Glenwood Grill

Hello again, readers! Hope you're enjoying the first few days of summer! Last night Nate and I went out on a date (have I mentioned you need to date your spouse?)! I researched places to eat and settled on Glenwood Grill because it was local, used regionally sourced ingredients and was highly reviewed. 

Glenwood Grill is located at 2603 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27608. 

We dressed up and drove over. When we pulled up I was a little disappointed to find it was in a strip mall-setting. However I remained hopeful that it would be good. I will admit I felt a little over dressed for the crowd that was there at 7 PM: I was wearing a dress and Nate was in a sport coat; most patrons were not as nice as we were. But still, I remained optimistic. 

Decor: excellent. The restaurant was very small but also intimate. The lighting was very low with candles and flowers on every table, it was extremely romantic. Even the bathrooms were elegant!  

Food appearance: excellent! Food was plated well and looked as appetizing as it tasted.

Food taste: excellent! We began with the Poached Mussels; they were poached with shallots, cream and heaven for all I know! They were so delicate and flavorful it was hard for me to share them with Nate at all. The mussels were served with pieces of crusty bread which was topped with cheese and garlic. 

Nate ordered the Martinated Grilled Mahi Mahi, served on a sweet corn and grit cake with a warm salad of a

artichoke and jumbo lump crab meat and a spinach and ham vinegarette! Every piece was artfully composed and married like a match made in heaven. 

I ordered the Seared Shetland Islands Salmon off the A La Carte menu. The salmon was tender and juicy with the most crisp skin I've ever had on a fish before. My salmon came with an arugula salad with Granny Smith apples, chopped walnuts, blue cheese and a balsamic reduction; is there anything better? 

We ended our meal with a Grand Marnier Creme Brûlée topped with berry compote. The Creme Brûlée was so decadent and sweet with the subtle flavor of Grand Marnier. 

Service: excellent! Our server was friendly, attentive and really strove to make our experience a positive one. 

Cleanliness: excellent! Everything was spotless and beautiful. 

Total: 15/15 

A perfect score for Glenwood Grill! I would recommend this place to anyone for a date night, so romantic, so delicious, and definitely somewhere you'll want to visit over and over again! 

The Rockford

Last weekend my best friend Casey came to visit! We spent the week eating and drinking and enjoying each other's company. We also decided to celebrate her birthday (a week early). 

To celebrate I planned a full day of activities for us beginning with a lunch at The Rockford. 

The Rockford is located at 320 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603. 

We walked up the stairs to find ourselves in the middle of the dining room with a bar to our right. We were greeted and taken outside to their adorable patio. The patio had 3 tables and a beautiful view of Glenwood Avenue. Thankfully it was also a sunny day so the temperature was perfect. I also noticed small planters on the railing of the patio where fresh herbs were growing. 

Decor: good. The Rockford has a very minimalist atmosphere. There is some art adorning the walls but they definitely let their food do the talking. If you get the chance to dine there and it's a sunny day, opt for the patio. 

Food appearance: good. There is definitely attention to detail! And while the food is American and southern fare, it is played in gourmet style. 

Food taste: excellent! The food tasted so incredible! 

We began with the Pimento Cheese Mini appetizer; house made pimento cheese, crispy bacon, and tomato slices on small marble rye toasts. Every flavor shined and left you wanting more! Definitely give it a try! 

Casey ordered the Shrimp Po' Boy, which was excellent. The shrimp were gigantic first of all and perfectly fried so they were crisp on the outside yet tender and juicy on the inside. The remoulade was spicy with the freshness of citrus. She paired her sandwich with a house salad with ceasar dressing. 

I ordered the Avocado Spinach Wrap; vocado, spinach, red pepper, tomato, fresh lime, habanero cheddar cheese, jalapeño-cilantro tortilla and chipotle aioli. The wrap was fresh and flavorful but so dry! It was desperately needing a side of aioli or something. Every bite was delicious but left me very thirsty. I paired my wrap with a house salad with their house made citrus honey mustard vinegarette, which may have been the most flavorful salad dressing I've ever had in my life! Seriously, I would've drank it with a straw it was that delicious! 

Service: good. The only reason I would give this a "good" and not "excellent" is because I'm not exactly sure who our server actually was. We had two servers coming to our table throughout the meal and they didn't seem to be communicating with each other at all. This resulted in getting double the to go boxes, answering the same questions twice and not knowing who was getting the tip. Frankly it was just a little awkward. 

Cleanliness: excellent. Everything was clean, servers looked well-groomed, and tables were turned over so fast you wouldn't even know there had been people sitting in them. 

Total: 12/15

I would definitely go back to The Rockford in a heartbeat! The items on the menu all sounded phenomenal and I cannot wait to go and try them!