How many places in Orange County can boast being more than 100 years old? How about 108 years old? The iconic Stag Bar in Newport Beach can hold that tune and with its reopening at the end of 2015, it is continuing to barrel through the years and serve up the community with enthusiasm. Opened in 1908 on Balboa peninsula, the Stag Bar has hosted countless numbers of tourists and locals, constantly evolving with the times and remaining relevant. From being a gambling hotspot and bar to a martini bar to a cafe to a saloon type and so on, the establishment has gone through many changes but stayed true to being a place for people to gather, have a good drink, and enjoy some great times. In all this time, Stag has remained in the same family's ownership and has now been re-envisioned as Stag Bar + Kitchen with luxury suites above for those looking for boarding. We were invited to check out the latter part of their new name and spent some time enjoying the menu that Chef Jeffrey Moore had in stock.

When John-Michael Sanchez and Natalie Burke decided to open a restaurant in January of last year, they were ready for the challenges that owning such a business would bring but they were not expecting another challenge to hit their lives. The same month that Slice was meant to open, Burke was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The setback wasn't enough to crush their dream however so after battling and winning out against the cancer, the couple continued to pursue the opening of the deli/cakery combo. Burke had been running a well-received custom cake business prior to the brick-and-mortar concept so it just made sense to put the two together and realize their dream of a from-scratch restaurant. Situated in Fountain Valley, Slice opened its doors recently to a welcoming crowd, and we were invited in to take a peek at what made up the pair's vision.

321 W Geer St, Durham, NC 27701
Pricing - $$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Southern, BBQ
https://thepit-durham.com

Hello North Carolina. Hello BBQ! I have been liking the restaurants that have cropped up in Durham since I left the area after graduation, especially due to the more pronounced attention they have given to NC agriculture. There have also been expansions from surrounding cities' restaurants that seem to be much welcomed. One result of that was The Pit which has a location in Raleigh as well. We had heard about The Pit from several other people and when you throw the phrases whole-hog and pit-cooked around, we are there. Add in the bonus of hogs raised free-range and locally with attention to animal welfare, and you've got yourself a fine place to find yourself sitting, chowing down on some southern BBQ (they do it Eastern North Carolina style here).

8200 Renaissance Parkway, Ste 1003, Durham, NC 27713
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Southern, Breakfast
http://risebiscuitsdonuts.com/


Settled. Our Durham-residing friends urged us to get ourselves over to Rise for mouthwatering biscuits and to satisfy any sweet tooth cravings for unique donuts. Good biscuits are so crucial to an excellent North Carolina stay so a visit was in order. Giving them a quick look-over online, I was pleased to see that they make as much as possible from scratch and that their popularity determines supply. Score - time to make an early plan to be one of the lucky early birds who gets a bite! Now...to decide whether to do donuts or biscuits first...

5122 NC Hwy 55, Durham, NC 27713
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Southern
www.sweetribs.com

You can't go to North Carolina without getting some good ol' southern BBQ, specifically Carolina pulled pork. It would be a tragedy really. When we visited Durham back in October, I knew that Duc had to be exposed to Carolina pulled pork so one day while we were driving around neighborhoods, we looked up nearby places that did it well. Backyard BBQ Pit came up, and we were really drawn to its old school cafeteria-like arrangement. Sometimes those holes-in-the-wall are the best places to find the best foods! The verdict? Fantastic.