November 19, 2009
Imperial Koi is on the second floor of a new office/shop complex on New Garden Road. The entrance is up the driveway and around back. A patio provides al fresco seating. Inside, banquettes line two walls of panoramic windows, looking out onto a new reside...
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November 5, 2009
Graffiti's Bistro occupies the space formerly held by one of the Chop House Grille installations. A server advised that many of the kitchen staff members remain in place from the former incarnation, and certain parts of the menu, although abbreviated, are...
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October 22, 2009
Dan Thai Jazz Bistro in High Point boasts one of the most active Web sites I've ever seen for a restaurant. I cannot recall seeing such color and flash, such pleasant music, so many photos, such a thorough explanation of the concept, anywhere else. But th...
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October 8, 2009
The Greek word "opa" is almost always used with an exclamation point to express joy, good will, good health, a wish for happiness or any number of other qualities of life that we all value.
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September 24, 2009
The Yancey House is this year's winner in the casual dining division of the Best Dish N.C. competition, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Our State magazine.
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September 10, 2009
Perceptions of value blend price with assessments of quality, creativity and skill of execution. I consider this summer's meals at Table 16 the best I've ever had in North Carolina, yet they were priced just in the upper midrange, relative to other Triad...
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August 27, 2009
Lisa Hawley formerly operated a formal, upscale Southern Roots in downtown High Point. The move to Jamestown has created a casual ambience in keeping with the new location's structure. It was previously unoccupied for a decade and is now operated in partn...
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August 13, 2009
The interior of Xia Asian Fusion looks quite striking. Rich red walls flank a black tile wall behind the bar, which features a copper-clad waterfall, a black marble countertop over gray tile and a taupe tile floor. Cloth menus scroll out from a bamboo cyl...
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July 30, 2009
For this summer vacation column, I selected three historic inns that not only provide the bed and breakfast experience, but also host full service restaurants that serve dinner. All have won Wine Spectator awards in the past. Check Web sites for full menu...
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July 16, 2009
"Oops, I think I made a mistake." The weather was hot, and Barbara had expressed a desire to sit inside. But she made the remark spontaneously when she looked out onto the covered terrace. If weather is inclement or if you just prefer air condit...
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July 2, 2009
And then there were none. When I began writing the restaurant review column for what was then the Greensboro Record in July 1981, I identified several restaurants that to me set the standard for quality dining. The Elms, Franklin's Off Friendly and Giovan...
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June 18, 2009
Pad Thai is not likely to catch the eye from outside. It is located in a shopping center that used to draw much more traffic, some time ago. Vibrant colors, however, characterize the interior. Fiery red walls flank green and white tile floors, with light......
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June 4, 2009
Andy Hopper and his wife, Bennet Cornwell Hopper, former Greensboro residents, operate Chefs 105, along with partners Kevin Brighton and Mike Santos. This team originated during college years at East Carolina University. Chefs 505 in Greenville, where Che...
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May 21, 2009
I first visited Mediterraneo last fall but decided to postpone a review until spring. If my impressions continued to be positive (and they were), crowds could wind up standing in line outside -- perhaps good for the restaurant, but not good for my readers...
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May 7, 2009
This is the second installment in a two-part series addressing value menus at area restaurants. Café Pasta and Grill (305 State St. #A, (336) 272-1308) is offering "336 Tuesdays": $3 for drinks using house liquors, $3 wines by the...
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April 23, 2009
Vintage 301 occupies the space that formerly housed The Press Wine Café. It is a casual, afternoon/evening/late-night place, with a menu focused mainly on small plates — tapas-style selections — along with a few larger entrees (albeit s...
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April 9, 2009
I would not presume to try to tell anyone whether this is the time to buy stocks. But I can tell you that, financially speaking, this is a great time to have a meal in an area restaurant.Local establishments are offering some strong enticements to encoura...
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March 26, 2009
The Bistro at Adams Farm opened in October. It is a cozy, smallish place that has already attracted a loyal neighborhood following if conversations around the bar are any indication. Deep red walls line the primary dining area, dark gray in a smaller sect...
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March 12, 2009
This location on Battleground Avenue has been home to several failed ventures, some of which came and went before I could visit. Thanks to a recommendation from local veterinarian Dr. Tim Tribbett, I managed to get to Vietnamese Garden about a month after...
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February 26, 2009
Bistro Roca combines the French "bistro" - a café where the food is casual, servers are likely to know your name, and friends gather often - with the Spanish "roca," or rock, to produce the nomenclature for this Blowing Rock establishment. I have been ad...
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February 12, 2009
More than 25 years ago, a small number of area restaurants served excellent food, but in formal, expensive concepts. Southern Lights' owner Peter Hamilton was one of the local restaurateurs who brought the concept of quality dining at reasonable prices to...
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January 29, 2009
I have been following Chef Scott Leard from his early days at Pinot's (RIP), an especially rewarding term at Southern Roots (RIP) and most recently, albeit briefly, at Carmine's. Now, he holds forth from the small, open kitchen at Basil's Trattoria (not r...
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January 15, 2009
Prego's menu provides a definition of "trattoria"- a casual, informal café, serving fresh, simple foods found throughout Italy. Seating is provided in one large, salmon-colored room. Personnel are unusually friendly and accommodating. When host/owner Vic...
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January 1, 2009
Paul and Joan Shepherd established an enviable reputation when they operated The Madison Park restaurant, a concept that reached the heights of our area's fine dining establishments. But the original Madison Park closed about 10 years ago, following a fir...
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December 18, 2008
This is a column I hoped I would not be writing but feared I might. To people who enjoy dining as much as my readers and I do, losing a favorite restaurant amounts to losing a friend. Two weeks ago, I reviewed Grappa Grille. The next day, I received a mes...
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