Flour & Barrel

Flour & Barrel is the latest culinary venture from the creative mind of local celebrity chef Katsuji Tanabe. I'm a big fan of his Mexican spot in Cary, a'Verde Cocina, so I couldn't wait to try his new restaurant in the Smoky Hollow district of downtown Raleigh. The restaurant is beautiful, though dimly lit, with a striking mural over the kitchen, and a swanky bar with velvet bar stools. My dining partner and I enjoyed ourselves - some dishes were hits, some slightly missed the mark. I'm eager to see if the menu changes with time, or if they will continue to fine tune these unique offerings.

The cocktail list is plentiful and features some unlikely combinations. My dining partner's drink came out smoking. Literally. I love a menu with curse words on it. We opted for the Big Ass Meatball, which was uber-tender and loaded with Pecorino and Herbs. It's covered with a tangy, unctuous Pomodoro Sauce and served with a small piece of Foccacia. It was about the size of a softball, and more than enough for 2 people to share.

Big Ass Meatball

Sticking with the curse words, the Chicken Leg was promised to be served with "F*ing Good Marsala", and while I f*ing LOVE a good marsala, I did not find this to be that. It tasted super concentrated, almost burnt. Far too dark for the tender, juicy, absolutely perfectly cooked chicken leg. Olives, Grapes and Cipollini Onions were a nice, necessary addition of sweetness and acid.

Chicken Leg with Just OK Marsala

I always appreciate a fun pasta shape. With the exception of one, I had to google all of the noodles featured on the menu! The Conchiglie reminded me of Orecchiette, little bowls that hold sauce easily. We loved this dish, served with Creamy Pesto and Lump Crab (though I admit, I had to really look for the crab), with Herbs for brightness, Smoked Trout Roe for salinity, and Yuzu for tang. This was scrumptious and hard to stop eating.

Conchiglie with Pesto and Crab

Chitarra reminded me of Spaghetti, but this was extra special because it was made black from Squid Ink! It was served with a Red Sauce and Jumbo Shrimp, and the tails were peeled but still in tact, which gets a LOT of points in my book. A touch of Chili Oil provides subtle smoke and heat. This was a satisfying pasta, but the Conchiglie stole the show.

Chitarra with Shrimp

Desserts are not listed on the menu, but there are only 2 to choose from. Naturally, we opted for both. The Ube Tiramisu is phenomenal. I don't love traditional tiramisu because I don't like coffee in my desserts, but the coffee flavor here was very subtle, and I tasted more of the sweet mascarpone and earthy flavor of the purple yam-like veggie here. (It reminded me of the Ube Flan at his other restaurant! You can't go wrong with Ube.) The description of the Date Cake was giving Sticky Toffee Pudding vibes, which is in my top 3 desserts, but this rendition was studded with Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (why?) and not nearly enough Caramel Sauce. The chocolate was far too bitter and overpowered any notes the dates and spice cake were trying to give. Even fresh Whipped Cream couldn't salvage it. This made me sad, but we were far too full by this point in the meal to be too disappointed.

Ube Tiramisu

Date Cake

Smoky Hollow continues to grow with happening spot after happening spot. Put on your best Gen Z outfit and hit this cool part of town for dinner with some fun pasta, unique small plates and a swanky vibe.

Zest

As we sat down to our table at the newly-opened Zest in downtown Cary, our server joked that it was a
good thing we had a 5:00pm dinner reservation. "We actually ran out of rice last night," he said, which stunned us all, considering the menu features numerous sushi rolls and entrees served with rice. It just goes to show how popular and successful this spot has already become. (And it was packed when we left at 6:30!) Pro tip: go with a group of friends so you can work your way through the small plates, and go early - by 5:15, they had already run out of spring rolls.

My dining partners and I agreed that the restaurant looks how our dream home kitchen would be - a bright, open concept with beautiful light fixtures, floor to ceiling windows and a gorgeous color scheme. The menu is lengthy, and full of tempting options. Be sure to check out their craft cocktail list - I was delighted to sip a beverage version of one of my favorite desserts: Sticky Rice with Mango. The drink was shockingly light and easy to sip, and combined Mango Vodka, Rumhaven (Coconut Rum), Rumchata Coconut and Mango Puree, garnished with Toasted Coconut. My sweetie opted for the boozy Thorogood For You, a unique blend of Japanese Whiskey, Sapporo Lager, Amaretto, Lemon and Honey. 

Sticky Rice with Mango. A favorite dessert in cocktail form. 

We dove right into a lovely pile of blistered Shishito Peppers tossed with Sesame Oil, and served alongside a Ranch-style dipping sauce. I was a bit surprised to see a wide selection of Oysters available on a menu that reads predominantly Asian Fusion, but they were delicious, nonetheless, as we opted for both raw and chargrilled. 

Shishito Peppers

A beautiful display of Rice Crisps hid a mound of Ahi Tuna Tartare, which made for quite the reveal. The entire table loved this perfectly balanced dish. The tuna was tossed with a slightly sweet and acidic "Zest Sauce", Scallions and Masago, and slivers of Avocado rested on top. A delightful bite of food.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

It was nearly impossible to decide which Specialty Rolls to order, as many sounded tempting. We opted for "One if By Land," featuring Lump Crab, Tempura Shrimp and Avocado on the inside, with Seared Tenderloin and Shallot Crisps on top. (I did not detect any of the promised Truffle, which was unfortunate). The "Two if By Sea" roll combined Spicy Tuna, Roasted Serrano, Jalapeno and Cukes on the inside, topped with Tuna and Chili Crisp. But the crowd favorite was easily the "Screaming O" roll, with Spicy Tuna and Tempura Shrimp on the inside, with lightly seared Tuna, "O" Sauce and Scallions on top. It was so good, we ordered a second.

Rolls Galore

My favorite dish of the night was the Tabletop Tenderloin, which we almost overlooked. This dish is a must-order. It will definitely be a go-to every time we return. Described as "ishiyaki-style," diners are in charge of cooking their own tenderloin. Our server gave us a demo, melting 2 pats of butter on a hot skillet over a flame, and seasoned strips of beef with salt and pepper. After just a moment, the beef was ready to be drizzled with a bright, herbaceous Chimichurri, which made the dish. Eight strips of beef was not nearly enough.

Tabletop Tenderloin

My tablemates and I decided we were getting a little full, but needed one more dish to round out our meal, so we opted for the Thai Lettuce Wraps. It was a mistake to order these AFTER the beef, as they were fine, but lackluster in comparison. Leaf Lettuce was not the proper vessel for the filling, as it got too soggy and much of the delicious filling fell right out. Perhaps romaine or a sturdier green would work better. The mixture of Chicken, Water Chestnuts, Bell Pepper and Onion was drenched a bit too heavily with Thai Plum Sauce which again, caused issues with the "wrap".

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Make your reservations now, before Zest gets too long of waiting list. It's a perfect fit for downtown Cary and will continue drawing diners who are excited by their unique and plentiful offerings. And don't forget to check their website for nightly specials!