Foodies

Aaron and I consider ourselves foodies.  We love good food and we'll try pretty much anything.  It's funny because Aaron was a super picky eater growing up, when he went to college he only ate chicken, bread and french fries.  I hear so many stories about his super strict diet at family functions. :-)  When I graduated college, I was used to going out to eat at the normal chains - Outback, Chili's, maybe the Olive Garden.  I went to nicer places for nice occasions, but I was fine with eating with one of these chains with my girls or on a date night.  But something happened - I moved back to Raleigh, I started dating Aaron, his diet had already advanced and he was eager to show me some new foods.  I also started cooking and realized that I can cook better than most chain restaurants!  I can throw down pasta better than any Olive Garden do it for cheaper and healthier too.  Although I will admit I have no idea how to make an iceberg salad taste as good as their's!

My tips for any wannabe foodies is to be adventurous!  Check out local restaurants in your neighborhood and eat outside of your comfort zone.  I had to learn to accept meat with pink in the center, now I'm learning how to eat eggs that run.  There will be some embarrassing moments - when you order sweetbreads and have no idea you're about to eat calf thymus, true story - but it will be okay!  Win some, lose some.  But have lots of fun.

Last Friday we paired up with some foodie friends and did a mini food tour of Raleigh.  We hit up 4 restaurants and split about 2 plates at each restaurant, then moved on.  We were pretty lucky that most places we went were not too busy and we ate at the most popular restaurant last, around 10:30 when they no longer had a wait.

Here are some pics - excuse some blurriness, my camera had a smudge that I didn't notice until later!

We started at Oro, with foie gras and pork belly.  Foie gras is fattened goose liver and they served it in a carved out bone.  I was a little nervous to try it but it was pretty good!  The taste was actually quite familiar.

This dessert is well-known to Aaron and I, but we had to share it with our friends.  The campfire dessert at Oro.

Next we headed to Capital Club 16, where we had there shanny fries and pimento cheese, apple jam & fig crostinis.  I love this resaturant for feel good American food.  

Hushpuppies and cocktails at The Borough

Dessert at Poole's Diner - banana & walnut bread pudding, chocolate torte

We had so much fun!  Try it yourselves!!

I definitely haven't tried all the restaurants in the Triangle - Stanbury, Second Empire and Crooke's Corner are definitely high on my list.  But below is a list of my favorite places so far, in order by preference

Raleigh

Centro

Oro

Bolt Bistro

honorable mention - Five Star

Durham

Blu's Seafood and Bar

Dame's Chicken & Waffles

Chapel Hill

Acme - love this place

Any restaurants you'd like to share??  Eat on foodies!!!