Raleigh Downtown Living Advocates

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Feeling Brunchy? Downtown Raleigh: Where Brunch Eats Are Found

January 20, 2011 /

There’s no nice way to write this. So, here it goes: the promise of Sunday brunch gets my family to church on time. But I can’t point the finger at them for loving the incentive. I’m guilty, too. Toward the end of the service, I’m thinking about “together time,” complete with a meal that I don’t have to prepare or clean up.

Luckily, the downtown area lends itself nicely to a brunch scene that’s worth checking out. With close proximity to numerous places of worship, theaters, museums and shopping, downtown restaurants can be a perfect spot for a weekend meal before a matinee, exhibit or even before your much-needed nap.

Join Midtown Magazine for a look at the atmosphere and food inside some of Raleigh’s favorite brunch spots.

The Oxford (Sundays 10am-3pm)

For diners who are hungry or simply looking for a little taste of many flavors, a gastropub may be the order of the day. Think: The Oxford on scenic Fayetteville Street.

The restaurant’s Sunday brunch is a buffet complete with stations for custom omelets, pancakes and waffles. “There are tons of mix-in options,” says The Oxford’s Tara Zechini. “So our guests can have anything from chocolate chip pancakes to a feta and spinach omelet.” And, really, who doesn’t love the sizzle and aroma of a Belgian waffle baking?

Beyond the stations (which include a prime rib carving station), the restaurant serves up heaping bowls of green salad, fruit plates, desserts and unique menu items such as shepherd’s pie. It’s all about choosing what you like inside this British-inspired eatery. And children may select their brunch favorites at a special rate. (The buffet is free for children five and younger, with a paying adult; it’s $7.50 for six- to ten-year-olds.)

Now that the holiday rush is over, January brings downtime. Brunch at The Oxford fol- lowed by a short walk to Winterfest for outdoor ice-skating? Sounds like the making of a wonderful Sunday afternoon. 

Irregardless Cafe (Saturdays 9am-3pm Sundays 10am-2pm)

Arthur Gordon knows what his restaurant’s call- ing card is. And after 35 years in the business,he can explain it in a heartbeat. “It’s like you’re coming home instead of going out to eat…no freezer, nothing pre-processed…and the staying power is from taking dishes from around the world and adapting them to the Raleigh palate,” says Gordon. 

Examples of this food fusion: Leos, an egg- and-salmon dish served with a toasted bagel and apple sauce, which is a nod to his father’s upbringing in New York’s Lower East Side; and cheese blintzes (crepes filled with orange zest and fresh farmer’s cheese) like his Russian-born grandmother used to make. 

Other tasty favorites include banana walnut pancakes, eggs Benedict with crab cake, shrimp and grits and the Cape Charles omelet with back fin crabmeat and sea scallops in a light béchamel sauce. It’s important to Gordon that patrons have an easy experience, so each meal comes with fresh squeezed orange juice and choice of coffee, iced tea or milk. (Children’s portions are also available.)

There’s a certain calm inside Irregardless Café. It may come from the live guitar music at brunch, morning sunlight pouring in the front windows of the building on West Morgan Street or the owner’s simple “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” attitude.

Humble PIe (Sundays 11am-2pm)

Situated downtown on South Harrington Street, Humble Pie is known for its comfortable atmosphere and delectable eats. For more than 20 years, it has served up brunch from its warehouse- style restaurant where colorful paper lanterns dot the tall ceilings and the outdoor patio can seat up to 60 people when the weather’s right.

Patrons love the complimentary, pre- meal biscuits, which are made from scratch and served hot with flour dusting across the top and a crunchy texture on the bottom. The younger set will delight in the pancakes and French toast with strawberries. (Kids’ portions are available for about $5.) And when it comes to a Southern favorite – shrimp and grits – Humble Pie does not disappoint, with the entrée’s flavorful broth and creamy grits. Egg dishes, such as the popular huevos rancheros and classic steak and eggs, don’t disappoint either. Forget cold eggs, Humble Pie diners can see the steam flying off of the food.

The old standby beverages – juices and coffee – are available. And Humble Pie also serves up a delicious Bloody Mary, as well as peach-flavored Bellinis, says owner Joe Farmer, who recommends reservations.

NOFO At The PIg Cafe (Saturday & Sunday, 10am-3pm)

It’s a little difficult even for owner Jean Martin to describe her restaurant. Located in Raleigh’s Five Points area, NOFO at the Pig is many things, from colorful and upbeat to quirky and unpretentious. 

More than a restaurant, it’s an experience. NOFO is housed inside a renovated Piggly Wiggly building, which holds the cafe as well as a food market and gift shop, where activity is constant with trunk shows, author appearances and tastings. All that action can be a good thing since it’s not uncommon to wait for a table dur- ing the popular brunch hours.

Celebrated brunch entrees include eggs Benedict, the Ashe County omelet (made with country ham, sharp cheddar and Granny Smith apples), shrimp and grits (which are served over cheese grits), pulled pork hash (think: green chili hollandaise sauce) and big bear scramble. For those who like a sweet breakfast, the French toast is a must-try. NOFO delights with its famous Bloody Mary, which is made from the café’s own mix and served with dilly bean, says Martin. 

Hibernian (Sundays 11am-2:30pm)

If you happen to drive through Glenwood South on a Sunday afternoon, there’s no mistaking the hustle and bustle spilling out of Hibernian, a comfortable Irish pub that serves up a Sunday brunch buffet. On a cold day, Hibernian has the warmth patrons are looking for, and it comes from the atmosphere as well as the comfort foods. On a warm day, diners may sit outside near flower-filled hanging baskets and enjoy the traditional fare.

Patrons rave about the shepherd’s pie, which is loaded with potatoes, carrots, other veggies, meat and melted cheese. Also tops are the array of desserts, fruit, corned beef, potato dishes and famous maple syrup bacon. It’s worth a trip just for the melt-in-your-mouth bacon and brunch drink specials.

 

This article was written by Kate Turgeon for the Midtown Magazine, and was featured in their January/February edition.  The Midtown Magazine is now online!  Visit them at www.midtownmag.com.

Tru Blu!

January 12, 2011 /

Thank you all for your warm response to Raleigh’s new Tuscan restaurant in the Depot area of the Warehouse District.  Each time my husband and I drop in, we see tables filled with people like us who are obviously pleased to be the recipients of tru blu hospitality!  (Read our recent blog post on this restaurant here.)

Please note that in an effort to avoid confusion with Charlotte’s Blue Restaurant, Maurizio and Patrizia have opted to change their name to Tuscan Blu.  This name perhaps even better captures their ability to combine the best of world cultures to create a sense of sitting in a countryside trattoria, or even visiting Italian friends at their table.

Last week when we told Maurizio that we were planning a trip to the Amalfi Coast, he headed straight back to his office to check out what kind of deals we could make on Expedia.  After a few visits, you may also feel a surprising connection that goes way past the food!

Be sure to stop in for the Downtown Living Advocates Mixer scheduled at Tuscan Blu for Wednesday evening, January 26, 5:00-7:00.  (Click here for details.)

You’re sure to enjoy this opportunity to meet your neighbors, and you may be inspired to take an Italian vacation of your own!

At Southland Ballroom, It’s All About the Music

January 4, 2011 /

“Raleigh has lots of bars with a band in the corner,” says Triangle music scene veteran Scotty Brownell, “but very few true music venues.”  That balance changed a little this fall when Scotty and his business partner, Howard Moye, opened Southland Ballroom (614 N. West St.), Raleigh’s newest (and Glenwood South’s only) venue focused exclusively on the music.  Sure, it has a well-stocked bar (beer, wine, mixed drinks), but you would not meet your friends there for a regular after-work drink or hang out there to watch a game together.  On the other hand, if there were a band you and your friends really liked, the Ballroom would be the ideal place to see them perform. 

Scotty Brownell, Co-owner Southland BallroomAnd that’s the way Scotty Brownell wants it.  He is very clear about his vision.  He is not interested in running a neighborhood bar or a dance club.  Nor does he want to target a particular age group or any single musical genre.  There will be shows for all tastes.  

The only demographic label he cares about are people who love live music and want to see it in a comfortable and relatively intimate environment.  With a capacity of 325, you won’t have to fight large crowds.  By comparison, the Lincoln Theater’s capacity is roughly 1,000 and Carrboro’s Cat’s Cradle is around 600.

Perhaps even more important to Scotty, he wants you to hear the music on one of the best sound systems in the Triangle.  And make no mistake, Scotty would know.  Since his start in the business roughly 20 years ago as a DJ for frat parties around the Triangle, Scotty has amassed an astounding collection of sound equipment, equipment he put to use in the 7 years he ran the sound at the Lake Boone Country Club, as well as during the Lincoln Theater’s first year and the last 8 years at the Berkeley Café.  As an added benefit for those of us who have started to worry about the damage to our hearing from the music we listen to, the quality of Scotty’s sound equipment means that he doesn’t have to blow you out the door to ensure you get the full range of the music.  As a result, at most shows, you should be able to talk to the person next to you without losing your voice in the process.  For those of us who live within a block of the Ballroom, this also means we don’t need to be concerned that it will bring more late night noise bleeding into our homes.

The vagaries of converting warehouse space to a concert venue made the Ballroom’s opening date a moving target right up till the last minute, keeping Scotty from initially bringing in national acts, which usually require at least 90 days advance booking.  That is changing.  Although he is not yet saying who they are, Scotty has plans in the works for several.  He says the Ballroom is the perfect venue for an act that wants a more intimate environment in which to connect with its audience.  And, promoters take note, the Ballroom is open to outside bookings.  When asked about whether the Ballroom would be a venue for future Hopscotch festivals, Scotty acknowledged that it would be an ideal location but tactfully says that the decision would be up to the festival organizers.

Because the Ballroom does not do double duty as an everyday bar, it is also open to bookings by private parties (weddings, corporate functions, etc.) for those events where a good stage and sound system are important.  Details are available on the Ballroom’s web site www.SouthlandBallroom.com.  

Getting to the Southland Ballroom is easy; it is directly across the street from an R-line stop.  For those who wish to drive, it also provides ample parking.

For more information, visit the Ballroom’s web site or Facebook page.

 

Article provided to the DLA by Rick Richardson

Mastering the Plan for Moore Square Bus Station

December 21, 2010 /

If you’ve waited at the R Line stop by Moore Square Bus Station, you’ve probably noticed what the architect, Roberta Fox is addressing in her preliminary studies for revamping the area.  Hired by the city to spur a master redevelopment plan in the 1st quarter of 2011, Roberta has built a model of the station and surrounding area.  Using the model, which includes interlocking pieces that can be moved around, Roberta showed me some of her ideas that would improve capacity for handling more bus traffic and parking within the facility.   

My query started with David Eatman, City of Raleigh Transit Administrator.  David explained that the Moore Square Station did indeed present some challenges for the city.  CAT buses idle on Wilmington and Blount Streets, queuing there because there aren’t enough parking spaces within the facility.  Looking out ten years, David says that 40-80 more buses will be required to handle the projected increase in population. Even with the plans for Union Station, Moore Square would become a secondary hub for routing bus traffic.

 

What are the solutions?. 

I asked about what can be done so people walking through or waiting at the station can feel more safe and comfortable.

David responded that more “feet on the street” were needed to enforce the existing loitering ordinance, and noted that security was enhanced this past August with the addition of two full-time officers (with arresting authority) dedicated to the station area.  

Roberta explained that security can be also be improved through the facility design based on the following concepts.  

  • Create an environment that is friendly to pedestrians walking through the area.
  • Fill the space with people who are there for a purpose.
  • Open up the opportunity for neighboring business to encroach upon the space.

Roberta says you need to “activate the empty spaces and take away the eddies or nooks and crannies where people can hang out without being seen.  Adding people with a purpose allows for self-policing”.  

The first example of a business taking advantage of the station’s adjoining area could come in the form of a rumored coffee shop that may offer outside seating overlooking the inner courtyard Transit Mall off Wilmington Street. 

David Eatman and Roberta MK FoxIt’s expected that the city will organize a public participation event, similar to the ongoing Moore Square redesign process, but without the contest.  David says that the public input is very important and that the city will be open to creative ideas on how to best use the space.

The construction that you see along Blount Street today is a small project (to be completed next month) to remove the fountains and add better lighting, as well as an additional walkway and seating.  

 

But there is a lot more coming . . . so stay tuned.  Think about what you’d like to add to this important project for re-envisioning our city.  I’m thinking about a mix of retail floors within the parking deck.  Tell us your ideas. 


Out of the Clear: Blue!

December 13, 2010 /

It was last Monday at lunch time that my husband and I noticed a new restaurant sign next door to Jibarra, in the Depot area of Raleigh’s downtown Warehouse District. Finding the doors to Jibarra locked, we walked down the porch to explore what might be waiting behind the enigmatic, but enticing sign, Blue. 

There we found not just a new restaurant, but people who seemed immediately like old friends. The first question we asked Maurizio Privilegi and his wife, Patrizia was why Blue?  And their answer intrigued us.  “Blue,” they both chimed in, “It can be Italian. It can be French.  It can be American…”  Both are self-described “persons of the world”, yet the feel of the food is distinctly Mediterranean, reflecting Maurizio’s boyhood watching his mother do her magic with sauces and seasonal fare.  In fact, for lunch my husband and I both indulged in lasagna made with Bechamel sauce, the way Maurizio’s mother always made it in her Tuscan kitchen.

Many of you may recognize Maurizio’s name, since he was the chef for Caffe Luna since its inception in 1996.  His stories ranging from how Raleigh has changed in the past fourteen years, to sharing his dreams for his new restaurant made for memorable conversation.

Maurizio Privilegi, Chef / Owner of “Blue”Donna:  What attracted you to The Depot area?

Maurizio:   We liked the relaxed feeling here.  We imagined people coming by after work or at lunch time and not having to worry about parking.  They can stay and enjoy their meal.  Both Patrizia and Maurizio spoke of having “a relationship with meals”, meaning really tasting the food and savoring the experience.  It’s part of a good life!

 

Donna:  How is Blue similar to Caffe Luna, and what sets it apart from the strategy that made Caffe Luna such a success?

Maurizio:  I’ll be fixing my mother’s specialties like lasagna made with Bechamel sauce, and pasta tossed with huge shrimp.  Pasta with seafood is one of my specialties.  

Our menu is smaller than Caffe Luna’s to give us the opportunity to produce the best quality of the Mediterranean diet, whether it’s Italian, French, Spanish, Greek or even Egyptian.

I look for the freshest seasonal ingredients for the best deals, so I can keep my prices reasonable.  My lunches are from $8 – $10 and dinners maybe $12 – $15.  Some things might cost a little more, based on what I can find that looks good.  

I go to the Chinese supermarket on South Saunders Street to find the freshest fish possible.  They’re swimming in a tank when I pick them out.

You need to come to dinner on Friday.  I’m getting razor blade clams. In Italy, we call them “cannlicchi”.  No one else has them.  (To collect them, you poke your stick down in the sand and they close their shells around it.  When you pull your stick out, there they are, hanging on.)

Donna:  What originally brought you to Raleigh?

Maurizio:  I started in Fayetteville where I joined some people from New York to open a restaurant, and gradually I created a life in North Carolina.  In 1996, Parker Kennedy asked me to be the chef at Caffe Luna.  He asked me to stay and I did until last year, when I left to start my own restaurant.  

Many things changed in Raleigh during that time. When Caffe Luna opened there was only a handful of restaurants downtown, including Greenshields in City Market.  I have to give Parker Kennedy lots of credit.  In those days, there were many vagrants.  We called the police two or three times a day, but Parker worked hard to pass ordinances so that businesses could attract customers without them being constantly approached by panhandlers.

Donna:  What inspired you to become a chef?

Maurizio:  It was a natural thing.  My brother, like me, learned from our mother, who one day fixed rabbit, the next day lamb, then ragu…  My brother has run one of the best restaurants in Long Island for the past twenty years.  

Our mother was the master of masters.  We were always interested in what she was doing in the kitchen.

Donna:  Patrizia (from Columbia) mentioned to us that she saw herself as a citizen of the world, and when you told us your thoughts behind the name of your restaurant, you reflected that same theme.  What led you to this cross cultural identity?

Maurizio:  I used to work for an oil company as a mechanical engineer.  For eight years I traveled the world from Kuwait to Denmark, to Bombay.  That gave me the pleasure of being a person of the world.  

Each country had their specialties, and I tried them all.  I met my undoing in the spicy shrimp they served in India.  I asked myself, If they can eat it, why can’t I?

Donna:  I’m admiring all the gorgeous pictures on your walls, depicting wondrous settings in Italy.  When you retire, which one of these places will claim you?

Maurizio:  Cinque Terre?  No, no, Sienna!  The food!  The wine!  The good, healthy living of the countryside.  Fresh everything!  The panorama is so relaxing…

I close my notebook feeling happy, like I’ve been on a vacation. 

Eating at Blue is like a quick trip to Tuscany.  Here, you can relax.  The price is reasonable.  The food is what you’d eat at a family table somewhere in the Mediterranean.  

And you might make some new friends in Maurizio and Patrizia.  

Drop by and say Hello.

Check out their menu on their website.  www.bluerestaurant.net


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