El Paraiso *CLOSED* 111 S. Alston Street East Durham (Note, I only think this is the East Durham area.  Feel free to correct me!) Lunch/Dinner:  $2-7 per item I’ve been dying to try one of Durham’s taquerias for quite some time, as they have been heavily praised.  On my way back from the Animal Protection
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Thai Cafe 2501 University Drive Durham http://www.thaicafenc.com Entrees:  $11-19 Thai Cafe is a restaurant that I’ve read lots of good things about on Eclectic Glob of Tangential Verbosity and so has been on my gigantic list of places to try for a while.  It is located across the street from Nana’s, Rockwood Filling Station and
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Rue Cler 401 East Chapel Hill Street Downtown Durham Website:  http://www.ruecler-durham.com/ Brunch/Lunch:  $7-17 Dinner:  Prix Fixe $30, a la carte $9-17 Rue Cler is a French restaurant and bakery café located on a cozy corner of downtown Durham. The bakery opens up at 7:30 for orders at the counter and continues until mid-afternoon. It gets
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Drum roll, please…this is my 40th restaurant review!  Yippee!  Thanks, Triangle, for having so many awesome places to dine at! Piazza Italia 905 West Main Street, Suite 18A Brightleaf Square, Durham http://piazzaitalia.us/ Entrees:  $11-24 Piazza Italia is a combination of two restaurants and one gelato counter.  Per their website, there is also a market but
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Bali Hai 811 9th Street, Suite 170 9th Street District, Durham http://www.balihainc.com/ Entrees:  $7-9 Bali Hai is a Mongolian restaurant with two branches in the Triangle area.  They offer a unique dining experience, where you fill one or two bowls with your choice of vegetables and thinly sliced beef, pork, or turkey.  If you would
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5122 NC Highway 55 www.sweetribs.com Meals with 2 sides:  $5.49-8.99 Sandwiches:  $3.50 The Backyard Barbecue Pit is in a nondescript storefront on the Highway 55 corridor.  From the moment you step out of your car, in a parking lot that definitely needs a makeover, the smell of a campfire and roasting meat greets you.  It’s
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Mez 5410 Page Road Research Triangle Park, Durham http://www.mezdurham.com/ Entrees:$11-19 Mez is the newest offering of the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group, with sister restaurants of 411 West, 518 West, Squid’s and Spanky’s.It bills itself as contemporary Mexican, which I would describe as the missing link between your local taqueria and the upscale fare of a
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5318 New Hope Commons Durham, NC www.dickeys.com Prices:  $6.50-$9 for sandwiches and meat platters, I think. Dickey’s is an order-at-the-counter spot, with a large selection of barbecued and smoked meats and your typical sides thrown in.  You can get a meat platter with up to three different types or opt for a sandwich instead.  I
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My review of Pop’s Restaurant in Durham.  The verdict is truffle:

1116 Broad Street Watts Hillandale area, Durham www.wattsgrocery.com Entrees:  $13-20 Watts Grocery is a lovely restaurant (no, not a grocery) that offers, brunch, lunch, dinner, and late night until at least midnight.  With so few places offering food at the witching hour, I’ve come to quite appreciate this place.  It has upscale American food with
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