Raleigh N.C.

[jenniferCordes]

I need a restaurant to go to on Sunday night in Raleigh, N.C. that's fit for foodies! No barbeque, steaks or burgers. LOVE Rue Cler in Durham to give you an idea of what we like. Doesn't have to be French though. Ideas?

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Rue Cler Restaurant
401 E Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701

[Tehama]

Just a quick update on the Glenwood Grill. We ate there last night and since it had been a while I wanted to post an updated review. Like a steady companion through the years, the Glenwood Grill remains one of my favorite spots of all time.

Me: Nightly special - pan roasted, panko encrusted red snapper over a medley of lobster and crispy fingerling potatoes in a creamy sauce, The snapper was awesome (perhaps a tiny bit over-cooked), but that " lobsterragout" that it was sitting on was the most luscious concoction I have ever had. Wowsers.

Mr. L: Seared tuna topped with crab bisque drizzle. The tuna was perfectly prepared and the bisque was ahh-mazing. I wish I had ordered a cup of it all on its own.

Ms. L: There was not a vegetarian option on the menu, which she is, so they fashioned this creamy grits-based-dish with a medley of peppers and mushroom in a brown-butter sauce. She finished her's super quick and gave it 5-stars! It looked awesome, but I didn't get to sneak a spoonful.

Dessert: large size Grand Marnier crème brûlée --- perfectly crunchy top with strawberries and blueberry accompanment. It was perfect - not too "eggy".

The only con was that it was super busy in there and our service was rather slow. We weren't in a rush, so it wasn't a major problem.

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Glenwood Grill
2603-151 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608

[mmrrhh]

Buku is great for what you are looking for.

[jenniferCordes]

Well...in a word, disappointing. I'm so pissed that I had one night in Raleigh (though limited by the fact that it was a Sunday) and I chose this restaurant. If you are a "foodie," you are NOT to like this restaurant. Food wise it was a bit of a flashback to the early 90's. I had the grilled asparagus, chopped salad which was over dressed, wilted, very cold(been sitting in a walk in) flooded by a chicken pasta that was so mediocre, my husband said we would have been better off at Macaroni Grill. He had the she crab soup, which was so bad, he didn't even eat it (and the waiter never asked why) followed by mediocre trout. We came back to the Umstead in Cary and ordered room service.

[rockycat]

What restaurant were you at? The menu sounds like it might have been 18 Seaboard. If that's the case, I'm not sure why you had the experience you did. I was there the previous night with a party of 10 and although we didn't order any of the same dishes you did - except maybe the trout, it's hard to keep track of 10 entrees - we didn't have any complaints. I wonder what might have happened?

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[jenniferCordes]

I'm afraid so. 18 Seaboard was just a waste of time, unfortunately!

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[TerryG]

Sorry for your disappointing experience. 18 Seaboard is usually a good though maybe not an outstanding choice. There might be a different chef on Sunday nights. If you were staying at the Umstead, their restaurant, Herons has a stellar reputation and might have been the best option for you.

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[Tehama]

I agree with TerryG ... I have eaten at 18 Seaboard at least 20 times and I have never had a bad or disappointing meal. Granted, I would not say the offerings are particularly innovative, but everything has always been well-cooked and flavorful with some thought behind it. In fact, the best short ribs I have ever had in my life were at 18 Seaboard.

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[jenniferCordes]

Heron's is not open on Sunday nights. Perhaps it was not the regular chef at 18 Seaboard. Oh well, next time I'm in the area I will stick to the Chapel Hill/Durham spots that I know are good.

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[LulusMom]

I'm going to chime in with the others being surprised that you had such a bad meal a 18 Seaboard. The meal we had there was really very nice.

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[romansperson]

18 Seaboard is good. So is Coquette in North Hills. http://coquetteraleigh.com/

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[TerryG]

And Vivace -- modern Italian also in North Hills and owned by the same restaurant group as Coquette (a French Brasserie). Both are good.

[Tehama]

If you *do* want a Français entrée, I do love St. Jacques!
http://www.saintjacquesfrenchcuisine.com/contact.html

Oh rats, I just noticed you said Sunday. Every single one of my favorite restaurants I just checked are closed on Sunday: St. Jacques, Bloomsbury Bistro, Glenwood Grill, The Mint, Second Empire, Margaux .... 18 Seaboard is open, though. http://18seaboard.com/guest_direction... I am a fan!

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

Margaux's Restaurant
8111 Creedmoor Rd Ste 111, Raleigh, NC 27613

Bloomsbury Bistro
509 W Whitaker Mill Rd, Raleigh, NC 27608

Glenwood Grill
2603-151 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608

[rafeco]

Sunday is a bit of a dead night in Raleigh, but a few good places are open. Buku and 18 Seaboard are open for sure, as is Jibarra.

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Jibarra Restaurant
7420 6 Forks Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615

18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604

[jenniferCordes]

Thanks for the recommendations. I've reserved a table at 18 Seaboard and will hope for the best. I'm from Greensboro but have lived in Baltimore for the past 12 years. I'm so out of touch with the Triangle area now.

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18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604