After a fun-filled afternoon of snacks at Elodie Farms, GWG was just getting started. (See our slideshow for images of the day's events.) Our next stop took us to City Beverage—closer to home in Southwest Durham. On warm days and evenings, those passing by will notice the outdoor patio full of people relaxing under the shade of umbrellas. Inside is a colorful, retro-inspired restaurant and bar with a comfortable atmosphere that invites you to stay a while (or play a while in the "Lava Lounge" with pool tables, jukebox and video games).
City Beverage has a selection of wine, beer and cocktails that offers a little of everything including 32 beers on draft, classic martinis and margaritas, and many other fruity mixed beverages. We took our time enjoying a couple of refreshing rounds as we studied their equally eclectic food menu. We had trouble narrowing down our choices, so we decided to share several appetizers so we could get a taste of it all.
This turned out to be a smart and flavorful decision...we ordered 3 items from the starter menu—Spicy Firecracker Pork Dumplings, Beer Cheese Fundido, and City Beverage Spuds. The dumplings definitely had a kick and were served with a tasty cucumber-peanut relish and peanut sauce that tempered the spice. We weren't quite sure what to expect with the Fundido, and this was the one dish that got a little lost among the others—the creamy cheese dip wasn't quite warm enough and didn't have as much flavor as expected.
If you order the City Beverage Spuds you can choose fries or homemade chips—we went with the latter which were coated in spices and served with a delicious gorgonzola dip. Our last selection came from the dinner menu—a large helping of Spinach & Artichoke Nachos—homemade tortilla chips loaded with fresh spinach, artichoke hearts, roasted garlic, tomatoes and peppers, mozzarella, asiago and sun-dried tomato-caper salsa. The description says it all—full of flavor and sure to disappear fast.
Following a round of drinks and appetizers at City Beverage, we left in search of dessert. Luckily, the fantastic cakes at Nantucket Grill were close, so we headed that way.
The Nantucket Grill’s Pastry Chef is an award winner and it shows in all their "Mile-High Dessert Cakes". There are more than 10 flavors to choose from and you can order a half-slice or full-slice depending on your appetite. Of course the GWG went with a whole slice of our favorite flavors—unbirthday cake and carrot cake (we also had a bite of our friend's chocolate peanut butter cake).
Seriously, their cake is out of this world. The servings were larger than expected and the moist cake and creamy icing were a sweet-tooth's heaven. Cake and coffee served at the bar was the perfect ending to a fun day.
Nantucket Grill is a great spot for a girls' night out or a casual date. Be sure to go with plenty of room in your stomach because even a half-slice is filling—but order your own flavor, sharing is half the fun.
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