O-Ku Raleigh at the Dillon Now Offers Lunch

O-Ku Raleigh is open at The Dillon in downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District and as of this week, is officially serving lunch along with dinner.

We were excited to try O-Ku for lunch last Friday. It was our first time there and it was amazing. We ordered Sashimi and Maki for our experienced sushi eaters and for the novice (like myself), I ordered the Bento Box. The Bento Box is served with miso soup and I chose the Dillon Shrimp option that came with steamed rice, california roll and the shrimp with sweet chili sauce and crushed peanut. Plenty of food for lunch. We had a house salad that came with shaved cabbage, cherry tomato, cucumber, mixed greens and a carrot-ginger dressing. The sashimi included a generous chef's choice of eight fresh, delicious pieces of fish. The Sake-Ikura dish had a nice spicy aioli sauce over fresh salmon, avocado, ikura, lemon and crispy onion for a nice crunch.

The Raleigh Warehouse district has so much to see and do and is still in the process of several new businesses opening soon (including Weaver Street Market across the street). O-Ku is a great restaurant option while out and about in the area or for celebrating a special occasion. O-Ku is gorgeous and spacious with a nice bar for drinks. We are looking forward to getting back for another meal soon.

"O-Ku Sushi Raleigh celebrates authentic Asian cuisine with a southern approach, providing a dining experience that focuses on unique ingredients and sophisticated presentations. From petite plates to sushi specialties to contemporary robata-style dishes, executive chef Richard Fong showcases the freshest fish from the world’s finest markets in areas such as Norway, Scotland, Hawaii and New Zealand, as well as local sustainable sources.

*Along with lunch and dinner, O-Ku offers half price sushi rolls for happy hour 5-7pm, Mon, Wed + Fri

HOUSE SALAD

MISO SOUP

SASHIMI

SAKE-IKURA

CALIFORNIA ROLL

DILLON SHRIMP + SEAWEED SALAD

HOURS
Lunch Hours: Monday through Friday: 11am - 2pm.
Dinner Hours: Sunday through Wednesday: 5-10pm | Thursday through Saturday: 5-11pm

LOCATION:
At the Dillon, 411 W Hargett Street Raleigh, NC 27603

NEW at Tazza Kitchen in Cameron Village: Fabulous New Seasonal Dishes + Tasty Winter Solstice Cocktails

Tazza Kitchen offers a delicious seasonal menu highlighting ingredients sourced from dozens of farmers and food artisans, wood-fired cooking, and influences from Southern Italy and Baja California. 

Tazza Kitchen is one of my favorite places to dine in Raleigh and it's a great spot to take a break and share drinks, brunch, lunch or dinner when you are out in the Village getting your holiday shopping done! They've just added some amazing appetizer and main dishes to their menu, as well as a new Winter Cocktail menu that will be available December 21, the first day of Winter. I got a sneak peek of some of these dishes and wanted to share some new favorites!

APPETIZER FAVORITES

Winter is the perfect time for enjoying warm flavorful root vegetable dishes. When its cold outside there are plenty of fresh seasonal vegetables available all winter long like broccoli and brussel sprouts. The perfect start to a meal at Tazza Kitchen in Cameron Village is the Broccoli with calabrian chilies, roasted garlic, and young asiago. Another favorite is the Brussel Sprouts. I didn't used to like Brussel Sprouts but now I'm a huge fan! This roasted brussel sprout dish is served with bacon jam, smokey tomato puree, calabrian chile and pickled mustard seed and both are great for sharing.

Broccoli + Brussel Sprout Starters

FABULOUS NEW MAINS

Tazza Kitchen has just added several new main dishes to their winter menu. We were lucky to get to sample several and they were fantastic. I feel like Tazza Kitchen does a great job of making really flavorful dishes. Even a simple cheeseburger is so full of flavor, cooked just right and served with their delicious dijonnaise sauce.

CHEESEBURGER + FRIES

Painted Hills beef, sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato, dijonnaise, locally baked roll, and served with a simple salad or french fries (the fries are fantastic!)

BRICK OVEN SALMON

Perfectly cooked salmon with za'atar spices, charred marinated vegetables, and

whipped labneh yogurt. 

ROASTED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Perfect winter dish! Beautifully presented and delicious with black garlic, farro, peperonata, toasted pine nuts, grana padano, and fresh herbs. SO GOOD!

PORK BOLOGNESE

If I could put a Gold Star on this dish I would! This was our favorite dish we tried. There is SO MUCH FLAVOR. Perfect comfort food. Campanelle pasta, beef, veal & pork cheek, black pepper, granapadano and fresh parsley.

NEW WINES BY THE BOTTLE
Tazza Kitchen has also just added three new fantastic Italian wines you can order
by the bottle to their wine menu for the Winter.

Barbaresco, Castello di Neive, 2015 | Rosso di Montalcino, Altesino 2015 Toscana |

Franciacorta, Ronco Calino Brut NV, Lombardia

WINTER SOLSTICE
Celebrate the season with new craft cocktails

Tazza Kitchen will be introducing several new craft cocktails to their menu on December 21. They have amazing talent behind the bar, creating amazing new drinks for creative cocktail lovers! Here are a couple to try:

BOLD MOVE

White Rum, Batavia Arrack, Absinthe, Lime, Raspberry

SPIRIT ANIMAL

Scotch, Mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, Black Tea, Lemon, Sage

PINK RABBIT

Copper + Kings Brandy, Aperol, Red Wine, Spiced Cranberry, Cherry, Bitters, Egg White 

LOOKING FOR A CLEVER GIFT IDEA?

Tazza Kitchen has gift cards for purchase in any amount. This is a great gift for the foodie, cocktail lover, coworkers, friends, or family! Tazza Kitchen in Cameron Village is the perfect spot for creatively delicious food + drink!
*From now until 12/31/2018 receive a $20 bonus certificate when you spend $100 in gift cards, redeemable from 1/2/2019-2/7/2019 at Tazza Kitchen!

Hope you get out and try some of these amazing new dishes + drinks this season!

HOURS: LUNCH Tue-Sat / 11:30a-2:30p | DINNER Sun-Mon / 4:30-9:00p, Tue-Thu / 4:30-10:00p, Fri-Sat / 4:30-11:00p | BRUNCH Sunday / 10:30a-3:00p | BAR BITES Mon-Thu / 4:30-6:30p
LOCATION: 432 Woodburn Road, Raleigh, NC 27605 (919) 835-9463

---

#CVTRENDREPORT: I'm excited to partner again with Cameron Village this FALL to feature some of the great merchants in the Village and highlight some 2018 Fall trends and great "hidden gems". I love shopping, dining, drinking, exploring local and it's been an amazing opportunity to get to know these merchants, their stories and their passion for what they do!

Kale Me Crazy - Grand Opening in Cameron Village Today!

GREEN DREAM SMOOTHIE

Today's the day! Kale Me Crazy in Cameron Village is officially open and serving FREE SMOOTHIES from 4-8pm*. Come by and help welcome Jeff and his team to the Cameron Village community.
*just show them you follow them on Instagram @KaleMeCrazy

I've needed a Kale Me Crazy in my life. With a busy work schedule, teenagers, and the holiday season upon us, it's easy to get caught up in the fast pace of life with no time for a meal or eating something healthy while we run to that next meeting, pick up the kids, or prep for the holidays. Days can fly by fast and unfortunately we don't always make the best decisions about what we eat.

Enter Kale Me Crazy. Their food is SUPER healthy SUPER delicious and SUPER easy to grab and keep going. Whether it is a Recovery Smoothie or a Quinoa or Poke Bowl to go, it's great to have this fast and easy healthy super food cafe option in Raleigh at Cameron Village. You can download the app and even order ahead to make the pick up even faster and easier. It's also conveniently located near CorePower Yoga and Flywheel Sports and cycle bars and the new Crunch Fitness gym coming soon, so it's ideal for grabbing something healthy and refreshing after you work out.

This week we got an early #sneakpeek and sampled several of the salads, poke bowl, wraps and toast. I have to say a standout was the smoked salmon toast. Its not something i would usually gravitate to first but after eating it, I am already planning when I can get back to have it again! The new shop is located at 2018 Cameron Street in Cameron Village tucked in near The Local Squirrel and GLOW, a new and fabulous athleisure wear store. The new cafe is bright, fresh and easy to grab something to go, eat at the main counter or park yourself at the window seat in the sunlight.

THEIR MISSION: We believe in real food and that everyone deserves access to real food. We provide a variety of quick and nutritious options to customers. The demand for healthy food is on rise and we are determined to meet that demand.

Another cool thing Kale Me Crazy offers are the juice cleanses and shots. Pop in for a quick detox and energizing Painkiller shot or if you are feeling a cold coming on try a Wellness shot and get a few to take with you for later.  The cold pressed juice is made fresh and comes in a variety of flavors that are delicious and they offer detox/cleanse packages as well. Kale Me Crazy recommends their 3-Day Juice Cleanse for all seasons. This option packs an excellent combination of fruit based juices and green juices to start your cleanse off in the right direction. Kale Me Crazy makes cleansing delicious and convenient whether you’re a first-timer or juicing veteran. If you have questions, they can help.

BE SURE TO SWING BY TODAY, GRAB A FREE SMOOTHIE AND WELCOME JEFF AND HIS TEAM TO CAMERON VILLAGE!
Sun 9am -6pm, M-F 7am - 8pm, Sat 9am - 8pm
2018 Cameron Street, Cameron Village

BOWLS + SALADS

SMOKED SALMON SALAD

TURKEY WRAP

POKE BOWL WITH WILD CAUGHT TUNA

SMOKED SALMON TOAST

AVOCADO TOAST

RECOVERY SMOOTHIE

---

#CVTRENDREPORT: I'm excited to partner again with Cameron Village this FALL to feature some of the great merchants in the Village and highlight some 2018 Fall trends and great "hidden gems". I love shopping, dining, drinking, exploring local and it's been an amazing opportunity to get to know these merchants, their stories and their passion for what they do!