Bull City Part 2

My job requires a lot of traveling. So I'm a big fan of exploring an trying new things. As you all saw in my post last week, I'm really enjoying my weekends spent exploring Durham, NC, my new home.

This past weekend was very similar. After work, I headed up to The Crunkleton for a Vieux Carre and to catch up with my bartender buddy. The college crowd started to make its way to Franklin Street and I decide that was my cue to leave. I headed to downtown Durham in search of some good eats.

Now, I'm sure you're all aware of just how cold it's been the past few days. Friday was a decent day, and I forgot to pack a coat. So as I wandered the streets of Durham, hugging myself for warmth, I peered into the shop windows to check my chances of getting a table.

Slim. To. None.

I tried Mateo bar de Tapas, Beyu Cafe, Dame's Chicken and Waffles, and a few others. PACKED. So I headed back over to Geer Street Garden, ordered the fried chicken plate (read my Yelp review here) and then meandered back to Main Street to enjoy a drink at Whiskey

Whiskey is an interesting place. Whiskey is a private club for members aged 23 years or over and their guests; a gathering place for grownups. Not far from Toast (next door) and Bull McCabes Irish Pub (across the street), great food is just outside the front door. Whiskey does permit smoking and we have a selection of cigars for sale on hand. Whiskey believes to have the states largest whiskey menu (at last count 337) and features a cigar bar upstairs.

I grabbed a few drinks, stumbled outside and hailed a cab.

Saturday morning I was determined. I was determined to eat at Dame's Chicken and Waffles. It has always been packed when I walk by and let's face it...who doesn't love chicken and waffles? Judging by the hangover I was nursing with a homemade Bloody Mary (Charleston Mix, homemade habanero-infused Tito's vodka, bacon, and pickled greenbeans), I needed to wait until later in day to go when there would be fewer hungover individuals craving nurishment.

Wrong.

At 2:00 in the afternoon, Dame's had an hour and forty-five minute wait.

I walked over by the old Leggett and Myers Tobacco Company warehouse in Brightleaf Square to try out a place called Parker & Otis. Talk about unique. This deli type venue features beer and wine shelves, cookwares, novelty items, and more. I ordered a Shrimp BLT that changed my life and guzzled down a Cheerwine. After lunch, I perused the store and gazed in awe at the offerings before me. I pick up some Chapel Hill Toffee that I hope will last until my mom and sister visit next week, John Currence's book "Pickles, Pigs, and Whiskey", a couple of coffee mugs and other food items, and hit the road for an afternoon nap.

On the Road: Starkville & Hattiesburg

By trade, I'm a Regional Sales Manager. I manage sales reps in 13 different cities across Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, & West Tennessee. Last week I hopped a plane from Raleigh-Durham to Jackson, MS (via Orlando) with my boss. We were part of the Mississippi State Career Fair in Starkville, MS & interviewed candidates all day before going our separate ways, me to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, & Texas A&M in College Station for him.

Although we have tight schedules, we found time to take in a few good places to grab a bite or a beer...after all, he's a bigger foodie than I am & is usually the person recommending the various places I try out each weekend.

Our first stop in Starkville was a popular burger joint downtown called Mugshots. We commented on how the building reminded us of NOLA, with its balcony overlooking downtown. The burgers were phenomenal.

For lunch the following day we enjoy some good ole BBQ from Little Dewey's. A pulled pork sandwich, corn, & peach cobbler is good for the soul.

That evening we treated ourselves to steak & a beer. We earned it. Harvey's was the spot. The beer was Sierra Nevada Torpedo & the steak was a NY Strip, rare w/ loaded mashed potatoes.

Now the road & work schedule do not always allow for the best eating. Many meals are consumed in the car while driving to the next location while simultaneously participating in a conference call. 

After finishing a full day in Hattiesburg & driving back to Jackson, MS to catch a flight home, I made excellent time of my work at the hotel & decided to explore Jackson, MS a bit. There were a few places on my Bottle List to try & check off!

I headed to The Apothecary at Brent's Drugs. Brent's Drugs is a breakfast join set up in an old drug store. The retro dinner gives off an eerie aura at night as people enter the abandoned restaurant, closed for the night.

Brent's holds a secret in the back of the establishment, past the freshly mopped floors & chairs stacked on their respective tables.

In the back, behind a door I a narrow hallway you'll find yourself talking to a hostess. She'll push back a heavy black curtain to reveal a speak-easy hidden in the back of this family friendly breakfast joint.

The Apothecary.

Easily some of the best cocktails outside of New Orleans. The knowledgable & creative bar tender dishing out mesmerizing concoctions, like Rum Old Fashioneds.

After consuming my fair share of rum & bourbon, I stepped outside to see a Tapas Bar directly infront of me, beckoning. 

Inside, my stomach yearned for lump crab ceviche & tacos the perfect late night snack. So as I savored my ceviche & Schlaffy IPA, I asked the bartender to surprise me with 3 tacos. She didn't disappoint when she delivered a plate featuring a carne de cerdo taco, shrimp taco, & redfish taco.

The hangover the following day was curbed by the fantastic tacos & ceviche.

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.

Southernism: Coke & Peanuts

A tradition that reminds me of summers growing up, an a southernism that makes my office of yankees cringe. Of course, I could only be talking about Coke & Peanuts.

Yesterday I was sitting at my desk with a bottle of Coke with a handful of peanuts in it and my colleagues refused to talk to me while I enjoyed this wonderful treat. I reckon I've found a way to get them to leave me alone when I'm busy.

My department consists of about 15 mid-twenty year old transplants from all over the country (and a Canadian, eh). This quirky snack had them all up in arms. "THAT IS NOT A THING!" They claimed. Yanks. If you google Coke & Peanuts, the FIRST result is the Coca Cola website. If that's not proof that it's a thing, I don't know what is.

But their inquisitive minds got me thinking. What is the origin of this odd, yet delicious combination? It appears that no one really knows. Many, however, believe that it stemmed mainly out of convenience for the hard southern workers. Need to keep working while you eat a snack? Driving? Smoking? Hands dirty from working on cars? This southernism allows you to keep one hand free while enjoying the sweet and salty duo.

I remember doing this when I was growing up. Our parents would drop us off at the pool for swim team practice every morning where we would stay until they got off work. I'd drop a handful of peanuts into a coke bottle so I didn't have to worry about my soaking wet, chlorine hands messin' with my peanuts.

 One summer in college, I worked in a small mountain town in Grundy County (kinda Middle/East TN). The days were hot and long and many afternoons were spent on the front porch of a civil war era hotel in a rocking chair with coke and peanuts.

Now this pairing has sprouted many interesting recipes like Coca Cola cake with Broiled Peanut Icing and my personal favorite: The Tallulah (coke, peanuts, and whiskey). So the next time your enjoying some peanuts, plop a few in your coke. You can thank me later!

Drink This: Aged Whiskey

To say I love bourbon is an understatement. With so much variety out there, I love experimenting with new bottles. I'm excited about today's post because of a variety of reasons.

Reasons Bow Tie Gent Loves Today's Bourbon Post:

1. On this day 80 years ago, prohibition ended

2. Tips are pouring in regarding the missing Pappy Van Winkle

3. I love bourbon....

So here we go. Now we all know that I enjoy making things. I enjoy building, crafting, cooking, and infusing alcohol (see my post on habanero infused vodka for bloody mary's) Anywho, I went to one of my favorite bars last night, The Crunkleton, in downtown Chapel Hill, NC. It was pretty cozy last night with the Christmas decorations up, moose and deer heads on the wall and Christmas lights lining the streets outside. So I made myself comfortable in one of the oversized worn leather chairs positioned by the window and gazed outside at the passersby. I started out with my usual Old Fashioned, but later switched to a couple of glasses of Pappy Van Winkle (in his memory during these tough times). I love 20 year old Pappy, obviously. It doesn't get much better than that. I find it no coincidence, however, that the box of the month from Bespoke Post, aptly titled "AGED" is a whiskey aging kit.

It's simple: choose an unaged liquor, pour it into the aging kit, wait 10 days, and BOOM! This process changes the character and flavor, mellowing the taste. This kit takes a process that normally takes months, and gives you that barrel aged taste in just under 2 weeks!



So pour yourself a glass, turn on a Christmas movie, and enjoy a nice evening at home.

Now Playing: "Christmas Blues" by G. Love

Buy This: Bittermilk

 

My family always jokes about me never reading. It's true, many nights I'd rather sit in front of the TV and catch up on some shows (I recently took a dive into Breaking Bad, once the series ended). I recently purchased the "Southerner's Handbook" from the Editors of Garden and Gun magazine. AMAZING! I'm also an avid reader of Garden and Gun, and lets be honest, I read a ton of blogs..

Garden and Gun recently concluded the 4th Annual Made in the South Awards. These awards cover a variety of categories such as:

1. Food
2. Drink
3. Style & Design
4. Home
5. Outdoors

I decided to check out the winners and see if anything sparked my interest. Boy did it! I loved all of the winners, but the drink category definitely caught my eye. Now, we all know that I enjoy my drinks. I have a healthy relationship with bourbon and LOVE the fact that there is a private bourbon bar in Chapel Hill, NC called The Crunkleton that I'm able to frequent.

I digress.

The winner of the drink category was Bittermilk.

"Bittermilk compounds are designed for the modern day cocktail enthusiast, to help mix up unique, quality cocktails following a simple ratio of Bittermilk to your choice of spirit. Each of our products use a bittering agent, a sweetener, and an acid to achieve a balanced cocktail. The labor is in the bottle."

Life changed.

Bittermilk currently has three compounds available. Smoked Honey Whiskey Sour, Tom Collins with Elderflower & Hops, and my personal favorite Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned.

If we are being completely honest, my love of Old Fashioneds sprang from Don Draper drink countless glasses of this concoction. Finding a bartender that can make a decent one is harder than it should be. Bittermilk solves this problem. Simply add a couple of spoonfuls of their compound to a glass of your favorite rye or bourbon and BAM! Old Fashioned.

So, ditch your old college home-bar consisting of nothing but empty bottles you think look cool, stock up with the real stuff, and add some Bittermilk to your arsenal. I've already ordered a few bottles for mine!

Now Playing: "Hold On" by the Alabama Shakes

The Yellow Cab (Crispy Apple Cocktail with Bacon Garnish)

Like any American man, I love bacon. I was extremely impressed by my friend, Suzanne, last Valentines Day when she gave her boyfriend a heart shaped box full of cooked bacon, although the was no time to snap a picture for evidence due to the quickness with which he consumed the gift.

The immense popularity of bacon has people creating all sorts of ways in which to utilize it outside of a breakfast side dish/staple. For this week's CHEERS! post, I bring you The Yellow Cab (Crispy Apple Bacon). This recipe also calls for candied bacon as a garnish, which is GREAT as a stand alone snack!

For the Candied Bacon:

6 slices of bacon (the smokier the better!)

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

Maple Syrup (to lightly coat bacon with sugar to stick)

***For y'all with access to H-E-B, I suggest 1 teaspoon Better Than Good Bacon Jam

For the Drink:

1 1/2 ounces rum (I used Texas-made White Hat premium rum)

3 1/2 ounces apple juice

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 to 3 drops old-fashioned bitters

Pinch of salt

Put It All Together

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Toss the bacon in a bowl with the brown sugar and syrup/bacon jam and place on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet so the fat drips down. Bake until it's very crisp, about 30 minutes. Let cool.

2. Combine the rum, apple juice, lemon juice, bitters and salt in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and pour into a lowball glass. Garnish with a slice of candied bacon.

Bacon Habanero Infused Vodka

Since coming to Texas 15 weeks ago, I have made it a point to enjoy brunch every weekend. I LOVE brunch, but my college town barely had anywhere open on Sundays and those places that were were overrun by the locals getting out of church.

I have found some great brunch spots on the past 3 months or so. I've also had my share of disappointments. However, they all have one thing in common...Mimosas and Blood Mary's!

I'm not usually a Bloody Mary kind of guy...but when I need one...I need a good one. I had one the other day that just about knocked my socks off. Later that afternoon I was piddling around on Pinterest and found the following drink recipe compliments of Kitchen Konfidence. All credit for this recipe go to those guys! Since I love making infused drinks, this one was fun a real treat. As any true-blooded American man, I love bacon; so this was only fitting.

Photograph by Kitchen Konfidence

Bacon and Habanero Infused Vodka By Kitchen Konfidence
Adapted from Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar.

6 strips of bacon
3 habanero chili peppers
2 serano chile peppers
1 liter good quality vodka (this is not exact)

"Add strips of bacon to a dry, cold, large skillet.  Warm the skillet over low heat.  Cook bacon until crispy, flipping the bacon several times throughout the process.  Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside to cool.

Remove the stems from each chili pepper and slice in half lengthwise.  Add peppers (with seeds) to a large, airtight jar.  Once cooled, add bacon to the same jar.  Fill the jar with vodka to cover the bacon and peppers.  Seal the jar and let steep for 7 days in the refrigerator.*

After 7 days, strain the vodka through a cheese cloth lined fine mesh basket strainer into a clean jar or bottle.  If you see any major particles floating in the vodka, strain a second time.  Discard the bacon and peppers.  Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 liter.

*Letting the vodka steep with the chili peppers for 7 days will result in an extremely spicy infusion.  If you have a low heat tolerance, I would recommend steeping for a shorter period of time.  You can start tasting half way through and strain the infusion once you reach your desired heat level.  Keep in mind that this vodka will be used in a bloody mary.  You want it to be overly spicy because the tomato juice will turn down the heat level a bit."

Next week, I'll discuss bacon infused bourbon that is delicious, especially when garnished with candied bacon.

I recently had a delicious brunch at Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar.  Dining alone and al fresco, I enjoyed a substantial breakfast quesadilla partnered with a killer brunch cocktail – a bloody mary with bacon and ghost chili infused vodka.  Since I have a great love for fiery alcoholic beverages, upon tasting this bloody mary, I immediately knew I was going to have to recreate this at home.  An intense mix of savory and spicy, this Bacon and Habanero infused vodka makes the perfect base to a mouthwateringly complex bloody mary (cocktail recipe to be featured next week).  Continue reading for the recipe. - See more at: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2010/12/bacon-and-habanero-infused-vodka#sthash.ngaQhBtV.dpuf

I recently had a delicious brunch at Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar.  Dining alone and al fresco, I enjoyed a substantial breakfast quesadilla partnered with a killer brunch cocktail – a bloody mary with bacon and ghost chili infused vodka.  Since I have a great love for fiery alcoholic beverages, upon tasting this bloody mary, I immediately knew I was going to have to recreate this at home.  An intense mix of savory and spicy, this Bacon and Habanero infused vodka makes the perfect base to a mouthwateringly complex bloody mary (cocktail recipe to be featured next week).  Continue reading for the recipe.
Bacon and Habanero Infused Vodka
Adapted from Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar.
6 strips of bacon
3 habanero chili peppers
2 serano chile peppers
1 liter good quality vodka (this is not exact)

Add strips of bacon to a dry, cold, large skillet.  Warm the skillet over low heat.  Cook bacon until crispy, flipping the bacon several times throughout the process.  Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside to cool.
Remove the stems from each chili pepper and slice in half lengthwise.  Add peppers (with seeds) to a large, airtight jar.  Once cooled, add bacon to the same jar.  Fill the jar with vodka to cover the bacon and peppers.  Seal the jar and let steep for 7 days in the refrigerator.*
After 7 days, strain the vodka through a cheese cloth lined fine mesh basket strainer into a clean jar or bottle.  If you see any major particles floating in the vodka, strain a second time.  Discard the bacon and peppers.  Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 liter.
*  Letting the vodka steep with the chili peppers for 7 days will result in an extremely spicy infusion.  If you have a low heat tolerance, I would recommend steeping for a shorter period of time.  You can start tasting half way through and strain the infusion once you reach your desired heat level.  Keep in mind that this vodka will be used in a bloody mary.  You want it to be overly spicy because the tomato juice will turn down the heat level a bit.
- See more at: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2010/12/bacon-and-habanero-infused-vodka#sthash.ngaQhBtV.dpuf

I recently had a delicious brunch at Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar.  Dining alone and al fresco, I enjoyed a substantial breakfast quesadilla partnered with a killer brunch cocktail – a bloody mary with bacon and ghost chili infused vodka.  Since I have a great love for fiery alcoholic beverages, upon tasting this bloody mary, I immediately knew I was going to have to recreate this at home.  An intense mix of savory and spicy, this Bacon and Habanero infused vodka makes the perfect base to a mouthwateringly complex bloody mary (cocktail recipe to be featured next week).  Continue reading for the recipe.
Bacon and Habanero Infused Vodka
Adapted from Croce’s Restaurant & Jazz Bar.
6 strips of bacon
3 habanero chili peppers
2 serano chile peppers
1 liter good quality vodka (this is not exact)

Add strips of bacon to a dry, cold, large skillet.  Warm the skillet over low heat.  Cook bacon until crispy, flipping the bacon several times throughout the process.  Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside to cool.
Remove the stems from each chili pepper and slice in half lengthwise.  Add peppers (with seeds) to a large, airtight jar.  Once cooled, add bacon to the same jar.  Fill the jar with vodka to cover the bacon and peppers.  Seal the jar and let steep for 7 days in the refrigerator.*
After 7 days, strain the vodka through a cheese cloth lined fine mesh basket strainer into a clean jar or bottle.  If you see any major particles floating in the vodka, strain a second time.  Discard the bacon and peppers.  Store in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 liter.
*  Letting the vodka steep with the chili peppers for 7 days will result in an extremely spicy infusion.  If you have a low heat tolerance, I would recommend steeping for a shorter period of time.  You can start tasting half way through and strain the infusion once you reach your desired heat level.  Keep in mind that this vodka will be used in a bloody mary.  You want it to be overly spicy because the tomato juice will turn down the heat level a bit.
- See more at: http://www.kitchenkonfidence.com/2010/12/bacon-and-habanero-infused-vodka#sthash.ngaQhBtV.dpuf