When Only a Burger Will Do

When you can’t wait for the burger to come to you, go to Only Burger’s storefront location for the same great food available seven days a week. Being that GWG are fans of the burger via truck, we wanted to check out the new location and were easily sucked in by a tasty tweet about the daily specials.

Located in the corner of the Hope Valley Square shopping center, the Only Burger restaurant is painted in bright colors that mirror the friendly personality of the logo. Their fan base has obviously followed to the new location as we watched a steady flow of people treat themselves to burger and fries. Seating is a little tight during rush hour but it created the type of atmosphere where you might share a table with a stranger and end up with a new friend.

As mentioned, we were there to try the specials of the day—pimento cheese and fried green tomato sliders, a Greek pita burger and fresh onion rings on the side. The pimento cheese/fried green tomato burger is something we’ve seen before, but Only Burger got it just right. These mini sliders had the perfect proportion of cheese, meat and veggie so you could enjoy all the flavors with each bite—we’d love to try this in full size, but also liked being able to order based on your appetite (1 for a snack, 3 or 4 for a meal).

The Greek pita burger was another tasty alternative, made with lamb meat and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, feta cheese, and something like a tzatziki sauce. For us the pimento sliders came out on top but we like the creative options. The onion rings were also a nice addition to complete the meal—the breading was light and crisp with a hint of pepper. All said, we think the restaurant is a great extension of the business—although we will always be food truck chasers at heart.

Only Burger’s brick and mortar location is part of the rebirth of the Hope Valley Square shopping center. The shopping center’s recent makeover offers a lovely exterior with outdoor seating and a variety of businesses. Local favorite, Rick’s Diner, recently completed a move to the area, Tutti Frutti will be serving up fro-yo next to Only Burger, and Charleston’s Bull Street Gourmet & Market is reported to be opening as well. Next time you’re looking to mail something, do it over lunch and take advantage of everything Hope Valley Square has to offer.

P.S. As if we didn’t have enough reason, the recent N&O report that milkshakes will soon be offered at Only Burger has us planning our next visit.

A Fair to Remember

For the Girls with Guts, food is more than a meal. It is woven into most of our relationships and experiences. This year, the N.C. State Fair was a great example of how food plays a large role in our lives.

The state fair has been a tradition for GWG for two years. Even before we were blogging, we were attending the fair together and trying all the fun fair foods. This year, the state fair dictated when one of us would be married and the annual fair visits were planned as pre-wedding and post-wedding festivities.

To kick off the wedding weekend, the GWG, along with 22+ others, traveled to the fair on Thursday, October 21. The group was made up of friends and family, first-time fair-goers and seasoned veterans. It even included some who flew in from California and were picked up from the airport en route.

We must admit that it was slightly difficult to accommodate such a large group (especially on canned food night) but it was fun sharing things like: the Krispy Kreme Burger, Fried Candy Bars, Ham Biscuits, Fried Mac-n-Cheese, Fried Mashed Potato Bites, Fried Pumpkin Pie, Fried Banana Pudding, Fried Cheese, Fried Fish Sandwich, Turkey Legs, Koolickles, Specialty Cupcakes, Pineapple Lemonade, and Sweet Tea.

Friday and Saturday of course included the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner (at P.F. Chang’s), and the wedding (with the reception at The Weathervane at A Southern Season) but then Sunday, it was back to the fair for the bride and groom; this time in a wedding dress and tux, with a photographer. The fair has also been a tradition throughout the bride and groom’s courtship, so it seemed natural to use such a fun event to “Celebrate What’s Great”--the start of a new life together. Oh and just so you don’t freak out…the dress was only $100!

Some of the best pictures include one in front of the Cary United Methodist Church eating the amazing ham biscuits, sharing a bite of hot fried cheese and letting the cheese string from one person to the other, eating a fried candy bar from each end, playing in the fun houses, sitting on the carousel horses, and riding on the Ferris wheel. There were lots of funny looks from other fair-goers, but it was totally worth it.

One of the best things about food is that it can make memories. This year, the NC State Fair provided great memories during a great weekend for a lot of great people.

Full Steam Ahead for Farmhand Foods

(We realize this food event was already covered by Carpe Durham, but are so excited about this delicious Durham addition we decided it couldn’t hurt to cover it some more!)

Last Thursday’s pairing of local food and local brew brought out the crowds to taste test Durham’s newest food truck addition, Farmhand Foods. When we arrived at Fullsteam shortly after 5:30 p.m., people were already lined up along Rigsbee Avenue, with beers in hand, chatting and waiting for their turn at the sausage truck. Despite the wait everyone was relaxed, enjoying the casual atmosphere and eager to show support for the local food scene. It was very exciting to see everything coming together for this corner of downtown Durham.

Besides adding a new genre to the growing food truck scene, Farmhand Foods provides handcrafted sausages made from animals that are pasture-raised in North Carolina. The result is fresh and tasty beef and pork sausages served up with a twist. After reading the descriptions on the menu, we struggled to narrow down our options and ordered all five—four sausage variations and one vegetarian sandwich (since we aren’t trying to grow our guts, we split them between the two of us).

The first thing to note is that all the sausages were served up on Guglhupf pretzel rolls—we are not sure if this will be standard practice, but from the positive feedback we think they should consider it. The bread was soft and fresh but substantial enough to hold together while you dive into your sausage. We each had a clear favorite, but were quite pleased with all four sausage offerings.

For one of us, it was the Spicy Italian Sausage served with chow chow and mustard. The combination of spice and tang had hints of tradition, but with its own stamp.

For the other, the favorite by far was the Country Breakfast Link featuring maple butter and roasted apples. The sweetness of the butter and apples on the fresh bun make even Monday mornings worth waking up for.

We also enjoyed the bratwurst and polish sausages, but they didn’t quite have the standout flavor of the other two—our suggestion would be switching up the pickles for jalapenos on the polish sausage. Finally, we shared the Seasonal Vegetarian Sandwich made with shitake mushrooms, goat cheese, arugula and pesto. Although fresh, we thought it lacked flavor and was overpowered by the goat cheese, but being that we aren’t vegetarians, we are hesitant to make a final judgment.

Fullsteam’s open space with large tables and open doors to allow for moving inside and outside easily, was the perfect spot for a food-truck-get-together. After enjoying our meal on the wall outside, the GWG ventured inside to finish our evening with a beer and check out the live music.

We tried two of Fullsteam’s beers: the Hogwash, a hickory-smoked porter; and the Carver Sweet Potato Beer. Both were refreshing after a large dinner and were nice to sip while we enjoyed the blue grass band playing on the stage and watching the variety of people who attended the event. From families with children, to friends young and old, Fullsteam has a distinctly Durham feeling and is a great spot to slow down and catch up.

The GWG think Farmhand Foods has it right, “(m)eat [and drink] local” at these two great Durham establishments.

A Southern Power Couple

Bacon and eggs, shrimp and grits, peanut butter and jelly…there are certain food pairings that belong together like soul mates, and chicken and waffles is no exception. This Southern power couple is the house special served up at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles on Main Street. Although there doesn’t seem to be certainty as to the origin of this dish, we think most would agree this pairing was meant to be!

Dame’s has been open for several months, and now we are not sure why we wasted so much time getting down there. The playful logo greets you at the door while you enter to sophisticated décor and a casual atmosphere. There were a couple of specials available, but we were there for the star dish.

The menu consists of creative interpretations of the signature meal, cleverly named with references to the feathered fowl. Between the chicken cuts (wing, leg, cutlet), the waffle variations (classic, sweet potato and blueberry) and the flavored shmears (7 sweet crème butters)—you are sure to find a combination that suits your tastes. With all these choices, we think they should add a Build-Your-Own option to the menu.

Most people associate waffles with breakfast, so one of us went with The Barnyard Honcho which is basically a big breakfast spread—2 eggs your way, grits, and a plate of classic waffles with a fried cutlet on top. Everything came hot, delicious, and in generous supply. The almond butter and syrup served on the side turned this dish into a masterpiece. If you have not tried this flavor combination, you are in for a real treat.

The Quilted Buttercup is a sandwich with a cute name and outstanding flavor. A fried chicken cutlet between two “petite “rare breed” scratch made sweet potato waffles and shmeared with maple and candied pecan” equals a match made in heaven. The salty, juicy chicken paired perfectly with the sweet flavorful waffles and the optional hot sauce added the extra spice to take the meal over the top. The apple cobbler ordered as a side was simply alright compared to the one-of-a-kind chicken sandwich.

The service in Dame’s was pleasing as we were quickly greeted by someone who took our drink orders and offered suggestions on choosing a meat cut. The food came out in decent time making this a great place for lunch if you’re in the downtown area—we know we’ll be back!

Dessert That's Worth the Drive

There are two reasons to go to any restaurant, the food and the atmosphere—S&T's Soda Shoppe in quaint downtown Pittsboro has both. This family owned and operated restaurant never fails to leave a smile on your face and your stomach full. The ice cream is well worth the 30 minute drive from Chapel Hill or Durham.

One of us discovered S&T's several years ago through friends and have made it a point to return as frequently as possible—but not frequently enough to pack on the pounds. The menu varies between sandwiches, steak, lasagna, quesadillas, and burgers but the key when ordering is to save room for ice cream.

On a recent visit, we ordered the pimento cheese burger and the corn dog nuggets with a side of homemade salsa. One of us has a weak spot for a pimento cheese burger, and S&T's version was as fresh and satisfying as most, but not beating out Bull McCabe’s top standing. The corn dog nuggets were tasty dipped in the salsa and made for a fun meal; however, the entrée selection was purely strategic to save room for the best part.

Like all good ice cream shops, you can taste test as many flavors as you like. After trying lots of their more than 15 flavors--strawberry cheesecake, chocolate and peanut butter, pecan praline, and cookies and cream--we were set to order.  One of us went for the Hall River Mud Dessert while the other chose a banana split.

The Hall River Mud Dessert is a brownie sundae on steroids—piled high with your choice of ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry. It should be noted that S&T's portion sizes are bigger than most we’ve seen and after getting in good with the owners, ours a little larger still. This true GWG was able to finish the dessert, even when other males in the dinner party were not.

The banana split is an amazing sight. Although we ordered it “naked” (without the whipped cream, crushed cherries, strawberries, pineapple, nuts or sprinkles) it is still an impressive dessert. The three flavors of ice cream—sweet black cherry, banana pudding, and pecan praline—were heaped onto a banana and served with a side of stemmed cherries. It should take two people to finish this…but more power to the person who does it on their own.

S&T's is a great place for a large group of friends to hang out and get away from the stress of a fast-paced life or it can be a great date spot with a significant other (we know because one GWG got engaged here in April). Just be sure to get there before 7:30 to be seated (they don’t seat anyone new after that) and know they are closed on Sunday and Monday.

Save Deep Fried for the Fair

There are few eating events we look forward to more than the NC State Fair. With fall in the air and this year’s fair around the corner, we thought we’d pregame at the new Carnival Delights in Durham. Specializing in, well, carnival food, we thought this would be the perfect place to wet our appetites for the upcoming 10-day fried food paradise (Oct. 14-24).

In order to feel like we ordered a legitimate lunch, we started with hotdogs and fries—these are really the only non-dessert items on the menu. One of us went for the foot-long chili dog with cheese fries and the other a regular dog with chili fries. The food was prepared to order so it came out fresh, but it wasn’t anything beyond your basic hot dog and fries—they probably don’t have places like Joe’s Diner or King’s Sandwich Shop beat in this category.

After getting fairly stuffed on taters and dogs, we moved on to what we’d come for—true carnival food. As usual, we’d done some scouting on their website and had our stomachs set on trying the cookie pops (a deep dish chocolate chip cookie on a stick), cotton candy, and funnel cakes. But likely due to the fact that they didn’t have many customers, they did not have a lot of the food items prepared and we were disappointed to find out they did not have cookies pops or cotton candy. After striking out on two, we went with our third choice—a sundae funnel cake served GWG style with ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry on top.

The funnel cake was good and fresh—thick and cake-like but crunchy around the edges. The ice cream on top added a cold, creamy compliment to the greasiness of the fried dough—we’d never tried it that way but enjoyed it, leaving nothing more than a few crumbs. The end was certainly the best part of the meal.

Other offerings at Carnival Delights include SnoBalls in 19 flavors, regular ice cream and corndogs. We wonder how long a concept like this will make it, particularly in a location surrounded by tons of food options. We were honestly a little disappointed that they didn’t offer anything a little more adventurous (what of the fried butter, fried macaroni and other concoctions that show up at the fair each year?). Then again, maybe these treats are best saved for the annual trek to the fried food Mecca in Raleigh—a little grease can go a long way.

If nothing else, they would be smart to stay stocked with the small offerings on their menu or they will leave people walking away and not coming back. In this economy we know it’s tough, so we hope they will work out the kinks. You may also be advised to bring a can of Febreeze or you will end up smelling your lunch for the rest of the day.

Stack it High at Bali Hai

We came across Bali Hai after a work project had one of us exploring Ninth Street. This Mongolian grill, in the shopping center just past Elmo’s on the west side of the street, has a concept we’d heard of before—fill a bowl with the ingredients of your choice and have it stir-fried while you wait. The challenge, we found, is in maximizing the food for your dollar—if you can get it in the bowl, they’ll cook it—and using your creativity to build your own meal.

The restaurant is pretty casual and had a decent lunch crowd when we arrived around 12:15—probably in part to the reasonable prices ($5.95 for one lunch bowl). The menu is pretty simple and stays the same for lunch and dinner, although appetizer and dessert options are added in the evening (which we were sad to miss out on—the banana spring rolls intrigued our taste buds). Based on your appetite, you decide how many bowls you want to fill (up to 3)—this includes a nice variety of vegetables (carrots, eggplant, zucchini, onions, pineapple…) as well as beef, pork, and turkey. For more you can add-on additional meat and seafood options (one of us added shrimp and scallops for an extra $5, but decided the quality was probably not worth the price).

Then you add the flavor to your meal by selecting one of their six sauces—House, Sweet & Sour, Spicy, Combination or Curry (unfortunately you can only choose one per meal). If you go with the spicy sauce you get to choose your heat level from a scale of 1 to 10—since we had to return to work we decided to keep it conservative and stayed at 5-6, but we both felt like we could have handled a couple degrees hotter and are very curious about Level 10.

Being true Girls with Guts, we ordered two bowls each. One of us elected for the spicy (spice level 6) and curry sauce mix and the other for the combination sauce (spice level 5). We headed over to the food bar and began to fill our bowls. We weren’t sure how all the ingredients would mesh together, but found that once everything was cooked in sauce, all the favors blended. Some of the food appeared to be freeze dried and not fresh, but the end result was not disappointing; however, it didn’t blow us away either. It is also important to note that Bali Hai does not provide to-go boxes making it even more important to take your appetite into consideration before piling on the food.

The most enjoyable part of the meal was watching how creative everyone got with filling their bowls to maximum capacity—there appear to be some seasoned pros. There are no clear rules about how much food you can take per bowl, but basically as long as it stays stacked you can keep building (kinda like Jenga). We saw one guy using a pyramid strategy; others just have efficient packing methods. Now that we know this we would probably stick to one bowl on another visit—many people got more food in one bowl than we got in two.