The Gourmez

Capital Club 16 16 W. Martin Street Downtown Raleigh Website Entrees: $10–$18 About a week and a half ago, I went to Capital Club 16 with the Social Media Supper Club, which is always a fun time of trying a restaurant together. I quite liked Capital Club 16, which may be related to its reputation [...]

Akashi 2223 NC Highway 54 Research Triangle Park, Durham Website Deluxe Sushi Rolls: $6–$11 (and 50% off) Akashi is a cute Japanese restaurant in the black , yellow, and red complex on Highway 54 right before entering RTP. They are one of five restaurants focusing on sushi in South Durham; I guess we like our [...]

Desert Pear Martini Firebirds North Hills, Raleigh $9 This lovely drink gets a considerable boost in appearance from that slice of pear dominating the top of the glass. The liquid beneath it is a mix of Belvedere citrus vodka, Firebirds’ sweet and sour mix, desert pear juice, and apple juice. Now, the term desert pear [...]

Vouvray Brut Le Bouchet Loire Valley, France This sparkling wine (someday, I’m going to buck tradition and just start calling them all champagne, but that day is not today) is made from 100% chenin blanc grapes. It’s light in texture and full of tight bubbles. Sweetness is rampant among the kiwi, grapefruit, and almond notes. [...]

Buns 107 N. Columbia Street Downtown Chapel Hill Website Burgers: $5.00–$7.00 Before trying out this downtown Chapel Hill burger joint, I didn’t realize it was so similar to Bull City Burger and Brew, which I recently reviewed. Both locations grind their meat daily and take a green-forward approach to managing their restaurants, though BCBB is [...]

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to play! Here are my six for the week, from my romance novella, Maya’s Vacation. Dean stopped in front of a cherry-red jeep and put his suitcase down. She could see three or four more of his canvases peeking over the top of the seats. He leaned against [...]

Lunazul Anejo Tequila Jalisco, Mexico   Per the bottle label, this tequila is supposed to awaken my inner wolf or some such nonsense. After a year of exuberance for George R. R. Martin fans like myself, I guess I won’t complain if savoring an aged tequila brings out my inner Stark—I really hope I have [...]

Mexicano Mojito  Bandidos Woodcroft, Durham $5.95 There are two things you can count on a Bandidos drink being: stiff and affordable. The Mexicano Mojito fulfills both of those qualifications, though it leaves something to be desired in the flavor department. That’s because the strong alcohol from three, count ‘em, three rums—Bacardi Light, Bacardi Dark, and Bacardi [...]

C & T Wok 130 Morrisville Square Way Morrisville Website $10–$15   C & T Wok is a fantastic spot tucked away in one of Morrisville’s strip malls. It’s a plain, yet cozy, restaurant with wood paneling and a friendly staff. In addition to American Chinese, Szechuan Chinese, and Thai menus, there are nightly specials [...]

Veev is a liqueur made mainly from the acai berry. The back of the bottle waxes poetic on the heart of the Amazon, the adventurous benefits of acai, and the pleasing addition of other exotic (their word, not mine) fruits. I won’t be quite as mysterious as they are—those other fruits are prickly pear and [...]