Only Burger from a Truck

Why is it that food seems to taste better when it comes from a truck? At least when it comes from the local celebrities that run Only Burger. Unlike the name would imply, they don't only sell burgers, but they keep it simple and therefore there's not much to trip up someone like me who has a hard time making decisions. Your choices? Your meat (yes, they do have veggie burgers and turkey burgers on most days), your toppings, and whether or not you want fries and a drink with that. It doesn't get more simple than that.

So how do you find this fabulous mobile food joint? Follow them on Twitter for their daily spot updates. Every morning they post where they will be for lunch and dinner, as well as if there are any specials for the day (like fried green tomatoes or carmelized onions to put on your burger). They usually end up at the same places on a regular basis and there's always a long line so get there early or call ahead to make sure they don't run out (which has happened before). 

And what makes this food truck so great? Well, it's the care they put into their food. The burgers are freshly made, placed on a butter toasted bun, and topped with the freshest ingredients. The fries are awesome too; perfectly cut each day to the perfect size. 


Only burger is a local staple. So log on and find out when they will be cooking up a fantastic burger near you!

Scratch is exactly what it's made from

Scratch got it's claim to fame around here from it's regular appearances at the local farmer's markets so imagine the pure delight of everyone when they opened an actual shop with brick walls on a side street in downtown Durham!

There is no typical menu. All their ingredients come from local farmers, made from scratch daily, which means the menu changes daily. There's always something different. Everything from chorizo, tomato and farmer's cheese empanadas to fresh eggplant focaccia. They also have daily side salads and of course, deliciously sweet baked goods. Stop by for a hot cup of fresh-brewed coffee, or my personal favorite: the bowl of hot chocolate. Yes, I said bowl. I'll be spending many winter days hanging out in this quaint little cafe.
 
On this particular visit, I had a butternut squash tart. The savory filling in a typical pastry dough was fabulous. The salad of the moment (as I like to call it) was a beet salad. I've always grown up thinking I don't like beets. I definitely don't like pickled beets. But in the name of the blog, I had to try it. Well, let's just say I'm going to be trying beets more often. This beet salad was almost like a slaw, with a vinegar-based dressing over thinly shredded beets, mixed with a fabulous variety of herbs. It was amazing!

Of course, you can't leave Scratch without having one of their made from scratch desserts. Typically I'd recommend their famous doughnut muffins. Yes, I said doughnut muffins. It's everything you love about doughnuts, combined with everything you love about muffins (mainly the shape and the texture of the muffin top). Tell me that doesn't sound amazing. Well you don't have to tell me because it is. Another favorite (and one of their other usuals) is their chocolate and sea salt tort. It's the perfect salty/sweet combination! But this time, something else caught my eye. The heirloom apple crisp. The apples were the perfect combination of tart and sweet, topped with a delectable crunchy topping. It was the perfect end to the meal, and the perfect beginning to my afternoon food coma. 

Whether you stop in for a bowl of hot chocolate and a fresh-made pastry, or to sit for a delightful lunch, you'll love Scratch!

Sometimes there are no words...

You know when something devastating happens to someone you know and you literally don't know what to say? You want to do or say the right thing so bad, but you can't. You're literally speechless.

That's how I feel right now. A friend of mine is so broken-hearted that it breaks my own heart. The kind of broken heart that there's no way anyone else could understand. The kind where she's probably slightly embarrassed, completely overwhelmed, and there's so much to do, she probably doesn't even know where to start. They kind where she probably wants to disappear for a while but is afraid to leave everything behind. I want to say that we all know that type of pain, but I honestly don't think we all possibly can. 

Then there's my heartache, which could never match hers right now. It's the kind where you would put your life on hold to help her get through it, if only you knew what to do when you got there (besides provide the shoulder to cry on and copious amounts of ice cream and alcohol, but even that won't scratch the surface). When literally, nothing you say can make a difference. When you wish you could stop the pain, but you can't. And trust me, the last thing a person with a broken heart wants to hear is "I know how you're feeling." -Or- "This is just like the time [something not quite the same] happened to me." Because to that person, at that time, no one could ever understand.

And for that, there is my next revelation. Sometimes there are no words and that's okay. Sometimes there is nothing you can say. Sometimes actions really do speak louder than words. And sometimes, you just have to let that person know you are there for them and then let time take its toll and be patient. 

And to my dear friend: you're allowed to hurt right now but remember that there's always that silver lining; that everything happens for a reason; and trust me, it won't hurt forever...it just takes time to get there. xoxo

Busy Season

Every job has one. And for my job in advertising (you know, that thing that I do to pay my rent...and because I love it), September begins my busy season. It's when all the next year's campaign planning begins. That means extra client meetings, extra brainstorm sessions, extra concepting, extra pre-pro and that means extra late nights....which in turn, always puts a slight wrench in my oh-so-fun social abilities...which of course means from here on out, I'll have to tone down the amount of blog posts for the utter lack of time to go out and enjoy the fabulous restaurants here. I assure you, there will be lots of ordering in for the team (which, if it's good enough, will warrant a post) and plenty of revelations, so stay tuned!

Merci Beaucoup, Buku

I dare to say that Buku is the most unique restaurant in Raleigh. Buku comes from the "international slang twist" on the phrase "merci, beaucoup" (thank you, very much) and I am thankful (very much) that this restaurant has opened in Raleigh. The premise of the restaurant is an eclectic mix of international street foods, all in one place with a fabulously elegant and modern twist (not to be confused with any type of "fusion" restaurant because that's not it). Basically, to an international foodie like myself, it's heaven on the corner of East Davie and Wilmington Streets downtown. Think of all the regional foods in Disney's Epcot classed up and rolled into one restaurant. 

Walk off the bustling Raleigh streets and step into a calming atmosphere. The decor is very cool with a wall of water behind the bar, beautiful and intricate overhead lighting and pictures everywhere of various international street-food scenes. 


The menu, may be intimidating to some...actually, scratch that...it's probably intimidating to most. On it you'll find many ingredients you've probably never heard of before (don't worry, the waitstaff are very knowledgable in the ingredients and giving suggestions) and combinations that might scare a picky eater, but trust me, Chef William D'Auvray will do you no wrong. You can tell that he spent his early childhood in the Philippines and traveling Asia and that he studied under some of the best chefs in the world including Wolfgang Puck and my personal favorite, Nobu Matsuhisa (founder and chef of one of my favorite restaurants of all time, Nobu, in Tokyo...and other locations around the world). Personally, I think William and I would be great friends, but that's another thing altogether!

Peach & Cucumber Cocktail

Ok, now that I got my school-girl-crush rant out of the way, back to the food...I started out this spectacular meal with the special cocktail of the evening. It was a cucumber and peach cocktail (the beginning to an evening of seemingly odd ingredient combinations that are absolutely fabulous) with gin, sweet and sour mix, and a few other things I can't remember off the top of my head. It was light and refreshing and an absolute wonderful start. With one sip, I felt like I should have been at an exclusive spa on the beach somewhere tropical, relaxing with a refreshing drink. 

Viet Cucumber Salad

Most of the menu is designed for a tapas-style meal, with two or three plates a person sufficing. There are a few large plates too, but I love trying many little things, so that's exactly what we did. I started out with the Viet Cucumber Salad with crisp shallots, chilies, fried peanuts and a sweet rice vinegar. It was awesome. Brought me back to my days living in Asia with those delicious ingredients. It was light and refreshing (perfect pairing to my cocktail, which again made me think seaside spa...this time on the Vietnamese coast, which is beautiful, by the way, but again, that's another post). I impressed my fellow diners with my chopstick skills as I practically inhaled this delicate dish. 


We also shared the Empanadas filled with bay-braised chicken and avocado leaf, farmers cheese and salsa. They were crispy on the outside, and filled with perfectly cooked ingredients on the inside. The mix of ingredients added a fabulously elegant twist to these empanadas. 


For round two, I went with the Koren BBQ. Now, having lived in Asia, you must understand that I am very particular when it comes to Asian ingredients and "typical" Asian dishes (which means something different in Asia than it does in America because no, Japanese people do not eat sushi every day). I know what is and isn't authentic; what's "Americanized" and just out-right wrong. When ordering this dish, I was hopeful, yet skeptical. And the result? Perfection. After taking my first bite and suddenly feeling like I was back in a real Koren BBQ restaurant, I fell in love with William D' Auvray. He really knows how to hand-pick his ingredients and pull out all the stops to maintain the authenticity of his dishes. The shaved prime sirloin was grilled to perfection. The dipping sauce was the best I've had in America (without making my own). The Kimchi was as good as it gets and the sesame spinach was a perfect compliment to the entire dish. 

Koren BBQ

Another fabulously executed dish was the True American Red Snapper, "Indonesian style." It was a beautiful marriage of sweet and spice with cashews, tamarind, Thai chiles, house mushrooms, palm sugar, jasmine rice and stir-fried Asian greens atop perfectly cooked fish. It was absolutely delightful. The Chef is truly after my heart. 

Now for dessert. In all truth I was really too full to order dessert, but one in particular caught my eye and I just couldn't resist...in the name of my blog (or so I kept telling myself) I ordered it anyway. I mean, honestly, could you say no to anyone that said: Creme Brulee Trio...??? I think not! Especially when that trio consists of chocolate, vanilla and ginger Creme Brulee....yes, I said ginger. I couldn't pass it up! And I'm glad I didn't because just look at how beautiful it was:

Creme Brulee Trio

Three perfect "shots" of different Creme Brulees surrounded by [what my sense told me were] mango and strawberry swirls and finished with a dish of fresh strawberries. Seriously, if your mouth isn't watering right now, you must immediately call a doctor because something is wrong! Now, in order of uniqueness (least to most), I will take you through this amazing dish, starting, of course, with vanilla. It was sweet and creamy, chock-full of vanilla bean remnants (which always make a good creme brulee even better when you can see what you're tasting). The chocolate was thick and rich and absolutely decadent. My favorite spoonfuls of the chocolate included some strawberries for that perfect pairing. As for the ginger, you may think it was weird as you try to imagine incorporating a big piece of ginger root in something as sweet and creamy as Creme Brulee, but it was sheer genius. It was like taking a bite of a purified, creamy ginger snap. The ginger wasn't too overpowering and it was perfect against the texture and sweet cream of a typical Creme Brulee. Again, the Chef comes out on top with pairing not-so-typical ingredients to make something spectacular. 

Buku is a not-so-hidden gem in Raleigh. A real treasure chest of your "atypical" ingredients combined in such a way that would ease the fears of any Plain Jane's tastebuds and brings comfort to someone like myself who grew up on typical Asian street food (or other regions for that matter). No matter which one of these categories you fall under (or anything in between), you must try Buku and don't worry about what ingredients you may or may not understand, just put your faith in Chef D'Auvray and do as many foreigners do in other countries: close your eyes and point. You won't be disappointed.

The Pit is not the pits

You can smell The Pit from a block away as the smoke fills the air. You'll know you've arrived when you see the crowd outside the front door. This place is always packed, and with good reason! North Carolina may be known for barbecue (for your northerners and foreigner, that's what we call a style of pork, it's not something you go to for eating hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salad), but it's not everyplace that can say their pitmaster beat the Food Network star, Bobby Flay, in a rib Throwdown! Ed Mitchell is famous for his legendary whole-hog, pit-cooked barbecue. 

So now that my mouth is watering, yet again, let's get to the food! Don't worry, if you aren't a pork eater there are plenty of other options. Ed's famous BBQ chicken, Texas-style brisket, baby back ribs, smoked turkey and they even have a fabulous vegetarian option that even the meat eaters would love-- barbecued tofu! The variety of side dishes hold their own against the main courses. Everything from mashed potatoes and mac 'n cheese, to sauteed vegetables and fried okra. So how is it? Let me paint you a little picture...

You sit down to a table with fresh out of the oven biscuits, that are exceptionally buttery and flakey with a luscious sweet butter and crispy hush puppies. Try not to eat them all, because you'll want to save room for the main course! 

Chopped BBQ with grits and greens

It's really hard to choose because everything is delicious, and luckily they have platters where you can try two or three of their delicious barbecue treats. We ordered two plates on this particular visit (you know I love sharing and trying different things). The chopped barbecue in the Eastern Carolina style (spicy, vinegar-based sauce) is smokey and delicious. There are two different BBQ sauces (one vinegar-based and one molasses-based) on the table for you to add to your favorite dish...personally, I like to mix them...and they make this dish even better. The collard greens are cooked in the smoked pork and are some of the best greens I've ever had. Their cheddar, bacon grits are creamy and absolutely amazing. 

We also ordered a half-rack of baby-back ribs. They were sweet and tangy, super smokey, and fall-off-the-bone amazing. It's no wonder Ed Mitchell beat Bobby Flay in a rib-off! Just writing about them is making my mouth water. 

The sweet potato fries are one of my favorites (let's face it, who can turn down a fried sweet potato?) and are perfectly crisp. I suggest dipping them in the molasses-based BBQ sauce. Another delicious side-dish choice are the smokey, sweet BBQ baked beans, but let's face it, you can't go wrong with any of your choices on the menu. 

This place is fabulous. If you like Barbecue, you'll love The Pit!

My Philosophy on Cooking

If you use ingredients that you like, it's really hard to go wrong (unless, of course, you burn it, under cook it, or really think tuna and ice cream would go together on spaghetti). For example, the other night I was craving some sort of fresh, lemony, shrimp dish and decided to go with shrimp scampi (of which I don't have a particular recipe for but have made before). In looking through my kitchen, I decided the perfect pairing for my shrimp scampi craving would be a creamy lemon risotto. Not having recipes handy for either of these dishes, I decided to make it up as I went along. I like experimenting in the kitchen and since I do feel I have a basic knowledge of how things are made and what goes well together, I figured I have nothing to lose (and I also have a bunch of delivery options if this happens to be completely inedible). 

I apologize in advance as I do not have official recipes and am really bad at trying to figure out how much of everything I used, but I'll try since I received so many requests for my "recipe." So here we go...

Ingredients needed for lemon risotto (serving 2):
I used about 1 cup of sushi rice instead of arborio 
White Wine- about 1/2 cup
Chicken stock- about 2 cups
Garlic- 2 cloves or to your liking
1 large lemon or two
Parmesan cheese- about half a cup (or more depending on your liking)
Butter- approx. two tablespoons
Olive oil- approx. two tablespoons
salt and pepper to taste

In a deep skillet, I heated the olive oil and added the two cloves of finely minced garlic, which I sauteed for about a minute (or until you can start smelling the sweet fragrance of the garlic...but before it starts to turn brown!) and added the rice. 

I sauteed the rice and garlic mixture for a few minutes, adding the zest of a lemon. Then, I added the white wine and stirred until almost completely evaporated. I slowly started adding the chicken stock about 1/4 cup at a time letting the stock cook into the rice and evaporate before adding another ladle of stock. 


Once all the stock had been incorporated, and the rice was al dente, I added the juice of one lemon and let that cook into the rice. Then, I stirred in the butter, and added the parmesan cheese. 


Season to taste and serve!

For the shrimp scampi, you'll need similar ingredients (which is why this dish goes so well together):
A few tablespoons of olive oil
Two or so cloves of garlic
About 1/4 cup of white wine
A few tablespoons of chicken stock
1 lemon
salt and pepper
Optional: Parsley and my personal favorite, Cajun seasoning
About a pound of shrimp

I cooked the shrimp almost all the way through (you can also use already cooked frozen shrimp or whatever is easier for you). In the meantime, I sauteed the finely chopped garlic in the olive oil. When the garlic started to get fragrant, I added the white wine and chicken stock. Letting it simmer so it would thicken a little. I then added the lemon, parsley, and seasonings. Once the sauce was at a good thickness and taste, I added the shrimp to continue cooking in the liquid.


I poured the shrimp scampi over-top the risotto, added a side of greens with homemade balsamic vinaigrette and had a fabulous meal!


Now I hope that wasn't too confusing or un-followable (I don't even know if I could recreate this meal exactly the same), but the point is you can take ingredients you love and makeup some fabulous meals with a little creativity. Let me know how it goes! I'd love to hear more creative "recipes" and suggestions!

The Pharmacy cures your ailments

The Pharmacy may not have the cure for everything, but it will definitely cure your hunger, need for a drink, or craving for an elegant meal. The old style of the building, which used to be an old pharmacy, is warm and inviting. The food tastes so fresh and has food that ranges in style from French Bistro to Artisan Cafe all with a touch of Southern charm.

Asian shrimp spring rolls and crabcake appetizer

The Pharmacy's claim to fame are their crabcakes, which are wrapped in phyllo dough and fried to a crispy, golden brown. Talk about adding an amazing new twist to an old classic. It's served with a side salad and has multiple homemade sauces to dip it to your liking in a grainy mustard style sauce or a balsamic reduction sauce. Each is the perfect pairing. Luckily, you can order the crabcakes as your entree or an appetizer to start off your meal.

They have a variety of other appetizers and sides including fried vegetable sticks and Asian shrimp spring rolls. 

Special Ravioli

There are daily pasta specials and the quiche of the day, which are always fabulous. On this particular trip, we ordered their pasta of the day, which was a spinach, ricotta and walnut ravioli in a homemade creamy pesto sauce. One bite of this dish and we fell in love! The walnut in the ravioli added an extra dimension of flavor that is unlike anything else. The homemade creamy pesto sauce was perfectly executed...not too creamy, not too overwhelming with the pesto. Being that three of us girls were splitting everything, they were even nice enough to split the pasta dish for us into individual servings.

We also ordered the honey glazed salmon. Talk about amazing! This salmon was perfectly cooked, glazed with honey, lemon, a touch of soy and stone-ground mustard, atop delicious wild rice and served with a side salad mixed in a raspberry walnut vinaigrette. When I'm cooking salmon, honey is not on my mind when thinking about a marinade, but this was fantastic (and will definitely be something I experiment with in the future). 

The meal was delicious. We hardly had room for dessert but considering how delicious everything had been (and being that it was our last meal together for a while), we took that extra step and followed the "there's always room for dessert" philosophy by ordering their homemade vanilla bean creme brulee. It was packed with vanilla bean and had a perfect carmelized sugar topping (you know how sometimes it can be too thick or too thin? this was neither one of those). 

 If you're in Southport, NC, the pharmacy is a place you should try to get to for lunch. You'll love the sweet southern charm and elegant, homemade flavors of the food, paired with good service and a quaint atmosphere.