Ginny from the Blog

Perhaps the most amusing thing happening in the Triangle this weekend is PeepFest 2008 at Market Street Books in Chapel Hill. The daylong event celebrates the marshmellow chicks and bunnies with activities such as Peeps jousting and a Peeps fashion show. This year’s theme is “Imagine World Peeps.” For the full list of activities click here. Market Street Books is located in Arts & Letters Community Center, 610 Market St.

In honor of this Peepabration, I made a quick video featuring the sugary, gooey animals. If you want to follow along, log onto How to Microwave a Peep while you watch this.

I guess now that McDonald’s offers fancy coffee …

It may draw a bigger crowd on Friday nights …

The McDonald’s on Wake Forest and Six Forks in Raleigh may soon be the most happening fast food joint on Friday nights.

As of today, nearly every McDonald’s in the Triangle and Fayetteville areas now serves “specialty coffees” for its customers, according to local spokespeople for the restaurant who sent out this press release today:

McDonald’s has taken strides to increase coffee and beverage options since the launch of its Premium Roast Coffee in 2006, and has continued their focus on providing customers’ the variety they want, with the introduction of the McCafe Specialty Coffees. … New coffees include: Lattes, Mochas and Cappuccinos in a variety of options and flavors, including Iced, Caramel and Vanilla, and Hot Chocolate. Most are available in three sizes – small (12 ounces), medium (18 ounces) and large (20 ounces). McDonald’s gives the customers a choice of whole, two percent, or non-fat milk. The new McCafe Specialty Coffees area available in approximately 95 percent of participating McDonald’s restaurants in the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville area.

Since I love a good cup of coffee, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try a McDonald’s latte.

I am ashamed to say this was my lunch today:

I was in such disbelief when the waitress delivered all this meat, that I had to take a picture. Co-worker Wayne Sutton thought this was funny, so he took a picture of me taking a picture of my pork:

So then I had to take a picture of him because I thought it was funny that he was playing with his iPhone while his pork was right in front of him:

We’re in Charlotte, and this BBQ was OK. But I’m always interested in good BBQ. Any suggestions of places I should go when I get back to the Triangle?

Raleigh blogger Brandy found this hilarious confection yesterday when she went to Wal-Mart. Her blog “Girl on Camera” is filled with random nuggets like this. Thanks to her, guess what all my friends are getting around Easter time.

I haven’t been to A Southern Season in Chapel Hill since I moved back to the Triangle. For those of you who have never been, it’s a gourmet market that you can easily spend hours in if you’re hungry and love to shop (it’s so fabulous that I have a girlfriend who actually shrieks every time you say you went without her). You can take cooking classes there, sample wines on the weekends, dine in its restaurant (the Weathervane) and shop for delicious candies, coffees, housewares and oh so much more. OK, I’ll stop now, I’m starting to sound like a commerical.

I bring this up because I found out today that A Southern Season is teaming up with the Triangle Land Conservancy for a day-long fundraiser next month. On Tuesday, March 17, the market is giving the conservancy 5 percent of all retail sales. The conservancy works to protect open space and other natural areas in Durham, Wake, Orange, Chatham, Johnston and Lee counties. The nonprofit is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, according to a news release I read today.

Anyway, if you haven’t been to the market in a while or *gasp* not at all, this might be a good excuse to check it out.

Does that little framed certificate sporting a restaurant’s sanitation score make a difference to you? Because it does to 73 percent of the people surveyed by the Wake County Environmental Services Food Sanitation Section (now that’s a mouthful). In an online survey administered last month, 1,000 people detailed their thoughts on restaurant cleanliness.

Among the findings: 55 percent say places that serve food should be inspected at least quarterly while 31 percent said those inspections should happen monthly. Also, it seem a score in the 90 to 93.5 percent range is what triggers diners to think twice before ordering. The full results can be found here.

BTW, Wake County’s Food Sanitation Section is responsible for inspecting 1,795 restaurants and 502 food service establishments, in addition to 160 temporary food booths at the State Fair. That’s a lot of check ups.

As for me, sometimes I take notice of a restaurant’s score (usually if it’s displayed prominantly) but I don’t seek it out. I remember Joe & Jo’s in downtown Durham (RIP) had a pretty low score for a while (90 percent if I remember accurately). I remember joshing Chris the bartender about it a lot, but he always defended it, saying something like the inspector just so happen to come on a day a cooler was broken (or something like that). But I never got sick from eating there.

What about you? How important is the rating system to your dining habits?

Oh, and here are some handy little Websites that let you check restaurant scores in Wake County, Durham County and Orange County. Or you can search by state.

It’s Friday night, and I’m still sick. So instead of doing the usual dining out with friends, I’m at home trying to get better. If I could make it out tonight, I’d definitely be searching for some sushi. And that got me thinking: Where’s the best place to get sushi in the Triangle?

In Raleigh, I’ve tried Sushi Blues, Shaba Shabu, Sushi-Thai and Carolina Sushi and Roll. But I’m ready to branch out, so tell me where I should go (or avoid) when I get better.

I’ll give you a hint, it was in Raleigh at a restaurant where you’re served by a waitress. I had mushroom and onion angel hair pasta. I took a picture of this mural in the restaurant’s waiting area:

I’ll follow up on any guesses. Take a stab.