The Last Suppers

I love Mexican food. I could subsist on chips and salsa alone – I could thrive if you added in guac and some frozen margaritas. In fact, there was one week in November where I had Mexican food for nearly a week and a half straight. It was one of the best weeks of the year. Thus, when I heard about Dos Perros, I knew I had to try it out. Luckily, the opportunity presented itself at the end of Restaurant Week. My friend, Jessica, had some of her friends from high school come in for the weekend (snagging front seats at the St. John’s game and a lot of TV time in their tiger and Avatar costumes), and wanted to have a dinner – food is the perfect “get to know you” setting. It offers many “outs” for the typical awkward silences that come with a first meeting. For example, if you’ve got nothing to say, take a sip of your drink. Still nothing? How about a bite of your food? Wow, you really have no idea what to talk about, huh? Gee, this ____ is really tasty! Isn’t this a nice restaurant? Isn’t that thing the waiter/waitress did funny/charming/embarrassing? Frankly, the opportunities are endless. Jessica, being the socialite that she is, understands these nuances and made plans appropriately.

Unfortunately, a dinner of 17 people always seems like a great idea (everyone’s included, etc.), but with a group so big you’re pretty much just having dinner with the people immediately surrounding you. Not wanting to end up in conversation limbo in the middle of the table (you know what I mean, everyone’s talking but you can’t really get integrated into any conversation – too many stimuli) I stubbornly claimed my place at the head of the table. My friend Alex, sitting at the end, jokingly suggested we’d had too many kids. (He had to communicate this via text message since the table was so long…I’m gunna be honest, it was pretty confusing to get that text without any context to it, but I figure my readers are smarter than I am and will get the joke right away.) I sadly ended up on the opposite side of the table than the visiting high school friends, but I ran into them later in the night and they bought me a drink so I’m going to go ahead and assert that they’re good people. Instead, I enjoyed a meal with those immediately surrounding me – Anne, Perry, Brian, Lindsay, Taylor, and Robyn.

Jessica, Stef, and Margo sitting far, far away at the other end of the table.

The meal began with a drink. It was a pretty tough decision. I was tempted by Mango Cayenne Margarita because, even though I like neither Mangos nor Cayenne peppers, the description is hilarious: Spicy sweetness, oh you obstreperous vixen, you. First you lure me in with your come-hither fruit, then you slap me around a brace of heat. I ended up going for the Hot Guava Margarita, because of its curious combination of guava and jalapeño. Honestly, it was pretty whatever. A spicy margarita is sort of weird. Okay, it’s really weird. Probably wouldn’t do it again. That being said, I’d probably instead go for the Sangria that Anne got – I was initially sad that it didn’t have any fruit at the bottom as I’ve come to expect in my Sangria after studying abroad in Madrid, but it was still a sweet, refreshing break from my spicy drink!

I think you can tell a lot about a person by her drink - my Hot Guava's front and center, Robyn's Classic margarita to its right, Lindsay's cider behind it, Anne's sangria to its left, and finally, there's Taylor's Modelo with the lime to top it off! I'm not sure what these drinks tell you, but it definitely tells you something.

Trying to decide what to get for dinner was more difficult than I thought. The Restaurant Week menu just wasn’t doing it for me. The choices were pork and “chicken.” Pork is okay but not worth going out of my way for, and anytime I see a food in quotation marks I tend to try to avoid it. (To be fair though, according to Jessica, it was the best fake chicken she’s had in her 7 months as a vegetarian.) In fact, the majority of my side of the table decided to go against the prix fixe menu; we fashioned ourselves rebels. (At least I did in my mind.) The choices were not what I consider to be typical Mexican food – this was surprising considering the restaurants tagline is “A Mexican Place.” Perusing the website however, it turns out that their cuisine is “authentic” Mexican, as opposed to the Tex-Mex my silly little brain associates with Mexican food. Lindsay and I split the chicken quesadillas (which came with their guacamole – voted Durham’s best!) and the lamb enchiladas. This was a delicious, delightful decision. Robyn went for the “Yucatan-style Poulet Rouge chicken with pickled onions, black bean refritos, fried plaintains, and habanero salsa,” another solid choice. Anne went for the Vegetable Chile Relleno. We even all got to try the pork off of the Restaurant week menu since Perry decided to take that route – he’s kind of a conformist like that. This was great, since it gave everyone the opportunity to a little bit of everything.

There's a lot going on here: 1. Perry, Anne, Robyn, and Lindsay showing off their meals, 2. Brian being overly excited about...food? being in a picture? Unclear., 3. The rest of table being somewhat aware that a picture was being taken.

Since we had pretty much filled up on chips and salsa (it’s always a losing battle when you try to stop eating them – they just won’t stop putting them in front of you!), we brought the majority of our meals home, but they were SO. GOOD. The guac was phenomenal – I would probably get the quesadillas or Anne’s Chile Relleno if I was to go back again. Sadly, I didn’t get dessert since not ordering off the prix fixe menu meant it wasn’t inherently included in my meal. Luckily, I got to steal some of Perry’s Flan Imposible and it was definitely impossibly good, although Lindsay was pretty sure her regular Flan (so I guess her Flan posible) was better and more authentic.

The Battle of the Flans

What ended up being a two hour dinner was a great way to catch up and enjoy some time with the people I’m going to be sad to leave at the end of the year, but I think next time we all go out to eat together we should have a policy where we change seats every so often so that we all get to talk to each other.

So, do you really think I should get my Mexican food at a place called “Two dogs?” It sort of seems like they don’t understand the Spanish language or the “Microstyle” behind a good restaurant name. Be that as it may, the food is phenomenal. It’s a bit on the pricy side, and their margaritas are a little too eclectic for my taste, but I would definitely go back for the guacamole alone.

Restaurant Week makes food lovers on a budget face a pretty difficult choice: do we take advantage of presumably great deals at restaurants we already love or take it as an opportunity to branch out and try something new? As I perused the TRW website, I came across the Piazza Italia menu. When I saw “Four Cheese Ravioli, Breaded and Fried Golden, Served with Our Signature Pomodoro Sauce for Dipping,” I knew it was going to be hard to say no. I also saw that chicken parmesan was listed as main dish, and I love me some chicken parmesan – it sealed the deal for me.

I hadn’t been to Piazza Italia since sophomore year for two friends’ birthdays, and while the evening itself wasn’t the best (car breakdowns, emotional breakdowns, and more – but that is a story for a different blog), the food was downright delicious. It is important to note that since my last trip I had been to Italy itself, and learned a few interesting things. First and foremost, it turns out that Piazza actually means plaza and the restaurant did not in fact just spell pizza wrong as I had initially suspected. (For someone who comes from an Italian family, I continually embarrass myself and my culture. This will be further proven in a second.) More surprisingly (to me and only me – I think zero other people I was with in Rome found this to be at all at odds with a fundamental belief they’d had their entire life), it turns out that chicken parmesan is not actually a “thing” in Italy. I think it’s the equivalent of Tex-mex for Italian food. (See? I learned things while I was abroad.) Even though I am now equipped with this new knowledge, I love chicken parmesan no less, and I still feel Italian when I call it chicken “parmigiana.”

I was pretty excited to make my way back to the Italian Plaza (I just did a little translating there for you non-Italians), and felt that with all of the things I’d learned since my last visit that I’d be able to get the very best out of my meal. My roommate, Lindsay, and I, gathered up a few friends (okay, technically a couple of friends), and made our way over to Brightleaf. Perry, Taylor, Lindsay, and I were expecting a wait but were seated immediately amidst the sea of middle-to-old-aged folks who seemed to make up the majority of the restaurant’s small crowd. We were surprised but figured it meant we’d get served more quickly so were pretty excited about it.

Since I’d been thinking about this meal pretty much the entire week, I was pretty prepared to order. I think I asked for the fried ravioli before the waiter even finished asking us if we were ready to order, but I was surprised to hear myself asking for his recommendation of whether I should go for the chicken parm or the Rigatoni Siciliana. When he answered “Rigatoni” without even thinking about it, I figured that since he had no incentive to pick one over the other (I’m generally pretty distrustful of waiters/waitresses who just recommend the more expensive item), that I’d go for it. Rigatoni Siciliana might actually be real Italian food and that possibility is just too tantalizing to pass up.

I think Piazza Italia is one of those restaurants that adjusts its portions for restaurant week. Don’t get me wrong, I would not be able to (okay, I would be able to, but I probably shouldn’t be willing to) eat full-sized portions of a four-course meal, but it’s worth noting, I think. I tried to linger over my quattro Ravioli Quattro Formaggio as long as possible, because I didn’t want the taste to end. Even though I generally try to stay away from fried foods, sometimes they can’t stay away from me, and in this case, I’m glad I caved.

Lindsay modeling the fried ravioli (L); Taylor decided to be original and go for the bruschetta.

Perry thought it would be a good idea of me to get pictures of people actually eating the food, so I decided to use him as the guinea pig. Does this picture make you feel more like "a part of the experience?"

Our salads were just salads, with nothing particularly special about them. The most interesting part of this course was whenTaylor’s nearly-empty diet coke was refilled with water leaving her glass with a weird, brownish hue. Oops!

Taylor and Lindsay with the salads - they had lettuce, cheese, croutons - the works.

Now, for the main course. Was the change of heart worth it? Aside from the mushrooms (you could guess how I feel about them knowing my aversion to textures that are too weird), I definitely enjoyed the “Grilled Chicken, Italian Sausage, Garlic and Wild Mushrooms in Pomodoro Cream Sauce tossed with Fresh Rigatoni and Parmesan Breadcrumbs.” Sometimes cream sauces are a bit over the top for me, but this one didn’t make me feel like my arteries were closing up with each bite, and rather made me feel like I was back inItaly!

My scarf made me feel extra Euopean

I was also pretty excited about dessert. The choices were chocolate cake or a sorbet. Perry and I had the fantastic idea to each get one and split. (We often have this idea and things usually work out better for us than our peers who think they’re decisive enough to know what they want. 2>1, duh.) Unfortunately, our plan hit snag – the sorbet was raspberry – most people would agree that this pairs well with chocolate, but again, I have a weird fruit aversion so we decided to just go our separate ways. Obviously, I went with the cake and I loved every bite. A scoop of ice cream definitely could have added an additional element of delight, but considering how unhealthy this meal was, it was probably a blessing in disguise that it wasn’t offered. (Also, I was too excited about dessert and forgot to take a picture. Sorry I’m not sorry. You’ll just have to come and order it for yourself!)

So, is it worth it to go to a restaurant you already know during restaurant week? I think it can be – Piazza Italia was, for me, a place reserved for birthdays or other special occasions, and restaurant week made it accessible. I enjoyed my dinner, and even got to take half of it home to enjoy the next day for lunch! Brightleaf is so close even the stinkin’Lincoln could make it there without a problem, and Piazza Italia is definitely one of the best it has to offer.

This blog really could not have started at a more convenient time. It’s restaurant week in the Triangle Area, so I find myself with the opportunity to go out to eat at nice restaurants without the constraints of not being able to afford anything but an appetizer as a result of my college student sized budget. I had spent the majority of last week clicking around the TRW website trying to whittle down my choices to the perfect restaurant (or two…or three), but little did I know that early in the week, a restaurant week gem would actually find me.

Have you ever heard the adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Now, I’m not a huge fan of fruit (so if you’re hoping to learn about some fruity desserts on this blog, you’d have better luck looking elsewhere), but I could see how a modern day adaptation of the famous saying definitely has its place in today’s world. Maybe we should replace it with something to the effect of “Taking good care of your apple products (and praying the technology gods choose not to inflict their wrath upon you for no particular reason) keeps the genius bar appointment away.” Okay, maybe it’s not quite as catchy, but I’ll work on it. The point is that my roommate’s computer froze on her. Not only did it freeze, but when Lindsay tried to turn her computer back on it gave her a fun “no symbol,” implying it completely forgot there was a hard drive on it at all. Oops? This Mac-attack led us to Southpoint mall, where Mikey, a “genius,” helped us by generously replacing Lindsay’s hard drive and battery. (Wouldn’t it be cool to have the job title of genius: “What do you do?” “Oh, me? It’s not a big deal, really. I’m just a genius…”) Lindsay has a morning class, I have an afternoon class, and we both have a night class so we found ourselves feeling a little rebellious by being at the mall in the middle of a school day, or I suppose to be more precise, right at lunch time.

As luck would have it, Southpoint mall is home to Rockfish Seafood Grill, and Rockfish is participating in restaurant week. For a mere $15, one could indulge in an appetizer, main dish, and dessert! How could we possibly resist?

Although there were two appetizer, two main dish, and two dessert choices (so 8 different possible meals combinations for you probability lovers out there), Lindsay and I chose the same exact meal. Our experience (for three courses is much more than just a “lunch”) began with the Mexican Shrimp Martini – a martini glass filled with shrimp, salsa, pico de gallo, and avocado, surrounded by a ring of tortilla chips. I know you’re probably salivating already, and you and your taste buds will be happy to hear it’s just as good as it sounds (and looks!) It’s a Rockfish favorite (as indicated by the little fish image on the menu), and definitely a solid choice. At first I wasn’t quite sure whether it would be weird to eat shrimp off of a tortilla chip, but even though it seems a little wrong, it tastes so right.

Did you just grab your keys so you could go buy this?

Needless to say, our plates were clean in a matter of minutes. As to our main dish, I had never had a fish taco before, so I decided that now is the time, while I’m still young and naïve. Our other choice was a seafood enchilada, which sounded delicious, but it had mushrooms on it. (Similarly to the reason behind many of my aforementioned fruit issues, mushrooms kind of freak me out because they have a weird texture even though they don’t particularly taste like anything.) The fish tacos were a great choice; Rockfish thinks so as well, as they’re another house favorite. The flour tortillas are stuffed with crispy, fried Alaskan Pollock (apparently this is a type of fish),  pico de gallo, cabbage, and cheese, alongside a dish of ancho chile sauce.

Lindsay getting ready to enjoy some fish tacos!

As we were eating them however, we realized that we might not have room for dessert. What a travesty that would be, as dessert is often my favorite part of a meal. We decided to be strategic about it and only eat half of our main courses in order to leave enough stomach space to enjoy dessert. When we asked for to-go boxes, our waiter asked if we wanted our desserts wrapped up as well. When we explained how clever we were, rather than being in awe of us (I thought maybe he’d ask us if we were “geniuses”), he just laughed. He did bring us our boxes though and then it was on to round three.

I was a little overexcited and forgot to take a picture before trying this!

I’ve definitely had bread pudding once before, but I couldn’t tell you where or when. Rockfish did not disappoint – it was delicious, and the bourbon sauce it was in added something special to it. It  balanced out the sweetness of the bread nicely, but it you got a spoonful of just sauce (as I eagerly did at first), it was a little too strong to enjoy. It was the perfect way to end a nice meal. My roommate and I got to enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful weather, and I even made it to class on time!

And now, for the ultimate question: will I go back? Rockfish’s prices are overall pretty reasonable, so I would definitely recommend it to someone looking for a bite to eat to break up a day of shopping. (That being said, the next time I go to Southpoint, I’m probably going to try Firebirds, as I’ve heard a rumor that it’s one of our basketball player’s favorite restaurants, and I’m all about being the ultimate fan.)