136561 Thu Jul 24 14:46:19 -0700 2003 14 11 South 0 732625 Triangle Hounds, Wanted to elicit your thoughts concerning Nana's in Durham -- atmosphere, food, cost? Can't recall reading anything here about Nana's. Was contemplating it for a birthday dinner this weekend. Thanks. Thu Jul 24 14:46:19 -0700 2003 0 Kevin N. 1 732626 I've never been, but I did once take a look at the menu. I gather it's comparable in terms of price and offerings to Elaine's. I would guess Nana's has a website. David A. Thu Jul 24 15:27:25 -0700 2003 732625 0 David A. 1 732629 It's very good. I really remember almost nothing from my last visit but recall the desserts were terrific. Enjoy. Thu Jul 24 16:00:45 -0700 2003 732625 0 Jeff 1 732636 I've been a few times over the past 2-3 years or so; I had some whitefish that was fairly unmemorable... I have a vague memory of the other things there being good, but I don't remember what they were. The Magnolia Grill was better in its heyday, but your best bets in the area now might be Enoteca Vin in Raleigh or the Fearrington House in Pittsboro (best meal of my life! - but expensive) Good Durham restaurants similar to Nan's - I'd say Magnolia is still worth a shot... Pop's Grill has surprisingly good seafood for the mid-priced Italian it is. Thu Jul 24 23:25:29 -0700 2003 732625 0 Alex S 2 732654 Within a couple of months my mom ate at both Daniel in New York (four stars from the NY Times) and Fearrington. She claims that Fearrington is hands-down better -- I have my doubts but you can take this for what it's worth. I intend to dine at Fearrington next February to celebrate my wife's fortieth birthday -- I'll get back to you then. Best, David A. Fri Jul 25 20:21:02 -0700 2003 732636 0 David A. 3 732816 Your doubts will be dispelled; it's definitely at the 4-star NY Times level, at least. Wed Aug 06 21:29:38 -0700 2003 732654 0 Alex S 1 732639 We've been to Nana's three times now and we think the best restaurant in the Triangle. Mag Grill couldn't live up to the hype. Case in point from Mag Grill, I had Meyer lemon pie for dessert. The lemon portion was unbelievably bitter, so much so that they must have had much more pith than zest. Elaine's was good, but... Nana's is not cheap, but if you want to experience a truly good meal, you must expect to pay for it. Also, if you haven't made a reservation yet, you may be out of luck. Gotta run, Tom Fri Jul 25 12:18:19 -0700 2003 732625 0 Tom V from Raleigh 2 732645 Tom V., We have a reservation and are really looking forward to it. Approximately, what should I expect to pay for two persons -- appetizers, wine by the glass for one person, and two desserts? No matter what you're answer is, we'll still dine there, but you're comment about cost piqued my curiousity and their website doesn't divulge any prices. Thanks for your help. Fri Jul 25 14:10:53 -0700 2003 732639 0 Kevin N. 3 732647 Well, I'm not Tom but when we ate there it was around $85 plus tip. That was for two appetizers, two entrees and sharing of a dessert. As you may know, the chef, Scott Howell (?), is a protoge' of Ben Barker at the Magnolia Grill. It's been a while now so I can't remember exactly what I had. But generally speaking, I remember the apps were great, the entrees were very good, but the dessert was a notch below Mag Grill. Where Nana's really shines is the decor and ambience. Whereas Mag Grill is built to squeeze as many poeple in as possible, Nana's has plent of space so that you don't hear other people's conversations-- and they don't hear yours. The decor is more upscale, with nice, soft lighting, soothing colors, and attractive paintings. I also remember the service being more attentive that at Mag Grill. I think Mag Grill is just a little better food wise, but in all other aspects of a good dining experience, Nana wins. After Nana's, I recommend that you seek out Four Square, also in Durham. It is my favorite of the big 3 in Durham. Fri Jul 25 14:31:15 -0700 2003 732645 0 Sant 4 732649 Sant, Thanks for your reply. Actually, we've already tried Four Square and loved it. The service was impeccable and down to earth, ingredients employed were fresh, and I really enjoyed the wine my server suggested I pair with each course. Wish I had the money to splurge more often... Fri Jul 25 14:46:13 -0700 2003 732647 0 Kevin N. 5 732652 I was surprised that our first bill at Nana's was less than $90. To me that's a good value for 2 apps, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 2 glasses of wine and 2 or 3 beers. Four Square...I forgot about that place. We had a really good meal there. We also liked Second Empire quite a bit. Fri Jul 25 15:57:03 -0700 2003 732649 0 Tom V from Raleigh 6 733095 Nana's will do a tasting menu for around $60 a person. With that, you get a HUGE amount of food, and a fair amount of personal attention as well. My wife and I normally do a splurge dinner for around $200 including wine. J Mon Aug 18 17:56:31 -0700 2003 732652 0 John 7 733150 The nice thing about Nana's is their wine list. We are partial to Talbot's chard -- Sleepy Hollow or, if we can get it, the Suzanne -- and Nana's is one place where you can get it. (The other that we know of is the Grill Room at the Four Seasons in NY.) Wed Aug 20 06:35:29 -0700 2003 733095 0 CGP 7 733151 The nice thing about Nana's is their wine list. We are partial to Talbot's chard -- Sleepy Hollow or, if we can get it, the Suzanne -- and Nana's is one place where you can get it. (The other that we know of is the Grill Room at the Four Seasons in NY.) Wed Aug 20 06:35:50 -0700 2003 733095 0 CGP 2 732817 Based on a few dozen visits while I went to school there, the Magnolia Grill has been sucking consistently for a couple of years now. But for the 3 years before that it was much much better than Nana's could ever dream of being.... alas. Wed Aug 06 21:32:24 -0700 2003 732639 0 Alex S