Brad "Braddy G" G.'s Profile

If you live in North Carolina, you have to know that the fair is really a big deal here. And an even bigger deal is Can Night - the night of the week that, with a couple of canned goods, you can get in for free. Yes, free! And EVERYONE in NC knows about it...because they all come to the fair that day. It can definitely get crowded, but it's still a lot of fun. Especially for someone like me who doesn't really ride any rides, it's just fun to people-watch. If you've never been, it's some of the best people-watching experience you'll ever have - trust me. And the food! Each year, I think they find a new food item to fry. If you want health food, don't plan on eating a thing here...it's all drenched in as much grease as humanly possible. And boy is it good...

Very nice-looking and relatively new complex with a pretty good mix of neighbors. Decent amenities - pool, nice outdoor hot tub, fitness center and laundry - but nothing really out of the ordinary. They do have a lot of little touches like berber carpet, crown molding, and fireplaces that make it a pretty comfortable place to live. The staff started out really nice and accommodating, but became very rude and abrasive as time went on. For the price, it's a decent complex, but there are better deals to be found.

Remember all those 80s sitcoms where bar owners were jovial, goofy characters who loved the company of others? Apparently the owner of this place never saw any of those. The only time I've ever been, he was behind the bar. This Friday night, there were a grand total of 4 other patrons there - and we quickly found out why. This guy was a serious jerk. Before we could even sit down at the bar, he had made a snide comment about "city boys," and he completely ignored our requests for a drink for a good ten minutes. Yes, ignored. It's not like he was busy - he had to serve about 4 drinks per hour with that crowd. Why did we stay? Because I didn't drive, and it took a while to finally convince my friends to leave.

And that's not all...for a run-down, empty bar in the middle of nowhere with a rude bartender, the drink prices were unusually high. My recommendation - don't go to Randy's unless you're traveling on foot, less than a mile away, and just have to play pool right away.

Ahhh, Pizza and Pasta...for a while, I spent so much time here I debated filing a change-of-address form. Strangely enough, though, I usually didn't eat pizza or pasta when I was there. I tried both, and thought they were pretty good - especially for the price. But once I tried their grilled chicken Caesar salad, I was hooked. It was my staple dish; sometimes with a side of garlic knots, sometimes not...but it was always delicious.

I think, aside from the delicious salad, one reason I was there so much was that the service was always quick and efficient. I could easily walk down the street to P&P, eat a leisurely lunch, and walk back to work in under an hour, like clockwork. If you want great pizza and/or pasta, P&P might not be the best choice in Chapel Hill (ironically enough), but that doesn't mean I'd completely discount it - especially if you love a good Caesar salad now and then.

Working just off Franklin Street, Pepper's used to be one of my regular lunch spots. And when I say regular, I mean at least twice a week. Was the pizza that good? Well, it kind of was, but more than anything it was the spirit of Pepper's that hit you when you walked in the door. The roughshod CBGB-meets-shiny diner decor, the open counter in front where you could watch the creation of your pie, the cozy booths in the back that just begged you to have a pitcher of beer, even if you were on your lunch hour.

Then, just when I stopped working in the 'Hill...they decided to move to a more "respectable" location. And, to sound like a broken record, it's just not the same. I'd still recommend Pepper's, though, to anyone who wants decent, cheap pie and a little slice of Chapel Hill on the side.

I've lived in (well, near, at least) the Triangle my whole life...and I've only had Mellow Mushroom pizza once. And honestly, I wasn't impressed. I had a couple slices of the Mighty Meaty and the Hawaiian, and they really both tasted like Papa John's to me - and I'm not a big fan of Papa John's. It wasn't bad per se, but it was a far cry from what I had come to expect based on the praise heaped upon it by many. I just felt like I really wasn't missing anything those first 29 years. Would I eat there again? Probably at some point, but it's a sure bet I won't be rushing back anytime soon.

I've never lived in Blackwolf Run myself, but my girlfriend lived there for a year and I spent quite a bit of time there. It was a one-bedroom townhome that was a little small but very nice. It was two-story with a patio and balcony stacked on the front. Each unit has its own driveway, big enough to park at least two cars - a very nice touch. Inside, the living/dining area are relatively small, so don't plan on putting much furniture there (don't even think about a full-size dinner table). The kitchen is a little tight, but the layout works pretty well.

What the downstairs lacks in space and function, the upstairs makes up for in spades. The loft-style bedroom takes up the majority of the upstairs, but leaves room for a queen-sized bed, nightstands, etc. The lone bathroom is split into two sections: the washroom and the shower. The shower section is separated by pocket doors - another very cool feature.

Pricewise, the rent is actually not bad for what you get. Blackwolf Run is part of Hedingham golf community, and you get access to lots of amenities - community pool, limited golf access, even a tanning bed! One thing to note, though, is that the units have gas heat that can be VERY expensive in the winter months.

The staff is overall very friendly and maintenance responds pretty quickly. When you decide to move out, though, the staff quickly loses its sunny disposition. Even though (I believe) you're legally entitled to be there when the walkthrough is conducted, the staff refuses to allow you to be present when they do the move-out walkthrough. I can understand there may be a valid reason for that, but they never seemed willing to give one - seemed a little sketchy to me.

Who would have guessed that a Chinese restaurant that is tucked into a Kroger next to the pharmacy would actually have great food? Not me, but I'm definitely glad I took a shot there a couple of years ago. Since that day, I've had many meals from this hidden gem, every one delicious. I've also had quite a few experiences where I ran into Kroger just before East Coast's regular closing time only to find that the place was empty. Now that's disappointment.

But when it is open, East Coast serves food miles ahead of what its humble demeanor would indicate. I'm especially fond of the General Tso's and Orange Chicken. I know, the General Tso's is the default, Americanized, safe dish...but East Coast makes it so flavorful and savory that it's one of my go-to dishes when I stop in.

As far as price goes, East Coast is a great bargain. Most similar Chinese places are also relatively inexpensive, but their quality just doesn't match up to EC. I seem to remember pretty good lunch specials, but these days I usually stop in to pick up dinner. A delicious, more than filling meal for two for less than $20; I'd say that beats fast food anyday.

I can still remember the first time I ever saw Green Tango. I stopped at the ATM just outside, and I thought to myself, "yeah, another one of those salad joints for the beansprout crowd." As an avid carnivore, I was pretty sure my feet would never cross its threshold. I was partially right.

As of today, I have still never eaten inside Green Tango. What I have done, though, is found out that my first impressions were very wrong. My coworkers got takeout from GT, and I ordered a wrap. I liked the menu layout, selecting each topping for your salad/wrap, dressing, etc. I chose an herb garlic tortilla, spinach, grilled chicken, carrots, swiss cheese, and crispy noodles with asian sesame dressing.

The wrap was pretty large, and pulling it apart I could quickly see that the toppings were very even dispersed through the wrap - good first impression. Then I took a bite - and it was fantastic. Fresh, perfectly-prepared ingredients, a very good sesame dressing, and much more chicken than I had imagined added up to a wrap that actually - surprise - filled me up! For 6 bucks, I'd be hard pressed to find anything of this quality at a similar restaurant. Yes, it's a little pricey, but I think Green Tango is a pretty good example of the old adage - you get what you pay for.

China Town is definitely the Golden Corral of Asian buffets - in fact, I'm pretty sure the building at one point housed a GC. This lends a strange familiarity to China Town, walking into that familiar lobby...but instead of gumball machines and elderly apron-clad hostesses you're greeted with Asian design highlighted by a dark wood bar (won't find one of those at GC!)

Aesthetics aside, China Town, like GC, boasts a large variety of food: hot and cold, Chinese and Hibachi, savory and sweet. The sushi selection was very good, but most of the nigiri and rolls were not well-stocked. The entire time I was there the tuna nigiri was nowhere to be found. The same could be said for some of the rolls. Maybe this was because the place was pretty bare, but it was still a bit annoying.

Most of the food was good, some was great. The only thing I tried that I really didn't like was the miso soup. It tasted like salty chicken broth. The hibachi grill was actually very good. There wasn't quite as much selection as I've seen at other buffets with sauces, etc, but it was still the best part of the meal for me.

As for price, I really think it's a good deal for the variety and quality of the food. Two buffets, sodas, and tip came to just over $30 - not bad for a quantity of food greater than any person should rightfully consume.