A coupon and a confession

Posted on May 31, 2011 by

Confession: Vic Pop made a frownie face today when I got the email from bloomspot featuring today’s deal at Le Cirque in NYC. Sad feelings about the fact the formal dining experience has been overhauled in the last five years and the fact that I could never really afford the old formal dining experience mingled together and showed up on my face for a sec.

It’s not like I spent my New York City evenings relaxing at the bar on East 58th Street after a long afternoon with my personal shopper at Barney’s.  Years ago I fantasized about being the person that does that. And I kind of fell for the charm and obsessions of Sirio Maccioni in the HBO documentary Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven.

Sirio, the man behind Le Cirque, not to be confused with Maurice Chevalier, the man behind Gigi. Image courtesy of HBO.

Can’t recall the last time or any time I’ve had interest in ordering the Chateaubriand for two. Anywhere. As good as the Wild Burgundy Escargot with gruyere gnocchi, pickled fiddleheads, and bottarga on their $92 per person Spring Discovery menu may be, this girl won’t be ordering it any time soon. Sure I love to put on my fancy shoes and have multiple waitstaff tend to my water needs, my cutlery needs, my wine needs, and my dessert cart needs. My warm hand towel with fresh lemon wedge needs are an entirely separate issue.

But it is 2011, and the truth is that I’d much rather sit with a group of friends at a Brooklyn cafe drinking beer brewed within five miles while eating jerky cured in a shaggy hipster’s Williamsburg den.  So I think my frownie face today may be some sign of growing up, a sign of hanging onto the past, or whatever that fine line is between the two. Never thought a coupon could make me miss NYC, the most romantic city in the world, just a little bit more.

Posted in Crazy food items in the Marketplace, Daily Specials, Events, Food and Booze, NYC, Recipes, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

American Craft Beer Week, May 16-22

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

Look, people change. In college, my idea of the perfect afternoon snack consisted of beef jerky and Diet Mountain Dew. Obvs I still love beef jerky, but the neon green soda thing, not so much. At that time, I felt super lucky to drink Natural Ice and talk to a boy at a keg party. I was also very likely to do a shot of spiced rum chased by Diet Dr. Pepper at some point in the evening. But like khaki cargo pants and Taco Bell meximelts for dinner, I thankfully left those tastes behind in Bloomington.

Today Vic Pop has a real excuse to celebrate a farewell to the poor booze choices I made during college.  May 16th marks the beginning of American Craft Beer Week.

Craft beer. You know it when you drink it, or or maybe I should say you know when you’re not drinking it. If your favorite beer company buys ad space during national sporting events, let me whisper softly in your ear, That’s not craft beer. If your favorite beer features how many calories it contains prominently in its name or on its label, That’s not craft beer, and if you drink anything that has its caloric content in its name we may not be able to be friends anymore.  According to the Brewers’ Association, the Colorado-based nonprofit behind craftbeer.com, an American Craft brewer can pretty much be summed up in three adjectives: small, independent, and traditional.

2011 will be the first year in American Craft Beer Week’s six year history when all 50 states host officially recognized events.  Craft beer-vangelists at Fullsteam in Durham kick the week off today with “CRAFT BEER IS…an affordable luxury”, and the good news is that all pints at Fullsteam are $3 all day Monday, May 16th. 

Plenty of locations around Chapel Hill and Carrboro will unofficially celebrate excellence in the craft beer being served and brewed all over the Triangle. A little inspiration can be found at the following locations:

  • Brixx Pizza, Meadowmont, Chapel Hill - I’ve come to the surprising conclusion that this regional pizza chain also has one of the best selections of craft beer on tap in Chapel Hill. On top of that, almost all draught beers at Brixx are $1.95 on Mondays. Every Monday! Currently at least two dozen are available on draught, call (919) 929-1942 to hear the lineup. Be prepared to enjoy favorites like Rogue, Heavy Seas, and SweetWater. They almost always have at least one beer from Winston-Salem’s Foothills and Durham’s Triangle beer on tap as well.
  • Carolina Brewery and Triangle Brewing Company team up for a joint beer dinner at Carolina Brewery’s West Franklin Street location on Tuesday, May 17th. Each of the four courses will be paired with a beer from these breweries, and the fun starts at 6:30 with a brewer’s reception. Call (919) 942-1800 for reservations (required). $35 per person plus tax and gratuity. Click here to read the info from their web site.
  • TJ’s Beverage and Tobacco in Carrboro (across from the snuggly Belgian beer bar Milltown) might look like a nondescript mini-mall stop for smokes, but this is one of the best places in Orange County to purchase some very hard to find North Carolina-brewed craft beer. Case in point: They are one of two places in the Triangle where beer heads can buy growlers of Pisgah (Black Mountain, NC), and they are the only place in the Triangle where you can purchase a sample from Morganton’s Catawba Valley Brewing Company portfolio that includes Hyper Monkey Coffee Stout, Berliner Weisse, and of course an IPA, Firewater Indian Pale Ale.
Meow, you don’t live in Chapel Hill and need to find a good place to celebrate? No need for tears in that beer. Check out the Beer Mapping Project for thorough listings of brewpubs, breweries, and beer stores around the country. Cheers. 
Posted in Chapel Hill-Carrboro cool stuff, Crazy food items in the Marketplace, Daily Specials, Durham locavore, Durham small business, Events, Food and Booze, Locavore, North Carolina food, North Carolina small business, Recipes, Slow Food, Southern Food, Travel, Triangle Locavore, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lots of boozing and a little snacking in the Triangle this weekend

Posted on May 13, 2011 by
  • Bell’s Oberon is the draft special at Milltown in Carrboro this month, $5 for a 16 oz pour all day every day in May.
  • 3 Cups in Chapel Hill is hosting a big FREE Beaujolais tasting on Saturday featuring 10 wines from two importers that sounds like beaucoup fun.
  • Hillsborough Wine Company samples a selection of Austrian GruVes and a Pinot Noir on Saturday afternoon. Yes, free.
  • The Triangle Food Blogger Bake sale to benefit Share our Strength takes place Saturday morning in Durham. (High five to the good bloggers participating! Vic Pop feels like a schmuck for missing out on this…)
  • Free sampling of springy wines and $5/glass specials at Sip…a wine store in Cary on Friday and Saturday (cause that pregnant mamma knows how to throw a party).
  • And some crazy delicious cocktail specials at J. Betski’s in Raleigh involving one of Vic Pop’s favorite root vegetables (The Beet Jammer – roasted beet infused vodka, apple cider, Blenheim’s spicy ginger ale).

If none of this tickles your fancy, be sure to check out the Upcoming Events tab above for other reasons to mark your calendar and learn to drink responsibly.

Cheers indeed. 

Posted in Chapel Hill-Carrboro cool stuff, Crazy food items in the Marketplace, Daily Specials, Durham locavore, Food and Booze, Locavore, North Carolina food, North Carolina small business, Recipes, Slow Food, Southern Food, Travel, Triangle Locavore, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This ain’t Charlie’s Chocolate Factory

Posted on May 11, 2011 by

You may recall that Vic Pop moved to Chapel Hill, NC from Brooklyn, NY in October 2008. As a result, whenever a friend or a friend of a friend or the kid who is going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night is heading to NYC, I get an email.

In general, my favorite things are puppies, stand-up paddle boarding, homemade sushi, ranunculus, caramels, and boozing with girlfriends on the sidewalks of anyplace, but one of the things I love the most is responding to email requests about what to do and where to go in NYC.

I edit the list for the audience. Mom’s friends just may get a different list than the dude I met behind the counter at Johnny’s of Carrboro. I have some serious thinking to do when someone asks what to do with kids in New York City, especially since mine are of the four-legged, French Bulldog variety and not necessarily interested in the same things as a nine year old from Durham.

My kids could play with this bumpy, plastic dino for hours. Yours probably not so much.

Newly added to my list is a visit to the Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Above mentioned Mast Chocolate Bars. Best wrapping of any candy item ever.

In addition to the fact that the chocolate is divine and I’m a sucker for things that come in pretty packages, I love the fact that less than two weeks ago, these two bearded hipsters sent staff on the ship Black Seal to retrieve cocoa beans from a recent harvest in the Dominican Republic. Maybe that’s why the bars cost $10 each. No matter.

Friends in North Carolina, take note. You can buy your very own Mast bar before your visit to Brooklyn at 3Cups in Chapel Hill and French Broad Chocolates in Asheville. Of course the online thing is an option too. Please keep in mind that sampling several of these will probably cost as much as your flight to NYC.

As far as I know, this is the only chocolate factory in New York City that is open to the public.  A visit to Williamsburg to see two white hipster brothers with ZZ Top beards and clunky glasses making chocolate. Now that’s an education.

A scene from the Mast Brother's Chocolate factory. Shaggy facial hair, yes. Orange skin and green hair, no.

Here is everything you need to know to visit this wonderland, straight from the Mast Brothers Chocolate site:

“We make and sell our chocolate at our factory at 105A N 3rd Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We are open to the public:

  • Thursday and Friday from 12pm – 7pm
  • Saturday and Sunday from 12pm – 8pm

Tours of the factory are available for $9.99 per person on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00pm. Please make reservations for tours at BrownPaperTickets.com by clicking here. Tours fill up quickly so please book well in advance.“

Posted in Crazy food items in the Marketplace, Daily Specials, Durham small business, Events, Food and Booze, Locavore, North Carolina food, NYC, Slow Food, Southern Food, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Now serving: Cinco de Mayo in the Triangle

Posted on May 5, 2011 by

Sometimes the old fiesta at your local cantina gets a little dullsville. The same basket of chips and salsa and watery Micheladas feels ho hum year after year. No me gusta. Triangle revelers in need of an excuse to commemorate the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 have several super cool options this year. Maybe not all Mexican-ish, but all sound totally delicious to this gringo girl.

It's Michelada time somewhere...cerveza and tomato juice. Me gusta.

Let’s start with today’s Living Social deal…$10 for $20 worth of food at Carrburrito. That’s a lot of sweet potato black bean burritos the size of your arm. Maybe that’s not on the agenda for tonight though. Moms in the Triangle should head over to Acme in Carrboro tonight. According to yesterday’s email blast, all mothers eat free tonight. Free? So they say. Sounds like someone started on the tequila a little early on Wednesday…

Other cool events in the Triangle include half price beer, wine and cocktails at Raleigh’s Market Restaurant in honor of their first anniversary as well as a New Holland Beer tasting of El Mole Ocho Mexican Spiced Ale and mole feast at Sip…a wine store in Cary. Want more details? Check out the tab above, Upcoming Triangle Food Events 2011 for the full scoop and how to reserve your seat at the Triangle’s best fiestas.

Posted in Chapel Hill-Carrboro cool stuff, Crazy food items in the Marketplace, Daily Specials, Durham locavore, Durham small business, Events, Food and Booze, Locavore, North Carolina food, North Carolina small business, Recipes, Slow Food, Southern Food, Travel, Triangle Locavore | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God loves the ugliest vegetables. And creatures.

Posted on May 4, 2011 by

Last night, I was trying to remember the name of the ugliest thing from God’s lovely earth that I have ever seen, the geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck). I finally remembered it, but not before my Google Images search for “ugliest vegetables” led me to a whole mess of photographs of veggies that are so freakishly beautiful. No wonder these formerly underground bad boys have made a comeback. Hope this doesn’t offend anyone I’ve called “pretty” or “gorgeous” or, my personal fave when I’m really at a loss for words, “somethin’ else!”

Thanks for the root veggie photo Huff Post!

Freaky parsnip from Bedfordshire, England. Thanks treehugger.com.

What the? Frenchies courtesy of Vic Pop. Seriously, my dogs are the best. The. Best.

Posted in Crazy food items in the Marketplace, Daily Specials, Durham locavore, Durham small business, Events, Food and Booze, Gadgets & Gear, Locavore, North Carolina art stuff, North Carolina food, North Carolina small business, Recipes, Slow Food, Southern Food, Travel, Triangle Locavore | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 3, 2011 by

I’ve got Mother’s Day on the brain this morning. While my fabulous mother deserves to be jetted off to some paradise like this for five days,

Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, CA

my factory outlet wallet can only afford something more along the lines of this,

Above ground, low budget.

What’s a poor, loving daughter to do? Here are a few options to get your generous heart thinking…

Under $10 – Ahem. Even the broke-est of the broke should shell out a few more bucks on Mother’s Day for the lady who gave you life, but I won’t judge. We all have cash flow issues from time to time. Visit your favorite used bookstore and buy a copy of the James Beard Award winning book Hometown Appetites: The Story of Clementine Paddleford, the Forgotten Food Writer who Chronicled How America Ate by Chapel Hill author and Saveur consulting editor Kelly Alexander.

Under $25 - Pull together a collection of regionally sourced snacks from your favorite fancy food store or the small producers on Foodzie.com. They have a great producer map that allows you to search for artisanal food crafters by region. Can’t find anything locally that tickles your fancy? Treat her to a month of the Foodzie tasting box for $19.99.

Under $50 – Farm it Forward at your Mother’s Day Brunch at Market Restaurant in Raleigh. “Enjoy local farm-fresh foods for Mother’s Day Brunch at Market Restaurant to benefit the Farm It Forward program, a new partnership among Advocates for Health in Action (AHA) and local Wake County farmers.

Market Restaurant, Raleigh

Market will host brunch on May 8, Mother’s Day, from 10 am-3 pm, and feature the Farm It Forward Frittata and Strawberry Mint Julep, made with all local ingredients donated by local farms Ben’s Produce and New Grass Gardens. All proceeds from the frittata and the drink will be donated to support Farm It Forward shares for community members in need. Ben’s Produce also will sell flowers and bedding plants at Market on May 8 to raise funds for the program.”

Go forth and be good children. 

Posted in Chapel Hill-Carrboro cool stuff, Durham locavore, Durham small business, Food and Booze, Gadgets & Gear, Locavore, North Carolina food, North Carolina small business, Slow Food, Southern Food, Travel, Triangle Locavore | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment