By: Cori Sue
On our way down to Kiawah Island, S.C., this weekend, the boyfriend and I stopped for the night in Raleigh, N.C., to visit one of my best college friends. It felt great to be back in the great state of North Carolina and we were just in time for the opening of the tiki bar at Humble Pie, a charming restaurant in downtown Raleigh.
Photo credit: Humble Pie
The weather was perfect for dining on the porch (low ’70s and breezy) with lots of summer brews and a varied arrangement of tapas. Humble Pie‘s ecclectic menu consists of small plates of varrying cuisines– Asian, Italian, seafood, and more. We shared a goat cheese mushroom Napoleon, coconut shrimp with pineapple chutney, sesame seared ahi tuna, finished with chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache and complemented by lots of Carolina Pale Ales.
Up early in the morning, we stopped by another Raleigh gem, Cafe Helios, for a speedy, healthy breakfast-to-go. Cafe Helios serves delicious coffee from Counter Culture Coffee based in nearby Durham. I consider an ordinary, healthy, breakfast– coffee, yogurt and granola, whole-wheat toast and fresh-squeezed OJ– an exceptional treat when found at 7 a.m., in a rush, on a roadtrip.
Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris
Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris
Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris
For the Raleigh crowd, however, Cafe Helios is more than just a breakfast spot. The cafe serves a great beer and wine selection (they rotate beer selections regularly), and features artwork by a local artist each month. And, it appears to be the place for some epic late-night dance parties.
Photo credit: Cori Sue Morris
Next time you find yourself cruising down I-95, you’d be well-served to check out these two spots in downtown Raliegh, and head over to Cameron Village for some great shopping.
