Boy and Girl Eat Out

Krispy Kreme Cheese Burger

2010-10-21T18:29:00.001-07:00

I didn't make it to the NC State Fair this year, but this picture from Failbook was just perfect!

Via That’s Exactly Why - Failbook - Funny Facebook Status Messages ( Failbooking )

And Don't Watch It!

2010-10-06T20:23:00.001-07:00

Just saw this hilarious Boiled Water Recipe thanks to Lisa Rosen. (Read the comments too, they're awesome.)

The Art of the Jello Shot

2010-10-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that jello shots could be so artistic! But the girls at My Jello Americans have completely impressed me!

Jasmin Greek and Lebanese

2010-09-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

1105 Walnut St.
Cary, NC
(919) 468-8004
TheMediterraneanBistro.com

One day, the Boy and I were in Hohhot, and we stopped to get a bite to eat from a stand on the street. A huge hunk of marinated meat was on a rotating skewer next to a flame, and the vendor sliced off meat shavings with a huge knife and piled them into a flaky bread pocket with some unidentified vegetables. I don't know if we were really hungry from walking around temples all day in the alternately hot and cold desert winds, or if the food was just that great, but we talked about how much we wished American fast food was like that. Well, minus the open flame and giant sword-knife, of course.

Chicken shwarma at Jasmin is exactly that kind of fast food. Did I mention that this is also the kind of fast food that has several kinds of fresh salad? Jasmin is as quick as a usual fast-food place, only you can have a gyro or falafel, hummus and salad in the time it would take to get a hamburger with a strip of warm lettuce on top.

Oh, right, the environment.

Just like our favorite Cary restaurant, Havana Grill, the Jasmin on Walnut Street still has a drive-through window from when it used to be something else. It's like a McDonalds, but with every hint of that creepy clown gone and replaced with bright paintings, fabrics and Mediterrean artwork. There's even a hookah set up in a corner table.

Food comes on plastic plates, on a plastic tray you serve yourself plasticware, straws and napkins from a repurposed container still labeled cream and lemons. The raspberry iced tea is good but unfortunately all fountain drinks come in unrecyclable styrofoam cups. After our meal, the Boy ordered his usual Turkish coffee, which came in a tiny painted mug, on a flowered metal tray.

Overall, a great alternative to a burger and fries, but not going to replace La Shish or Bosphorus for us.

Paneer Butter Masala: Restaurant-Style Recipe

2010-09-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Just as Nags the Edible Garden says, this is the secret recipe for Indian restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala. Yum.

Via Paneer Butter Masala: Step by Step ~ Edible Garden

Felipe's Taqueria

2010-08-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Harvard Square
83 Mount Auburn St
Cambridge, MA 02138
http://www.felipestaqueria.com/

It was recently pointed out to be that there's food in Harvard Square, and not just coffee. Wow! Who knew? With Peet's Coffee and Tea, a Starbucks, boba shop Boston Tea Stop and new-to-me Tea For All, I tend to overlook the actual food in the area.

I checked out Felipe's Taqueria mostly based on the amazinf smells coming out. Felipe's is a taco / burrito assembly line, with a Mt. Auburn Street entrance and Garage mall entrance. I was glad to see a lot vegetarian options, not just a half-hearted salad, but I wasn't feeling it today, and tried the pollo tinga tacos.

Prices were pretty inexpensive (Well, for Boston, that is. About the same as table-service Casa Margarita and Los Tres Magueyes in North Carolina. But, hey, I'll pay a LOT more to finally be in a place that doesn't overlook a parking lot.), ingredients tasted fresh, and everything's put together in front of you, so the chicken is hot and the tomatoes are cold.

There's also an amazing fixings bar. My standard for awesome, flavorful salsa is the salsa bar at La Veracruzana in Amherst. Veracruzana's salsa bar includes killer Salsa Diablo and a fresh tomatillo salsa. I've often gone for Mexican food in other places, looked over at the Boy, and told him how much better things would be with Vereacruzana salsa.

But Felipe's put them to shame. Classic salsa, tomatilla salsa, radishes, jalapenos, lime wedges... anything you could think up to make your tacos even more delicious.

It was extremely crowded when I went in, but the line moved pretty fast. When I got to the front, I realized this was because the servers were efficient, even if they communicated mostly in grunts, and seemed to get annoyed when customers wanted to slow their progress by asking about the ingredients. Don't be deterred by a lack of seating, the Newton Market green is just across the street, and it's a perfect spot to eat and peoplewatch.

Boost Mobile

2010-08-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Boost Mobile offers flexible payment options with Re-Boost, so instead of getting a bill in the mail and looking for your checkbook and your stamps, you can pay over the internet, in person, or over the telephone. You can also set up automatic, recurring payments from your credit or debit card so you won’t be late on any payments, and when you set up automatic payments, you’ll receive a $20 credit. There is an unlimited plan, for unlimited talking and text messages, and a pay-as-you-go system so you can decide how you want to pay, and you can control your cellphone costs.

Boost Mobile phones offer the ability to update your social media profiles wherever you are, just like with an iPhone or Blackberry. You can update your Facebook status or tweet, so everyone can know where you are and what you’re doing. And, let’s be honest, reading FB and Twitter is much more important that posting. (I’d much rather see what everyone else is doing right now that tell you that I’m waiting in line at the post office. ) It’s easy to use on a Boost Mobile phone, and you can while away the time on the bus checking Facebook. Speaking of playing with your phone, you can also download ringtones and games from the Boost website. I saw Bejeweled and Ms. Pac-Man available.

Tangerine Cafe

2010-08-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

2422 SW Cary Pkwy
Cary, NC 27513
(919) 468-8688
http://www.tangerinecafecary.com/

I might have mentioned before that the Boy is not so fond of Asian food, but we both loved Tangerine Cafe. We started with Thai iced tea -- I've recently discovered that the secret to Thai iced tea is just strong black tea with consensed milk stirred in, instead of rainbows and magic dust, but that doesn't make it any less delicious.

The menu is Asian food's greatest hits album, with winners like chicken satay, pad thai, nasi goreng... What was I saying? Sorry, when I went to the webpage to check their menu, I got sucked into feeding the fish again.

Tangerine offers vegetarian and non-veg options for almost all their dishes. Shrimp-haters like me can also get a just-chicken version as well. This also means that they're cooking it up fresh when you order it, it hasn't been sitting under a heat lamp all day.

An amazing layout with mirrors and bamboo plants helps the small space avoid the cafeteria feel, and Asian decor -- including my favorite, the waving cat -- make it unique. We're planning a spring trip to visit out-of-state friends, and I look forward to reviewing a local eatery that isn't in a strip mall. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and food arrives quickly. A perfect spot for lunch or dinner.

Martin's Curry Rice

2010-08-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

9549 Chapel Hill Road
Morrisville, NC 27560
(919) 349-2363

We checked out Martin's Curry Rice the other day. This is a brand-new restaurant on the edge of Cary / Morrisville, specializing in -- guess what -- curry and rice!

You design your own curry from a buffet of cold ingredients, including chicken, tofu, fish, mushrooms, chickpeas and veggies. There's no limit to the ingredients, so if you're planning on a chickpea and mushroom curry, but then you decide to try some chicken and broccoli too, that's fine.

There are three levels of curry, a sweet, a mild, and a hot. The mild is a great cilantro-y green curry, but it is quite mild, I'll probably try the hot next time. (Usually a hot curry in a place that specializing in curries is just too much for me) Custom curries come with rice and a salad side dish.

One side dish was amazing chunks of seed-free cucumbers and tomato in the cool cilantro yogurt. We called this Raita on Steroids since "yogurt salsa" didn't do it justice. The curry was delicious, but it's the killer raita that will bring us back.

The location is brand new, and the set-up and decor reminded me so much of Chinese fast-food, cafeteria style dining. The owner later said he was inspired by Japanese curry shops when designing his place.

Great food, not expensive and a lot of options, including vegetarian options. We'll definitely be back to try the dinner tapas.

Ramblers Way

2010-08-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

This isn't my usual post here, but I'm interested in sustainable, environmentally-friendly products, even when you can't eat them. Yes, I know, you're shocked that I'm interested in things other than food!

Ramblers Way Farm is a family business -- from the founders of Tom's of Maine -- making thin, soft wool clothing. They promise that their soft woolen clothes can be worn next to the skin, unlike a lot of my favorite wool sweaters.

I'm most interested in either the thin wool cami in this picture, or a long-sleeved thin wool shirt. I did a lot of backpacking in China and in the UK, and I always wanted something that was warm but didn't take up a lot of space in my bags. You know, I'd try to pack lightly so I wouldn't be hauling a huge bag through train stations and around town, but then it would be cold and I'd have that interesting fashion ensemble known as wearing every single t-shirt and henley in in my backpack at once. (For the full effect, I would try to snatch a couple hours sleep on the bus or train, and wake up with bedhead as well. I'm overwhelmingly sexy.)

Anyway, these superthin wool shirts should also dry quickly, which will be useful for all those times I end up doing laundry in the hotel sink and then hanging my clothes up to dry around the bathroom (Oh! Speaking of that, remind me to tell you a story). The shirts are also nice blonde color, and we all know that when you're packing light, you need go-with-anything neutrals for wardrobe versatility.

The reason I decided to take this sponsored post, and not one of the gazillion pharmacy or refinancing posts, is because all the products from Ramblers Way Farm are produced with an eye towards the environmental impact and humane treatment of all livestock. This is an environmentally sustainable company, and they participate in all parts of the production, from raising the sheep to finishing the clothes.

Jitters Coffee

2010-08-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

920 Kildaire Farm Rd
Cary, NC 27511
(919) 468-5454

Since the sad end of the Chocolate Bean, I've been looking for a new Cary coffee stop. I am a fan of the Maynard Street Caribou, but so is everyone else, and the lines are usually too long to make it a practical stop.

When we lived in Amherst, there was an indie drive-up coffee hut... the name has slipped my mind because the rainbow-painted coffee hut on Route 9 was such a landmark that no name is needed. Jitters is a similar small coffee and tea hut in the Food Lion / Unaabi Grill / Los Tres Magueyes parking lot.

Jitters gets all the basics right: Staff say good morning without that scary, crazed I-have-to-smile-or-I-get-fired expession. (We're looking at you, Walnut Street Starbucks.) When I ask for no whipped cream, I don't get whipped cream in my coffee. Coffee is served quickly. Everything is clean.

And Jitters gets the extras right, too. It's no secret that I love coffee drinks. I tried their minty Valentine's special, and I'm currently drinking a St. Pat's Nutty Irish. Both are delicious in the way that makes it hard to remember that coffeedrinks are supposed to be a special treat for me, not an every day stop. Jitters also advertises a bunch of flavorshots, black cherry for example, for other fans of coffee drinks. The Boy is more of a plain latte drinker, and he really enjoyed Jitters' latte.

Jitters might not have the wild rainbow paint job of the Route 9 stop, but it has it's own personality, with a painted coffee-drinking kokopelli on the side, and coffee-loving slogans, stickers and poems all around the Jitters hut. Coupons say Get the Jitters and feel great!

We love getting the Jitters, and we want you to know about them... but please don't tell anyone else, ok? The wait has been very short, and we want to keep it that way!

Tzatziki Sauce

2010-06-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

The boy's favorite restaurant in NC is either Greek Fiesta, or La Shish, and his favorite in Beijing was Biteapita. I guess you know what he likes to eat!

Tzatziki Sauce

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (All the recipes I found asked for special thick yogurt, but I used regular and just drained it a bit. It came out fine.)
1/2 cup grated cucumber (It's hard to measure because it's so squishy, grate a couple inches of cucumber and then squish away the excess liquid.)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
garlic salt
mint

(Most recipes I found also called for 1 -2 tablespoons of olive oil but I skipped that because it seemed like needless fat. The sauce was very smooth anyway. Maybe it's because I used the wrong yogurt!)

I was a bit worried about this one as yogurt + lemon juice could easily make a curdled mess. I got around that by grating the cucumber into a tupperware container, and coating it in lemon juice, then garlic salt. Then I added the yogurt + mint.

I sealed the tupperware and stuck in the fridge for about an hour to let everything combine. I was so pleased to find perfect dipping sauce, instead of curdled disaster! YAY!

Breaking News

2010-06-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

The spice that makes Xinjiang barbecue taste like Xinjiang food is cumin. Just thought I'd share my exciting discoveries.

A Week of Groceries

2010-06-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

TIME magazine did a collection of photos of families around the world, posing with a week's worth of food for that family. It's fascinating, and it got me thinking about how a week of food for the Boy and me would look. I'm proud of how much of our diet is fruit and veggies (especially now, with cheap, fresh local produce coming in!), and how often I cook dinner, but there's also a lot of coffeedrinks and takeout in our diet.

Watching The World Cup In Cary

2010-06-07T15:25:00.001-07:00

The Boy was looking for a local place to watch the World Cup games. He was thinking Carolina Ale House or the comfy chairs at Tobacco Road, but I found this instead. Giant screens and beer.

Are you ready for some fútbol? The Galaxy Cinema will turn into a one screen pub for the whole month of June. The independent theater will show select matches from the World Cup 2010 matches on one of their screens. They may serve more beer in the month of June at the Galaxy than in a normal year.

Via Galaxy Cinema in Cary to Show World Cup Matches on Big Screen | New Raleigh

Get the whole schedule here.

Amante Pizza Cary

2010-05-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

Favorite Raleigh Eateries

2010-05-29T06:24:00.001-07:00

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

Xinjiang Kebabs

2010-05-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

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.

Caramelized Onion Sauce

2010-05-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

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.

Cupcake Bar

2010-04-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

We stopped in at Coffee and Crepes with some friends last night, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover cupcakes from The Cupcake Bar on offer.

I've been interested in trying out the Cupcake Bar since I first heard of this local bakery, but it seemed like something that would have to wait for a special occasion. A dozen cupcakes between just The Boy and me seems like an awful lot, and they're pretty expensive so I'd feel obliged to eat them all immediately just to make sure they wouldn't get the slightest bit stale... And I haven't actually tried it, but I imagine that eating ten cupcakes in a row might not be excellent for my health.

It was hard to choose between the vanilla-lemon cupcake and the mint-chocolate one, but I finally did.

Cupcakes are kind of wasted on me, because they're automatically delicious, but this was a particularly good one. Soft cake and sweet-but-not-sugary icing. Mmm.

Goodberry's Frozen Custard

2010-04-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Goodberry's Frozen Custard
1146 Kildaire Farm Rd
Cary, NC 27511
(919) 467-2386

Let me throw it out there: I love Southern food. I love biscuits, grits, hush puppies, and sweet tea. I love Chik-Fil-A and the Boy loves Waffle House. Goodberry's is another Southern taste that our friends and family told us to try.

I was first disappointed by the scarcity of flavors. Chocolate, vanilla, a rotating special flavor, and a sugar-free vanilla. All this excitement for four flavors?

The secret is in the concrete. A concrete mixes Goodberry's frozen custard with flavored syrups, fruit and/or candy pieces, to make a tasty solid sundae with the consistency of... well, you know.

With the huge array of add-ins, Goodberry's has endless flavors. They have suggested concrete combos, but you can make your own combinations with whatever strikes you. I'm partial to a chocolate custard, coffee syrup and peanut butter cup combination. In the interest of research, we visited a couple times. (The Boy and I are very dedicated.)

The Boy says one can also get milkshakes and non-concrete dishes, but I don't know why.

Servings are what we knowledgable food bloggers refer to as "freaking huge." Definitely worth a visit for a sweet treat!

FruitSlinger

2010-03-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to tell you all about Fruitslinger for a while now, but there always seems to be something else to cook, or eat, or write about. This blog involves some of my favorite things: Seasonal recipes, the perfect-imperfections of really good food photography and zany real-life interactions.

Free Pizza

2010-03-11T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Tony's Pizza. All opinions are 100% mine. (Because this is our food blog where we always share our opinions.)

The folks at Tony's Pizza think the Boy and I need some free pizza. I don't know, maybe it's our college student vibe? Anyway, they were nice enough to send us some coupons to try their pepperoni, plain and supreme pizzas.

We were pretty excited because, if you haven't noticed, we really like trying new foods. But we don't really eat a lot of frozen foods. We love to go out, and the Cary / Raleigh area has a lot of great places to eat. I also really like to cook (I've been considering adding Boy and Girl Stay In to this blog, but as much as I love to cook and eat, I'm miserable at food photographs, so every one of my recipes would end "Trust me, it's good."). These were quick to make, and tasty, and the ones with toppings actually had the toppings, not just a lonely piece of pepper on top of the cheese. (I'm looking at you, Lean Cuisine pizzas.)
Now we'd like to share some of these coupons with you! To win free pizza, you'll need to leave a comment with your email, and your favorite place to eat out. Of course, you don't have to be local to comment and enter, but the chances of us checking out your suggested spot are much better if you're near Raleigh.

You can also have an extra entry each time you spread the word. Post on Facebook, mention us on your own blog, tweet this, send up smoke signals, whatever. Just leave a comment with the URL letting us know where you linked us for an extra entry.

Until We Eat Again

2010-02-24T07:07:00.000-08:00

Until We Eat Again is a food blog I've been meaning to tell you all about. It's written by a long-distance, vegetarian couple, sharing their recipes and dining adventures. It's hard not to read it and start to get hungry, which is the real test of a good food blog. Anyway, they're running a nut butter contest, where a lucky commenter will receive a jar of New York nut better and a jar of Canadian nut butter. In case you've been wanting to run an internation nut butter taste test!

Oh, and we'd also like to invite Caitlin and Will to come over or come out with us for rocking veggie Indian fare if they find themselves in North Carolina!

(For more food blogs that I've been meaning to tell you again, check the Foodie links in the sidebar.)

When Restaurant Web Pages Attack

2010-02-16T18:48:00.001-08:00

We love restaurants. We love trying new restaurants. We find out about restaurants by driving by, and then looking them up online, or by verbal recommendation and then looking them up online, or skipping that tedious social interaction part, and just looking them up online. Anyway, we have this situation quite often:

Me: What are your hours?
Website: Take a look at our menu! It’s a PDF of a screenshot of a scan of a Word document printed on a dishtowel. With fonts!
Me: I don’t care. What are your hours?
Website: Don’t worry, the menu loads in a new window so the music won’t stop. Can I show you some broken images?

Via venomous porridge - A conversation I have every month or so (The whole conversation is well worth reading, I just didn't want to quote the whole post.)

Review Writing Gold Star

2010-01-22T16:55:00.001-08:00

The Boy and I were browsing Urbanspoon for a new place to try when we stumbled across this hilarious review. Jim Penny sent in a mobile review describing Danny's Bar-B-Que:

I wouldn't bother for my own purposes, but if I'm entertaining really dull people, they're at risk to be taken there.

We've not tried Danny's BBQ, but that is an amazingly descriptive review!

Via Danny's Bar-B-Que - Cary | Urbanspoon

Salute is closed!

2010-01-19T11:37:00.001-08:00

Salute is closed!

Oh no! The Boy and I really enjoyed our evening at Salute, and we were looking forward to going again, but this is what we saw when we arrived last night.

There's also a notice about renting the space, so it's not just closed for renovations. We're very sad to see Salute go!

Wasabi

2010-01-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

107 Edinburgh South Dr
Cary, NC 27511
(919) 460-7980
www.wasabicary.com

It's the Girl here with a Boy-less review! I discovered Wasabi mostly because it's in the same complex as Casa Margarita.

The Boy is not usually interested in Asian food. We'll have it from time to time, but I could eat sushi every day. I visited Wasabi with a friend, who could also eat sushi everyday. We really enjoyed the bamboo decor and peaceful ambiance, and like the best of Cary restaurants, inside Wasabi feels like it's far, far away from the outside's stripmall parking lot. Our waiter was friendly, offering to answer any questions we had, and drink refills came quickly.

The actual food is, well, sushi. There are no mind-blowing texture and flavour combinations, but Wasabi offered a solid selection of fresh veggie and fish rolls, all the basics, presented well. There were plenty of vegetarian options, which seems to be pretty typical of sushi places, but I don't eat a lot of meat, so I always like to see it. (I have been talked into accompanying the Boy to a steakhouse, now and again, but I usually perfer lighter fare)

Overall, I enjoyed our meal and our drinks, and I'd go there again, but I don't know if it's you-need-to-try-this-now good. Decent prices for nice sushi, and a good time with my friend.

Boy and Girl On Facebook

2009-11-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

Boy and Girl Eat Out on Facebook

Salute

2009-11-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Salute Wine and Tapas
280 Meeting Street (formerly the Chocolate Bean)
Cary, NC

We were sad to see the The Chocolate Bean go, but at least it's being reborn as a wine and tapas bar. The new Salute has the same owners, so expect the same laid-back atmosphere, friendly service and modern decor of the Chocolate Bean. Only now it's for evening hangouts, not morning.

The boy and I tried several different wines from Salute's by-the-glass wine list... in the interests of reviewing, of course, and really liked what we tried. There's also a nice list of beers for next time!

Salute offers a selection of spicy, salty and mild tapas to eat with your wine. I've mentioned before that the boy and I like appetizers better than meals, and this mixed of flavours and textures in the Mediterrean tapas is why. We received a selection of marinaded mushrooms, thin-sliced spicy Italian meat, olives, and mozzarella balls, enough a large snack or a small meal for two.

The food is great, but don't over order, since Salute still offers the chocolatey desserts we loved at the Chocolate Bean. Overall, the unpretentious but wine-loving atmosphere makes it a great place to stop in for a glass of wine, and let that turn into a second glass... and a bite... and maybe more. I'm a bit sad that I can't stop into the Chocolate Bean for morning coffee anymore, but I can't complain about adding a great wine list to a place we already liked!

Mouthful

2009-11-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Mouthful, the N&O's food blog, mentioned us the other day:

And I wanted to point out this local blog, boyandgirleatout.
This couple, rendered on the blog in stick figure drawings, gives
reviews of restaurants, mainly in Cary. Their stick figure faces
change based on whether their reviews are positive or negative. If you
live in or near Cary, the blog is a good starting point.

Also, the boy wants you all to know that those aren't stick figures, that's what we really look like. Say hi when you see us eating out, ok?

Via Mouthful - The Blogosphere: Varmint Bites, Chef Shirle and more | newsobserver.com blogs

Boudreaux's Louisiana Kitchen

2009-10-29T10:25:00.001-07:00

501 E 36th St
Charlotte, NC 28205
http://www.boudreauxs.com/

The boy and I are back in Charlotte. (According to this blog, we were in Raleigh just long enough to eat fair food!) We wanted to try Boudreax's Louisiana Kitchen, which led us to NoDa, a sweet little arts district. NoDa is a couple blocks of coffeeshops, galleries, bars and small eateries just off the major artery of North Tryon Road.

The dining area was simple polished wood tables, with a well-stocked bar on one side, and on the other, a rolling garage-style door to connect the indoor and outdoor seating on warm nights. We visited on a chilly night, so it was closed, but still offered prime people-watching windows.

The day's special was fried fish with a shallot and tasso ham sauce, over grits. Tasso is cajun ham, in case you were going to state blankly at the waitress (like I did), and it comes as tiny, spicy bites of ham in the sauce. I had to try the special, while the boy ordered jambalaya.

Both dinners were spicy, without overpowering all the other layers of flavor, and both portions were way too big to finish.

They also offered a collection of cocktails, including a Hurricane Katrina (a hurricane with extra alcohol from places Katrina stopped on the way to New Orleans, with $2 going to disaster relief), mojitos, beer and a wine list.

Overall, a great night. Boudreaux had good food, and our waiter had time to recommend a string of other NoDa attractions.

State Fair Foods

2009-10-23T16:54:00.001-07:00

Deep Fried Cheesecake

Boy and I went to the NC State Fair last night.

Last year was our first visit to the North Carolina State Fair, but I remember fair food from when I was little girl as endless stalls selling amazing, exotic goodies that I'd have to beg my mom to buy for me.

I don't know if I'm older now, or if Cary has such great restaurants that we've been spoiled, but we weren't interested in any of the gyros or kebabs, much as we love them. We wanted to try things we could only get at the fair, which pretty much meant something batter-dipped and deep fried.

I know it's not healthy, but I'm a big fan of deep-fried anything. A chippie near me in the UK offered a fried Mars bars, which is an amazing concoction of melted chocolatey goo and crispy beer batter, but I could only manage a few bites. I figured a deep-fried Ho-Ho or Oreo would have the same effect.

I sampled some buffalo chicken rangoons, which were truly amazing. Crab rangoons are a staple of the food court Chinese food menu, or the combo-plate Chinese delivery, a light dough shell wrapped around (usually mediocre) cream cheese and imitation crabmeat. The egg roll-ish shell is really the best part -- I've used them at home to repackage leftover chicken and veggies as Asian treats. Filled with spicy chicken, they were fantastic. The only improvement would have been ranch or bleu cheese dipping sauce, which would probably also have required napkins and silverware.

We also passed a stand selling chicken gizards and livers, but that was a bit too unique for me.

Boy stopped to eat some chocolate covered bacon, and found it underwhelming. He offered me a bite, as well.

"That was a half-hearted taste," Boy said. "I've seen you eat duck feet with more enthusiasm."

"I just don't know if I'm sadder about the yummy bacon being contaminated with chocolate, or the yummy chocolate being contaminated with bacon." I said. "Also, I was eating the duck feet for international dialogue and cooperation!"

I also remember my childhood caramel apples as being huge, unwieldy messes, guaranteed to leave a sticky residue on, oh, everything. I guess enough parents realized this too because one stand offered apple slices with caramel, a perfect size for splitting, with no caramel mess.

Cooling caramel poured over tart green apple slices was perfect end to an autumn night.

New N.C. State Fair Foods

2009-10-22T11:52:00.001-07:00

The Boy and I are heading over to the @triangletweetup at the NC State Fair tonight, and we're excited about sampling all kind of strange fair foods. Here are some of the brand-new foods we've heard about (from the NC State Fair's Deep Fried Blog):

Funnel cake fries from N & T Concessions. Just like the perennial Fair favorite, but with a portable twist. Who can resist a cross between powdered sugar goodness and the convenience of a french fry?
Chicken-fried bacon from Chef Thomas’ Chef’s D’Lites. Just like it sounds, these strips of bacon are covered in batter and deep-fried like chicken-fried steak.
Buffalo chicken rangoons from Raleigh’s own Woody’s City Market. These bite-sized, deep-fried dumplings (similar to the crab rangoons available in many Chinese restaurants) will be filled with some of Woody’s famous buffalo chicken.
Chocolate-covered bacon from The Murphy House. Bacon lovers will have to contain themselves, since we’ll have not one, but two twists on the ever-popular bacon. A mix of savory, sweet and salty, chocolate-covered bacon got some rave reviews at our pre-Fair media lunch, but you’ll have to come decide for yourself. (Steph’s Strawberries will also have chocolate-covered bacon for sale on the fairgrounds near the Hobbies and Handicrafts Building.)

I'm not too excited about the bacon ones, both of which seem to push the rule that bacon makes everything better, but I can't wait to try buffalo chicken rangoons and french-fry funnel cakes.

Via Deep Fried @ the N.C. State Fair | Details behind the tweetup: Deep-fried food sample edition.

Taqueria Guadalajara

2009-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

4517 N Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28213
(704) 596-2239

We checked out Taqueria Guadalajara while we were in Charlotte last week.

As soon as we sat down, our waitress brought tortilla chips, lime wedges and a variety of salsas. One of them was a green tomatilla salsa, which pretty much guaranteed that I'd like this place. I discovered tomatilla salsa at the salsa bar at La Veracruzana in Amherst, MA, and have loved it since then. (This is where I lose all credibility as a food blogger. Seriously, who uses New England as the criteria for good Mexican food?)

The bilingual picture menu offered familiar Mexican-American favorites like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, as well as more unusual tripe soup and seafood dishes. I couldn't find margaritas, though, instead I noticed a collection of unusual juices and fruit sodas.

Our food arrived quickly... we barely had a chance to apply our half-remembered high-school Spanish to the telenovela playing in the background.

Our meals were great. We had really flavorful enchiladas, with moist chicken and lots of sauce. I also got a chile relleno that was a perfect mixture of spicy pepper, mild melty cheese and that light, omelette-y batter.

The rice was odd, it included the chopped mixed vegetables from the frozen food aisle, so a forkfull of generic Spanish rice might also have a lima bean or carrot cube in it. Not that great, but I didn't really want to fill up on rice with all the other delicious foods.

With the Spanish-language local papers and business cards, Taqueria Guadalajara is definitely catering to Mexican residents, but the informal, friendly atmosphere made us feel welcome. The green-tiled tables, bright paint and framed prints of Mexican scenes created a bright, pretty background, but the main focus was clearly on the delicious, fresh food, not the decor.

The only possible improvement would be offering a margarita, but I was very happy with our visit and we'll definitely be back the next time we're in Charlotte!

Coffee & Crepes

2009-07-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

315 Crossroad Blvd.
Cary, NC
www.coffeeandcrepes.com

Coffee and Crepes is in a not-so-attractive strip mall in the Crossroads Mall sprawl. (Wow, one of these days I'm going to start a review without asking you to please overlook how freaking ugly the outside is!) Inside, you order at the counter and take your tray to either indoor or outdoor seating.

Our crepes were ready quickly, even though it was lunchtime, and we had a nice choice of several savory crepes. They offer a mushroom and swiss crepe, a passable but underwhelming vegetarian options. The couscous side dish, which comes with the savory crepes, was dry and bland. Next time I'm getting a salad, the other side dish option. (And hey, even through the couscous wasn't great, I should mention how pleased I was that it didn't automatically come with fries!)

The chicken cordon bleu crepe was perfect, and did I mention the Nutella crepes? No? I can't fully describe the deliciousness of melty Nutella and chewy crepe and soft banana all together. One of my favorite foods, and if you haven't had it, Coffee & Crepes makes a great one to try!

Several years ago, when I lived in the UK, there was a crepe cart that often parked in the market by my college. It's main competitor was a chip van across the square, and since I was not too crazy about the roasts and puddings served in school, a large part of my diet was made up of fish and chips and Nutella-banana crepes. Although eating a Nutella crepe at a sidewalk table overlooking the parking lot isn't quite the same, they'll always remind me of Cambridge.

I would definitely go back for dessert crepes and coffee, or to try one of their $5 lunch crepes. And you know by "dessert crepes" I actually meant "Nutella banana crepes"!

(Their webpage, um, well, between the unreadable grey text on black background, the AOL.com contact email, and the section 404s, it's awkward. Fortunately Urbanspoon has Coffee & Crepes' hours and menus available online.)

The Duck and Dumpling

2009-06-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

222 South Blount St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
www.theduckanddumpling.com

(This is another Boyless post, since he is not a big fan of Asian food.)

Duck and dumplings are possibly my favorite Chinese food. While I'm in constant search of steam baskets of real xiao long bao, I really prefer the foreigner-friendly special lean duck, made famous by Da Dong in Beijing.

The Duck and Dumpling offers the American-Asian staples of kung pao, pad thai and udon noodles, and a collection of truly inspired Asian fusion dishes. Duck dumplings with a cherry zinfandel sauce, or Thai basil pork wontons.

Americanized Chinese food can often involve taking ingredients, adding soy sauce, sugar, peanut oil and MSG, and serving with rice. This is why the Boy tends to dislike it. Authentic Chinese foods have great flavors, but always taste overcooked to me, sodden vegetables thoroughly infused with marinade into a one-taste, one-texture bowl.

Dishes at The Duck and Dumpling incorporated exotic Asian flavors, like star anise and cumin, without cooking it into a too-authentic mush. Even the basic pad thai was a great mix of flavors and textures (and colors, for people like me who eat with their eyes)

Definitely worth returning, and maybe even talking the Boy into coming along!

Havana Grill

2009-06-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

404 W Chatham St
Cary, NC 27511
www.thehavanagrill.com

Sometimes it can be hard to stay objective. I tried to find something good about my recent awful time at Bluestone Cafe, and now I'm trying to find something bad about Havana Grill.

It's hard, though. The food is amazing, including pork tamales, chicken croquettes, fried plantains, yucca and garlic and several kinds of rice and beans. The Boy and I cannot decide on our favorite sides, and spend more of dinner eating from each others' plates. (Little ones can also get chicken fingers and fries). Customers can browse the complete menu or just look at the buffet-style counter and pick what looks good. Don't miss the empanadas and croquettes hidden in the back!

The prices are really good, especially for the portion size and the quality of the food. The reason for the low prices are the plastic silverware and bus-your-own-table service. Somehow it makes Havana Grill seem like a friend's cookout and not like a fast-food joint.

Don't miss the outdoor seating. Cuban music plays gently in the background, covering the sounds of traffic but not so loudly that it inhibits conversation. I don't know that we felt like we were in Cuba, but we didn't feel like we were sitting in a Cary parking lot! (I think the beach mural and real palm trees may have had something to do with that.)

We loved the food, music, and outdoor atmosphere. Overlook the styrofoam plates for an unpretentious, jeans-friendly date!

The Chocolate Bean

2009-05-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Chocolate Bean
280 Meeting St
Cary, NC 27513
www.thechocolatebean.com

After my recent bad coffeeshop visit, I was relieved to return to The Chocolate Bean in Cary, NC. (There is also a Chocolate Bean in Fuquay-Varina.) The Chocolate Bean inspired me to make this icon with an extra-big smile.

Do not let their amateurish webpage fool you. What they don't know about competing fonts, color choices and scrolling text, they do know about chocolate, gelato and coffee.

The free wifi attracts caffeine-loving laptop workers. Stylish modern furniture, a flatscreen TV, and scattered magazines make a living room atmosphere, conducting to chatting, reading or just taking a break.

Don't miss the summery smoothies and iced coffees, especially all sorts of flavored frappes. The Chocolate Bean offers fruit smoothies, with just fruit, juice and ice, and or cream smoothies, with milk.

Bluestone Cafe

2009-05-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Bluestone Cafe
123 Watchung Ave
Montclair, NJ 07043

This is a Girl-only review, since the Boy is back home in North Carolina! While the Boy was hard at work, I visited Bluestone Cafe in Montclair, NJ with some friends.

When we arrived, the cafe was crowded with other late-morning brunchers, every table was full but we were told the wait would only be about ten minutes. We tried to get out of the doorway to wait, but the hostess informed us that she had no intention of holding a table for us if we weren't waiting right there. One friend stayed to hover and make other diners uncomfortable, while the rest of us slipped outside.

In a few minutes, there was a table for us, and we went back inside. As we entered, the same hostess told us that she didn't have anything for our party and we'd have to wait. I guess she'd forgotten that she'd already been short with us, and wanted to make sure she didn't miss anyone.

Menus were coffee-stained and battered trifold paper, listing sandwiches and omelettes, with a lovely assortment of fillings like brie and eggplant. But our waitress made it clear that there could be no substitutions. For example, a cheese omelette and brie on a sandwich were both on the menu, but a brie omelette was not possible, and our waitress was annoyed we'd wasted her precious time by asking such an idiotic question.

My request for no whipped cream on my waffle visibly annoyed our waitress. My companion's request for one egg instead of two in a breakfast combination received another eyeroll and the information that there would be no reduction in the price for less food.

The cafe smelled of coffee, in a lovely way, which made it odd that the waitress did not ask for a drink order, either when we were first seated or when she took our food order. We caught her attention as she turned to go, and wasted still more of her time ordering coffees.

The pleasure of dining out comes from a combination of food and ambiance, but the rude staff colored my enjoyment of both the food and the indie coffeeshop setting. The fresh fruit was actually fresh, breakfast food did not have diner grease, everything was tasty, which was good because no one came by to ask how things were. I guess I've become spoiled by North Carolina prices and forgotten about the Montclair markup, I found $8 for a sandwich a bit steep.

Although it was no longer crowded when we finished eating, the waitstaff's brusque manner made sure we didn't linger over coffee. Perhaps they have a clever plan to reduce crowds by making customers so uncomfortable they hurry home and never return?

PS: When I visited Urbanspoon for the spoonback code, I noticed that the majority of the other reviewers found the servers rude. In a way I'm glad, because I sometimes wonder if maybe my feelings about a restaurant are biased by one person having a bit of a rough day, but it seems clear that the Bluestone waitstaff have a lot of rough days.

Porter's Tavern

2009-05-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

2412 Hillsborough St
Raleigh, NC 27607

We choose Porter's for a Sunday-afternoon stop because we wanted to sit outside. We miss European outdoor cafes, and thought this upscale pub would be a perfect spot to eat and watch people pass.

I ordered the Strawberry Fields iced tea. I thought it tasted like room-temperature sweet tea spiked with vodka, but The Boy detected undertones of cough syrup as well.

After that, The Boy stayed away from the cocktails and ordered a beer, which he described as a beer slushie. I'm not sure how my drink managed to arrive warm and his tooth-numbingly cold, but it was a disappointing start.

We were both disappointed in the limited and unexciting brunch menu, but when our food came, we liked both of our meals. I really wanted to like it, but it wasn't anything I couldn't whip up at home (and serve with better drinks).

The atmosphere was our main reason to choose Porter's. We did get to sit outside, but we were seated on essentially deck chairs at a wobbly table, a deterrent to our plan to linger over lunch.

Rereading this, I seem to have overused the word "disappointing." That sums up our experience. Not awful, but disappointing in every way.

Casa Margarita

2009-05-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

107 Edinburgh South Dr
Cary, NC 27511
(919) 462-1420

Casa Margarita is in MacGregor Business Park, which is, like so much in Cary, a rather faceless development off a highway. About the best thing I can say about the complex is that there's plenty of parking!

The food at Casa Margarita was tasty, basic Mexican fare, at below-average prices. It's the usual combos of tacos, tamales, quesadillas and so forth. We had no complaints about anything we ordered here, but the only food that really stood out was the fresh guacamole.

We've visited several times because the food is fast and inexpensive, making it a perfect destination on a weeknight when I'm too tired or too busy to cook dinner. Our weeknight dinners are made even better by the nightly drink specials and rotating dinner specials! Dinner specials tend to be a touch more creative than the mainstays on the combo menu.

There's a disclaimer on the menu, saying that Mexican food is best when prepared specially, and to please give their staff ample time to prepare your meal. Don't be concerned about the wait! Every time we've eaten there, our food has arrived very quickly.

The Boy and I don't have children, but this also strikes me as a very family-friendly dinner spot. Lots of kid-friendly dinner options, like cheese quesadillas, nachos, and so forth. And what child doesn't like tacos?

Overall, solid Mexican fare and drinks for an inexpensive meal out.

Etiquette Question From The Girl

2009-04-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

It's The Girl here with an eating out etiquette question.

So I'm ordering in a restaurant, and I ask for no whipped cream on my order. The waitress says ok, but doesn't write it down or repeat it back to me, which makes me think she's going to forget.

Now, do I ask a second time for no whipped cream, to make sure my deliciousness is not contaminated with whip? The waitress has a bunch of tables to cover, and it's easy to forget a minor detail. Or should I say nothing, because it's seems kind of rude to assume that she can't remember something simple without extra reminders, and I should give the waitress the benefit of the doubt?

Piper's Tavern Easter Brunch

2009-04-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

Piper's Tavern
8304 Falls Of Neuse Rd
Raleigh, NC 27615
(919) 676-7413

This isn't really the type of place we'd pick on our own, but our family decided to visit Piper's Tavern for the Easter Brunch Buffet.

Besides the part where the waitress served a tray of hot coffee cups from over my niece's head, service was what you'd expect for a busy place. A drink was forgotten, it was hard to find our waitress to get refills or creamers, but it was packed so I'll give them a pass.

The food was excellent for buffet food, everything was fresh. Nothing looked or tasted like it had been sitting in steamers or under heat lamps. The carving station, often a traffic flow problem in buffet lines, moved very fast.

I think buffets should be labeled. It may sound silly that I need tags for my bacon and eggs, but I mistook some kind of weird ground-beef-shredded potato mixture for hashbrowns, and my M-I-L was not pleased with the surprise coconut in her chocolate cake. I imagine pretty disastrous consequences of a diner being allergic to an ingredient instead of just not fond of it.

In general, I prefer plated food to buffets because eating out can be a visual treat too. Biscuits and eggs that I put on my own plate aren't as aesthetically pleasing as professionally plated food. It's hardly worth going out for something I can put together on my own. The buffet worked well, though, for younger members of the family who could chose exactly what they wanted, and with the wee ones happy, the whole family could relax and enjoy an Easter meal. It seemed like all the families at the tables around us had the same idea.

Overall, The Boy and I wouldn't return on our own for a buffet, but we would like to check out Piper's Tavern on a non-buffet day.

Los Tres Magueyes

2009-04-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Los Tres Magueyes
110 SW Maynard Rd.
Cary, NC 27511
(919) 460-8757

I see eating out as an event. We must eat to survive, but we eat out because it is entertaining. Los Tres Magueyes seems to agree with me, because they have made dining into an entertaining experience.

The Girl and I were greeted by bright colors, Mexican music, and a warm hola from our server, Arturo. Mexican restaurants often attempt to create an authentic Mexican ambiance only to come off as campy recreations of Epcot Center's Mexico Pavilion. But, Los Tres Magueyes feels different. The restaurant is a joy to every sense, a wash of colors, soothing steel string guitar music, and the aroma of wonderful Mexican food. However, it is a friendly environment for t-shirts and jeans or for families with children.

The menu selection is standard fare Mexican: burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc. in various combinations. Match any of the combinations with a margarita, and The Boy and The Girl are content.

Los Tres Magueyes' appeal is in presentation. Something about the colors, the music, and the friendly waiter who greeted us with an hola and referred to me as amigo made for an enjoyable experience. Their ability to entertain without seeming cheesy, while offering generous portions left me feeling well fed and happy (although the margaritas may have helped with the happiness).

I will definitely eat at Los Tres Magueyes again. I know I can eat some tamales, drink a few margaritas, and make some new amigos.

Bosphorus

2009-03-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

Bosphorus
329-A N. Harrison Ave.
Cary, NC 27511
(919)460-1300

I love Mediterranean food! Whether it is Greek, Lebanese, or Turkish, Mediterranean food just makes my belly happy. So, I ate at the Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant Bosphorus knowing that I was going to have a great meal.

Bosphorus is unimpressive at first glance. Upon entering, we were met by a small strip mall diner with white paper tablecloths and posters of Turkey covering the walls that gave the restaurant the air of a tourist agency.

However, Bosphorus has it where it counts--their food is amazing and their staff is friendly and helpful. All of their food is described so well in the menu that it welcomes even a newcomer to Turkish cuisine. We decided upon the Bosphorus Meze Platter, a delicious mixture of cold Mediterranean appetizers; cigar bourek, feta cheese rolled in filo dough and fried; and chicken pide, a Turkish canoe-shaped pizza with chicken. The Girl and I had never eaten cigar bourek nor pide, but were soon wondering how we had lived this long without them.

After diner we shared an order of baklava and I had a cup of Turkish coffee. I left Bosphorus with only one complaint--that my stomach was too small to sample more of their menu. We will definitely eat at Bosphorus again. If you've never had Turkish cuisine and you'd like to try something new, Bosphorus is the place to go. If you love Turkish food, you will love Bosphorus.

Outback Steakhouse

2009-03-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Outback Steakhouse
1289 Kildare Farm Road
Cary, NC 27511
(919)460-1770

The Girl doesn't eat steak, so the trip to a steakhouse was a special treat for me. We've eaten at Outback a few times in the past, but this was our first trip to the Cary location. I feel comfortable with chain restaurants because I have an idea of what to expect from dinner; I would get a steak and The Girl would order whatever thay had that was not a slab of beef.

Our hostess met us with a smile, our waiter was friendly and upbeat, and the food tasted as I'd expected it would at Outback. However, what made an impression on me was the lack of flair I hope for when dining out. We were given no silverware when we were seated, and upon asking the waiter after our bread arrived, received two sets of silverware containing flatware still wet from the dishwasher. When our drinks arrived, the waiter brought us two wet coasters. I realize that silverware needs to go into the dishwasher and that coasters are reused, but all of the wet items that kept appearing at our table made me scrutinize the cleanliness of everything that arrived. My knife had big blotches on it, as did my beer glass. The restaurant was not dirty, but left me with an odd feeling about what the kitchen must look like.

The Girl and I shared a Bloomin' Onion (always delicious). Then our meals arrived. I got a steak and The Girl ordered Alice Springs Chicken (a chicken breast with bacon and cheese). The food was what I've come to expect of Outback. My steak was delicious and The Girl enjoyed her meal. However, the presentation was lackluster and short of flair. My plate had a steak and a baked potato--no garnish at all. I know this may seem picky, but I like my food dressed up a bit. The steak seemed naked without that little sprig of parsley or pile of lettuce or arugula. My meal looked like it was ready for me to put it on the coffee table and watch TV while I eat. The Girl's chicken was presented in a similar, lackluster fashion.

Ultimately, the food at the Outback tasted as I had expected. However, eating out should be an event...a good way to spend my time and money. My meal at the Kildare Farm Road Outback did not feel right, even when compared to other Outback locations where I've dined. Compared to chain restaurants, Outback is a little pricey. I feel like for the same price I could have eaten at a fancier restaurant, or I could have saved a few dollars and eaten at Chili's, Pizzeria Uno, or their ilk.

As I was leaving the Outback, I noticed that one of their waiters was wearing about 50 pins on the front of his uniform. I jokingly referred to him as "the Flairmeister General." It looks like the flair was at the Outback, it was just in the wrong place.

Connelly's Irish Pub

2009-03-14T08:02:00.001-07:00

Connolly's Irish Pub
1979 High House Road
Cary, NC
(919) 465-4458

We were seated at a lovely booth, with dark wood and stained-glass panels on top. It was a perfect seat because we were separated enough to have our own conversation without talking over other people. Connolly's reminded me of a lot of pubs in the UK, it was definitely a local! Since we'd picked a pub because we felt like getting out of the house, but Boy didn't want to dress up, this was exactly what we wanted.

We ordered three appetizers, and drinks. The food was good, I particularly liked the "Irish Eggrolls", eggroll shells filled with everything that goes in a Reuben, wrapped, fried and served with Thousand Island dressing. We also tried a boxty, a stuffed Irish potato pancake. Everything tasted good, but these appetizers are not really sized for sharing, especially the wee boxty.

Our third appetizer was a grilled brie with mango salsa, which was good but I don't think I'd order it again. The next time we have a craving for the combination of brie and mango -- which was great -- I think I'd bake a triangle of brie myself and chop a mango myself. When I go out to eat, I prefer to eat things I couldn't or wouldn't want to prepare at home. So, I'd order the Irsh eggrolls again in a heartbeat, but warming a brie and chopping a mango is definitely in my skillset.

The service was fine, although while we were there, one of the waitresses sat down at a nearby table to roll silverware. Half of me says that's much more comfortable than standing in the kitchen, but I know that doing any prep work on the floor with customers was a big no-no back when I was a waitress.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

2009-03-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

Carrabba's Italian Grill
1148 Kildaire Farm Rd.
Cary, NC 27511
919-467-9901

We were seated quickly on a busy Friday night at Carrabba's on Kildaire Farm Road.

We started with fried zucchini, which was -- No, wait, we actually started with bread and herbed oil, while we were waiting for our food. Delicious. We had to hold back on the bread and olive oil because our dinner was coming. We got an order of fried zucchini, which came as small sticks, like French fries, and not spears as I was expecting. The zucchini and sauce was great, and I wondered if we should have just ordered appetizers, instead of a meal. (Boy and I love getting a bunch of appetizers instead of ordering entrees.

I got a white wine sangria, and Boy had a Peroni, an Italian beer. He loves Peroni, so his rating probably doesn't count here. The food was a bit slow in arriving, probably because they were so busy, but with the bread and out drinks, it didn't matter too much.

For dessert, we were offered a selection of little layered treats in shotglasses. Some had fruit and custard, one was chocolate mousse, one was tiramisu. Even though they were delicious, we couldn't finish them.

I was a bit surprised by how high the price was, but I suppose with drinks, an appetizer and dessert, it was to be expected.