Three Years and Stanbury

Recently, the Hubby and I celebrated our third anniversary. Hard to believe how fast time flies! One of our favorite things to do together is dine out. We like good food...actually, let me rephrase that: We love great food! Even though we cook a lot at home, we always appreciate the hard work that chefs and restaurants put forth in our area. So we try to support them as much as possible.

One such restaurant is Stanbury in Raleigh. We decided to try it out for the first time for our anniversary! From the start, we were impressed. The restaurant isn't downtown or in a strip mall, but a stand alone place near Peace College and Seaboard Station. We walked in and snagged the only two seats left at the bar while we waited for our table. The place was hoppin' for a Wednesday night, and you could tell everyone was having a great time. 

Stanbury has an open kitchen, so we got a nice sneak peak at several of the dishes while we ordered drinks. The staff couldn't have been nicer and you could tell they loved their jobs. So here is a little review of our meal from the Hubby and I....

Swordfish Crudo

First course - NC Swordfish Crudo with watermelon, pickled cucumber, jalapeño and basil. 

This was like biting into flavorful air! The dish was so clean and refreshing, but then you get a bite with all the flavors and get that surprising punch from the pickled cucumber. The herbaceous basil gave it a nice peppery finish. Oh man, this was definitely MY favorite of the night!! 

Green Beans with Smoked Blue Fish

Second course - Green Beans with smoked blue fish, green goddess dressing, tomato and crispy shallot. 

This one was like biting into straight up smoke, but it wasn't overwhelming because the green beans smoothed it out. I'm a big fan of a dish that can cover all the consistencies - creamy, juicy, crunchy, crispy....this one had them all!

Bone Marrow

Third course - Roasted marrow with parsley, shallots, capers and Boulted Bread. 

This one was all for the Hubby! Seriously, look at the size of that bone! It was fatty and greasy and all the right things. Oh....My....God! I barely have words to describe this. Simple decadence.

Crispy Pig Head with 62 Degree Egg

Fourth Course - Crispy pig head with field peas, a 62 degree egg, arugula, mustard and creme fraiche. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this one - best pulled pork in the form of a crab cake EVER! The mustard cream gave it a nice punch. Another dish that seemed to cover all bases on the consistency spectrum - fresh arugula, creamy egg, earthy lentil, crispy pork and spicy mustard.

Seared Scallops

Fifth Course - Seared scallops with farro, roasted turnips, greens and mustard cream, or as I like to call this one, Surf and Earth. 

Hearty, filling, and once again the mustard flavor bringing everything together. This earthy meal had a bright, fresh finish, and the buttery addition of the scallops rounded things out perfectly.

Escazu Chocolate Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cake

DESSERT - Escazu Chocolate spiced ice cream with pumpkin cake. 

If this dessert doesn't embody the Fall, then I don't know what does! One bite gave us pumpkin pie, spicy chocolate and Kit Kat all in one! Dessert heaven! Artisan chocolate shop Escazu is right next door to Stanbury, so I have a feeling they always have good desserts. 

I was so sad to say farewell to our perfect anniversary meal, but we left a little note in one of many old cookbooks that they bring the bill in. We shall return to Stanbury, with even bigger eyes and emptier bellies!!

30/30 - #20 Kimbap in Raleigh

#20 on my Top 30 list is another restaurant in the area, one of the best - Kimbap. Kimbap is a Korean-inspired restaurant that uses seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers. Oh yea, this is definitely my kind of place!

Gluten Free Dumplings

I first discovered Kimbap over a year ago from one of my friends with Celiac Disease. She was so excited about this place because the menu listed gluten free items. They even make gluten free dumplings....heaven on earth! Asian cuisine is one of my favorites to begin with, so adding in gluten free and locally sourced ingredients was the icing on the cake (gluten free cake of course).

          

Kimbap Seaweed Roll Special

Some of my family joined me for lunch there recently and we were lucky enough to be served by Kim, the owner and head chef. She is a very welcoming person, who fully supports local farmers and the Raleigh community. I was thrilled that I got to talk with her a bit and let her know that I was going to be blogging about her restaurant.

Bipimbap with Beef

We ordered a great variety from the menu, including some of her seasonal specials for the day. There is a variety of images in this post from our meal, but the ultimate favorite dish at Kimbap for me is the bipimbap, a rice bowl topped with kimchi, seasonal vegetables, sunny side up egg and beef. It is a very satisfying and delicious bowl, full of flavor and crispy rice.

Kimchi

Kimbap uses local, pasture-raised meats, pesticide-free veggies, local eggs and North Carolina caught seafood. I think it is great that restaurants and chefs are Local in every sense of the word! The Hubby and I frequent this restaurant and plan on continuing to do so!

Local Sesame Greens

LoMo Market - Mobile Farmers Market

The hubs and I are very happy where our home is located, but there are a few negatives about our location.

Problem #1 - we are at least 20 minutes to the closest Farmers Market.

Problem #2 - no specialty or health food stores close by.

Problem #3 - good restaurants (as in anything but a chain) are usually a drive as well. 

Problem #4 - I don't always have time to make it to the market, health food store or good restaurants!

So basically, we thought of everything about our location - schools, police, fire station, hospital, Target....just not access to good food. Crazy, right!?!?

Well, LoMo Market is here to solve all our problems! I discovered LoMo a few months ago through social media and have loved them ever since. LoMo Market is a local mobile market, providing local and high quality foods in a convenient trailer that comes to you. They move around, based on demand and it just so happens they started coming to my neighborhood last month!

      

LoMo is a win-win. They make local, healthy goods accessible to consumers, and they expand the clientele for the farms and local vendors! Every Wednesday, Ryan and I walk down and stock up on goodies from produce and feta cheese, to spices and local meats, then come home and cook it all. 

The market also stocks items from local restaurants and bakeries. I can always count on a gluten free cupcake from Bread Uprising and gluten free dumplings from Kimbap!

They even have fresh seafood straight from the NC coast. We tried the tilefish and all it needed was a little salt, pepper and olive oil in a saute pan. I can honestly say it was more fresh than Whole Foods seafood!

We made breakfast for dinner with our bounty from last week...

LoMo has several trucks running around the Raleigh-Durham-Cary-Chapel Hill area now, so check out their schedule and stop in!!

Farmer's Breakfast courtesy of LoMo Market goods

Yields: 1 serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

2 eggs
mushrooms
Farmers cheese

fresh tomato, sliced

butter lettuce

salt and pepper to taste

Saute mushrooms in a little bit of butter over medium heat. After the mushrooms have cooked down a bit (3-5 minutes), add in the eggs and scramble until cooked.

Layer the lettuce on the plate, then eggs, cheese, sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste.