Cupcakes & Cocktails Off-The-Cuff

Thanks to updates from Durham’s active Twitter community, GWG treated ourselves to an impromptu happy hour at Vin Rouge followed by Singles’ Night courtesy of The Cupcake Bar.

We found ourselves at Vin Rouge for the first time, and a little over-eager as we showed up before they were actually open, to try the Watermelon Rickshaw cocktail as seen 15 minutes earlier on Twitter. It was an interesting crowd at 5:30—several regulars showed up on the dot for the early-bird-special as we waited to enjoy our drinks. The drink special was made with watermelon, basil, lime and pinnacle vodka. We both found it tangy and refreshing with its mix of fresh basil and citrus flavors—although we enjoyed it a little less when we saw the bill ($10 each). We’ve yet to dine at Vin Rouge, but we found the smells tempting and will likely return for a full meal.

Next we headed over to our main event a few blocks over on Main Street—The Cupcake Bar’s Singles’ Night. We’d heard about their first event and were happy to have another opportunity to check out these bite-size delights. Normally the cupcakes have to be ordered by the dozen, but this event allows you to try them individually. We showed up right on time to find people lined up out the door of Center Studio Architecture and we heard they sold out by 6:30 (the event was supposed to run until 7:30). We tried an assortment—Strawberry Buttercream, Strawberry Daiquiri, Red Velvet and Coconut. The cupcakes were tasty but we did wish for a cooler seating area to enjoy them—several people made their way across the street to picnic tables but we were not inclined to linger due to the heat. Overall the cupcakes were tasty and worth the calories but the GWG aren’t planning any road trips to Cary right away. Perhaps we’ll get seconds at the next Singles’ Night.

 Our thanks to the active Durham food community for up-to-the-minute tweets that helped us plan a spontaneous and enjoyable after-work outing!

Summer Treat Series

Ox & Rabbit Soda and Sundries—located on Ninth Street, and outfitted with a soda shop counter, Ox & Rabbit offers cool classics including a variety of shakes, floats and sodas. Take a seat at the counter as you casually consume your beverage or browse the store’s unique selection of gifts (including playful Durham apparel by Durham City Goods). We tried the Strawberry Oreo Shake and a Root Beer Float.—both were prepared with care and very refreshing.

Local Yogurt—this cool and colorful shop features a mix n’ match menu of frozen yogurt and fresh toppings. Pick your combination from staff favorites or create your own from the large selection of adornments—both healthy (fresh fruit, gluten-free granola) and indulgent options are abundant (organic cookies and brownies). We tried several from the staff picks—Rocky Road, Strawberry Graham, and Peanut Butter Banana. As their logo states, everything is “good and good for you.” Everything was fresh and tasty but we felt the prices were a little steep for the serving size (XS) and the treats were heavy on the toppings which sounds like a good thing, but ended up making a light dessert feel kind of heavy.

Goodberry’s Creamery—offering frozen custard concoctions (similar to ice cream but made with egg), Goodberry’s dessert stands can be found throughout the Triangle. Each day brings a featured custard flavor (dulce de leche on our visit) as well as daily concrete (like a blizzard), sundae and parfait specials. One of us went in with an established favorite (the “Sandstorm” Sundae—chocolate custard topped with hot fudge and malt powder) while the other was a first-timer and went with the Shortcake Sundae. As we sat out in the heat these cold treats kept us cool and satisfied.

Maple View Farm—the actual farm is located in Hillsborough but their fresh milk, butter and ice cream are for sell at many retail locations in the area. The large front porch filled with (sticky) rocking chairs makes the country store feel like home. Enjoy a trip with the whole family or go for a romantic evening complete with a sunset over acres of farmland. On our visit we tried waffle cones of their long running Carolina Crunch and Double Chocolate but they also offer ice cream by the pint, milk, cheese, soaps and other Maple View products. Nothing flashy here, but it took us back to the homemade ice cream we enjoyed as kids.

Carolina Breakfast of Champions

Nothing gets your day started right better than a fresh doughnut washed down with a crisp, cold Cheerwine–a perfect way to break up your coffee routine and meet half of your daily calorie allowance before noon! Now it is also a great way to show your NC pride as Krispy Kreme has concocted a confection that combines these two local products into a Carolina superfood.

Properly unveiled at the NC State Capitol on June 30th, the Krispy Kreme Cheerwine doughnuts will be available in North and South Carolina through July. Once GWG got word of this indulgent pastry we had to give it a taste test, and when one of us came upon a box at Food Lion it felt like doughnut destiny.

The doughnut itself is similar to any other you’ve enjoyed–regular glazed style with fudge and sprinkles on top. The center is where they’ve injected the Cheerwine-flavored crème–pink, gooey and ready to ooze out after a few bites.

At first bite a cherry flavor stood out, but as the crème made its rounds on my tongue, I was taken back to the sugar highs of my southern childhood. They hit the Cheerwine flavor pretty much dead-on–it makes for an interesting combination–one worth trying but probably not something you will miss after it’s gone (good enough for me to finish off my half dozen by the end of the week, without sharing).

Giving the doughnut a try is really no feat–this type of culinary creativity has already inspired food fanatics to push the button even further (KFC Double Down meets Krispy Kreme Cheerwine doughnut).

So no, the Krispy Kreme-Cheerwine combination is not this season’s chocolate and peanut butter–some flavor duos are just more classic than others. But it is worth a try in the spirit of Carolina pride!

Tobacco Road Corn Dogs vs GWG

Location, Location, Location. Tobacco Road Sports Café was paying attention in real estate class and has landed one of the best new spots for sports and food in the Durham area. Located above left field of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and across the street from the American Tobacco Campus in Downtown Durham, this spot hits a home run with sports fans and food lovers…a.k.a. Girls with Guts.

Started by three brothers who were looking for a single place to watch sports and enjoy good food, Tobacco Road Sports Café focuses as much on offering a unique menu as it does on providing a wall-to-wall sports center for guests. GWG were seated approximately three feet from our own personal television that happened to be showing opening round Wimbledon matches.

After eyeing them on a previous visit, we were back to order the “House Made Corn Dogs” which are deceivingly described as “mini” (although mini is probably accurate to someone who has conquered the 1-lb. Shaq at Joe's Diner). Four regular-sized, all-natural beef hot dogs are dipped and fried in corn and jalapeno batter and served with Dijon aioli. We split the dogs and shared an order of “Triple Sliders”—a platter including your choice of miniature BBQ sandwiches, burgers and corndogs (we thought this sounded like the makings of a pretty perfect meal).

Maybe our egos have gotten the best of us, but being seasoned state fairgoers we did not expect to struggle over a couple of corn dogs. The first was enjoyable and tasty, but even the thought of the second one was a little hard to swallow—we hit the grease wall (but we did finish them in true GWG style). The dogs were deep fried in batter with a slight hint of the corn and jalapeno bits you could see with your eyes, although a little more spice wouldn't hurt. Maybe it was the buttery, cheesy side of mac & cheese that brought us down, but we think that finishing all four of the greasy meats on a stick could be considered a food challenge.

The mini burger and BBQ sandwich added variety to the meal but didn't deliver much on flavor. Although the meat was tasty, each would have benefited from a spicy mustard, BBQ sauce, or other add-on to give it more interest. The buns could also stand a makeover for a place serving upscale bar food—they were reminiscent of the cafeteria, out-of-the-bag variety. Being minis, in two bites the sandwich disappeared leaving you looking for flavor.

Despite our corn dog difficulties, we found the side dishes to be very pleasing— all of the choices say southern comfort, and we chose mac & cheese and cheddar grits. Featuring more cheese and less mac, the macaroni was mixed with country ham providing a nice compliment to the creamy richness of the cheese. We are not exaggerating when we say this dish was swimming in cheese. The cheddar grits were more subtle but also pleasing—a nice alternative to its greasy counterparts.

This was not our first time at Tobacco Road, nor will it be our last—there is more on the menu to keep us interested. If you give the corn dogs a go, let us know what you think and especially if you polish off all four. One word of advice—we think this is a dish best served with beer.

A Sticky Situation

Mission: sample as many locopops as possible

Location: Locopops, 2600 Hillsborough Road, Durham, NC‎

Obstacles: the sun, brain freeze

Objective: beat the heat and eat 11 locopops before they melt

Outcome: messiest food challenge, yet

We've devoured a one-pound hotdog, we've taken down the double down, one of us even attempted the two-pound burger...but our messiest challenge to date, 11 locopops, outside, in June.

On a recent afternoon, GWG ventured to the Locopops on Hillsborough Road to sample a variety of their frozen treats, available in a range of traditional to adventurous flavors. After reviewing the menu (and ten minutes of indecision) we each chose five flavors—a decision that paid off as we instantly filled up a frequent buyer card, earning us a free pop (or 'paleta' if you live in Mexico)! Locopops offers water and cream-based flavors, so we sampled a combination to get a good feel for what this local shop has to offer.

Much thanks to the guy behind the counter for his friendly offer to label each flavor in order to help us maintain the integrity of our experiment. We should also apologize to the kids in line who had to wait a little longer than usual to enjoy their afternoon treat! There is always a welcoming atmosphere at Locopops, and they understand their customer—zip lock bags, baby wipes and other supplies are available to help those of us who are used to eating with bibs.

We took our bag o' pops and set up shop at the bright purple picnic table out front—drivers-by had to get a kick out of two grown women attempting to devour popsicles at a faster rate than they were melting. Some of the flavors were instant favorites and others were a little different—overall we found a preference for the cream-based choices.

Here is what we thought of each flavor:

• Cookies-n-Cream - they've got this one nailed; with huge cookies chunks this is sure to be a unanimous favorite
• Watergate Salad - tastes exactly like that mystery salad that always turns up at pot-lucks; sweet and enjoyable
• Thai Rice Pudding - sweet and milky in a subtle way
• Strawberries-n-Cream - more of a blend than strawberry chunks; not our personal favorite
• Chocolate Banana - instant favorite; great flavor combination
• Pomegranate Tangerine - sweet, fruity and refreshing
• Chocolate Brownie - chocolate chunks make this a dead-ringer for Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie
• Mighty Mojito - a slightly tangier option that will refresh you like a glass of ice-cold lemonade
• Guava Jalapeno - fun to try for the oddity, but this one was hard to finish
• Mango Chile - tastes just like the fruit, but heavier than some of the other fruit flavors
• Rosemary Apple Cider - we suggest a little more on the apple cider and less on the rosemary

Locopops offers 'The Regulars' all the time (the tried and true favorites), but they also mix it up daily by rotating in "Guest Stars"—now it's your turn to try some flavors and let us know what you think!

Nathan Hula Big Burger

A good friend did some foodie recon and passed along word of an epic challenge in North Durham—a two-pound burger served up at Eno River Eatery off Roxboro Rd. Coined the "Nathan Hula Big Burger" after the original record holder, this gut check dares you to down a 2 lb. burger (coated with cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato), loaded fries, a small side of apples and a pickle in under 20 minutes. As the menu states, "if you can eat it all and beat the record, it's FREE!!!"—a lofty goal considering the meal will cost you $16.99 otherwise.

If you decide to take on this massive meat feast, prepare to wait at least half an hour while your burger is under construction—a perfect opportunity for you to prepare your game plan or do breathing exercises. Once the burger is ready, it is served up with appropriate fanfare to notify you and the entire restaurant that the challenge is on—waiters banging pots and pans surround you and place the beef tower and a timer on your table—the wait is over.

The burger is divided into four patties, so a natural strategy is to devour one layer at a time. The first bite will whet your appetite and make you think that anything is possible, but as you move to the second patty your pace will likely slow-down and swallowing may require effort. Both brave souls who attempted the challenge (one guy, one GWG) hit a wall at the half-way point (2 patties) and neither came anywhere close to beating the time limit. Even the most passionate beefeater will struggle with this one—the greasiness and density of the beef make for a formidable yet delectable opponent. The fries and apples are the easy part.

Even though no one won the challenge on this attempt, we did come away with enough leftovers for two additional meals! If anyone decides to try out this burger beast, make sure to let us know how you stack up. Even if you aren't up for the Hula, the Eno River Eatery feels like a nice place to frequent with fresh, tasty food and a friendly staff.

Thursday Night on the Porch

With the recent warm weather, the idea of an outdoor dinner off the grill lured us to check out "Thursday Night on the Porch" at Foster's Market. As soon as we stepped out of the car, the aroma of the grilled meats teased our taste buds and got us excited for the food we were about to consume. There was already a crowd of people outside enjoying the pleasant weather and fresh food from the spacious and cozy porch area. Check out our slideshow including images of Foster's Market and our food.

When you step into Foster's you enter a unique space that feels like a country store crossed with your grandmother's kitchen. You will find unique candies, jams, wines, and other specialized food products and a bakery case stocked with southern classics--cookies, pies, brownies, and more. The serving counter displays fresh salads and casseroles that change daily, always one-of-a-kind recipes with fresh and unexpected flavor combinations.

In an effort to try all options, one of us ordered the hickory smoked sweet onion chicken and the other the spicy bourbon barbequed spare ribs and we each had the two sides offered with the meal. The flavors on the outside of the meat were unique and tasty but did not penetrate to the meat underneath, making it enjoyable but not overwhelmingly delicious. The sides however, were very good. The oven roasted sweet potato fries were large wedges of sweet potatoes roasted in herbs making them very tasty. The Gingered Apple Jicama Slaw was a great side to accompany grilled food because of the tangy sweetness of the crisp apples.

In true GWG fashion, we had to go back for dessert. We opted for the highly recommended peanut butter pie and the chocolate chip pecan pie. The chocolate chips in the pecan pie overpowered the nutty flavor but it was still good for a true sweets lover. The peanut butter pie on the other hand, was melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world, amazing. The creamy peanut butter filling, the light whipped topping and the chocolate crumb crust was the best part of the meal. We also sampled a crumb cake that was great for those who may not enjoy as much sweetness.

Foster's also offers a selection of beer and wine for those who want to sit back and relax in the comfortable and eclectic environment. It is a great place to meet friends for an afternoon snack or to catch up on reading in one of the quiet corners of the covered porch. Foster's offers dinner on the porch every other Thursday in the spring/summer--the next date is May 20th--check their website for the menu closer to the event date.