Roots
- Samantha Hoback
- Aug 22, 2016
- 5 min read
This transplant city girl went back to her roots over the weekend. I visited my sister in Raleigh, where she is starting graduate school. In addition to some much-needed sister bonding time, I finally got to meet her puppy, Knox, a fourteen-week-old maltipoo with the sharpest little teeth and the sweetest puppy eyes. More on Knox later.
Friday, August 19, 2016
I'm a nervous flyer, and so listening to the captain announce we might run into "especially bumpy air" as we approached Raleigh, I panicked. For no reason, as it turned out. The ride was smooth all the way from take-off to landing. Macie met me at the arrivals gate with a furry white thing on her lap--she brought Knox to greet me! He sat with me as we drove back to her apartment, and I have to say it was love at first sight.
My sister's apartment makes my NYC pad look pretty pitiful. Her building has a pool, a gym, access to a greenway, covered parking, a communal kitchen/entertaining space, outdoor grills and fireplaces, and a roof-top cabana with flat-screen TV and all. And that's just the building...her actual apartment is at least four times the size of my humble abode. She has a dishwasher, washer and dryer, and valet trash (none of which I have); she has a balcony overlooking the courtyard (my balcony overlooks nothing) and a water/ice dispenser built in to her refrigerator. Needless to say, I'm a tad bit jealous of her new digs. Fortunately I'll have plenty of opportunities to visit over the next few years while she is still in school.
We ate dinner at a restaurant in Cameron Village called Tazza Kitchen. The vibe was cool--kind of urban rustic industrial--and the food was awesome--summer sangria, cast-iron goat cheese dip, and shrimp tacos. I don't eat out a lot in the city, so it was a real treat to splurge.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
The weather cooperated all weekend (thank goodness). Our first stop on Saturday was a coffee shop. With Knox in tow, we snagged a table outside and Macie headed in to place our orders. It was crazy crowded (you wouldn't believe how many pregnant women were there!) but it was worth the wait. We each got a latte--served in a cup bigger than my head (not really, but you get the idea), and the green-eggs-and-ham breakfast sandwich (they ran out of ham, though; we added avocado; the best part was the maple sriracha sauce!!). Knox, however, was the main event. Half a dozen people came up to ooh and ahh over him (half of whom were pregnant) even before we'd gotten our food!
After breakfast we drove to North Hills to check out the farmers' market. It was hot outside...like 90-something degrees with no breeze. We sampled bread and cheese and English muffins. Macie picked out some fresh produce, homemade granola, and flowers with basil to put in her vase. By the time we left we were both sweating...and poor Knox was panting. So tired and thirsty.
The next stop was Macie's new school. She took me on a tour of campus--it was move-in day, so we saw a lot of freshmen and their parents toting suitcases and Target bags. I picked out a t-shirt at the bookstore (Proud Sister Moment), and then we walked across the street to check out a couple of restaurants and shops. She likes exploring her new city, and I'm excited for her to find her favorite spots just like I have in New York.
Finding a place to park in downtown Raleigh proved to be an impossible feat on a Saturday afternoon, so we ended up in the parking garage. Turns out there was an international festival taking place on the plaza; food and beverage vendors, live music and dance performers, and a few crafts tables took up most of the plaza. Although the fresh-squeezed lemonade was tempting, we opted for "Happy Water" from a healthy cafe just off the plaza--orange, lemon, lime, and cucumber infused in water...it was very refreshing (although a little heavy on the cucumber). For our afternoon snack, we walked to a Fresh pastry cafe, lucettegrace, and each ordered the peaches and cream macaron ice cream sandwich. #YUMMO
The highlight of the weekend, for me, was Lafayette Village. It's basically a little piece of France dropped in the middle of Raleigh complete with a cheese shop, a coffee shop, a spa, a blowout salon, an olive-oil and balsamic-vinegar tasting shop, and even a mini Eiffel Tower replica. We walked around, popped in to a few stores (and yes, we each found a souvenir of sorts), before making our way to the wine bar. My flight of white wine was delicious...and by the time we left the village we were both starving.
Really good Italian food is not hard to find in New York. But I have to say, the restaurant we went to, Gravy, is right up there with some of the best Italian cuisine I've had on this side of the Atlantic. We started with cocktails and a peach and burrata appetizer (which I will be recreating at home ASAP). For dinner I ordered the pesto cavatappi; but Macie's entree won gold: gnocchi with mushrooms and truffle oil. We're both obsessed with all things truffle, and hands down it was the best gnocchi dish I've ever tasted. If (when) I go back to Gravy, that's what I'm ordering. Dinner wasn't complete without dessert. And I can never pass up tiramisu. I was stuffed by the time we paid the bill and left. And I slept like a baby with a food coma that night.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
The day started off on a high note. We took Knox on a morning walk on the greenway before heading downtown to brunch at a Greek restaurant. We sat on the rooftop of Taverna Agora; brunch was delicious--my spanikopita benedict was amazing, as was Macie's Greek frittata. (If you haven't figured it out by now, we thoroughly enjoyed the food this weekend.) We had time to kill before I had to be at the airport, so we browsed through Bevello and went grocery shopping at Trader Joe's.
I should have known that the perfect weekend was too perfect. When I got checked in at the airport, I noticed that all of the flights out of Raleigh to New York were delayed or cancelled. For some reason, my flight was the only one listed as still on schedule. Well, that didn't last long. For three hours, I waited to see whether or not my flight would make it out or if I'd have to spend an extra night in Raleigh. By the grace of God our plane finally made it out of Raleigh around 7:15 and landed in New York an hour later. I got home much later than I expected and was greeted by a not-very-happy-to-have-been-left-by-herself-all-weekend Rory. She forgave me pretty quickly and spent the night sleeping on top of me.
Knowing that I'm going to see Macie again in a few weeks made the good-bye easier. I'm so glad I got to spend some time with her before she starts classes this week; and I loved meeting Knox, even if he tried to bite my fingers off. The rest of the year is pretty packed with trips and holidays, which means lots of exciting things to blog about coming soon!
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