Archive for June, 2010

Driving through Durham, NC recently, I had the opportunity to stop at one of the area’s local Goodberry’s frozen custard shops. Featuring different flavors daily, focus is on the texture.

If you go for a plain cup, like I did, or even a cone, you can enjoy the ultra-smooth texture of premium Goodberry’s custard. It’s 80% unctuousness and 20% flavor. A real treat.

If you’re more daring and treasure texture, go for the “Carolina Concrete,” a mixture of their smooth custard against the symphony of a dozen different additions, including nuts, fruits, or flavorings. The resulting “Blizzard-esque” result is so thick it stands in the cup, held upside down.

Recommended.

Piedmont is located on Foster Street in downtown Durham, North Carolina. As the pictures will attest, they believe in “locavore” dining.

The menu was a difficult proposition. Everything on the menu looked appetizing, from the appetizers, through fig-accompanied cheese, pastas, and down to the most simple of salads with local greens.

Located in a former warehouse, the restaurant faces a parking lot across the street, with large double-high windows that allow a lot of light into a whimsical space. A smaller number of tables are positioned upstairs, where I gather the best views may be had. Large flowers have been painted on the walls, and a portal window into the kitchen reminds us there are folks hard at work making delicious aromas pour forth from their kitchen.

I only wish they’d blind some of those windows.

Service was generally good, save for a service mistake (spilled sauce), but I honestly felt a little rushed at times. With such good food, it’s okay to relax. A bevy of waiting customers wasn’t waiting for our table.

Small focaccia rolls are served, which had a perfect texture, even though they may have lacked exotic flavors. I tried their simple farmer’s lettuce salad which was unadorned save for a most delicious roasted shallot dressing. Their charcuterie plate and the more daring summer veggie salad were also noted to be fine dishes off the first course list.

Entrées ordered included the papardelle with ragu and parmesan, the fisherman’s stew with seafood, and a squash and ricotta ravioli. The pastas both came in tomato-based sauces, the ragù heavy on beef and not tomato. This was exceptional, I think, because the meat was not ground. I’ve actually never eaten an Italian gravy that wasn’t made from some combination of ground Italian meats. Here, instead, the meat was toothsome, adding great texture to an already flavorful and aromatic pasta dish. I only wish the noodles were stronger to hold up to the sauce. Their fresh nature made them ever so slightly difficult to eat alongside the larger pieces of meat.

The seafood dishes went down quickly, with diners noting the exceptional sauce or gravy. Garlic toast was served to sop-up what remained. Spoons were employed where bread left off. Good stuff.

Dessert was not in the cards, but a personal promise to visit Piedmont another time is. Recommended for honest locavore fare in an upscale, but none-too-fussy understated dining room featuring Italian flavors.

Situated on Main Street in downtown South Boston, VA is Café Peroni, which has been on the scene for about a year. While this is full-service restaurant, with a excellent view through its large windows of Main Street, I am sorry to say we only sampled a very small portion of their offerings on multiple visits.

Coming in, on a late afternoon for a cool pick-me-up coffee drink, the waitstaff invited us to try their homemade (on premises) Italian-style gelato. With over 20 flavors, ranging from piña colada, melon, two types of orange, and a new flavor of jalapeño chocolate, we were enticed to take them up on the invitation.

They’ll give you free tastes, and I finally decided on a hauntingly good Sicilian-style pistachio. Its flavor reminded me of the incredible Zingerman’s-procured Sicilian pistachio spread from 2 years ago. Deep, sweet, and somehow, ultimately satisfying. The gelato texture was creamy and smooth. Exceptional, really.

While we visited twice for the coffee drinks, it was three times for the gelato. There are plenty of places to find ice cream, but should you find yourself in South Boston with an itch to slow down and take life a little easier, do check out the samples from the owners of Cafe Peroni. Their gelato and hospitality were both highlights of my travels.

Bistro 1888 is located on Main Street in downtown South Boston, a small community in Halifax County, Virginia. Distinguished as “one of the best” by many folks in town, the restaurant is small and unassuming, and describes itself as “infused new American cuisine.”

When we walked in, we knew it must have been good: it was packed! They kindly accommodated us at the bar for dinner, where we met Stacy, their bartender. She seemingly made easy work out of filling cocktail orders with a swift hand and an authority. If professionalism was her hallmark, our waitresses were friendly and accommodating in equal measure. Interesting art pieces decorated the walls. Despite the crowd, it’s a place where you can still hold a conversation.

The menu should speak for itself, everything ordered during the evening was well-portioned and tasty. Texture, flavor, and seasoning were all in check. While exotic items may have escaped the menu, along with a cooking style that demands super-precise technique, they do pretty well here with their results. Our new friends in town recommended the salmon. A previous visit proved that the lamb was superb. Seems like there isn’t a good reason not to go!

Several desserts, including a chocolate decadence-style dessert, came recommended, although the bread pudding would have hit my sweet tooth. We opted for a healthier evening by skipping the sweets. Next time, I’m not so sure that will be apropos.