A little bit of Durham in my Life

I wanted to post just a little thing about the other places I hit when I wasn't weekend warrioring in Chicago.

As you may know from the biscuit blog: I spent 5 days in Durham with my sister. While there, I met up with a friend, Ana, to eat some Peruvian chicken. Yes, this confused me too. But apparently there is a bit Peruvian population in North Carolina, and Mami Nora's is the place to go.

                                   

Ana picked me up and we went to a little shack that was packed to the gills. This is my kind of place, no frills and full of people so you know it's good. I asked Ana what to get: she is a butcher and knows the good stuff. She said dark meat with 2 sides: so that's what I did. Perfectly cooked rotisserie chicken with black beans and sweet plantains.

                                                 

The chicken was perfectly seasoned, juicy and a two piece was just the right amount. The black beans and sweet plantains are an excellent complement to the chicken: along with the dipping sauces provided. A delicious lunch with an excellent new friend.

                                                  

In summation: I would love to go back and try more things! I am a yucca fry junkie and they gots 'em. Next time Mami Nora.

UPDATE: okay, so it's been like two months since I was on this trip and I slacked slacked slacked. So I am gonna do my best to recollect all of this goodness.

Every time I go to Durham, Jecca tells me we HAVE to go to this pizza place. And yet, we never seem to make it there. This time, we did. Along with Eli and their fabulous friend Ben, we hit up Pizzeria Toro. 

Pizzeria Toro is a woodfire pizza place with an upscale feel. Local ingredients, warm cozy setting, and handcrafted cocktails. Jecca had been warning me for ever that there would be a long wait and that we would get some cocktails in the bar. To our surprise, we were seated immediately and started perusing the menu.

Now, I don't know how this is my life, but I am surrounded by academics and vegetarians. I have no idea how this happened, but I am not mad at it! So there would be no sharing in my world at this restaurant, which is just fine by me. I was very excited about a cocktail with moonshine (I feel in love with moonshine 6 years ago in NOLA at Cochon). BAH! They were out of it. No matter, an Old Fashioned it is. Very nicely balanced and full of booze, just like I want it.

We decided to start with a couple of things: one of which was the suppli el telefono with chanterelles and mozzarella. Dumplings of risotto deep fried and served in a cone? Well OKAY!

I then ordered the white pizza with hog island clams, hot pepper and grana padano. Holy hell, that is some good pizza. Salty, spicy and full of the sea. Sounds crazy but it balanced out very well. Also, look how pretty! 

In summation: can't wait to go back next time I am in Durham, which will most likely be sooner rather than later. 

Okay: now there are a bunch of other places we went that I can't for the life of me do super in-depth stuff on. SO: here are links and photos and highlights!

Locopops: handcrafted popsicles. I had the strawberry balsamic: FOR YUM. 

Parts&Labor/Morotco : really excellent bar with patio and great food. Jecca called this the Triple Rock of Durham, which I can totally see. Lots of bands play at this place as well. Highlights: the artichoke beignets, fried oyster salad, noodle salad, cucumber collins and Jecca. 

Rose's Meats and Sweets: I HAVE TO GO BACK THERE NEXT TIME I AM IN DURHAM. I didn't get the full experience I think. I was super full and I over-ordered and was kind of a dummy about it. Everything was delicious but I was just not feeling 100%. But here are some photos of the awesomeness. Highlights: Shortbread cookies with meyer lemon curd, beautiful BBQ brisket sandwich with housemade pickles. 

I am full just talking about this! Can't wait to go there again. 

God Bless The Biscuit Belt

When I told people in the Midwest that I was going to visit my sister in Durham, North Carolina the first thing they would say is, "oh, you have to eat biscuits". This I knew, as North Carolina is known for biscuits upon more biscuits. Within in city of Durham, there are 4 or 5 biscuit places I can count just off the top of my head, and I don't even live there. So it was my mission to get as many biscuits as I could put in my face for the 5 days that I was in the triangle (Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill). And biscuits were consumed.

I arrived on a Monday, starving. I left Chicago really early in the AM and didn't get a chance to eat breakfast. Jecca picked me up and we went straight to Rise Biscuits and Donuts. Jecca had never been there, but a friend of mine (Hi Alysia!) who used to live in Durham told us we should check it out. Located in a strip mall next to a nail salon, it is quite unassuming. We went in and the menu was overwhelming with fantastic selections. Jecca is a vegetarian, and Rise has a biscuit sandwich with fried eggplant "bacon". She got that, and I got a biscuit with fried chicken and bacon. Flaky biscuits, brimming with flavor. Jecca fell in love with the eggplant bacon, I tried it as well: delicious and crisp. My fried chicken biscuit was perfect, juicy chicken and bacon done just right. We also got a couple of donuts to bring home: a blueberry "wonut" with blueberry glaze and a pineapple basil with pineapple glaze filled the basil creme filling and pistachios. What is a wonut you ask? Well I'll tell you: waffle donut! So cute.

In Summation: The biscuits are out of this world. A must for the biscuit lovers. The donuts were good, but not our favorite in Durham. I want to try the fennel and pink grapefruit donut next time.

Tuesday brought us to Monuts. Now, I love monuts. I have been to their old location twice before, and I have been following their construction and new space on instagram for a while, and was so looking forward to checking it out.

It did not disappoint. Eli (my brother-in-law) and I got 2 donuts: apple cider cake donut and a maple glazed raised. Both were perfect. Jecca then met us for lunch and I had a biscuit and a beautiful salad of arugula, pea shoots, asparagus, a slow poached egg and fresh farmer cheese. They both had bagel sandwiches: the bagels at monuts are fantastic. I also had a crazy coffee: it was a combo of espresso and cane sugar cola. WHOA. BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ.

In Summation: a good biscuit, not spectacular. Probably my fault for not getting anything on it. However, everything else is fantastic here. The donuts are for sure the best in the city, as are the bagels. It's a great place to hang out, and they now have beer and wine! Bonus!

Wednesday Jecca and her friend Ben and I went to Scratch Bakery for breakfast. I have had the bread from Scratch, they have a booth at the Durham Farmers Market and I knew I was in for some good stuff.

I went with a biscuit with an egg and cheese. Keeping it super simple. It was perfectly lovely. Jecca got a buttermilk donut muffin that was to die for. I also had a fantastic iced vanilla latte, made with one of my favorite Midwestern coffees: Intelligentsia. However, everything we had was overshadowed by the pie. Oh yes, pie for breakfast: and what a pie it was. A perfect strawberry rhubarb. The crust was just the right consistency and the filling bright, sweet and tart.

In Summation: I really want to go back to Scratch for some of the savory offerings: but it's gonna be really hard when there is that pie staring at me. I mean, their website is piefantasy.com.

Thursday Jecca and I met up with the creator of sheelanumnum.com: Alex, and his kids Viv & Nick. We met at Parker & Otis, a favorite place of mine in Durham. It's part gift store, part wine shop, part cafe, all awesome (For Twin Cities folks reference: it's like if Cafe Latte, Patina and Surdyk's were all one store. With better food). A friend of Jecca's had told me to get the pimento cheese biscuit there, and of course I had to try that. Sadly, they didn't have it on this day, so I went with a cheese, egg and bacon biscuit. Totally good, not outstanding. I do love the pimento cheese here, so hopefully next time I am in town they will have that biscuit!

In Summation: I really like hanging out at Parker & Otis. They have great stuff for everyone and I will be hunting down that biscuit!

Friday, my last day in town. Jecca and I venture in to Chapel Hill to a place I had been hearing about forever. Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen is a tiny shack of a place on the main thoroughfare going in to Chapel Hill. It is a drive through place, and there was a line on the bridge as we approached!

The line was 100% worth the wait. Jecca had an egg, cheese and kale biscuit whereas I went for the pork chop. Yup, that's right. Chicken fried pork chop on a biscuit. This may or may not have been everything I had hoped for and more. Biscuit was soft and pillowy, pork chop beautifully seasoned. It's a good thing I don't live anywhere near here as I would be here every day.

In Summation: Run. Stand in line. Eat all the biscuits.

Phew! And that's just the biscuits! Next up: more Durham goodness.

Suck the Head: New Orleans

DISCLAIMER: this post is not gonna be the same as others. Since I was with my friends on vacation and a little booze soaked at all times I wasn't as diligent about taking photos and notes. But I will do my best! 

New Orleans, you are a blessing and a curse. I could get lost in this city for ever if I wasn't careful. I know I am not the only one, it is known for delicious decadence. When my sister, Jecca, suggested that she and I meet up there to meet our (yes our, we are good at sharing) best friend in New Orleans I immediately responded with OBVIOUSLY.

The last time I was in New Orleans was for said best friends wedding 6 years ago. Siobhan and her fabulous wife JV lived there at the time, moved back to the Twin Cities, now have an amazing little boy (Hi R!) and then recently moved back to NOLA. Since Jecca, Siobhan and I all now live in different cities (yet again) this was a great opportunity to have some time to hang out and celebrate Jecca!

I got it on Jecca's actual birthday, took a cab to Siobhan's house and we had a plan to hit up a drive thru daiquiri place. Yes, that's right, DRIVE THRU BOOZE. Apparently they can't be in the city limits of NOLA anymore but right outside: there they are! Here is me in the back seat of Siobhan's car with my cup of booze.

For Jecca's birthday dinner we went to a place called Mat and Naddie's that S and JV are fans of. Jecca and Siobhan are both vegetarians, JV is both gluten and dairy intolerant, so this place could accommodate all of our needs. It is in a house with a beautiful patio, and we sat in what they call "the clubhouse". It was a glorious night, and we had a fantastic meal. What did we eat? I can't even start to remember. But it was all delicious. I did take a picture of the pie: lemon icebox pie! Southern goodness.

We then hit the bars: there was champagne and whiskey and fun.

The next day we went to Magazine street: to brunch at Surrey's. Shrimp and grits and strong iced coffee is just what I needed. Another winner!

Okay now things start to get a little fuzzy: so here is just a list of goodness and some photos. GET THEE TO NEW ORLEANS. You will be happy with whatever you do there.

-The Franklin : craft cocktails
-Cafe Du Monde : BEGINETS
-13 Monaghan : debris and frozen irish coffee
-K-Jeans: all of the boiled seafood. crawfish for days.
-Superior Seafood : oysters
-Molly's at the Market : dive bar goodness
-Fiorella's Cafe : fried chicken. no really. FRIED CHICKEN. do not miss this.