Snikroc Farm: Soft Serve Ice Cream

A helpful reader alerted us to this ice cream stand, which was very useful because it’s not the kind of place we otherwise would have happened upon.  It is out on Hwy 98, close to Wake County (5220 Wake Forest Hwy), but definitely worth the trip.

First and foremost, this place is cute.  I recommend taking a date here; anyone who doesn’t have a heart of stone would have to fall for the country setting, friendly man in a cheerful little booth, and picnic table area for eating.

To top it off, the ice cream is also delicious.  They have chocolate, vanilla, or swirl, and a variety of toppings.  We got a small with strawberries, whipped cream and cherries (he gave us two because he guessed we’d be sharing–aw!)  for $2.25.  As soon as blueberries from the adjacent farm are ripe, they’ll be available as a topping as well.

The stand is only open during the summer, and only in the evening (4 – 9:30pm Sat, weekdays 6:30 – 9:30pm).  You can pick your own blueberries as well, starting in late June.

Palmas de Caribbean: Mofongo comes to Durham!

Palmas de Caribbean (821 N. Miami Blvd) is where Doctor’s Cove Caribbean used to be, but despite having the Caribbean in common the two restaurants are very different.  For one thing, there’s been a major makeover inside:

If you ever went to Doctor’s Cove you’ll appreciate the difference.

The menu at Palmas de Caribbean is Dominican and offers some options that I haven’t seen on a menu in Durham before.  I was especially excited to try mofongo (a mashed plantain dish).  I will eat and love any form of plantains imaginable.

You can choose from a few different kinds of meat and/or cheese to be mixed in with your mofongo; I chose pernil (roast pork) and cheese.  The dish was awesome.  I loved the pork’s flavor, though I might not get it next time because it was a bit dry.  I would love to hear how this compares to other mofongo from someone who’s had mofongo before (TSQ, I’m looking at you!) but all I know is that I couldn’t stop eating this or thinking about it later.

Our second entree was the bistec salteado (sauteed steak), which was good, but not much more exciting than an above average fajita.  The more exciting part of the meal was the two sides that came with it. We of course chose maduros (fried sweet plantain), which was amazing–you can’t really go wrong with this, the best dish on earth, but these had an especially good balance of mushy and crispy and were nice and rich.  

We also got yucca; this one was a surprise because it wasn’t fried, as it so often is, but was the best yucca we could remember having in the area.  It was just boiled, but the saltiness and texture were ideal.

Our waitress (one of the owners) suggested a couple of times that we come back for their breakfast (they open daily at 6am).  We’ll definitely be back at various times of day, I’m sure, because there are so many delicious-sounding options on the menu.  The actual menu is much more extensive than the one on their website, but they don’t necessarily have everything every day–at least the sides and possibly the entrees vary by day.  I know I’d eat anything they made for me.

The restaurant is new and it was quite empty–please check them out, I’d have to have my mofongo source dry up!

Coleman’s Catering

Coleman’s (later known as Thompson’s) used to be a free-standing restaurant that was a favorite of ours.  The owner, a really friendly guy, has now leased that space out and operates out of this trailer, which parks at the intersection of Riddle Rd and Hwy 55, Wednesday through Saturday.  

The mobile version of Coleman’s has a much-reduced menu but the quality has not gone down at all.  When we went by, they were offering fish, chicken, and pork chops (all fried).  I’m not sure if the selection changes from day to day.  We got pork and chicken “sandwiches.”

Both were delicious.  Their batter is on the thicker side, and extremely crispy and flavorful, with a bit of spiciness.  Both meats were also wonderfully juicy.  The bread was a much-needed way to sop up some greasiness and allow us to eat the fresh-from-the-fryer meat when it was still too hot to handle.  The sandwiches were a delicious deal at $3 each.

Local Yogurt: The kids call it LoYo

Local Yogurt (2501 University Dr) is the new dessert place on the Durham scene.  It’s cute, light-hearted and kid friendly (they get free sprinkles), but the best part for me was that the yogurt tasted like actual yogurt!  The plain flavor was slightly, but surprisingly, tart, and not too sweet.  The mango flavor (they rotate three flavors other than plain) was a bit sweeter without losing that yogurty tang.  

The extensive topping choices are also a plus.  They have a bunch of the traditional options (M&Ms, several candy bars, and of course sprinkles) a few types of cereal (fruity pebbles, Cap’n Crunch), some that change with the season (fresh strawberries right now) and, my favorite, at least one salty option (I got the potato chips).  Yum!  

Speedway Cafe: Durham County’s northernmost grill

Speedway Cafe (12915 Roxboro Rd) is right next door to Moe’s Tavern in Rougemont, up in the more “country” part of Durham County.

There were signs (one outside, one inside) touting “Entertainment All Day,” which must have referred to the TV and/or overhearing other patrons’ conversations.  Either way, it was a fun time.  Below, note the substitution of “Freedom” for “French.”

We got the Steak & Gravy meal with two sides ($5.50) (sorry for the photo quality–we were trying to be subtle by using an iPhone instead of a camera).

The meal (including the sides) was ok–not a bad deal, but probably not something we’ll order again.  The greens satisfied my (constant) greens craving, but weren’t among the best I’ve had.

Our other order was much better: a chuckwagon sandwich with a side of fried okra ($1.90 + $.085).  The chuckwagon was delicious.

The reason to go back, though, is the hush puppies.  They might well have been the best I’ve had in Durham (though I’m sure I’ve said that before).  Perfect crispiness, fried to order, exact right density/fluffiness.  This is surprising because the batter isn’t homemade (apparently they get it (and their other bbq foodstuffs) from Hursey’s Bar-B-Q) but maybe there’s just something magical about the Speedway fryer oil.

The Speedway Cafe might not be the best in the county, but it makes for a friendly and charming stop during a drive in the country–especially in combination with a stop at Moe’s next door.

Taqueria Lopez Truck

You might have thought (hoped?) that we were done with tacos for a while.  But no, somehow we are not sick of them.

There’s a new truck parked outside of the Sabor Latino club (4527 N. Roxboro Rd)–now it’s Taqueria Lopez truck #3. (Are there really 3 of them?)

This truck offered quite a few meat options in their tacos, including some of the ones you don’t always see.  We got four: carnitas, al pastor, asada, and campechano (which is chorizo and suadero (brisket)). They got them all out to us disconcertingly quickly.  You might have noticed that our fave truck, Benito’s, always has a line–and it’s in part because he refuses to precook any of the meat.  We were also disappointed that our car did not fill up with the thick, wonderful taco aroma that it often gets in the short drive between truck and house.

Still, the tacos weren’t bad.

The al pastor was an especially pleasant surprise because it actually included a discernable number of pineapple chunks, unlike many of the ones I’ve had around here.  The campechano was an interesting combo of meats that I hadn’t tried before, and I definitely liked them together (though the chorizo was bordering on too salty for me, something I almost never say).  The asada was just ok, and we agreed that the carnitas were somehow a bit odd, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.  We were only given one salsa, a green one, and it was nice and spicy.

I’m not sure whether the Lopez truck has permanently replaced Benito’s (Sabor Latino) truck, which used to park outside this club, but I think in the future I’ll seek him out instead.  I’m not sure if he has a new regular spot (though I know he’s been going to Third Fridays at Golden Belt and sometimes to Pinhook), but he’s sure worth trolling the streets for.

Restaurant Week roundup

For Restaurant Week, we decided to only try places outside of Durham.  In case you are curious, here is a quick summary of our thoughts:

Dinner @ Jibarra (327 W. Davie St):  Cool upscale Mexican place (restaurant and “tequila lounge”) with some good eats.  I loved its funky modern decor that’s worked really well into the historic building (a train depot).  Off the Restaurant Week menu, we had the Cochinita Pibil (shredded pork), Pollo Al Pastor with lentil puree, and the coconut and papaya flan.

The chicken, while a little boring (not very spicy) on its own, was delicious when I got an especially charred bite combined with a bit of everything else on the plate–the lentils, roasted pineapples, and salsa verde.  The coconut and papaya flan was amazing–great texture and deliciously coconutty. We also tried the Chilorio de Chamorro (pork Osso Bucco) which was rich, tender and tasty.  The highlight of the trip was probably the tequila flight:

Dinner @ Rey’s (1130 Buck Jone’s Rd):  The Restaurant Week menu was quite a deal here because the food is normally pretty pricey, and I’m glad I learned the relatively cheap way that for me, the food isn’t actually worth its regular price.  The turtle soup (yup, turtle is in there, tastes like a rich tomato bisque) and the chicken gumbo were by far the best dishes.  The proteins (we tried pork chops and salmon) were just ok.  Two of our three desserts were pretty good (especially the cheesecake).

Lunch @ The Pit (328 W. Davie St): We decided not to do the Restaurant Week menu because the food was fairly cheap already.  We started with the Brunswick Stew–great veggies in there, and it turned out to be our favorite part of the meal.

The hushpuppies were disappointing–they seemed like they had been sitting out for a while and they were kind of dry, so we weren’t sorry that we only got two each.  The other sides were either bad (Brussels sprouts, which I usually love) or completely unexciting (greens, biscuit, sweet potato fries, slaw).

The meat was better than the sides, but still, we thought, not worth all the hype we’d heard about the place. The brisket was our favorite, but the ribs were dry and managed to be too smoky, and the pork bbq was unremarkable.  The sauces (one sweet and one eastern Carolina) were pretty good though.

Dinner @ The Mint (1 Exchange Plaza): We’ve always loved the Mint, and still do.  Prices have gone down since it opened, and the Restaurant Week menu ($25) was the same as their normal 3-course prix fixe offering that’s usually $30.  This was the best meal of the week.  The scallops were amazing as always, the trout was crispy, bacony and delicious, and the key lime cheesecake was great.  I was also happy to see that the bar upstairs (a fun, semi-secluded place to hang out if you have a good sense of humor about the slightly over-the-top decor) offered sazeracs (an absinthe drink I haven’t seen in Durham).

Drinks @ Foundation (213 Fayetteville St):  This bar had nothing to do with Restaurant Week except that we happened to catch sight of it on our way out of the Mint.  It’s a simple but nice bar, charmingly hidden down some stairs from the street.  We tried some moonshine that, because it’s legal, was not very strong but quite delicious.  The crowd there was very friendly, even though the place seemed relatively “hip.”  I’d hang out there often if I lived nearby, I think.

Conclusions from Restaurant Week:

1) Raleigh is not bad!  Maybe we should go more often.

2) Durham is still the best.

Shaba Shabu

Shaba Shabu (4020 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd) is the second location of this upscale Thai-Japanese restaurant and lounge, the first being in Raleigh.

The first mistake we made was to look at the wrong menu online (the Raleigh version) and then get excited about several dishes that they didn’t offer at the Durham location.  Conspicuously absent, considering the restaurant’s name, was Shabu Shabu.  Once we adjusted our expectations, though, we got a pretty good meal (but perhaps not worth the price).

We started with the sashimi appetizer (six pieces, $8.49), which was very fresh.

The chicken red curry ($13.99) was also good–it was a bit light on vegetables, but the sauce itself was rich and tasty (though we didn’t like it any more than nearby Twisted Noodles’ version, which costs five bucks less).  We’re still searching for “the bomb” Thai curry in the Triangle–any suggestions?

We also got the Pla Sam Rod (fried red snapper with a spicy sauce and vegetables, $14.99), which was my favorite dish of the evening.  The dish wasn’t exceptionally spicy, and in fact most of the sauce was very sweet and needed to be cut with the spicier sauce on the side, but the two mixed together was a nice combo.  This dish also had plenty of vegetables, which were fresh and well cooked.

This place is definitely going for atmosphere–it was very dark, the music was loud, and there was even a dj perched high above the dining area–all a bit over the top for our tastes but well executed for what it is.  Our service was less than ideal (for some reason our entrees came out about 10 minutes apart), but we won’t hold that against them just yet since they were newly opened when we went.  Maybe if they get enough requests they’ll even start offering Shabu Shabu!  All in all it was a nice evening–we’d go back if someone else was paying or if they added their namesake dish to the menu.

You’re getting hungry… (Party Reminder)

You’ve probably been counting down the hours for a few days now (or is that just me?), but in case you needed a reminder: Party at Pinhook on Friday!  If the trailer didn’t convince you, check out this cute blurb in the Independent.

A refresher of the details, and a few new ones:

* Friday May 1, 6-9pm, 117 W. Main St.

* The taco truck will be outside from 6-9.  He only takes cash, so bring some! Menu below.

* There will be DVDs of the Tacomentary available for a voluntary payment of whatever amount you see fit.  Any proceeds would go to cover our filmmaking costs (there really is no such thing as a zero-budget film–we tried pretty hard), and if there was any left over it would go towards the next Carpe Durham party, which we are already hatching in our heads.

Benito’s fabulous taco truck menu – Tacomentary 5/1

Fillings:

Pastor (spicy pork)

Asada (grilled steak)

Pollo (delicious chicken)

Lengua (tongue–it’s quite delicate really!)

Barbacoa (bbq’d beef)

Vegetarian (beans & rice)

Filling delivery vehicles:

Tacos: $2 each, or 3 for $5 ($6 with avocados and jalapenos added)

Quesadillas: $5

Tortas: $5

Nannie Brown’s American Cuisine

If living in the South has taught us anything, it’s that coleslaw goes great on everything.  Nannie Brown’s (826 Fayetteville St, Ste 110) was a delightful reminder of that fact.  Their Fuji Burger comes topped with chili and coleslaw (both housemade) and after the waitress double checked that we really wanted our burger with everything, it came out piled high and delicious.

We also got the pork chop, smothered ($6.99).  The sauce was very earthy and had a surprising amount of depth.  It came with two sides, chosen from a list of some familiar southern sides (including cabbage, mac & cheese, potato salad, yams, and cornbread dressing).  I got the cabbage, which was even better than I expected, in part because it actually turned out to be half cabbage and half collards (my favorite!).  The string beans were also very tasty, and I usually hate string beans (they might have been helped out by some lard).

Also on the menu was “beef avant,” strips of sirloin beef sauteed with cashews, carrots, onions and a spicy sweet sauce ($13.99).  We really wanted that, but they were out–we will certainly be going back for it sometime soon.  The menu was wide ranging with a lot of interesting-sounding options, including some classics, a lot of sandwiches and wraps, and some fancier twists.  Prices ranged as well; you can get a sandwich for $3.99 or salmon for $12.99.  They also feature daily fish specials and pound cakes from Miss Parker’s Pound Cakes. 

[UPDATE: They no longer offer the pound cakes!]

The service was great and the chef came out to make sure we liked everything (we did) and to apologize for being out of the Beef Avant.  The menu also mentions entertainment; I’m not sure what that involves, but there was a large empty space in the middle of the floor that could be used for a band or dancing, and a karaoke machine.  It’s definitely a friendly place with great food.  They’ve only been open a couple months, hope they stick around!

Hours: Monday – Saturday 9am – 9pm; Sunday by reservation only.