TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
Toast the Expert
T O D A Y triangletodaync
@triangletodaync
Go to nando.com/toasttheexpert to suggest a professional designer for us to feature.
@triangletodaync
TWO CHAPEL HILL EATERIES HELP YOU
GET YOUR TACO FIX Greg Cox for Triangle Today
BARTACO 201 S. Estes Drive, Suite E3, Chapel Hill, in University Place bartaco.com/location/chapel-hill BABALU 1800 E. Franklin St., Suite 16, Chapel Hill, in Eastgate Crossing chapelhill.eatbabalu.com
On paper, Chapel Hill restaurants Babalu and BarTaco look a lot alike.
Both are the first Triangle locations of up-and-coming chains (a second BarTaco is slated to come online this summer in Raleigh). Both offer menus that feature tacos with a trendy international supporting cast of street food-inspired small plates. At either restaurant, you can choose from a rainbow assortment of margaritas and tropical cocktails made with freshly squeezed juices. And you can sip them in a setting that, with a little imagination, might be a beach vacation spot. Even the time and place of the two restaurants’ openings invite comparison: last summer, barely a month apart in shopping centers so close to one another that you could practically stand at the front door of one restaurant, whip a tortilla Frisbee-style in the direction of the other, and hit it. But rest assured that once you’ve been to both places, there’s no risk of confusing the two. Read the full review at triangletoday.com
Babalu in Chapel Hill has inventive riffs on the taco theme, piled into house-made corn tortillas that deserve top billing.
Juli Leonard
My Choice Plan
A flexible xible cell phone plan that'ss right for you 17 E. Martin Street, Raleigh republicwireless.com
UNLIMITED TALK & TEXT
HIGH SPEED LTE CELL DATA
It’s your choice. It’s that simple.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
get out
BEST FESTIVALS THIS SPRING FOR FOODIES AND BEER LOVERS
ST. PATRICK’S DAY
MARCH 17. DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. RALEIGHSTPATS.ORG The annual parade (10 a.m. to noon) and festival falls on a Saturday this year. A host of food vendors will be on hand to balance this holiday that’s often about the beer. Of course, if beer is what you want, head to Isaac Hunter’s Tavern, 414 Fayetteville St., in downtown Raleigh by 2 p.m. for an epic bar crawl. Find details at raleighstpats.com.
TASTE: A CELEBRATION OF FOOD AND DRINK
APRIL 18-22. TASTETHEEVENT.COM The multi-day event spotlights Triangle chefs with a grand tasting, gluten-free wine-pairing dinner and artisan cocktail dinner. Tickets are sold out for the grand tasting, but they remain for the dinners.
BREWGALOO
APRIL 27-28. CITY PLAZA AND FAYETTEVILLE STREET, DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. SHOPLOCALRALEIGH.ORG/ BREWGALOO Downtown Raleigh hosts one of the state’s largest beer festivals, pouring brews from more than 100 North Carolina breweries and drawing more than 50 food trucks. A Friday night block party is at City Plaza, with breweries pouring samples of beers that won’t be around on Saturday. Those tickets are $45. The Saturday festival is free to attend, with samples and full pints available for purchase.
Search the events calendar at triangletoday.com
TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
8 GREAT BBQ JOINTS IN THE TRIANGLE Greg Cox for Triangle Today Allen & Son 6203 Millhouse Road, Chapel Hill Torn between Eastern and Western North Carolina barbecue? Check out Allen & Son, where the ’cue is a hybrid of the two styles, and the pork is cooked the old-fashioned way, over seasoned hickory and oak. It’s a winning formula that has kept fans coming back to the little shack tucked in off a country highway a few miles north of Chapel Hill since 1970. Pro tip: Don’t fill up on hushpuppies, or you won’t have room for homemade cobbler. Clyde Cooper’s Barbeque 327 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh A couple of years ago, when this legendary downtown Raleigh joint was forced to vacate the building it had occupied since 1938 to make way for new construction, it relocated just around the corner – moving all the timeworn dining room decorations with it. Returning fans were happy to see that the fine chopped Eastern-style pork hadn’t changed either. Pro tip: Pick up a bag of house-fried pork cracklings on your way out. Daddy Bob’s Barbeque Food truck owner/operator Miller Howerton traces his barbecue pedigree back four generations to Mississippi, but Howerton grew up in North Carolina. His barbecue – pork shoulders smoked for 12 hours over a mix of hickory, apple and pecan, and moistened with an Eastern-style sauce – adapts the family tradition to his new home. Check the website for the truck’s schedule, and – well, what do you know? It’s going to be at the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival. Pro tip: Spice things up with some jalapeño cheddar hushpuppies and a side of jalapeño slaw. Hillsborough BBQ Company 236 S. Nash St., Hillsborough Opened in 2011, this upstart went against the gas-fired grain and revived the laborious and expensive old-fashioned method of cooking exclusively over wood. The star is the Eastern-style whole hog that’s so juicy it hardly needs saucing, but baby back ribs, Texas-style beef brisket and barbecue chicken are also on the money. Pro tip: First-rate Brunswick stew is just one of many worthy scratch-cooked sides. Picnic 1647 Cole Mill Road, Durham Pork shoulders, subtly smoky and pulled into coarse shreds so juicy you’ll think twice before adding sauce, is just one attraction at this spot where the fried chicken is so good you’re almost tempted to order it instead. Almost. Pro tip: Deviled eggs, their creamy, mustardy yolk fillings enriched with rendered bacon fat, are a worthy tribute to the restaurant’s name.
The Pit 328 W. Davie St., Raleigh; 321 W. Geer St., Durham The Pit’s urban vibe isn’t exactly what comes to mind when you think “barbecue joint,” but the pork barbecue is the real whole-hog, pit-cooked deal. Don’t let the extensive selection of smoked meats – everything from beef brisket to chopped turkey – distract you from your goal: Eastern-style chopped pork.Pro tip: OK, if you insist, the Carolina-style ribs are another winning option. Smokey’s BBQ Shack 10800 Chapel Hill Road, Morrisville Smokey’s is one of those rare versatile barbecue joints that turns out a wide range of smoked meats, all worthy options: pulled pork, ribs, beef brisket, even chicken. If forced to choose one, I suppose I’d go with the brisket. Happily, I don’t have to because the Sampler combo gets you all four. Pro tip: If you’re going for lunch, get there early to avoid a line that frequently snakes out the front door. Stephenson’s Bar-B-Q 11964 N.C. 50, Willow Spring Pork shoulders, slow-cooked over hardwood coals and seasoned just right with an Eastern-style sauce, have been drawing pickup trucks like a magnet to the parking lot in front of this low-slung cinder block building since 1958. Worth a drive to find out why? You bet. Pro tip: Don’t miss the restaurant’s first chopping block on display just inside the entrance. That deep well worn into the top is the result of nearly 30 years of chopping pork.
Looking to take a day trip? Read about Winterville barbecue guy Sam Jones at triangletoday.com.
TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
FORMER OLD HAVANA OWNERS LOOK TO OPEN NEW RESTAURANT Drew Jackson for Triangle Today
AFTER
THE ATTIC & CRAWL SPACE EXPERTS
BEFORE Old Havana Sandwich Shop, which served croquetas, garbanzo beans and pork, guava pie and mantecaditos cookies, closed last month. Its owners will open Copa down the street. Chris Seward
AFTER
Durham’s Old Havana Sandwich Shop closed after seven years on Main Street. The owners are working to open their new restaurant Copa, a different take on Cuban food and a restaurant built from a place in time rather than a certain cuisine. In the former Revolution space down the street from Old Havana, owners Roberto Copa Matos and Elizabeth Turnbull will serve the dishes of Cuba from the 1800s, which Matos says have been largely lost in what we typically think of as Cuban food today. Instead of a cuisine somewhat resembling the rest of Latin America, Matos said Copa will seem more European-influenced.
BEFORE
VETERAN OWNED
See the full article at triangletoday.com
CALL HUTCH TODAY!
919-323-4190 FREE Home Energy Evaluation Valued at $399 - Mention this ad!
A publication of The McClatchy Company 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, NC 27601, 800-522-4205, newsobserver.com
For customer service regarding delivery, contact Jerry Harris, Home Delivery Manager, 800-522-4205, jharris@newsobserver.com
Sara Glines, President and Publisher 919-829-4659 sglines@newsobserver.com
For information about advertising, contact Kaki Berkeley, 919-836-5997, kberkeley@newsobserver.com
All advertising is subject to acceptance by the publisher, who reserves the right to revise, edit or reject.
30 YEARS EXPERIENCE in Southeastern North Carolina
FREE ATTIC HATCH COVER ($100 value) FREE DEHUMIDIFIER ($800 value) with complete Attic System
or SUMP PUMP ( $300 value) with full encapsulation
OFFER GOOD FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
OFFER GOOD FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
31-DAY
sale
window
This isn’t one of those ‘limited time’ offers that’s not really limited; we’re only offering this discount, FREE SmartSun™ glass upgrade and special financing for 31 days.1
Less than a month lef t!
There are limited appointments available, and you must book yours before March 31st…
which means you have LESS THAN a month left!
BUY ONE WINDOW, GET ONE WINDOW
FREE Upgrade
to our SmartSun Glass ™
50% OFF!
1
NO NO NO
Money Down
to help keep your home even more comfortable
LESS THAN a month left to book your FREE In-home Design Consultation
Payments
for 1 year
Interest
2
919-766-4100 NoMoreDraftsNC.com
Discount applied by retailer representative at time of contract execution and applies to purchase of 4 or more windows. Buy two windows, get the second two windows, of equal or lesser value, 50% off. Discount applied to lowest priced windows in purchase. Cannot be combined with other offers or prior purchases. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for a free In-home Design Consultation must be made and documented on or before 3/31/18 with the appointment then occurring no more than 10 days after the initial contact. Promotional offer available without financing option. 2No payments and deferred interest for 12 months available to well qualified buyers on approved credit only. Not all customers may qualify. Higher rates apply for customer with lower credit ratings. Financing not valid with other offers or prior purchases. No Finance Charges will be assessed if promo balance is paid in full in 12 months. Renewal by Andersen retailers are independently owned and operated retailers, and are neither brokers nor lenders. All financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. Renewal by Andersen retailers do not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to lenders interested in financing. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2018 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. ©2018 Lead Surge LLC. All rights reserved. 1