Fantastic spot to grab a nice meal. It's on the more intimate side, so definitely make a…read morereservation during peak times. Was really impressed by the hospitality of the bartender Toulson (spelling?). He was super friendly, knowledgeable, and gave me detailed recommendations. -- The Hamachi Crudo was so bright and light. I really enjoyed the puffed rice on top and the basil ice complemented the dish well. The grapefruit added some nice acidity and the little crunchy bites were the perfect texture contrast. The pieces of fish were large and thick. -- The Manchego-herb Biscuits were awesome. One order comes with four small biscuits. Crust was flaky, the inside was soft and moist, and the flaky salt was the cherry on top. -- The Seared Duck Breast was phenomenal. The duck was juicy and tender and salted well. The skin was thick, sooo flavorful, and melted in your mouth but I would've liked a little more crispiness on the outside. I enjoyed the mix of fresh vegetables and warm cooked vegetables served with the dish. -- The Lemon Yuzu Tart was a nice bright and rich dessert. The tartness comes from the jam on top of the tart but it doesn't overwhelm the dish. The creme brulee style top was a nice touch. The buttermilk ice cream was more on the icier side than creamy. I really enjoyed all the dishes I tried here and am looking forward to my next visit.

Crawford and Son serves very tasty food in a modern diner atmosphere and attentive service…read more Although not a breakfast place, their famous biscuits are a great opener - so flaky and buttery with manchego cheese that adds deep, sharp flavor and a moist yumminess. I enjoyed the duck breast, with a crunch tasty dried beet topping. The duck was moist and tender and the strips were nicely roasted. For dessert, I savored the Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake. This is a rich cake with a full chocolate flavor. When I'm next in Raleigh, I plan to dine at Crawford and Son for a superb meal.

Wow, this might be one of the best restaurants in Raleigh! I stopped in for a business dinner and…read morewas really excited to finally try one of Ashley Christensen's restaurants. Parking can be a bit challenging as you'll either need to find street parking or in a open lot near by. The restaurant itself is located in a historic building that once was a funeral home and also was also a tax practice in a different chapter. The restaurant feels very upscale but there isn't a strict dress code. The kitchen is open as well if yo prefer to sit along the kitchen and watch the chefs cook. When you order you'll have to place everything at the same time but they'll pace it out to your table. For drinks, I ordered the In Gold Blood (Bourbon, amaro, Fino sherry, banana, golden raisin) and the head in the clouds (Vodka, Falernum, strawberry, pistachio). Both drinks were excellent and extremely easy to drink. You'll definitely want to start with the sourdough bread, NC Oysters (Roasted NC oysters, chili butter, preserved lemon gremolata), and fried NC shrimp (Fried NC shrimp, buried garlic aioli, pickled green tomatoes). All of the appetizers were excellent in their own way. The bread and butter just complemented each other so well, the oysters were well balanced and almost seared where they weren't chargrilled but partially still raw, and the fried nc shrimp has a nice contrast of flavor with the pickled green tomatoes and fried shrimp. For the entree we split the Prime-aged Delmonico (ribeye; and was served in a red wine jus, and topped with sea salt and peppercorn). The steak fell apart as you bit into it. For sides, we ordered the crispy potatoes (Crispy potatoes, Italian chili crisp, piquillo peppers) and Brussel sprouts (Embered Brussels sprouts, apples, lardon vinaigrette, almonds). The steak and potatoes were definitely my favorite. The Brussel sprouts were good but a bit on the salad side where they were still a little hard. For dessert, we ordered the cheesecake (Basque cheesecake, strawberry compote, olive oil shortbread) and the Sticky Toffee Pudding (Sticky toffee pudding, embered vanilla ice cream, benne seed brittle). The sticky toffee pudding was so warm and was excellent. The cheesecake also had a nice balance of flavor and the strawberry compote combination worked perfectly. This is by far one of my favorite meals I've had in Raleigh and you definitely need to go here if you are in the area.

It's not every day you get to dine in a former mortuary. Eating solo, I opted for a seat at the…read morebar, which turned out to be the right decision. While the food left me somewhat underwhelmed, the cocktails were exceptional, among the best I've had in recent memory. The standout was the Over/Under, a beet-infused gin take on a Negroni. Absolutely phenomenal. The earthy beet notes were subtle but present, complementing the bitterness of the Campari, the floral qualities of the gin, and just enough sweetness to tie everything together. Every cocktail I tried was excellent, but this was the clear winner. As for the food, it never quite reached the same heights. The beef tartare was the best dish I had all evening. In fact, I found myself enjoying it more on the accompanying sourdough bread than on the rice crisps it was served with, which ultimately justified ordering the bread. The "pickled egg yolk" was an inventive twist, essentially replacing both the raw egg and cornichons found in a traditional French tartare. Clever in concept, but the pickling process seemed to sacrifice some of the creamy richness that the dish could have benefited from. The rice crisp accompaniment is also part of a trend I've noticed at several restaurants and one I'm not particularly sold on. They're usually too brittle to hold much tartare and often end up scattered across the plate. I find they work better crushed into the tartare itself than as a delivery vehicle. The oysters were the biggest disappointment of the meal. Heavily drenched in butter, they felt one-dimensional, with the lemon zest providing the only real counterbalance. To be fair, this is likely intended as a shared dish, and as a solo diner consuming the entire portion myself, the richness may have become more pronounced than intended. The gnocchi delivered deep, satisfying flavor and were impressively light, though perhaps a touch too soft for my personal preference. As I glanced over at the roast chicken being served to the couple next to me, a sense of ordering regret began to creep in. What ultimately elevates Death & Taxes is its hospitality. The service was genuinely five-star. Every dish was explained thoughtfully as it was delivered, and the bar team struck that perfect balance of attentiveness and conversation, making a solo diner feel completely welcome. Their warmth and professionalism raised this experience from a three-star meal to a four-star evening. And they are all 5 star.

This restaurant has been at the top of my list of places to try for quite awhile. It is…read moreconsistently listed as one of the best restaurants in the area but they don't take reservations! Our group of 4 showed up on a Wednesday evening at 5:30 and got seated immediately. We ordered their bread and butter, roasted bone marrow, scallops, ribeye steak, pork belly, fried oysters, and desserts. Everything was amazing!! Service was outstanding!

Wonderful meal on the outside patio which was a treat before summer heat sets in…read more Starters were very good: bread and butter (WOW!), tuna, gem salad (WOW!) Tagliatelle with mint and bread crumbs....the crunch was welcome but the mint was not for me. Service was perfect. Drinks were fine. We will be back : )

Healthy, delicious, fresh…read more This is the first Farmside Kitchen i've been to and i've been coming back ever since. Perfect for a quick meal to go or dine-in. I've been making my own bowls every time i come here and it has yet to disappoint. The staff is patient and friendly, the food is delicious and there are many many options to curate your own salad or bowl and theres lots of tables to sit and eat, inside and out. They also have some cookies and handcrafted beverages and soda. You have yet to let me down farmside kitchen! See you again soon

I love this place! Their Chicken Caesar is unique and delicious (quite creative to include…read moretomatoes, Parmesan crisps, and quinoa on a Caesar, but I LOVED it!!!). Next time I will have to try the hibiscus lemonade! Thanks for making healthy food more exciting and bringing Farmside Kitchen to Cary!!!

This was my first time at Second Empire. I hadn't heard of the restaurant, but I was taken there…read morefor my birthday, and it was a wonderful surprise. I would have walked by the restaurant as it's unassuming from the outside, but it's quite a beautiful building. I liked the uniqueness of the building. There are multiple levels, and we ate in the lower level. There was a waiter and an assistant for our table, so we were never ignored and received great service. For a starter, we had the Crispy Beeler Farms "Pepsi Cola" Braised Pork Belly, which was so delicious! There were so many wonderful flavors and great texture in that dish. When it was gone, I wanted more. For my entrée, I had the Moroccan Seasoned Bell & Evans Chicken Breast. Chicken breast can be dry, but the chicken was cooked perfectly. I requested the sauce on the side, but when I tried it, the sauce was divine! The side of rice was flavorful as well. There wasn't anything that I ate that I did not enjoy! I would definitely eat here again.

Second Empire was truly an experience and a work of art. The historic building alone is stunning,…read moreand the atmosphere feels special from the moment you walk in. We went on New Year's Eve and arrived earlier than our reservation time but were quickly accommodated despite how busy it was. Service was excellent throughout the night. Upon arrival they took our coats and provided a ticket, and the attention to detail continued all evening. Our waiter was wonderful and went the extra mile to explain the specials in detail. They swapped silverware between courses and cleared even the smallest crumbs from the table -- the kind of thoughtful touches you expect at a higher-end restaurant. The food was outstanding. We shared the Cajun ribeye, which they split for us, and was absolutely amazing and full of flavor. The pork belly appetizer and salad were also excellent. My son had the duck and loved it. One note: my mom ordered the seafood paella without seafood. The staff did warn that it would still have a fish-based flavor, and it ended up being very fishy and not great. In hindsight, it would have been better to choose a dish that didn't require modification. The price remained the same despite removing the seafood, which is understandable but still worth noting. Overall, the pricing felt fair given the quality of the food, the setting, and the standout service. This is a beautiful, memorable dining experience and I would definitely return and recommend it.

My family has lived in Holly Springs for nearly 30 years--we've had to go out of town for most of…read morethat time to enjoy a nice meal. That has now changed with the Town's growth and corresponding new restaurants but, until we (finally) went to Pimiento Tea Room last night, we didn't know that it is much more than what we'd thought it was. We enjoyed specialty cocktails, creative, fresh small plates and generous main courses, the service was excellent, and the ambiance was charming. After dining in many places in the country and beyond, we are humbled (but, pleased) to now realize that such a special place is in our backyard, and we'll be going back again very soon.

Food, service, and ambience are all 10/10!…read more I did a shared plate afternoon adventure with my friend. We got the scones (I would recommend the honey and chive butter, she preferred the sweet cinnamon sugar). We also split the French onion Mac and cheese. I love that they use cavatappi (sp? - corkscrews) so the sauce is in and around every noodle. The crisp onions on top provided a perfect crunch! We also split the crab and avocado sandwich with house salad. The house salad dressing was amazing as was the crab and avocado. It was so good I asked for a catering menu for my next event. Thankfully, our amazing service was Gabi, who manages all the catering. Such a great experience on a lovely afternoon.

Went here for Christmas Eve at the recommendation of a friend (who has never eaten there himself,…read morehe only drove by and admired the place) Our party was a bit skeptical on if this place were any good but we ended up very satisfied. Service was excellent. They played Christmas music which really was special due to it being Christmas Eve. I really appreciated that, and I feel like everyone else did too. When you looked around the restaurant, everyone was having intimate family meals for the holiday. It was really sweet, hard to explain. We ordered the: - Chicken Frances - very good 10/10 - Lamb lollipops - excellenttttt 12/10 - Beef Carpaccio - I didn't love this, the sauce overpowered it but just wasn't my taste. Overall, we had a wonderful time. Looking forward to returning and trying more items on their menu.

Excellent service! We had the best waitress last night. She was friendly, patient and the perfect…read morelevel of attentive. We started off with a round of drinks, I had wine and my husband had the Mexican Herbalist (delicious). For dinner, we had the special of the day (steak frites) and the short rib. Both were good. The steak was cooked as ordered medium), but didn't hold heat well, as it was a little cool when it arrived. We ended the night with the Apple Gallete, and it was good. The crust was a tad chewy, but it was still pretty delicious and paired nicely with the ice cream.

Spicy sausage pizza…read more *Spicy sausage pizzzzaaaahhhh!* Had a very pleasant evening here with friends and fam. Wasn't well planned so we just winged it with a party of 11. Some pasta dishes, some pizzas, all happy. Out the door was right at $414.00 which is super reasonable for such a crowd. 10/10 will be back

Popular place in the Village District, already a line of people outside for Saturday brunch. Had…read morethe usual egg and French toast options, plus their lunch menu. The Harvest bowl with farro and sweet potato and Baja Bowl with kale, rice and black beans were both fresh and delicious. I can see why this place is popular, from outdoor seating to lots of food options and cocktails, seems like it appeals to lots of tastes. Server was super friendly.