Raleigh VIP Club » Raleigh Restaurants

Local Raleigh Cheers Bar…and Restaurant

Brandy — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:48:38 +0000

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!

But we didn’t order any. I just wanted something for dinner. I really like their Calzone. The one I ordered had a lot of chicken in it. I think that’s actually the first Calzone that I’ve ordered with chicken. I usually order ham and cheese, spinach and mushroom…or something like that. But everything looks pretty good on the menu. Someone I know actually recommended the pizzas to me awhile ago. I’m sure they’re great so I’ll probably do carryout sometime. There are some really good pizza places around Raleigh and I like to try them all. I like New York style pizzas and brick oven pizzas.

Thai Sushi Raleigh Restaurant

Thai Sushi Raleigh Restaurant

Brandy — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:06:35 +0000

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.

Here’s what ours looked like:

It came with California rolls, tekka maki, Japanese bagels, sashimi, and nigiri. It was pretty good. Not the best I had and definitely not the worst. We’d come back. And we’ve been there several times so we knew what to expect.

Dinner also came with a salad with a ginger carrot dressing. I liked the dressing. It was different. The Boat also came with seaweed salad. If you haven’t tried seaweed salad, it has a very distinct texture and is very good for you, healthwise. I like it but I’m sure many people don’t ‘cause it might remind them of what it really was — something floating in the ocean. But supposedly seaweed has the nutritional value of a multivitamin which is a very general statement. Especially since some vitamins don’t absorb in your body like they should.

Oh, and here’s our server. Their work shirts are pretty cool. On the back, they say “Champa Sushi Chick” in big letters just in case you can’t read it.

Not A Good Steak Restaurant Experience

Brandy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:22:31 +0000

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.

I ordered a ribeye steak with veggies on the side. It had some fancy entrée name but I don’t remember it. Everything was just kinda not memorable and tasteless. It wasn’t so bad though, as I was able to eat most of it ’cause I was hungry. And we took the bone home to Apollo and he really liked it. He’s young so his tastes aren’t as refined as ours (and may never be). Plus he’ll eat anything we give ‘em especially if it has got a meaty flavor. He’s just your average canine.

But to me, the true test of whether the food is good is if you get carryout and still like it. Because then you’re able to just isolate the food from the restaurant service and ambiance. We get a lot of Outback carryout. So that’s where we prefer for the same food and overall price point.

Upscale Flemings Steakhouse

Brandy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:59:23 +0000

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.

Eric ordered the Fleming Memorable Meal with filet and ¾ pound Alaskan King crab legs (3 big crab legs).

I ordered the Prix Fixe 3 course meal with scallops.

They both came with salad, family portion sides and dessert. Oh and really great French bread just the way I like it. Really crunchy. And the roasted tomato spread was to die for. It also came with another spread that was like a butter cream. I couldn’t really taste it very much but I guess it would’ve been the same to me if they just brought fresh butter.

I had a spinach salad and Eric’s dinner came with a butter (bibb?) lettuce salad with a citrus dressing. They were okay — dressings were a bit heavy.

Our family size feast sides could have probably served 4. It was all really good.

Okay, so I’m taking photos in the Ladies bathroom with no one in it of course. But I just thought it was a very pretty bathroom with the tiles. What can I say?…I notice these things.

Coming back to the table, our meals came with pre-set desserts. Mine was a banana crème brulee. It was kinda strange as the bananas were carmelized. I guess I’m just used to a traditional crème brulee. But hey, that’s good for my waist line as I only took a few bites.

Eric had a mixed berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. It was served with Chantilly cream. It all sounded good but I didn’t think it was out of this world. But that’s okay. I still thought it was a great value, service was impeccable, and food was very yummy…so they hit the big marks.

Plus we got a $25 gift card to come back. That’s just smart business

Celebrating Angus Barn’s 45th Anniversary!

Brandy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:36:44 +0000

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)…

Angus Barn was the first restaurant I ate at in Raleigh. Service was impeccable and the food was great. Things haven’t changed as they celebrate their 45th Anniversary. Congratulations Angus Barn! To the next 45 years…hopefully I’ll be around to celebrate your 90th birthday with you. (…and no, they didn’t pay me to say that!)

I had their pork chops which was a Chef Special. Anytime there’s a Chef Special there it’s worth checking out. They also had a Shrimp and Grits special…another fav’rite of mine. Could I eat two dinners, pleeze?

Cameron Village's 60 Years Celebration

Brier Creek's Classic American Deli

Brandy — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:33:34 +0000

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.

I’d classify it as an American deli – appropriate for this week as we head into celebrating the fourth of July this weekend. The menu is full of choices. So if you don’t know what you want then you might be looking at it for awhile. They have everything including make-your-own-sandwich, salads, po’boys, pasta, clubs, wraps, and paninis. The Chicken Panini sandwich is my fav’rite. It has marinated chicken breast with provolone, basil pesto, organic spinach, pine nuts and olive oil. I love pesto and pine nuts! Oooh, and the crunchy Panini bread. I’m tempted to buy one of those Panini press machines.

Ciabatta is another one of my fav’rite breads. I think next time I’ll try the Ciabatta-bing! Which is oven roasted turkey breast with guacamole on multigrain ciabatta.

I also love Jason Deli’s American potato salad. I think it’s my favorite ‘cause there’s not too much mustard or any sauce. I also like their tuna salad. I like to substitute the salads for the chips. What’s your fav’rite that I should try?

Spicy BBQ Pizza at Foster's Market

Brandy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:57:33 +0000

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!

It reminds me of the pitchers of Sam Adams beer that my friends and I used to get at the annual Oktoberfest. We always had a darn good time…lotsa laughs and beer.

But anyway, enough digressing… back to Foster’s. They serve breakfast, salads, sandwiches and wraps. The seating area looks like a coffee house. And they do serve coffee too as they have a separate station for fresh-to-order coffee. They also offer pre-made family dinners. Perfect for busy people who don’t want to cook

North Carolina Barbecue, Ribs, and Wings in Apex

Brandy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:18:36 +0000

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.

Our friends were doing a barbecue sauce tasting while we were waiting for our food. They said the chicken sauce was the best.

Sparks also has some smokin’ sides including Pig Chips, Mama’s Macaroni Salad, Boiled Cabbage, and Fried Squash. I had their sweet potato fries which were sooo good. We ordered North Carolina barbecue. It was gooood…maybe ‘cause it was a little fatty.

Carmens Cuban Cafe in Raleigh

Brandy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:55:09 +0000

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.

But about the food… one of my fav’rite main courses is Churrasco con Chimichurri. It’s grilled skirt steak in a chimichurri sauce… it’s not hot even though it sounds like there might be some hidden jalapenos in there. I love their yuccas that comes as a side! I love plantains also but theirs is too sweet and mushy for my taste, so I opt for the yuccas. You also get a choice of pinto or black beans with yellow or white rice, or moros or congris. The food is really like nothing I’ve tasted in the Triangle.

Palomilla with Yellow Rice and Plantains

I’ve had the Palomilla steak which is marinated sirloin grilled topped with onions. It’s really great too. Oh I forgot to mention about the appetizers. If you order cerviche as an appetizer, they give you a big portion in a martini glass like the photo above.

And the best dessert EVER there is Tres Leches. It’s to die for as it’s a really, really moist vanilla cake. It melts in your mouth and if you like vanilla you’ll love this cake! Did I already mention it’s really moist?

They also have an impressive Kids Menu Cuban food restaurant so don’t be afraid to bring the youngans.

If you plan to go, be sure to download a $25 gift certificate for just $10 online (that’s a $15 savings!) at this link:

Carmen’s Cuban Cafe & Lounge

They have salsa…not the sauce (well…that too), but the dance for entertainment. I remember when my post college Latin American friends and I used to go salsa dancing in the DC clubs on the weekend back in the late 90’s. They taught me how to salsa, ‘cause they were born with salsa legs and the latin beat.

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

Celebrating Raleigh’s Dunkin Donuts 15,0000th Store

Brandy — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:38:37 +0000

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.

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