Tyler's Taproom

Tyler's Restaurant & Taproom (102 Main St, Carrboro), the Carrboro branch, is a very popular destination. Between Tyler's Bottle Shop, Tyler's Restaurant and Taproom, and the Speakeasy, Tyler's has a near monopoly on the south-east corner of Main and Greensboro. The interior looks very much like you would expect from a higher end casual dining taproom and restaurant, but definitely outshines any preconceived notions of 'bar food' you may have. We had been reluctant to venture in, our palattes don't normally swing towards towards anything with more than one location, but we're both glad we got the urge one Sunday morning! Actually, a co-worker of mine had also mentioned they do a pretty banging brunch on Sundays, complete with soccer on the TVs, so we had another reason to investigate.

Your intrepid gastronomists must have seemed a little desperate when we walked in two minutes after opening (due to church scheduling). But it was nice to get the full attention of the waitstaff. The brunch menu (see below) is pretty pork heavy, which limited our choices somewhat but the other available options were more than satisfying.

We ended up with the Decadent French Toast (truly decadent) and the smile of contentment creating Corned Beef Hash. The fresh whipped cream on the french toast was too good for even N. (who is usually adverse to anything with whipped cream on it) to resist. The pecans were also a delightful touch. The corned beef hash was probably one of the best I've had in all my gastronomic adventures. We can definitely see why this place is always bustling when we pass!

We'll definitely be back for brunch again soon. Who am I kidding? We'll be back this coming Sunday!

Neal's Deli

Neal's Deli (100 E Main St. Carrboro) is a New York style deli in the heart of Carrboro. Clean, modern decoration inside, though not a whole lot of extra seating. I especially like their small collection of herbs growing in spaces around the picnic table. It seems to be a pretty popular spot, judging by the crowds of people that are usually out front. It's also on my walk to work every day and is a big temptation in the morning- especially since they put the sign to the right out front....

We've been stopping by to sample their lunchtime offerings for a while, but the breakfast biscuits are, well, addictive. Made from scratch, with an egg, and delightfully melty Cabot cheddar- the best way to start a Saturday (though the Pastrami Biscuit and simple biscuit with jam also deserve more than honorable mentions). The biscuits are nice and lightly crispy on the outside, rich and moist in the middle, sorry, I think I'm drooling as I write this....

If you're there for a lunchtime meal, the sandwiches are great, well, at least the non-pork ones (since we don't eat pork, I'll have to let you be the judge on those). The sides are always great, and the pickles are almost as saliva inducing as the thought of a warm biscuit.... Though my only qualm was with the mustard on my sandwich, which was a little strong for my tastes, but definitely not a disqualifier.

Basically- go to Neal's Deli in the morning, relax outside with a biscuit and coffee while you watch traffic amble by, you won't regret it! As evidence of their deliciousness, see below.

Sushi Love

Sushi Love (2812 Erwin Rd. Durham), another pan-Asian place in Durham, has been tantalizing me from the bus window on my way between work and home for a while now and N. and I finally got to give it a try. Classy decor, dark ambiance, and very friendly waitstaff. It's definitely a little pricier than our Chapel Hill favorite (Kurama Sushi and Noodle Express), but still nice. It's probably a little better if you're trying to impress with some fancy sushi (their sushi boats look pretty appetizing....). We decided to sample our way across (part of) the continent and in addition to the sushi tried the chicken satay, pho (pho-king fantastic!), and fried green tea ice cream.


I'd say definitely give it a shot, but be careful, it's easy to run up a big tab.....

The Almighty Wisdom of the Green Leaf God

So shock would best describe our reaction to finding The Almighty Wisdom of the Green Leaf God at 4215 University Drive in West Durham. Its former incarnation, Taste of India, was one of N. and J.'s favorites- we actually ended up having dinner after our wedding there because we had been so busy during the day we didn't get a chance to eat! So to pass three months or so between meals here, and find an entirely new restaurant was a bit of a surprise....

We were pretty impressed that they have so much variety in their evening buffets:

• North Indian Tuesday
• Indo-Chinese Wednesday
• Veg Thursday
• South Indian Friday
• Green Leaf Special Saturday

We ended up there on Thursday for Veg night, though I am curious to go back for their Indo-Chinese on Wednesday. We were in a hurry so went straight for buffet, and sampled all of their offerings. They had an eggplant dish that was really delicious, though the name escapes me now, and their Paneer Tikka Masala was an interesting offering. But the sambar and idli left something to be desired....

Overall, the veg night buffet was alright, but not particularly outstanding. My inner Indian food snob does need to mention that the spices were not very well balanced or harmonized in many of the buffet offerings. It was almost as if the measures had gotten out of proportion as they stretched a recipe for a family to a recipe for a buffet. Though after seeing Carpe Durham's follow up post to the AWGLG, N. and I may have to make another trip and actually order from the menu- those chili pakoras look pretty tempting.

The highlight of the buffet though was definitely this little dish: basically kheer (Indian Rice Pudding, standard desert at nearly all Indian Restaurants in the Triangle) but made with vermicelli noodles. I threw the strawberries on this one, and it actually went pretty well. N. was not a big fan of the texture and took just one small exploratory taste. But I thought it was the most appropriately spiced dish of the night. So whatever they did for this dish, keep up the good work!

Parlez-Vous Crepe

So one of the best parts of being in Carrboro is Saturday morning: coffee and crepes courtesy of Johnny's at 901 W. Main St, Carrboro (well, the crepes are from Parlez-Vous Crepe). Johnny's is a great gathering space on Main St. with tables outside, live chickens, a wood stove, and a delicious crepe van on Saturday's from 9-2! Inside you'll find fresh coffee (Johnny's Blend is clearly recommended, though I don't think I've had a coffee there that I didn't like), pastries, and a bunch of other random goods (jarred veggies, beer, wine, eggs, and dairy products).

Back to the main star of the post- the crepes. They have both sweet (3) and savory (4) varieties and are made right in front of you. We've camped out at a table near the van and it seems like the crowds come in waves, but as long as it's not raining out, you should be able to find a seat to enjoy your crepe and coffee.

J. is a big fan of the Gnutella crepes with bananas (or strawberries, if they're in), the Lemon Curd, and Le Bonne Maman (brie, apples, etc.). After we sampled our way through the menu, N. seems to have landed on La Fermiere (egg, spinach, and some other things I can't remember now) as her preferred crepe. Unfortunately we were distracted by how great the crepes were (and how our dog kept looking for chickens to play with), so we forgot to take pictures of the actual crepes! Oh well, I guess we'll have to go back this saturday to get some more photos :-)

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this for your next Saturday morning breakfast run!

Kurama Sushi

Kurama Sushi at the corner of Franklin and Columbia in Chapel Hill (105 N Columbia) has been my favorite sushi in the Triangle since I got here in 2006. N and I have a long history with this restaurant, which played a big part in our relationship. We've never had a bad experience at Kurama through our many many trips to this establishment. They have a wide variety of sushi, appetizers, and delicious noodles. Their udon is particularly delicious- especially on a cold day. Make sure you ask for some of the ichimi togarishi (pepper flakes) to compliment the udon.

We went there tonight for dinner (after visiting Ben & Jerry's for Free Cone Day today), and true to form, left satisfied. They have a sushi conveyor belt to add to the dining experience. The staff are friendly and the sushi chefs prepare both beautiful and delicious offerings. Below are a couple samples of what we had tonight.

Their extensive sushi menu is below. I've made it my goal to try everything on this menu, and thanks to the low prices, and our frequent visits, I'm getting pretty close. They also have a great menu of rolls.

N is a big fan of the Spider Roll and Unagi. I would recommend the Hiro Roll, Salmon Skin Roll, the Scallop Nigiri, and Octopus Nigiri. Overall, an emphatic 5 out of 5 for Kurama Sushi & Noodle Express.

Vit Goal Tofu

Vit Goal is tucked away in South Durham, near the intersection of Highways 54 and 55 (2107 Allendown Dr) and is a perennial favorite of mine and N's. It's also located next to a great Korean grocery if you want to try to replicate any of these dishes at home. We've been there probably 3 times and it's been consistently delicious. Though they offer some specials and Korean BBQ (as noted by the sign ;-) ), their specialty is definitely in their soups.

I'm a big fan of their presentation and ambiance, they have lots of nice Korean prints on the walls and they certainly know how to set a table- as you can see at the right.

They bring out a variety of different pickled veggies (mmm, kim chi...) along with a miso soup, and rice along with your meal. This time we ordered the Seafood Tofu soup and the Bibimbap. The Seafood Tofu soup was FANTASTIC! Pairs of whole shrimp, clams, and oysters in a chunky tofu broth that was rich and filling. The different flavors of the seafood permeated each spoonful, it's actually making me salivate all over again just thinking about it.... N's Bibimbap was alright, rice layered with ground meat, veggies, and a fried egg on top. It was good, but not the most stellar we've tried.



We give Vit Goal a 4-stars (out of 5). Plus you've got to give props to a restaurant with a spice rating chart that ranges from White to Hottest :-)