Scout and Molly’s has all their clothing organized by color. That’s what puts the store as one of the top places to find in style fashionable clothing in the Triangle.

Thank goodness, there’s a boutique that has some way of organization! You feel like you’re walking into a big closet. Usually you go in and everything is put on different racks with no rhyme or reason and visiting is ‘hit or miss’ but at Scout and Molly’s they carry a large enough inventory to separate out the clothing. They carry all kinds of designer labels including Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, BCBG, Ella Moss to name a few.

They have a wide selection of jeans. Right now they’re having a jeans sale. They carry Joe’s Jeans and AG Jeans.

And they have a separate area for shoes – their shoe-tique. How cute!

So if you want a unique top that says something about yourself or you know you want something in a certain color, you can almost be sure to find something at Scout and Molly’s with one caveat… you have to find your right size (which can be a tall order!) .  As with most boutiques, they usually have one of a kind pieces.

Related posts:

• Raleigh Designer Consignment Store
• Raleigh Shopping Spree Event

McCormick and Scmick’s isn’t a new restaurant but is new to Raleigh. Actually one of the first dates my husband and I went on was at McCormick and Schmick’s. (We also had one of our first dates at P.F. Changs — he had a full plate of peanuts left over that he couldn’t pick up with his chopsticks on his Kung Pao Chicken dish. He didn’t take offense when I laughed at his plate, which was a good early sign we might be compatible).

But anyway, they serve both options. I think one of the great things about McCormick and Schmick’s is that the seafood is fresh and they serve what’s in season. The menu changes daily as you can see ours was dated the same day we were there.

They offer both grilled and fried seafood options.  It’s not a new concept as Red Lobster and beach seafood serving restaurants had been doing this for years, but I really think these places sell more deep fried dishes than grilled options. Oh, btw, …up north they call it pan fried. Deep fried is really a southern thing…our Raleigh waiter referred to some deep fried dishes. I guess we’re close enough to the deep south.

I ordered the grilled wild Alaskan halibut which is one of my favorite fishes. It’s light, moist and flaky.  My entree came with pieces of crab and gnocchi (potato dumplings).  I’m not sure I’m a fan of those although I like most every other Italian food. Gnocchis just look too much like roly poly bugs (you know those grey bugs with all the legs that roll up into a ball…yuck!) . And ontop of that I don’t really like the mushy taste. But it was alright this time. The fish was really good and that’s what really mattered.  The mixed green salad that I ordered was very good also. They have a very light sweet dressing (perhaps raspberry vinaigrette). I couldn’t really make out what it was but I liked it.

Alaskan Halibut in Raleigh

Eric had the wild Northwest Salmon with corn risotto. His was really good too. Portions aren’t that big but big enough for a meal.

Fresh Northwest Salmon

For dessert, we had a Bag of Chocolate…what? It was literally chocolate shaped into a bag filled with white mousse and strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Here, see for yourself.

Bag 'O Chocolate Dessert...what a treat!

It was really good but wish there were more fruit and less fatty mousse. On the dessert tray, they also had a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting in between the layers, key lime cheesecake, mango crème brule, apple cobbler, and berry cobbler. Listen, I pay attention when they go over the sweets!

All in all, we thought it was a decent value for high quality food. I’d go there any day over any other seafood restaurant in Raleigh. They’ve got outdoor seating and a nice bar inside the restaurant with Happy Hour Specials in case you want to meet a friend after work or something.

Related posts:

• Raleigh's North Carolina State Fair
• Local Raleigh Cheers Bar…and Restaurant
• Thai Sushi Raleigh Restaurant

In Angus Barn, there are several dining areas upstairs and on the main level. There’s a lot of moose décor on the walls and deer antlers for chandeliers.  And or course the checkered blue and white tablecloths.   I could’ve sworn they were red and white checkered at one point.

We’ve been to this popular restaurant for more than a few special occasions. If you look around the restaurant, you’ll see balloons tied to tables throughout the restaurant which means there’s a special occasion going on at that table.

The restaurant is the type of place you don’t need to dress up for and can look forward to putting on a nice pair of jeans and a nice shirt or whatever you were wearing to work that day coming from the office… and you’ll be in company with affluent parties and business people.

Angus Barn food is unique. First of all, they serve crackers with two types of cheeses instead of the traditional bread that most restaurants do. They also have a ‘lil bar that you can help yourself to olives, celery sticks and pickles.

One of the appetizers we ordered on this night was their ostrich appetizer with their cole slaw and peanut sauce. This was actually a dish that Chef Walter Royal prepared in a face-off competition on the hit show Iron Chef America. Other well known Iron Chef America competitors you’ve most likely heard of, are Mario Batali and Bobby Flay.

I’d never had ostrich and can’t say I’d try it again but it was well prepared. Here’s what it looks like:

Iron Chef's ostrich appetizer

Also, Angus Barn makes their own wine which I think is really good. When we went, it was $5 a glass for the chardonnay or cabernet.

I also love their spinach salad. It’s served with eggs, bacon, and mushrooms and comes with a warm poppy seed dressing that you pour ontop of your bowl at the table. It’s so good!

Delish Spinach Salad!

Their menu is generally beef but there are some vegetarian options. I like the Ribeye cut the best and my husband likes the Chateaubriand that cuts real smooth. I always get Filet Mignon and the New York Strip cut confused. I generally don’t eat much red meat but since we were in Angus Barn, that’s what they’re known for best, so I go ahead and order it.

Angus Barn's Ribeye steak with sweet potatoes

For dessert, they have a huge dessert tray. I mean HUGE. Here it is with our waiter Thomas. We ordered the chocolate chess pie with vanilla ice cream. It’s dry on the outside and moist and dense in the inside.

I think the value at Angus Barn is good because the food is really good. But make no mistake, it’s definitely an upscale restaurant with upscale prices. The red meat entrees start around $30, but it’s the real deal so I don’t mind paying for quality.

When you’re leaving the restaurant, don’t forget to take a red delicious apple for later.

Related posts:

• Take a trip to Raleigh's State Farmer's Market

And the BEST part is…they’re the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned! I’ll never buy another athletic brand shoe AGAIN! Here’s my 3 year old pair. They don’t look too beat up, do they? You’d never know that they’ve been in the washer several times. Am I the only person who washes her athletic shoes in the washer?

If you wanna get your own similar pair, you can order them by clicking on the link.
BIKERS – STRAIGHTAWAY – (Style: 21552)

Related posts:

• Raleigh Designer Consignment Store

So why not LIVE IT UP with some CUL-AH!!!!

Painting is one of the few fun things you can do around the house yourself, inexpensively and really make a very dramatic impact. For me, colors either inspire me or they depress me.

I’m just not afraid of the COLORS. Some people really ARE! I’ve been in homes where they’re deciding between a white and an off white. Are you kidding me??? Like anyone is going to really notice the difference!

So you’re probably wondering, what kind of CRAZY colors I have on my walls, right?

Well I’ve got a clay orange wall in the dining room. The kitchen is a dusty rose color but that’ll change to something warmer. The living room is a yellow beige called Blonde. The study that I’ll show you soon has a red accent wall with the rest of the walls as a blue-gray. I’ve got a green room. We’ve got a denim blue den. And wait ‘til you see my bathroom. It’s a melon pink with a band at the bottom with a split pea green soup (well…you’ll see it in my future videos). Let’s just say I had fun with the big Crayola crayons set to play with when I was younger. Oh, and I also have a navy blue hallway…it looks pretty regal if you ask me. So I’m pretty all over the place when it comes to colors and the mood I wanna bring in. And lighting, size of room, and furniture all come into play in paint color choices.

So where do I get all these CRAZY color paints? My favorite paint store…Benjamin Moore. I used to buy my paints at Duron (Sherwin Williams brand) and places like Lowe’s and Home Depot. But then I discovered that these are the brands that builder’s choose ‘cause they’re the cheapest. They’re the contractor grade paints. I asked the Benjamin Moore helper one time what made their paints so superior? And when I asked her specifically what made theirs different from Duron paints…she just laughed. OOHHH-KAY… Then she went onto tell me about how if you rub your fingers across the flat Duron paints on the wall…you’ll see it’s like chalk that you can’t wash over if there’s a smudge mark. Well, I discovered it’s hard to clean over any flat paint. I think she meant to say that the Benjamin Moore paints last longer and are easy to clean – that’s what I’m talkin’ about! And they have an eco-friendly line called Eco Spec. There’s also a premium quality line called Affinity where the colors are more subtle so you can mix and match say for example, if you want several striped colors in a room. If you’re at a loss what that can look like, they do that a lot on HGTV’s Color Splash show.

Benjamin Moore Affinity Premium House Paints

Now I wanna let you know that all those paint benefits are great… but for me, it’s secondary to having a large color palette to choose from. Benjamin Moore has one of, if not the largest color selection. And they sell tiny samples for $3.99 like the ones pictured below here so you can try it on a wall before you invest in a quart or gallon can. Once in awhile they have a coupon out for a free sample that you can take advantage of. The samples are really the way to go if you can’t decide ‘cause a can of paint is gonna cost you.

A gallon of Benjamin Moore paints starts at $38 per gallon. While that’s not the least expensive, it’s also a much better quality paint so it will last you a longer time. Something to think about next time you have a paint job. OH – and they have a very helpful selection of paints that are pre-selected in case you want to narrow the paint choices down to just a few most popular paints. They’re labeled the Pottery Barn paints. These must’ve come out sometime late last year I wanna say. Pottery Barn to me is very mainstream. You just can’t really go wrong. And if you want to see these choices, then order their free catalog or get one from one of their stores. You’ll see a lot of the paint options in their catalog where they illustrate rooms with painted walls and their home furnishings. They even point out the paint color on the wall.  Colors like Truffle (pinkish beige) and Olive Branch (greenish beige)… notice I didn’t just describe them as boring beige ’cause they actually have an undertone to them.  Oh, and if you’re daring they’ve got a spicy red called ‘Caliente’!  Would be good for a dining room — not too orang-y and not too bright red where you need your Jackie O’ dark sunglasses to look at in the morning. 

Pottery Barn's Benjamin Moore Selection

Do you have a favorite house paint color (and brand) you wanna share?

Get a $10 Gift Certifcate to Soloman’s for $3. I love Soloman’s! They have great Middle Eastern food with an American flare. They serve french fries with their platters which I really like (please, don’t tell my husband! . …But they also have the healthy kabobs, rice, and pita bread with hummus which is always a fav’rite for us. Great place to take kids and introduce them to a new kinda healthy cuisine.

Ted’s Montana Grill is hard to miss.  It’s Ted Turner’s restaurant that’s popped up everywhere including the Triangle.  …at Triangle Town Center and Streets of Southpoint.   If you’ve never tried Bison and wanted to feel like you’re in Texas or somewhere in the Southwest US, Ted’s is the place to go!  You can get a $10 gift certificate for $3 or $25 gift certificate for $15!   Just click on
the Ted’s Montana Grill logo/graphic.

I love Cuban food.  I got addicted after visiting Miami where they serve it just about in every restaurant.  Good news!  There’s actually a hidden secret place in Raleigh that we discovered a few years ago. Who says there’s no international foods here in the Triangle!?  Carmen’s Cuban Cafe and Lounge is right behind the RDU Airport in Morrisville.  We’ve been there a handful of times.  It’s just a small restaurant with a few tables but they have the real Cuban food.  The servers make the place seem authentic too with their Cuban/Hispanic accents.  The restaurant is right behind the lounge bar when you enter.  I love all their dishes but most memorable is their plaintains, yuca, and moros (white rice with black beans).  I’m telling you, it’s the real deal!  Churrasco con Chimichurri  is a good Cuban 101 dish they serve in case you get overwhelmedwith the menu.  And it’s not a hot dish, in case you’re worried.  You can always add some hot sauce. …and Eric loves the Seafood Paella.  Anyway…you should try it out. Get your $25 Gift Certificate for $10…just click on the ‘Carmen’s’ graphic/logo.

Take 50% Off with every order of Dinner of the Month Club purchase. Use the code CHEF thru 3/9/09.

Related posts:

• Raleigh's North Carolina State Fair

Here are some Raleigh furniture stores to visit:

1) Rooms to Go – Glenwood Ave.

2) Haverty’s -Glenwood Ave.

3) La-Z-Boy- Glenwood Ave.

4) Furniture Market – off Glenwood Ave. Good deals here, see my furniture article yesterday

5) Ashley Furniture-Capital Blvd.

6) Thomasville and Boyles Furniture – Brier Creek

And here’s one that I personally love to window shop in for fun… Ambiente Furniture off Brier Creek Parkway past Aviation Parkway. If you like upscale, contemporary European furniture with super sleek lines and curves, then Ambiente has a very nice selection at pretty good prices. Lots of leather , suede, and shiny lacquer furniture in typical male preferred colors like brown and black. But also, reds, greens, blues, whites.

Ifyou visit Raleigh’s Ambiente showroom, be sure to have a sales associate show you the warehouse ‘cause there are a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces with really great prices. You can be sure your neighbor or friend won’t have any piece of furniture you purchase.

Ambiente gets a lot of their stuff from High Point…go figure? Another reason why you don’t have to leave the Triangle to get great furniture buys. They also carry office furniture. They mainly carry a Denmark line called Jesper. It’s like an upscale IKEA selection. Nothing bulky.

If you need furniture but are strapped and only have a furniture-shoestring-budget, I’d suggest IKEA. That 80’s born store is not just popular for any ‘ol reason. They provide good, inexpensive Euro-style household accessories and furniture.

It’s no longer the store for just young people starting out or college dorm shopping.

With its new store in Charlotte opening this rainy day, you’d be hard pressed to find a better value store to shop in. Just don’t get lost in the Market Place where your knick knacks can add up. Oh, and I heard their Swedish Meatballs in the IKEA restaurant are to die for. Other inexpensive furniture shopping places you could try are Target, Ballard Designs online, Home Decorators Collection online, Home Goods store (Brier Creek), West Elm and Pier One Imports. Over the years, I’ve bought furniture and home stuff from all these places. They’re nice enough.

Do you furniture shop somewhere else in the Raleigh area? I’d love to hear …

Related posts:

• Raleigh Designer Consignment Store
• Raleigh Trader Joe's Arrives…Finally!

He looks like he could be yappy if he wanted to be… and could get in other dog’s faces, but he’s actually quite shy. And from what we’ve seen, kinda a loner. Awwww…sad. Unless he’s around a dog that doesn’t intimidate him like this ‘lil friend…

Chihuahua Dog Park Meeting

Maybe he secretly wishes he had a doggie housemate. Everyone thinks he’s a pup ‘cause they can’t make out what kinda dog he is. Then they look at his big eyes and usually it then registers. He’s gotten called a baby Rottweiler, a German Shepherd…and other breeds. The kids though know he’s a Chihuahua. Kids are so observant. His ears do funny things which makes him look different at different times.

At You Lucky Dog, they put the dogs on the same schedule every day so they know what to expect. Apollo is usually tuckered out, and out of pocket for about half a day when he gets home. Then again, that’s how he normally is at home. But then he’s back to his ‘ol cute self of meandering around looking for a treat, begging to be petted, and hoping for an extra walk. By the way, he gets to eat his same food as he eats at home, so maybe that makes him feel at home more.

When the weather is nice, they go outback. If you worry your dog will get an eye infection or things like that from being around other dogs, well…we were too. But we haven’t had any incidents there. They are strict about the dogs being current on bordatella and they use some kind of special grounding outside that keeps any infection causing bacteria away. When it’s raining or nasty out, sometimes you can see the dog pack inside. Where you check in to pick up or drop off your dog, you can see a long tinted window with a view of a large room with white concrete floors. The dogs can see people as they stare in. It’s hilarious to see the dogs jump up and down by the window to see whose looking at them. One dog jumps and the other ones follow. They kinda look like Yo-Yo’s.

Before boarding at You Lucky Dog, we left Apollo at the vet for boarding but that was no fun for him. I think it was chilly where they were and he didn’t get the playful interaction with other dogs. You Lucky Dog is a great alternative for boarding as well as doggie daycare. Many working and single dog parents drop their dog off early in the morning and come pick ‘em up after work. That way, they’ve gotten a full day of play and are tired by the time there owners are ready to wind down at home after a long day of work.

You Lucky Dog also has grooming services. We always get Apollo a bath before he comes home. He usually smells really good, his hair is silky soft and smooth, and he has a handkerchief or bow around his neck. And his nails get trimmed. That’s my sparkly boy! He’s usually very excited to see us when we pick him up.

You Lucky Dog is right off Glenwood Avenue, behind Cook-Out office complex with the red roofing,  if you know where that is.  If not, it’s on the way to Brier Creek if you’re coming from east or Crabtree Valley area.

…The malls are pretty dead mid week in January, especially during this slow economy.  But, there’s an eatery that seems to have a steady flow of customers.  It’s LaVitaDolce.  Not the type of common name you run across at the mall.  This eatery isn’t located at the food court where I might get lost among the sea of fast food kiosks.  Nope, LaVitaDolce has a corner of its own. And it’s unique enough for it.I think LaVitaDolce is the type of casual meeting place for the future.  I’m gonna start calling it LVD for short ‘cause I loved, loved, LVD…it!  It stands out. On the outside, it has a very modern and futuristic look to it.  It’s inviting in just that way. The store is mostly all white and has a bright orange wall.  The furniture is mostly all white and looks IKEA-like.  There are bistro tables with 2 and 4 chairs.  There’s also a diner bar table with seating too.  For some it might be too modern or sterile looking, but I thought it was cool!  Right now, there’s only one store in the Triangle at South Point Mall.

They sell gelato and sorbetto…I think that’s the cute way of saying the sorbet version of gelato.  Instead of cream, they use water.  Great for someone looking for something sweet without the fat and calories.

And YUM-O as Rachel Ray would say!  By the way, I’m not sure she doesn’t get on my nerves but for some reason I always remember her saying that on her cooking shows.  That, and EVOO.

I tried the apple-a-la-mode gelato on a ‘lil plastic Pepto Bismol pink spoon that was shaped like a snow shovel…  that’s what I felt like doin’…shoveling some more in my mouth.  Lady, bring it on!  It was so GOOD!  I ordered a sampler.  It’s good for us gelato connoisseurs.

Oh, I gotta tell you a few quick stories.  When I was 11, I was lucky to get to go to Europe with my family.  I remember when we were in Italy and for one dinner, they served us spumoni ice cream and I just LOVED it.  Being a kid, I didn’t ask for much during the whole trip.  But that night, they gave me a second serving of ice cream.  Even today, I’d ditch dinner for ice cream any day.  And I have.  When I had some of my baby teeth pulled, I remember eagerly anticipating eating ice cream for dinner.  Funny how you can remember childhood tastes and smells and recall such random, happy memories.   Oh, and one time I got lost in the mall and there was a Friendly’s ice cream restaurant that I happen to stumble into…as luck would have it..ha!..that’s what I’m talkin’ about!  And the people there were really friendly to me.  I remember being scared and sad that I was lost but feeling okay and comforted with the gobs of ice cream those nice Friendly people kept giving me.

Anyway, here’s a photo of the sampler. These flavors are strawberry coconut, mint something (stracciacella…but who can remember all that?)…oh,  and a really unique one called Amadeus Dream.  That one is dark brown color and has some drizzled squiggly green lines of glaze on it.  That one was killer!  It’s made of hazelnut, pistachio, and almond.  The owner said the coffee one is very popular and they also had a banana one which looked good too.  For the sampler I ordered, they’re sitting ontop of these itty bitty ice cream cones and held up by an upside down mini paper cup about the size of a Dixie cup.  I’m no package branding genius…but that to me is a clever design!  Otherwise they sell ‘em in small, medium, and large or bambino, mezzo, grande…if you speak Italian. Prices range from $3-$5. I can’t wait to try the other flavors. Fer sure…next time!  Doesn’t the display case just make your mouth water? 

LVD sells coffee, sandwiches, drinks, smoothies, gelato..  This place rocks!  For lunch, I ordered the Ham and Mushroom Quiche.  It was good.  The owner said it was made by a local baker.  My only complaint was that it was too small and not really the size you would expect to pay for $5+…especially in this economy.

I asked one of the owners what her favorite Italian soda is?  She said blackberry soda.  So I ordered that one but was tempted to try the cinnamon one.  I dunno, I’ve been doing cinnamon everything lately.  Must be a winter thing.  But there are so many flavors to choose from.  You can see the syrups behind the counter.  I’m not sure the $3.50 price is warranted ‘cause there’s a lot of ice…kinda like the Frappucino coffees at Starbucks…but they seem to have people ordering that stuff all the time.  People like me!  They have a deal for a grilled cheese sandwich and chips for 3 bucks.  Now that’s more like an economy-conscious meal.  From what I hear, it sells real well with retail mall workers that don’t make a lot!

If you’re sugar conscious or diabetic, they also have sorbets (sorbeto, I mentioned) and sugar free choices.  They use Splenda.  I’m not a big fan.

Anyway great experience. I think this type of shop is the wave of the future.  I was actually almost surprised that our little Raleigh town has the first store.  That’s pretty cool ‘cause I think the concept will do well in any metro area.   We shall see.

I’ll be back there. But in the meanwhile, have a latte fun!

Related posts:

• Raleigh Designer Consignment Store
• Local Raleigh Cheers Bar…and Restaurant
• Thai Sushi Raleigh Restaurant