SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
SEPTEMBER 2019
Medaloni Cellars: Curated By:
Also featured in this month’s Issue: Corn Spice
Dinner Guest
For the love of biscuits
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hy is it so a craggy, crusty exterior encasing the hard to get a fluffy, steamy innards. It would be about good biscuit 3.5 inches in diameter and a good 2.5 around inches tall. The color would be a mottled here? I mean, mix of tones from dried hay to chestnut. who doesn’t love The smell of toasted flour and dairy richa good biscuit? ness would invade your sinuses before We are in the you laid eyes on your breakfast. There by Jay Pierce South; biscuits is no need for an accompaniment to are a Southern staple, easy to eat, but mask the flavor of good buttermilk and exemplars are few and far between in real butter. the Triad. Better than passable biscuits can be But people in the Triad are definitely found at Danny’s on New Garden Street interested in biscuits. The most watched and Smith Street Diner in Greensboro; food video I ever participated in was Murphy’s Lunch, Krankies and Duke’s making biscuits with Eric Chilton. You on Country Club in the Twin City, or at would think something so simple would the Biscuit Factory in High Point, which be ubiquitous, but that’s not really the despite all outward appearances is a case. single-location scratch kitchen turning I grew up eating biscuits. No handout delicious food. me-down recipes or tugging at apron Biscuits need a Starbucks moment. strings, this is no typical yarn spun by a Just like coffee drinkers didn’t realize polished chef with a marketable backthat they wanted to pay 400 percent story. We enjoyed storemore for their cup of mornbrand flaky biscuits from the The Platonic ing joe in order to experitube, baked on Saturday ence more craftmanship ideal biscuit mornings, eaten with butand better sourcing and would have a ter — no jelly, no gravy. At overall, more gustatory desome point in my childhood, craggy, crusty light. Most of us didn’t know I graduated to Bisquik, but that coffee could get better exterior encasmore often than not, those before Starbucks burst on endeavors resulted in drop the scene, and that opened ing the fluffy, biscuits. I did not possess the floodgates for countthe patience or the confisteamy innards. less individuals passionate dence to form stereotypical about the coffee experience biscuits. Many moons later, to charge more money for as a practicing chef, I eventually taught better coffee. Extending the parallel, I’d myself how to make a proper biscuit pay eight bucks for an unadorned, honwith just three ingredients (buttermilk, est to goodness, two-handed biscuit on butter and self-rising flour) and now I’m a lazy weekend morning. Is that enough a bit of a snob about it. to keep an entrepreneur afloat? Don’t get me wrong. There are passMaybe our nation’s obsession with able biscuits to be had at two of North minimizing carbohydrate intake has Carolina’s finest fast-food establishcrippled the biscuit business in restauments, and maybe that is enough for rants. Or maybe I am just out of step most folks. Just like any mass-produced with what people want and am left tilting copy of a copy of a copy, those biscuits at windmills. Or perhaps I just don’t may satisfy the body, but the mind and know where to look. the spirit will find them lacking. Often, Either way, I won’t abandon my curfast-food specimens are higher in somudgeonly ways. I’ll make my own bisdium and butter-flavored vegetable oil to cuits and grumble about it. And maybe overwhelm your taste buds and distract I’ll post a picture to Instagram. you from the compromise you made to eat breakfast on the run. The Platonic ideal biscuit would have
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Triad City Bites
6th and Vine $-$$
6thandvine.com 209 W. Sixth St. WS, 336.725.5577
With the end of long summer nights and comfortable fall evenings on the horizon, now is the perfect time to explore the outdoor patio options at 6th and Vine. Reserve a table for two or invite a group for a casual dinner under the gazebo. Make the most out of outdoor dining season on the patio by trying new seasonal menu items, nightly specials or a new-to-you wine varietal. This old favorite is the quintessential gathering spot for friends, family or the distinguished business traveler. Nestled at the intersection of Sixth and Trade Streets, right in the heart the Arts District, there’s room for everyone at the table. Keep an eye out for a new, updated wine list to commemorate the restaurant’s 15th anniversary coming up next year. While the traditional 15-year gifts are rubies and crystal, you should treat yourself to a new-to-you red or a sparkling option from the curated list. This wine list will be a culmination of favorites over the last 15 years. Be prepared to enjoy yourself while you sip and dine alfresco at this quintessential Camel City haunt.
September 2019
Juice Batch $-$$
Juicebatch.com 2758 NC 68 HP 336.875.4107 Gather your crew and say Aloha to Juice Batch, where smoothies, acai bowls and poké bowls rule supreme. It’s time to squeeze the day and check out the Hawaiian-inspired fresh-pressed juices, customized smoothies and stylized poké bowl shop in Heron Village in High Point, right next to sister restaurant Small Batch. Try the Southern-inspired Yallmondmylk, which is a blend of almond, cashew and coconut water. Get a spicy kick from the Kickin’ Karot Gold made with carrot, ginger, coconut and pineapple. Can you get a Kale Yeah? Absolutely. Kale, spinach, cucumber and pineapple lead the trend report in this thirst-quenching, nutrient-rich juice. Check out the Beach Vibes smoothie with pineapple, apple, kale, matcha powder and coconut milk. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, try the OG poké bowl with spicy tuna, cucumber, pineapple and crispy garlic or customize your own bowl and toss in wonton crisps, pickled ginger and a sprinkle of togarashi seasoning. Grab and go with a fresh pressed juice or go with a Smoothie Bomb topped with chia seeds, granola and raw honey. When you’re ready to power up and head to High Point to fill up on good-for-you eats and drinks, Juice Batch is open and ready for business.
Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours $$ WS and GSO tastecarolina.net 919.237.2254 Tours start at $59 per person
Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours is reintroducing its Saturday Arts District Tasting Tour in Winston-Salem! Now available: Downtown to West End Dinner and Drinks Tours and Downtown Arts District Tasting Tours. Navigate through shops, galleries and historical landmarks in the Arts District that include funky haunts, women-owned businesses, elegant dining and passionate restaurateurs — all cut from an entrepreneurial cloth. Dig deep into the history of WinstonSalem’s culinary scene and enjoy the beauty of the public displays of art around the city. Munch on award-winning pizza while sipping on craft beer. Soak up the experience of unique architecture and fantastic restaurants on your well-seasoned guided tour. And don’t forget to also check out the Dinner and Drinks Tour, which takes you on a different route, highlighting the historic West End neighborhood and the genesis of the Twin City through signature dishes, craft cocktails and handmade small plates. Ready your belly and come explore the culinary landscape of the City of Arts and Innovation.
Krankies $-$$ 211 E. Third St. W-S krankiescoffee.com
This bar, kitchen and Downtown Winston-Salem hangout serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and brunch on the weekend. While known for its fresh-roasted coffee, the restaurant is the heart and soul of Krankies Café. The menu and the façade have changed over the years, but the core remains the same: a commitment to using local ingredients and fostering relationships with farmers, producers, artisans and customers. The original space for the Cobblestone Farmers Market, Krankies Café has blossomed into a place where the community comes to eat, drink and be merry. A prominent force of both the breakfast and weekend brunch menus is the chicken biscuit. A hand-cut chicken breast is, brined, breaded, deep fried and doused with Texas Petespiked honey or smothered and covered with a house-made rich and unctuous sausage gravy. The crisp, buttery edges of the biscuit give way to a hot and crispy union unlike any other. Don’t miss the wine and beer dinners in collaboration with local vintners and brewers. These signature events invite guests to the Krankies Café experience, which above all else is approachable, affordable and tastes good too.
September 2019
Triad City Bites
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Medaloni Cellars:
There’s a fresh layer of gravel on the front parking lot of Medaloni Cellars in Lewisville, laid down by Joey Medaloni himself. The one-time nightlife impresario of downtown Greensboro swapped the bright lights of Elm Street for this 22-acre winery and event facility in 2011, after he sold off the nightclubs and moved out to the country. It opened to the public in 2012. “I took a pay cut,” says the former proprietor of the N Club, the Red Room, Sky Bar, Heaven and Much, which in the early years of the 2000s lit up the evening hours in downtown Greensboro to the point that city ordinances had to be changed. “I cut my hair, obviously,” he says. “And I traded my Escalade for a Ford F250. It wasn’t quite as simple as that. It was in 2008 that Medaloni became serious about wine — always a part of his clubs, but never the focus. He studied with a North Carolina winemaker for a few years, learning the classic French vintner technique — no chemicals, just grapes — and then he found this patch of land in the Yadkin Valley. “It was all trees,” he says now, surveying his land from the top of a hill. After clearing them, the first thing he built was a small wooden deck by the side of the creek that runs through the property. It was where he would take potential investors to watch the sunset and describe his plan. Development was difficult. There was no plumbing, no power, all those trees. By Medaloni’s standards, it was in the middle of nowhere. But in typical fashion, he methodically worked the land until his vision materialized. It must be seen to be believed: 22 acres cut into the forest, studded with buildings that combine rustic materials with modern conveniences. It’s designed for mingling, for celebrating, for romancing. His vision, it turns out, wasn’t so different from the culture he created on downtown Greensboro’s busiest thoroughfare. And it’s grown to encompass Tasting Rooms in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. But Medaloni Cellars is at the heart of it all.
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Triad City Bites
September 2019
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Medaloni Cellars $$-$$$ 9125 Shallowford Road, Lewisville Medalonicellars.com
Tasting Room $$ 901 S. Chapman St. GSO Tastingroomgso.com 631 N. Trade St. W-S
addition to the barrel room and wine lab, where his award-winning varietals eir gravitas, Medaloni Cellars has an outdoor deck with views of the Blue rkway in the distance and, on a clear day, Boone. There’s a seasonal bar, he spring, summer and fall, laden with custom Adirondack chairs that have carved to looks like wine bottles and glasses. It’s become quite the spot for Salem residents looking for a place to relax and sip wine, though the hours are rom Medaloni’s previous enterprises. bringing nightlife into the twilight,” he says. abins on the property cater to overnight guests, with two Airstream trailers up hill for overflow. cabins are built for couples; the nicest one, Chateau Bergeron, he calls the on Suite. It’s got a queen-sized bed, a shower built for two and a wood-burnce. ry romantic spot. ni Cellars was designed with weddings in mind — there’s room for up 200 ith overnight accommodations for up to six guests. But it’s perfect for parties large, family reunions and other events, or just a weekend mountain getaway ple seeking privacy and quiet. n there’s the wine. ni spent years studying the vintner’s art, always refusing shortcuts, striving to
September 2019
use as few ingredients as possible and never relying on chemicals. He’s even witnessed a few innovations in the Yadkin Valley, which became a recognized American Viticultural Area in 2003. He credits Markus Niggli of Markus Wine Co. in Lodi, Calif. for imparting trade secrets that he’s applied to this very distinctive region. “They said you couldn’t do natural yeast wines in the Yadkin Valley,” Medaloni says, “but we’ve done it.” Yadkin Valley wines have moved far beyond the muscadine and scuppernong native to the region. An entire slate of whites — a couple blends, a couple chardonnays, a pinot grigio, an award-winning viognier, a vermentino, a gewürztraminer and even the more exotic French colombard and traminette — bear the Medaloni Cellars label. Reds include the Entourage Red Blend, the Artist Series Red Blend, a cabernet sauvignon, a merlot and the Sweetheart Red. The 2016 viognier scored an 88 in Wine Enthusiast, as did the Artist Series Petit Verdot, while the Artist Series Red scored an 86. It’s like everything he built on Elm Street grew up and moved to the country. Which is sort of what happened to Joey. He stands on the shaded deck of the tasting room, the mountains lining the horizon, and takes it all in. “This is my own downtown now,” he says, “and I’m my own mayor.”
Triad City Bites
5
Mozzarella Fellas $$ 336 Summit Square Blvd. W-S mozzarellafellas.com
North Point Grill $-$$
7843 North Point Blvd, WS 336.896.0500 northpointgrill.com Home to one of the best lunch menus in WinstonSalem, a wide variety of homestyle meals can be found at North Point Grill. Oversized salads, juicy burgers, seafood, pasta and the largest variety of sandwiches in the area you won’t leave hungry. With daily dinner specials, steak and chicken plates served with a choice of more than 20 sides, there’s something for everyone. Alongside the classic sides, the lunch and dinner menus boast seminal favorites such as baked spaghetti with a robust, Bolognese meat sauce, peppered catfish and a daily soup cadre that features loaded potato, tomato bisque, broccoli and cheese or the award-winning vegetable beef in a bowl or upgrade to a bread boule. This soup was the recipient of the Golden Ladle award from the 2019 Empty Bowls fundraiser for NWNC Food Bank in April. The soup beat out more than 30 favorites from around Forsyth County. Dine-in, take-out or order via online delivery service and North Point Grill will take care of you.
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Triad City Bites
The fella behind Mozzarella Fellas, Brian Ricciardi, invites you to experience a relaxing and enjoyable home away from home with Winston-Salem’s most unique and creative Italian cuisine. Sprinkled with Southern influence and enveloped in passion, expertise and tradition, the focus above everything is creating a warm and welcoming environment for all guests. Unique flavor combinations, gluten-free options, and vegan creations are the crux of the menu. Try an oyster mushroom-calamari appetizer that’s breaded and fried, served with lemon and marinara, or Southern-fried pork chops with garlic-Parmesan mashed potatoes, a fontina-cream sausage gravy and bacon jam tempered with a fresh apple slaw. Chicken cacciatore might be the dish that calls you home with a roasted-vegetable tomato sauce covering bone-in chicken thighs on top of creamy polenta grits. Vegan BBQ jackfruit pizza with mozzarella, fresh jalapeños, red onions, pineapple and ranch drizzle might wake up your taste buds while the Shrimp and Grits Arrabiata may spice up your life with its Argentine red shrimp, bacon, cheesy polenta grits, Calabrian chilies and roasted peppers. Whether you drop in for lunch or dinner, the hospitality paired with your new favorite dish will keep you coming back for more.
Rascal’s Tavern $$
2270 Golden Gate Drive, GSO 336.944.5527 rascalsgreensboro.com Small, but mighty, Rascals Tavern was named to reflect the soul of the restaurant and give a nod to the staff that run that place. A rascal isn’t one to play by the rules, and the menu doesn’t play around when it comes to flavor combinations nor presentation. The menu is succinct, but the creativity behind it is extensive. Chef and owner Jessica Borgione heads up the kitchen to make a Chef Creation available for a limited time each night. Grilled and seared proteins are stacked high on beds of greens, an array of vegetables or grains, and all are garnished with drizzles and drips of sauces and dashes of spices and herbs. Straightforward salads, sides, bodacious sandwiches and an eclectic appetizer menu define the boundaries that Rascals wants to push, ending the week with spectacular brunch offerings. Bottomless mimosas, benedicts, biscuits and beef brisket hash are just a few of the featured items to round out the fun, diverse menu.
September 2019
Flash in the pan
Spices of the corn (PS I Love You too, just not as much)
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hen people say they like pumpkin spice-flavored foods, what they mean is they like pumpkin pieflavored foods. The difference between spice and pie being a few hundred calories’ worth of cream and sugar, not to mention actual pumpkin (or squash, as is the case with much canned pumpkin-pie filling). Take a look at the ingredient list of most any iconic vehicle for pumpkin spices, such as the Starbucks by Ari LeVaux Pumpkin Spice Latte, and you will see more than just a sweet, spiced coffee drink. There are actual pumpkin particles in that cup, in the form of puree. Ditto for your breakfast cereal, pretzels, doughnuts, protein powder, ice cream, kombucha, kale chips, cream cheese, bagels, yogurt, popcorn and Pop-Tarts. We like pumpkin pie, and so they feed it to us. Dunkin’ Donuts rolled out its full Pumpkin Spice menu on Aug. 21, apparently in an effort to beat Starbucks to the pumpkin-spice punch. It’s one thing to put the spices in deodorant, moonshine and e-cigarettes year-round. But when it comes to putting pumpkin pie in the actual food we eat, this far out of season, that’s too much. If people want to consume their pumpkin pie spices in the pre-fall season, and clearly they do, I suggest combining them with corn. Corn is sweeter than squash, and if prepared properly, creamier as well. So sweet and creamy, in fact, that corn, pumpkin spices and a pinch of salt are all you really need to make a pumpkin pie-flavored drink. Pumpkin pie spices is a mixture of ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. These roots, seeds and bark all share the trait of somehow tasting sweet without actually being sweet, somehow evoking sweet sensations. In the presence of actual sweet ingredients, they really pucker up. But they can also be a bit raspy and rough, and a dose of cream makes these qualities more palatable without obscuring them. That is part of the magic of pumpkin pie. The only difference between pumpkin pie and chai spices is the inclusion of cardamom. Chai spices are often served in conjunction with sweet, creamy ingredients, along with steeped bits of a caffeine-bearing plant — tea, in this case. While pumpkin spices have recently, and some would say wrongly, found a niche as a coffee flavoring, chai spices — and their accompanying milk, vanilla and honey — have flavored black tea for centuries. Back to that corn-spice drink. When my wife took a sip, what she said was music to my ears. Our kids swarmed into the kitchen, took sips and said the same thing she had. Even the girl next door, less accustomed to my kitchen research projects, agreed: “It tastes like pumpkin pie!” This was encouraging, but one question remained: Could I use my corny concoction in a pumpkin spice latte, aka the “PSL”? I took a trip to Starbucks and paid five bucks for the smallest cup they had. I didn’t taste any coffee, only pumpkin pie, but the barista claimed she’d added a shot. I took it home and added homemade espresso, which made it taste kind of funny, in a way that pumpkin sometimes can. The corn spice latte (CSL), meanwhile, had none of that funniness, no matter how much coffee I added. And I added plenty. And when I added chocolate powder to the corn-coction, the resulting corn spice mocha (CSM) made me smile like a jack-o-lantern.
September 2019
Corn Spice Porridge This is a thick beverage that tastes like pumpkin pie. The recipe includes a chocolate option — because who doesn’t like chocolate pumpkin pie? Both Corn Spice and Chocolate Corn Spice go well with coffee — better than pumpkin, if you ask me — and don’t require added sugar or milk, as corn is sweet and creamy. But if you want Starbucks-level decadence to your Corn Spice Latte or Mocha, add more sweetener and creamer. For expediency, I use a commercial pumpkin-pie spice mix. Not only is it pre-mixed, it is ground much finer than what I can do at home. But extreme-DIYers can mix up: three teaspoons each of cloves and allspice, four teaspoons each of nutmeg and ginger, and six tablespoons cinnamon, all ground. Makes 2 servings 2 ears sweet corn, shucked (or 2 cups frozen corn) 2 cups water ¼ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pumpkin spices Optional: 1 tablespoon cocoa powder Optional: maple syrup for extra sweetness For corn spice latte or mocha base: ¼ cup (or more) heavy cream, 2 tablespoons (or more) sugar Cut off the tip of the cob and hold it tip down on a cutting board. Place a filet knife or the narrowest knife you can find about halfway down the cob, and cut straight down, as close to the cob as possible, slicing off a sheet of kernels. Rotate your grip on the cob and slice off another sheet. When you have sliced the corn off the entire half, put the other end down on the cutting board and slice the corn off the other end. You should get about a cup and a half from an average size ear. Add this corn, along with the salt, spices and chocolate, if using, to a pot with the water. On medium heat, stir it together with a fork and bring to a simmer. Leave it there for 5 minutes, covered. Turn off heat and allow to cool. When cool enough to work with, add to a blender, preferably a powerful one like a Vitamix. Start on the lowest speed, gradually increase the speed to high, and blend at high until it’s utterly smooth. If you are in need of a blender upgrade, you may have to filter what’s left. Otherwise you will end up with corn pieces in your teeth, and a very unpleasing CSL. Pour the liquefied or strained corn spices back into the pot and return to a simmer. Serve hot or cold.
Triad City Bites
7
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
In the Weeds
Rumours
I
was going to go home. After an opening turn on a Friday night, it’s very easy to sit down with a shifty on the other side of the bar, maybe take a shot (it’s early yet) and finish the conversation about Fleetwood Mac and whether all poly relationships do make great
pounces on dive-bar culture. “How many times have we just come in these bars, pulled the mats back, turned the lights on, made sure there was toilet paper, put money in the register and opened the fuckin’ bar?” We take a shot. She continues. “There’s people that come in here, they count on us. They count on us to be here, and be fuckin’ short by James Douglas and crass with them, yet serve them a drink.” bands. The dive-bar culture, while not based on focus I mean, do the Mamas and the Papas fit into groups and “Systems of Service” is a valuable tool for that category? How about whatever was going on those who just need an ear. Sometimes the only perbetween George Harrison, Eric Clapton and their son who will listen is standing across from you mixing spouses? Did they ever perform together? Quick, a drink. Sometimes that’s all you need. She expounds google that. on that theory. Where do you draw the line? Is there one? Next “That’s why people come to bars,” she says. thing you know, it’s midnight and you’re full of booze “Not for the cheap booze, not for how cold it is or and unanswered questions. Like I said, I was going to how comfortable the seats are. They come for how go home. Early, for once. comfortable the fuckin’ bartender is and how recepNope. tive the bartender is to not just your problems, but If this happens more often than not, you might everybody’s problems. Even if the bartender doesn’t have an issue. But me, I was looking for a understand those problems, the bartender story. A couple of drinks might lead to a will understand those problems.” Sometimes, good column. Other times, all you’re left I can’t tell you how many times I’ve exwith is a headache the next morning, pon- the only perperienced someone’s joy and pain through dering what Eureka! moment you might’ve hearing them unload to the person serving son who will encountered a few hours earlier. It’s easy them a drink. I’ve counseled break-ups, to get caught up in it. Especially when you listen is stand- injuries and deaths. I’ve seen money issues see other colleagues who also just happen ing across and legal battles. I’ve celebrated with to have the night off. That’s how I ended strangers whom I’ve known all of 15 minfrom you mix- utes. It’s not disingenuous. We do attach up talking to a local bar owner who I’ve known for years, but rarely see. ourselves to these losses and victories. It’s ing a drink. It’s always good to catch up with people a vicarious thrill that most people behind in the industry. They feel your pain; they the bar experience and feed off of, at offer tidbits that might be helpful to you, such as job times. There’s a joy in feeling happy for other people. opportunities, local drama, who to watch out for, etc. There’s a wistfulness in seeing familiar situations you There’s a local private Facebook page which does empathize with. There’s humanity in holding the hand virtually the same thing, but it’s nice to have a converof a person you’ve never met and telling them it’ll sation face to face. turn out okay. This person, who shall remain nameless, owns a Now it’s 1 a.m. I regretfully say my goodbyes, and couple of bars in Winston-Salem. I frequented them start poking around on my phone for an Uber. What in my younger days when she was just a bartender. was supposed to be an early night, yet again, turns to We’d already had a couple, when the “lifer” conthese late-night conversations and, perhaps, not too versation comes up. Why we do what we do. bad of a hangover the next day. I offer some stoic reasoning, saying, “It’s not about Whatever. As so many of us do I’ll power through it, the money.” I’m not entirely lying. The money does put those mats out, check the toilet paper, load the play a part: Money helps us justify babysitting adults. drawer with money and turn on the lights, just to see Money eases the late hours and social isolation in who’s going to walk through that door today. your free time, while being surrounded by a party at I see my car coming and as I get in, I hear Stevie work. Nicks echo out of the bar I just left. Poly relationships I offer up the customer-service angle, and she do make great bands.
Local 27101 $
thelocal.ws 310 W. Fourth St. WS, 336.725.3900
There’s nothing revolutionary about Local 27101. It’s a lunch place on Fourth Street, right in the heart of downtown WinstonSalem’s Restaurant Row. The menu, as created by Executive Chef Patrick Rafferty and owner Greg Carlyle, has a stable of classic lunch dishes: Burgers with seasoned crinkle-cut and sweet-potato fries. A legendary hot dog. Fresh shrimp and oysters for po-boys. Made-to-order salads that go beyond the basic. It’s fresh food made fast, and Local 27101 stands by that promise with in-house delivery throughout downtown and the West End during lunch service — order from the restaurant or online at thelocal.ws for speedy and free service. Catering is available either through the Local or on-site at the Millennium Center. Call for details.
Interested in Triad City Bites? Call Brian at 336.681.0704 to find out more.