Friday, October 21, 2022

Margaux's Restaurant

Walk into Margaux's Restaurant in Raleigh, and you'll immediately feel at home. Or like you're in a modern art museum. This bustling spot is full of smiling servers who genuinely seem excited that you're there. Funky paintings adorn the walls, and sculptures are scattered throughout. A long bar stretches across the restaurant. An eclectic menu that changes often keeps things exciting. They even offer early bird specials (heck yes) and a 3 course prix fixe menu. Definitely check this spot out.

Margaux's bartenders got game. My husband said his Martini was among the best he's ever had, and my virgin Mojito was perfection. A light and refreshing Strawberry Salad is accompanied by Candied Walnuts, salty Feta Cheese and a delightful Blueberry Vinaigrette. It's definitely large enough to share, as is the French Onion Soup. When you finally get brave enough to take a bite of the molten hot insides, the Caramelized Onions are soft, the Gruyere Cheese is unctuous, and the Croutons are plentiful. I've had a shocking amount of French Onion Soup throughout the past month and this is among some of the best.



I couldn't pass up the Jerk-Seasoned Shrimp Bowl, complete with Rice, Butternut Squash, Pinto Beans, Mango Salsa, Plantains and Haricot Verts. The subtle sweet heat from the jerk seasoning resonated throughout this dish, and really made it sing. Scooping some of the mango salsa on a plantain disk was my favorite part. And I counted at least 15 shrimp in this bowl, so you can eat on this for a few days. Insane!


Pan-seared Salmon is cooked to perfection and served over a very interesting combination of flavors and ingredients. A Carrot-Ginger Spatzle is enhanced wtih Peaches and Zucchini, then everything is topped with a mound of Fennel and Grapefruit Slaw. I think the chef should have stopped there, but he doused everything with a bit too much Sesame Oil, a flavor I don't think belonged. But I get excited anytime I see my beloved German spatzle on a menu (which is hardly ever!)


I don't think I had ever seen this much fresh Plum Tomato Sauce on a bed of pasta. My husband absolutely loved this Angel Hair and Shrimp dish, just swimming in that robust, acidic sauce. Did I mention the portions are humongous?


Don't make the same mistake we did, by not saving room for dessert. The options are plentiful and they have nightly features. By the time we left, nearly every table was full. This is definitely the type of place to garner "regulars". And I intend to be one!

Friday, October 14, 2022

All the Screens

I've finally caught up on some films I've been wanting to see lately, so I thought I'd do a quick recap for anyone who might be interested in checking these out!

Hocus Pocus 2 - If you're a diehard fan of the original (like me and literally every single one of my friends), you've probably seen it already. I don't think they needed to bother making a sequel, but am I glad they did? Sure. It's definitely sillier and has fewer "creepy" moments than the original, but is it one I'll re-watch over and over every year? Probably not. I found myself laughing out loud a few times, an indicator that I was actually enjoying myself, and shout-out to Tony Hale for making the most of his limited scenes. Fans should check it out but keep expectations to a minimum.

Bros - It's 2022 and hard to believe this is seriously the first big-budget, studio, gay rom-com that we've had. So A+++ for representation! Billy Eichner does not hold back with his foray into the world of gay relationships. I'm a fan of Eichner, but his character's whiny and self-deprecating humor did get a bit old after awhile. He had decent chemistry with Luke Macfarlane, one of Hallmark Channel's beloved actors. I applaud this movie for apparently being the first of its kind (still shocking) and I hope we continue to see more of them. And that they'll be even better.

Don't Worry Darling - There was a LOT of buzz about the making of this film - onset drama, actors getting replaced, premiere drama - which was almost more exciting to follow than the actual film. This is basically the Florence Pugh show, and that is fine by me. She stuns in this film, reminiscent of "The Stepford Wives", with an absolutely beautiful production and costume design. The cinematography and music are great and incredibly creepy. I would have liked a tighter conclusion, instead they kind of rush through it. Don't listen to the critics on this one. I enjoyed myself.