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Zinda New Asian: A Foodie Sneak Peek

By visitraleigh
August 29, 2012 //

Zinda, meaning “Alive” in Hindi, is Eschelon Hospitality’s newest addition to the Raleigh restaurant scene. Zinda offers traditional, innovative dishes featuring Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and other Asian cuisines. This New Asian style restaurant opens to the public on Friday and Saturday for dinner and regular business hours begin Tuesday, September 4.

I attended Friends and Family Night at Zinda for a foodie sneak peek. Before trying the delicious food, Amber and I enjoyed a glass of white wine at Zinda’s sleek bar. The friendly bartender, Mikey, then took us on a tour of Zinda’s dining rooms, two bars and the second floor mezzanine. Zinda plans to turn the second floor mezzanine into a late night dance floor, which overlooks the first floor dining rooms. The décor throughout the restaurant is unique and eye-catching, including root balls hanging from the ceiling and a private dining room ordained with a wall of golden Buddha statues. Eschelon Hospitality owner G Patel, also explained to me that he strives to support the local movement and used wood from the oldest barn in Greenville for Zinda’s floors. The atmosphere of Zinda is unlike any other restaurant in Raleigh, mixing New Asian culture, Southern hospitality and most importantly, class.

Amber, Autumn, Courtney and I made our way to one of the private dining rooms to enjoy a three course dinner. The rosemary tandoori chicken is a dish not to be missed. The aroma of the dish and beautiful color were enough to make my mouth water. I topped the warm, oven-baked naan with the tender rosemary tandoori chicken and cilantro chutney. It was love at first bite!

The “shaking beef” was my favorite first course dish, Zinda’s version of the Vietnamese “Bo Luc Lac.” I wrapped pickled red onion and juicy wok tossed beef inside a piece of fresh butter lettuce. The lime black pepper dipping sauce was delicious and added a tangy element to the dish.

For the second course we ordered the Singapore style laksa. The dish was a brilliant yellow color, with a fresh seafood smell. The plump shrimp and rice noodles were served in a rich lemongrass scented spicy coconut milk. The bean sprouts, fried shallots and cilantro were nice additions to the dish and helped to cool my palate. I enjoyed the mixture of sweet and spicy in the Singapore style laksa.

We also tried the crispy chana with roasted beets. The cumin scented chickpeas added a nice crunch factor to the baby arugula salad. The yogurt cucumber dressing was refreshing and paired well with the spices used in the dish.

For the third course we tried the shrimp and grits, a New Asian spin on this traditional low country, Southern dish. Succulent shrimp and Chinese sausage in an egg garlic sauce were served over a bed of lemongrass grits. The dish was delicious and innovative; Zinda’s chefs have successfully married Southern and New Asian.

The colorful mango bison dish was sweet and tender. Wok tossed bison in a rich dark sauce was served with mango, bell pepper and red onions. I highly recommend this dish if you’re looking for a perfect combination of sweet and savory.

The eggplant makhani finished with cilantro chutney and yogurt was amazing. Words really can’t explain how much I loved this dish. Eggplant was layered with spinach and Zinda’s fresh paneer, a South Asian cheese. The spiced tomato sauce served over the eggplant was creamy and delectable. I almost asked for a basket of naan to soak up the remainder of the sauce, I wanted to eat every last drop! I even had a dream about this eggplant last night. Tuesday can’t get here fast enough; I need more of this dish in my life.

Zinda’s head chef, AJ Faung, and Eschelon’s culinary director, John Anderson, worked hard to develop Zinda’s incredible menu. Friends and family night was a great way to showcase their talent as well as the beautiful new restaurant. I’m positive the atmosphere of Zinda will overwhelm you and the food will excite your taste buds. You won’t want to miss the opening of Zinda.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen.

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Big Mikes BBQ

By visitraleigh
August 27, 2012 //

Michael Markham’s grandpa was a chef and ex-Marine who ate pork every day, so Michael’s love for pork and cooking must be genetic. He remembers cooking scrambled eggs at age eight and preparing homemade pastas for his North Carolina State University college roommates while they watched The Sopranos. Michael soon found himself skipping class to watch Alton Brown’s Good Eats on the Food Network and learning everything he could about food. He worked in the financial planning business for seven years but pork kept calling his name. Michael was smoking pork out of a terracotta flower pot for fundraisers and realized that people were actually paying for his barbecue. It wasn’t until an interview for a new job with a food distribution company that Michael was motivated to start a food truck, Big Mikes BBQ. Although the job recruiter would have loved to hire Michael, he encouraged Michael to follow his dream of serving his community with delicious barbecue. The recruiter happened to know a man in Johnston County with a food truck for sale, a big red barn on wheels. Finally Michael’s dream became a reality; this spring Big Mikes BBQ began dishing up ribs, brisket, pulled pork and other unique Southern fixin’s to the Triangle.

To get the full food truck experience, Michael offered me the opportunity to work on the Big Mikes BBQ food truck. We started at 9:30am on Friday morning at Hope Community Church in Cary. Michael attends church here and they allow him to use the commercial kitchen for food preparation and storage. I was put to work scooping ice and filling the cooler with sodas. Michael also taught me how to make his famous blue cheese coleslaw. He discovered that adding blue cheese and a good amount of black pepper kicked traditional coleslaw up a notch. One thing that Michael learned from his grandpa was to taste your food as you cook. Before serving anything to his customers, Michael gives each dish his seal of approval. If you’re not a slaw lover I guarantee you will be after tasting Michael’s blue cheese coleslaw, it’s crunchy, creamy and delicious!

Before we knew it, 10:45am rolled around. Michael finished slicing the beef brisket while Kimathi made sure everything was secured inside the big red barn. They’ve had a few disasters on the food truck, like a cooler of tea spilling out of the barn onto interstate 40!

We set up the BBQ barn for lunch around 11:15am. I helped Michael take orders while Kimathi dished out food to the hungry customers. One customer told me she is a huge fan of the redneck nachos, Fritos topped with Eastern North Carolina pulled pork, baked beans, blue cheese coleslaw, and sweet hot mustard. Talk about a flavor explosion. Sweet, savory and spicy all in one dish! The Fritos also add a nice crunch factor. What makes the redneck nachos is definitely the pulled pork. If you’re a barbecue connoisseur please do me a favor and go taste the juicy pulled pork at Big Mikes BBQ.

Many of the customers ordered a plate, which includes a meat and two sides. You have the option of ordering pulled pork, honey smoked barbecue turkey or beef brisket. The homemade sides include the blue cheese coleslaw, smoked potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and string beans.  It’s so hard to decide! For lunch I had a beef brisket sandwich and sampled three sides. The macaroni and cheese was super cheesy and creamy. The baked beans were sweet and tangy and went along nicely with my beef brisket sandwich. The beef brisket was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy with a flavorful rub. I would probably gain a few extra pounds if I worked on Big Mikes BBQ food truck!

You also have to try Michael’s baconana pudding next time you visit the food truck. Baconana? That’s right. Banana pudding with bacon! Everything is better with bacon.

Michael and Kimathi convinced me to work on the food truck for dinner and we finished up around 10pm. I didn’t realize how much preparation goes into a food truck business or how tired I would be after working all day. Thankfully the food truck business is fun and of course, delicious!

Follow Big Mikes BBQ on Twitter to see where the BBQ barn will be next. I know you need to satisfy your pulled pork craving by now!

Written by local Foodie, Kristen.

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Chef Mike Lee, Sono Sushi

By visitraleigh
August 23, 2012 //

The kind bartender, Alejandro pours me a glass of chilled white wine as I sit at Sono’s bar taking in the atmosphere of this sleek Japanese restaurant. The bar glistens in the dim red lighting as Alejandro proceeds to place a regular’s order. Sono has unique sushi rolls like the tuna ecstasy, French kiss, and skittles, and strives to offer the best tasting Japanese food and service in downtown Raleigh.

Photo courtesy Sono

The humble and friendly Chef Mike Lee has been with Sono since the beginning in February 2008. He began working in the food industry in 1994 flipping burgers at a Sonic Drive-In. After working under two master chefs at a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar during college, Chef Mike decided to tell his parents that college just wasn’t working out. As you can imagine, Mike’s parents weren’t exactly thrilled after finding out he disenrolled each semester. At least now we can all be thankful Mike chased his dream of becoming a chef. Instead of sticking his nose in computer engineering textbooks, he studied under chefs in countless cities throughout the United States.

Chef Mike makes it his priority to visit Japan to conduct research about the country’s latest food trends, where he eats at six restaurants a day and gains at least 15 pounds after each trip. Due to his hands-on research and ridiculous weight gain, the people of Raleigh are provided with the most beautiful, delicious Japanese food and sushi. I had the opportunity to try multiple dishes at Sono and I was highly impressed. As Chef Mike stated, “in Japan food is about seeing first.” I was blown away when Alejandro brought out the tuna tacos for me to try; the food was almost too pretty to eat! An eye-catching butterfly sculpted from a carrot and a purple orchid garnished the dish. Shichimi spiced tuna poké, avocado mousse, micro wasabi, masago, and jalapeno aioli were served in two crispy wontons. The tuna tacos were dainty and I enjoyed the crunchy wonton shell, spicy flavor and fresh fish.

Sono imports exotic fish to provide customers with the freshest sashimi possible.  You can even join their “fresh fish list” to be in the know about their latest deliveries. I tried the fresh hamachi (yellowtail) from Japan. The hamachi was served with serrano peppers, honey miso, shichimi ponzu, kaiware, pickled beets, and tobiko. I enjoyed rolling the serrano peppers and pickled beets inside the piece of yellowtail fish. The honey miso, bite from the vinegar, and peppers created an excellent sweet and spicy flavor. I was also blown away by the freshness of the fish.

I was overwhelmed when Alejandro brought out the next dish, lobster shabu shabu. He explained that I needed to dip the butter poached lobster inside the kamisuki hot pot. How cool! I was in charge of “cooking” my own food. The lobster was buttery and melted in my mouth.

My eyes were then drawn to the other side of the restaurant where an entrée was headed my way and it was glowing! My mouth dropped when Alejandro placed a king crab leg in front of me. The king crab was broiled with shichimi spiced uni butter. The crab meat was tender and tasted divine. Could this night get any better?

I’ll answer my own question; the night did get even better. The last dish was my favorite, the broiled mero sea bass. A tender piece of saikyo miso marinade Chilean sea bass was topped with a sweet mango salsa and served on a bed of savory succotash. Thank goodness for to-go boxes, I enjoyed this dish for lunch the next day too.

Chef Mike Lee is one of the nicest, most compassionate people I have ever met. He is dedicated to balancing family life with work and beams when talking about his wife, Yeon Ju and adorable son, Jun. Every plate matters at Sono, which can be seen by the intricacies and exquisiteness of each dish. Chef Mike Lee treats everyone like family and welcomes you to experience the fresh, delicious food at Sono.

My Cackalacky 10 with Chef Mike Lee

1. My favorite kitchen gadget:  Ceramic grater

2. When I go out to eat with friends I go to: Pho Far East off Capital Boulevard in Raleigh

3. On my iPod right now: “Get it Started” by the Black Eyed Peas

4. My must-have North Carolina ingredient: Heritage pork

5. My worst kitchen disaster: An employee dropped a lighter for the grill inside the deep fryer. The lighter busted inside the hot oil causing burns on some employees.

6. I dream about cooking for: Thomas Keller

7. My favorite menu item: Traditional nigiri sushi

8. The hardest thing to cook: Handmade soba noodles

9. Favorite attraction in Greater Raleigh: Golf courses, Heritage and River Ridge

10. In another life I would be a: Video game programmer turned professional golfer

Chef Mike Lee’s family (from left to right): Jun, Yeon Ju and Mike.

Written by local Foodie Kristen.

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La Farm Bakery

By visitraleigh
August 20, 2012 //

I have a foodie confession; I went to La Farm Bakery in Cary three times in eight days. After reminiscing about my trip to Paris and craving a French macaron, I was on a mission to find an authentic French bakery. Perhaps it’s the European atmosphere that keeps drawing me back to La Farm Bakery or maybe it’s the amazing food and coffee. The café is always bustling with customers and the smell of fresh baked bread fills the air.

Similar to a French boulangerie, breads, pastries, tarts and other baked goods are on display as soon as you walk inside. Under the guidance of Master Baker Lionel Vatinet, breads are baked daily at La Farm Bakery. If you’re indecisive like me, you will certainly have trouble deciding on a bakery purchase. Thank goodness for the bread samples to help with the decision making process.

I highly recommend the white and dark chocolate scone and pain au chocolat, two of my favorite sweet treats. The pain au chocolat has a flaky crust that melts in your mouth. But wait, what’s even better is that this croissant is filled with Belgian dark chocolate. If you are looking for another treat, the white and dark chocolate scone is divine. Made with imported Belgian white and dark chocolate, this buttery scone is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. I planned on taking half of my scone home, which definitely didn’t happen.

Since we are on the subject of sweets, I’d like you to meet my latest indulgence. Close your eyes and imagine biting into a layer of rich, smooth chocolate ganache between two airy chocolate cookies. Elliot Acosta from eatRaleigh and I have embarked on the Greater Raleigh macaron hunt. Please spoil yourself with a chocolate French macaron (or three) from La Farm Bakery, you’ll thank me later.

You will definitely want to linger in the café at La Farm Bakery. Sip on a latte as you enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the café. La Farm’s coffee bar uses locally roasted beans from Counter Culture Coffee. The latte art is also incredible and the baristas have surprised me with a Rosetta, leaf and heart.

Bread and cheese are staples in the French diet and you can get the best of both worlds by ordering the croque monsieur. Layers of thinly sliced ham, gruyere and mozzarella are served on toasted La Farm bread. Perhaps the best part of the sandwich is the golden brown, bubbly cheese on top of the bread, which is coated with mornay sauce. The croque monsieur is remarkable and will make any cheese lover’s heart skip a beat.

La Farm Bakery is dedicated to using fresh local produce in all of their recipes when possible. With a menu changing with the seasons, you’ll have to pay La Farm Bakery more than one visit. Maybe you’ll love it so much you’ll go three times in eight days too!

Written by local Foodie, Kristen.

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Invigorate your senses at Peak Olive Oil Company

By visitraleigh
August 16, 2012 //

Sandra Reynolds is a long-time nurse and has always enjoyed helping people. While taking a small business class in Pinehurst she was introduced to a gentleman selling specialty oils and balsamic vinegars. With a love for cooking and after her first taste of gourmet balsamic vinegar, Sandra knew she needed to open her own store in Cary. Peak Olive Oil Company recently opened in March, supplying specialty olive oils, gourmet oils and balsamic vinegars in quaint downtown Cary. Peak is located off West Chatham St. in the Sorrell’s building, which was originally an old grocery store. You’ll notice a small sign sitting on the side of the street to direct you to the shop.

Prepare to be blown away! Rows of unique oils and vinegars are waiting to invigorate your senses. The producer of the olive oils requires all growers to harvest olives at the peak of freshness, hence the name Peak Olive Oil Company. The olives are cold pressed to ensure the highest quality product, extra virgin olive oil. Sandra has discovered a plethora of ways to use these specialty olive oils. If you come by her shop she will kindly offer you a cup of coffee or tea while showing you around the collection of oils. There are so many oils you can sample like blood orange, Persian lime, and a spicy Harissa. Sandra also has created her own recipes using these specialty oils and she loves to share with her customers. You can pick up recipe cards with ideas of quick dinners, snacks and desserts to make using the oils. I can’t wait to try Peak’s Easy Citrus Sugar cookies using a package of sugar cookie mix and the blood orange olive oil. There are also more recipe ideas on Peak’s website.

One of my favorite olive oils was the Tuscan herb, a delicious blend of herbs, sundried tomatoes and garlic infused olive oil. I brought a bottle of the Tuscan herb home to use for cooking. I hadn’t gone grocery shopping (I blame the lifestyle of a foodie blogger) but I had pasta noodles in the pantry. I couldn’t believe how flavorful a few drops of olive oil could be when drizzled over plain noodles! I can’t wait to try the olive oil in other Italian dishes.

Peak Olive Oil Company also offers balsamic vinegars from Modena, Italy, which are aged 12 to 18 years in charred wooden barrels. Be prepared to sample for quite a while because there’s a large variety of flavored balsamic vinegars; including peach white, dark chocolate, espresso, and the new arrival, red apple. There’s a balsamic vinegar for everyone. Another recipe I’m anxious to try is Peak’s simple box brownies, which uses dark chocolate and espresso balsamic vinegars.

These specialty oils and balsamic vinegars are perfect for a new or an experienced cook. Swing by Peak Olive Oil Company to sample anything you’d like and to pick up a few bottles. I’m positive they will make your cooking experience fun and flavorful. Also, be sure to check out Peak’s Living Social deal this week. If you purchase the $10 deal you’ll get $20 worth of product.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen.

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Mami Nora’s: A Taste of Peru

By visitraleigh
August 14, 2012 //

It’s hard to drive by Mami Nora’s without doing a double take. This authentic Peruvian restaurant definitely makes a statement sitting on Wake Forest Road painted in bright yellow and red. I wanted to take my two CouchSurfers on a foodie adventure this weekend so we decided to try Mami Nora’s Peruvian style rotisserie chicken.

Ranbir, the owner of Mami Nora’s, let me take a peek inside the kitchen and explained that Peruvian chicken is marinated for 24 hours in a traditional 12-ingredient marinade. Ranbir is especially proud of the oven from Lima, Peru, where the chicken slowly roasts for about two hours over imported wooden charcoal. You’re immediately transplanted to the streets of Lima as soon as you walk into Mami Nora’s, the pleasant aroma of roasted chicken fills the restaurant.

We ordered a whole chicken combo, which comes with your choice of two traditional South American sides. We chose the yucca fries and fried green plantains. We also ordered sides of rice, black beans, and sweet plantains. Mami Nora’s menu is accommodating to parties of all sizes and I definitely liked the family-style option of ordering a whole chicken. While waiting on the food, I sipped on a glass of iced, creamy horchata with a wonderful cinnamon flavor. Once we heard our order number called it was time to chow down on the massive amount of food!

The rotisserie chicken is seriously unforgettable; it’s so tender that it falls off the bone and has an excellent smoky, charcoal flavor. Just thinking about the succulent chicken seasoned with the perfect combination of spices is making my mouth water! I didn’t even bother using sauces; the chicken is so good it can stand alone. The black beans were hardy and I enjoyed eating them served over a bed of fluffy white rice. I also liked the slight sweet taste, crisp outside and firm texture of the yucca fries. Yucca is a South American vegetable, which resembles the potato once peeled and cooked. My favorite savory side of all were the tostones, fried green plantains. I loved the crunch factor of these twice-fried plantain patties seasoned with a pinch of salt.

The best side dish of all was the planto maduros, sweet plantains. These warm, plantains were perfectly caramelized with crispy edges. I keep on dreaming about the sweet plantains from Mami Nora’s, I need more of these in my life. You have to try them!

To end the meal on an even sweeter note, I tried the alfajor. Alfajor is a buttery, light cookie made with goat milk. Between the two round cookies is a sweet, caramel filling. The cookie is dusted with powered sugar, which I proceeded to get all over the table after taking my first bite. Even though the cookie was messy, it was still delicious.

Mami Nora’s should start a rotisserie chicken eating contest because I’m sure I could win. Go taste the Peruvian chicken and you’ll see why it’s hard to stop eating! I hope you pay Mami Nora’s a visit soon.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen.

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Taste Carolina: The Tastiest Tours Around

By visitraleigh
August 10, 2012 //

Imagine organizing an appetizer and wine tour of the area or eating at seven North Carolina BBQ joints in six hours! These are just a few things Lesley Stracks-Mullem did for fun for her brother-in-law’s visit to North Carolina a few years ago. Lesley has a passion for food and fun, which she was able to fuel into creating a successful business. Taste Carolina was launched in March 2009 by Lesley and her business partner, Joe Philipose. Taste Carolina offers gourmet food tours in Raleigh as well as other cities throughout North Carolina. Whether you’re a Raleigh resident or a visitor, you’ll love walking downtown while enjoying the sights and tastes this historic city has to offer. Downtown Raleigh tours are available all weekend long and on weekdays by special appointment.

I had the opportunity to attend the 3:30pm Saturday afternoon Taste Carolina tour. I laced up my sneakers and hit the streets of downtown Raleigh for my first food tour. Quite the appetizing way to spend an afternoon, don’t you think? Our group’s enthusiastic tour guide, Jeanie, explained the history behind the Capitol Building and architecture of old buildings as we made our way to Sitti, an authentic Lebanese restaurant. We were greeted by the friendly Sitti employees as plates of food and baskets of warm pita bread approached our table. The pita bread dipped in hummus was delicious and I sampled the warak anab, grape leaves stuffed with rice and vegetables. I used even more pita (seriously, the stuff is addicting) to try the chicken shawarma, thinly sliced marinated chicken breast served with garlic whip and pickled cucumber. The food was never ending; soon a za’atar pie was sitting in front of me. How could I resist? I grabbed a piece as I drank the rest of my cool pomegranate spritzer. I was highly impressed with Sitti’s showcase of some of their most popular dishes. What a fabulous first stop!

Our next stop on the tour was Foundation for “liquid food” only. Foundation is an urban bar that sits in the basement of an old building off Fayetteville St. Be careful or you might pass right by this watering hole who’s known for offering a wide selection of scotch, moonshine, and bourbon. They also make their own tonics and sodas in-house. I sampled the basil smash, which is made with Evan Williams 1783 bourbon, basil syrup, basil leaves, and fresh squeezed lemon juice. The drink was refreshing and packed a punch. The tour group started getting a little rowdy as shots of Troy and Son’s Moonshine from North Carolina were passed around the table. These weren’t included with the tour but you are always given the opportunity to order more drinks.

We walked a few more blocks to Beasley’s Chicken + Honey on South Wilmington St. I drank a sample of Fullsteam Beasley’s Honey White out of a mason jar and enjoyed a plate of Southern comfort food with a twist, then devoured the honey fried chicken, homemade crunchy slaw and soft buttermilk biscuit. The food was served on a silver platter and rightfully so because it sure was amazing! No wonder Beasley’s was nominated as one of Bon Appetit’s 50 best new restaurants in the nation.

We trekked down Blount St. to Calavera, an empanada and tequila bar. I sipped on a tecate mojito served with sugar cane and lime. We each received the Piggly Wiggly empanada, stuffed with pulled pork and cheese. The flaky crust was divine and I especially enjoyed how Calavera managed to fuse North Carolina pork with the traditional Spanish empanada.

Our bellies were full and we definitely needed to take a hike! The next stop on the tour was Jibarra,  located in the Warehouse District off of West Davie St. Jibarra offers modern Mexican cuisine with global influences. We sampled four types of guacamole and a fabulous margarita made with agave tequila. My favorite was the mango-pina prepared with mango, pineapple, habanero, mint and basil. The guacaziki was also tasty and unique, yogurt-cucumber tzaziki, tomato and roasted Serrano peppers.

The last stop on the tour was Wilmoore Cafe, located off of South Wilmington St. and Moore St. Get the name now? Wilmoore Cafe was the perfect way to end our walking food tour. The owner David Fowle greeted us and talked about the importance of local sourcing. He uses Carrboro Coffee and prepares homemade desserts, sandwiches and more. I enjoyed a cup of medium roast Columbian coffee and one amazing cookie, Belgian chocolate with sea salt. What a sweet ending to an excellent tour!

Taste Carolina offers a wide variety of tours at reasonable prices. If you’re a Raleigh resident looking to break up the monotony of your weekend or if you’re a visitor from out of town, I know you’ll have a great time on a downtown Raleigh Taste Carolina tour.

Written by local Foodie expert, Kristen.

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Exceptionally Southern at Flights

By visitraleigh
August 3, 2012 //

With a passion for using local, North Carolina ingredients, Chef Dean Wendel is the mastermind behind the eclectic menu at Flights, located at The Raleigh Renaissance in North Hills. Chef Dean can often be found perusing the North Hills Farmers’ Market for farm-fresh ingredients to use in his exceptional, Southern dishes. He is dedicated to buying local because the ingredients are of higher quality and have excellent flavor. Chef Dean is highly skilled; a graduate of Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I., and apprentice under Master Chef Antoine Flueri in Stowe, Vt.

photo credit: http://www.flightsnorthhills.com/the-team

I had the opportunity to join the talented Chef Dean Wendel for dinner at Flights. One starter you shouldn’t miss is the crab cake stack; a lump, crispy crab cake sitting atop a fluffy, smoked cheddar biscuit. But wait, it gets better and taller -  the stack wouldn’t be complete without a fried egg and jalapeno hollandaise. The crab cake stack is full of flavor and the last bite left me wanting more. While putting a dent into the crab cake stack, Chef Dean explained that he purchases local free-range eggs from Cohen Farms. The quail eggs used in a few menu items are even local, coming from a farm only two miles down the street. That’s sustainable!

If you want another dish that exemplifies North Carolina goodness with a twist, order the seared potato gnocchi. The golden brown potato gnocchi is topped with local Johnston County prosciutto, Ashe County Carolina blue cheese and walnuts. The apples add a slight sweet flavor to this savory, cheesy dish.

Chef Dean and I split two entrées. The first dish was the Sunburst Farms trout, which was excellent and topped with a delicious brown butter. My favorite part of the dish was the side of beet risotto; aromatic and extra creamy. I especially enjoyed the second entrée, seared scallops with bacon, butter roasted cauliflower, apples, and cider emulsion. You can’t go wrong when pairing bacon and seafood! These plump scallops were tender, buttery and perfectly seasoned.

Perhaps the most well-known dessert on Flight’s menu is the hot cheesecake. Seriously, it’s phenomenal. A restaurant patron even requested Chef Dean to ship the cheesecake to Tennessee using dry ice. Chef Dean was given this recipe more than 30 years ago and only one other person in the entire world knows the recipe. Preparing the cheesecake is a nine hour process – quite tedious, don’t you think? The flavors of the hot cheesecake are changed with the seasons including key lime, pumpkin spice, cappuccino and more. After viewing a movie at the North Hills Theater, walk over to Flights and split a piece of hot cheesecake, which melts in your mouth and goes perfectly with a cup of coffee.

The apple spice cobbler is another amazing dessert you should try. The cobbler is served in a small cast iron skillet and topped with butter pecan gelato. You can’t go wrong ordering a dessert from Flights, what a sweet, Southern way to end an outstanding meal.

My Cackalacky 10 with Chef Dean Wendel

1. A food I can’t live without: Peanut butter.

2. My favorite menu item: The seared scallops and butter roasted cauliflower.

3. On my iPod right now: Pink Floyd, Skynard, Marshall Tucker, Guns and Roses, and Led Zeppelin.

4. My must-have Carolina ingredient: Local wild flower honey.

5. Beverage of choice: Tequila.

6. When I have a day off I’m: If you are lucky…watching sports, movies, or eating at a non chain restaurant.

7. My home fridge holds: Organic yogurt, lots of berries (some will be moldy), and local eggs.

8. Best aroma in the world: Fresh brewed coffee.

9. My favorite North Carolinian, any time period, real or fictional, is: My son Brandon, (he is the only one of us actually born here). Ok, seriously my grandson Mason. For real now, Roman Gabriel. He was a childhood hero of mine, I am a Rams fan and he was QB. Even thought He went to N.C. State but I still like him.

10. If I could cook for anyone, it would be: My parents, although they knew what I had done, I never really got to cook for them or have them eat at any of my restaurants. My father was a chef and I think they would have enjoyed it.

Written by Foodie Kristen.

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Poole’s Diner

By visitraleigh
June 22, 2012 //

I’ll let you in on a little secret: get to Poole’s Diner around 5:30pm and put your name on the waiting list. The dimly lit, small diner starts filling up around 6:30pm. Hang out at the bar as you wait for your friends to arrive. The bar is not to be missed! Chalkboards cover the walls listing an extensive drink menu. The drink menu is like 20 times the size of the food menu and includes drinks like specialty sangria, wine and locally-brewed beer. No wonder Poole’s recommends leaving your kids at home. I ordered an El Toro Cream Ale by Fullsteam Brewery and talked to the bartender about what foods to order while waiting on Courtney to arrive.

The friendly bartender suggested we order the pimento cheese as an appetizer, which is made with Hook’s 3-year-old cheddar and comes with crunchy bread slices called crostini. The pimento cheese has an excellent kick because it uses one of North Carolina’s well-known hot sauces, Texas Pete. Ashley Christensen, owner of Poole’s Diner is always changing the menu and uses as much local products as possible. The pimento cheese is a staple item and is one of the only dishes that have remained on the menu. The helping of pimento cheese was definitely generous and our bartender even brought us more crostini (without us asking) to finish off our heap of cheesy goodness.

Courtney and I met up with two more friends and we were seated in a comfy, red booth. We looked up at the chalkboard menu directly above our booth to decide what to eat for dinner. Courtney and I split the Starlight watermelon salad. I knew this would be a good choice since I saw an employee walking through the dining room with a fresh, whole watermelon in tow. The salad was a big chunk of watermelon topped with avocado slices, fresh basil, locally produced Goat Lady Dairy chevre, and champagne vidalia vinaigrette. Courtney and I stared at each other after taking our first bite; we were in bliss. Thank you, Ashley Christensen for this incredible, creative food innovation. Each item in the salad contributed to the wonderful flavor of the dish. I will never think of watermelon the same. You must go to Poole’s to get this salad before watermelon is out of season and it’s erased off the menu.

After this life changing event, a massive bowl of mac and cheese au gratin was placed between Courtney and me. Yes, life was about to get even better. The mac and cheese was bubbling and the cheese was golden brown and crispy. The cheesy aroma of the mac and cheese filled our booth. We immediately dug in! Talk about food euphoria. I will be disappointed if you do not order the mac and cheese at Poole’s Diner; it’s seriously addicting. Just when you think you can’t eat anymore, the bowl is wiped clean. One of my friends even dropped a noodle on the table and debated eating it; the mac and cheese is just that outstanding.

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Categories Foodie

Fire in the Triangle

By visitraleigh
June 14, 2012 //

Chef Ryan Payne from Southern Season’s Weathervane and Chef Chris Harris from North Raleigh’s Fork and Barrel battled it out Wednesday night in the “Got to be NC” Competition Dining Series, Fire in the Triangle. Each chef created three courses using a “secret” North Carolina ingredient revealed only hours before the intense competition. Guests and chefs were both lucky after learning the secret N.C. ingredient was bacon. Hello, “Battle Country Ham!”

Guests were encouraged to “vote their palate” during the competition and each chef’s dishes would be revealed at the end of the night. I was highly impressed with the technology used at the competition; I was able to use my iPhone to rank each dish.

Dish one was a bacon and shrimp dumpling with grilled shrimp, sweet potato puree and coconut curry. The dumpling was hearty; I loved the combination of the different meats. The sweet potato puree went along nicely with the coconut curry. Talk about a flavor explosion.


Dish two was a lobster and lump crab strudel with crispy Johnston County ham, paired with a mesclun salad tossed in a bacon vinaigrette. The bacon vinaigrette added the perfect amount of salt to the greens. The seafood ingredients were fresh, and the strudel was extra flaky. Delicious!


Dish three was seared duck with smoked bacon and mushroom risotto, and tart cherry-country ham jus. The aroma of the dish reminded our table of Thanksgiving. I must admit, I used a piece of bread to make sure every last drop of the tart cherry-country ham jus was nowhere to be found on my plate.


Dish four was a bacon-blue cheese grit cake with crispy country ham, Fresno chilies and champagne tarragon vinaigrette. The chef had me sold at “bacon-blue cheese.” Bacon and cheese, what could be better? Dish four was by far my favorite of the night. The grit cake was crispy around the edges. I also thought the chef was daring to use salty country ham and bacon in one dish, but it worked. The spice from the Fresno chilies was also outstanding. I need this recipe!


Dish five was a flourless chocolate cake with bourbon bacon anglaise and cherry-apple-ham compote. The bacon anglaise was delectable, and our entire table thought the dish was very creative.


Finally, dish six was a “bacon moon pie,” banana marshmallow, bacon anglaise, candied bacon and mangalitsa cookie. Wow, talk about making a Southern girl’s night. Bacon in a moon pie? Life couldn’t have been sweeter. The moon pie brought home the gold for Chef Ryan Payne.


I had a great time enjoying dinner and a show at Fire in the Triangle. Both of the chefs did a wonderful job and used their imagination in the kitchen. Though this year’s remaining competitive events are sold out, I hope the series will return to Raleigh with more battles next year; Foodies should make plans early to visit and be part of the judging.

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