First Legal Brew in Joco

MM's job sometimes takes to parts of Central NC that we may not usually traverse.  So one day, we end up in Smithfield, about 45 minutes southeast of Raleigh, in Johnston County, or as it's known, JoCo.  JoCo is what you would expect out of a county in the south, not one infiltrated by us yankee types.  So I volunteer to go to Smithfield on one condition - that we stop on our way home at the new brewery that popped up in Clayton, the town near the border of Johnston and Wake counties (Wake being where Raleigh resides).

We find this brewery nestled in an industrial area just outside the downtown Clayton area, and it's a simple setup - a bar, with 4 brewing tanks behind and plenty of room to grow.  Their claim is that they are the first "legal" brew in Johnston County...paying homage to the fine art of moonshine.

The owners Paul and Lynn are from upstate NY, so immediately I am obligated to like them.  However, their beer speaks for itself.  Of their every day beers, I enjoy their Riverbank Rye-It, a Rye IPA.  Their First Run IPA is not too hoppy, but smooth and delicious.  Other offerings such as the 4042 Stout and Twisted River Wit are great brews.  Paul is also willing to experiment, such as his Bourbon Infused Stout, and my current favorite for summer, Double D's Watermelon Lager.  Our bartender recommended a half Rye-It, half IPA.  It is MM and staff approved.

North Carolina has become a hotbed for breweries, as craft giants such as Sierra Nevada and New Belgium make their way into the state.  However, small brewers like Paul and Lynn make this the true beer haven that it is.  A weekend with a pint, some music, and the food truck du jour make the 30 minute trek into JoCo so worth the drive.

Deep River Brewing Company
700 W. Main Street
Clayton NC 27520
www.deepriverbrewing.com

A Big Island of Flavor

While MM and I enjoy traveling, we usually don't do a big blowout vacation.  Since we're both workaholics, taking a full week off from work is a pretty foreign concept.  But, we hit a milestone wedding anniversary this past year, and decided it was time to do a nice vacation.  MM had won a week at a timeshare anywhere in the U.S. in a charity auction, so we decided to use it for our big vacation, and suddenly, Hawaii came up.  Not being big beach/sand/pool people, we never had really considered it.  Next thing I know, I'm booking a 12 hour flight to paradise.

We spent a week on the big island of Hawaii.  It truly is paradise, as well as a throwback in time.  During our time there, we had a little bit of everything - fine dining, simple eats, and old school hawaiian.  Here's our recommendations:

Sam Choy's Kai Lanai


Just south of Kona, Sam Choy's serves up a modern spin on Hawaiian fare. Sam Choy is a native Hawaiian who owns restaurants on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.  The restaurant sits up the hillside, with sweeping panoramic views of the Pacific.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We went for breakfast our first day here, and started off our trip right.  MM ordered the loco moco, a traditional hawaiian dish, but with a Sam Choy spin with pork and served over fried rice (or as our waitress said when the options of rice, fried rice yum...)

I went with the pineapple, papaya, and macadamia nut upside down pancakes.  Check out those mac nuts!!  Loaded!!

We noticed this juice on several of the tables, and asked our waitress, and it is the native POG juice - papaya, orange and guava juice.  This meal was a great start to our culinary adventures for the week.

We stopped in for pupus (appetizers) and mai tais later in the week (when in Rome...), and we had the brie fried wontons.  Beautiful presentation and even beltter flavor.

Kona Brewing Company
Located in downtown Kona, Kona Brewing's home base is a small beer operation, as they only brew beer for kegs that are distributed throughout the Hawaiian Islands. (Anything you get in a bottle or draft  on the mainland is made in Oregon, in case you were wondering...).

They do have a beautiful restaurant on premises with pupus, pizzas and pub fare. I went Hawaiian with the Kalua Pork Tacos.  MM had a BBQ chicken sandwich, where the BBQ sauce was made with the brewery's Black Sand Porter and served with housemade black pepper chips.

Black Sand Porter BBQ Chicken Sandwich w/Housemade Black Pepper Chips

Kalua Pork Tacos

The entire menu is not really Hawaiian, but the beer makes up for it.  The Pacifier IPA was my favorite, and MM enjoyed the Vanilla Thrilla Porter.  They do offer brewery tours twice daily, but get there early enough to sign up - max is 15 people per tour.

Da Poke Shack
Usually we like to mix it up and only go to a restaurant once on a trip.  We went here 4 times.  A small storefront along Alii Drive, Da Poke Shack makes fresh daily poke bowls, as well as Huli Huli Chicken, which is a half rotisserie chicken Hawaii style. This place was always busy with people coming in and out, and we quickly learned why we would be back again.  And again.  And again.  We actually bought some poke for the trip home, and when we ate the last of what we bought when we returned to North Carolina, we were immediately homesick for Hawaii.

Shack Special Poke with Crab Salad

Huli Huli Chicken with Crab Salad

Dynamite Poke with Avocado Aioli with Kim Chee Mussels

Octopus and Kim Chee Cucumbers

 They have a couple picnic tables out front, but a quick walk to the beach.  They do serve beer, but frown upon open container.  Dynamite Poke, Kirin Light + Big Island = One Happy Foodie

We met the owner Albert on one of our stops in, who showed us the cooler with 2 - 40lb. yellowfins he had caught that morning, and which we ate the next day.

Teshima's
An old school Japanese bento-style restaurant.  The formica on the walls matched the countertops from my grandparents' house.  The food is legit.  Teshima, who is now 105 years old, still works and cooks in the restaurant.  We were disappointed we didn't see her when we stopped in....the quality and the QUANTITY of the bento boxes were insane.  I could barely finish mine...and MM had ordered extra ahi.

Beef Teriyaki and Shrimp Tempura w Rice, Miso Soup, Tsukemono, and Sumomono 

Sidecar of  Sashimi Ahi 

Deep sea trio combo - Shrimp Tempura, Sauteed Ahi and Sashimi 

Manago Hotel

This is a locals place, but people on the hunt for top notch food will find there way here. It is an old-style hotel about 10 miles south of Kona near Captain Cook.  Rooms are still available for nearly $40 a night.

The restaurant is a complete throwback to your banquet rooms.  The only menu is one peg board in the middle of the room (which I did get some flack from locals when I walked over to check it out).

Prior to our meal, the sides are brought out for us to share - sesame broccoli, mixed vegetables, macaroni potato salad, and rice.  I loved the rice, which was like a sushi rice, but not sticky.  By far the best white rice I ever had. MM had the pork chop, which is what the Manago is known for, which was smotherered with onions.  I had the butterfish, which was a little bony, but so rich and delicious.

Famous Pork Chop

Butterfish

The Coffee Shack
On the way from Kona to the volcano in Captain Cook, sits the Coffee Shack, surrounded by coffee plants that run right up to HI-11.  Inside this small restaurant with two rooms of 10 tables each (if that...), serve breakfast, lunch and are known for their macadamia nut pies.  I had the papaya special - a 1/2 papaya filled with yogurt and topped with coconut, served with scrambled eggs and a pastry, which was a papaya banana muffin.  The papaya muffin was my favorite, as it was so moist, and the yogurt with coconut was great before a hike in the volcano.  MM got a special - the ahi tuna eggs benedict.

Ahi Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise, Grilled Onions, Capers and Potatoes

Papaya Special - Yogurt with pineapple and coconut in a papaya, scrambled eggs and a papaya banana muffin.

Big Island Brewhaus and Tako Taco Taqueria
Their claim is to fame is being Hawaii's highest brewery, as they are in the town of Waimea, which stands at 2,764 feet above sea level.  The restaurant is tiny and funky, but the lack of space doesn't limit the number of beers they have available - they had at least 12 different drafts available in both pint and half pints (which allowed us to sample most of the menu). My favorite was the mandarin gold, a seasonal beer made with mandarin oranges!

One would not think that mexican food in Hawaii would be good, but the food is just as good as the beer.  MM had the Sloppy Jose - beef and local cabbage in a house made tortilla and house made chips.  I had a chile relleno and enchilada combination.  Seriously - best chile relleno I ever had.  Looking at you, Bobby Flay.  This was worth hour drive from Kona, and got to see some of the lush countryside of the northern side of the island.

Sloppy Jose

Enchilada and chile relleno combination

Brown's Beach House

Since we were celebrating an anniversary, we had to find a special place to celebrate this special occasion.  About 40 minutes north of Kona on the Kohala Coast, is the Fairmont Orchid Hotel, a 4 star resort.  Their signature restaurant is Brown's Beach House, which sits just along the water.  We arrive for our dinner about 45 minutes prior to sundown, so we can watch the sunset from our table.  We had the corner table - best table in the house.  This was our view from our table:

The food was just as wonderful as the view.  We started the meal with a small canape of cucumber, heirloom tomato, and goat cheese, which was presented with the breadbasket - sourdough honey wheat bread with raisins & pistachios, served with butter and a sundried tomato spread.  I normally don't focus on what is in the bread basket, let alone indulge, but both the bread and the sundried tomato spread were amazing.

I started with the apple, banana and kabocha squash bisque, which was served with a banana creme and toasted mac nuts.  Kabocha squash is most like a pumpkin, so the squash with the sweetness of the banana was very comforting.  Would love this on a cold day, but just as good as a summer soup.

MM had the Kona coffee braised short ribs, served with grilled portabello over risotto and a Tia Maria sauce.  The short rib was so tender and flavorful, and again - coffee - when in Rome.

For entrees, MM likes his steak....so he went with the filet mignon, but it was not your typical filet, as it was served with a truffle foie gras demi, alongside a Kabocha mash and organic arugula.  Being huge macaroni and cheese fans, we couldn't say no to truffle, bacon, potato mac and cheese.  Yes, that all was in one dish, and was delicious.

I had the osso buco served along Kabocha mash, carrots and bok choy.  I am still talking about the marrow from the osso buco to this day.  Best meal I had not only in Hawaii, but definitely in the top 5 in my life.

Amazingly, we still had room for dessert, and we ordered a macadamia nut snickers bar.  By the sound of it, it would be extremely decadent, but it was very light and airy.  This dessert was just an experiment by the head chef and drew such rave reviews when served as a special, that it was added to the menu.

The big island has so much to offer, and from what the locals told us, less of the "hustle and bustle" of the other islands.  While the views, flora and scenery are memorable, the food is as well, and look forward to my return for a seat by the pool with a mai tai and a poke bowl.

Let's Cook with Titina

It was of my dear friend's birthday this past week, so I tried finding something fun and different to do to celebrate.  We both love to eat and cook, and I remembered taking a cooking class at Capri Flavors, a Italian food distributor in Morrisville, NC.  Perfecto!  I had her go to their website and peruse the menu - there are four different menus offered in a three month span, and the menus change quarterly.  She settled on the Bologna menu, and settled on a Friday evening class.  (They also have classes on Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings, as well as private classes).

We arrive about 15 minutes before our class, and we walk into a small store stocked with all Italian specialties, from Italian pastas and tomatoes to cured meats, cheeses and wine.  Costanzo, one of the proprietors, greets you and checks you in for class.  Through the store, there is a beautiful kitchen with twelve barstools lined around it, and Titina, Costanzo's wife, greets you with an apron and name tag.  Her son, Ugo, was also assisting in the kitchen this evening.  We go back out into the shop and purchase a bottle of Sicilian wine to enjoy while taking our class.

Titina and Costanzo came to the United States from the small island of Capri back in 1994, settled in North Carolina after spending a couple years in Rhode Island.  They had run a hotel back in Capri, and desired to bring all the Italian specialties to the United States.  Titina's mother is credited for creating the caprese salad back in her restaurant in Capri.

We begin our class by preparing a simple bruschetta, which my friend and I are asked to help assist by chopping grape tomatoes, while Titina puts the olive oil, garlic, and parsley together.  Then we mix our chopped tomatoes in, and top some warmed ciabatta bread.  Once assembled, each student gets a couple pieces to enjoy as class begins.

Titina starts preparing dinner by preparing the dough to make fresh sheets of pasta for our lasagna bolognese, which one of the students helps mix and knead, then lets set.  While the dough is resting, she begins teaching another student to make prosciutto and peas, by simply crisping up some proscuitto in olive oil, onions and garlic, then adding peas to a pan and letting simmer.


We continue through the class making a fine meal - watching two gentlemen cut dough and make the fresh pasta sheets, another student help make the bolognese and bechamel sauces, and my friend and I help assemble the lasagna.

Not to forget a dessert, two students help assemble a tiramisu.  Although it needs overnight to properly set up, another class graciously assembled the one we got to eat.  Tiramisu always seemed like it was a daunting task, but after this class, I am ready to add it to my dessert recipe arsenal.

Lastly, we make a quick opening plate of prosciutto and melon and a salad with a light lemon dressing.  Once everything is ready, we sit at a family style table with the entire class and Titina and Costanzo, and exchange stories of Italy and good food.  The food you are taught to make is not only delicious, yet relatively easy to make, and if you don't have the tools (like a pasta rolling machine), Titina will take questions and help you make simple, wonderful Italian food in your home.  The cost of all this is only $60/person, and with the $13 bottle of wine we bought (which would have been $40-50 in a restaurant), you get a high quality restaurant meal, without the restaurant price, and you get the recipes to try your hand at it.

My friend absolutely loved her gift, and we are looking forward to doing the same thing for Christmas. Hopefully, we can get in the class where we can make gnocchi, and enjoy yet another fabulous Italian meal with two wonderful hosts from Capri.

Capri Flavors
1012 Morrisville Parkway
Morrisville NC 27560
www.capriflavors.com

Beasley's Chicken + Honey

Fried chicken never really was my thing. However, being entrenched in the southern lifestyle, I've discovered that fried chicken, when done right, can be amazing.  Beasley's Chicken + Honey gets it done, and then some.

Beasley's is part of three establishments opened in 2011 in one corner spot in downtown Raleigh. The trio is owned by local chef Ashley Christensen, who also owns the very popular and previously blogged Poole's Diner.  Beasley's focuses on fried chicken - serving a quarter chicken standalone, a chicken biscuit, or the combo chicken & waffles.  The chicken biscuit is an entire fried chicken breast served on a huge buttermilk biscuit served with a fried green tomato, dijon mustard and honey.  The chicken and waffles is by far my favorite - the waffle is so soft and flavorful, and the combination with the moist fried chicken (with your option of light or dark meat) make it extremely craveable.  This picture below was taken on a Friday night (alongside a moonshine margarita...), and I went back a week later and couldn't order anything else....and was just as delicious as I remember.

In case you want to branch out from fried chicken, the pork shoulder meatloaf, served with charred onion gravy a top a bed of whipped yukon potatoes.  The flavorful gravy truly brings this dish up a notch.  The man sitting next to us, who is a regular who always gets the fried chicken, said he was not disappointed on his opportunity to branch out.

Now what would a southern food restaurant be without its sides?  Sides are served a la carte, but you can buy a trio of sides as an entree.  The sides seasonally rotate, such as sauteed summer squash, watermelon with sea salt & olive oil, and stewed field tomatoes & vidalia onions, but the staple is the Ashe County cheddar pimiento mac and cheese custard.  It arrives at your table in a block of glory, and the pimiento gives it that added kick.  I'm not ashamed to say when I offered to split a side of it with a friend, we ordered a second helping because it was that good (and I think I got one forkful of the first serving...)

They go old fashioned by serving Nehi, RC Cola, and North Carolina favorite Cheerwine all in glass bottles, and also make fine cocktails as well like the moonshine margarita pictured above.  They are open for lunch every day and serve an additional brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays until 4pm.

When I went to Beasley's, my expectations were not as high as when I went to the sister restaurant Poole's, since I left disappointed.  However, Beasley's simply blows all expectations out of the water, and think Beasley's far exceeds Poole's. I will put the chicken and waffles up against any I've had - even at the famous Roscoe's in Los Angeles and Hash House in Las Vegas.  And the mac & cheese here is better than the mac & cheese at Poole's, which is what they are known for.  If Ms. Christensen can keep up this high quality southern food, I will be channeling my inner southern girl more often, and I'll be saying "y'all" before you know it.

Beasley's Chicken + Honey

237 S Wilmington Street

Raleigh NC 27601

http://www.ac-restaurants.com/beasleys/