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.

Fast Food Friday

Recent fast food marketing from KFC, Wendy's and Subway gave the GWG an idea—try out new products from these restaurants to see how they stack up. Over the course of two days, the GWG tested some of the newest items in the quick service market—most notably the Double Down Sandwich at KFC featuring fried chicken breasts in place of a bun. Click here for pictures of our fast food feast.

The venture began with "Fast Food Friday," a lunch consisting of the Double Down, Wendy’s new fresh cut fries, and for dessert, a milkshake from Cook Out (nothing new but necessary to complete the meal). To fit this into a slightly exaggerated lunch hour we headed to Hillsborough Rd.—a fast food mecca where all 3 stops are within a block of each other (although lunch traffic made even this short distance hard to navigate).

We went in with a bit of a strategy—first we headed to Cook Out to grab milkshakes because the location did not have seating. Both sides of the double drive-thru lane were backed up but moving quickly giving us plenty of time to consider our options (41 flavors!)—we got one banana pudding shake and one with Reese's cups (we later came to find that this portion of our meal contained the most fat and calories). Cook Out couldn't mess up a milkshake and these two were no exception providing a nice sweet flavor to wash down all the salt we were about to consume.

Next we hit Wendy's to try the fresh cut fries as seen on TV—from first glance they appeared to be about the same as before but with some potato skin left on the edges. After giving them a try, we confirmed our first impression—they taste the same as always and we aren't sure we would have realized the change if we hadn't seen the commercials.

Finally we made it to the main course—the KFC Double Down—bacon, Monterey Jack & pepper jack cheese, and Colonel's Sauce sandwiched between two pieces of fried, boneless chicken filets (also available grilled but why go healthy at a time like this?). For a $5 sandwich, it was a little smaller than expected but it turned out to be more than enough. The main challenge was figuring out how to handle this meat monstrosity that leaves nothing between you and the grease—it is served in a sleeve that is probably best used as a grease glove.

As far as flavor goes, if you like KFC you will most likely enjoy the sandwich—the seasoning of the chicken was the standout flavor with the other ingredients complementing the filets and compounding the calories. After a few bites you notice a processed after taste and you can start to guess that the sodium content exceeds the daily limit. It was fun to try this carnivore's concoction but we agreed that it is mostly a gimmick that probably won't stay around long.

The following Monday, GWG met up before work to try Subway’s new breakfast offerings. The light and fresh value breakfast was a great way to start the work week. We ordered a Western Egg White Muffin Melt (ham, egg, cheese, pepper and onion on an English muffin—we opted for turkey) and the Steak, Egg and Cheese on flatbread. Each sandwich was pleasing as a breakfast item but lacked a kick. A small dish of salsa, a chipotle sauce or jalapenos would have made the sandwiches more memorable. Although the amount of flavor was not out of this world, the value and freshness of the meal made us each suggest returning for other pre-work meals.

Fast food isn't our first choice but as GWG we thought we'd get our hands greasy for "the sake of the blog."

Feaster

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Eating in good company makes tasty food even more enjoyable, and as a friend put it this weekend, “When you find an 18-pound turkey for $9 and a Turducken for $20, it’s time for Feaster.” Feaster, a post-Easter feast among friends, was a day of cooking, eating, laughing and hanging out. See the full meal in our slideshow.

The center piece of the meal was a turducken breast. Although turducken is not a household name, this multiple-meat dish is picking up steam as a holiday item. The boneless turkey breast stuffed with boneless duck breast, boneless chicken breast and in this version, Cajun-style pork sausage, is not just a meal—it’s an experience.

Because we only used the breast of the turducken, an additional 18-pound turkey was also prepared. Cooked the Thursday before, it was the first turkey prepared by a member of GWG. Although the multitudes of websites about cooking turkey make it seem difficult to create the perfect bird, it really seemed like the most important things were time and patience.

For simplicity, the turkey was placed in a roasting bag with cut up veggies and then baked for the allotted time until the internal temperature was correct. Then it was allowed to cool before being cut. The end result was dry but overall a successful first attempt.

The menu was set a week before the event and friends brought additional side dishes and desserts. There was corn, fried okra (fresh from the bag), green beans, gravy, mashed potatoes (prepared with cream cheese and sour cream), stuffing, cranberry sauce, salad, homemade rolls (complemented with honey butter), and apples with a sweet cinnamon-yogurt fruit dip.

There was also a nice variety to satisfy the sweet tooth—a light and moist homemade lemon pound cake, decadent homemade Oreo truffles, and M&M cookies made from scratch and fresh from the oven.

Thanks to everyone who chipped in to make this a great day!

A Day of Indulgence - Part Two

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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.

A Day of Indulgence - Part One

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Saturday provided the perfect spring afternoon for GWG to visit Elodie Farms in Rougemont for Family Farm Day, an event sponsored by Durham Central Market, that welcomed guests to explore the 21-acre farm and show support for several local products.

Owner Dave Artigues opened his home and land to families, fans and their four-legged friends creating an event that felt like a big neighborhood picnic. Visitors toured the farm, got an insider's look at making goat cheese (as well as samples!), and enjoyed a meet-and-greet with the goats and the newest kids in the flock (check out the slideshow for cute farm pictures). Also on hand were tasty treats from Locopops, Dolly Mama handmade chocolates, and wine from Benjamin Vineyards.

Elodie Farms raises both meat and dairy goats, and is probably best known for their farmstead cheeses sold at the Durham Farmers' Market and served at many well-known restaurants in the Triangle. Products include traditional French goat cheese (Chevre) rolled in or flavored with a variety of fresh ingredients, as well as feta, Camembert, Queso Fresco, and a variety of hard cheeses.

Family Farm Day gave us the chance to sample several of these cheeses, including the traditional log and flavored Chevres. We tried three flavors--strawberry, fig with North Carolina sourwood honey, and roasted garlic. The savory garlic was bold without overpowering the flavor of the milk. The sweeter flavors were delicious and could easily be served as a light summer dessert.

Also local to the Triangle, sweet frozen treats from Locopops were available in three beloved flavors--Cookies and Cream, Mexican Chocolate and Cherry-Lime. We tried the first two, both dairy based flavors (paletas de crema), and had a hard time picking a favorite. Cookies and Cream is a classic but the Locopops version comes loaded with chocolate cookie chunks (finding a whole cookie appears to be standard practice). Mexican Chocolate seemed a bit more adventurous but the cinnamon and nutmeg flavors are right at home in the chocolate cream. We look forward to the warm weather for a good excuse to try more of their funky flavors.

Durham-based Dolly Mama Chocolates hit the nail on the head when it comes to quality, presentation and flavor! The beautiful chocolates were almost too perfect to eat but boy were we glad we did. Although we were not able to sample everything, the three we tried have made us Dolly Mama Believers.

First, the hazelnut cone--this beautiful cone shape was a combination of freshly toasted hazelnut butter and milk chocolate inside a chocolate shell. There was even a surprise whole toasted hazelnut in the center to add a nutty crunch. Next, the Golden Buddha--a chocolate ganache inside a dark chocolate shell and finished with a beautiful gold tint. Lastly, a chocolate peanut butter egg that was so rich and creamy it was out of this world. A thin coating of white chocolate covered a milk chocolate peanut butter combination.

The afternoon on the farm was a pleasant beginning to a day of indulgence and only began to wet our taste buds. Stay tuned for part two later this week!

A Taste of Ireland in Downtown Durham

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day…tomorrow! The GWG wanted an authentic Irish meal right here in Durham so we visited one of our local favorites, Bull McCabes Irish Pub.

Located on Main Street in the heart of downtown, Bull McCabes is a quaint pub that plays good music on the stereo and soccer (or other sports) on the TV to enjoy along with your meal. Watch the street scene from the outdoor seating or step inside to an intimate bar that is full of character—repurposed vintage pews and tavern-style lighting create an old world feel, with tables lined-up against shelves of books to spark curiosity and conversation.

In honor of the upcoming holiday, we ordered our dishes from the "Traditional Irish Fare" section of the menu—one order of Fish & Chips and one dish of Shepherd’s Pie seemed to fit the bill. McCabe's Fish & Chips includes several pieces of beer-battered cod served with French fries, coleslaw and house-made tartar sauce for dipping—no surprises here—a very classic and filling take on this dish from the mainland. The hearty Shepherd’s Pie comes piping-hot in a boat-dish full of minced lamb, peas, carrots, and onions all topped with a heap of browned mashed potatoes—this one will fill your inner Irish requirement for meat and potatoes.

Ordinarily the Irish menu is only available for dinner, but the pub includes these options on the lunch menu on March 17th—extend your enjoyment with a few rounds of beer from a nice selection including many imported IPAs, ales and lagers available on draft.

St. Patrick's Day is a fitting occasion to visit Bull McCabes, but you will likely find yourself back again after the holiday is over.