Friday Beer?

It's Friday afternoon. The clock is inching further away from noon, and ever closer to 5. I find myself expectantly glancing at the screen of my iPhone, waiting for the text message to brighten the display.

"Friday beer?"

Dale's Pale Ale at Sam's Quik Shop

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.

Monuts Donuts

Carrot Cake Donut.
Up close and personal

Where: 110 East Parrish Street, Durham
Hours: Monday through Thursday 7 AM - 3 PM
Friday and Saturday 7 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: 8 AM - 3 PM
http://monutsdonuts.com/
@MonutsDonuts


A morning that starts at Monuts usually has a way of turning into a particularly awesome morning. Walking down Parrish street, anticipating the deliciousness that's just on the horizon, my mood is magically lifted by the prospect of expertly crafted sweet circles of fried dough.

Sam's Bottle Shop

Where: 1112 W. HWY 54, Durham, North Carolina 27705

Hours: Mon - Wed: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

Thu - Sat: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Sun: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm

@SamsBottleShop
https://www.facebook.com/samsbottleshop1

This past weekend I got to stop by Sam's new bottle shop, which recently had its grand opening April 10th. And let me say: I. Am. PUMPED for this new location.

Fullsteam Ahead!

Runners mingling in front of Fullsteam

One of the many things that I love about the Triangle is the extensive running community that thrives across the three cities. The area is a genuine treasure trove of outdoor trails, weekend races and running meet-ups. In Durham, my favorite running discovery over the past year is the Fullsteam Ahead! Run Club.

Organized and sponsored by Bull City Running Company (an excellent locally owned running supply store in South Durham), the club brings together runners of all shapes, sizes and skill levels.