Sunday, May 30, 2010

Amante Pizza Cary

Amante Pizza Cary Location
9545 Chapel Hill Road
Morrisville / Cary
380-3382
AmantePizza.com

The Boy and I got a doorhanger advert from Amante Pizza the other day. It said they delivered to our area with an $8 minimum order (this becomes important later), and had some tempting pictures. We were pretty excited because we're looking for a go-to pizza stop by our new place.

We looked up the menu online, and couldn't decide what to order. Everything looked so good! We finally picked a tomato-basil-mozzerella pizza and a specialty pizza, the Portabello. I was excited to see so many vegetarian options.

But our total seemed to be a bit higher that I was expecting. After first being informed that "there's tax on it" I found that there's also a delivery charge, that wasn't mentioned on the website or advertisement (or on the second advert that came with our pizza that night). I asked how I could find out that I'd be paying this fee, since it wasn't on the site or the menu, and I was told to wait a moment.

After being left on hold for a while, someone else (A manager? An unlucky employee? Not sure.) picked up and asked me how he could help me. We went through the whole story again, and I was told, again, that it's always been like that, since, like, a couple years now, since, like, gas became so expensive.

I asked where that was listed on the website. He didn't know. I asked how other customers found out about it. He didn't know that, either, but because it's been that way for, like, so long, that, like, everybody knows about it. I asked if it was listed somewhere on the doorhangers that are all over the complex, and he didn't know that, either.

Amante Gourmet Pizza on Urbanspoon But, on the other hand, I would have paid an upfront charge much higher than $1.50 (the Boy says he would have topped out at a $5 delivery fee). The food was great. Veggies were fresh and tasty, especially the auberine slices on the Portabello pizza. Pizza came with piles of non-greasy cheese.

We had friends over, and we all talked about how good the pizza was. Perhaps I was too quick to judge? I mean, we are in the market for a favorite pizza place, and the food really is great here. And, after all, I just made the assumption that news of a delivery fee should go with "$8.00 minimum order for delivery, limited delivery area" on the advert, or that there's some place on the website where I could find out about a delivery fee, or that the person taking my order would let me know before charging me.

As I was picking up after dinner, I happened see our receipt and notice that a large Portobello pizza, listed on the website for $16.99 actually cost $17.49. Again, fifty cents isn't a deal-breaker (We'd have been quite happy if this had been the menu price), but it made me feel scammed all over again.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Favorite Raleigh Eateries

Couple Money budget blog mentioned spending a significant portion of their disposable income on eating out. We do too -- we also spend quite a bit on exotic ingredients for me to cook. Anyway, Couple Money lists their favorite places to eat in Raleigh:

It’s hard to pick all the places we enjoyed, but I figured if anyone is in Raleigh, they should definitely check out these places.
  • Vic’s: Tons of wonderfully delicious Italian food at great prices. I love, love, LOVE their pizzas. My hardest decision with this place is choosing what to eat. This is the spot we go to when there are free concerts in the area.
  • 518 West: We’ve taken family and friends here for anniversary dinners (upstairs is a bit more private). They have great dishes (the crab is fantastic) and a nice drink menu.
  • Los Tres Magueyes: Our Mexican lunch spot- it’s quick and it’s delicious. We get our Speedy and chimichanga combos and we’re happy.
  • Jibarra: It’s not a typical Mexican restaurant, which I like. It’s more urban in style and the dishes are fantastic. It’s hard to describe the flavor of the food beside saying it’s spicy and incredible.
  • Sawasdee: Several friends had mentioned to us that this is the place to go for some good Thai food. They have two locations now in Raleigh, which makes it more convenient (and tempting).
  • Mura: If you’re looking for great sushi and a wonderful atmosphere, Mura is  the spot. We’ve gone there and had great service and a wonderful time. If you’re in the area, on Sundays they have the buy one sushi roll, get one roll 1/2 special that we take advantage of. We also grab a glass of house wine for 1/2 off too. My personal favorites are the Screaming O, Surf & Turf, and Piano roll.
  • Asuka: This Japanese restaurant is a favorite lunch date spot and they have a great buy one, get one roll free special (including dinners). It’s a bit out, but it’s definitely worth the drive.
Mmm.... We're fond of Los Tres Magueyes and Asuka too. We're still working out what our very favorite food spots are,  but some of the top contenders are:

Tangerine Cafe (Fresh, tasty food at low prices -- Have you been here, Couple Money?)
The Duck and Dumpling
Boudreaux's Louisiana Kitchen and Taqueria Guadalajara in Charlotte, NC
and drive-through Jitters for coffee, now that the Chocolate Bean is no more.


Via What We Spend Money On: Eating Out on Couple Money

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Xinjiang Kebabs

Awesome expat blog post on the secrets of why Xinjiang barbeque tastes so amazing. The secret is not that it refreshes the expat after endless meals drowned in a mixture of ginger, spring onion, bai jiu, soy sauce and peanut oil, but that doesn't hurt.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Caramelized Onion Sauce

While I was cooking dinner tonight, I found myself putting together a variation on a classic expat supper. This basic recipe, tossed with seasonal veggies, made an easy supper when we were hungry for home food.

Onion
Sugar
Red wine of dubious quality
Pasta
Garlic (optional)
Tomatoes (optional)
Oil or butter


Slice the onion into thin rings, and lightly saute in butter. If you're going to add garlic, add it now. When the onions are translucent, add sugar to coat. When the sugar is absorbed, add the red wine. If you're adding tomatoes, add chopped tomatoes now. Simmer as the sauce thickens, pour over cooked pasta.

If you're at home, this is greatly improved with parmasean and basil, and maybe cooking up some meatballs, too. If you're living in Asia, without dairy products or Italian spices, something about the garlic, wine and pasta in this is deceptively Western and will curb your cravings for home food.

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