Chuck's

Wandering late at night around downtown, the wife and I were trying to find something that would satifity our craving for fourthmeal. But no worries, we did not head to Taco Bell. Instead, while trying to persuade Sara to try out Beasley's, we were able to settle on Chuck's.

Chuck's was the second part of Ashley Christensen's takeover revitalization of South Wilmington St. Ashley Christensen has become Raleigh's culinary queen over the past few years. Between battling against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, being a James Bread Award semi-finalist, an Independent Weekly cover story, and being featured in publications the likes of Southern Living and Food & Wine, it's clear as to why she has been able to reign over downtown Raleigh's culinary scene.

I started out our meal with a pumpkin pie milkshake. Despite friendly encouragement from our server to spike it with some bourbon, I resisted the urge. I was driving that night after all. The milkshake was creamy and smooth. The spices had a delightful subtleness, as they did not overpower the palate.

Belgium Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli 

My only complaint about the fries at Chuck's is that they are a wider fry. Maybe it's all the McDonald's I ate as a kid but I prefer skinny fries. They came out hot and crispy with a choice of various sauces. We went with the safe bet, the roasted garlic aioli. The server let me try some of the Comeback Sauce, described to me as horseradish-based sauce yet all I tasted was Russian dressing. I wasn't a fan at all.

The High and The Valley

Bloggers have been raving about the burgers at Chuck's. I'll emphatically add to the chorus of bloggers and agree that these burgers are the real deal. A perfect sear, which sealed in all the juices and created a beautiful crust, on flavorful local beef that was juicy throughout the burger.

Chuck's isn't Burger King,  and you can't have it your way per se. Chuck's won't let you create your own burger and in all honesty, there is no need to. Chuck's burgers are topped with architectural excellence with each topping having its own place and purpose.

Sara had the High and Valley: crushed avocados, bacon-onion jam and blistered red peppers. The bacon-onion jam was delicious and made the burger.

Spirit Animal

With Sara taking the High and Valley off my list of options, I was stuck between the Dirty South and the Spirit Animal. Reading over the Spirit Animal's toppings (cream cheese, roasted poblano peppers, grilled tomatoes, and tortilla dust) the prospect of the creamy cream cheese with the saltiness of the beef swayed my decision, although by the middle of the burger I was craving some kind of heat element from the burger. I was questioning the use of tortilla dust when I ordered the burger but it gave a little crunchiness throughout the tenderness of the meat.

Ashley Christensen continues to make me a believer in her status as Raleigh's culinary queen.

Chuck's
236 S. Wilmington St. Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 322-0216
http://www.ac-restaurants.com/chucks/

Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar

I was fortunate enough to win tickets to Buddy Valastro's "Cake Boss Live" tour. Well, after watching the show I'm not sure "fortunate" is the right word. But despite the questionable entertainment value of the Cake Boss's live show, it did grant Sara and I an opportunity to have dinner at the newly opened Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar. And when the television directly in front of you is broadcasting Lucha Libre, you know it's going to be a good meal.

Rising from the ruins of the 101 Lounge and Cafe, Calavera replaced what was once a modern and noticeably cold decor with a fun and bright atmosphere full of Day of the Dead masks and patron candles.

Other than offering two salads, the food menu for Calavera is exclusively empanadas, which is a bit disappointing when trying to eat enough for dinner. Due to the lack of other options, we were able to try all nine of Calavera's empanadas.

Empanadas, red salsa, tomatillo salsa

Calavera offers seven savory empanadas and two dessert empanadas. The stuffed pastry treats are baked rather than fried, giving them a lightness while still achieving a crispy crust. After trying all of the empanadas, Sara and I were tremendously impressed with the Holy Frijolies. A combination of black beans and sweet potatoes, the Holy Frijolies reminded us of an extremely well done southwestern egg roll.

Among the other standouts for Calavera were the Havana Jerk and Al Pastor. The Havana Jerk, Calavera's jerk chicken empanada, was wonderfully sweet with the heat hitting you at the end of the bite. The Al Pastor's spicy pork was terrific compliment to the tomatillo salsa served along with the empanadas.

Red and Green Salsa

Despite having seven empanadas each we were still hungry enough to have another meal after the Cake Boss bored us enough to start hating cake. I would like to see Calavera introduce some sides dishes to serve along with the empanadas to really create a complete menu. Nevertheless, if Calavera continues to serve tasty empanadas and broadcast Mexican professional wrestling, it still a spot worth checking out.

Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar
444 South Blount St #101 Raleigh, NC

(919) 617-1661

calaveraraleigh.com

Fleming's Steakhouse Giveaway Winner!

Let me first thank everyone who entered the giveaway. Thank you for coming to the blog and leaving a comment or tagging @eatRaleigh on a tweet. I'm very thankful for your readership and I will continue to provide giveaways whenever possible.

To determine a winner I drew numbers 1-100 until the random generator drew a number that was entered in. It took a bit of time but we finally found a winner:

Finally after drawing nine numbers we got a winner!

Congratulations to CindyGolden!!! I will be in contact with you.

Thank you everyone for entering the giveaway and visiting eatRaleigh! 

Fat Daddy's

One dreary October night Sara and I wandered out of Crabtree mall in search of something filling and comforting. Driving up Glenwood Avenue, we passed restaurant after restaurant unable to find one that would satisfy our cravings. "How about Fat Daddy's?" I asked. "The place with the old stuff on the walls?" 

Fat Daddy's certainly doesn't lure you in with its decor, which it feels like an old school Bennigans (oh how I miss you Monte Cristo) with its random collection of tackiness. But their reputation of quality burgers and massive topping bar tempts you through the front doors. 

Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout 

Impressively, Fat Daddy's has a decent collection of craft brews. A large collection of Rouge brewery bottles, many of them 22 oz. As I mentioned before, I'm a big dark beer fan and choose the Rouge Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout. A smooth stout that was the perfect compliment to burgers.

Burger and Fried Orka

Though I am no expert Burgiatrist, as the guys over at The Straight Beef, I'd like to believe that I recognize a quality burger. And to me, Fat Daddy's has quality burgers. The buns are made from Fat Daddy's in-house bakery then buttered and toasted... as all buns should be. Though the burgers came medium well, it didn't completely rob the burger of its juices. The meat was flavorful with a solid sear. I topped the burger with the premium toppings of bacon and swiss, both commendable additions to the burger. However, the main attraction of Fat Daddy's is their extensive topping bar. From cheese sauce to fresh jalapenos, there seems to be an endless amount of toppings. Well, it's actually closer to a dozen but thats still impressive. I stacked mushrooms, jalapenos, and a tomato slice to complete my mountain of deliciousness. 

I was delighted to see fried okra as a choice for sides. The massive boat of deep fried veggies came out sizzling hot. The coating is what you expect with any fried okra and I wouldn't be surprised if they came out of a bag. Yet, I still enjoy consuming those crispy little treats in between bites of my burger, regardless of their origin. 

Sara and I embarked back into the cold and rainy night but with the comfort of quality burgers in our bellies.

Fat Daddy's
6201 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27612-2615

(919) 787-3773 ‎
http://www.facebook.com/fatdaddysnc


PS: There are two more days until I draw for the Fleming's Steakhouse gift card giveaway on November 11! Click the link for more details.