Bull CIty

So I recently I was talking to my friend, Kaleigh, about our career goals. Kaleigh and I are both in sales and used to work for the same company. We reconnected when Kaleigh came to town and we started talking about our favorite magazine, Garden & Gun.

Now most people who have never heard of the magazine laugh when you recite the title. GUNS?

Calm down.

Kaleigh shared that she would love to work for Garden & Gun, explore and travel while taking in all the foods that come across her table. Who wouldn't? This leads our daily conversations to be a comparison of the foodie finds and drinks consumed.

I'm from Memphis, TN. As a foodie and musician, it doesn't get much better than the 901. The birthplace of rock-n-roll, BBQ, and the home of the blues...the Bluff City has a lot going for it. I recently moved to Durham, NC. I was aware that there are a number of breweries in the area (something Memphis didn't have a lot of when I left). I spend a lot of my time on Franklin Street at The Crunkleton, He's Not Here, and Top of the Hill. All fantastic places.

However, a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night when I got home from work and checked my mail, I found an envelope from my momma. She had sent me an article from Southern Living of the Tastiest Towns in America that named Memphis as #2 and Durham as #1. OH HAPPY DAY! So much for sitting around that weekend, I had exploring to do.

Now something you should know...I love exploring alone. Friends are welcome anytime BUT they must be able to keep up. I rarely meet a stranger and so I have never viewed it as eating or drinking alone. Additionally, several in my office would tell you that I'm the go-to person for food and drink suggestions in Durham/Chapel Hill in our department (all outside sales managers that relocated here for work).

So that Saturday morning I woke up and headed out to explore Durham. My first stop was lunch as Geer Street Garden. Some co-workers had recommended this place a week prior to take some new hires in the office. Fantastic little place. I perused the menu and ordered a Sweet Josie (brown ale by Raleigh-based Lonerider) and asked the bartender to scrounge me up something to eat...surprise me.

He brought me a plate of fried fish tacos. A bit overfried, but the slaw, salsa verde, pico de gallo, crema, & lime made up for it. Perfection. I looked up and saw some friends enter, grabbed a Bloody Mary and joined them in the covered outdoor patio area.

My next stop would be some sights around downtown Durham such as "Major", a bronze bull statue, Brightleaf Square for some shopping, American Tobacco Historic District for drinks at Tobacco Road Sports Cafe and Tyler's Restaurant &Taproom. 

Being the craft beer enthusiast that I am (just bottled a new batch of IPA on Saturday...FYI), I wanted to take a brewery tour. I settled on Bull City Burger and Brewery. The $5 brewery tour lasted about 2.5 hours and the tasting equaled just over 3 beers (I won't complain about a heavy hand). Not a bad deal. I learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed the passion that Seth exudes when he speaks of his establishment. He aims to be a green brewery...recycling brew water, sending spent grains to local farms, and sustaining his yeast for future batches. I made out of there with a growler of Littlen Horny which is already gone.


Following the brewery, I head back towards Geer Street to explore FullSteam Brewery  to try out their "Clack-A-Lacky" ginger ale. HOLY GINGER BAT MAN! It was fantastic! FullSteam is a very unique experience. This dog friendly bar features darts, ping pong, and an arcade. The noise from the arcade, littered with children, is dampened by glass walls separating it from the bar, where I was able to comfortably sit and take in my surroundings in peace.

Now, I'm new to town. But many people in the office, again, ask for advice about where to go. Where do I get my advice? My boss who was born and raised in Cary, NC. So the boss man followed my journey on FourSquare, texting me advice on where to go next. He claims I inspired a food-tour evening for him and his lady friend in Raleigh that night. The last piece of advice he gave me that day was the Food Trucks. The great thing about that part of town is the number of food trucks parked outside the bars. Too many to choose from. So after a few drinks, I stumbled outside to grab a moo-shu pork taco and a taxi.