What To Have

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

After a long week, I was in the mood for a good burger and fries. I knew that the Lamb Burger and Frites at Riveria was exceptional. I’ve raved about their fries (frites) and knew you basically can’t go wrong at riviera. The lamb burger is mixed with angus beef and ground fresh. This lets you choose how you want it cooked. The chef suggests medium, which didnt disappoint. The burger itself is fairly large, they use quality meat so you don’t lose a lot of volume when cooking. They top the burger with buffalo mozzarella , baby arugula and a roasted garlic aioli. It’s hard to go wrong here, a fresh burger, fresh spices and quality cheese along with some of raleigh’s best fries, it makes me hungry every time I think about it…

-Matt

David at the Duck and Dumpling has expanded the menu a little bit. Those of you familiar with the old menu will remember the 2nd page additions. They’re back, this time though he has some different offerings. I recently enjoyed one of the specialties of the house. Roast Duck Breast. With the name being Duck and Dumpling you should of course expect the duck to be excellent, which is exactly the case. The slow roasted duck breast is sliced and sits atop a bed of bok choy and roasted (sliced) potatoes. The potatoes are crispy which adds a unique texture to the dish. The duck is juicy and soft and cooked perfectly. The whole thing is topped with a wine and cherry reduction, adding the perfect amount of sweetness to the dish. Don’t pass this one up.

-Matt

I tried some of the lighter fare at Riviera this time. I started with one of my favorite apps in Raleigh, the Colorado Lamb Brochettes. This starter is two skewers of lamb quick seared over their grill served with a fresh tatziki. While fairly simple in ingredients the flavors abound. The seared lamb is juicy and tasty, the tatziki is fresh and you can taste the dill. I got the Tomato Basil Flat Bread Pizza as my main course. While I wouldn’t consider this a pizza place, this did not disappoint. It shows that if you use fresh ingredients you can make excellent dishes. The pizza was exactly as described in the name, fresh flat bread, large pieces of very fresh basil, chunks of mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil. This was about 12 inches in diameter so it was a lot of food. The tastes came together amazingly as I’ve learned to expect from the group at Riviera.

-Matt

My parents came into town tonight, and they asked specifically about dinner at J Betski’s because i’d raved about it for a while. We started with a couple of the regulars fresh bratwurst and beef/pork keilbasa which were great, and you can read about in other articles.

The new starter was asparaus soup. This had a really great taste, it was smooth and creamy. You really get the flavor of the vegetable in this dish, the broth/cream didnt weigh it down.

For the main dish i had the schnitzel. This is a fried pork chop with various sides/sauces. My favorite is the dill cucumber sauce. What I liked most about the dish is the fact that it wasn’t over-cooked. You could almost cut it with your fork. I will have this again.

-Matt