Lynnwood Grill is a local Raleigh restaurant/bar. The bar reminds me of the Cheers bar kinda. When we went it was pretty crowded. They have indoor and outdoor seating.

I was pretty hungry after running some household errands. It’s a casual place but a lot people were dressed nicely…well better than casual. But no suits or anything like that. After we got sat we took a look at the drinks. I discovered a drink called Granny Smith Woodchuck Draft Cider that I wanted to try and really liked. It’s very refreshing and not too sweet. Even for me. Kinda like an apple Jolly Rancher but without all the sugar and sugary taste. Actually I prefer it that way. They apparently sell other Woodchuck Draft Cider flavors at specialty stores I’d imagine. Flavors like Pear and Raspberry. I’ll have to look around.

I checked out the appetizers too. They have a full page of 50 or more appetizers on the menu. That’s a lot of appetizers!

There are a few thai and sushi food restaurants in Raleigh. One that we have visited several times is Champa at Brier Creek. It’s small inside and usually packed with people.  The seating area is very open. You can pretty much see everything when you walk in the front door.  There’s a bar in the back.

We were really in the mood for sashimi and sushi. It’s lighter than most Thai food. So, we ordered the Sushi Sample Boat. It actually came on a boat. We weren’t that hungry so we didn’t order the big one.

We were trying to decide where to eat. Somewhere casual but a little nice. We didn’t exactly choose the right place this time. We went to Longhorn Steakhouse. It wasn’t to our liking. I remembered it differently from the last time we were there. Maybe because the décor in the restaurant is appropriate and I thought I was walking into possibly a nicer restaurant establishment than it turned out to be ’cause the food was just so-so.

The Longhorn salad that came with my dinner was wilted. Honestly I think I’ve had a similar salad on the run at a fast food place. I’m not trying to be super critical but that’s what my experience was like.

Have you been to Flemings?  They’re owned by the same people that own Outback Steakhouse but you’d never know it ‘cause it looks like an upscale steakhouse like Sullivan’s on Glenwood if you’ve ever been.

A lot of Fleming’s decor are these huge wine bottles.  I think they call the 1.5 Liter a Magnum bottle.  They’re empty here. 

Our server, Janet, was memorable and gave us impeccable service. She was very professional and even gave us her business card …servers now carry business cards? I actually thought she was a manager ‘cause she carried herself that way. She thoroughly pronounced and went through all the specials and knew them and the ingredients inside-out. And she knew the wine menu really well too. I don’t normally go for Italian wines but the Ruffino Chardonnay was great. The one thing I’ll say that was a little over the top was how she said ‘thanks’ after everything. She came by a lot but not too much, which was impressive.  And that’s what really counts.  So don’t get me wrong, her saying ‘thanks’, a lot was 100% better than her being an unattentive server.

When I think of a Raleigh landmark, there’s one place that sticks out in my mind. It’s the big red barn off Glenwood. Inside, none of the animals are live. And there’s a Wild Turkey Lounge, an authentic gun room display, and a Country Store. 

And they even have a complimentary shoe shining.  I think that’s like a pedicure for a man…(same happy effect)… 

If you wanna feel like you’re in a New York deli, then go to Jason’s Deli at Brier Creek…it’s the place to go. At any time of the day you’ll find it’s busy. It’s a chain nationwide and interestingly there are none of these delis in New York.

Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza!

I had the spiciest pizza ever at Foster’s!  ..Man, it burnt my mouth but in a it-hurts- so-good-kinda way. It was so hot that even Eric couldn’t eat it until he took off some of the jalapenos. It was the Backyard BBQ Chicken pizza with chicken, onions, mozzarella…with cilantro and Foster’s special barbecue sauce which is sweet. But the jalapenos were crazy hot!

Foster’s pizzas are 10 inch handmade, wood-fired pizzas. Hmmm…now I’m wondering are brick oven and wood fired the same? I know they sound different but I wonder if they taste different… I’ve know I’ve had brick oven pizza from many Italian restaurants up north like Macaroni Grill and Bertucci’s, but I’m wondering if I ever had wood fired pizza before Foster’s. Anyway…it was a good experience. I had it with a Sam Adams Summer Honey Ale beer. That just sounds so yummy perfect for summer!

Down in Apex where things are still developing, you’ll find some new shopping centers. In one there is a place called Sparks Wings and Ribs. It’s a neat restaurant joint. It has a new but really rustic feel with the wooden benches at the booths. There’s a bar room separated with a door. And you can order all kinds of wings and barbecue. I love North Carolina barbecue! With the wings you can get any of 20 or more sauces including Panther sauce, Knock Ya’ Block Off, Louisiana Bacon, or Miami Madness sauce. It would be hard to get bored with all the choices.

Feel like having a spicy evening with your friends and family?… then visit Carmen’s Cuban Café and Lounge. It’s an adult kid friendly restaurant . They have great Cuban food…probably the only Cuban restaurant in Raleigh. It’s a small place but has two different rooms. I love how intimate it is and how the open bar sits in the middle of the main room when you walk in.

I like the name Carmen. It reminds me of the opera Carmen. Once upon a time I used to love to go to operas. Wonder if there are many opera lovers in the Triangle?? I just love the passionate music and singers. I still do I guess, I just have other ways to express my music appreciation.

15,000th Dunkin' Donuts Store in Raleigh

Dunkin’ Donuts 15,000th store…I had to make sure I got the number of zeros right on that. That’s pretty impressive – they must be doing something right. I went through the drive thru at the 15000th store on Glenwood and celebrated with hundreds of others yesterday. They had a celebratory 15 cents special for a donut, coffee (hot or iced) or soft serve cone. I opted for coffee, a glazed donut, and a soft serve cone.  You sugar cops…before you get on my case… I passed the donut onto my husband as that’s his favorite. The soft serve cone is more my style mid day.