Rollin’ Through Raleigh– Part II

Spy Raleigh happened to be right next door to what has been dubbed one of the best restaurants in Raleigh. Our friend Alex, who skipped out on mixology but met us for dinner, had even gotten recommendations for The Pit from his friends who attend NC State and know the Raleigh restaurant scene pretty well. I like barbecue, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to have it, so my experience with it is somewhat limited. Although, since I went to Nashville sophomore year with Habitat for Humanity and interned with some southern boys last summer, I have learned that there are many different varieties of barbecue, all made with small but important differences. There’s Western Carolina, Eastern Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky bbq just to name a few. I think some of them have a more vinegar-y taste, some of them are sweeter, and some of them are spicier, but they’re all pretty good.

I was excited to see how The Pit’s Carolina barbecue would hold up next to our friends’ favorite, Mama Dip’s in Chapel  Hill. They love it so much that they go there (at least) once a month and have even had the opportunity to meet Mama herself! Personally, I’ve only been there twice, and since I never met Mama I didn’t have to worry about hurting her feelings if I liked The Pit better.

There was an incredibly long wait, but luckily Alex had the foresight to put down our name while he was waiting for us to finish up our blueberry bourbon drinks next door, so it wasn’t quite as painful. We spent the time in the chocolate shop across the street, Videri. It’s pretty unclear how they manage to stay in business as they sell a total of 5 products at pretty expensive prices, yet there they were. Worse, we bought some chocolate. After sampling every type (I have no shame), we settled on the Dark Milk Chocolate. Why spend $8 on a chocolate bar? It’s quite simple really. It costs $5 to park in the lot I parked in but you get your $ back if you buy something from one of the shops along the strip where this chocolate shop happened to be, so it was really like paying $3 for a bar of chocolate…which is still pretty expensive. Well, technically there were two bars of chocolate so $1.50 per bar isn’t bad? Okay, I’m starting to see how they stay in business. Damn that parking lot and its sneaky attendants coaxing me into buying things. It’s like they knew how much I love chocolate.

Perry will be happy to see I haven't yet eaten this, as it's technically half his.

Regardless, after dealing with our buyer’s remorse, we headed back over to The Pit and were seated pretty promptly. Alex and Brad were feeling pretty wild and started off with some Jalapeño cornbread. The portions were enormous so we definitely could have split one among the entire table, but at least it left them with some to bring home. They brought over all sorts of breads for us to enjoy while we were waiting – cornbread, biscuits, and hush puppies to be exact. We pretty much gobbled down the basket immediately upon it touching the table. It was delicious – so far, at least in the hush puppy department, The Pit was winning.

For our entrees, people got ribs, fried chicken, turkey, or barbeque. I personally went with Carolina barbecue because it seemed appropriate. When all of our food arrived, I embarrassed myself by asking the waiter to take a picture of all of us holding up our food. I tried to explain that it was for a blog but I don’t think he believed me. Unfortunately, I can’t even put the pictures up because I think I accidentally deleted them from my camera – they’re nowhere to be found. Below is what we probably looked like:

I imagine you're wondering why we're all so pale...it's because this was taken before spring break. I'm all about attention to detail.

As you can tell by how happy we are in the picture, we really enjoyed our meals. Although they were huge portions, I’m pretty sure I ate every bite. I’ll have to bring my friends over to get their take on The Pit, because I think it will definitely give Mama a run for her money!

 

Is Raleigh worth checking out even though Durham and Chapel Hill are right here? Definitely take a ride out if you have the chance! There are many restaurants right by The Pit if barbecue’s not your thing. It’s a super walk-able town which makes it fun to do with friends!

This is Not a Fro-Yo Post

It’s the ultimate debate – Loyo vs. Tutti Frutti. Convenience vs. Variety. Self-Serve vs. Counter Service. I had high hopes – I was going to really get to the heart of the issue, but then I read this post and everything changed. I couldn’t possibly write a post about fro-yo without having tried all that the fair city of Durham has to offer. Lauren wrote about her experience at a place called Blend – how had I lived here for four years and never even heard of this place? I felt like I was missing out so kept looking for excuses to go test it out for myself. Unfortunately, I had a very limited window of opportunity, as Spring Break was just around the corner and I wanted to write my post before I left. Although that last part didn’t quite happen (oops), my roommate and I did manage to make the trek to a new part of Durham to see whether this new place would manage to stand out as a contender or just “blend” in with the competition. (Okay, I admit – that joke was pretty forced.)

We got in the stinkin’ Lincoln for an adventure through Durham. Google maps made some questionable directions decisions and we ended up at what has to be the worst intersection in the city, if not the state (if not the world). You have to cut across four lanes of traffic, there’s a railroad on the other side of the road and there are no traffic lights! I guess I should have specified that I wanted to avoid life-threatening situations when charting the course to Blend – my bad, Google maps. Death-defying stunts aside, we made it  unscathed at precisely 6:52PM. Blend closes at 7, so we got there in the nick of time…except that we didn’t. We went inside and excitedly eyed the machines, only to find out that we couldn’t get any fro-yo. Why? Because “it’s usually like, dead…so we just like, started cleaning up. You can get some coffee if you want though?” Uhhhh, what? It’s probably “dead” because when people come you don’t have the ability to serve them what they want and offer them options that are not at all appropriate substitutes. Do better, Blend employee. You single-handedly destroyed my potential post; well, I suppose you just delayed it. Ah, a dream deferred

 

We left, sad and hungry. On our drive back (we rerouted to avoid the scary intersection – the stinkin’ Lincoln was not prepared to go through that nonsense twice), we found ourselves on Main Street. We remembered a wonderful restaurant we’d been to one time when Toast (another good one!) was overflowing with people, and specifically that it had a glass case filled with desserts we wanted to try. Beyú Caffe was exactly what we needed. Their food and philosophy helped to turn what was almost a tragic, dessert-less evening (heaven forbid!) into something delicious. I parked across the street (although I was so far from the curb it was frankly almost the same side of the street) and we went right to the glass case filled with treats. I wanted to try all of them, but we settled on an Oreo Cheesecake. They served us right away and accommodated our somewhat strange request to eat the cake in the chairs you’re supposed to sit in when waiting for a table. The five minutes we spent devouring that cake made all of the bad feelings from earlier “blend” into the background. (I know, I should stop trying to make that work.)

I wasn't kidding when I said devoured. I could hardly stop myself from chowing down to snap a picture!

So, is Blend out for good? Will there ever be a fro-yo post? I’ve heard it said that one shouldn’t cut off her nose to spite her face. I’m not going to deprive myself of a new and potentially delicious treat because of an employee who was just trying to get home a little earlier, so the dream of a fro-yo post lives on!

Beautiful Brunch

Brunch is a college student’s best friend (or perhaps just the best thing to do with one’s best friend – a small, but important difference). Why, you ask? It gives you the excuse to sleep in, eat a lot (yea I’m eating all of this. It’s my breakfast AND lunch), an excuse to eat bacon, and save some $ (two meals for the price of one!) – all things which are of the utmost importance. Brunch is so easy, you can even have some people over and do it yourself (my roommate and I have been pushing for Mimaffle Fridays – mimosas + waffles, duh – since the start of the year, but it weirdly hasn’t come to fruition yet.) If you’re not feeling particularly ambitious, however, there are some fantastic brunch places right here in Durham. Below are my top-five.

 

  1. Foster’s  – Foster’s offers a friendly environment and delicious food. It’s pretty popular on the weekends though, so be prepared to wait in line if you don’t get there early. It’s the perfect place to go in the fall or spring (or even right now since we’ve been having a fake winter) so you can sit outside! I usually go for the egg, cheese, and bacon biscuit.
  2. Parker and Otis  – I’ve only been to Parker and Otis once – it seemed like the natural way to cancel out the five mile workout my friend and I had just done – but am definitely hoping to go back in the very near future. Parker and Otis has a really fun ambience (similar to Foster’s) and the restaurant itself doubles as a general store! You could find some weird knick-knacks or some interesting wine while waiting for your food to come out. I got eggs and bacon with a cheesy biscuit. (Noticing a trend?)

    The biscuit looks sort of sickly with its spots in this picture, but I promise it's just cheese there to add a little something extra to the meal (and your cholesterol)

  3. Elmo’s  – As a freshman, Elmo’s was the best respite from our dining plan a girl could ask for. It’s also always very busy, but it’s been an Easter brunch staple for my friends and me three years running. They give incredibly generous portions and the food is always delicious. I usually debate between pancakes and, you guessed it, some combination of eggs, cheese, a biscuit, and bacon – this time, in the form of an omelet.
  4. Mad Hatter’s – I got treated to a Mad Hatter’s brunch in exchange for dropping my friend off at the airport. I personally think it was our shared meal before she left for her grad school interview that ultimately led to her acceptance, but I could be wrong. (It would be a first, but I suppose it’s possible.) Like Parker and Otis and Foster’s, Mad Hatter’s has a counter where you order and your food gets brought out to you. I went for a breakfast burrito (you already know about my love of all things salsa related, so this decision shouldn’t come as a shock.) and I loved it!

    So much delicious.

  5. Nosh – Sophomore year I worried that Nosh’s “eclectic foodstuffs” were a bit too eclectic for me, but I’ve since expanded my palette and have come to love the place, especially considering its convenient location. Clearly the counter-ordering business model is a successful one, because they’ve employed it as well. They have fun board games you can play while you wait (you could learn about outdated Duke trends in Dukeopoly) and my egg, cheese, and bacon biscuit was fantastic and filling!

I know what you’re wondering, and I’ve been thinking about my answer the whole time I’ve been writing this. Be prepared to be disappointed.

 

We get it. You like eggs, cheese, bacon, and biscuits, you health nut. Which place has the best one? Sorry to be “that girl,” but I honestly don’t have a favorite. They’re all truly fantastic, so you really can’t go wrong. I did just get back from Foster’s though, so my totally biased endorsement currently is definitely in its favor.

Breaking the Restaurant Week Rules: Dos Perros

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.

An oldie, but goodie: Piazza Italia

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.

Fishing around for new eats: Rockfish Seafood Grill

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.)