Raleigh Essentials
By FrontDoor.com | Published: 1/30/2009
Sitti, located on S. Wilmington Street, serves authentic Lebanese cuisine at reasonable prices.
Food and Drink Essentials: Best Places to...
BUY GROCERIES
Fresh Market
400 Woodburn Road or 6325 Falls of Neuse Road
Upscale specialty market with stocked meat counter and artful displays of produce, breads and other gourmet items. But they also have some of your more mainstream brand-name snacks.
Whole Foods
3540 Wade Ave, Raleigh, N.C. 27607
Recently expanded to accommodate more organic and natural foods. The salad bar and hot bar are busy breakfast, lunch and dinner destinations. Locals still call the cafe "Wellspring," the name of the grocer that Whole Foods replaced.
N.C. Farmers Market
1201 Agriculture St., Raleigh, N.C. 27603
Best place to buy local. Growers come from all over the region to hawk fruits, vegetables, meats, plants and products that change with the seasons. Arrive early, and then mosey over to the State Farmers Market Restaurant for a big country breakfast.
Harris Teeter
500 Oberlin Road
2603 Glenwood Ave.
4421 Six Forks Road
5563 Western Blvd.
3201-123 Edwards Mill Road
6024 Falls of the Neuse Road
The most traditional grocer of the bunch. But the Teeter offers a good selection of specialty and gourmet foods. Many of its store-brand products are better than their name-brand competitors. Do a salsa taste test for proof.
EAT ETHNIC FOOD
NeoMonde Mediterranean Deli
3817 Beryl Road
Best place to grab olives, pita bread, baklava, tabouli mix and other Mediterranean specialties. Have a meal there or take ingredients home.
Sitti
137 S. Wilmington St.
The upscale sister of NeoMonde, offering authentic Lebanese cuisine with reasonable prices in an urban setting.
Duck & Dumpling
222 S. Blount St.
Contemporary Chinese and Vietnamese fusion meals, offering an evolving menu and new flavors. Ask for specials and staff recommendations.
J. Betski's
10 W. Franklin St.
German and Polish cuisine are served, and more than just sausages, sauerkraut and pierogies. The menu has surprising depth. That said, you can't go wrong with the kielbasa. Reservations advised.
EAT A COUNTRY BREAKFAST
Big Ed's
220 Wolfe St.
The name pretty much tells you everything. Offers big portions of Southern staples -- grits, eggs, biscuits, fatback and barbecue -- in historic City Market. Dixieland band plays on Saturday mornings. Closed on Sundays.
State Farmers Market Restaurant
1240 Farmers Market Drive
Fresh country foods and efficient service. Arrive early or stand in line. If you bring the kids, there is farm equipment to climb on outside.
Mecca Restaurant
13 E. Martin St.
Run by the same Raleigh family for more than 75 years, the Mecca offers reasonable portions of traditional Southern food in a traditional lunch counter setting. A regular meeting spot for state and local politicians. Bring cash and mind your manners. Credit cards are not accepted; neither is attitude.
Watkins Grill
1625 Wake Forest Road
The food is way better than the fading cinder-block exterior lets on. Prepare to eat. An order of a biscuit and coffee can quickly turn into biscuits and gravy, eggs and bacon ... and coffee. But low-low prices allow one to indulge.
HAVE A POWER LUNCH
Caffe Luna
136 E. Hargett St.
Elegant Italian food in a bright, cheery downtown restaurant. Attentive and speedy service. Most lunch dishes start under $10.
State Legislature Cafeteria
16 W. Jones St.
Perhaps the cheapest meal in town. It's where lobbyists, lawmakers and reporters mingle, often in hushed tones over Southern cuisine. The salad bar is the best bargain. Bring cash.
Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, N.C. 27617
Wins national awards for extensive menu that is centered on steaks. Prepare to splurge. Good place to woo a client or celebrate the closing of a business deal. The Wild Turkey Lounge offers vast selection of wines, liquors, specialty brews and cigars.
HAVE DINNER BEFORE A SHOW
Second Empire
330 Hillsborough St.
Elegant restaurant in restored Raleigh mansion featuring fine gourmet cuisine. Both have extensive wine lists. Also offers the more casual, and affordable Tavern. Staff is accommodating for those trying to eat before the curtain rises.
Poole's Downtown Diner
426 S. McDowell St.
American bistro set in a refurbished diner with often-changing menu ranging from the traditional to the adventurous. Leave your diet at home. The restaurant is near the convention center and Memorial Auditorium ... but not if you're wearing stilettos.
18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard Ave.
Contemporary interior and food, a great wine list and rotating exhibitions of work from local gallery. It's a quick drive to the theater.
ENJOY EAST NORTH CAROLINIAN BARBECUE
Clyde Cooper's Barbecue
109 E. Davie St.
For the full eastern North Carolina barbecue experience -- complete with hush puppies and pork rinds served on paper plates -- look no farther than this downtown institution, which opened in 1938. If you want to get in and out quickly, it's best to avoid the lunch crowd.
The Pit
328 W. Davie St.
Pitmaster Ed Mitchell brings a national reputation and a family 'cue recipe to an upscale setting. Mitchell often comes from behind the pit to say hello and offer samples of works in progress. Try the chopped pork sandwich with the sweet, gooey sauce.
The Q-Shack
4120 Main At North Hills St.
Has broader barbecue menu, featuring specialties from other regions. Smoked pork loin and smoked turkey sandwiches are worth checking out.
GRAB A BEER
Landmark Tavern
117 E. Hargett St.
Great beer selection, hip and friendly barkeeps and the most eclectic music in town. No kitchen, but staff can hook you up with a delivery menu or some bar snacks. Park yourself on the outdoor patio and enjoy.
Big Boss Tap Room
1249 Wicker Druve
This is the retail end of Big Boss Brewery, hidden in an industrial park just outside downtown. They only sell Big Boss brews, so expect odd looks or snickers if you order a Bud. There's a pool table. But you might have to play around the line of people waiting to get in on the ping-pong action. Also goes by its former name, Horniblows Tavern.
Raleigh Times Bar
14 E. Hargett St.
The Times takes its name and decor from the defunct evening newspaper The Raleigh Times. Good beer selection and menu. Half the bar is reserved for smokers. Packed with hipsters on weekends.
WATCH SPORTS AT A BAR
Carolina Ale House
Alexander Place, 7981 Skyland Ridge or 512 Creekside Drive
Standard menu, quick staff and dozens of screens. It's a regular spot for Carolina Hurricanes fans hoping to catch an away game on the big screen.
High5
510 Glenwood Ave.
Extensive $5 menu goes beyond standard sports bar fare (try the pretzel crusted crab dip). Booths feature individual televisions. Cell phone reception can be iffy if you're trying to meet somebody.
Buffalo Brothers Pizza & Wing Co.
3111 Capital Blvd.
Raleigh is a mecca for people from Buffalo. Hence the popularity of this establishment, founded by two guys from the Buffalo area. The menu features Western New York staples such as beef on weck sandwiches and, of course, chicken wings. Best bet: Buffalo chicken pizza.
High Park Restaurant & Sports Pub
625 East Whitaker Mill Road
Recently renovated to include three walls of plasma screens. Offers some of the best chicken wings in the Triangle. Also known by former names, "The Upper Deck" and "The Profile."
GRAB A LATE-NIGHT BITE
Snoopy's Hot Dogs
1931 Wake Forest Road
600 Hillsborough St.
3600 Hillsborough St.
2431 Spring Forest Road, Unit 161
Open until 4 a.m. at some locations. Burgers and hot dogs come standard with chili, onions and mustard unless you say otherwise. Don't forget seasoned fries.
Char-Grill
618 Hillsborough St.
3211 Edwards Mill Road
4621 Atlantic Ave.
9601 Strickland Road
Famous for their hamburger steak sandwiches. Open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Borough
317 West Morgan St. #117
Full menu of sandwiches, salads and appetizers served until 2 a.m. The hushpuppies are great, but ask if they have jalape?o hush puppies.
SIP ON A LATTE
Morning Times
10 E. Hargett St.
Friendly staff, sunlit upstairs, WiFi and rotating art exhibitions. Oh, and the strongest cup of coffee in downtown.
Cup A Joe
3100 Hillsborough St.
Busy N.C. State University hangout. Coffee is good; pesto chicken focaccia pocket is better.
Helios Coffee Co.
413 Glenwood Ave.
Good coffee; modern decor, bright interior and cozy patio. Finding a seat can be a challenge some mornings.
Third Place Coffeehouse
1811 Glenwood Ave.
Neighborhood coffee shop with crowd that evolves throughout the day. There's the business crowd with their breakfast meetings. Moms and tots come mid-morning through lunch. Afternoons are busy with students and young professionals with laptops and sketchbooks. Get there early if you want a table.