What To Have

I got a chance to get dinner at Dos Taquitos Centro on friday. I believe you simply can’t go wrong here. I started with one of their margaritas and then noticed they have a tequila menu…It’s going to be fun working through all their offerings.

They don’t start dinner with the normal chips/salsa. Instead you get some fresh sliced veggies and some corn. The veggies (carrots, cucumber etc.) were thinly sliced and sprinkled with an authentic spice (I can’t remember the name). This made the veggies stand out, it was a little spicy and a little salty, and it went very well with my margarita. The plate also included deep fried white corn. This was white corn kernels in a light batter deep fried. An excellent crunchy dish.

Next I went with their Guacamolito. Basically guacamole with chips, but truly a thing of beauty. The freshness of everything (avocados, spices, chips) made this hard to put down even though I knew I had a full meal coming.

For dinner I went with the Enchiladas Puebla. The bartender said this was one of the only carry-overs from the other restaurant. I can see why. Three enchiladas filled with steak, black bean and chicken. Each covered with its own sauce and sides of rice and beans. This was a big meal regardless of what I had beforehand. I liked it all, the steak and chicken tasted slow roasted and the different toppings allowed for a lot of different flavor combinations. I’m going to get a new menu item next, but i’ll definitely be having these again.

–Matt

Vegetable spring rolls aren’t on the menu at Five Star, but they’ll occasionally cook them. I got turned on to these by one of the bartenders (see general guidlines) I like my food spicy, and the kitchen knows this, so my favorite part of this app is the diced chili’s the put in the roll. They make it spicy and even more enjoyable.

One of my favorites at five star is the salt and pepper calamari. I don’t eat this enough, they have so many good dishes I keep in the rotation that i often forget the calamari. Anyway, this is one of the best versions of calamari in raleigh. It’s really easy to overcook this dish but it’s never been overcooked here. It’s lightly battered which makes it slightly crunchy, but it’s not so battered that it gets oily. A simple sprinkle of salt and pepper along with a side of sauce complete this dish. Try these out.

-Matt

I enjoyed another lunch at Riviera this afternoon. My company had a quarterly meeting there. The service was great and everyone enojoyed the food. I got to try the lunch serving of the lamb. Three brochettes are served over risotto. Both items were excellent, I’ve described the lamb before, grilled and tender on the inside. The rice enhanced the dish, i believe it was some sort of curry mixed with other spices. I’ll have this again.

-Matt

What started as a trip to Dos Taquitos turned into an amazing experience at Riviera. A note, Dos Taquitos is only open for dinner Thurs-Sat so I’ll have to venture there for dinner this weekend.

Riviera updated their menu last Wednesday for the fall. Upon a quick browse two items immediately stood out and my order was placed.

I started with the Portabella con cangerejo (sp). This was a roasted portabella mushroom sitting on a bed of arugula. Then they added a layer of warmed roasted peppers and melted buffalo mozzarella cheese. A layer of crab topped the appetizer and it was garnished with balsamic vinaigrette and chopped green onions. To say this was amazing is an understatement. The cheese covered the peppers and onions but wasn’t overpowering. All the layers were generally of equal proportion so you could cut directly down and get the combined taste of everything with each bite. This appetizer was very large, you could easily have a couple of these (or a different app) as a whole meal.

The second course was Homemade Venison sausage en Croute. This too was a large portion. The homemade sausage was baked in a puff pastry. The taste was amazing as well. None of the flavors overpowered each other. I liked the crunch taste of the pastry coupled with the meaty flavor of the sausage. It was served atop a bed of fennel/onions and chopped peppers. The fennel added a firm texture to the mixture while the onions were almost spaghetti like and the peppers added a little heat. I was surprised to see this at Riviera but they did an excellent job so I’m sure to have this again.

-Matt

Riviera is back open for lunch! When i heard this I had to run down there and try it out. I stared with something that’s always good, their Gazpacho. The menu for lunch is basically new so i tried the Muffaletta . This was an excellent sandwich and represents the freshness I’ve come to expect from Riviera. This is no small sandwich. They start with a fresh roll that’s soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Olive tapanade, salami, capicola, gruyere and provolone are wrapped inside. There’s no skimping here, the sandwich was thick, especially if you like cheese (as i do). It comes with a choice of sides, I went with the fresh salad but fries are an option. I am excited Riveria is open for lunch again, their menu contains a wide range of meals and I can’t wait to go back.

-Matt