Getting away on a trip like this means:
- A chance to eat at new places
- Get rest, maybe
- A Change of scenery
- Great food
Well, I have in fact not ventured too very far with my variety on what we have eaten. Saturday night, cajun, sorta, Sunday, Cajun; Monday, Cajun. But last night we did change up and eat at the Macaroni Grill.
On our way up on Saturday, we stopped in Columbia S.C. at cool looking place called the Crab House. Great building - brick walls, open rafters, great fish tank. We saw immediately they had She Crab Soup and Shrimp and Grits. We ordered one of each to split the meal. Welllll, we should have chosen the cup rather than the bowl. That would have had to have been the worst she crab soup I have encountered. The Shrimp and Grits were unique. The Edisto grits were good, but they had sausage in it (with the shrimp) - large chunks of the really cheap sausage and they used brown gravy in place of the roux (yes, like the powdered kind with water added). Just not that great of choice for dish that can be so good! So, if you happen by the Crab House, skip the shrimp and grits and the soup too. Choose a steak instead!
Sunday, here in Raleigh, after touring the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, we headed to a restaurant called The Big Easy. Another great building! This one was a narrow shop in the older part of downtown, all brick walls and open rafters, great atmosphere. We split a sampler dish and had, again, She Crap Soup, Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, Jambalaya. It was so good!Then Monday night we headed to a restaurant that I found a great coupon for - The Triangle Grille. Oh wow!! This was a classier restaurant with Italian dishes, German dishes, and of course, Cajun dishes. The Etouffee was fabulous and I finally got some mudbugs – crawfish. Will chose the Jambalaya and it was awesome. Even better was the bill. It was $43 before we used the coupon I found online. After the coupon? $16!! (of course then the tip).
Restaurant.com has gift certificates to restaurants all over the country. You can purchase a $25 gift certificate for $10. But if you sign up for their email, they send promotions, so I was able to get the $25 certificate for $4. Check it out, I only get to use it when going out of town, since no local businesses participate.
Back to the eating out – why so much Cajun? We have no Cajun restaurants at home. The next time I will have it as an option, will probably be May when Traveler graduates from college. So if you come to Raleigh, I would recommend the Triangle Grille and The Big Easy – great places.
Besides the great food – I had a great time yesterday. I became lost while looking for the Mordecai House (oldest reaming frame house in Raleigh). But being lost brought a great treat - Passages Consignment Shop! I found a beautiful blue and white soup bowl for my sister in law who collects blue and white dishes (and it was discounted –ching, ching). I found a Liz Claiborne purse, which, looks as if it had never been used - $5. And then I found a pair of Ann Taylor Loft pants with the tag thingies still on them - $9!!
I did find the Mordecia House and toured it. They also had Andrew Johnson’s birth home on the same sight. The cold front had moved in as had a brisk breeze. It was so cold walking between the buildings! It was not suppose to be this cold – I should have brought my heavier coat.
Well today we head home. Check out is 11 and hubby is in class until 3. I get to play some more, so I am off to the Farmers Market. Our farmer’s market is pitiful and tiny and, well, really really sad and should not be called a farmer’s market. So I am so excited to go to a real one (you should have seen me in Whole Foods yesterday, something else we do not have at home, like kid in candy store).
I am off - Good Day All!
9 comments:
Oh my gosh how fun. I am so jealous of the Dead Sea Scrolls you got to see. Was it just really cool? I can't imagine being that close to them. The houses sound really fun to explore too. I just love the atmosphere of where you went.
And all the great food you mentioned has made me like hungry for the rest of the day. But I won't get the goods you did. Have a safe trip back and glad you are having fun.
I am glad I was able to see the exhibit. It was a little pricey and parts a little redundant. I think they were trying to stretch it out to make the exhibit longer for the price. They just need to let people know it cost a lot of money to preserve these pieces! Most would not mind - it is after all, the original pieces of scroll that our Bible is from. I will have to post on it :)
Stopping over from SITS! I have to admit when I saw the title of your blog I immediately sang a camp song in my head.
Ahhh...the joys of working at a camp for many, many years.
I'm off to read!
Thanks for your visit!
Sounds like you are having lots of fun. Who knew Raliegh was so much fun. I was always discouraged against it from my aunt who lives up in the mountains of North Carolina.
Mudbugs, you tried them, really? You sucked the heads and ate the tails? We LOVE our mudbugs in New Orleans. Ohhh, if you want Cajun, come on down a little more south. Yummm.... we love delicious, spicy food!
Oh and do you have any pictures of the Dead Sea Scrolls? I imagine not, because of the condition of such. What about brochures that they gave?
Its always lovely to eat out, isn't it?
Thanks for visiting me.
What an experience - and the Cajun food was a bonus!
Aleta, naw, they were cooked! hehe I am a little chicken to try to suck the heads. Maybe if someone were to show me exactly what to do. Too intimated to try it without instruction - I know, pitiful!
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