dinecrabtree

Where to Dine in #Raleigh for @TriRestWeek Jan 21-27th 2019 | @Seasons52 @shopcrabtree

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Seasons 52 Dinner Menu Preview for Triangle Restaurant Week Jan 2019

Foodies get ready! Triangle Restaurant Week is starting Monday (Jan. 21-27) and we get to enjoy menu deals for lunch and dinner at some of our favorite restaurants. This is a good time to make your reservations at places you’ve always wanted to try. Or perhaps return to a restaurant you may have been to before but can now try something new and different from the menu. Since there are so many premier places to choose from, I thought I would help by giving you a preview of the special menu from one of my favorite restaurants, Seasons 52.

THE MENU

Known for their seasonally inspired menu and wine bar, Seasons 52 is all about bringing out the natural flavors of food. You can expect food that is fresh, beautifully prepared and full of flavor. They use rustic cooking techniques, like brick-oven roasting and open-fire grilling over oak and mesquite wood, to give their dishes a fresh grill taste. Triangle Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to experience a better way to eat from Seasons 52 at a great value. For $30 p/p, here is what is offered on their special dinner menu:

•First Course

Although my guest & I had dined at Seasons 52 before, our server Devonte was helpful and ready to answer any questions about the menu. The items being featured on the Triangle Restaurant Week menu are the same from the regular menu. We were happy to see our favorite Garlic Pesto Chicken flatbread as a choice to share in the first course. Their flatbread is the perfect first course as a shareable appetizer because it’s light, and there is great flavor in every bite. I could not believe it was only 460 calories!

GARLIC PESTO CHICKEN | mozzarella, balsamic cipollini onions, roasted red peppers, arugula

•Second Course

Salads may seem mundane to some but not here at Seasons 52! I ordered the Romaine and Baby Kale Caesar Salad which came with plenty of shaved parmesan and a light, creamy dressing. It was good but the star salad was the Seasonl Spinach Salad (Spinach and Caramelized Bosc Pear). The combination of pears,spinach, gorgonzola, toasted walnuts and a delightful sherry-walnut vinigrette dressing was amazing!

•Third Course

Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon -Crushed Potatoes, Caulilini, Dill-Mustard Sauce

For the third course I ordered the Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon and my guest went for the Wood-Grilled Filet Mignon. You couldn’t go wrong with either one. It just depends on whether you want surf or turf. The salmon was prepared and served on a cedar plank, which gave it a wonderful flavor that only cedar can bring out. The steak was mouth melting with a incredible sauce and mushrooms. It came with yukon mashed potatos and caulilini (not to be confused with brocollini)! It was my first time having that vegetable. It tastes like sweet cauliflower and looks like broccolini. I love discovering something new to enjoy. Thanks Seasons 52 for the introduction.

•Dessert

Whatever you do remember the following 4 words: SAVE👏 ROOM👏 FOR👏 DESSERT. Seasons 52 has iconic status when it comes to it’s Mini Indulgence Desserts. They are served in single serving shot glasses filled with all sorts of goodness. Carrot Cake, Key Lime Pie, just to name a few. No need to feel guilty because after 3-4 spoonfuls, it is gone but not forgotten! The perfect sweet ending to an amazing dinner at Seasons 52!

SobeSavvy Tip: Did you know Seasons 52 offers 52 wines by the glass? If you are a wine lover like me, take the opportunity to try some of the wine pairings on the Restaurant Week menu. I recommend the Harvest Sun Chardonnay with the garlic pesto chicken flatbread and the salmon.

Overall our dining experience was a great one! Not only did we enjoy our 3 course meal but left feeling good after eating healthy, full-flavored dishes from Seasons 52!

HAVE YOU DINED AT SEASONS 52 BEFORE? WILL YOU BE DINING OUT FOR TRIANGLE RESTAURANT WEEK?

Seasons 52 Raleigh

Crabtree Valley Mall

4325 Glenwood Ave

Raleigh, NC 27612

Enjoy #NationalNoodleMonth Eats in #Raleigh @ToriiNoodleBar @shopCrabtree #Ramen #dineCrabtree

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SobeSavvy.com Celebrates National Noodle Month at Torii Noodle Bar

There really is a holiday for everything and in case you did not know the month of March is National Noodle Month! Looking for a place to celebrate in Raleigh? May I suggest you go to Torii Noodle Bar at Kanki in the Crabtree Valley Mall. If you read my last feature on this restaurant, then you know it is one of my favorite places to dine especially with my daughter who loves noodles! This past weekend, we were hosted to try some of the noodle dishes on their menu and here are some highlights from our mother and daughter lunch date!

MENU

Leslie, Founder of SobeSavvy.com and her daughter, #outandaboutAva enjoy Japanese soda at Torii Noodle Bar

Torii Noodle Bar has a menu that as soon as you open it you can see the mouthwatering noodle entree bowls available. Appetizers, entrees, beverages, and dessert are served at this intimate & modern noodle bar.

APPETIZERS

SobeSavvy Tip: If you use code “SoBeSavvy” at Torii, you can receive a free appetizer with purchase of an entree!
O

ffer is good through May 14, 2018 and Please limit one coupon per party.

We started with some edamame and dumplings before ordering our entrees. Edamame is good for you and great for sharing for only $3.95 on the menu. If your little dumpling loves dumplings as much as mine does, order the Gyoza. It’s flavorful and fun to dip into their signature ponzu sauce.

Edamame or Gyoza for an appetizer..which one would you choose?

ENTREES

My little one is having fun mastering the art of chopsticks and Torii Noodle Bar has a nice variety of noodle entrees that gives her the practice she needs! Not a pro yet? No worries, they will adjust the chopticks for little hands. She ordered the Yakisoba stir fried noodles and opted to get the sauce on the side. I love that you can customize the noodles to you or your childs liking. Hers was lightly tossed in soy sauce instead which she enjoyed!

Yakisoba Stir Fried Noodles are kid-friendly and flavorful at Torii Noodle Bar

At the wonderful suggestion of our server and being the seafoodie that I am, I was eager to havr the seafood scampi ramen. The portion of this is huge, which quite frankly I did not mind. It was chock full of fresh veggies, seafood and served in this amazing broth.

DESSERT

SobeSavvy Tip: You must save room for dessert and try the Japanese Mochi Ice Cream. We had the strawberry and mango flavors, however you can try a sampler of all the Mochi flavors offered. It was so yummy! A sweet ending to our tasty lunch.

SERVICE

All smiles after our delicious lunch with great customer service at Torii Noodle Bar

Sure, we ate and slurped and drank some fun Japanese soda, but what made the meal most memorable was the service. Our server named Lily, who is also a mom to a daughter named Ava, was simply wonderful. She was patient, knowledegable and pleasant. My little foodie has a lot of questions and is quite curious about things like wanting to know what Torii means in Japanese? Here is what we found out: The entrance of the Jinja (a Shinto shrine) has a traditional Japanese gate called a Torii (鳥居), (literally ‘bird abode’). A Torii is built to show the beginning of a sacred place. It symbolically marks the transition from mundane to sacred.

I think the name of the restaurant is a perfect fit because you will not get mundane service or food once you walk thru the doors at Torii Noodle Bar. The next time you are at Crabtree Valley Mall, treat yourself and your little one to oodles of fun while enjoying a bowl of noodles at Torii Noodle Bar!

Torii Noodle Bar At Kanki

Crabtree Valley Mall

4325 Glenwood Ave

(919) 782-9708

#VisitBrio for #ValentinesDay and enjoy delicious made-from scratch risotto dishes and more! @BrioItalian

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Having spent time in Europe I realized quickly that risotto is to Italy what rice is to Asia! An Italian staple for centuries, risotto done right is now available at Brio Tuscan Grille for all! Located in Crabtree Valley Mall, this restaurant is a great place to enjoy lunch, bar bites, dinner or weekend brunch.

Per their press release, “It’s a Risotto Celebration” menu, available now until Sunday, March 25, 2018. This limited-time selection includes four chef-inspired risotto entrées, which all feature high-quality ingredients and are made from scratch. In addition, the menu includes three original cocktails, created to compliment BRIO’s new risotto dishes, and a decadent dessert.

The ‘It’s A Risotto Celebration’ Menu

I am a big fan of this restaurant because although a chain, it never feels like cookie cutter cuisine and this limited time only special should inspire you to make plans to dine there soon! We went at lunchtime and entered their bright and airy dining space. Only fresh good food comes out of their open kitchen and it shows. But before I get into how great the food is, let me tell you about their amazing cocktails!

Left to Right: Maple Bourbon Smash, Bulleit Rosa

There are three distinctive cocktails that are included on this special menu. My husband and I tried The Maple Bourbon Smash (Maker’s Mark, Monin Maple, lemon juice, rosemary simple syrup, dash of bitters, orange garnish) and Bulleit Rosa ( Bulleit Rye whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, 19 Crimes Red Blend, lemon twist garnish). They were the perfect start to what was to come.

Of their four risotto themed dishes, we had the following:

Shrimp Risotto & Broiled Lobster Tail: mushrooms, red peppers, asparagus, and basil

Sea Scallop Risotto: pan seared sea scallops, ratatouille vegetables, basil, and red peppers

Although hard to choose among four great dishes, we opted for the Sea Scallop Risotto and the Shrimp Risotto & Broiled Lobster Tail because we are seafood lovers. WOW is the word that comes to mind when speaking of these dishes. Risotto is all about the cooking method. Not cooked well enough and it is hard. Overcooking risotto and you end up with nothing but mush. Brio got it exactly right! The scallops were in a red sauce and the shrimp & lobster in a light oil sauce. We actually exchanged plates halfway through because neither of us could decide which one was best! Only YOU can be the judge, but the shrimp & lobster was my fave.

We ended lunch with the featured dessert, a molten chocolate cake with mascarpone cream, white chocolate raspberry gelato. It was as good as it looks too and wonderful to share with that special someone!

SobeSavvy Tip: BRIO Tuscan Grille’s tempting Valentine’s Day menu features this decadent dessert, along with enticing cocktails, delicious starters and entrees. This offer is available during lunch/dinner, Friday, Feb. 9 – Sunday, Feb.18.

Brio Tuscan Grille

4325 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27612