By: Cori Sue

I may be a little Bitch (truth), but my friends—who aren’t all Bitches but are definitely all fabulous—are crucially important to me. So, I make the trip down to Raleigh, N.C., regularly to visit a couple of my besties, Steph and Lauren, and an amalgamation of other pals, both old and new.

The North Carolina capital city is actually growing in notoriety for both lifestyle and cuisine. The farm-to-table movement is huge, there are loads of cute Southern boutiques and it was recently named the best city in America for young professionals. Yep, it’s a good time.

Saturday, the gang headed for a delectable Southern brunch at Beasley’s Chicken & Honey, which is one of four restaurants by local chef Ashley Christensen. Along for the ride was Sierra, a close friend from UNC who now lives in Capetown when she’s not globe-trotting with her hubbie; Lauren, my brilliant and stylish Aspenite turned Southern belle; and Lauren’s harem of guy pals.

Beasley’s is an open, light-filled space with hardwood floors, metal stools and a rustic feel—diners are seated at picnic tables and the menu options are written on chalkboards on the walls.

Drinks were in order after a fun Friday of dancing the night away. I opted for a Bloody Mary, because my mission in 2012 is to try ‘em all. Unfortunately, holy horseradish, this one was loaded with too much! Too much pepper, too, and it was frankly just foul. The rest of the beverages, mimosas, were fresh light and delicious, with a lovely orange peel inside.

Sierra says, “The mimosa I ordered was very good. It was obvious they used fresh squeezed juice and my only complaint was I wish the glass was bit fuller when it arrived.”

While we were most certainly not in Mexico, churros were an option that I leapt upon. They arrived hot, fried but not greasy, and covered in the perfect amount of cinnamon sugar. They were nearly as good as the ones you get in Tijuana.

Then, for the entrees. Allegedly, Beasley’s has the best chicken and waffles in the state of North Carolina. Several boys had the sandwich option—fried chicken topped with a fried egg and gravy on Beasley’s biscuits. The boys chowed them down, but of course.

Sierra and I opted for the vegetarian Benedict option—the Eggs Beasley. The dish looks like of foul, but it tasted absolutely delicious—much better than I was expecting, to be honest.

Sierra says, “I know I probably should have ordered the signature fried chicken, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I love breakfast foods and had to go with eggs. I couldn’t really read the menu, so I went with the first thing that sounded good. The Eggs Beasley was poached eggs atop cornbread with a vegetarian gravy. I am a little high maintenance with my poached eggs and asked for them soft-medium. Surprisingly, they came out done exactly the way I like them. The gravy was surprisingly light … not like any gravy I’ve had before. I was most impressed with the speed of which the food came out. Impressive for a party of our size.”

Also on the table were the huevos rancheros, a crisp tortilla round covered with black beans, fried egg, tomatillo sauce, guacamole and white queso. For Southerners, the folks at Beasley’s sure do Mexican cuisine well.

I ordered a side of biscuits, which were heavenly—as they should be. The Southern carbs were soft, moist, and buttery and brushed lightly with honey on the top. Definitely some of the best biscuits around.

We concluded with another Southern favorite—chocolate pecan pie topped with house-made rich vanilla ice cream. It was literally the best pecan pie I’ve ever had—so so rich, with gooey warm chocolate and a crumbly moist crust. Best of all, it came served with a spork.

The Bitches say: A for top-notch Southern cuisine in a chic environment when you’re in Raleigh. Just don’t order the Bloody Mary.

Beasley’s Chicken &  Honey
237 S Wilmington St.
Raleigh, N.C.
(919) 322-0127
Beasley’s serves brunch Saturdays and Sundays.

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.

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.