This Feeds Me Hungry Musings of a Gastronomic Gypsy – NC-based freelance writer Victoria Bouloubasis

Two new bars, both former staples of local mayhem, have snuck onto the scene quietly. The Standard, formerly Henry’s and Fuse, and Peccadillo, the former Go! Studios and Reservoir, offer stiff, neat drinks and quality bar food (since the column published, Peccadillo owner Timothy Neill informed me that a fine charcuterie offering is in the [...]

Artisan ice cream in the Triangle wears many hats, and none are the pointy parlor caps you’re used to. A tattooed couple drives through town on a school bus with fresh ice cream in inventive flavors. A Mexican family brings the exotic tastes of Michoacan to Durham with fresh fruit popsicles and curdled milk ice [...]

Sweeten up this Valentine’s Day with confectionery couture. Leave behind thoughts of coconut flakes–that’s an American macaroon. The French macaron (pronounced “mac-ah-rohn”) is a dainty sandwiched confection unrivaled in texture and flavor, as layered and complex as one of Marie Antoinette’s outfits. My latest piece for the Independent Weekly explores our area’s newest obsession with [...]

As I hinted in an earlier post, my friends are artistic chefs at heart. Especially Victor Hugo. In the kitchen, as in life, this guy flies by the seat of his pantalones. Inspired at the oddest of hours, he’ll shuffle from fridge to spice cabinet and back to fridge, carrying an assortment of ingredients to [...]

My first solo DISH cover package is on stands this week. Check out where to get the best in mobile gourmet around the Triangle. We’ve got it all: Indian chaat, Korean tacos, French crepes, Mom’s homemade meatloaf, Cuban sandwiches, BBQ, fresh-squeezed juice, burgers, cupcakes and more. Plus, a gringo’s guide to tacos. Your food is [...]

Appetites for cool treats are strong Locopops to Locopints by Victoria Bouloubasis Sticky summer air has seeped into our lives. Our gardens are flourishing and our appetites for cool treats are strong. Locopops (128 E. Franklin St. and 231 S. Elliott Road, Chapel Hill; 2600 Hillsborough Road, Durham; 1908 Hillsborough St., Raleigh; www.ilovelocopops.com) makes the [...]

I challenge anyone who claims to despise beets to try them roasted. They’re magic, really. I can’t think of anything else that tastes like them. A beet dug out of the dirt, scrubbed, and roasted, dances on the palate. A hint of earth with a sweet tinge. It’s not the mushy, putrid taste you’d get [...]

Beginning May 1, the Carrboro Farmers’ Market will accept benefits from SNAP, the federal assistance program that helps low-income households buy food. It is one of the few farmers’ markets in the country that does. “Our whole goal is just to make it an easier way for everyone to come to the market, so it [...]