This is the last of my travelogues from my October visit with my mom and stepfather in Central Washington. The first was on a day in Yakima and the second was on a day in Ellensburg. This entry covers the beautiful scenery to be found in the tiny towns of Tieton and Naches nestled in
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28 January, 2013
Weathervane
Comments : 2 Posted in : Dining in Chapel Hill - NC, Restaurants on by : The Gourmez Tags: bread pudding, caramel popcorn ice cream, chapel hill, chef ryan payne, dinner, duck confit, fancy, fried tomatoes, fritters, goat mashed potatoes, gourmet, hearty, lamb bolognese, olives, raviolo, review, scallops, short rib, southern season, tater tots, triangle, upscale, weathervaneWeathervane 201 S. Estes Drive University Mall, Chapel Hill Website $11–$38 Weathervane is the restaurant portion of Southern Season, and hearty southern dishes have a definite home here. Chef Ryan Payne has had a fantastic year, winning pretty much every local cooking contest he has entered. I had previously tried his food at Fire in
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25 January, 2013
Hummingbird Bakery
Posted in : Bakeries, Dining in Durham - NC, Grab and Go, Restaurants on by : The Gourmez Tags: almond joy cupcake, bakery, blue, breakfast, buttercream, cappuccino, dessert, durham, hummingbird, kolache, lunch, pastry, pimento cheese sandwich, review, roasted sweet potatoes, salad, sandwich, shrimp blt, tornquistHummingbird Bakery 771 Broad Street Old West Durham, Durham Website Lunch: $6.50 — $9.00 Hummingbird Bakery is Amy Tornquist’s, chef of Watt’s Grocery, newest venture. Watt’s is one of my go-to recommendations for dining in Durham. As a lover of all things dessert, coffee, and Watt’s Grocery, I was looking forward to trying out Hummingbird.
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23 January, 2013
Borsao 2011 Grenache
Comments : 2 Posted in : Garnacha / Grenache, Red Wine on by : The Gourmez Tags: 2011, blueberry, borja, borsao, chalky, dry, grenache, review, spain, tannic, tasting notes, vintageBorsao 2011 Grenache Borja, Spain Grenache wines are hit or miss with me. I adore Spanish wines, but Tempranillo has a special place in my heart. Grenache can sometimes be too dry for my palate and not as lively as its Spanish cousin. But when it hits, it’s a memorably layered wine. This is
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22 January, 2013
Triangle Foodie Happenings: 2013 Black Tie and Tails Ball
Posted in : Events on by : The Gourmez Tags: auction, ball, big cats, black tie tails ball, carolina tiger rescue, dinner, Events, foodie, fundraiser, pittsboro, raise money, thai, triangle, washington duke innAbout a year and a half ago, I visited the the Carolina Tiger Rescue in Pittsboro. They are an excellent nonprofit organization that provides homes for big cats that have been abandoned or abused, whether they are reclaimed from a zoo or given up by owners who can no longer care for the exotic creatures.
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21 January, 2013
Fresno Cafe
Comments : 2 Posted in : Dining in Durham - NC, Restaurants on by : The Gourmez Tags: butternut squash soup, cheeseburger, corn chowder, dinner, durham, fresno cafe, lunch, pecan chicken, pierogie, restaurant, review, south square, steak saladFresno Café 4015 University Drive South Square Website M-W: 10 am – 6 pm Th-Sat: 10 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm – 8 pm Fresno Café opened late summer in the strip mall spot that last housed Bear Rock Café. The last time I was there, it was Rick’s Diner and the look has
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18 January, 2013
Elements
Posted in : Dining in Chapel Hill - NC, Gin, Restaurants, Spirits on by : The Gourmez Tags: an, chapel hill, cherry sauce, chicken diablo, cocktail, cucumber, duck, elements, filet mignon, gin, highway 54 east, jersey white sweet potato, korean chili sauce, michael huong, old fashioned, oyster, pumpkin creme brulee, restaurant, review, service, southern comfort, tempuraelements 2110 Environ Way East Highway 54 Chapel Hill Website Entrees: $18 — $26 Opened in the fall of 2012, elements is a farm-to-table focused venture of Chef Michael Chuong’s. He opened ăn in Cary in 2006. I have never made it to ăn, but it’s always been high on my must-dine list, so I
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16 January, 2013
Travelogue: A Day in Ellensburg
Comments : 4 Posted in : Coffee Shops, Dining in Ellensburg - WA, Restaurants, Travel Guide for Ellensburg - WA on by : The Gourmez Tags: art, buildings, canyon road, central washington, central washington university, coffee, d & m coffee, day trip, dick, downtown, ellensburg, guide, jane, kittitas valley, palace cafe, panorama, retail, rotary pavillion, spot, the normal school, tourism, tourist, trip, visitor's guide, washingtonThis is the second travelogue on my adventures in Washington State in October 2012. The first covered my suggestions for a great day trip in Yakima, and this one is in the same vein. So spend a day with me in Ellensburg, located smack dab in the middle of the state. But first, we must
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9 January, 2013
Caipirinha @ Calavera
Posted in : Bars and Tasting Rooms, Bars in Raleigh - NC on by : The Gourmez Tags: brazil, cachaca, caipirinha, calavera, cocktail, downtown raleigh, lime, night life, review, sugar caneCaipirinha Calavera (my restaurant review) Downtown Raleigh $8 First things first: the rum-soaked sugar cane. It is both visually pleasing and an essential garnish for this cocktail. Caipirinhas are a favorite in my cocktail repertoire, so I am always happy to try a new one, and having one from Calavera’s impressive bar just made sense
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7 January, 2013
Redemption Rye
Posted in : Rye, Whiskey / Whisky on by : The Gourmez Tags: chemistry of the cocktail, corn, girl and her barstool, label born, redemption, review, sweet, the pdogg blog, vanilla, whiskey, whiskyRedemption Rye Bardstown, Kentucky Seriously, that label is like porn to this foodie. The color, the slightly askew bold font with cursive writing and the handwritten lot # — I don’t know how to describe it. It does things to me. Things like make me buy the bottle. And I have not been disappointed since
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