Oct. 3, 2007 - My favorite Triangle Restaurants - Bon Appétit

It must be obvious that I'm not the best cook in the world. I didn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen when I was little I must confess. I was always out playing in a tennis tournament or traveling. My mother was, and still is, in real estate and she didn't really have time to cook. She would be out showing properties all day in the heat and just didn't have the energy to cook. Like mother, like daughter.

That said, I do like to go out to eat on the weekends with my husband Mauro and sometimes my 16-year old daughter Jordan will join us too. We like different types of food and like to try different things around town. When I first moved to North Carolina in 1991 we didn't have a lot of dining choices - heck, we didn't even have a Starbucks until five years ago (now they are on every corner).

For this post I thought I'd write about my all-time favorites, provide you with some links, and let you decide when you visit if you agree with me. Most of my clients are generally happy with my recommendations:

Best coffee shop

Starbucks

Best outdoor dining

Mellow Mushroom

Best restaurant for first date

Rockford

Best High End Restaurant

Herons at Umstead

Best business lunch

Capital City Chop House

Best super cheap meal

Armadillo Grill

Best place to people watch while drinking a beer

Top of the Hill

Best late night meal/menu

Waffle House

Best bakery

La Farm Bakery

Featured on Rachel Ray's show as Best of the West

I know the owners Missy & Lionel

Best burrito

Carrburritos

Best sushi

Waraji

Best fries

Smithfield BBQ

Best Ethiopian

Queen of Sheba

Chapel Hill

Best bagel

Bruegger's

Best comfort food

Mama Dip's

Best pizza

Lilly's Pizza

Located at Five Points in Raleigh

Best Vietnamese

Dalat

Best Italian

411 West, 518 West

They are owned by the same family

Best Japanese

Kanki

Best Thai

Sushi-Tai

Best Indian

Royal India

Best seafood

42nd Street Oyster Bar

Best Middle Eastern

Neomonde Restaurant & Deli

Best Caribbean

Carmen's Cuban Café & Lounge

Best Irish pub

Hibernian

Best Greek

Spartacus

Best French

La Residence

Best Chinese

Neo-China

Best Mexican

On the Border

Must be the Texan in me

Best North Carolina barbecue

Allen & Son

Chapel Hill & Pittsboro

Best burger

Char-Grill

Best desserts

Hayes Barton Café & Dessertery

Best salad or salad bar

Whole Foods Market

Best steak

Sullivan's Steakhouse

Best brunch/breakfast

Brigs

Best sandwich

Panera Bread

Best Latin American

Blue Corn Café

Best draft beer selection

Hibernian

Best martini selection

Blue Martin

I hope you enjoy my favorites as much as I do. Either your thinking of relocating to the Triangle I'd love to help you!!