Head inside the glass doors by the waterfall at the bottom floor of the Fowler Building in the Tobacco District, and you’ll find the District, a restaurant only open on Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm for lunch and from 7:30 am to 10:00 am for breakfast (edited 2/3 to update hours and add breakfast!).


The Fowler Building is also the home of the Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham, and their culinary program is why the District exists in the first place. It’s a training ground for future chefs and a means for them to put what they’ve learned into practice for a few months at a time. The District is only open for part of each semester, and the husband and I decided to try it last Thursday on its opening day with this group of students.

Keep in mind that everything is student-run here, so be forgiving! The wait staff is also comprised of chefs-in-training, and they rotate with the back of the house each month so they can all experience all aspects of restaurant operations during a meal rush. The menu is small, consisting of about 5 appetizers and salads, 5 sandwiches, 3 entrees, and 3 dessert options.

It will stay the same throughout the semester. Worth noting is that they serve Joe Van Gogh coffee, and it was great! So many restaurants serve bad coffee, so I always celebrate the exceptions to that.

We started with the crab cakes, which were served with a red pepper remoulade. They were probably the best dish we had and delicious.

They were jam-packed with crab, fried nicely, and had a great kick from the diced yellow and red peppers inside. The remoulade was also good, though the salad was overly dressed with a strongly lemon vinaigrette. Those patties, though, they were wonderful.

My husband’s tuna melt sandwich was a simple affair—grilled white bread, lettuce, tomato, and swiss cheese that wasn’t melted.

He was okay with it, but probably wouldn’t order it again. At $7, it’s not a bad deal, but a little more imagination would have been nice. Personally, I was sorely tempted by the Asian short rib entrée but decided that the shrimp tacos were more up my alley, being as I’ve only recently started enjoying ribs.

First, the negative: they don’t make their tortillas, so that sacrifices some of the quality of a taco dish, but they do fry the chips in house (and the potato chips, too). The shrimp were cooked just right, and I enjoyed the unexpected and somewhat southern take on tacos—they were served with tomato, lettuce, very thinly sliced and grilled green and red bell peppers, and a green chile salsa that tasted like chow chow. Definitely don’t order them expecting taqueria-style tacos, but I rather liked the interesting take on the dish. The guacamole was some of the best I’ve had in the area, heavy on the lime and cilantro.

We passed on dessert, but what they had is worth mentioning. You can order bananas foster with vanilla ice cream, and they will prepare it tableside for you. Another patron had it while we were there—talk about a fun spectacle while dining! They also offer flourless chocolate cake and a changing ice cream flavor. This day it was cobbler themed with peach bites mixed into spiced vanilla ice cream and topped with crumble. I almost talked myself into it, but I was really full.

The District is a fun restaurant if you need a change from the Tobacco District’ above-ground options and you don’t mind being a training ground for cooking students. They could do with some better quality ingredients in terms of bread and tortillas, but I definitely recommend those crab cakes and the dessert sounded great. Give them a go and help these students gain the experience they need.

The District
410 Blackwell Street
The American Tobacco District
$6–$11
Reviewed 26 Jan 12.

Serving Cuban food in an upscale yet unstuffy atmosphere, Gregoria’s Kitchen is located in an old house on Chapel Hill Road just up the street from La Vaquita. Lured in by the $20 three course meal, we checked it out this past week during Triangle Restaurant Week.

On a Friday night, we were warmly welcomed by two hosts and seated near a harp player. Despite low lighting, candles on the tables and the harp, Gregoria’s manages to feel casual and relaxed. The friendly waitress talked us into trying their mojitos, which were nice but a little too sweet for my taste. We were immediately brought a plate of fresh bread and a roasted pepper butter spread that was excellent. For our appetizers we choose the Relleno de Platano Maduro (beef-stuffed plantains) and the Croquetas con Jamon (described as dumplings with Spanish ham). The plantains were great – the sweet plantain balancing nicely with the spicy ground beef mixture. The croquetas were almost like a crabcake – a fried and crusty bread mixture topped with slivers of ham.

For our entree’s we chose the skirt steak and the Lechon Asado (roasted pork with grilled veggies). The pork was really similar to NC style pulled pork, hunks of roasted pork tossed in vinegar. The roasted veggies consisted of a large red pepper slice, zucchini and squash. The vegetables were really good, but I’m not sure I’d order the pork again. It was just too similar to an average NC BBQ joint. The steak however was excellent – perfectly rare with a peppery crust and topped with chimichurri sauce and fried cassava. For dessert we had the coconut/pineapple flan and a guava pastry topped with vanilla ice cream – both were great.

Everything that was on the Triangle Restaurant Week menu is on Gregoria’s regular menu as well. Appetizers are $4.50-$9 and entrees are all right around $15 with one $19.95 steak and a $37 seafood paella for two. We really enjoyed dinner and the friendly waitstaff and we look forward trying more of Gregoria’s menu. Gregoria’s is a unique, welcome Durham dinner option that won’t break the bank.

Gregoria’s Kitchen
2818 Chapel Hill Rd
Durham, NC 27707
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm – 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm

We used to regularly watch basketball games at the Tavern when it was located on 15-501. It was one of the few places in town that was large enough and off-the-beaten path enough that you didn’t have to fight for a spot to watch a game. When the Tavern moved to its current location on Markham just off 9th street, we had high hopes. We stopped in the first week it was open only to be greeted by oversized bouncers outfitted in mesh shirts and walkie talkies. We didn’t go back.

However this past weekend, after spending too many consecutive nights at Geer St. and Surf Club, we ventured to 9th Street. Two guys playing guitars steered us away from Mitch’s, no empty seats meant Dain’s wasn’t an option and Charlie’s was overtaken by a loud DJ and strobe lights. We ended up at the Tavern.

Because they serve food, the Tavern is no longer a private club which means no membership fee and no bouncers. We were shocked to discover that the Tavern is actually pretty awesome. Lots of decent beers on tap, friendly bartenders and a diverse crowd. It’s a large open space filled with pool tables, dart boards, shuffle board and lots of arcade games. Darts and shuffle board are free, pool is $1 a game. There’s a small room with a stage off to one side. On a Saturday night, the side room was filled with dancers and a DJ. It looks like the Tavern also uses that room for bands and comedy acts.

When we stopped back in this week to give their food a try, the staff was again really friendly and welcoming. The Tavern has a large pub grub menu filled with burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings and the like. All of their sandwiches come with housemade chips and most cost around $6.99. We had the buffalo chicken pita and the veggie burger. The buffalo chicken pita was excellent – a large, fresh pita filled with grilled chicken, lettuce and tomato. The housemade chips were fresh, plentiful, tossed with salt and pepper and served with a side of ranch. The veggie burger was two veggie patties topped with American cheese slices, sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers and served on buttered/toasted Texas toast.

Are they reinventing the wheel? No, but the Tavern is serving affordable, satisfying and solid pub grub in a relaxed atmosphere. It also may be our new favorite spot watch a game, grab a beer and play a round of darts.

The Tavern
1900 W Markham Ave
Durham, NC 27705
(919) 286-7665

Golden Belt finally has a permanent spot to grab a light bite to eat. Blend, a coffee/frozen yogurt shop, opened this weekend during Third Friday. From Blend’s facebook page, they will offer “Counter Culture Coffee, light breakfast and lunch fare sourced locally or prepared in house from local ingredients and frozen yogurt.”

We stopped in Friday night during their opening to sample a coffee and try a yogurt. The space is open and airy, filled with furniture made from salvaged wood from around Durham. All of their disposable cups, utensils and napkins are environmentally friendly. On opening night, Blend was offering pastries from both Daisy Cakes and Loaf in addition to housemade pound cakes and quick breads. No complaints on the caramel latte we sampled made with housemade caramel and Counter Culture coffee.

We also tried the frozen yogurt as well. A new concept in Durham, Yogun Fruz takes blocks of frozen yogurt (low fat vanilla, non fat vanilla or chocolate) and instantly blends it with whatever fruits you select to create a customized flavor. It’s $3.25 for a small blend. We tried a non-fat vanilla blended with strawberries and blueberries. It tasted healthy and dense, we were able to taste the fruit more than the tang of the yogurt. Find out more about the Yogen Fruz concept on their site. Blend’s facebook says they will also serve local ice cream from Homeland Creamery.

Blend will be a nice spot to grab a caffeine hit or a frozen yogurt during art walk events, a maybe less-crowded place to set up the laptop and get some work done or somewhere to pop in for a quick lunch, breakfast or dessert. It’s a nice addition to the Golden Belt complex.

Monday-Friday 7am-7pm and Saturday 9am-3pm
807 East Main Street, Durham, NC 27701

Pop’s is another Durham staple. It’s not a hidden gem or off the beaten path, but it is – simply put – one of the best restaurants in town. And once again in the interest of Carpe Durham becoming a complete dining guide for the Bull City, I wanted to do a quick post.

With both a static entrée list  and seasonal offerings, Pop’s is actually relatively affordable. Only the steak tops $20 and one could make a lovely dinner out of any of Pop’s wood-oven pizzas, all of which are $10. Highlights of the menu for me are the mussels, the meat plate, the seasonal risotto and the salty egg and prosciutto pizza (note to vegetarians – this pizza can be ordered, and is still excellent, without the prosciutto).

Sometimes one wants more than a plate of tacos from Super Taqueria, a slice from Pie Pushers or a burger at the Fed. On those nights when we’re looking for something a little nicer but not too stuffy, we head to the bar at Pops. The bar staff, like the kitchen and wait staff, are all attentive and efficient. From the fluffy towers of focaccia that are placed in front of you when you sit down to the generous pours of wine, Pop’s bar offers a relaxing dining environment with an attention to detail and a dedication to the food.

A variety of eats sampled this past year:

Pop’s
605 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27701

Bull Street Gourmet and Market, a gourmet food market and cafe, recently opened in the now always bustling Hope Valley Square. With Only Burger, Tutti Frutti, Rick’s Diner, Pop’s Backdoor and now Bull Street, I’m starting to envy folks who live on this side of town.

Welcoming and warm, Bull Street Gourmet and Market (an off-shoot of a popular market of the same name in Charleston) has a well-curated small selection of wine, candy, local meats, cheeses, eggs, beer, coffee and other gourmet pantry items. Bull Street is also a cafe offering coffee drinks, fancy teas, baked goods, sandwiches, salads and soups. The sandwiches and salads all hover around the $8 range.

When we stopped in for lunch, we went for the Half and Half – your choice of soup, salad or half sandwich for $8.99. For our salads we chose the Chappy (diced green apple, shaved red onion, toasted walnuts and feta on romaine with lemon poppy seed dressing) and the Drunken (prosciutto, drunken goat cheese and toasted pine nuts with a balsamic reduction). I’m a sucker for drunken goat cheese and I don’t think I’ve ever seen it offered on a salad before. Both were outstanding, fresh and generous with the premium ingredients.

For our sandwiches, we tried the Chicken Salad Sandwich and the Mozz, both were served on fresh ciabatta rolls. Bull Street’s chicken salad is studded with cranberries and almonds and finished with a cranberry mayo. The Mozz is fresh mozzarella, marinated and fresh tomatoes, walnut pesto and balsamic reduction. The chicken salad was really good, but for me the Mozz stole the show; bright with lots of lemon (I’m guessing in the pesto), rich with the balsamic and roasted tomatoes, balanced with the large chunk of fresh mozzarella.

Bull Street’s dedication to local sourcing and emphasis on quality ingredients is admirable. We like that you can stop in for a dozen Latta eggs, a hunk of Goat Lady Dairy cheese and an excellent salad and sandwich. Bull Street also offers a breakfast menu that includes pastries, bagels, housemade sausage and eggs. Their bakery case was full of tempting treats including a variety of cakes and cookies. We resisted this visit, but will be sure to check them out in the future.

Bull Street Gourmet & Market
3710 Shannon Rd.
Monday—Friday 7:30 am—7:30 pm
Saturday—Sunday 9 am—3 pm
919-237-2398

Baguettaboutit, a new sausage/baguette truck, hit the roads of Durham last Friday night and it oddly feels a bit corporate. They already have t-shirts with a pithy slogan “wanted bread or alive,” clever sandwich names, a video screen in the front window showcasing their wares, and cute little pre-printed ordering bags.

The concept of Baguettaboutit is European-style fresh baguettes stuffed with a variety of sausage and sauce options. Their pre-printed ordering bags have their sausage baguette options and a design-it-yourself form. You walk up, write your name in sharpie on the bag, select your sandwich and hand it to the guy in the window. It’s a pretty cool ordering system. We were told all of their sausages are from Giacomo’s Italian Market in Greensboro and their baguettes are brought in from Rhode Island.

All baguettes are $6.50 and the menu options all sounded excellent – they include bratwurst with beer mustard, chorizo with habenero sauce, and a sweet Italian sausage with roasted red pepper sauce. We went with “It’s Greek tU Me,” which is chicken spinach sausage with tzatziki sauce and a “U Talking to Me,” a hot Italian sausage with basil tomato vinaigrette. Note – I found it impossible to take a flattering picture of a sausage-stuffed baguette.

Not surprisingly (they’re sausage-stuffed baguettes) both were good. I found the “It’s Greek tU Me” could have used more tzatziki (which I think was a dill/Greek yogurt combo – no cucumber), but this is their first week of operation. The “U Talking to Me” was the tastier of the two as the basil tomato vinaigrette lent itself better to the all in one sandwich concept. I dig the portability and limited mess of the sausage-in-a-baguette design. Though Baguettaboutit doesn’t have anything for vegetarians on their current menu, they were offering a vegetarian-friendly pimento cheese with red pepper special baguette all weekend.

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Not much needs to be said about Straw Valley Cafe, the pictures will speak for themselves. It is – to put it simply – a coffee shop/wine bar, but really Straw Valley Cafe is an artistic, mid-century paradise in the center of the hellish part of town known as New Hope Commons. Hidden beside a self-storage facility on the road that runs parallel to 15-501, Straw Valley Cafe was shamefully empty on a Saturday afternoon.

We ordered a mexican mocha – a rich spicy chocolate drink that was excellent – and strolled around the grounds. Straw Valley feels like a private residence (the private residence of the coolest person you know), public park and art gallery – needless to say it is pretty incredible . The open house and courtyard are filled with art and mid-century modern furnishings, there are even vintage Durham newspapers on the coffee tables. I look forward to spending a lazy saturday there reading, a night drinking wine with a group of friends or catching a band on their stage. Straw Valley would also make a great spot to rent out for a wedding reception or private party.

The shop does offer pastries, macarons, Kismet crackers, a few sandwiches and customers are encouraged to get food from Pomegranite Kitchen next door and bring it over. For a history of the property, check out the Herald Sun’s feature.

Straw Valley Cafe
5420 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.
Durham, NC 27707
919.403.2233
Closed Mondays.
Tuesday-Saturday 9am-9pm
Sunday 10am-5pm

Yamazushi is a Japanese restaurant that’s been in the Woodcroft Shopping Center since 1986, owned by the same husband and wife pair, George and Mayumi Yamazawa. I’ve been once before, at least four years ago, and it struck me then as your standard sushi and teriyaki restaurant with prices that were somewhat steeper than the others nearby. I discovered on my recent visit that Yamazushi has undergone a transformation—they now offer a unique Japanese dining experience for this area, focused on kaiseki, a multicourse meal of small but thoughtfully planned out courses. In addition to a few starters and midsize entrees that change daily ($6–$16, black cod miso, chef’s sashimi platter, and hot pots were options this night), Yamazushi offers a three-course kaiseki meal to walk-in customers that is $35. If you are interested in the five-course (somewhere around $50) or eight-course (somewhere around $80) options, you’ll need to make reservations ahead of time. You can also request a vegetarian or vegan option when you call. Also worth noting is that the restaurant can only accommodate parties of one to four people.

I wasn’t planning to check out Yamazushi’s new options when we went, so my pictures are crap (sorry!). We ordered a bottle of the Treasure Ship Junmai Ginjo sake and were surprised to be presented with a platter of ceramic drinking vessels to choose our preference from for drinking the sake. It turns out that Chef George also makes all the beautiful pottery that drinks and food are served on! The sake was a little fruity and was a great accompaniment to the meal. Japanese teas and beers are also available.
Since we weren’t prepared for a long meal, we ordered off the regular menu. We were surprised with a first course compliments of the kitchen anyhow, and it was a gorgeous, simple salad with great flavors.

Our shrimp shumai were next, and they were tasty.

The filling tasted fresh and clean. My husband then had a second appetizer for his main course, the tuna tartare with pine nuts and Asian pear.

He found it rather small, but it was just an appetizer portion, and it tasted fine. I opted for the eggplant with miso instead.

It was really, really good. The eggplant was at that stage where the flesh melts in your mouth. I loved it, and it was rather filling for a small portion.

We didn’t stay for dessert, but there were some options that sounded delicious like macha green tea ice cream. When we left, I definitely felt like I’d enjoyed a relaxing evening at Yamazushi, and I’d like to go back to have a kaiseki dinner at some point. The details like handmade ceramics and exquisite presentations are fantastic, but it is still a restaurant that’s heavy on your wallet, so it might be best thought of for a special night out.

Yamazushi
4711 Hope Valley Road
Woodcroft
Website

Reviewed 26 Nov 11.

A new bakery opened in downtown Durham at the end of November. Loaf is the storefront from Ron Graff and his wife Jamie, who have set up the stand with the same name at the Durham Farmer’s Market every Saturday for the past few years. We, like most, have regularly stopped by their stand to pick up a bite of one of the five or six loaves they have diced up for sampling and brought home a loaf. We are excited their freshly baked loaves will now be available not just on Saturday mornings.

The day we dropped by, Loaf had various baked goods including croissants, muffins, cookies, pies and of course loaves of bread. We chose a large multi-grain loaf for $4. It was a lovely, sturdy large whole grain loaf that stayed fresh a few days after we sliced it. It was great torn off in big hunks and eaten with soup.

Still very much newly opened and a work in progress, many of Loaf’s shelves were still bare. Also Loaf’s hours aren’t set in stone yet, we were told they’d tentatively be open 7am-7pm Monday-Saturday.

111 W. Parrish St.