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Finding lunch in Cary

https://www.peckandplume.com/

Lunch on April 19th 2019

Lunch at Cary’s elegant Peck and Plume in the Maytan Hotel. April 19, 2019

The Chanticleer serves the denizens of Cary breakfast and lunch daily . It’s very good traditional fare, but I’m personally very partial to their baked goodies as seen in my photo

Sample of dishes/entrees from various lunches at Tribeca Tavern

Wings. Tribeca’s are among my favorites which include The Station in Raleigh, Grubb in Durham,and Northside Bistro in Chapel Hill.

The catfish plate.

The strawberry and blueberry salad entree with shrimp.

The Japanese Bakery and Cafe Brecotea is unique in many ways — with it’s bubble teas, and other unique Café drinks but the bakery is special. I hope these photos show what I mean.

Lunch on the Courtyard on West Franklin on Wednesday May 20th

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The Samosa
Crispy and spicy fried vegetables
A side of Kerali beef
Beverage menu board at the bar
My first visit to Vimala’s in the Courtyard on Franklin Street. The food, service, and setting are impressive as as advertised, but the Courtyard’s history is what is very special me.

When you’ve lived and dined out in Chapel Hill for the better part of of fifty years, the genealogy of the places you’re eating at matters.

Two Nights in Another Town — Crawford and Son/Jolie in Raleigh — September 5th and 6th 2021

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Raleigh’s restaurant scene has become gratifyingly rich and variable. I’d heard nothing but the best about Crawford and Son and decided I had to pay a visit.

I had had my sights set on visiting Crawford and Son for months, but the opening of its sister restaurant Jolie, made taking the trip something like making a culinary crusade.

http://www.crawfordandsonrestaurant.com/

Thursday January 9th @ Crawford and Son. My menu choices: Butternut squash soup with crab, pepita, brown butter and sage. They served the dish very uniquely– the bowl arrived with the crab & sage already in the dish, and the server poured the creamy, buttery soup gently into the bowl. Nicely done!!!

My entree choice was the Crispy Catfish in a shrimp and potato chowder with a bacon fennel relish.

The homemade warm malted wheat rolls with sea salt and hickory butter are a must to order.



http://restaurantjolie.com/menu/

Friday @ Jolie. The main dining room at Jolie is so small that getting reservations between 6 and 9PM is still very challenging even though they’ve been open for nearly six months. Fortunately, the opening of their lovely rooftop, which requires no reservations, makes the effort a little less challenging. Arriving early also helps.

My menu choices for Jolie — started with the Gougeres, a savory cheesy puff pastry and A wonderfully creamy bowl of winter soup made with apples, smoked pecans and brown butter. The entree of choice steak frite — a tender flat iron in a sauce au poivre with herbes frite.

The wine is a Chardonnay

After having enjoyed a lovely meal your server brings you your check, placed inside the covers of copy of a pocket volume of an epic historical work by Victor Hugo

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2020 : A Diner’s Calendar

A Bowl of Soup @ Thai Palace

Thai Palace has been serving excellent Thai food for years and in the same location in the Glenwood shopping center on South Road/Raleigh Road. The place has the same lovely, graceful look it’s always had (I’ve included pictures) and the same friendly service.

On a wet, cool Monday I dropped in for something fast and warming for a dreary February afternoon. What I got was satisfying and wonderfully simple — a cool refreshing small salad with the house’s amazing ginger dressing and an enormous bowl of soup with perfectly cooked noodles in a rich, savory broth with steak and meatball and crunchy vegetables.

“A soup like this is not the work of one man. It is result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.” Willa Cather

The Peking Duck at Brewery Bhavana — Friday, Thursday February 13, 2020

Whole barbecued duck for lunch @ Brewery Bhavana is served with perfect steamed Bao buns, cucumbers, scallions and hoisin sauce.

The flavors at Zweli’s Kitchen — Friday, February 21, 2020

https://www.zwelis.com/

Lunch @ Zweli’s Kitchen, Friday, February 21, 2020

Magwinyas, fried dough available as savory or sweet, a lovely variation on beignets.

Thin, crispy and spicy plantain chips

Flame grilled piri piri wings with Jollof rice and chakalaka (a flavorful vegetable and bean relish/stew) as sides

Flame grilled piri piri (a hot pepper produced in Mozambique) chicken leg and thigh with exquisitely flame grilled skewered vegetables.

A Saturday night out with the Haysletts at Hawthorne and Wood

Top right — three piece chicken confit in Texas Pete gastrique with celery and buttermilk sauce

Below right — pan seared divers scallops, butternut squash sticky cakes, sour cherry jus, daikon radish, sesame, sugar snap peas.

Dessert to the left is house made Oreo ice cream sandwich.



Lunch @ the Mebane Table, Friday, January 31, 2020.

Nola roast beef Po Boy with Roast Beef Debris,Au jus gravy, lettuce, and a pickle on house made French bread

Dirty rice

Nana’s, Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Upper left butternut soup with fried oysters

Upper right risotto with slow cooked veal, roasted peppers, sweet peas finished with roasted garlic butter and Grana Padana

Entree — Cast iron roasted natural chicken over Nana’s puréed potatoes, broccoli rabe and root vegetables

Dining out in Chapel Hill, Durham and the Triangle—2017-2025

Lunch at Restaurant One in Meadowmont circa 2016

Lunch Southern Village at Market and Moss

Charcuterie at Local 22 in Durham, Tesoro in Carrboro

Loaded baked potato in house specialty ribeye biscuits at Stoney River Steakhouse University Place Chapel Hill.

Shrimp dishes at various places in the area with two favorites in particular— At top left one of my last dishes at the Weathervane Restaurant in A Southern Season at bottom right a favorite from Lulu Bang Bang in Durham.

Fried catfish dishes at Bullock’s BBQ in Durham.

Whole roasted duck at Brewery Bhavary in downtown Raleigh.

Provence served wonderful burgers.

A Perfectly cooked chicken marinated and spicy chicken sandwich at Khalovera in Meadowmont.

Lunch at the Vimalla’sKitchen

Bento box for lunch at Elements in Chapel Hill.

Pork appetizer at Hawthorn and Wood





















Traditional fried catfish and flounder at Bullock’s in Durham 




















Breakfast at Snooze




















Another Breakfast at Snooze




















February 5th, fresh bowl of noodle and pork belly soup Lulu Bang Bang










Excellent chocolate desserts at Oakleaf on first visit after end of pandemic in April 2024.










Fresh focaccia sandwich at Oakleaf




















Cappuccino at Snooze in the Blue District Franklin Street 








































Fried vegetables Roll at Lulu  Bang Bang in Durham 















Duck salad at Oakleaf 















Butternut squash soup at Oakleaf 































	


	



			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			
				


			

			
Lunch at Lula and Sadie’s in Durham 4/17/2023
		
	

	

		
















https://www.lulaandsadies.com/menus/#lunch-dinner
























Monday morning started with my taking an Uber ride to Weaver Street for cappuccino and an almond croissant.










My driver was gregarious, friendly, infectious fellow whose Spotify playlist was filled with 60’s and 70s love songs ranging from the Temptations singing My Girl to Elvis’  I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You and the Righteous Brothers soulful Unchained Melody.  It was a joy ride on another gorgeous gorgeous late spring morning.





I’d say that the start the day was topped by our choice for lunch at a new spot — Sadie and Lula’s in Durham.  





The simplicity and beauty of the presentation of this catfish entree was outdone by the outstanding dish itself.