Dining

News

[SoDu We Dine] Two restaurants gain 6 points in latest South Durham inspection update

All 12 newly added reports received A grades, including a perfect 100 at a New Hope Commons Subway.

News

[SoDu We Dine] Four perfect scores lead latest South Durham restaurant inspections

Fifteen South Durham food-service spots were inspected Oct. 12-14. Four earned perfect scores, one received a B, and Ideal’s Bakery joined the list. Did one of your regular stops get inspected?

News

[SoDu We Dine] Two South Durham restaurants receive B grades in latest inspections

Ten South Durham food-service spots were inspected Oct. 1-7. Two earned B grades, and one climbed nine points back into A territory. Did one of your regular stops make the list?

Festivals

A Taste of Greece returns to South Durham, rain or shine

Greek food, shopping, and church tours return Oct. 10-11. With the usual overflow lot unavailable, consider carpooling or using a ridesharing service.

News

[SoDu We Dine] Every restaurant in latest Durham inspection batch earned an A

Fourteen restaurants and food-service spots made this week’s list, with scores ranging from 93 to 99.5. Did one of your regular stops get inspected?

The Gourmand Next Door

[The Gourmand Next Door] Chianti, What a Fiasco!

You may recognize the bottles, fiaschi, as the straw-wrapped, squat bottles that often serve as candelabras. A wine that requires little thought, and even less deliberation.   

The Gourmand Next Door

[Gourmand Next Door] Grande! Grande! Grande!

The number of grapes that grow naturally within Italy and those transposed from other lands is astounding. And further still, there is a dearth of techniques utilized that is equally impressive.

The Gourmand Next Door

[The Gourmand Next Door] Oregon, Exemplary Youth

"More than just good fortune makes good wine, and here we see it with the pioneers that came to plant this valley."

The Gourmand Next Door

[The Gourmand Next Door] Sonoma: Needles in a Haystack

Bigger, more varied, and often better value than Napa, Sonoma rewards drinkers who look beyond broad labels to its terroir-driven appellations and producers.

The Gourmand Next Door

Cali's Big Red

As I’ve noted, Cab Sav tends to be quarrelsome as it begins life. If you are looking for an immediate bottle to drink, look to the past. 

The Gourmand Next Door

Exploring California Chardonnay

Why does the same grape taste so different from California to Burgundy? That, my friend, is the million (or billion) euro question. To my estimation there are three major factors at play here, geography, climate, and method.

The Gourmand Next Door

American Wine: The Shortest Story

While the French have been making wine for more than 1,500 years, California wasn’t even admitted to the union until 1850.  That leaves us with a limited history to draw upon.