Durham: Good food near Duke Hospital?
I have friends who will be staying at the Ronald McDonald House next week while their son is operated on at Duke.
Looking for healthy, fresh options fairly close by that can be easily found by a preoccupied person not familiar with town. Modest cost is helpful too - his health issues have had a significant impact on an already lean budget.
I'm in Raleigh & hope to get there daily & will bring some eats. I also have a number of shelf stable items ready for them too. But I wanted to have some suggestions for restaurants/deli's, etc. - sometimes you just have to get away from a hospital for an hour to clear your mind. My Durham knowledge is just not broad enough for this. I am also unsure if there is kitchen space at the RMcD house - if so I can bring meals to reheat.
Appreciate any thoughts you have.
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meatn3
Jul 6, 2008 12:38 PM
Thanks to all of you! The surgery was postponed due to development of an upper respiratory issue & rescheduled. Operation was finally this past week and went well. As of yesterday the little guy was getting cranky - a sure sign of recovery in the under 6 set!
Because of rescheduling Ronald McDonald House was no longer an option, so your suggestions came in very handy. Many meals taken in the hospital cafeteria, which was actually not bad and priced very reasonably.
A friend in the hotel biz arranged free lodging at a place with kitchenettes in Durham, so I was able to send them with a bit of easy to heat options (quiche was the most popular dish - easy & comfy no matter the hour). Having the kitchenette worked well - they stayed at the hospital in shifts and appreciated the ease & solitude the kitchenette offered.
Whole foods filled some gaps - thanks for the map, it was super easy to get to & from.
We were able to bring them to Federal. Sitting outdoors was a breath of fresh air on many levels after going from hospital room, to underground walkway, to hotel room for days on end. Good basic burgers - simple and grounding - was just what the Dr. ordered!The Rectory was exactly the type food they generally are interested in, but the hours just didn't really mesh with the windows of availability they had. I am looking forward to trying it in the future!
Prior to the operation they were in Raleigh for several days. Enjoyed a number of ethnic restaurants not available in their rural location. We mainly did take-out for the ease of keeping it stress-free for the munchkin.
They should be bringing him home tomorrow - appreciate the helpfulness of Chowhounds! It is truly amazing to see a child that would have never made it to preschool in another time period get a good chance at having a normal future.
BTW: Chow fav of the patient - plain bagel, cream cheese & avocado!
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romansperson
Jun 13, 2008 06:17 AM
Here's a list of the restaurants on and near Ninth St.:
http://www.ninthst.com/eat.html
Also, volunteers prepare and serve dinner at the Ronald McDonald houses and clean up afterward, so exhausted families don't have to do all that themselves. I believe they serve brunch sometimes too. In addition, they will have food available 24/7 for families to cook/reheat if they wish. They will have their own refrigerator and cabinet space to store things.
Here's a virtual tour of the Durham house:
http://www.360tours.net/tours/perm/rmh/durham/
And more info about the house:
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re: romansperson
meatn3
Jun 13, 2008 09:22 AM
Thank you! This puts my mind at ease regarding their options for healthy eating. In times of stress I feed people, and since there is not much else I can do to make this situation better I posted to start putting a resource list together.
The Durham house looks great. What a wonderful way to help families during such stressful times.
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re: meatn3
Click the link for a map from McDonald House to Locopops. You can also see where the hospital is in relation to everything.
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Just down from the hospital on Erwin Road (walking out of the front door of the hospital you would turn left) are the Erwin Terrace shops, which include Shade Tree Coffee, Nosh, and Chai's Noodle Bar. Shade Tree has good coffee, wine, and baked goods. Nosh is American, but with fresh ingredients and somewhat creative - I've only had takeout from there once, but it was a delicious veggie panini, and the rest of the menu looked tasty (including full hot breakfast options, sandwiches, salads, pizza etc.). Order-at-the-counter, but not fast food. Chai's is (obviously) Asian noodles, also order-at-the-bar but not fast food, and with some good fresh/light options. Both are moderately priced. (I think there's also a Quizno's in there for takeout sandwiches.)
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re: dubedo
Have them step over to the Divinity School (next door to the Chapel, very close) and eat at the Refectory. I believe it's closed this week, but then is open for lunch and, I believe, breakfast. Would love a Chow report if you make it!
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Ahh well, they are a hop skip and a jump from Ninth Street, where there are many, many options. All they have to do is park their car and walk down the street and they can eat well every day at many good places. Also two blocks over on Broad Street is Whole Foods where they can sit down in the cafe after getting something. That's would be my choice of breakfast though for them.
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re: MrsRosencranz
meatn3
Jun 12, 2008 05:40 PM
Thanks you. My Durham geography is sketchy. I know the location of a 1/2 dozen places, but don't really know the terrain enough to understand how they relate to each other...or to the hospital.
Whole Foods should have many choices that fit the bill. If possible I'd like to find some options that offer a quieter atmosphere where they can unwind just a bit. Table service would be a plus.
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re: meatn3
Look at the map I linked to in my post above. The hospital complex is on Erwin Road. Follow Erwin to the east and it becomes 9th street. To get to Whole Foods, turn right on W. Main and go to the light. Turn left at the light and you will see Whole Foods on the left. Stay on 9th street and you will pass 5 or 10 places that you have read about on this board.
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My wife was in Duke Hospital last year. When I visited by myself, I usually ate lunch/breakfast at Wimpy's. You could buy a few burgers or biscuits and take them to your relatives. Cary a small cooler with you and stop at Locopops for goodies for everyone. Further east on Hillsboro there are many options. My father-in-law liked Georges Garage. That might be a good place for you to pick up a variety of food to be consumed at the house. The charge by the pound. Buy several things and serve them family style.
