New restaurants and happenings
Tyler's and Pop the Cap; Dream Catcher Cafe; The Cupcake Shoppe
by Claire Cusick @TheDoughEater
Do you like bitter beer? Are you looking for better bitter beer? Have you become embittered because there isn't better bitter beer, here? (OK, I'll stop now.) Tyler's Taproom (324 Blackwell St., Suite 400, Durham, 433-0345, www.tylerstaproom.com will host a beer tasting from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24, just prior to a Durham Bulls game. Tyler's and Pop the Cap, the organization that successfully lobbied to raise North Carolina's 6 percent alcohol by volume cap on beer, will welcome Lee Chase of California's Stone Brewing Co. and several bitter beers.
Bitter beers are also known as "West Coast" or "West Coast-style" beers, says Sean Wilson, president of Pop the Cap. They are "those aggressive beers that manage to balance big, bitter hops with a nice malty undertone." Stone's beers aren't yet available in North Carolina, but they will be at the tasting. Tyler's will serve snacks to accompany the brews. Tickets are $25 per person and are available online at Pop the Cap's Web site (popthecap.org), or at Tyler's in Durham or Carrboro. Organizers are also offering a package deal for Bulls tickets afterward.
If a different kind of beverage suits your summer quaffing needs, head over to Dream Catcher Café (1129 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill, 933-9410) on Wednesday, Aug. 29, for a "Sparkling Summer Reception"—a champagne dinner. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., you can sample five champagnes from the house of Duval-Leroy—located in the actual region of Champagne, in the actual country of France—served with Dream Catcher's French country cuisine. Cost is $25 per person.
As with all wine (and beer) dinners, it's best to reserve your space in advance.
And speaking of cupcakes ... whoops! Were we speaking of cupcakes? No? Well, we finally have an actual cupcake store to call our own. The Cupcake Shoppe (104 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, 821-4223, www.thecupcakeshopperaleigh.com) opened July 28 in the Glenwood South area. And it's perfect. It has pink décor, marble countertops, and 11 kinds of cupcakes, including the Plain Jane (vanilla cake with vanilla bean buttercream frosting), the Brown Betty (chocolate cake with dark chocolate buttercream frosting) and the Big Red (red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting).
Owner Sara Coleman grew up in North Carolina, went to N.C. State, and spent about six years in the corporate world while baking as a hobby. Now she's back, with a commitment to local ingredients. The strawberries in the Pretty in Pink (strawberry cake with strawberry buttercream frosting) are local, and the coffee she serves is from Raleigh's own Larry's Beans. The Cupcake Shoppe is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Coleman serves assorted cookies and muffins, as well as milk, water and coffee. Custom cakes and cupcakes are also available.
Know about a special food happening in the Triangle? Send it to Now Serving at food@indyweek.com.
Comments (1)
Showing 1-1 of 1
- To create paragraphs in your comment, type <p> at the start of a paragraph and </p> at the end of each paragraph.
- To create bold text, type <b>bolded text</b> (please note the closing tag, </b>).
- To create italicized text, type <i>italicized text</i> (please note the closing tag, </i>).
- Proper web addresses will automatically become links.
Latest in Now Serving
-
Smitten with Deb Perelman
Perelman's fans devour every inviting photo and heartfelt word on her conversational Smitten Kitchen cooking blog. Plus: recipe for Perelman's Pancetta, White Bean and Swiss Chard Pot Pies
- Feb 20, 2013
-
Hakanai, a pop-up Japanese restaurant
For three days in February, Hakanai will encamp at the Cookery in Durham. And then, poof, it will disappear.
- Dec 5, 2012
-
Moon Pie-eating contest; Hoppin' John cook-off; Durham Foodie gets published
Moon Pie-eating contest at Duke Homestead on Sat.; Hoppin' John cook-off at Shakori Hills on Sept. 15; Johanna Kramer has published The Food Lover's Guide to Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill
- Sep 5, 2012
- More »
More by Claire Cusick
-
The legacy of Magnolia Grill
Even if you never ate at Magnolia Grill, you have had many opportunities to taste its influence. A slew of local alumni carry on Ben and Karen Barker's legacy: excellence and a relentless commitment to local ingredients.
- Jun 13, 2012
-
The delights of Hummingbird Bakery
Amy Tornquist's new bakery shares a sensibility with her Watts Grocery: a seasonal menu with fresh, local, homemade ingredients. Besides the sweet stuff, Hummingbird serves all-day breakfast, a great lunch, and vegetarian and vegan options.
- Sep 19, 2012
-
The stunner and the sausage biscuit: Temple Grandin at the Carolina Meat Conference
"She is the one and only when it comes to animal welfare and livestock handling." — Barrett Twitty, N.C. slaughterhouse owner and conference attendee
- Dec 4, 2012
- More »
