Bowl of Berries

I LOVE Mediterranean food.  I could most certainly eat it everyday.  My cravings are easily satisfied now that I work within a 5 mile radius of 2 Mediterranean restaurants. I swear this office keeps at least one of them in business :)  I have often wondered how the two compare when it comes to the vegetarian platter so I decided to do a highly un-scientific comparison of the two and report on my findings.

I got comparable platters from each establishment, noting the differences below. Sorry in advance for the Blackberry pictures

Greek Fiesta
Mixed Veggie Platter- $6.99
Hummus, Tabouli, 3 grape leaves, tzatziki (which they call cucumber sauce) and 2 full pieces of grilled pita

Pros:
-Right across the street from my office
-2 FULL pieces of soft, warm pita
-Creamy and delicious hummus
-3 large stuffed grape leaves

Cons:
-No olives?  I could probably ask for some though
-Tabouli portion isn’t huge and the flavor is lacking some acidity
-No baba ghanouj on the menu

Neomonde
Neomonde Platter- $7.99
Hummus, tabouli, 2 grape leaves, baba ghanouj, 1/2 pita, kalamata olives, labneh (A tart, concentrated yogurt with extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt)

*Note I was actually  half way through the tabouli before I realized I   needed to take a picture!

Pros:
-Lemony, smooth hummus (but then again I like a lemony hummus)
-AMAZING tabouli, nice and chunky with lots of lemon/vinegar plus they give you a ton of it!
-Distinctly homemade grape leaves, they are a bit small but they serve them slightly warm
-Love the olives and small container of labnah (which is great smeared on a pita and topped with tabouli)
-Can easily make 2 meals from it

Cons:
-2 measly slices of pita, equating to only half a pita, while it is made in house you only get HALF a piece!?
-A slightly longer drive
-$1 more but honestly the portions warrant the extra $1

I really like both of these places for different reasons.  Greek Fiesta has numerous locations and their convenient, across the street location makes it a go to place for office lunches.  The people are nice and the food is fast. They “Americanize” things a bit calling tzatziki “cucumber sauce” and things like that but the flavors are there for the most part.  I always thought this place was way cheap but when I compared prices it’s not much cheaper then Neomonde but still very reasonable.  I typically get the Fiesta Veggie platter which includes everything on the Mixed Veggie platter except tzatziki, oh wait “cucumber sauce,” but I wanted to try to equal things out as best as possible.  The Fiesta Veggie platter is $6.49.

Neomonde is just plain awesome, worth the extra 7 minute drive to get there and the typical line to place your order.  I usually buy some day old pita bread for $2 to supplement the lack of pita included in the meal (have I mentioned how annoying this is?!) and I will make pita chips with the rest of the day old bread.  Another con is that Scottie isn’t a huge fan of Neomonde, maybe because he can get fries with his chicken wrap from Greek Fiesta but not at Neomonde?  Regardless, if he is buying I will go where he wants.

Overall, I think Neomonde is actually the better deal and therefore my #1 go to Mediterranean vegetarian platter option. Even though I usually spend $10 there for both the platter and the day old pita, I can easily make 2 lunches out of it and later make a big bag of homemade pita chips. I also think the quality is just a touch better, the tabouli made me like parsley and the baba ghanouj opened up my world to eggplant. Greek Fiesta is still a fast and convenient option though and Scottie can get something there as well.  Go to each for yourself and let me know your thoughts!

After much hard work and lots of sweat I am finally moved in and our house is complete!  It is such a relief to be done and finally we can actually sit and relax!  Imagine that!  We busted out a ton of unpacking on Friday night and then tackled the garage and attic stuff on Saturday.  Once the extra washer and dryer set and futon are sold and moved I should be able to park in the garage :)  Sunday was lots of little details included pictures and blinds being hung and CLEANING!  I love starting the week with a clean house and all of the laundry done!

Here is a picture to show you what the living room looked like when we first started:

After pics:

We ended the weekend with a visit from my parent’s and their friend’s Chris and Diane, who were in town for the Jeff Dunham show.  We had a cocktail hour before the show at our place and got to pull out a bottle from Napa, which was fun.  They went to the show and we went to the grocery store and did a few more loads of laundry (I think 8 in total-ugh!)  Since their show was at 5, we decided to meet for a later dinner.  Since the Triangle Restaurant Week was just wrapping up I thought we could take advantage of the lower prices some restaurant were offering.  Since there aren’t a ton of places open on Sunday, we went with Solas in downtown Raleigh.  This is the swanky new, Miami Beach style restaurant/lounge/club that opened a few months ago.  Scottie’s parents have been and gave their approval so I thought this would be a fun place to try.  I was slightly concerned about going after reading the review over at E&L but though we would still give it a try.

The show was a little later to let out so Scottie and I went ahead and explained the delay and we grabbed a drink from the bar.  It’s funny how differently you look at a wine menu after visiting vineyards.  Solas has an extensive wine menu with tons of wines from Napa and Sonoma so it was fun to peruse the list.  I ordered the St. Francis red which was nice a smooth, my Mom also got a glass of this when they arrived.  We waited for a few minutes for a larger table to open up and were seated in a large booth.  I took Leandra’s comments to heart and steered clear of the hot rock appetizer and the shrimp entree.  I ordered the duck quesadille which was very good, Scottie ordered the She Crab soup which was WAY salty, and we LOVE salt so that is saying something, Dad got a mixed salad with yummy fried goat cheese but Mom’s appetizer was the best, the shrimp and scallop ceviche.  So good!  We may need to recreate this for Memorial Day!

For dinner, Dad and I got the filet with goat cheese, which was really fantastic.  Scottie and Mom got the citrus marinated flat iron steak which was very “cool” and didn’t taste at all citrusy, but both seemed to enjoy it.  Note that they do undercook their beef, I ordered mine medium which was perfect but I felt the flat iron steaks could have been cooked a bit longer.

Dessert proved to be a difficult thing to decide upon.  Dad knew he would get the sorbet and Mom got the blood orange creme brulee.  I LOVE creme brulee but went with the chocolate filled crepe, Scottie revealed his decision upon ordering and got the chocolate lava cake.  The crepe was very nice but very rich, I almost couldn’t finish it, but I did :)  I didn’t get to taste Dad’s sorbet but his plate was empty so I figured it couldn’t be that bad!  Scottie’s lava cake was quite nice, especially paired with the madagascar vanilla ice cream.  But I think Mom’s dessert took the “cake” she said it was probably the best creme brulee she had ever had.  It was REALLY good with lots of blood orange flavoring, another thing we need to recreate.

You can’t beat the price either, three courses for $25 per person, it was a great way to try out a new restaurant.  Their entrees range in the higher $20’s so this isn’t a cheap place but it is a good quality meal.  The portions are also not “Applebee’s” sized so be aware of that as well.  I was completely satisfied after my meal but someone with a larger appetite may want an extra salad or a snack before dinner

Next time, maybe we will come for drinks, appetizers, and dancing on the glass dance floor…I will be wearing pants ofcourse

Yes you read that right, Friday night Scottie and I went to Lord of the Dance.  To our credit, we did not pay for said tickets, we got them free from our run club and when you are looking for cheap entertainment you will do just about anything, even going to see 1.5 hrs of Irish dancing and some of Harnett County’s finest in the audience.  You will note Scottie’s picture, He was enjoying a Crown on the rocks which made the show more bearable, I had a nice plastic cup of merlot- classy.

We go to a few shows a season and this audience was like none other.  People were much more dressed down, which made me sad because I always feel like when you go to the theatre it’s important to dress up a bit.  Not sequined gown dress up, but nice pants and a top,  maybe some lipstick for the ladies- I dunno maybe it’s just me.

The show had a very loose “storyline” with the evil dancer trying to steal the title and the shiny boxing belt from the angelic good dancer, who looks like he is quite the ladies man with his longish blonde locks.  The girls come and prance around and there is a gold “sprite” that showed up every once and a while, I could never figure out her purpose.  The dance acts were broken up with a Celtic singer, who was sorta like the entertainment in between the baseball innings where everyone goes to the bathroom or gets more peanuts, I felt bad for her because people would get up when she came on to sing.  Then there was the dueling violin players who got everyone from the country excited with the “Irish ho-down” hey I am all about some cool violin work, it wasn’t bad but I have heard better.  I determined Irish dancing is like “stepping” for white people, the rythym is what is appealing and everytime the dancing got extra loud and rythymic the crowd would go wild.   There was also a “sexy” dancer who I guess was sorta the whore of the show trying to seduce the hero dancer, it was weird, I can’t say I liked her.  But the guy sitting next to Scottie, who happened to have binoculars (we weren’t that far back from the stage), really zoomed in on her.  He was weird, and sitting by himself.  But I won’t judge.

The show was only about 2 hours, and that included the 20 minute intermission.  It was pretty much the same dances but different costumes.  As we were leaving one of the guys sitting near us (not binocular dude) commented that this was the 5th time he had seen the show and that we MUST see Riverdance.  Nah, I’m good.  I checked it off my list and don’t think I will rush to see another show.

Since it was still rather “early” and Scottie was a bit hungry I suggested checking out the Busy Bee Cafe.  I had heard good things about it and it was really the perfect place to go after a show.  I love the interior, it is open and airy and just refreshing.  We sat ourselves and someone promptly came over and gave us menus and took our drink order.  I decided to get a salad and Scottie got the burger with a side of mac and cheese.  My mixed green salad was not too small, not too big…just perfect; dressed with a light vinaigrette, with dried cranberries and a wedge of Camembert cheese, yum!  Scottie’s burger was a perfect medium rare and the side of mac and cheese was some of the best I had every had.  We loved it so much, he ordered another side of it, which came out in a bigger bowl…best $4 ever!  I would come and have a salad and mac and cheese and would be set!  These are not Applebee’s sized portions so be aware, but I found them to be perfect.  I was satisfied, not stuffed.  We will certainly be going back, especially for some late night grub as the place stays open until 2am and I am pretty sure they serve food until closing.  Next time we will have to try out the outside patio which I have heard is very cool.

Overall, not a bad Friday night!

My family has been raving about this restaurant in Norfolk called Tortilla West.  I think someone from the fam goes just about every week.  They call it “gringo Mexican”  because there doesn’t seem to be anyone of Mexican descent actually wokring there, I will call it “nouveau Mexican” because  they offer a trendy twist on classic Mexican favorites.  I made a point of taking a half day on Friday so that we could eat here at a decent hour, and I could see what all of the hub bub was about.

They have a pretty nice drink menu with lots of cool beers on tap but I honed in on the Ginger Peach Margarita.  This was nice and sweet, not tart like traditional lime margaritas.  And you gotta love the big glass of goodness.  I held myself to only one of these babies. (I planned an 8 mile run for the next morning and didn’t want to deal with the wrath of hungoverness)

Then we ordered the crab and shrimp nachos as an appetizer for the 6 of us as well as chips and salsa.  As you can see Dad and Steph were ready to dig in.  These things were mighty tasty, though you can’t go wrong with crab meat and cheese!  Watch out for the jalapenos, they aren’t like the weak things you get at Harris Teeter these tpeppers mean business and they were soo good!  They also had a nice spicy salsa that I would imagine is homemade judging by it’s chunkiness and fresh flavor. Oh and they put Old Bay seasoning on their chips- so good!

*Why must Scottie always pretend to eat my head in pics?

For my entree I ordered tuna fajitas.  The picture turned out pretty dark so I thought I would post the pic of me two fisting one of my fajitas and I think one of my Mom’s tuna tacos.  I had inhaled one of her tuna tacos and some of Scottie’s burrito before I even got one of mine down!  I ate the rest of my tuna, some veggies and some beans (their black beans are divine!  their rice- not so much) before I threw in the towel.  I loved the seasoning on my tuna and it was cooked perfectly rare.  And I have to mention the jalapeno mac and cheese my Dad got, this stuff was amazingly creamy and spicy and went perfectly with his Cuban sandwich. We contemplated dessert but I knew that would leave me miserable so I left well enough alone.

Overall, I now know what the big deal is, this place was really good!  It might become a regular stop when we head to the beach for a visit.

A couple weeks ago I had a full Saturday off from all jobs and no housework to do…a miracle I know!  Scottie said I could chose to do whatever I wanted.  My eyes lite up and my mind was racing.  Do we go to Chapel Hill and roam around Franklin Street?  Do we go to Smithfield and go outlet shopping?  Do we go to the Farmer’s Market and buy way too many vegetables?  I decided I wanted to stay close to home and try some new restaurants and explore Cameron Village.

I also wanted to have brunch but few places serve it on Saturdays and I didn’t want to do to the usual Brig’s or bakery type place. So after a quick Google search we found Poole’s Diner,  which I had heard about for dinner but never for brunch. So we made our way downtown and almost missed the converted old school diner on McDowell street.  You really have to be on the lookout for this or you will miss, there is no gawdy signage, just a simple logo etched on the front door.  We arrives around 11am or so and this place is TINY and they don’t take reservations.  Luckily there is plenty of bar seating so we decide to grab a few stools by the front door.    This place is chill.  You come here to take your time, enjoy the coffee, people watch a bit, catch up on the paper, don’t come here for a quick meal…this is slow food…and I loved it!  The menu is on various blackboards throughout the place, I have read that some people don’t like this but I think it adds to it’s charm and reinforces it motto of fresh, local food.

We both started with coffee and I had to try the BIG biscuit, which is true to it’s name, this thing is mammoth and has a nice whole grain texture.  Paired with butter and fresh apple butter, this thing is meant to be shared, unless you plan to not eat brunch, which would just be stupid.  The menu has classic omeletes and hashes but with many twists.  After much thought I went with the lamb hash with poached eggs and hollandaise.  Scottie went with the chicken and waffles, two perfect dishes to share in my opinion.  I ordered the last hash, which I was offered $50 to give up by another diner, hell no my mind was set and I now have validation that it is good.  A few minutes later our entrees arrive and wow….just wow…I was in love.  The lamb was tender and pulled apart quite easily, the edges were nicely carmelized and were paired perfectly with the runny yolk and creamy sauce.  The potatoes were certainly the supporting role and were not anything special, if a bit under done.  Regardless, I am glad I kept this dish.  Scottie’s dish was also very nice, two lightly fried chicken breast, and a waffle both drizzled with local honey…yum.

Overall, a fantastic meal.  I would not hesitate to come back and try another round of brunch or try to get in or dinner, which I can now see can be a challenge.

We perused Cameron Village, not buying anything which surprised me, but I am trying to not buy as much these days.  We then went up to North Hills as we never seem to go during the day when shops are open.  Again we didn’t buy anything but nothing really grabbed my attention.  We planned to cook dinner that night but I suggested we stop by Coquette for  a drink and an appetizer.  It had only been open about a week or so, so my expectations were rather low but I was in the mood for something different and French food sounded yummy.

I will mention that the weather this day was perfect, the sun was out, it was warm for an October day but still quite pleasant.  The large windows/doors of the restaurant were open and the sun was setting which made the sky this beautiful pink color.  We ordered cocktails at the bar and looked over the menu.  We decided on steak tartare and escargot and pomme frites, a few small plates that would satisfy us until dinner.   They brought over some fresh bread and butter which were divine.  The butter was sprinkled with salt which I LOVED.  Then came our dishes, right off the bat I could smell the garlic butter in which the snails were swimming in.  YUM!  I haven’t had these in a long time and these were great.  The steak tartare was quite substantial and had a nice flavor of whole grain mustard.  Later the manager/owner/who knows came by and asked how we liked it, stating they just changed the recipe.  We both approved and commented that the portion was huge for an appetizer.   The pommes frites were slim shoestrings fried with a side of both ketchup and a garlicky aioli, quite good.  I had to laugh because they were served in the mint julep cups from “South”  a good way to recycle

The dishes were really nice and we ended up ordering more drinks and enjoying the atmosphere a bit longer.  I would definitely go back and try a few more dishes.  I really enjoyed sitting at the bar and would probably sit at the bar again or near the front of the house as it seemed a bit less formal.

We decided against cooking dinner since we were still full from Coquette and ended up at a wine bar downtown which isn’t even worth mentioning because I was not at all impressed so I will save my words :)  But Poole’s and Coquette were certainly winners!

No, not a real filling station, at least not anymore. I saw the announcement for this restaurant on one of the newspaper blogs I think and even though I had an extravagant early birthday dinner on Saturday night (post to come I promise- it will be a long one!) I still wanted to go out somewhere for my birthday. I am sure Scottie really appreciated that. Regardless, I chose a place that served a reasonably priced meal but was still not run of the mill. And who doesn’t love pizza on their birthday!?

It is located in Durham of 15-501 near the Q-Shack and Nana’s (google it for the exact address.) It has a super cool decor with the the windows fashioned after the old garage doors. Though it was a bit cool last night I wanted to sit outside and enjoy the last bit of the nice weather before it gets to cold to do so. I ordered a glass of chianti which came in a juice glass, which I loved. It fit in well with the laid back atmosphere. Scottie got a mixed drink and then switched to a milk stout. Scottie ordered our traditional calamari, while I got the iceberg wedge with bacon, eggs, and buttermilk bleu cheese dressing. Nothing out of the ordinary but it was still tasty. I enjoyed the crisp cornmeal type coating on the calamari and it was served with a fantastic lemon herb aioli.

We both ordered a pie, I got the anchovy with kalamata olives, caramelized onion, mozzarella and everyone’s favorite hairy fish. be reday for some water with this one. It is salty but that’s what you should expect ordered this type of pizza. The crust was thin and crispy but still a nice chew to it and lightly charred which I liked. Scottie got the white pizza with ricotta, spinach and artichokes (I think) which was equally yummy. Next time I want to try the meatball pizza which has duck in the meatballs- ugh heaven.

I had to try dessert, their selections are slim offering all sorbets and ice creams in different forms but I got a bowl of nutella swirl ice cream. It was with a pizelle, which is like a crispy wafer, almost like a waffle cone. It was a bit thicker then I prefer but was still yummy.

Overall, I really enjoyed this place. The service was on point and all were quite nice. As I mentioned the decor was awesome and I enjoyed sitting outside and watching all of the stupid drivers pass by. The pizza was fantastic and I enjoyed the various pies (chicken liver pizza anyone?) I will certainly be back when craving a nice Neapolitan pizza.

Tropical Storm Hanna was nothing more then a rain storm and was gone by about lunchtime on Saturday. It was great sleeping weather and that paired with some early football games led to a much needed nap for me. I woke up hungry (what’s new!) and Scottie suggested we try the new soup place. I am a die hard Seinfeld fan and can make a reference at the drop of a hat. I am seriously considering the purchase of the boxed DVD set as an early birthday present. So when I heard that the original soup man, Al Yeganeh, started the Original Soup Man franchise and brought one to Raleigh I was beyond excited. I love soup and don’t mind eating it when it’s hot outside, it is just total comfort food.

The restaurant is nothing like the shows version, but I think that’s sort of the idea. There is a tongue-in-cheek sign near the soups that instructs customers to know what they want, order quickly and move to the right. The staff is quite friendly, even offering samples when I asked what was in the illusive mulligatawny they speak of on the show. Well that sample did it for me, it was so amazing and different. It was a curry based soup and had eggplant, golden raisins and pistachios among other ingredients. It sounds weird but it is REALLY good. Unlike anything I have ever had. If curry isn’t your thing, there were about a dozen other choices including tomato basil, mushroom and barley and two kind of bisque (seafood and Al’s world famous lobster.) Scottie got the lobster bisque which was very nice, lots of lobster and a beautiful creaminess that was not overwhelming. The prices are quite reasonable, with a bowl ranging from $7.95 for a vegetable soup to $11.95 for one of the bisques. This comes with your choice of bread or crackers, fresh fruit and I think a chocolate though I think that was forgotten on our trays, however she didn’t charge us for our drinks. If you want something to go with your soup, they have panini’s, salads, and smoothies all which looked delish. They have fresh squeezed lemonade and an assortment of fresh brewed flavored teas in addition to sodas. It was a nice lunch for $20.

I so wish they had a location near work as I would certainly hit it up once a week. But alas, I will have to support it on the weekends or for dinner. Check it out if you have one nearby!

Since I have been working non-stop between the day job and the evening/weekend job I haven’t had a lot of time to just chill.  Scottie and I used to go to a nice dinner about once a week where we would order a full dinner which included wine, appetizers, dinner and dessert.  Needless to say with all of the nights I am working this event has become more rare.  However, I was off last night so we decided to try the new McCormick and Schmick’s that opened a few months ago at Crabtree Mall.  I am usually not a fan of chain restaurants but I felt I needed to try it since so many people have raved about it.

We walked in around 8pm without reservations and the place was definitely bustling however we were immediately seated.  The menu is printed twice a day to reflect the fresh seafood they have shipped in.  The menu is massive with light fare, appetizers, soups, salads, steaks, highlighted dishes, fish dishes with flare and plain old fish dishes sans flair.  It was rather overwhelming.  We started with cocktails as the bar squeezes all of the juice fresh so I felt the need to try one, not that I ever need much of an excuse to drink cocktails.  Scottie ordered a gimlet and I a mojito.  The gimlet was certainly made with fresh lime juice as it was tres sour, the addition of a bit of simple syrup made is palatable.  My mojito was nothing spectacular but it was made well.

We chose to start with calamari, which is nothing new as we typically order it when we are out.  Because of this we use this dish as sort of a benchmark.  I must say I really liked this preparation.  It was a nice crisp coating, I think there was a bit of cornmeal in it.  There were three dipping sauces; a cocktail sauce which tasted more like barbeque sauce, a mayonnaise of some sort and a marmalade dip.  The mayo and marmalade dips were the better of the three.

We ordered a bottle of pinot noir to go with dinner.  Scottie ordered swordfish stuffed with crabmeat and served over bacon and spaetzle.  The swordfish was dry but the crab filling was tasty, and I enjoyed the spaetzle, it was a bit like mac and cheese.  I ordered the broiled seafood platter to get a nice variety; cod, shrimp, crabcake, oysters, scallops and roasted potatoes.  The oysters, crabcake and scallop (one massive one) were very nice.  The shrimp  was overdone and the cod was, well, cod.  The potatoes were ok too.  It was nothing spectacular but the few items were quite tasty.

I couldn’t pass up dessert, I went with the dark chocolate “paper bag” filled with white chocolate mousse and fresh berries.  Now that was really yummy, and a huge portion, the leftovers will be eaten tonight, hopefully it didn’t separate.  Scottie ordered the mango creme brulee, another standard dish we order when we are out.  The mango was on the bottom of the dish and not mixed with the filling as I expected, and it lent a strange taste that I didn’t really enjoy.

Overall, I rate it a B.  The server was friendly albeit a bit casual for the atmosphere they are going for I think, but she was younger and was probably happy to be waiting on younger people.  The food was not terrible but for the money spent I was not blown away.  I might stop back in for cocktails and dessert at the bar after a day of shopping but probably not for a full meal.