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

In this week’s INDY, I write about Kipos Greek Taverna: I had the pleasure of knowing both of my grandmothers, who hailed from different regions of Greece. Yiayia Koula lived her entire life in a tiny, land-locked village high in the central mountains, while Yiayia Eleni grew up on a windy, arid island in the [...]

This dairy-sensitive kid can enjoy pizza again. My contribution for the DISH pizza issue: a review of three Triangle vegan pies.

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 [...]

A bread bakery and coffee shop quietly opened last month at 503 W. Rosemary St. in Chapel Hill. Like a sourdough starter that requires time to bubble and flourish, Bread and Butter is rising with the demand for fresh, artisan, locally baked bread in town. Had a great time chatting with George Chen about his new [...]

This week’s Now Serving column highlights Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe, winner of Best New Restaurant in Orange/Chatham County and finalist for Best Indian Restaurant and Best Chef in Orange/Chatham County. Vimala Rajendran has traveled a long, beautiful journey since I first wrote about her in 2009. She’ll be hosting a Dinner for Community Media tonight, with [...]

“Drive west down Franklin Street, widely swoop around a tree-lined curve— and brace yourself. You are about to be besieged by Carolina blue. Welcome to the Southern part of heaven. Brightly-hued just as the sky, Chapel Hill beckons the Tar Heel in all of us. A quick pit stop will only scratch the surface, so [...]

A lot of people in the Triangle area have asked me about volunteering at local community gardens this summer. There is a plethora of options,with a local guide to gardens here. I also wrote a piece in this year’s Indy Green Living Guide titled Gardens of goodness: Community gardens help feed low-income people, build neighborhoods. [...]

Yep, there are some perks to what I do. Like sharing UFO-sized fried green tomatoes with Avett Brothers‘ cellist Joe Kwon at The Pig while dishing on local pork and sustainable agriculture. Read the story to find out what the guys eat on tour, and what Joe loves to blog about. (Fun fact: there’s a [...]

In this week’s Now Serving, I write about homemade treats for that weird love holiday that will incite you to really love your neighbors. Discover savory cookies to pair with local microbrews, modern Peruvian confections and raw chocolate to awaken the senses, all handmade in the Triangle. Read about them and adore, err, order your [...]

I “reviewed” the new dinner menu at Sandwhich for Indy’s First Bite series. Both Hich and Janet Elbetri are animated, hilarious personalities, snarky at times, and their restaurant’s food is just as lively. A candid approach weaves throughout the new Sandwhich operation, reflected in the minimalist décor, openly visible kitchen and, above all, an inspired, [...]

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 [...]

The air is thick with thoughts of biscuits these days, and not just because The New York Times discovered Neal’s Deli this month. In a new Durham food blog, You Don’t Know Biscuits (youdontknowbiscuits.blogspot.com), Chris Rhyne Reid explores her great-grandmother’s recipes like a tragic heroine, battling the Southern cook’s classic challenge: making a perfect biscuit. [...]