by Melissa Howsam | Jun 28, 2024 | Do, July 2024/August 2024
Pizza, coffee and arcade outposts worth venturing beyond city limits for
Emmy Squared
DURHAM
“A lovely cheese pizza, just for me.” If you prefer your ’za in square form, look no further than this newly bowed sup spot boasting a one-of-a-kind collab of New York-style grandma pie with Detroit-style pizza—the result feat. a focaccia-like cheese-crusted dough dubbed frico crust that you won’t be able to get enough of (where all the crust fans at?!). Beyond pie pickings, the brainchild of Brooklyn-based duo Emily and Matthew Hyland also touts an award-winning double-stack burger, pretzel bun sandwiches, wings, mozz sticks and more. Ready to embrace your pizza mind?! emmysquaredpizza.com
Get your phones ready—because you’re gonna wanna ’Gram this. Brewing up a “no rules, all-frills experience,” this eclectic java joint founded by a trio of Triangle families flaunts an aesthetically pleasing vibe (hey, checkerboard floors and pink + green pops of color!) and creative coffee and tea drinks—the former roasted from roasted-in-Raleigh Black & White Coffee beans. Think wildberry lemonade cold brews, raspberry matchas and boba-infused bevs—NTM myriad tea selects and baked goods from Union Special to sate your sweet teeth. Geeking out by way of coffee? Say less. parallax.coffee
Fare Game
CLAYTON
All is ~fare~ when embracing your competitive side at this locally founded “barcade” masterminded by three buds while drinking a brewski during hunting season. Go balls to the wall with Skee-Ball and pinball, strum up to the plate with the likes of Guitar Hero, or try your luck with the lineup of 35+ other games. And once you work up an appetite, order up a chef-curated wood-fired pizza feat. toppings like crawfish, venison and elk—then cool down with a cold one or cocktail. Got game? faregamenc.com
Breakaway Cafe
CHAPEL HILL/CARRBORO
Alexa, play “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson. After meeting in a coffee shop in the late ’90s and later getting hitched (cue the “aws”), this coffee-loving couple concluded their neighborhood needed a third place. Now with two locations, the cafe showcases its MO of “great food, great drinks and great people” via a versatile lineup of mealtime pickings for breakfast, lunch and dinner—think stuffed brekky burritos, grilled cheese, tofu banh mi and pasta. Think of it as a choose-your-own-adventure all-day affair. Yes, please! breakawaync.co
Lakewood Social
DURHAM
Nostalgia is the muse behind this welcoming neighborhood restaurant helmed by chef Joel Schroeter (of now-defunct Old North Meats & Provisions and Mandolin fame) with a killer burger as its claim to fame (NTM snacks, sandwiches, salads and desserts)—plus beer, wine and draft cocktails (s/o to the 24 drinks on tap!). While getting your fill of sips and sups, kick back on the wraparound porch or take a romp through the expansive green space. “Good food and good times” found. lakewood-social.com
by Lauren Kruchten | Nov 30, 2023 | December 2023/January 2024, Eat
Sweeten up the holidays with Union Special’s labor-intensive and oh-so-delicious panettone.
Everything that comes out of Union Special’s kitchen is a labor of love. But nothing gets more passion—and painstaking time—poured into it than panettone.
“A real mountain climb for bakers,” emphasizes Union Special owner/baker Andrew Ullom, the naturally leavened bread—a holiday tradition in Italy known for its light cake texture—“is very specific and pretty difficult.” … But, oh, so worth it.
Like most of us, the Union Special team experimented with baking during the pandemic—and making panettone posed just the challenge they needed. Fast-forward to today, and it’s become a seasonal bakery tradition—and a Raleigh fave.
Intense, but fun, the baking process begins with Lievito Madre, a specific—and needy (think only gloved hands and sanitized mixers)—starter that must be fed every four to five hours, and kept at exactly 82 degrees, says Ullom. So, just the kind of thing you have time to master in a pandemic…
From there, there’s two stages of dough, the first of which ferments overnight for four to six hours in the walk-in cooler, while the second rises in molds for another four to five hours. In essence, time is about as valuable as the starter (!).
Last year the Union Special team cranked out 300 panettones, and this season Ullom hopes to get to 350. And if those sell out, they’ll make more.
For the final touch, the dough is lathered in an egg white-sunflower seed-sugar glaze before going into the oven. Then, the finished panettones are so fragile they must hang upside down overnight to cool, says Ullom. So, it’s like if Batman were bread.
Naturally, the process comes with trial and error—think contaminated starters and broken doughs. “It’s not necessarily a tradition we love, but we’re very likely going to ruin the first mix every year,” Ullom admits. Nevertheless, the results always pay off.
“The last two Christmas seasons we’ve been pretty successful with it,” says Ullom. This year, Union Special will offer two sizes—500 grams and 1 kilo—in standard chocolate chip (loaded with dark, semi and white chocolate chips), and chocolate, cherry and orange flavors.
So if you’re looking for a dessert to enjoy after (or before—no judgment!) your holiday dinner, or just something to nosh on with your coffee or tea in the morning, meet your new fave seasonal sweet fix. unionspecialbread.com
by Lauren Kruchten | Oct 30, 2023 | Eat, November 2023
If you’ve never met a carb you didn’t like, this one’s for you.
Nothing in the world compares to the smell of freshly baked bread (prove us wrong—we’ll wait). And it was La Farm Bakery that first began spoiling the Triangle with the scent—and impeccable taste—of fresh loaves when it bowed in 1999. But it wasn’t until 2013 that other breadmakers began to build on the toastiness of a true classic bakery—aka where you can scoop artisan homemade loaves hot from the oven, in addition to other baked goods, pastries and cafe items.
Yellow Dog Bread Co. initially filled the void, with Boulted Bread following closely behind in 2014. After another short gap, Andrew Ullom, former executive pastry chef under Ashley Christensen, stepped on the scene with pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar Union Special to much fanfare. And so, now, we raise a toast to these four authentic bread bolsters fueling the area with delectable carbs. Here, where to break—and buy and eat!—bread throughout Raleigh.
Boulted Bread
West End
Run, don’t walk, to DTR’s recently relocated loaf haven. Even if you’ve never been to Boulted’s OG location or its new one just a few blocks away, you’ve likely enjoyed a slice or two before at a local restaurant (it’s a staple fixture of many eateries). Crafted with a three-step process—“our mill, our hands, our oven”—each batch of bread starts with in-house stone-milled flour using organic and heirloom grains that are then mixed with water and salt, and left to ferment overnight until the baking process begins the next morning. And the results are, well, immaculate—hence its nod as the best bread in NC by Food & Wine last year (!). Hey, it’s a no-grainer. boultedbread.com
Union Special
Gateway Plaza, Fayetteville Street District
With “special” in its name, you know Andrew Ullom’s beloved bakery is going to deliver some exceptional carbs. And, boy, does it. Come for the fresh loaves made from a blend of sifted and whole-grain flours from Lindley Mills—and boasting the perfect balance of crusty yet soft and airy—and stay for the breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes. Think sandwiches (naturally), salads, biscuits and gravy, and more… but especially keep your eye on the ’Gram to see what specials the team is whipping up each week at both locations. Oh, and always save room for one of the signature cookies. unionspecialbread.com
La Farm Bakery
Cary, Fuquay-Varina
About as close to an authentic French boulangerie as you can get in the Triangle, master baker Lionel Vatinet’s traditional bakery honors centuries-old baking traditions and techniques he acquired while training at France’s prestigious artisans’ guild, Les Compagnons du Devoir—elevated by locally grown fresh ingredients. Now boasting five locations—including one at the airport—La Farm produces 15 different types of breads, plus an additional 20 seasonal varieties throughout the year, using a European-style hearth oven. Now that’s anything but crumby. lafarmbakery.com
Yellow Dog Bread Co.
Seaboard & Person Street District
Who let the dogs—er, carb lovers—out?! Despite its name (an ode to founders Tanya and Matt Andrews’ yellow lab, Ellie), this quaint bakery is all about treats for humans. On any given day, the shelves lining the wall behind the counter are stocked with fresh breads of myriad shapes, sizes, textures and flavors, all of which are made from local ingredients, like flour from Lindley Mills in Graham, NC. Yellow Dog’s rotating and seasonal sweet and savory bakery case is also not to be ignored—tempting with the likes of homemade cookies, croissants, scones, pop tarts and more. Good luck choosing just one. yellowdogbread.com
