Chapel Hill

A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to visit some friends in the Chapel Hill area.  Even though I live in NC, I'd never spent any time in that area, and I have to say that I loved Durham and Chapel Hill! Not as much as Charlotte, obvi, but I can't wait to go back.  We had an awesomely food-centric weekend. 
Also, we played about a million games of Rummikub. I'd never heard of this game before, but I'm now addicted despite the fact that I'm embarrassingly terrible. I've found that in my old age, I've become a really graceful loser.  As long as I don't come in last place, I'm happy as a clam.  My fourteen year old self shudders. 

 

We had a really amazing meal at a restaurant I've been wanting to try for awhile: Lantern. 

This is a really popular restaurant, and when we arrived at 7pm there was a two hour wait. Luckily, there's an awesome bar across the street, the Crunkelton, which serves amazing craft cocktails. I thought the name was because people GET CRUNK when they go there, but it's actually the owner's last name. The place had a great atmosphere with oversized, rustic furniture and cozy lighting.  I had one old fashioned, which nearly knocked my non-liquor drinking self on my bum.  Such a wino. 

Lantern is a nice looking restaurant, but the bar in the back is really where it's at.  The tables in the back are cozy booths and the atmosphere is way more relaxed. 

Some of the highlights included a ginormous, whole flounder

Don't order this on a first date unless you feel comfortable picking tiny fish bones out of your teeth in front of a complete stranger. 

 

A meaty pork chop with kimchi croquettes

Call me uncultured, but I can't really get behind kimchi. It just…stinks. The combination of kimchi and mashed potatoes was a little different. 

This steak was tasty, but the dish was really made by the spinach… which was deep fried! It was like amazing crispy spinach potato chips.  I want to eat spinach like that every day! 

 

The desserts were pretty outstanding.  I'm not just saying that because we were a glass of champagne and two bottles of wine deep. (Yikes). 

 

Frozen passion fruit custard with meringue wafers and grapefruit-prosecco sorbet. Um, my love for grapefruit is only surpassed by my love of prosecco and passion fruit.  This was pretty much made for me.  The only thing I didn't like about the dish was the candied ginger sprinkled all over it. The taste was a little bit strong with all of the other delicate flavors. (I was going to say "feminine flavors"… is that sexist? Meh.) Ugh - I want another one of these right now. 

We also ordered a chocolate molten cake, which is my significant other's favorite. Of course the future husband of the pastry girl loves the most eighties-tastic dessert out there. This was a good one though, it was served with a pecan brittle ice cream that had a great balance of sweet and salty. 

 

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic meal. I'm never one to take pictures at a restaurant, but for some reason I was feeling it this night! (I blame Mr. Crunkelton).  If you are ever in Chapel Hill, I seriously recommend trying to elbow your way into this place.  Also, our server looked almost exactly like Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother.  I'm pretty sure he didn't appreciate me talking about it all night, but you really should go get a look at him.