustered around the new cinema complex in Park West Village.

Which Wich and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill are already serving the before- and after-the-movie crowd. Scheduled to open in coming months are Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, Firebirds Wood-Fired Grill and WG Kitchen and Bar - an Ohio-based chain offering wine shop, wine bar and bistro under one roof.

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.

Learn from a master French baker

amweigl — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:14:14 -0400

La Farm Bakery owner Lionel Vatinet is hosting a longtime friend and fellow baker Dominique Homo who will be teaching two baking classes in Cary next week.

Both men are master bakers, originally from France. Both men coached the American team when it won its first gold medal in 1999 at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, an international baking competition.

Vatinet, who has settled in Cary where he and his wife started the successful La Farm Bakery, has invited his friend to teach two classes:

From 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, Homo will teach how to make a traditional enriched dough like a Viennoise dough and pate brisee, used to make apple tarts or quiche.
From 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, Homo will teach how to make pate sablee, a dough used to make fresh fruit tarts, and beer bread using Fullsteam’s Pale Ale. Sean Wilson, owner of the Durham brewery, also will offer a beer tasting and discuss his line-up of local beers.

Each class costs $75. To reserve a spot, call 919-657-0657.

Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen hosts another series of Stir the Pot events

amweigl — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:58:36 -0400

Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen is hosting another series of Stir the Pot events next May 19 and May 20.

On Sunday, May 19, guest chef Steven Satterfield of Atlanta's Miller Union and Christensen will be cooking up a five-course meal with wine pairings at her flagship restaurant, Poole's Diner. The meal starts at 7 p.m. and costs $150 per person.

On Monday, May 20, Christensen is hosting a potluck and film screening at CAM Raleigh, the contemporary art and design museum at 409 W. Martin St. Tickets cost $35. Guests are asked to bring a side dish or a dessert to share. Special guest and filmmaker Joe York will be on hand to show his work.

The events benefit Southern Foodways Alliance's documentary film projects. Tickets for both events are available at stirthepotluck.com.

Pintful: Papazian surveys the NC beer scene, Mystery Brewing goes primetime

John_Frank — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:43:37 -0400

Few people in the beer world are more recognizable than the man with the easy grin and salt and pepper beard. Charlie Papazian looks a bit like the “most interesting man in the world” character from the Dos Equis commercials. And he is a star in a mostly anonymous industry. I talked to him about the North Carolina craft beer scene in this week's column. See link below.

Also: Mystery Brewing opened its long-awaited tap room last week in west Hillsborough. The Public House, as founder Erik Lars Myers put it, “will serve as the main public face of Mystery and carry every beer we produce.” It also will serve other craft beers from around the world, a testament to Myers’ refined tastes. It is open 4 p.m.-midnight weekdays and noon-midnight Saturday and Sunday.

The other big news from Mystery: It’s going primetime. The seasonal-only brewery is a contestant on a new CNBC show called “Crowd Rules,” in which emerging businesses compete to win $50,000. The show debuts Tuesday, and Mystery Brewing will compete in the second week, May 21, against two other businesses.

Read more in this week's Pintful column.

Pintful: Steel String Brewery grand opening, Triad Craft Beer Week and more

amweigl — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:38:11 -0400

This is a guest post by beer columnist John Frank. Read his Pintful column HERE.

What's on Tap:

Grand Opening Party at Steel String in Carrboro
6-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday at the brewery
Steel String Craft Brewery officially opens Wednesday, but it will celebrate this weekend with two days of craft beer, music and food. The parties require $25 tickets. The brewery’s regular hours: noon-2 a.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-10 p.m. Sunday. Info: steelstringbrewery.com

Olde Hickory Tap Takeover
Friday, Village Draft House in Raleigh
A special cask of the Hickory craft brewery’s acclaimed Death By Hops, with added Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand, is the featured beer. Others from the eclectic brew pub’s lineup on tap, too.

Triad Craft Beer Week
Through Saturday
Greensboro and Winston-Salem are showing off their craft beers this week with a variety of events. On Saturday, City Beverage in Winston-Salem will offer a cask of Liberty Steakhouse, big winners in the recent Carolinas beer competition. Check other Triad breweries for more events. Info: triadbeerweek.com

Euro Café now open in Wake Forest

amweigl — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:12:06 -0400

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

Mohamad Kahlout, owner of Petra Grill in North Raleigh, has opened Euro Café (2101 S. Main St.; 919-761-5002) in Wake Forest. His new restaurant is a departure from the kebabs and pita wraps that have made Petra Grill a popular lunch spot.

Think more along the lines of Panera, the chain that Kahlout says inspired Euro Café. “We bake our own breads and pastries, too,” says Kahlout. “But we’re local, and we use organic produce when we can.”

Panini with fillings such as spinach-artichoke and chicken-pesto wouldn’t look out of place on the menu board at a Panera. Nor would a roast beef asiago sandwich, though you’re not likely to get watercress on the chain version.

Entree salads and cavernous bowls of homemade soup round out the savory offering. To top it off, choose from an assortment of cookies, muffins and other pastries. Better yet, a first-rate pistachio baklava - another thing you won’t find at Panera.

Here’s yet another: breakfast. At Euro Café, you can start your day with a homemade bagel with cream cheese. Or pancakes, or a fritatta, or steel cut oats topped with pecans, honey and fruit. And wash it down with a coffee or espresso drink made with beans from LavAzza in Italy.

Euro Café is open Monday-Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant doesn’t have a website yet, but you can find it on Facebook.

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.

Eat, drink and help the Food Bank

amweigl — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:22:33 -0400

Yelp NC Triangle and Eschelon Hospitality are hosting a party on May 19 to benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

From 8-10 p.m. at Zinda restaurant in downtown Raleigh, the party will feature food samples from all five of Eschelon Hospitality restaurants, free cider, beer and wine as well as entertainment by Head Over Heels performance troupe, Simple Bliss massage therapists and caricature artists.

The event is called Yelp Billionaires Club and is free and open to the public with a donation of two or more canned goods per person. Last year's event, raised 1,500 pounds of food, enough to provide 3,298 meals, according to Yelp senior community manager Christina Gates.

For more information about the event, go HERE.

If you care about local food systems, here are a couple worthy book events

amweigl — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:16:04 -0400

Here are a couple book readings for those interested in the local food system, including one this Wednesday.

Slow Money NC founder Carol Hewitt has written a book, "Financing Our Foodshed," about how the group helped finance businesses of local food entrepreneurs, sustainable farmers, bakers, restaurateurs and others.

Her first book event is at 7 p.m. Wednesday at The Regulator Bookshop in Durham. If you cannot attend Wednesday's reading, Hewitt has three other readings across the Triangle:

2p.m. Saturday at McIntyre's Books in Fearington Village.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.
7 p.m. May 29 at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.

Also worth noting is a reading this Friday in Durham with Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch. A champion of local food, Hauter's new book, "Foodopoly: The Battle Over the Future of Food and Farming in America," discusses the massive consolidation and corporate control of food production. She will be at Durham's The Regulator Bookshop at 7 p.m. Friday.

Tickets now on sale for annual TxakoliFest at Durham's Six Plates

amweigl — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:31:49 -0400

Durham's Six Plates is changing things up this year with its annual TxakoliFest -- a celebration of a slightly sparkling dry white Spanish wine.

As usual, there will be two tasting sessions on June 1. However, this year the first tasting session will be a benefit for Housing for New Hope, a Durham nonprofit that works to prevent and end homelessness.

Tickets to the charity tasting from 1-4 p.m. cost $75. The tickets will be limited to 125 people. If weather permits and outdoor patio is available for the event, another 50 tickets will be made available. Tickets are now on sale at Six Plates or Wine Authorities.

For the charity tasting, attendees will receive a souvenir glass to take home, a chance to try seven different txakolis and food prepared by these Durham chefs: John Eisensmith of Six Plates, Billy Cotter of Toast, Charlie Deal of Dos Perros, Tim Lyons of Blu Seafood, Matt Kelly of Mateo Tapas, Chris Stinnett of Pop's, Amy Tournquist of Watts Grocery and Todd Whitney of Vin Rouge.

The general admission ticket costs $15 for the 4 p.m.-midnight session. The ticket entitles each person to a souvenir glass and the opportunity to purchase tastes of seven different txakolis. There is no wine or food included with the price of the general admission ticket.

Restaurant Review: Greg Cox gives 3 1/2 stars to Dean's Seafood Grill and Bar

amweigl — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:23:07 -0400

Go HERE to read Greg's review of the newest Rocky Top Hospitality restaurant. (Dean's Seafood Grill and Bar used to be Rockwell's.)

I've been remiss in posting links to Greg's recent reviews. (I've been sick or my toddler has been sick the last few weeks.) So here they are:

Greg gave 2 1/2 stars to Tomato Pie in Crabtree Valley Mall. Go HERE to read review.
Greg gave 2 1/2 stars to Fig Cafe & Wine Bar in Wake Forest. Go HERE to read review.

Restaurant News: Shiki Sushi relocates to larger space

amweigl — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:08:37 -0400

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

After more than a decade at the same address in Durham's Homestead Market, Shiki Sushi (219 NC Hwy. 54, Durham; 919-484-4108; shikinc.com) has moved a few doors down into a larger space in the same shopping center.

Snazzier, too, from the fountain out front to the lipstick-red upholstery of the chairs in the sleek, contemporary Asian dining room and sushi bar.

Shiki's menu has grown, too, and now includes a pan-Asian selection that will be familiar to fans of TASU restaurants in Cary and Raleigh. Tham Nguyen, who owns all three restaurants, has merged the menus while opting to retain for this location a name that has become familiar to many fans in nearby RTP.

Nguyen says he has plans for the space he just vacated, too. He's working on an Asian hot pot and lounge concept which he expects to open in a few months. I'll keep you posted.

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.

Pintful: Steel String opens, Triangle Brewing plans all new, much bigger brewery

John_Frank — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:29:55 -0400

From behind a concrete bar shaped like the body of a guitar, the first Steel String craft beers are pouring in Carrboro.

A fiddlin’ tune played in the background as Cody Maltais, one of the four Steel String partners, said music helped inspire the beer. For years, Steel String was the invisible Carrboro brewery. The partners brewed at home and hyped their beer at festivals and local bars, handing out stickers, koozies and coasters well before they landed a commercial location for the operation.

The new seven-barrel capacity brewery opened Wednesday, but it took only the cracked door of a soft opening last week to draw hundreds into the antiqued, exposed-brick storefront in the heart of downtown. Read the full Pintful column here-- including big expansion news from Triangle Brewery in Durham and a tasting from Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville.

Addendum: Steel String is still rolling out it's full beer lineup (check back next week for more details). But I enjoyed Rubber Room Session Ale, a rye pale ale. I like the big grainy mouthfeel of a rye beer and the Motueka hops provide a nice flavorful touch.

A new fondue restaurant opens in Durham

amweigl — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:46:38 -0400

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

Fondue restaurant Little Dipper (905 W. Main St.; 919-908-1023; littledipperfondue.com) has opened in the old Taverna Nikos space in Brightleaf Square.

The restaurant is the second in what now officially becomes a chain - and a chain with what appears to be a winning formula, at that.

The original Little Dipper opened in 2005 in Wilmington. The restaurant's historic waterfront location, combined with its made-for-date-night specialty, have made it a popular dining destination.

In Durham, the converted tobacco warehouses of Brightleaf Square fill the romantic-setting bill quite nicely.

The other half of the equation takes the form of an almost bewildering variety of fondues, cooked in pots over burners built into custom-made tables. The menu offers half a dozen variations on cheese fondue alone, from classic Swiss to Baja cheddar (spice it up with jalapeños if you dare).

Entrees are even more diverse. Individual fondues are offered as a mix-and-match combination of 12 proteins and vegetables, and six cooking styles (from chicken broth to peanut oil to Asian firepot). Entrees for two (The Full Moon, to name one: two lobster tails, filet, sashimi tuna, shrimp and chicken) and for four are also offered.

In the they've-thought-of-everything category, vegetarians sharing a table with meat-eaters can even request a separate cooking pot.

Rounding out the experience is an extensive list of dessert fondues, from simple chocolate (dark, white or milk) to Fluffernutter. You can optionally spike your fondue with the liqueur of your choice, or walk on the wild side and go for the Aztec: dark chocolate with Patron Café XO, cinnamon and red chile.

Little Dipper is open for dinner every nignt but Monday.

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.

Pintful: A guide to the exploding Charlotte craft brewery scene

John_Frank — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:05:30 -0400

The Charlotte beer scene is growing so quickly it's hard to keep up. I wrote about this in a prior column -- and saw it first hand at last weekend's Hickory Hops Brew Festival. Most new brewery tents I visited had one thing in common: Charlotte.

A handful of Charlotte breweries are starting to appear more regularly in the Triangle. Beer Study in Chapel Hill is a good source for Olde Mecklenburg bottles and NoDa taps. Even the new Steel String Craft Brewery in Carrboro has a full slate of guest Charlotte taps for its opening, including Triple C. (More on Steel String in next week's column.)

To help get you up to speed, our colleague at the Charlotte Observer has a good primer of the seven breweries now in operation. Bookmark it for your next trip.

Restaurant News: Groovy Duck Bakery now open in Raleigh

amweigl — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:54:17 -0400

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

North Carolina native Beth Flynn, who learned her trade from bakers up and down the East Coast, has sold her bakery in Virginia and returned to her home state to set up shop. Located in a strip mall across from Olde Raleigh Village, Groovy Duck Bakery (3434-110 Edwards Mill Road; 919-787-9233; groovyduckbakeryllc.com) offers a display case filled with a colorful assortment of cakes and pastries.

The selection varies, but you'll usually find Flynn's signature shortbread dipped in a yellow glaze. You can count on a rotating assortment of muffins, too, from her repertoire of nearly 50. There's typically at least one sugar-free option.

Other temptations cover the spectrum from homespun cookies and such (giant oatmeal raisin, Snickerdoodles, brownies, lemon bars) to pastries with a pedigree (Linzer tarts, almond horns, Rugelach). Flynn also bakes wedding cakes and other custom cakes for special occasions.

Espresso and coffees from Eastern Shore Coastal Roasters, a friendly staff and a setting as cheery as the bakery's name are icing on the cake. Groovy Duck Bakery is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but Sunday.

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.