He tried a glass of red wine and I opted for a blackberry sangria in a quartino (about a glass and a half). We were served fresh bread with olive oil and a mix of herbs and we also ordered the bacon and caramelized onion flat-bread appetizer. It came out pretty quickly which we appreciated. The flavor, however, wasn’t that great and we probably would not order this particular appetizer again.

For dinner, we ordered pasta Carrabba (fettuccini Alfredo with grilled chicken, mushrooms and peas) and the Manicotti (red sauce with a requested side of Alfredo sauce to add in). For our sides, we ordered a side salad and a soup (Italian Wedding soup).  The food was absolutely delicious.

I’m a huge fan of sangria and I have to say that the blackberry sangria here is probably the absolute best sangria I’ve had in the Raleigh area.

In all, our experience here was really great. Our food was served quickly and was hot and fresh and tasted great. Like I said, we’d skip the particular flat-bread that we ordered the first time but would be open to trying another flavor in the future.

We enjoyed the ‘personal’ service at the bar and appreciated how quick the staff was to take our order, bring us our food, and keep our drinks refilled. The bar did get a little busy as the night went on but for us, it was a far better experience than we think we may have had on the busy dining floor.

We can’t wait to go back to Carrabba’s and I am hearing that there’s a drink special on Wednesdays for $10 off a pitcher of sangria. I’m in!

We sat near the bar and our server greeted us right away. He was also the bartender and, while he was nice, he was a little enthusiastic to be our server. I digress.

We ordered the Pasta Milano (roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic cream) and fetuccini Alfredo with grilled chicken as well as two colas.

We received fresh bread to munch on while we waited for our entrees, and of course we had olive oil to go along with it. You had to pull apart the bread which was sort of weird but it tasted pretty good. I wish there had been some pepper, garlic and Parmesan to go with the plain olive oil, but I suppose the plain is Macaroni Grill’s shtick.

Our entrees came out nice and hot and seemed pretty fresh. My pasta Milano wasn’t the flavor I thought it would be: the sauce was so peppery that it almost didn’t taste good at all but I didn’t want to waste a $10 dish and I didn’t want to order another entree and wait again.

The fettuccine Alfredo was okay but rather plain.

In all, the food was alright but not worth the final tab of $30 for lunch especially since the food wasn’t stellar.

Macaroni Grill still has the paper table cloths to write your name on or play tic-tac-toe while you wait for your food, and it’s possible that the servers may all need to wear buttons on their shirts to show off their server “flair.”

We sat outside for our first visit and ordered a pepperoni and sausage calzone and a spinach calzone. I tried the hummus appetizer (I love a particular brand of prepackaged hummus and wanted to try some fresh hummus!).  The hummus and soft pita was delicious (although I didn’t like the traditional pour of olive oil).

The calzones were both amazingly delicious. The outside top shell was light and crispy but not burnt. The inside was thoroughly cooked and not doughy. The marinara sauce that is served on the side is probably hands-down the best marinara sauce I’ve ever had.

Unfortunately, our pleasant lunch was disrupted by a smoker a few feet away so the fresh air turned smoky fast and my nose started to itch and prickle and so we finished up and headed out.

A few weeks later we were craving the calzone and went to the restaurant and opted to eat in. At Stella Mare, one side of the restaurant is a take-out kitchen area, the other side is a dining room and bar, and then the outside patio has several tables and a cute little water fountain.

We ate inside and ordered the same calzones (sometimes your first impression is dashed by a bad follow-up) and also tried the garlic bread cheese sticks. Again, the food was absolutely delicious.

The only problem we encountered with Stella Mares was when we went to sit down in the dining room, we had to wait about five minutes before someone realized we were there to seat us. The older servers are a little brisk in their service and appear annoyed while the younger servers are more friendly and personable.

The restaurant location is in an older space and the restaurant is a little dark and dingy feeling. However, the amazing food trumps any problem or issue we’ve ever had and we really believe we’ve found THE BEST calzone in the Raleigh area.

** Update 5/2012 We think Stella Mares has closed down or is remodeling!

We were out shopping the other day and realized we were starving and wanted lunch pronto. We were in the area of Harris Teeter at Falls and Spring Forest and decided to try out a new-to-us spot: Weinberg’s The Delicatessen.

We were seated pretty quickly in the packed restaurant. We ordered some sodas and took a few minutes to browse the menu. We both ordered the deli turkey sandwich: turkey on sliced bread with a side of chips. We also tried the soup which was a potato cheddar soup (it was yum!!!).

Our sandwiches – about $8.00 each after tax – took a little while to come out but considering how busy the place was, it wasn’t too big of a deal. The sandwich was piled high with a lot of turkey, but it left a lot to be desired. The turkey was sort of dry and the sandwich as a whole was flavorless. I could make this sandwich on my own the day after Thanksgiving.

The sandwiches were bland and could have used a little more flavor. The chips were standard out-of-the bag ridged potatoes. The potato salad was good.

The menu looked like a list of foods my New York great-grandmother would cook, so if you’re looking for lox, whitefish or other traditional dishes, this is probably the place to try. With the rate of table turnover, this is an obvious local favorite. I wasn’t thrilled and not many of the menu choices were on my list of palate pleasers.

Check out the menu before you go and be sure there’s something you’d like to try and that you’re willing to pay a bit of a higher fee for a sandwich. Picky folks like me may have a hard time.

My kids and I saw THE CUTEST character waving at cars while driving up Spring Forest Road at Falls of Neuse Road a few weeks ago and had to check out what he was doing. He looked like a mushroom at first but then we realized he was an ice-cream cone.

Further inspection showed he is actually the little mascot for Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, which we have never heard of before. Never one to pass on sweets, we decided we needed to should try Menchie’s.

We walked in and loved the theme and style of the design of the shop. Everything is in bright colors and the store is nice and clean and new. The ladies working the counter were so friendly and asked if it was our first time in. It was and they explained what to do and how to do it. Sounds like ordering a frozen yogurt is a no-brainer but it was a little overwhelming at first. Like most newer frozen yogurt places, you get your own yogurt from one of several dispensers, add toppings and then check out.

We were allowed to sample whatever flavors we liked with a little tiny cup which was perfect. There weren’t a ton of flavors to choose from – probably about 10-12 flavors which many were able to be combined for an extra yummy flavor. According to their website, Menchie’s rotates their flavors.

Here it’s the same idea: you can get a large cup/bowl (one size but remember: your final price is based on WEIGHT so don’t feel like you have to fill ‘er up!) and put as much of your fave flavor as you’d like, then move over to one of two topping bars. One had the more yummy (read: bad for you) stuff like crumbled cookie toppings or candy toppings, and the other bar had good-for-you yumminess like fruit and little round balls that look like giant caviar bits but are mango flavored or other fruit flavors. The name for these mysteries currently escapes me. There was also hot fudge and caramel.

My favorite was the pomegranate-raspberry which tasted more like a sorbet than a yogurt. My companion selected “vanilla snow” with maraschino cherries on top. She filled up her cup about 3/4 of the way so her total cost after tax was just under $5.

Even the spoons are darn cute with the Menchie yogurt guy’s face on the end and a little message on the spoon “This is my mix!” I’d probably come back here based on the high cuteness factor alone.

For those of us mindful of our waistlines, Menchie’s offers low-carb, sugar-free and dairy-free flavor options. Most of their flavors (with some exceptions) are also gluten-free.

You can get a “smileage” card (rewards card) and after you acrue a certain number of points (50?) you get a reward for $5 worth of product which isn’t too bad.

We’d like to come back on a day we aren’t so rushed and hang out here for a bit. It’s definitely a neat little place for all to enjoy. Menchie’s is located in the Sutton Square plaza and there are several options to eat a meal before coming here for a dessert.

Then again, Menchie’s is a great place to come any time of the day!

I had a 13 year old hanging out with me so we decided to order some queso dip and split a quesadilla.

We were greeted when we arrived and were seated pretty quickly. Unfortunately it was about 5 minutes before our server finally came and greeted us with our chips, salsa and silverware. I ordered a water and my young pal ordered a sprite. Another 5 minutes and we had our drinks and we were able to make our order.

The salsa was too spicy for either of us to eat; it was pretty heavy on the little seeds from jalapenos which adds heat. It was a little too much for us to eat which was a bummer. We asked for queso dip (there’s two kinds apparently: white or yellow) and we went with white after our server told us it was less spicy than the yellow version. It looked yellow when it came out so we’re not sure what the difference is.

The chips were great and the queso dip was good. A little kick to it with chunks of tomato, onion and peppers.

There’s quite a bit to choose from at On The Border, but we’d already decided we wanted a chicken quesadilla. I did ask them to hold the peppers on the quesadilla since they tend to be a bit spicy. This quesadilla is listed under the appetizers.

The quesadilla was pretty large with a good amount of chicken on it with cheese and onion. It is served with a scoop of pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream on shredded lettuce. We needed a second serving of sour cream.

Our meal was about $19 which made me thankful we didn’t each order an entree and that I’d skipped a soda. The cost of one soda was about $2.50 which is pretty ridiculous in my opinion for one cup of soda.

We didn’t have stellar service here and the food is good but nothing too spectacular. We prefer the more authentic Mexican food found at non-chain restaurants.

These beat McDonalds Chicken Selects because they are not fried to the point they hurt your teeth and gums when you bite into them, and theres more Chicken in every bite & less bread. These truly are Prime Cut chicken tenders.

The 3 piece is great, especially if you get the combo with a side. I prefer the 5 piece just by its self (trying to cut some carbs out of my diet). The 5 piece is plenty to satisfy a Man’s hunger and the 3 piece is usually good enough for a lady.

I always get my standby chicken quesadillas (hold the frijoles please), and they’ve never disappointed me. I get two quesadillas with toppings (they don’t give you a side of rice though). The cream burritos are pretty decent as well, with a red sauce topping and sour cream, although the red sauce is a little too close to a spaghetti flavor than a ‘Spanish’ flavor.

Their chimichangas aren’t bad either, but for a better flavor we like to hold the red sauce. We wish they’d make this option fried instead of baked.

For adult beverages, the prices are fair and comparable to other places. One thing you won’t find is a watered down or weak second or third margarita, so be careful if you order a few.

Las Margaritas also has our favorite salsa in the area – it’s just right. Their queso dip is also fantastico.

Piper’s Tavern is located at 8304 Falls of Neuse Road. It’s a bar and grille sort of place, where repeat business is probably the core of this restaurant’s success. They have a live band some nights, and there’s always a mix of folks: older or younger couples, families, friends having dinner and drinks together. They have a bar area attached to the main dining room, but it’s never too rowdy. Parking can be a little tricky if it’s a busy night, but if you are a little creative you can squeeze in somewhere closeby.

I usually order their portobello mushroom sandwich, but today I wanted something different. I opted for their Cuban grille while Mr. Man got their pizza. I wouldn’t have thought to get pizza at a bar and grille, but it was pretty good!

My Cuban sandwich was good – not great – but it was good for the price we paid for it. We also got some grilled bbq chicken wings. They were not breaded and the sauce was light, but they weren’t too bad! We paid about $30 for dinner and water. Adult beverage prices are comparable to other bar and grilles.

We’ve always had good service at Piper’s and we enjoy the atmosphere. They have special monthly events and a Sunday brunch.

Check out their website at thepiperstavern.com

Well, maybe. We had dinner here last night, hoping to get some real good wings or ribs. I’ve been on a bbq rib kick for forever and have been trying to find the place that has the bbq flavor that I’ve been jonesin’ for.

We didn’t have to wait long to get a table which was nice, but we ended up sitting in a funky section right next to a window and it was pretty cold. There was food and crumbs and dirt along the floor side of the window. Yuck.

Our server was quick to come and get our drink orders, appetizer order, and was nice and friendly especially to the kids.

We ordered the Jack Daniels sampler, BBQ ribs, Shrimp and pasta, and kids chicken. The kids chicken was okay – a little on the overcoked side. My BBQ ribs were crispy, not much meat, and not the best BBQ I’d ever had. I was pretty disappointed. The shrimp and pasta was pretty good.

The biggest problem we encountered was when a very large party was seated in our section. This boisterous group took up about 5 tabletops, so our server became totally overwhelmed and wasn’t able to help us. We sat for a while without drink refills, no follow-up on our orders (everything taste okay?) and no napkins. That was pretty frustrating.

We spent about $40 total not including alcoholic beverages. Not terrible, but for the quality of the food and the neglect of our server left me wishing I had eaten elsewhere.