October 5th, 2011 §
By: Cori Sue
“Heading down south to the land of the pines
And I’m thumbin’ my way into North Caroline
Starin’ up the road
Pray to God I see headlights
I made it down the coast in 17 hours
Pickin’ me a bouquet of dogwood flowers
And I’m a-hopin’ for Raleigh
I can see my baby tonight”
-Old Crow Medicine Show
Warning … nostalgia is setting in. As y’all now, I went to the first (and best) public university in the nation. If you think Washington is pretty in the fall (speaking of which, where is fall?) you ain’t seen nothing ‘til you’ve experience fall in North Carolina, more particularly, Chapel Hill.
Beautiful old trees changing colors, a Carolina blue sky, crisp sweater weather, football, tailgates, front porches—there’s a reason they say Chapel Hill is like heaven. There songs about it. Hell, Walt Whitman even wrote a poem about it.
After spending a beautiful fall weekend reliving college with my three best friends and sorority sisters, we traded cheap beer, stadium food, cowboy boots and fraternity front porches of Chapel Hill on Saturday for brunch and relaxation in Raleigh on Sunday.
We headed to NoFo at the Pig, an eclectic general store-meets-restaurant built in a former Piggly Wiggly, a Southern grocery store chain. On the first floor is the gift shop, which houses eclectic trinkets, children’s toys, aprons, antiques, home décor and more. It’s all very kitschy with a Southern feel. Down the stairs is the restaurant and main bar, which is colorful and well-lit, with floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s filled with families having brunch together and children scrambling about.
It was a perfect fall day—brisk, breezy yet not too cold—and the hostess sat us outside on the front porch. A live band consisting of two teenage girls (both wearing Toms) with acoustic guitars and accompanied by a man on a keyboard sang folk songs on the front porch. It was very modern day hippie—“granola” as they say—like something you’d find in Asheville, North Carolina, rather than Raleigh. The girls were very talented (wish I could sing like that) and made for a lovely, relaxing brunching experience.
Unable to decide between two menu options, Maggie and I split both the honey French toast and “Bill Neal’s Famous Shrimp n’ Grits.” “Neither dish lived up to its alluring menu description,” says Maggie. And she’s right.
The honey French toast came served with butter, syrup, bacon, and a side of fruit. It was pretty standard—made on regular slices of bread, rather than something exciting like French loaf, challah, or cinnamon raisin. It was good, but nothing memorable.
The shrimp n’ grits was made with oily cheese grits, jumbo shrimp, mushrooms, topped with chives and served with two biscuits. It was prepared well, but lacked flavor altogether. So bland, so disappointing. Not only did it sound better on the menu, it also looked better than it tasted.
Honestly, the biscuits—moist, fluffy, warm, perfect—were the best part about the meal. It is North Carolina; they do make a mean biscuit. Maggie’s Bloody Mary, which did pack a punch of flavor, comes in a close second.
Meanwhile, Steph was far more impressed with her salad. She says, “The generous portion of mango salad topped with blackened shrimp was 100% delicious and everything I wanted in life at the moment. It definitely gets an A from me.”
Not to side between my best friends, but I’m going with Maggie on this one, she says: “The food was comforting, the atmosphere relaxing yet fun (very indie), so I give it a B.”
The Bitches say: B. The ambiance is spectacular. The service good. The menu options expansive. The flavor, however, is lacking.
NoFo @ The Pig
2014 Fairview Road
Raleigh, N.C. 27608
(919) 821-1240
… And I’m gone to Carolina in my mind.
July 22nd, 2010 §
By: Becca
This past Friday I flew into Houston only to be picked up and driven through nine states all the way back to DC. I was helping my best friend move her Trooper full of cowboy boots and travel books from Texas to the capital. On the way, we stopped in Asheville, North Carolina. Because, well, it’s adorable. And my mother lives there, so … visit with Mama Love!
If you haven’t been to Asheville, let me enlighten you. It can be described in just a few words: an enclave of hippidom in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s nothing but art galleries, vintage boutiques, cafes, and head shops; and it’s the perfect getaway from DC. I frequently hop over there when I need a quick detox: cell phones off – hiking boots on – fresh air – home-cooked meals – sleep – repeat. Plus, my mom has a lovely little house right next to the University of North Carolina campus (a quick walk into town), and she seems to know almost everyone in town, providing interesting conversation wherever we go.
Photo credit: Becca Clara Love
It’s become a tradition of sorts that when I visit, Mama Love sends me packing back to DC after a brunch at Café Ello. Possibly the best breakfast in town, it’s owned by Lorne Richman, who renovated it from a wine bar into an “urban eatery and teahouse.” Indeed, there’s organic and fair-trade tea lining shelves along the wall, but you can also choose from a selection of locally roasted coffees – and refill yourself to your caffeinated heart’s content. Heaven.
Photo credit: Becca Clara Love
Richman is the staple of Cafe Ello; he personally waits on tables and greets everyone who walks in. He’s made it the comfortable breakfast spot for Asheville’s locals. If you don’t have a breakfast date, you can sit at the counter and rub elbows with another resident; everyone seems to know each other. Even local artists make sure the walls are filled with photography and art.
The focus on all-things-local seeps all the way to the food, which comes from local suppliers. The eggs are free range, the bread organic, and there’s a big selection to choose from: eggs, omelets, granola, bagels, oatmeal brulee—you name it. Plus, lots of standard breakfast sides. The food is prepared fresh and served with care, and it’s not enormous dishes of greasy grub. It’s the perfect amount.
Photo credit: Becca Clara Love
I’ve tried lots on Ello’s menu, but this past weekend we went with the breakfast sandwich on sourdough (standard but delicious); an omelet, which came with a lovely side salad; and a bagel with lox. I was a little nervous about the lox (we’re in the mountains, right?), but it was fresh and ever-so-tasty. We nibbled on our entrees, saturated our bodies with tea and coffee, and then waddled off to explore more of Asheville.
After brunch, I always nip across the street to Malaprop’s, which might just be my favorite bookstore in the world. One day, when I have pots of money and time to kill, I’d like to open a bookstore/café like Malaprops. It’s full of local literature, banned books, and anthologies by small, independent publishers from around the country. Instead of New York Times’ best sellers, its staff personally recommends their top reading picks, which make for some pretty eclectic selections. Plus, it sells the most beautiful (and funny) calendars and hand-made cards. Every time I go, I stock up, because who knows when someone I know will have a baby, which obviously requires a card that says “Good Job” with an illustration of a large screw. I mean, really, Asheville. You’re so cute.
Café Ello
64 Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
828-252-8333
April 13th, 2010 §
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.
