CurEat Raleigh Scavenger Hunt!

Discover Raleigh through a scavenger hunt style event
to benefit the
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

Are you familiar with CurEat? If not, it’s super easy to download the app and start discovering the best in local independent dining. You can start discovering all the new places by checking out CurEaters and create restaurant lists to share with friends and family. Bookmarking the places you’d like to eat on your travels is another great way to use the app. CurEat is based right here in Raleigh.

RALEIGH SCAVENGER HUNT FOR A GOOD CAUSE + A GREAT PRIZE!
This is such a FUN event happening in Raleigh, March 30th! The CurEat Raleigh Scavenger Hunt, will send thirteen teams (4 people on each team) running around Raleigh competing to solve riddles that will lead them to the After-Party at Transfer Co. Food Hall.

SIGN MY TEAM UP NOW!
Each team is tasked with raising $1500 for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Agriculture Education Program.
The goal is to raise $30,000.

The team to solve all the riddles first wins...a 3 day, 2 night trip to NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE!

Barista Parlor - Germantown - NASHVILLE

To sign up to compete you need 4 people/$100 each person, per team. That $100 includes:

• Each team member gets automatic entry into the awesome after-party at Transfer Co. Food Hall. 
• You will get a treat at each spot.
• $100 goes toward your team's fundraising goal, which means each team starts out at $400. 
• Proceeds go to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Agriculture Education Program. 

Can't do the Scavenger Hunt? Grab a ticket to the After-Party at Transfer Co. Food Hall. Tickets are on sale to the public now.  $65 advance/$75 door. Includes:

• BBQ from Sam Jones
• Sides from Longleaf Swine BBQ
• Two drink tickets
• Live music from Raleigh/Nashville artist James Davy and Raleigh singer/songwriter Zach Wiley
• Stem Ciders tasting
• Cocktail from Copper & Kings

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Hey Raleigh, we just spent the weekend in Nashville! It's an amazing city for foodies and music fans! Here are a few highlights from this past weekend! Check out more awesome Nashville food + drink favorites on my RWU Nashville Favs CurEat list!

Milk & Honey in the Gulch

Barista Parlor - Germantown

Slim + Husky's - historic North Nashville

Grimey's Records

Henrietta Red - Germantown

We saw Dawes at the Ryman this weekend!

High Class Hillbilly 

Butchertown Hall - Germantown

Jefferson Street Murals

Kille Brew Coffee - Gulch

Bearded Iris Brewing

The Grilled Cheeserie Food Truck at the 3 Year Birthday Celebration this weekend!

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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

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#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!