Raleigh Restaurants

518 Italian Cafe

It is a sister restaurant of the 411 Italian Cafe in Chapel Hill (on 411 W. Franklin St), both serve the same menu. 518 is much larger a place than 411.
Interesting yet simple Italian flavor deco, with ceilings painted as a Carolina blue sky with clouds (yes, free clouds!).

Many families have dinner here together with young DINKs.

It has two floors, each floor has its own bar, kitchen etc. Second floor seems quieter than the first one, if one has a table next to their ''balcany' looking railing, one can have a birdview of the downstairs.

On Saturday, they open at 5 pm for dinner, go there early to enjoy the beautiful afternoon sunshine shining through the huge window over your table.

The most unique table was the one 3/4 towards the second floor on the side of the stairway. It is an isolated place of its own, sitting two people, the afternoon light really makes it a very romantic setting, however, the restaurant could make it more appealing.

I will attach a photo here soon.

Favorite Dish: Although it is an Italian restaurant, it also serves dishes from other cuisine such as Thai (curry dishes) etc. The food is average, not bad.

Appetizers:
- Wood fired focaccia bread - with choice of herbed artichocke dip, salsa fresca or sun-dried tomato artichoke spread
- Whild mushroom poltenta- assorted wild mushrooms pan seared with fresh rosemary, mushroom broth and cashewnut butter. Served over baked poltenta and topped with fresh parmesan.

Chef's special pasta salad - house greens tossed with rotini pasta, artichoke hearts, pimento, grilled chicken, prosciutto and mozzarella in a creamy Italian vinaigrette

Pasta and Etc
- whole wheat fetticine - with wood grilled chicken, fresh mushrooms, marsala, rosemary butter and garlic cream sauce, topped with fresh parmesan
- Chicken marsala - chicken breasts sauteed with mushrooms in a dark chicken marsala sauce, served with over roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables
- Wood grilled shrimp poltenta - grilled marinated shrimp served on cheese polenta with mushrooms, leeks and prosciutto di parma, topped with parmesan

Desserts (all made fresh in house)
- Tiramisu torte - Layers of sponge cake, esperesso custard and fresh whipped cream with bittersweet chocolate sauce (could be also with some Brandy if you prefer)
- Dylan's Belgian dark chocolate fudge cake - moist, fudgey chocolate cake served with white chocolate chunk ice cream and raspberry sauce

The Angus Barn

Traditional American fair, seafood plus steaks.
It is claimed the only one 5-star restaurant in NC. However, other people say it was partly due to the food, popularity and partly, the politices.

There are restaurants in the area serving finer food - again, the taste is a very subjective thing. Just also like we are not beef eater, I cannot give you any idea on how good or bad their steaks are.

To many people, it could be pricy, however, the quantity is large, e.g., a $23 soft-shell crab entre will come with 3 large softshell crabs, while most other restaurant $17 for only one medium size crab.

We could never finish our entres, therefore the best strategy, and fortunately one can, is to order its 'apetizer' portion of entres, so you can have more varieties yet not stuffed.

The restaurant has two major dining halls, very large, thus the tables at the center of the hall could be noisy. Be sure to ask a table along the hall usually divided from the main hall, which is much quieter.

Although many business dinners are done here, the atmosphere is casual.

There are no sign or lables on the restroom to tell the lady's room from men's room. HOw can you tell? The hens and roosters on the door of course.

Favorite Dish: Soft-shell crabs, small ribs, salmon, raw oyster.

Conveniently located inside the North Carolina Museum of Art, serving lunch during the week but dinner only on Friday.

Simple and artistically decorated dining hall, rather high ceiling, with live piano music, nice view of the lawn outside of the museum.

Excellent yet interesting food, not pricy. Casual atmosphere.

Favorite Dish: International Cuisine

Everything on the menu is interesting.

Healthy food cleanly and artistically presented.

Interesting menu and creative recipes sometimes.

Favorite Dish: New American, French, Mediterranean and Middle-east fair.

Everything on the menu could be interesting:
http://www.butterfliesrestaurant.com/article.php?sid=7

Sushi on a conveyor belt is raw heaven. You can order from the menu, but most people simply choose from the rotating already made rolls, which are on color-coded plates for easy pricing, gold being the most expensive. Chefs work in an enclosed area to restock the conveyor belt--always reminds me of that episode of 'I Love Lucy' where the chocolate moves too fast and she gets behind! I think Kurama exceeds sushi standards but is surprisingly affordable (huge ramen bowl for $5, spider rolls for $5). If you're lucky, my friend Karla will be your waitress. She sits in a booth and knits when it's not busy, and has been known to look the other way when you 'borrow' one of the platic multi-colored sushi plates...

Favorite Dish: The daily specials board rarely changes. I think the eel bowl has been 'on special' for about six months now, but that's O.K., because it's my favorite. As a starter,I recommend steamed edamame(soybeans)or the shrimp dumplings. Kurama has a delicious selection of hot noodle bowls as well. For dessert, brave the green tea ice cream.

Cafe Tiramisu specializes in Northern Italian cuisine. It is a small intimate restaurant with fine dining, but with a very relaxed atmosphere. The menu items are reasonably priced. Rumor has it that the owner of the Angus Barn has dined there.

Favorite Dish: My favorite dish is Chicken Parmesan. They also have excellent Tiramisu.

518 West has really inspired Italian food. Yancey's, a Cajun/Creole restaurant in the City Market area, has satisfying food and live jazz. The 42nd Street Oyster House is a fine seafood restaurant. The Irregardless cafe is funky and has good sandwiches, salads, and light fare.

My favorite two spots to dine are in Chapel Hill. There are lots of good ones, but these two have a certain character to go with the good food. Charlie's Chinese Restaurant and Dip's Country Kitchen are run by two local celebrities.
Mama Dip (Mildred Council) has appeared on national TV a few times for her good homestyle country cooking. Charlie 'Two Shoes' serves some of the freshest Chinese food around, and he displays lots of Americana to honor the U.S. marines who befriended him in his home of Tsingtao, China during WWII and eventually helped him get to the U.S.

Favorite Dish: I love the Mongolian beef, lemon chicken, and kung-pao chicken at Charlie's. The Mongolian beef has lots of green onions. Mama Dip serves up good pork chops, chicken livers, and bread pudding, but really it is hard to find anything not good at her place.