Wingz and Thingz

I love Wingz and Thingz. I was actually in the neighborhood on my way to JCs, which was closed, so I decided to head across the street and possibly get some wingz. However, the guy outside (proprietor? not sure) said he had the absolutely best samosas ever, and I had to get them. He also recommended the lemonade and the iced tea and gave me a sample of each. SO GOOD. Especially the iced tea, which is mysteriously delicious because it has orange in it. Even better, a suicide (which is a combination of the two). Yum. The samosas were also good–the dough was as perfectly fried as advertised. Three samosas came with fries and a drink (suicide for me) for $7, plus a few carrot sticks and celery, which completely cancels out the fried.

The samosas are described on the menu thusly:

“What is a samosas?glad you asked it’s a wonderful mixture of seasoned ground beef wrapped in a crispy light dough, lightly fried to perfection. We promise when you eat one, you will say ‘Sum-mo-sir’”

Here’s part of the menu. It’s hard to read, sorry, but you can make it out. Note at the bottom the “Lexus rich man’s special.” There is also Boe’s Special, which says “Eat like Boe, look like Boe.” Of course I don’t know who Boe is, but I’m willing to bet that he’s large. I also am tending in that direction after eating there, despite the vegetables.

Also, because I am immature, I noted that due to the font, the name of the restaurant as painted on the outside looks a lot like “Wangz and Thangz.” Haha!

Restaurant openings report

Meelo’s (1821 Hillandale Rd Suite #3)
Thompson’s Restaurant (1006 e Pettigrew St)

The best thing about spring

The best sign of spring is the release of Bell’s Oberon. I went to Tyler’s for the “Release Party” tonight and was reminded how amazing this beer is. It’s the only wheat beer I actually like, and I learned today that it’s because it’s an American wheat, as opposed to the other ones I’ve had which are mostly Belgian and German (go America!). This one is a little bit hoppier and drier, and has less of the spices and sweetness that must be what puts me off of the other whites. I’m pretty sure it’s already for sale at Sam’s, and I only hope it will be on tap EVERYWHERE before long.

Tasty Haven

I started the day looking for a restaurant called “Da Spot”, which apparently used to exist at 518 Trinity Ave. Instead, I found Tasty Haven (518-B Trinity Ave), and decided to give it a try. It is a neighborhood restaurant with a fairly eclectic menu, but from what I could tell they specialize in fish and cheesesteaks. I ordered a cheesesteak and some breaded Whiting. Neither was that good, but the cheesesteak was better. The fish smelled so good when it was cooking that my mouth was watering, but in the end it was pretty generic. I think the place is worth another try though, I just will not be going out of my way to do so.

They have a bunch of specials written on a board inside, but here is the menu: Page 1, Page 2

Pig Out, or, I wish I was fatter right now

Today I stopped by Pig Out (5126 N Roxboro St), which bills itself as “fast” NC style BBQ. It occupies the very small building that was built for Just Wing It, which while only open for a couple of months, had some of the best wings I have ever had. Because of the Just Wing It nostalgia and its North Durham location, I really really wanted to like this place. So much so that even after a very mediocre first experience, I went back. I have now tried both the BBQ and the brisket, and lets just say that I will not be returning.

Coleman’s, or, I am so fat right now

I had never heard anything about Coleman’s (1006 E Pettigrew St), but I went as part of Carpe Durham’s mission to go everywhere. Wow I am glad I did. Just so you know, it has either changed names or has multiple names, because the sign outside says Thompson’s. ** But when I asked someone at the gas station where Coleman’s was, he pointed me there.

We got a ridiculous amount of food–two “dinner”s for $12 total, which included two sides each and either hushpuppies or rolls. The hushpuppies were actually the best I have had, ever, in my life. The collard greens (which are not vegetarian) were not as good as at The Know, but the fried okra and the yams were great and the pinto beans were AMAZING. I got a “Chuck Wagon Dinner,” which the waitress couldn’t exactly explain to me but said it was very popular, which was seconded by the guy at the next table. It was some kind of beef, very much fried (I think it might have been chicken fried steak, which I have never had). They are apparently known for the fried chicken, which was wonderful (crispy, juicy, tender, the right amount of greasy).

The place itself seems like an awesome hangout. They have bottles of beer for $1.60 (the coldest Ice House in town). The bar has a jukebox full of r&b, soul, funk, and includes of course plenty of JB. I would have stayed to have another beer or two, but I had class (I know, whack priorities…but at least I am writing this during said class).

I am extremely upset that my camera ran out of batteries before I could get any photos. The giant plates of food were especially photogenic. But luckily I’ll be going back.

There was also a taqueria around the corner (Taqueria Cordobesa) but somehow I managed not to stop.

** UPDATE: According to the most recent Restaurant Openings Report, Thompson’s is actually the NEW name of this place.

Taco BUS

Taco carts may not have salsa bars like taquerias, but they are open at night, til 2am usually. There is no better time for a taco than 2am. And one of the taco carts near my house is not a cart but a BUS. A red bus. Apparently they’re open every night but Tuesday, from 7pm to 2am. I had a pastor taco that was great, and came with radishes and tons of cilantro. My friend’s asada taco was, she said, a bit more greasy than most but had some good fried onions on it. My other friend’s chorizo torta was one of the most giant ones I’ve seen, and he said it was good too.

On the way back I saw another taco cart and couldn’t not stop there. It was in the parking lot of the Big Pig on Hillborough. Although there was a woman in the cart cutting a giant piece of meat, she did not have anything to serve me. The Big Pig though–what is that? There was some loud Latino music going on inside and two bouncers outside. Is it really a BBQ place? Is it good? I guess I will have to go sometime, eh?

(Hat tip to Chowhound for turning us on to this place.)

Coffee and Crepes (and Wine and Beer)

Shade Tree has been a favorite study spot of mine for a long time. Most people who go there seem to go for the purpose of studying, so they are quiet. The lighting is good during the day thanks to two walls of windows. And, most importantly, they serve a very good cup of coffee.

My friend and I went there the other day for a reading sprint. Caffeine is helpful for that. She was also hungry (and it is hard to read on an empty stomach), so she decided to try an artichoke heart-spinach crepe from their new crepe menu. These crepes are made just like they do it in France, with buckwheat, and they have lots of fillings–both sweet and savory.

My friend liked that the fillings were fresh and simply prepared. I got all excited when I saw that the crepes were made of buckwheat, so I asked the owner about them. He said that they also contained wheat, but only a little wheat. This is enough to give me hives, so I said no thanks. However, he also said that if there were sufficient demand, he could try making them with NO WHEAT AT ALL. So, if you want to help me out (or you are allergic to wheat or intolerant to gluten), you should go in and ask Greg about this all subtle-like. Or tell him that I said to ask. I do not care.

I just had a cappuccino and a macaroon. Sometimes they will draw a little fern or heart on the top of espresso-based drinks, but they didn’t this time. Disappointing, but at least it spared me the displeasure of ruining the drawing when I stirred my sugar in. Either way, it tasted good.

They also have wine and beer. I have never partaken, but I sometimes worry that they’ll stop serving if no one orders it, so you all should go and drink there. The bar area is kind of cute. And a coffee/wine/beer bar is so continental.

A few other notes: the crepe addition is not the only change that we have observed. They used to make a big deal about some aspect of their milk, like that it was local or organic or something. Also, their website seems to be outdated, claiming to serve Guglhupf pastries and silent on the matter of the crepes.

Cool sounding dinner at Jujube on April 9th

Despite being in Chapel Hill, Jujube is an awesome restaurant with unique and very good food. I spent New Years Eve with them and had a blast. They just sent out an email with this interesting sounding wine-inspired dinner for $70. Email with menu after the jump..

Nautical Bacon

I just noticed that the BLT at Food for Life Supreme is made with “nautical bacon,” which is salmon.  I had already ordered my food when I noticed it but I had to get it so I just got both.  At Carpe Durham we are all crazy like that.  It seems like they made it up, since the only references to it on the internet are related to them.  There doesn’t even seem to be a band called Nautical Bacon.  Anyway, it was far from real bacon (still tasted a lot like salmon) but it was not bad, especially with the fancy mayo on the sandwich (kind of spicy and with dill in it).  I liked the Cuban Burger made of salmon better, which will also be disappointing if you’re expecting a real Cuban, but it’s hard to live up to a real Cuban or real bacon, right?