capitalapts

How about it? That would be killer. It's killer-ness would only be surpassed by putting in a bakery next door.

Sigh...great. Out there, this flight was the ticket. Totally beat sweating out the very narrow layover windows that the Continental flights to LAX via IAH imposed. BUT, the redeye on the way back was no fun at all. The direct RDU-LAX Delta flight may have been the easiest way to fly to L.A. from the east coast (and I'm not exaggerating), all things considered (direct flight, about 15 minutes from parking to the gate through security if you're not checking a bag, hardly ever any takeoff delays, etc.).

and how. you raise an interesting point: what and where are the really good restaurants in Cary? I haven't been anywhere there that would have me wanting to make the drive time and time again. Most of what it has to offer is very chain-ish, like a huge brier creek. Thanks for the tip, though, I'll have to check it out.

Hey RaleighRob-where is this Udupi you speak of? Would you put it on par with Royal India (which I think is excellent)?

What NCSU alum doesn't fondly remember drunk dialing in a Gumby's Destroyer (two large pizzas, one topping each for like 11 bucks) after a fine night of drinking at the Vomit (which was very appropriately named)? Ah, memories.... As a side note, has anyone tried pie from that new join on Oberlin near the intersection with Fairview called Zowie Howie's or something like that? It's in one of those new storefronts they constructed a year or two ago, just around the corner from EVOO. Any reviews are much appreciated.

Whooo hoo!!!

I just went there today. The owner (dark haired woman) is very nice, and the selection is pretty good. It's not Sprinkles in L.A. or anything but not too shabby, either. I bet the reason why the display area is so limited (and yes, there are just cupcakes but they had some good coffee as well) is that they probably plan to do most of their business catering. Grab yourself a red velvet and enjoy! It's open til 8 Tuesday through Thursday and til 11 Friday and Saturday. They're closed Sunday and Monday.

Conti's market on Person St. is a good Raleigh Italian market, but I don't know if they actually make their own pasta. The owner is a great guy, though, so check it out!

Excellent thread. As far as the local (to me) dining scene goes, the restaurant I'm most excited about opening on the horizon is Dos Taquitos' Wilmington St. location (just south of the Morgan St. crossing). The sheetrock and HVAC stuff is slowly going up. The owner told me that he was shooting for a late summer opening, and that it would cater to the lunch crowd and be open for dinner Thursday-Saturday. I can't wait! I'm going to gain 20 lbs from takeout alone

You'd think they would be but I still haven't seen any tables directly outside Betski's (you might have seen the tables associated with the grocery store), which is a shame, because I love their food. Great place to go, folks, if you haven't been.

yep, it's open on Sundays, I went by this past Sunday for some breakfast ingredients. Quick review of the redone grocery store: it's much better. The stock is much more diverse and I find myself wanting for less things when I go. But, you have to keep in mind that this place will never be a SUPERmarket in the Kroger/Harris Teeter mold. The produce section is bigger than it was previously. As Jones posted, there is a salad and hot bar now, and yesterday for lunch they had curry chicken and basmati rice that smelled great. There are also still sandwiches made to order, and now there is a little sushi kiosk with adjacent pre-made sushi displays. The owner is very engaging and he said that they are going to start having wine and beer by the glass from 4-8PM (a grocery bar? hmmmm....). Beer and wine selection has been buffetted. The meat counter remains very good. On a scale of 1-100, I'd give the previous version of the store a 70-75, and this one is probably around 85-90. A marked improvement. If anyone lives/works downtown, please come by and support this place. It's the closest spot for me to get beer and it sucked when it was closed!

That RDU-LAX flight is key. It gets in at the perfect time at LAX and you don't really even have to take much off work early to fly it from here. Are all the redeye returns eliminated or just certain weekdays?

Vertigo was never open for lunch as best I can remember (it opened in 95/96-no doubt when the space was open before it lunch was served, though), at least not until its later years preceding the name change to Pooles. Vertigo was basically a bar that served dinner. Is menu was overly ambitious, though, and at least in the mid-late 90's, if someone said Vertigo, the implication was late night bar, the type of place that would be packed til last call. Those were the glory days, and that's the context I associated Vertigo with (not everyone would share this opinion). I can empathize with not getting served too quickly if you're not a regular at Pooles (and even if you are!), but I've never had that problem at the borough, those are pretty friendly folks there. Sorry you've had that experience. Point taken about the razing history for chains comment, that was more of a commentary on this area in general vs. DT. Regardless, I'm one of those crazy people who doesn't feel very fulfilled hopping the gloso bar set. I like a place with character where an attempt it isn't conspicuously made to manufacture it. The more popular places on glenwood don't do it for me in that regard, spare a few. Just a personal preference. I disagree about the notion of soul with Vertigo, though. It was a lunch counter that was converted into a bar, and it came off to me as unique and a great idea, and one that really worked well (to pretty widespread acclaim-lots of folks used to go). Obviously that was the brain child of the management that bought it. They took a unique space and created something new without gutting it and starting again. Whether or not that was because of money, I don't know, but it worked for me.

That's great news! That and the best mex/latin food place in town is opening up a bit further up on Wilmington (dos taquitos).

You said it, Jones. I support the Borough even though I'm not big fan of its location within the benchmark Raleigh McCondo, The Dawson on Morgan. Poole's has way more soul.