2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd, Ste 1, Durham, NC 27707
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Bakery, Coffee & Tea, American | Reservations - Accepted
http://www.guglhupf.com/

A place I've been wanting to go for a while from all the hype I've heard about it! My friend and I were planning on dropping by for dinner but after perusing their dinner menu online, we found nothing that we were craving that night nor a price our wallets would be happy giving up. So instead, we opted for lunch another day, and it was a great choice! The establishment was quite cute and quaint with its decor both inside and outside. When we walked in, the baked goods in the displays were oh-so-tempting but I knew we'd hit up the bakery afterward so resisted from ordering something to go with lunch.


I ended up choosing the Reuben Panini which was "slow-cooked corned beef with house-braised
sauerkraut, emmenthaler cheese and russian dressing on jewish rye" and came with a cup of soup. I opted for the asparagus bisque and my oh my was it an excellent choice. At first glance, the soup just looks a sickly green but that's just the vegetable's shade. It was rich and soothing on the just-rained-on day and had a pleasant texture to it. It wasn't too runny or thick but a smooth creamy. My Reuben was delightful - the sauerkraut really brought out the meat's flavor. I ate this sandwich so slowly because it was both delicious and packed with a lot of corned beef! The meal was wonderful. Guglhupf was definitely very packed when we went during lunch hour but it gave a nice vibe to the place.


After lunch, we couldn't help ourselves and had to head over the bakery. Everything looked fantastic. The breads were tempting. The desserts were tempting. The breakfast baked goods were tempting. I decided that I needed to get some treats for my family when they came by for graduation weekend so I opted to snag a fruit tart for them and both the panna cotta and cream puff for me. Yay for indulgences.


I tried the cream puff first when I got back to my place, and it was divine. Though small, it packed a satisfying punch. The cream was the right amount of lightness - not too heavy or fluffy. I thoroughly enjoyed the flaky pastry because its texture was just perfect.


Later that evening, I had the panna cotta as a late-night snack. The last time I had had panna cotta was when I was in Italy. I must say that this one was a bit of a miss for me because it ended up tasting like a yogurt parfait rather than panna cotta. The strawberries were good but the actual cream was quite tart. Oh well.


What I saved for my family was the fruit tart, and it was spectacular. When I first saw the fruit tart, I wondered how they got their glaze to be so shiny. The berries were abundant and the glaze was actually not overly sweet. Whatever cream was used to fill the pastry crust was light but flavorful - I think it was strawberry flavored. It was a great treat. I wish I could go to Guglhupf more often!

310 17th Ave S, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - American, Ice Cream

My friends and I needed to make sure that we got some ice cream before we left Myrtle Beach, so we stopped by the place near our hotel for some deliciousness. They claimed to have 24 flavors of soft serve so I was very tempted. Some of my friends got actual ice cream which looked just like scooped store bought kinds. 


I opted for the black cherry soft serve. Though I had thought it was amazing that they had so many flavors in stock, I realized after watching the person make it that they were only adding syrups to their one plain soft serve machine. I never knew you could do that! Nevertheless, my ice cream was delicious and a good end to the day. I wonder how their food tastes...

1101 N. Kings Highway, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Pricing - $$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Seafood, Cajun, Creole
http://www.dirtydickscrabs.com


It was just funny to be saying to other people that we were going to go to "Dirty Dick's" because of how it sounded. Linda's sorority sisters decided we'd go here for dinner and when we got there, it was quite empty because it was a weeknight. The place looked nice and clean though. They even had a nice board up for their market prices for seafood.


After we put in our orders, we spent time looking at the art that was Photoshopped with Dirty Dick's face. When that was done, our food still hadn't come. In fact, it took nearly 45 minutes for our food to come which was way too long. They were lucky that the food was good in general so we didn't complain all too much. However, it was quite pricey.


I got the Creole Stuffed Crabs which were "three crab shells filled with crab dressing and baked, served with Creole rice pilaf & fresh seasonal vegetables." They ran out of crab shells though and gave me my dinner on garlic toast. I actually think that the substitution was better since the crab dressing was so rich and thick that it needed some bread to balance it out. I liked it in general but it was way too much food. The pilaf was great, and the vegetables were nicely seasoned. I ended up saving a third of the meal for a snack later because of how much there was. Nevertheless, its greatness did not justify the $25 I had to spend on it or the time I spent waiting on it.


One funny thing was saw was the sign for their Cajun Bloody Mary. We couldn't believe it was a real drink because it included okra, green beans, and other such craziness...but it was. Would you give it a try?

202 Main Street, North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - Seafood
http://www.duffyst.com/


It was Beach Week for Duke, and this was the first seafood restaurant that we hit up. The wait was pretty long for a Sunday evening but it made me think that the place must be coveted enough. When we got in, we walked on quite a few peanut shells and then I realized that those were from the buckets of peanuts given to every table. It was actually a bit hard for me to make myself "litter" like that but it actually made a lot of sense. The peanuts were just the right amount of salty.


I ordered a two-item platter with my roommate that actually ended up being smaller than we had both expected. We got the fantail shrimp and the fried oysters. I thought the shrimp was excellent but that the oysters were not that great at all. The fries were very basic and the slaw was pretty decent. For how much it cost, I didn't think it was worth it.


What ended up being quite worthwhile was the ice cream key lime daiquiri I ordered. Though it was $9, the immensity of the drink that came out did not have me complaining one bit. With a key lime pie, key lime ice cream, Bacardi rum, and several other ingredients, this was by far one of the best drinks I've had when I've been out. The ice cream overpowered the alcoholic taste of the rum, and the whole key lime-ness of the drink was fantastic. A wonderful drink - it saved the evening.

107 E Parrish St, Durham, NC 27701
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - American, Brewery
http://www.bullcityburgerandbrewery.com


After having met the owner during the Alternative Spring Break trip of Bull City Burger and Brewery, I was excited to try and make some time to go there. Though I was about a month and a half late from their grand opening, I still made it by to have one of the burgers that had sounded delicious when first described. The atmosphere on a Saturday evening seemed pretty relaxed and fun though loud. I opted for a burger and a side; the beers were tempting but I've been conscious about my money later so didn't go for a glass.


My side was their Deep Fried Pickle Chips with "Hybrid Powered" Pretzel Crust along with their BCBB dipping sauce. I was curious as to what they were when I saw them on the menu. What I got were thin slices of sour pickle in a nice crispy batter with a ranch-like sauce. I actually couldn't have more than two of these before needing water after every picking of each. They were quite sour and an odd taste I suppose I'll have to become accustomed to.


As for the burger, I got one with the add-ons of Gruyere cheese and mushrooms. I've got to say that it was one of the greasiest burgers I've ever had - I blame the mushrooms! The beef was quite good and the butter lettuce was delicious. I didn't think the buns were all too special though. They boast everything being made by them so perhaps bread isn't their thing. If the burger wasn't so greasy, I would give it more rave reviewing but I was quite concerned when I went through two soaked napkins that were made so by the oil on my fingers. Ah well. Next time I'm around, I'll check out the beers. Props on having Boylan Soda on tap though - I never knew it even existed! That's the good stuff for sure.

2694 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC 27707
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Deli, American
www.fostersmarket.com/


I finally made my way to Foster's Market after hearing all the hype about it. It was for a lunch outing with some co-workers and my past supervisor for DiDA. When we got to the place, I was surprised at what it looked like on the inside. It had a grocery store/deli feel to it, similar to Parker & Otis but a bit more country-store-like. I liked the atmosphere a lot! I think that I would've been quite lost if I wasn't there with people who had been there before because I wouldn't have known how to order. The menu was displayed above delicious-looking arrays of food and orders were made with a person at the counter but payment was in a checkout lane. I resisted the temptation of multiple dishes and settled with a hot sandwich.


The Grilled Italian Grinder was a delectable concoction of "salami, ham, red onions, pepperoncini peppers, provolone, lettuce, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette on Italian bread." It had the right amount of meat in it instead of overstacking the sandwich. I would say, however, that Foster's has been talked up so much to me that I was not as satisfied with the sandwich as I had expected. It was good but not amazing. I did like the sandwich though, and the pepperoncini peppers were a nice addition. The feel of the place was homey and quite relaxed, which I greatly appreciated. It was an overall good experience.

I always preface my posts about baking with the disclaimer that I'm not a baker; though it may seem old, I always feel obliged to do it because I really am not a baker. I admit that with this recipe, I had to use some pre-mixed items but that was due to a time crunch. I have plans on making my own batter sometime in the near future. Anyhow, this notion of sticking strawberries into my cupcakes came about because I still had sauce left over from the strawberry pie. My friends' birthdays were coming up so I had a reason to make cupcakes. I didn't have a pastry bag with a metal tip to insert the filling so had to come up with a method without the use of fancy materials. Hopefully the following works out for you too!

Step 1: Ingredients (serving size: varies depending on cake mix)

• strawberry preserves
• 1 box of white cake mix (and all required ingredients)
• 1 container of vanilla frosting

Step 2: Making the batter
Follow the directions on the cake mix box for making your batter including pre-heating your oven appropriately. Mine required 3 egg whites, 1 and 1/3 cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Set out the cupcake liners in your cupcake pan.

Step 3: Filling the cups
Fill each of the cups halfway with batter. Using a small spoon, swirl a little indent in each and quickly pour in 1/2 a teaspoon of your preserves.


Step 4: Covering the cups and baking
The hardest part is to put the remaining batter into each cup. You don't want the preserves to spread out and just end up being a layer in the cupcake. To prevent this from happening, when you pour the remaining batter for each cupcake (you want to end with a little over 3/4 of the liner full), make sure you "seal" the edges with batter to prevent the fruit from moving. Basically, pour along the edges first and then cover the middle. This should trap your strawberries inside. Bake the cupcakes for however long your mix tells you to (until golden brown)!


Step 5: Finishing
I mixed my strawberry sauce into the frosting to make strawberry vanilla frosting to lather onto the cupcakes. I believe I added too much which made it more runny than I had hoped. Despite their ugly looks, they were delicious and my friends enjoyed them too. My next task is to make the batter without a cake mix but hoorah for successes anyhow!

Parker & Otis - 112 S. Duke St., Durham, NC 27701
Pricing - $/$$ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - American
www.parkerandotis.com

I finally went to Parker & Otis! I kept hearing such good things about it that I had been wanting to go for a while. However, because I could either never find the time to or anyone to go with me, I never made it over. Luckily I got to snag a lunch today here, and it was fantabulous. I have always admired the way the building was structured on the outside but I was definitely not expecting the casual, country (yet chic) store interior. They had quite some interesting things ranging from cookware to wines to toiletries to kids' toys to food and so forth. I squealed with glee on the inside because I'm a sucker for these kinds of places.


The menu made it hard for me to choose anything because it all sounded great. I eventually settled down on the #20 which was a Fontina, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and spinach panini on sourdough. I also couldn't help myself and got two additional deviled eggs with my meal. It was counter service but you could sit outside and they would bring the food to you. When it came, I was quite excited about my choice of sandwich and the eggs.


The sandwich had some nice chunks of artichoke hearts. I liked it a lot though I wish the Fontina was a little heavier. The bread was perfectly toasted with crunch but some yield and fluff. The house cole-slaw was only so-so but I've never been a fan of coleslaw in the first place. I just wanted to give it a try because it came with every meal. As for the deviled eggs, muy delicioso. It was very rich and creamy with excellent texture and bits of relish inside. I gave my friend the second one only because I figured she ought to share in the wealth of the deliciousness. Otherwise, I would've eaten it up pretty quickly.


After we ate, we walked around the store for quite some time because there were so many gidgets and gadgets. I especially loved the chocolate truffle display and couldn't resist from taking some home despite their high prices (about $2.50 each). Some were quite cute, and I figured that my roommate would love them as well.


The array that I ended up buying was pretty much all the animal-like ones. I gave half to my roommate, and the other half now sit on my desk tempting me. I already ate the pig one and snapped a horrific picture of it after one bite (doesn't it look like it's screaming?). It was fantastic and not overwhelmingly sweet. I'm looking forward to the others. I wish I could swing by Parker & Otis a few more times before I leave Durham...

My roommate (Linda - she asked me why I don't refer to people by their names before so here...) and I bought a lot of canned albacore at the beginning of the school year and realized that there is a lot left still. I took it upon myself to make a mission of making tuna-related dishes (I made fish cakes once really quickly) so a casserole popped up as something to make. I think it turned out quite well - check it out and tell me if you like this combination!

Step 1: Ingredients (serving size: 4-5 portions)

• black pepper, to taste
• garlic salt, to taste
• sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
• 1/4 cup of yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup of green peas
• 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, 10.75 oz
• 2 cans of tuna, drained, 7 oz each
• 4 oz of macaroni pasta

Step 2: Mixing the ingredients
Start water to boil your pasta. Make sure the water is salted before you put in the pasta. Dice up your onion (refer to this link on how to avoid crying while cutting them). If your peas are frozen, defrost them. In a separate bowl, make sure to mix your cream of mushroom soup with water per the instructions on the can. Once the pasta is cooked, mix it altogether with the cheese, peas, tuna, and onion in your casserole dish. Salt and pepper to taste.


Step 3: Adding the soup and topping
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the ingredients have been mixed well, pour the cream of mushroom soup mixture over it all. Then, crush the potato chips over the casserole to create a heavy topping. If you have more cheddar cheese, sprinkle some of that over the top as well.

Place the casserole dish uncovered into the oven and let it bake for 25-30 minutes. The ingredients you put in there should all be ready-to-eat before baking anyhow. The pasta will soak up a little bit of the casserole sauce so hopefully your dish will turn out just right in terms of dryness or watery-ness. Enjoy the dish!