Marcel K.'s Profile
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It gets crowded, so be prepared for a wait during main hours. Lots of other people know they have good pizza there too.
My wife and I ate dinner at the bar immediately in front of the open kitchen. So we had a good view of the workers and that was quite fun. I recommend it.
It's just yummy food. Instead of getting the plain cheese and pepperoni, you really need to try one of their speciality pizzas, like Kosmic Karma or Philosopher's Pie. I think the bread sticks are made with whole wheat dough.
The staff are all college students. Is it just here, or do all college guys like to have facial hair, even when it is weak? All the staff were very helpful and outgoing. I could return here on a frequent basis and keep enjoying it. It is on the high side of price, but this is worth it.
Morrisville, NC 27560
(919) 462-9255
Capriflavors
Categories:
Grocery,
Ethnic Food
Do you like to cook Italian and are looking for great ingredients? Or shop for your favorite cookies / olives / sodas / etc? This is your place. I believe the company supplies Italian imports to local restaurants, so you'll see a big warehouse. But attached to the warehouse is a small store that is stocked with all kinds of goodies. When all the staff speaks Italian, that's a good hint you're in the right place. When the labels aren't in English, that's another good hint.
Walking through the store there are hundreds of of import items. It all looks so good. You're not going to find this stuff at the local supermarket. Instead, you have just been transported to a market in Italy. Take the time to look around.
While there recently, I noticed a full kitchen and advertisements for cooking lessons. That looks like it would be fun.
The food was so steaming hot (oven hot, not spicy hot) we had to let it cool a bit, else you would burn your mouth. I ended up mixing the cooked food with the rice plus the yummy yogurt that was provided. It still felt like mongolian bbq instead of Indian food, but it was good. I did enjoy the sauce and liked it and cleaned my plate, but I wouldn't call it fantastic. It hit the spot on a chilly evening, but I was really in the mood for classic Indian.
Was it good? Yes. Will I be returning? With Danny's next door, it may be a while. I'm not big on the concept. But I did enjoy my meal, it exceeded my lowered expectations.
Service: we had a waitress who admitted it was her first night working there. I thought she did a fine job. So the previous reviews complaining about the poor service might be addressed by this change. She was helpful, pleasant, and speedy.
Decor: it's formerly a Pizza Hut. They didn't do much to the building, other than clean out the inside. With the hardwood floors and brick interior walls, it's very echo-y inside. And the chair was a bit hard on my posterior. But I'm not that concerned about that.
This is Afghan food. Based on the restaurant name, I had wrongly assumed it was Indian. IMHO, if they included "Afghan Cuisine" on their signage on the building I think they would have more customers.
I ordered the kabab combo and was very pleased with it. My wife had one of the chicken dishes and she really liked it. A really nice blend of spices in both dishes. We struck up a conversation with the manager asking what they put in there, he said the english translation maps to "sumac". There are some flavor similarities with India, but I found there is much less "sauce" (less wet, think dry rub). Be sure to try the tomato and cilantro sauces which are on the table. My kabab combo included lamb, fish, 2 kinds of chicken, and sausage, and griiled onions and peppers. My lamb was a bit tough/chewey. The flavor is great, and it pleasantly hangs on your tounge for hours afterwards (take a pack of mints if you are on a date).
The portions sizes were just right, even though I took a box of leftovers home that made a good lunch.
We'll be returning.
Most dinner entrees were around $15. Seemed very reasonably priced.
The manager said there is a Groupon available right now, but we went there because we had driven by it a lot and wanted to try it out. I'll give it 3.5 stars.
Listed in: Marcel's dining recommends
1) the traffic on a Saturday night was horrendous with a capital H. Wow. What would normally take 5 minutes took us an hour. And that was even using my secret entrance to the parking lot. Plan for that.
2) I'm old, and it's been a while since I went to large concerts. I'm used to a warm-up band and starting late. There was no warm up band and they didn't start late.
3) It's indoors. Dorton is concrete and glass. I couldn't really hear anything other than reverberating echos. Did I mention I'm getting old?
As a result of #1 and 2, we got to our seats 2 songs from the very end. Yup, basically missed the whole concert.
As a result of #3, although I like the performers and the price, the acoustics were horrible. Even with those performers and that price, I don't plan on going to any more indoor concerts at Dorton. Now I'm showing my age.
State Fair staff, any chance you could move some concerts to the Grandstand or some other outside venue?
Listed in: Marcel's family activities
1 Previous Review:
-
6/7/2009
This is the quintessential North Carolina experience. The biggest part of the state economy is agriculture, and at the fair it shows. In our family we make the state fair our blowout activity for the year instead of going to DisneyWorld - it is way cheaper and the kids have just as fun a time. I let them go on as many rides as they want and eat as much food as they can handle, up until the point where they start turning green. Total cost for 4 people is generally less than $200, but we don't buy trinkets or play games. The fair is huge by my standards, and there are so many fun things to do besides junk food and rides. But I'll start with that.
food: never have I seen such variety in deep frying. Yes, you need to try a deep-fried candy bar (ie, Snickers in batter) even if you can handle only a couple bites before you go into sugar overload and cardiac arrest. My favorite item is corn on the cob dipped in butter with the husk peeled back but attached. And the NC State University ice cream. Off the main thoroughfares you'll find the better quality and more interesting food. (Hint: stay away from the pizza from the trailers on the midway - it's frozen cardboard that has been warmed up.) Do the rides before the food, so you can keep the food down.
rides: perhaps I'm showing my age, but my kids like more rides than I do. Some of the rides are corny, which can make them fun. And there are a few large rides that aren't as polished as a dedicated amusement park but can feel as extreme. You have to do some rides. If you do the rides early in the day, the lines are short. Most rides require 4 tickets.
discounts: if you purchase ride tickets before the fair starts you can get a 40% discount. This makes the rides reasonable instead of expensive. A month or two before the fair starts, check the official fair web site for times and locations for advance ticket sales. If you buy them in person you can save that annoying service charge of Internet orders. You can also save a dollar from the admission ticket, which isn't a big fiscal benefit but you can skip that line at the gate and save time. One day during the week you can get in free by bringing a canned food donation, but I recommend that you pay the $5 for a different day when it is less crowded, and find another way to make a donation to the food pantry.
parking: all the private-owned lots charge a small fortune for parking. Just go to the RBC center / football stadium lot and you can park for free. It can be a bit of a walk, but I don't mind a couple minutes of walking to save $8.
music: there are lots of music concerts in Dorton Arena and other local venues. Most of them are country music, but there are some good quality performers and the tickets are cheap. The schedule and prices are on the fair web site. There are also special events in the grandstand, such as the stunt bicyclists and the automobile demolition derby. I'm not from the south, but there is something innately fun about a demolition derby. Only $5/person.
fireworks: there is a pretty good fireworks show every night at 10pm. If you are there in the evening, stick around for the fireworks. They are shot over the lake. The perfect place to watch is from the bottom level of the mill (where you get the free hush puppies).
You have to get off the midway! I am constantly surprised at the fun stuff when you just start wandering around the edges. See a beehive up close and get a stick of honey. See a 3/4 ton pumpkin. Really good street performers. Take a look at the decorative garden competition plots. See interesting and beautiful animals. Interesting historical exhibitions. Hands-on activities for us city folk. Last year my kids watched the cutest baby pigs for 30 minutes. Then we ate bacon (not at the same exhibit).
Plan for a full day. I've been told that opening weekend is actually less crowded than you think and is a good time to go. I typically go on a weekday with the express purposes of smaller crowds. There can be a crush of people in the evenings, but the daytime is fine. The weather can be absolutely beautiful this time of year, you should consider sunscreen. Or it can turn chilly and windy, you should also consider layered clothes.
Take a read through the official web site before you go, http://www.ncstat.... It's always in October, and runs for two weekends and the week in between.
Bottom line: if you live in the state, you have to go to the state fair. If you are not a Carolina native, after you go to the fair and have fun then consider yourself adopted.
Cary, NC 27518
(919) 462-2052
Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park
Category:
Music Venues
Compared the few indoor concerts I've attended, I love the outdoor format. No sound bouncing endlessly around a concrete and steel bowl. I can actually hear the performers clearly. And the sound engineers don't crank it up so loud that it hurts middle-aged people like myself (partly due to the noise regulations in the neighborhood). It's actually very pleasant to listen!
It's not what I would call an intimate venue, but the worst seats aren't that far away. Most concerts are bring-your-own-chair-or-blanket and sit on the grass in general. At this particular concert, the area closest to the stage had chairs and assigned seating. If you can get there, it's really close to the stage. We showed up kind of late and squeezed in to an open spot just outside the front chairs, got lucky. It's all open space, so weather is at play. There is a covered area in the rear behind the grass where the food vendors are, I think it is for the people that want to socialize and eat instead of listen.
The stage area itself is architectually pleasing. When they turn it on, there are some lights near the roof that look like stars.
Compared to other venues, such as the $10 fee at the RBC Center, parking is free here. Ignore the private lots that want to charge money. But in exchange for the free cost, expect a jam getting in and out of the lot. But I don't mind hanging around for a while on the grass after a concert.
Because of the general seating, everyone shows up early, and traffic is a mess. We got in the traffic jam about an hour before the concert, and were one of the last people in the gate. You really need to be early to beat the crush. Plan on traversing the traffic and parking *before* the gates open.
Check the venue web site to see if they allow picnic food, beverages, etc. to be brought in. They can be quite restrictive at times. But even then, the staff has been courteous. At this concert, a few local restaurants provided catering - call 24 hours ahead, place an order, and the food is waiting for you at the venue. It's fun to picnic while waiting for the main act to start.
It's a fun venue here. I've also attended NC Symphony and other concerts, and have been pleased. Definitely a repeat experience. Check the schedule and get your tickets early. Oh, and if you buy your tickets at the venue's office in person, you avoid the Ticketmaster fees.
Listed in: Marcel's family activities
Riggins, ID 83549
(800) 992-3484
Exodus Wilderness Adventures
Category:
Rafting/Kayaking
They have a nice base office, two nice restrooms to change clothes, comfortable space to hang out while waiting for your departure, a good view of the river to watch others float by, etc. It's a short walk of about a 100 yards to the launch point at the river's edge.
Our boats were inflatable rafts. I saw other outfitters taking different kinds of vehicles, such as pontoons. I like the inflatable rafts. Having a paddle is fun.
The staff was friendly, courteous, and kind. It was interesting that during our launch briefing how often they kept saying "don't panic", as if they were a Douglas Adams fan.
Our visit was during the first week of August. There was an unusual high level of water running, which made for a great trip, since this was near the end of the good season. Most of the rapids (rough water = fun) were in short sections. But even in the flats the water was moving downstream at a good velocity - we covered a lot of distance in a small amount of time. So quickly in fact, that we stopped a couple of times to do some sightseeing on the shore. I would have liked more rapids, but it was still quite enjoyable - and that is because of the river, not the outfitters. The outfitters were enjoyable to be around. No worry about paddling so long that your arms would fall off - the water was bookin. Earlier in the day we were at the Clearwater river and it wasn't moving as fast as the Salmon river.
There were a couple opportunities to jump off the raft and float alongside down the river (with a life vest on). In the heat of the day, the water felt initially cold, but then very refreshing after you get used to the temperature.
We opted for the jet boat ride back, which took about 15 minutes. Again, I would have liked the pilot to do some more stunts, but I did feel very safe, even standing up against the railing on the very back of the boat. One challenge of being back there was sand flying in our face that we had tracked on the bow when boarding the boat. One good hull drop over a wave washed it off (as well as drenching an occupant near the front of the boat). If I had the choice of just the raft down vs the jet boat up, the rafting was more fun.
The staff was friendly, and helped us get to know the other customers on the raft.
Overall, definite thumbs up. This was cool. If I was to be in the area again, I'd do the full-day trip. After a half-day I could have kept going.
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Cary, NC
Yelping SinceMay 2009
Things I Lovegood food, new experiences, a decent price
Find Me Ina stupor of thought
My Blog Or Website Why You Should Read My Reviewslong time resident
I was just there for lunch. I got the Lunch Box special. Half a schwarma, 2 salads (taboleh, hummus), and a dessert (namoura). And a bottle of Mango juice to drink with the label in Arabic. Two words: unique and yummy. The bread (pita and other) is better than anything you'll find in a store. Also for lunch there are a number of prepared hot dishes, such as eggplant lasagna. Vegetarians will feel at home here. Meat-aterians will also feel at home here. This is good stuff, a place to return. Take something home with you too.
There is another branch near the Arboretum in Raleigh near NC State. Same food, bigger grocery section, equally good.