Restaurant Spotlight: Just like Grandma’s

Sitti explores the familial Lebanese concept downtown

by Danielle Jackson 

When Empire Eats owner Greg Hatem was mulling around the idea for a new restaurant in downtown Raleigh a few years ago, he found a unique ally in the founders of Neomonde, a successful Mediterranean deli and catering company owned by four brothers that recently celebrated its 35th anniversary in the city.

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Spring flings

by Tara Davis

I was sitting around my kitchen table recently and asked my family to help me brainstorm some culinary ideas. My sister-in-law immediately offered “strawberries, but in a savory preparation.” My mother-in-law added “pickled shrimp.”

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Proper Pinot

Searching for the best domestic Pinot Noirs

by Jeff Bramwell

From the ever-increasing demand for the red wines of Burgundy, France, to the growing prestige for top domestic bottling, few wines have been as popular as Pinot Noir has been over the past 10 years. Worldwide plantings are on the rise, but due to the grape’s reluctance to acclimate to less than ideal growing conditions, consumers are advised to be picky about where their Pinots come from.

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