"Scenic Byways" New Edition Available
One of the best documents produced by the State of North Carolina is NCDOT Scenic Byways. Included the new 4th Edition is a profile of this state’s 45 most beautiful drives. The printed book is free, but a $5 donation is requested to offset shipping. A free .PDF version is also available. Both can be obtained by going to the .
Kiva Grill Replaced By Little Sibling (Road Trip)
It’s always bitter sweet when a good restaurant dumbs itself down, but still does a good job. I was able to spend last week in Wilmington, and hit all of my favorite places. Kiva Grill was always at the top of our list. They did upscale southwestern in a way nobody in Raleigh does, pushing their way toward southwest fusion as much as any in this region. The southwest tempura rolls were fantastic, as was the Mexican barbecue sauce and jicama slaw in one particular burrito. It quite obvious that the dishes were very labor intensive.
Four weeks ago the Kiva Grill owners converted the restaurant to its sister concept, . K38 leans much more toward California Mex with a host of quesadillas, burritos, fajitas, and tacos. I enjoyed the Mission Style chicken burrito, which was good, but not terribly different than 48,000 different burrito shops in Raleigh.
The restaurant was struggling with a few items that night, too. The fryer was sending out shiny-wet, greasy tortilla chips, and the water was terrible. Others at our table enjoyed their stetson rolls and quesadillas. However the star item at the table, as unbelievable as it may seem, was the fried chicken sandwich found on the children’s menu. Served on a large, fresh bun, the sandwich features an excellent chicken batter, lettuce, and an outstanding mayonnaise.
Everything about the experience except for the decor is a step down from the Kiva days. The menu is chock full of items priced between $7 and $12, down from Kiva’s $15-$23 price point, making the restaurant a little more family-friendly. The lower price point is matched by the clientele, too. The bar is now hopping with those overly tan, beachy, party bums that are everywhere down there.
There are nightly specials, however we hit the best of the rotating bunch: Wednesday $1 Taco Night. The full-sized tacos come filled with beef, chicken, or steak and are excellent. For those loving soft tacos, they are available for $2 on taco nights. I could have been happy ordering five crunchies and a salad.
K38 is going to do well as they are one of the few bargain good meals for people eating in the Porter’s Neck area. While there were a few kinks early on, the restaurant should be able to match the success of their Oleander Road location. It’s just sad to lose the choice of going to a unique restaurant that makes one enjoy their time away from Raleigh.
Vote for Bodie’s Renovation
JELD-WEN windows and doors recently announced its “Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative”. Public voting is now open for selecting a winning lighthouse to receive new windows and doors from JELD-WEN. Bodie Island Lighthouse is among the 12 finalists, and your vote can help the tower win 8 windows and one door that are reproductions of the originals.
As you may recall, was pulled from the budget just minutes before the US Senate voted in December 2007. Funding for its restoration will be requested again, but it has been passed over for several years, and there is no guarantee of its future funding. .
N.C. Zoo Closed for the Weekend
The (fantastic) North Carolina Zoo through the end of the weekend due to a broken water main,
Durham to Get Tesla Dealership?
Durham has apparently made the very short list of cities that may get a Tesla dealership. The first dealership for the all-electric sportscar opened on Thursday in Los Angeles. , the next wave of stores will come to Menlo Park, CA (Silicon Valley), New York, Miami, Seattle, and Chicago. The third wave, however, mentions Washington, Boston, and Durham.
The Tesla is the first wide production all-electric sportscar. It boasts acceleration of 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds and tops out at 125mph. Delivery time is currently 15 months for the $109,000 cars.
Sara Foster Featured in Bon Appetit
Be sure to check out the June issue. On page 108 is an article by Durham’s Sara Foster called “Pasta In A New Light”. I’m not sure which looks better, the Orzo with grilled shrimp, summer vegetables, and pesto vinaigrette or the Farfalle with chicken, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and goat cheese. ()
If you haven’t gotten a chance to eat at in Durham, make some time, especially for a lunch outing. The salads and sandwiches are fantastic. A Tennessee native, Foster went on to do the NYC thing, then on to being one of Martha Stewart’s catering chefs. After a stretch in Connecticut, she and her husband moved to Durham to open a market with “great seasonal prepared foods to eat in or take out, specialty grocery items, locally roasted coffee and select wines”. There is now a location in Chapel Hill, too, but don’t bother with it unless it is decidedly more convenient to visit that location.
Taverna Nikos Reopens
The Brightleaf Square (Durham) location for has apparently reopened. This ad appeared in a newspaper yesterday.
Hard Rock Park Opens Tomorrow
Tomorrow marks the soft opening of Myrtle Beach’s . The brand new 140-acre theme park will feature four roller coasters, many carnival rides, interactive music pavilions, and numerous live music stages, all with classic rock and country themes.
The marquis ride of the park, though is "", a 150-foot tall, 3,738 foot long, 65-mph, 6-inversion coaster by . () If any of you have ridden a B&M coaster, you surely remember its smoothness and trademark whir.
With the addition of the Hard Rock Park, there are now 35 first-rate roller coasters within a 3.5 hour drive of Raleigh.
The Bravery, Free In Greensboro
will be playing a free concert in Greensboro tonight. The 6pm show was originally scheduled to be outside, but has been moved to the Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center.
Their most recent CD, , ranks as my personal favorite CD of 2007. If you can’t make the road trip, catch their appearance on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Wednesday night. They will be performing "Believe", the latest single from The Sun and Moon.
Alicia Keys Coming to Greensboro
is coming to the Greensboro Coliseum on May 30. The through Ticketmaster. Opening will by Ne-Yo and Jordin Sparks.
Schoolkids Records To Close in Chapel Hill
Schoolkids Records, Chapel Hill location, will be closing it’s doors in March, 2008. It may be coincidence or not….but after 33 1/3 years, this long playing music retail institution will be closed. All Triangle retail business will be handled in the Raleigh location, which is located at 2712-100 Hillsborough St., while it still maintains a retail presence in Athens, Ga.
The business climate for music retail has changed so drastically since our beginnings, but so has the concept of locally owned businesses. We are faced with many more obstacles, that even 6 years ago were virtually not present. For all those in the Triangle area, who have supported all the Schoolkids Records location throughout the years and especially those in the Chapel Hill area, we would like to extend our many thanks and kudos for helping to keep this institution alive for so many years.
We would especially like to thank the University of North Carolina, the Cat’s Cradle, Local 506, WXYC, WXDU and The Merch, for their continuing support of our Chapel Hill location through the years. Now as we begin to flip the LP to side 2 of our existence, our goals have not changed nor has our commitment. We just hope that music retail will always be a part of your shopping experience, now and in the future.
Mary J. Blige & Jay-Z Coming to Greensboro
Saturday, April 5 is when and are coming to the Greensboro Coliseum. The tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday at 10am, however the presale is currently going on and ends Friday at 10pm. and enter the password "music".
‘Blood’ To Be Filmed In N.C.
The N&O has a (on page 4B) revealing that the movie version of the novel Blood Done Sign My Name will be filmed in North Carolina. The story is based on the Timothy Tyson novel involving memoirs of a 1970 racial killing in Oxford. The mayor of Oxford, Al Woodlief, said that his community welcomes the film crew, and delights at the opportunity to teach a history lesson. “And besides, maybe I’ll get to hang out with Gwyneth Paltrow.” (correction: this comment was made by the book’s author)
Oh boy. Another opportunity for Hollywood to portray the South as a bunch of racist hicks. To be sure, the storytellers in this movie will have no intention of highlighting the mayor’s point that “Oxford has changed very much in 30 years.” Instead they will blur fiction, stereotypes, and history with the present. Complete with bad southern accents, the movie will deliver a hit piece that will do irreparable damage to the reputation of Oxford. Poised to thrive from the fruits of being an outlying Raleigh community, the town, instead, will languish as transplants avoid the town stereotyped by Hollywood (all because of the actions of a few). Thanks a lot, Mayor Woodlief.
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