Triangle in the national media

[plus2]

Does a rest stop even exist in Raleigh? I can't think of one. Even Wake County? Doubt it.

[ncwebguy]

_north carolina rest stop_ in google returned this page:

http://www.ncdot.org/doh/operations/dp_chi...e/rest/listing/

The closest to Raleigh is the Johnston County stop on I-40, with the I-85 Granville County stop near Oxford, being closest to Durham. I-95 in Nash County is the next closest.

The X-Files had an episode based on soldiers stationed Ft. Bragg I think, something post-Gulf War I.

Before that.. occasional mentions on the Andy Griffith Show.

[romec]

Don't forget a couple of mentions on The Simpsons.

Sideshow Bob made a reference about people flying to Raleigh-Durham

and in another episode Homer perfromed at a venue called the "Raleigh-Durham Skoal Bowl".

Don't wanna bring up too many Simpsons references, wouldn't want to upset our friends in Hitler City, North Carolina ;-)

[RaleighRob]

Greg Cox of the N&O reports (http://blogs.newsobserver.com/epicurean/index.php) that Gourmet Magazine has listed two Triangle restaurants in the US's Top 50: Magnolia Grill in Durham and Lantern in Chapel Hill.

Great news for our local restaurant scene!

Unfortunately I have yet to try either of these, although I've been meaning to get to Magnolia for years now. Anyone try them?

[ChiefJoJo]

This topic should go to the coffee house IMO...

One of the very best in Raleigh is Zely & Ritz (next to Sushi Blues on Glenwood South). Truly outstanding organic tapas and worth every penny!

[CliffyB]

This topic should go to the coffee house IMO...

One of the very best in Raleigh is Zely & Ritz (next to Sushi Blues on Glenwood South). Truly outstanding organic tapas and worth every penny!

Zely and Ritz is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to, anywhere.

[RaleighRob]

This topic should go to the coffee house IMO...

One of the very best in Raleigh is Zely & Ritz (next to Sushi Blues on Glenwood South). Truly outstanding organic tapas and worth every penny!

I intended to put it in the Coffee House, but I guess I hit the "post topic" too soon. My bad. (Any moderator who wants to move it please go ahead.)

I've been to Zely & Ritz once...wasn't impressed. Thought the food was really bland and it was also overpriced for the amount I got. I left a bit hungry still. Maybe I'll try a follow-up visit.

Anyways, congrats to Lantern & Magnolia for making the list. Can't wait to try them.

Edited October 6, 2006 by RaleighRob

[JDC]

Raleigh & Durham were the number one ranked city (well, cities) on the Men's Health story, "Where's life's a gamble," which lists 95 cities ranked on how much gambling takes place there. Greensboro came in at #2 and Charlotte at #4.

Really, with #3 Anchorage, Alaska aside, the odds (no pun intended) of you gambling in the state of North Carolina are much lower than anywhere else in the country!

from Men's Health

*Places with no legalized gambling (SLC and Honolulu) and New Orleans/Baton Rouge (due to recent catastrophes) were left off the list.

[JTsaysToYou]

Oh, I think the whole "rest stop in raleigh" thing was alliteration. I could be wrong though

[RaleighLover]

I'm surprised no Angus Barn.

[DanRNC]

Magnolia and Lantern both deserve to be there. My meal at Magnolia was like nothing I have had before anywhere in NC or even other parts of the country.

[tjoad]

I'm surprised no Angus Barn.

Angus Barn is a great steakhouse (with good seafood) but it is hardly a leader in the culinary arts. Their wine list is incredible though.

[JTsaysToYou]

My dad thinks that Angus Barn is over-rated and not as good as its price. I dunno if that's true seeing as I've never been there, but thats what he thinks. And he has had A LOT of buisness dinners in this area.

[dmccall]

The Angus Barn was and still is a great steakhouse. However, how hard is it to cook a steak? This is 2006 and we're talking Gourmet magazine. "Throw meat on the grill and watch it for 12 minutes" is hardly difficult or creative.

I haven't been to the Lantern, but I'll vouch for the Magnolia Grill. Fantastic food, creative, and a chef who deserves the accolades. If you doubt this, try cooking some dishes from his book. When you find something that doesn't require preparation less than 48 hours in advance, go ahead and cook it and see if it's just as easy as throwing a steak on a grill and staring at it.

Magnolia is clearly worth the drive to Durham, however the Bloomsbury Bistro in Raleigh comes surprisingly close. I went to the most recent Toler cooking class and wrote about it. I'm used to cooking things that require 20 ingredients and 1.5hrs to cook, but this meal was on the order of 60 ingredients and 3 hours...and that doesn't include the dessert! Here is the menu from that night:

Salad of baby field greens with

local strawberry vinaigrette, shaved

Parmesan cheese, and buttered pecans

Sweet potato vichyssoise with

jumbo lump crab and

molasses-black pepper cream

Pan roasted pacific escolar with

wilted pea shoots and

curried citrus vinaigrette

Bloomsbury

Edited October 7, 2006 by dmccall

[waynehead]

I remember I was watching the movie "Wrong Turn" about these kids who get lost in WVa, anyway at the start one guy's like "I have to get to Raleigh by 6 tonight" or something, and I remember I turned to my friend and was like "d00d! we live there!"

It's ridiculous of course, but it's also fun to see your city get mentioned in a national venue.

[RaleighLover]

Angus Barn is apparently good enough to have their top chef compete on "Iron Chef America."

[RaleighRob]

Angus Barn is apparently good enough to have their top chef compete on "Iron Chef America."

Yeah, well, as long as the secret ingredient isn't BEEF.

[capitalapts]

Wow, Lantern one of the top 50 restaurants in the country??? There are probably 50 restaurants in New York alone better than Lantern. Magnolia might be a top-50, but not Lantern. Does Lantern even crack the top 5 restaurants in RTP?

This is a head-scratcher...

[billS55]

All of you apparently need an introduction to the wine cellar at the Barn. It is there that Chef Walter serves up the fine cuisine - not upstairs in the restaurant. Just bear in mind that you have to reserve the room (accomodates ~24 people at the table), which is frequently booked six months to a year in advance (especially Christmas and graduation parties). Various local groups hold wine dinners there periodically, that you can sign up for on a first-come-first-serve basis, and that you can sometimes find out about from your local independent wine retailer. It's pricey, but usually memorable.

[Subway Scoundrel]

It is a Verizon commercial and having worked in the ad business for several years, a copywriter could not give a **** if a rest stop is here or not. They are looking for cadence. Just like other cities mentioned, does anyone remember them or go out and check if what was said with them exist?

Probably not. It just sounds good but would sound a lot better if she did not say

[Subway Scoundrel]

I like the barn when someone is else is paying. I always walk out so full I can not drive home. I went to the barn a few years ago for a business meeting and had 6 people....1 American (me), 1 Scottish guy, 1 guy from Japan who lives in Raleigh, and 3 Korean guys.

While we were eating, I look around and realized that all of us were eating seafood. Just thought that was funny as the barn is the cook cow flesh place of Raleigh. (Myself, I don't eat beef)

The wine is good as well as the seafood.

[RALBOI]

Hey guys! theirs a movie on USA, with Morgan Freeman playing ,there talking about Raleigh-Durham alot and ,I think some of the scences were shot in Durham, not sure, oohh! wait a minute, one of scences has a durham Police in it with those black and white cars.

[Redman84]

^Kiss the Girls or Along Came a Spider. I cannot remember which one right off hand, but I believe its one of the two.

[dmccall]

Kiss the Girls, probably. They do show an aerial view of Morgan driving on Durham Freeway getting onto 40 West, but not much other local outdoor scenery.

One of the best movies for scenery was the Handmaid's Tale. Awful movie of a good book. She lives in Moore Square station, I think, and walks down the street and is suddently in Brightleaf Square. Magic!

[ncwebguy]

RE: Handmaid's tale. I had to watch it for a class when I was at NCSSM. I didn't recognize any of the Raleigh landmarks at the time, but the big scene in Wallace Wade stadium did leave a lasting impression. The Duke football team apparently saw it and treats their home turf as their personal gallows. LOL

I think they filmed Kiss the Girls in the Durham police station, as it looked old without having to do anything with it.