A Sweet & Spicy Trend

When GWG combined the forces of our collective sweet tooth, we found ourselves on the tempting trail of a local dessert trend. We’ve seen Mexican chocolate beverages served in coffee shops, but recently noticed this sweet and spicy combination making an appearance on several dessert menus.

Based on web research, “Mexican chocolate refers to either the round, flat disks of cinnamon-scented chocolate found throughout the land [of Mexico] or the foamy drink made from them.” The local variations are chocolate treats accented with a kick of cinnamon, nutmeg, and in some cases cayenne.

Our work started one night at The Parlour ice cream truck—a second helping led us to the Mexican Hot Chocolate flavor, a vegan option. Perhaps not as creamy as the dairy selections, this version is made with coconut milk and has an understated element of spice. Not ones to observe many dietary restrictions, we found this frozen sweet to be quite satisfying but were unable to confirm if it makes for a lower calorie choice.

The next stop was Scratch Bakery where we ordered a slice of Mexican Chocolate Pie. Served chilled, the pie consists of three layers—a chocolate cookie crust, topped with a silky chocolate center, topped with meringue. Each layer provided its own texture, and together they created a sweet and spicy delight. The first bite has a traditional chocolate pudding flavor, but just wait as the spice sneaks up on you.

Over on Ninth Street we visited Elmo’s Diner who recently added a Mexican Chocolate Milkshake to its classic menu of shakes and malts. Another frozen variation of the treat, Elmo’s version is offered with the option of cayenne pepper. We went with the extra spice and found this to be the most flavor-intense of the four desserts we tried. However, this spiciness is not the kind that sets your mouth on fire and gives you the sweats—it’s a peppery taste that creates a kick while the chocolate has an almost soothing effect. Due to the intensity and heaviness of the shake, we think this is a good one to share.

GWG is no stranger to Locopops (in a previous post we attempted to eat 11 on a hot sunny day), but this time we stopped in specifically for the Mexican Chocolate pop (which we believe to be the treat that inspired this trend). Admittedly, we’ve had this one before and always enjoy it—the flavor was similar to Elmo’s shake but with a smoother texture and a little less kick. One of these makes a perfect serving for a flavor that can be on the rich side.

At the end of our taste-testing, we give our recommendation to all four of the Mexican Chocolate inspired treats. If you aren’t up for trying them all, we thought Elmo’s shake stood out for the biggest kick factor and Scratch’s pie was the most original take on the theme. If you come across another variation, please share!

Eating Up Downtown Durham

For the past month, one half of GWG has been exploring the convenience of her new home in downtown Durham. The desire to devour all things Durham was already there, but this newfound ease of access provides a seemingly insider’s view that fuels the drive to see and do and try it all—a Durham “habit” has developed.

So Wednesday evening, the GWG paired up at this new home base and headed out to browse Durham on foot. Tempted by the food trucks in formation along Rigsbee, we quickly agreed to head over to the NoCo hotblock for beer, food, and whatever else might come up. A typically impromptu Durham adventure ensued as a bite to eat turned into four hours and several beers later.

While we did not set out to create blog content, we could not resist another chance to highlight a great evening brought to you by Durham, NC. The following stream of conscience entry intends to mimic the mood of the night and is packed with all the local goods we encountered along the way:

Must get out of the way I think as runners (hundreds??) stream straight toward us but all I see are the FOOD TRUCKS in my near future; guess I haven’t earned my calories like the running brigade, but not planning to let that stop me. Today it felt great outside—I wish it would stay like this. Okay, what are we here for?—beer and food. First stop, FULLSTEAM. Let’s start a tab—two CARVER SWEET POTATO LAGERS (please) to tide us over as we wait to order up some slices from PIE PUSHERS. Look at that…she’s being reasonable—one slice of BARB’S MARGHERITA (with ELODIE FARMS goat cheese) should be enough, but I’m going for two: BACON & PINEAPPLE = sold…and one other slice with a name I’ll never remember (sausage and brie). Let’s find a picnic table tucked in the shade and begin to indulge. It’s great to see all these people (and dogs) out…really should try out that FULLSTEAM AHEAD! RUN CLUB...back to the pizza. Now the food is gone, the beers are drained…time for round two. Maybe I’ll go for something different…don’t think I’ve tried the SUMMER BASIL FARMHOUSE ALE…and two meat tamales from DOS PERROS, por favor! It’s dangerous to know about these great tastes happening just around the corner…is the ice cream truck still here?…keeping my eye on that. Tamale goes down with a swallow and the beer follows quickly behind it…is the ice cream truck still here? (yes, but I’m getting nervous). Time to make our move...THE PARLOUR bus waits for us across the street (and parked in the front of my mind). Scan the menu…decisions…single or double scoop? I’ll go big. Two scoops of SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL with HOT FUDGE and homemade PRALINE PECANS. And my counterpart will have a scoop of BLUEBERRY with PRALINE PECANS. Hey look at that, it’s PINT NIGHT at MOTORCO…just enough reason to stay out a bit longer. So many NC beers to choose from…don’t know them all but pretty sure you can’t go wrong. One NATTY GREENE BUCKSHOT AMBER and one CAROLINA BULLPEN ALE and now we are feeling good. Hey, there’s Jeff from WHISKEY…and an offer for another beer…NATTY GREENE BUCKSHOT AMBER v2. Now, down to business…we were gonna talk about the blog…yeah, let’s do that. But you know I could really go for another scoop…let’s split a double of vegan MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE (in the name of research). This frozen goodness could make me go vegan for an instant. Just got a text from Margaret…she’s around the corner at GEER STREET GARDEN…small world! Oh, forgot to close my tab so back over to FULLSTEAM…wow, there are still a lot of people out. Pretty cool Wednesday. Okay, time to be reasonable as both of us have to work in the morning...so we start our reverse trek along GEER replaying the night’s events and trying to figure when can we do this again??

A Cuy Adventure in Peru

If there is one lesson in life that I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, it’s that you should try new things. Traveling is a great way to try new things and I did just that on my recent trip to Peru.

During the planning process, our group of four read about the local cuisine and we set our minds on trying guinea pig—or cuy (koo-ee) as it is known there. Little did we know, our guinea pig experience would end up being a traditional Peruvian celebration.

In Peru, the guinea pig is served for special occasions with the head of the cooked animal going to the person of honor. Since we were advised not to try guinea pig before our trip to Machu Picchu—because of the fatty, oily nature of the meat—we held off until our second to last night in Peru, which happened to be the birthday of one of our group members. The timing could not have been better.

Guinea pig must be ordered two to three hours in advance of the meal to insure the freshest meat. (Yes, what you are probably picturing right now is correct, they go to a market and catch a live one—or so we were told.) We were fortunate to make friends with a staff person from our group tour who called ahead and ordered the guinea pigs for us and set up other birthday arrangements to make the night extra special. She even came along for the party.

We ordered two to split between six people and given the pasta and stuffed pepper that came along with the pigs, it turned out to be the right amount of food for everyone. Once the pigs had been prepared they were brought to the table for their Kodak moment. Fully intact, we were all laughing nervously as we considered what we were about to eat. No backing out now though, once all the pictures had been taken, the pigs were taken back to the kitchen and cut up—making it much easier to eat.

The skin was cooked to a very crisp shell, the meat was indeed fatty and oily—very similar to duck meat—and there were lots of small bones to avoid. The meat was gamey like rabbit and tasted like no other meat we typically eat. It wasn’t a bad taste but doesn’t rank as one of our favorite meats either.

While in Peru we also tried alpaca meat. From the camel family, the alpaca is known for its soft fiber that is used to make knitted and woven items. The meat from the alpaca was tender and flavorful and when served in an elderberry sauce was one of our favorite meals on the trip. In the end, we probably preferred the alpaca over the guinea pig; although, the guinea pig celebration as a whole was difficult to top.

I’d highly recommend a trip to Peru and I would even recommend enjoying your own cuy experience while you’re there!

Guilty Pleasure at Geer Street Garden

Recently the GWG braved the heat to hang out (and pig out) on the patio of Geer Street Garden. Located on the corner of Foster and Geer Streets, this repurposed gas station maintains its original charm while offering Durham’s newest setting for a cold brew and a bite of southern comfort.

Lured in by “The Pile,” a mound of calories lathered in more calories, the GWG’s decision was only confirmed when we were told the dish is not very upscale. We’ve never been about fancy food—just good (and usually greasy) food.

Listed as an appetizer, “The Pile” is a basically a southern version of cheese fries. Loaded with fried chicken, bacon, jalapenos, melted cheese and gravy, the dish comes with your choice of two additional sauces. We chose the srirachanaise and spicy mustardayonaise, flavors that stood out in the heap.

Bottom line is this dish makes a great guilty pleasure that goes down well with beer. The fries were fresh and well seasoned making a nice bed for the layers of meat and cheese, while the combination of the four sauces pulled everything together. We had to leave a few fries on the plate but it was only because we were stuffed to satisfaction.

The Geer Street menu offers a nice survey of Southern staples without trying to do too much—deviled eggs, fried chicken, pimento cheese, banana pudding and a large variety of sauces to lather over everything.

Recently they’ve made additions to finish off the patio space including a trellis and umbrellas that add shade and a soft touch to the concrete space. (We suggest adding a misting system and this will be a favorite spot for the summer).

Between the two of us we’ve also had the burger and the grilled pimento cheese and feel safe to say there is a new competitor on the block.

The Strawberry Festival

A strawberry festival, a beautiful day, and some of Durham’s great food vendors serving strawberry creations—more than enough reason to get GWG out of bed on a Saturday morning.

Bushels of berries and families turned out to show their support and take part in this annual event. Hosted by the Central Park School for Children (CPCS), the festival had an endearing school kid touch—handmade signs, student-run food stands, and plenty of kid-friendly activities (strawberry fingernail painting, obstacle course, dunk the teacher, and more).

GWG was primarily there to check out the food scene, but we were thrilled to see so much activity at the north edge of downtown. First, we scoped the booths for the strawberry-themed treats and decided to try them all. We moved from booth to booth until our hands were full and then took ourselves to a picnic table to enjoy our strawberry spread.

Guglhupf, a German bakery in Durham, provided scones for the “famous strawberry shortcake”. A super-sweet hybrid between a biscuit and cornbread, the cake was layered with whipped cream and a pile of strawberries. The scone itself didn’t have much flavor but worked well in the ensemble, adding a bit of crunch and a lot of sweet. As a favorite summer dessert, we definitely thought about going for seconds.

Chocolate-covered strawberries were also served as part of the day’s theme. Gourmet chocolate was provided by Whole Foods to create this classic strawberry treat.

Strawberry smoothies supplied by NC State University were a refreshing option as the day warmed up, although we detected a banana flavor that wasn’t expected. Strawberry lemonade was also available to quench the thirst.

The most inventive food-item at the event was served up by Pie Pushers. In a show of support, they created a strawberry themed slice for the day called the “Strawberry Salad Slice”—pesto and goat cheese pizza topped with pea shoots and strawberry salad. The result was not your traditional pizza, but a light and fresh combination of flavors that worked surprisingly well.

 

 All food and drink items were served with recyclable/compostable containers and utensils, while convenient stations made it easy to correctly dispose of trash.

Judging by the turnout, this event is a family favorite and a great way to preserve the community spaces. We enjoyed the spring weather and the chance to enjoy good food for a good cause.

The Bull City’s Hottest Dog

Sometimes it’s the second viewing of a movie that reveals the finer details you missed on the first go-round. Our return visit to Bull City Burger & Brewery led us to unexplored areas of the menu—hot dogs and beer (and a few things on the side to make it a GWG-balanced meal).

There’s been a lot of coverage of BCBB since its opening with an obvious focus on the burgers. In order to try it from a different perspective, we ordered up both specialty hot dogs—the Wrapper Dog and the Slaw Chili Dog—as well as the Deep Fried Pickles, Bull Nuts, Duck Frites and a couple of beers to wash it all down.

It would have been reasonable enough to make a meal out of the appetizers alone. The deep fried pickles with “Hybrid Power” crust were sliced thin and dipped in a greaseless pretzel coating that had even the non-pickle lover among us going back for more. The house-made dipping sauce added a sweet and smooth touch that made this side dish complete.

Grown in NC, the Bull Nuts were also a nice beer and dog companion—ideal for the ballpark. Crunchy and salty peanuts with a sweet bacon coating on each bite make these one of a kind. If you don’t have the appetite for a full meal, these make a great bar snack.

For a twist on typical french fry offerings, look no further than Duck Frites. As the menu describes, “skinny, french cut, finished in duck fat with fresh rosemary and Fleur de Sel,” these are no fast food fries. The rosemary really makes these a unique choice on the menu.

All that culinary pleasure and we haven’t even gotten to the dogs—but the tasty trend continues. Like everything else they serve, the sausage is house made and all beef. Both were a sight to see—one wrapped in bacon and the other covered in chili and slaw. The Carolina style dog was probably the most gorgeous we’ve seen, accessorized with bright purple cabbage that added both flavor and flare. The meat was fresh and flavorful with a soft texture (nothing chewy here) held together by the soft n’ sturdy homemade buns. We certainly understand why the burgers are the main act but we are just saying these dogs could steal the show every now and then.

Although the beers weren’t ready at opening, they rolled out in early April and we think it was worth the wait. During our visit they had the pale ale, golden ale and porter on tap—we gave the golden and porter a try and found them to be quite smooth and refreshing. Admittedly we aren’t beer aficionados but we both felt these beers had been fine-tuned and well-groomed.

GWG is glad that our second visit to BCBB helped us appreciate the quality and originality of the menu offerings—we hope that down the road there will be some additional surprises to uncover.

In Full Bloom...

Spring has a way of refreshing things, allowing you to see them in a new light. The recent touch of color and warmth brought GWG out and about to fall in love with Durham just a little harder. Heading to lunch, we couldn’t miss the gorgeous and vibrant purple trees lining Morgan Street, and it was enough to make us smile and momentarily forget the hustle.

It’s been a big week for us, so we headed over to Dain’s Place for a classic GWG meal that would be sure to hit the spot. A great burger and the Ring of Fire went well with a conversation between friends and co-workers. We had a couple things to discuss—a new job for one, a new home for the other, and then where to go from here.

The good news is we are both staying in Durham and we are still planning to blog—it just might take a little more teamwork and coordination. We’d like to keep the healthy focus we established at the beginning of the year but have decided to do that through exercise, allowing ourselves to enjoy the less healthy options that inspired our blog (turns out we aren’t great at self-denial). We’d also like to touch on places outside of Durham, as Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Raleigh have a lot to serve up as well.

We guess you’d say that like these lovely new buds sprouting across Durham, we too are blooming into a new perspective and a new chapter in our lives.