I hope you enjoyed last week’s Talking SCHOP! in Raleigh at Brewery Bhavana with my work colleagues, and friends, on our first night. Thereafter was an onslaught of food, laughter and fun. Here is the rest of the weekend…
Day two of the long weekend had us in the car to Greensboro to drop of Lauryn and Kristin for a wedding, but first the downtown area needed to feel our presence. Clearly our excitement was over the top because the places we’d scoped out would not be open for hours.
We made the most of it and of course found great food along the way. We masked up and stepped into the first bar we saw for craft beer and wine including watermelon beer called Rind or Die. Loved it.
Now that alcohol was being consumed before noon, food needed to make an appearance STAT. Our hostess Victoria took matters into her own hands and stepped across the street to Natty Greene’s Pub & Brewing Company for some perfect victuals. Two words, Hog Dip! Local sausage, cheese, onion white gravy with tortilla chips and pita. Yes ma’am! Plus, well-seasoned blistered shishitos with Cajun dipping sauce. No shade of wrong for any of that.
We moved on to our next location but, en route, Kristin and I got distracted by vintage, but vintage with a bar in the back. So we spent a couple of minutes drinking a gorgeous hard orange cider and chatting with the owner…and shopping.
By the time we met Victoria and Lauryn at Southend Brewing, they were elbow deep in flights of beer, handmade pretzels, beer cheese and grilled whole okra with a divine remoulade dipping sauce. I passed on the beer but that food got GOT! I know okra is a thing for people but grilled whole is a different experience.
After Victoria and I dropped the others off, we headed back to Raleigh for dinner plans with my friend Dawn in Cary at Academy Street Bistro. We had a lovely night dining al fresco, ate the best shrimp and grits I ever had, and chopped it up with the chef after.
If you can believe it, there is even more to the weekend.
Happy eating and thanks for reading.
Kysha Harris is a food writer and editor, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 18 years. She is the new Food Editor at www.TheSpruceEats.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @SCHOPnyc, on Facebook, /SCHOPnyc.
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