First Quarter, First Impressions
This is the first installment of something I’m thinking of trying: a quarterly dispatch about where I’ve been eating. Not formal reviews, not reported features — just notes from the road and the table. I travel a lot for work, I’m constantly eating in new places and old favorites, and I have thoughts. Consider this your insider intel mixed with a little personal storytelling. Let’s see where it goes.
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The year started exactly right: at a friend’s table, with bagels, conchas, and two kinds of cafe de olla.
My friend took over my food writer role at Triad City Beat after I left. We connected online, and somewhere along the way they became one of my closest people. They’re Mexican, originally from Chicago, and now that I’m back in North Carolina they couldn’t wait to have me over. This was the second annual “bagels and conchas” gathering — a combination that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Carbs don’t discriminate.
The cafe de olla came two ways: traditional, and a sweeter version with more piloncillo and orange peel. I went back for seconds of the sweet one. New Year’s Day should feel like this — unhurried, well-fed, surrounded by people who are genuinely glad you’re in the room. After years in Florida, I’d forgotten how good it feels to be claimed by your people.
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A few days later I had my first real “I live here now” meal: lunch at Aktun in Durham with the Discover Durham team.
Aktun is a hidden gem, and I mean that literally. You walk into what looks like a tiny, slightly dingy coffee shop, then pass through a smooth white cave-like corridor and emerge into a beautiful full-service restaurant. It’s a bit of magic — the kind of place you’d never find unless someone told you about it. Now I’m telling you.
The menu is all over the place — in the best way. I ordered the lomo saltado and we got brunch tater tots for the table. My companions had the poke bowl. Everything was expertly executed, though I’ll note for the record that my dish needed more yuca and less rice. (I will die on this hill.)
But the food was only part of it. Sitting with the Discover Durham crew felt like being welcomed into the local fold. These are the people who know where to send visitors, who track openings and closings, who care about this city’s food scene. Being at their table felt like an orientation and an invitation. I’ll be back to Aktun — and I’ll be paying closer attention to what this team is watching.
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Later in January I needed hotel points to maintain status, so I booked a night in Raleigh. Not glamorous, but sometimes you eat for logistics.
We stopped at Wegmans for the first time. Came home with a pizza and salad, ate it in the hotel room, and honestly? No complaints. Sometimes the best meal is the easy one.
The real win was H Mart. First time there too, and I immediately understood what all the fuss is about. The produce section alone had me spinning. I left with six ribeyes for thirty-five dollars — thirty-five dollars — plus gochujang, a couple of sauces I’d never seen before, and some produce I’m still figuring out what to do with. I’ve already been back in my head planning the next trip. If you’re sleeping on H Mart, wake up.
So, $6 steak?
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The Raleigh trip also brought me to Figulina, where I sat with a group of media and food blog folks — my first time connecting with Triangle food people since the move. We worked through the entire menu and there were no misses. Not one. Pastas, proteins, vegetables — all of it landed. I also snagged some Spicewalla spices from the company’s PR person (thank you, Kelsey!), which felt like a proper welcome-to-the-scene moment.
After years away, finding your people again matters. I left that dinner feeling less like a newcomer and more like someone who belongs here. That’s worth more than any single dish.
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In between all of this, I’ve been filling in the Durham map. A glass of wine with a friend at Delafina — a wine bar I’d been meaning to check out. The space is intimate, the list is thoughtful, but it’s the kind of place that would not exist without gentrification. I bet the rent is super cheap… Anyway, you can settle in and actually talk to the people around you. I’ll be back when I need a quiet, yet social evening.
Durham Food Hall got two visits. The first was for Pattyboy, and that smashburger delivered — crispy edges, soft bun, exactly what you want. The second visit was for pizza that turned out to be just okay. Thin, a little bland, nothing to write home about. You win some, you lose some. That’s the game.
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Don't worry—Chapel Hill got some love too. That's where Trader Joe's and my new PCP are. I went to the Chapel Hill Public Library (which is very nice, in my Tiffany Haddish voice) for a program featuring Spring Council to celebrate her new cookbook “Southern Roots”. She's the youngest daughter of the legendary Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, carrying on family legacy, just like I aim to do.
January through March felt like a 90-day free trial or freshman orientation. New city, first times, learning where to go and who to go with. The eating has been good. The company, better. I’m building a map, one meal at a time.
More next quarter.