Old Favorites and New Finds at Terra Vita Food and Wine Festival 2014

In its fifth year, the Terra Vita Food & Wine Festival, established to celebrate the best of local, sustainable food and beverage, put on a great show.  What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than sampling the wares of over 40 chefs, vintners and brewmasters?  Hundreds of others agreed and the tent on the green at Southern Village was humming with local food lovers.

One of our favorite bites of the day came from Chef Keith Rhodes, of Catch in Wilmington, NC.   His Peruvian ceviche, composed of shrimp, octopus, flounder, sweet potato, corn and a spicy tomato aioli, is one of the bites that stayed on my mind as I visited other booths.  Impeccably fresh and perfectly seasoned to highlight rather than mask the flavor of the seafood, it's a dish that will have me driving to Wilmington to see what else is on the menu.

I've never been a fan of boiled peanuts, but I have to say that the boiled peanut corn chowder from On the Square restaurant in Tarboro was a brilliant use of this southern treat.

The hand-shaken cocktails from TOPO Distillery were refreshing, especially the cucumber lemonade made with the incredibly smooth TOPO vodka.  There were many hard ciders on offer, as well as a variety of craft beers, including local favorite Fullsteam.  The wine selections were heavy on French and Italian, which I love, but was curious for a local event.

Firsthand Foods showed off their NC prosciutto which was more textured than its Italian cousin, but just as flavorful and buttery.  They need to figure out how to add that to their roster.

The Carolina Crossroads at the Carolina Inn showcased an amazing shrimp boudin and a ridiculously rich chocolate pot de creme topped with caramel and a bruleed marshmallow.

Harvest 18's brussels sprouts salad with cranberries and butternut squash was a welcome green addition to the day.

Salt Box Seafood always brings their A-game and the smoked drum chowder was so good.

We caught a few food demos. Sandra Gutierrez made so sinful candies, and Craig Rogers from Border Spring Farms entertained the crowd as he grilled lamb ribs and a whole leg over the big kettle.  Take aways:  use the best meat possible, don't be afraid of the flame, and leave the salt out of the dry rub.

Local favorites lived up to my expectations.  Chapel Hill Creamery, La Farm Bakery, Lucky 32, The Eddy, Watt's Grocery, Weathervane.  Keep up the good work!

What other spots are now on my must-dine list?  Six Plates Wine Bar in Durham, Oakleaf in Pittsboro, Fearrington House, Spring House in Winston-Salem, Standard Foods in Raleigh, and the Asbury in Charlotte.  Time for an NC road trip!  Would love to see some Asheville folks represented next year.

Good Food is Elemental at Elements

A search for a new fine dining lunch spot in Chapel Hill led us to Elements.  Elements is tucked in a corner of the East 54 development near Meadowmont in Chapel Hill.  East 54 has claimed many restaurants and shops in its short life, but I hope Elements can beat the odds.  While billing itself as new American cuisine, the menu slants heavily toward Asian fusion, not surprising since chef-owner Michael Chuong was the founding chef at the renowned An in Cary. The Food:

Viet Rolls:

Lemongrass chicken, shrimp, bibb lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, and peanut hoisin sauce.  The order is large, three whole rolls, so be sure to share if you're not starving.

All the "Big Plates," or entrees, come with the house salad which was a pleasant surprise and showed the attention to detail in the kitchen.

The daily Bento Special featured grilled salmon with red curry, steamed rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds, sautéed vegetables that were tasty and not an afterthought, fresh fruit and a spring roll filled with a curry-spiced filling reminiscent of an Indian pakora.

The Honey Walnut Prawns were four jumbo shrimp, perfectly cooked in a tempura batter.  The lightly spicy orange glaze and candied walnuts played off the sweet, delicate flavor of the shrimp.  It was served with steamed rice on a bed of chopped napa cabbage and slivered fresh red pepper,

The Service:

Our waitress was friendly and attentive.  Food delivery was timed well.  The only missteps were a dirty wine glass and a unsolicited check.  The latter is a common element of service in the US.  I can understand in a busy restaurant at lunch service when servers may be running around.  However, at a high-end restaurant I find this habit somewhat annoying and shortsighted on the server's part.  We were not finished and ended up ordering another round of wine.

The Atmosphere:

It was a gorgeous day, perfect for dining on the shaded patio.  The interior is bright and comfortable, with a main dining room, bar with banquette tables and a wine bar.

The Verdict:

The food was very good, fresh and a change of pace from typical lunch fare.  If lunch is an example of the kitchen's talents, I would definitely go back to try the dinner menu.

Lantern Bar: An Adult Spot for Drinks or Dinner

Lantern, the justifiably acclaimed restaurant from chef Andrea Reusing, is a must-dine spot in Chapel Hill.  What in-the-know locals have discovered is that the same delicious, Asian inspired cuisine can be had in the much more intriguing atmosphere of the Lantern Bar.  Accessible through a separate entrance around the the corner from the main restaurant, Lantern Bar has a transportive quality. It is a cozy, dark space visually dominated by the large red lanterns over the booths and the large bar.  You definitely don't feel like you're in Chapel Hill, or anywhere else in the south. It's the kind of spot you might wander into on a side street in a larger city, and yet it is steps from Franklin Street.  Come for the wide selection of handcrafted cocktails, imaginative wine list and tempting menu of Asian treats.  

The Food

Lantern's food is held to a very high standard and have never had anything "bad" there.  Many are still trying to get over the loss of the Korean Fried Chicken on the menu.  Hopefully, it will reappear one day.  Until then, there are seasonal offerings like the smoked eggplant and consistent favorites like the Arctic Char Bento to satisfy your cravings.   Typically, we come here to share appetizer plates, but the full menu is available as well.

The Drinks

The Red Geisha is  a refreshing combination of fresh strawberry puree, lime, ginger and vodka.  Perfect for a warm summer evening, it was refreshing and not too sweet.  With the charcuterie, we tried the 2011 Freisa from La Casaccia.  It paired well with the rich pork flavors of the pate and the rillettes.

The Atmosphere

Dark and sexy.  As one friend has said, "The lighting there makes anyone look good."

The Service

All the servers are very knowledgeable about the food, cocktails and wine.  The appetizers come out as they are ready which works for some people and not others.  The servers are quick to clear empty plates and keep water glasses filled.  The room is small, so the servers are able to observe your table and fulfill requests without being intrusive.