Raleigh State Farmers Market

Full Disclosure: I already have a pretty major obsession with farmers markets.

The co-mingling of people, produce, baked goods, homemade jellies/jams/pickles, dogs and babies on a sunny Saturday morning never fails to put me in a great mood that can last an entire weekend. But while I've made many trips to the Carborro and Durham markets, I had yet to experience what NC's capital city market had to offer.

I'm happy to say I was not disappointed by my first visit there.

Shoppers peruse the array of fresh
fruits and vegetables

El Cuscatleco

Never judge a book by its cover...

But with certain restaurants, you can tell something special waits inside. Local spots that may not be much to look at, but the parking lot is always full and the crowds are overflowing. 

Hidden gems, hole-in-the-wall, Dives. Call them whatever you like, just be sure to check prejudgments at the door and channel an adventurous spirit.

El Cuscatleco in Durham is one of those places, and should not to be missed out on.

Cinco De Mayo Margarita

Toast

What's in a name? Toast Durham lets the writing on the wall set the stage for hungry patrons waiting in line.

Toast: to make bread crisp and brown by heat.

What a great verb. After enjoying a meal here, it's easy to understand why this term was chosen to be the namesake and wall decoration for this truly authentic Italian sandwich shop. Toast takes the action of crisping and browning to another level, elevating it into an art form.

Downtown Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo - May 4th

The first installment of the Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo series kicked off this past Sunday afternoon, and was the culmination of everything there is to love about the food truck scene in the Triangle.

Fayetteville Street was brimming with men, women, dogs, babies, strollers, a guy kicking fresh poetry freestyles in an all-white suit (food trucks are a powerful muse), all gathered together in order to bathe in the vast sea of food truck deliciousness.