by Kimberly | Jan 27, 2011 | chocolate, food, restaurants, Uncategorized
In the middle of the Brightleaf Square corridor sits a little cafe that serves desserts and real food.
I spend 4 hours there on Sunday, taking pictures, talking w a dear friend, and sipping on an espresso macchiato.
The cake we chose was moist, texture-perfect, and delicious. I could have easily eaten the entire cylindrical – goodness, but I shared, like a good girl. We chose the coconut tres leche cake and the toasted coconut on the outside was supreme. The filling of the tres leche cake was rich and pale yellow taste-bud delight with every bite.
They serve many other beautiful creations and then have a full menu as well. You can sit there for hours and have no one bother you. And they have refills on their coffee – serve your own. So, I’ll definitely be heading back there, especially when it gets warmer and I can sit outside.
Finds like Amelia’s are what makes Durham a great place to eat!
Only negative: their photos both on their website and menu need help. Hey folks at Amelia’s: I’m available. Contact me!
by Kimberly | Jan 22, 2011 | food, restaurants
Nestled in the South Park neighborhood of the Queen City, NC’s largest city, sits Red Rocks Cafe Bar & Bakery. I would just call it good food.
A friend and I decided to meet up there on my recent overnight trip to Charlotte. We were anticipating a long wait, but got in there and were the next ones to be seated. Perfect!
So many delicious finds on the menu: appetizers (including parmesan potato cakes), salads (including my dinner of a large Greek salad with salmon), steaks, pasta, fish, sandwiches: if you are hungry – they have something to fill your tummy.
Our waitress was friendly and attentive. We were told her we were in a hurry and she was on top of things. We placed our order, specifically under-cooking our salmon – and probably 8 minutes later, both of our meals were on our table. My friend was gracious enough to let me snap a few photos, then we dug in.
The salmon was perfectly cooked: slightly crispy on the outside, slightly underdone on the inside. The result: smooth, moist salmon full of flavor. The dill sauce on my friend’s salmon was lemony and seasoned perfectly. Not too much, not too little dill.
Then came the Oreo cheesecake. Usually, you can’t go wrong with splitting cheesecake. My only fault for the whole evening was I thought the cheesecake needed some more sugar, because it tasted too cream cheese, the perfect balance wasn’t there. But, the chocolate sauce and oreos improved it 100%
Ambiance: check. Wait staff: check. Price: 10-20$ per entree. Parking: no problem. Food: double check.
by Kimberly | Jan 17, 2011 | food, vegetarian, weight loss
1. I’m very thankful for MLK. Not only for his vision for racial equality (or however you want to say it), but also because we get a day off. Not that I won’t be working today, I’ll just be working from my bed and then my second office (different location).
2. Honest here: Its been a tough week. Even though I had a fabulous time in Wilmington, I have not been sleeping well since Tuesday. I usually sleep sound through the night and would love to get about 9 hours of it (my busy life does not allow for that and for me to get everything done). But, two times since moving here I have gone in a period of not sleeping well. I went to bed last night about 1130 and just prayed to Jesus that He would grant me at least 6 hours of good sleep. The first time I woke up was around 645, thank you Jesus for that sweet answer to prayer! Still tired, not caught up, but much to do, so I hopped out of bed around 815.
3. I had three great conversations with three new friends yesterday: Thankful for them and for the wide variety of conversations we had: running, vegetarianism, and writing. They were all very needed yesterday.
Link Love
1. I am making this tonight to bake in the morning when I return from the gym.
2. This will be a late night drink for me this week since I will have a lot of late nights.
3. This is a very inspiring post by Kendi. This is especially needed when I have so many dreams. These are the ones that are up to me: do my job well, social media/blogging success, writing a book, losing 30 lbs, be vegetarian, and running successfully, travel and do food photography/writing, and being a great photographer. Then there is one that I can’t do by myself. Thank you Kendi for this dream report.
4. Anyone in RDU wanna come have this recipe with me? This looks amazing.
5. Love my friend’s blog on the topic of food. Some of her previous thoughts in a conversation with me has spurred me on the last couple of months since meeting with her.
I know this week’s is short, but I feel like these are more specific to what I want to do. Hopefully you like these Monday editions. I hope you see a little bit of me in these and learn what is going on in my head and heart and busy schedule.
Have a great holiday!
4.
by Kimberly | Jan 14, 2011 | chocolate, food, restaurants
I think every other cupcake business in Wilmington needs to just close up shop and that Coastal Cupcakes needs to bake more cupcakes.
Best cupcake I’ve had, hans down. I’ve had cupcakes in Chicago, RDU, Publix (which are a favorite of mine), TN, CO. Cupcake bakeries and “shoppes” are all the rage right now, so there seems to be one on every corner. They do it right!
A friend and I share the coconut with cream cheese icing and coconut on top. The most moist, fall apart, not dry at all cupcake. Flavorful and just melt in your mouth. Most cupcakes I’ve tasted in bakeries taste like they are frozen. I would have though these were baked right before we walked in (though the icing wasn’t melting, so I know they weren’t). The coconut wasn’t hard. The cream cheese frosting was just bliss.
I would love to have tried all of them, and the shop clerk that day was so kind and gracious to let me come behind the counter to not have the glass in all the pictures!
Thank you Coastal Cupcakes! Keep baking! I will return!
by Kimberly | Jan 14, 2011 | food, restaurants, vegetarian
This place came highly recommended and it is out of the downtown area, so parking is not a problem.
1. Great decor.
2. Low-key (yes, I know it was the off season)
3. Had a great waitress who allowed us to stay there pretty much as long as we wanted (a little over 2 hours)
4. Bottomless free chips and salsa (a must for any good Mexican restaurant)
5. The best restaurant salsa I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot.
6. First time with Mexican sushi (ok, not really, but look at the picture, doesn’t it look like sushi). I had the Cabo: blackened shrimp and avocado. Nuf said!
7. Homemade, fresh, daily, corn tortillas.
8. And many vegetarian options, which I definitely liked.
In my opinion, a little overpriced for mexican, but not outrageous. And definitely well worth it.
by Kimberly | Jan 11, 2011 | chocolate, food, photo shoot
Ice. That is what today is about. There is ice, not snow, in RDU. This has been one of the coldest winters I’ve experienced in RDU since moving here in 2000. Note: we haven’t had 24 inches of snow (like in January 2000) or TONS of ice like we had in 2005 (or was it 2004)? But, with temperatures not even reaching 50, really, not even 40, for most of the days for the past 6 weeks, its cold.
So, I thought I would talk about something happy and fun: favorite places in the Triangle. There is a reason I love this place and am glad to call it home!
These are in no particular order:
Fosters Durham/Chapel Hill: I love her home-cooked food but upscale. It is a place to sit all day with a book or a laptop and enjoy a scone with some snickerdoodle coffee or a glass of wine. Her omelettes are fantastic and any of her baked goods are usually just what the doctor ordered. I haven’t figured out which location I like better.
Best Dessert I’ve tried so far in RDU: Butterscotch Blondie at Bogart’s. I had to share, it was my birthday, but I could have eaten the whole thing – with the ice cream. So good. Oh, and the inside out pb cup from Cafe Carolina . So good. Wish I could make.
Best Wine Experience: Sip in Cary. Such a quaint, decorative place that you want to stay and get to know the owners and everyone who stops in. They know their stuff: and everything is eco-friendly!
Best Thai Food: Chai’s in Durham on Erwin Road. I haven’t been back since I returned to the state, because I’ve been trying out new places. But, hands down, this is the best place by far if I want some delicious salty steamed edemame or a huge bowl of spicy chicken pad thai.
Go sit all day: Panera Crabtree. The reasons are this: refillable unsweet tea, wifi free usage, overhear engaging conversations, 5 minutes door to door, and cheap, somewhat healthy food.
Outdoor Activities: Volleyball courts at Pullen Park, Shelley Lake for walking, Umstead park, summer movies at the museum of art, July 4 at Cary Amphitheatre, photo shoots at NCSU Arboretum or Duke Gardens, or anywhere on the campus of SEBTS or UNC.
Best Cheap Mexican: Salsa Fresh is at least every 2 weeks – I’m going there tomorrow.
Best Jewelry: Moon & Lola
Best Pizza: Anna’s Pizzeria in Apex or Lilly’s at Five Points
Best Sushi: Champas at Briar Creek
What other places do I need to try? I can branch out to anywhere in the Triangle. I love new things. What are some of your favorite things about living in the Triangle?
