102 East Main Street Carrboro,NC http://www.tylerstaproom.com Dinner Entrees from $9-20 This was our first time at the Carrboro location of Tyler’s. The atmosphere is very pub-like but with a bit of an upscale feel due to the brass bars on the side and in the back. Otherwise, very much a wooden slats on the walls
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The Cue-Tue @ Tyler’s Restaurant and Tap Room Downtown Carrboro, NC We ate at the Carrboro location of Tyler’s Tap Room for the first time a few Thursdays ago. From the drink list, I settled on the Cue-Tue, not only an adorable name but also one that conveys both its cucumber base and its resemblance
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Nana’s 2514 University Drive, Durham www.nanasdurham.com Entrees $15-30 Tasting Menu available On our second trip to Nana’s, we decided to sit in the bar area as reservations had not been made. It was a great decision as the bar feels much less stuffy and more inviting than the isolated white-clothed tables of the main dining
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Jujube, which is a fabulous restaurant usually specializing in Asian-inspired small plates and entrees, has had a few prix fixe meals dubbed “Recession Dinners” this fall. These wine dinners have been done in partnership with the Hope Valley Bottle Shop in the Woodcroft Shopping Center and offer affordable wines ($10-25 per bottle) paired with the
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Toast Five Points 345 West Main Street Durham, NC http://www.toast-fivepoints.com Sandwiches ranged from $1.50 for Crostini to $6 for Panini Walking through downtown Durham on the way to Toast is a testament to the fine remodeling job that has been done since we moved to Durham three years ago. It is slowly revitalizing itself as
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Rockwood Filling Station *CLOSED* 2512 University Drive Durham, NC Pizzas ranged from $9–12 if my memory serves me well. There can never be enough places selling gourmet pizza, right? I’m not a purist; you won’t find me expounding on the glories of a New York slice or the goopiness that is Chicago Deep Dish. No,
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six plates Erwin Terrace 2812 Erwin Road Durham, NC http://sixplates.blogspot.com Small Plates $9–11 We ended up at six plates late on a Saturday night after having waited too long for service at another lounge. six plates was advertised in our American Dance Festival brochure along with its service hours, which are until 2 am on
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Parizade Erwin Square 2200 West Main Street Durham, NC http://www.ghgrestaurants.com/parizade/parizademaster.html Entrees $15–32 Parizade, one of the Giorgios Hospitality Group of restaurants, is warm and whimsical in design. The walls are a mixture of green, red, and blue, and accented with an occasional swirl of copper plating. There is a ceiling mural o,f perhaps, angels in
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Margaret’s Cantina Timberlyne 1129 Weaver Dairy Road Chapel Hill, NC http://www.margaretscantina.com/ Entrees $8–20, easy to stay on the cheap side. Margaret’s Cantina bills itself as healthy Southwestern cuisine, inspired by the owner’s childhood in Arizona and the plentiful produce of North Carolina. Inside, the walls are either sponged on orange or green in a fern
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Vespa Ristorante Franklin Street 306-D West Franklin Street Chapel Hill, NC http://chapel.hill.vespasta.com/ Entrees $11–18 This Italian restaurant is distinguished by the Vespa motorbike sitting on permanent display outside the patio. It’s got a nice brick walkway into the small, appealing dining room. The walls are the color of salmon, which is attractive as long as
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