What To Have

As Sean said before a few of us went to The Underground. Like Sean, my expectations were low simply because I’ve been there when people were dancing on the bar. I did however expect great food, because I had heard many excellent examples of their food.

If you read Sean’s post he calls me out a little bit, I’ll address that later, and I’ll start with what I had. Apparently the menu changes quite often, because the items on their site now are somewhat representative of what was on the menu that night. I wouldn’t let that hold you back though, if you like what you see, I’m sure you’ll find something very close.

I had the hanger steak with mustard sauce and fresh horseradish and the mac/cheese with prosciutto . Both were magnificent. The steak (that’s hanger not hangar) was grilled to a juicy medium with a fresh mustard sauce, then topped with fresh grated horseradish. I like horseradish, and you won’t find many places to take the time to use something fresh instead of something out of the bottle. I believe it was also served with some wilted greens. Definitely nothing against their presentation or taste, but honestly I forget some of the details, because my attention was focused on the side I’d ordered.

The mac/cheese used small elbow noodles and the sauce seemed like a mix of yellow and white cheddar cheeses. Besides just having a cheesy sauce, the chef mixed in prosciutto. The salty smoked flavor of the meat added a dimension I’d never tried. The entire dish was heated in the oven until a crispy (almost crust-like) layer was covering the top. I love mac/cheese and this proved to be one of my favorites.

Now, about the French fries. Yes, I believe the pomme frittes at Riviera will change your life. And I’ve said before, try those and even McDonalds fries will never be the same. With that being said, I’ll say that the fries at The Underground are spectacular. (See I’m not saying which is better, but I’m going to let you decide for yourself). These fries had a few things I loved besides being fried potatoes. First, I thought that traditional “hand cut” fries represented the best shape, I was wrong. These fries were long but they were about half the thickness of regular fries. So Sean is right, it was like you got a whole bowl of crunchy fries. Second, the garlic aioli was phenomenal. Catsup is so mundane give me this garlic infused dipping sauce any day.

–Matt

So Friday night I met some friends for dinner at the Underground.

I went in with fairly low expectations, due to the fact that the Underground is located in the Charlie Goodnight’s compound, in the space formerly held by The Old Bar. I still vividly remember Fajita Margarita nights and sticking around to see the middle-aged women dancing on the bar, trying to pick up college guys. But, I digress.

The Underground is a bit different from the Old Bar. The place has been spruced and cleaned up, but it still holds it old dark basement feel. I talked with the chef/owner for a bit, and found that his food is based on local seasonal ingredients. The menu at the Underground changes almost daily depending on what is available and/or in season, which I think is awesome.

Anyway, after a couple of drinks we order food. For starters, we had Calamari and a Smoked Trout Spread. Both were awsome. Now personally, I think that Nana’s has some of the best calamari out there, but now I’m reconsidering. I’m also a big fan of smoked fish, so I enjoyed the spread.

For dinner I ordered the strip steak and orders of the french fries and green beans with cabbage.

It was all phenominal.

The steak was served with a gorgonzola butter which really set it off. The green beans and cabbage were lightly fried in brown butter and finnished with sea salt.

Now those of you that know Matt, have probably heard him expound at length about the joys of the pommes frites at Riviera. They are some of the best fries I’ve ever had. The fries at the Underground, however, are better (I’m sure Matt’s going to want to argue this one). Maybe it’s the garlic aioli they are served with, or maybe it’s the way the are cut so thin that almost the whole fry is crispy, but they are awesome.

Anyway, I plan on coming back to the Underground… a lot. If you are in the area, definetly stop in.

Check out their website at:The Underground.

–Sean

Moonlight Pizza is a lunch staple for me. I usually go with the salad/pizza combo, but today i tried something new.

I had The Dark Side of the Moon …one word…WOW!! This is another example of how you can take a normal item and make it 10 times better with great ingredients. This is a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich, and yet it’s so much more. They start with super fresh bread. They get giant French loafs that they cut off to make their sandwich bread, lightly buttered and toasted. Next a huge portabella mushroom is grilled to perfection. It’s cooked to the point that its soft and juicy. Top that with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. It doesn’t stop there. It’s rear that you’ll find fresh basil in a dish, they slice thin strips and sprinkle them over the sandwich. Then they blend some basil with their fresh mayo. This is a huge sandwich with lots and lots of flavor, I might have another one this week!!

–Matt

Last time I described Hard Times I talked about a few of their dishes and their chili. This time I wanted to describe their steak and cheese. I really like this dish. There are not many places to get a steak and cheese in downtown Raleigh. The Brass Grille has or had an excellent one years ago, but I haven’t been there in a while (guess I need to go back and see what’s going on there). Otherwise, you’re kind of outta luck for a steak and cheese in downtown. That doesn’t make Hard Times slack off though. They start with fresh steak that’s pre-cut, but not pre cooked. I think this is key, none of that steak-and-cheese-strip stuff. I like mine with grilled peppers and onions. Finish it off with cheese on a grilled hoagie roll, a side of fries and you’ve got a steak and cheese that is not just satisfactory, but tasty, quick and convenient.

–Matt

I mentioned the Sui Mai the last time I described ventured to the duck and dumpling. They were exceptional this time as well.

Now I’d like to focus on a dish I alluded to previously and as you might have guessed it didn’t take me long to sample it again. The best tuna in Raleigh, hands down. The Seared Tuna is a special they generally have. It starts with a large sashimi grade tuna steak. They roll the tuna is a simple mix of salt, pepper and thyme. The chef sears it briefly on the outside, just enough to have a thin cooked skin that’s visible when plated. The tuna is sliced into what I like to call slabs and placed on top of a bed of mixed greens. The whole thing is drizzled with a house made balsamic vinaigrette.

This is a fairly simple dish, but it exemplifies what you can get when you start with the right ingredients. Give this one a try, ask for some hot sauce or wasabi if you want to spice it up.

–Matt