UPDATED: December 2020
2020 has brought a whole new set of problems, woes and hardships to the restaurant industry. Restaurants are closing left, right, up and down. The industry is crying and patrons are crying with us but there are still some twinkling bright lights strung up in the streets.
The list ranges from economical to mid-range with quality of food, proper COVID-19 safety measures, ease of takeout ordering and online presence in mind (it's important to have an updated, easily accessible menu online in 2020). This list is in no particular order. There is no ranking here.
It's okay if you don't agree with me. This list is based on personal experiences but it's not okay if you received terrible service in the past and refuse to darken their doorstep (or DoorDash) ever again.
This list is more about my experience as a culinary professional and self-proclaimed cosmopolitan hedonist than a curated list based on Trip Advisor, Yelp or Facebook reviews.
My blog is almost 13 years old. and the only other thing I’ve done for this long is be alive. I've been cooking, writing about food and developing recipes for so long, sometimes it seems like it's all a dream because I STILL get to wake up every day and make my dreams come true. Not many get to do that. I wish someone told me a lot sooner that you can have a job within a career that you're passionate about. But my job didn't exist 20 years agot least it didn't eist for talent Black creatives like me.That's the thing about Winston-Salem: it's the kind of place where you can be whoever you want to become, achieve success on your own terms and find your niche or tribe. Whatever you want, you can have it here. And if you can't find it, the city can be your canvas to create it.
Restaurants in the city, however, tend to all be Southern American with little to no global influences. ple always want authenticity and the international cusine that is available does not get the recognition it deserves. There are Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, a mix of Asian fusion spots, Grecian,
I tell people,"I wasn't born here, but I was bred here. Lots of bread. I eat it all of the time"
I get messages and texts weekly from friends, acquaintances and followers who want restaurant recommendations in the city. Every single request sends me into a panic because there are so many factors to consider: price range, cuisine, allergies, parking, time of day, night of the week...
Mozelle's: When restaurants opened up after the shutdown, I broke quarantine to eat here. I sat on the patio and felt good being amongst the living again. The tomato pie, gourmet meatloaf and shrimp & grits are the three best dishes on the menu. Don't sleep on the nightly specials or the wine list. Available year round, these are the most popular dishes and after nearly 10 years of service, the taste has never changed. The shrimp & grits here--bar none--are the best in the Piedmont. Every restaurant that specializes in Southern cuisine has a version and they will tell you its their best seller (I mean, c'mon, it's shrimp-HECK YEAH, it's your bestseller, buddy), but the white cheddar stone-ground grits, the sherry cream sauce and diced proscuitto send me through the roof with each bite.
West End Cafe: Open for over 30 years, people have been sleeping on how great this West End staple is. It's my place of choice for a quiet dinner with a friend or a low-key date night with my boyfriend. Whether it's lunch or dinner, I always find something new to love here. My go-to is the cook's salad (bascially a chef's salad; you get to add 2 additional "fixins" for free) but at least twice a year the menu changes and the options always blow me away. Fried oysters, tonkatsu ramen, short ribs--oh, yes. But this place also has one of the best Reubens in town. When I think Reuben, I think West End.
The Carving Board: I've been eating here since I was in high school. I always get a chicken salad sandwich on toasted wheat bread with honey mustard (it's very spicy and a little sweet), lettuce, tomato and Swiss cheese. Other things I like: sesame noodle salad, cucumber salad, bowtie pasta (not the Mexican one), egg salad, tuna salad (crunchy bits of Granny Smith Apple, sweet dried cranberries), citrus grilled shrimp (so smoky and sweet) Everything is by-the-pound and you can tell them you "just want a little bit" and you can ask what the prices are. There is no shame in not wanting to pay more than $2-$3 per item for a little taste of a lot of things. Everything is absolutely fresh and always garnished.
Forsyth Seafood Market And Cafe: Every Friday for as long as I can remember, we have fish on Fridays because my family is Catholic). If we aren't frying it, we're buying it and it's usually from Forsyth Seafood. Now that I'm an adult, I have fish on other days too, because you can buy your seafood and order from the café! Part owner and chief marketer, Ashley Hardesty Armstrong has added new classics and updated old standards on the menu like clam chowder, oyster stew and the company's new food truck.
New Sichuan Restaurant
New Sichuan Restaurant
Real Q: I think Lexington Style BBQ is the best barbecue in the world. I'm not here for debates--it's simply my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Real Q (formerly called Little Richard's) was the first pork barbecue I ever tasted as a young girl. I think it's best. Whether I get it chopped, sliced on a tray or the big seeded buns or a mess of hushpuppies with the red barbecue slaw, I'm always satisfied with my choices here. And little known fact: the burgers here and good, too! Country Club is the original and the only one that matters.
Crafted: The Art of the Taco: The kitchen is open and it really is a beautiful space overall. Crafted is quick to tell you that this is a taco joint, NOT a Mexican restaurant. The tacos are eclectic (barbecue pork and macaroni and cheese on a taco? Dude, it's awesome) and there are so many interesting menu items, you have to come back multiple times to get it all in. A Mason jar of crispy bacon, great burgers, fresh chips, chunky guacamole, perfectly diced pico de gallo, and there's even an option to make anything into a rice bowl. I love this place and I'm so happy to have a Crafted family member in my favorite city in the world.
Bagel Station There's nothing like standing in line on a Saturday morning to get your toasted jalapeño cheddar or everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. These bagels rival anything made in New York or Montréal's oven-baked neighborhoods.
This sweet potato cake is enriched with warm spices and layered with fluffy cream cheese frosting. It's perfect for people who don't care for pie and love both cake and sweet potatoes equally.
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| a test slice of sweet potato cake with fluffy cream cream frosting |
I've made 3 cakes in 2020 and this one tops them all. I started the pandemic by making a coconut cake for Easter and followed that up with a strawberry cake for my birthday. This sweet potato cake is topped with the simplest frosting and is definitely 300% tastier and better-looking than the other two (and those cakes were and still are super fantastic). The entire time I was making this cake, I was worried about my layers being even and questioning if it was a good decision to frost the entire cake (because "naked" cakes are on trend right now) and I don't know why I had doubts because this bad boy is BEAUTIFUL.
Garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds and toasted coconut, I generally don't like garnishing cakes with things that aren't inside of the cake, but there are exceptions to every rule and I made one here. And it just looks so pretty, I didn't care much. And neither will you, I'm sure.
Other garnishment ideas:
Candied orange or other cirtus peel
Colored sprinkles
Sprinkled spices such as cinnamon or ginger
Colored or granulated sugar
Edible flowers and leaves
I am a HUGE fan of cake. Given a choice, I choose cake every single time. I am also a HUGE fan of sweet potatoes. I prefer them savory, but if I have to have them sweet, I don't want them to get anywhere close to a marshmallow. This cake is similar to carrot cake, but without the addition of nuts, raisins or shredded coconut (all of which would be welcome to this cake for variation).
PRO TIPS:
Don't have a fancy cake tester to make sure your cake is done? That's okay: use a spaghetti or other long pasta noodle instead.
My secret weapon for layered cake success starts with dusting my cake pans with butter and granulated sugar and not butter (or oil) and flour. Not only does the cake turn out beautifully, the sugar caramelizes on the bottom and sides of the cake adding to the flavor. Not only are the cake layers are easier to frost with this thin lace of sugar coating the outside, they hold up better under refrigeration, freezing and sitting at room temperatures.
Sweet Potato Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 10
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 50 Min
The best part of this cake is the sweet potato flavor shines through while the sugar-crusted exterior makes it easy to frost and even more delightful to eat.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Cake
- 12 oz sweet potatoes (typically 2 medium-sized), scrubbed, peeled chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 Tbsp oil (for pans)
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar (or more, for pans)
- 1½ cups cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice
- ½ tsp. ground cardamom
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cups light brown sugar, packed
- ½ stick salted butter, melted, slightly cooled
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8-oz. package full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ stick salted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Instructions for cake
- Cook sweet potatoes in a small pot of boiling water, stirring occasionally, until a tester inserted into centers meets no resistance, 10–15 minutes. Drain and transfer flesh to a food processor or medium bowl. Add orange juice and process or mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8"-diameter cake pans with oil, dust pans with sugar, tap around until there’s an even coating, then toss the excess.
- Sift baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, 5-spice powder, and cake flour into a large bowl (or simply whisk to remove lumps). Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, oil, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light, fluffy, and no lumps remain, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time to the sugar mixture. Next, add sweet potato purée and mix until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and with motor running, gradually add dry ingredients; mix just until incorporated. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake until cakes have slightly risen, tops are set, and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 15-20 minutes.
- Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges of cakes and turn out onto racks. Let cool completely (rounded side down).
Instructions for cream cheese frosting and assembly
- Beat cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat on low speed to prevent clouds of sugar puffing in your face. Increase speed to high and beat the frosting for 2 minutes until thick and creamy.
- Place a cake, right side up, on a large plate or cake stand. Spread one half of frosting on top. Set another cake on top and frost with half of the remaining frosting. Repeat the process with the remaining cake and frosting. For the cleanest slices, chill 1 hour before slicing.
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
Butternut Squash Pie is the unsung hero of the holiday dessert table.
The golden-hued fruit of the butternut squash is indeed buttery but its creamy in texture and flavor. It's not as vegetal or watery as a pumpkin and it DAMNED sure tastes better. The smooth skin gives way to tender flesh that is sturdy enough to hold up after a high-heat session in the oven, but delicate enough to be pureed and seasoned with warm spices, herbs and dark brown sugar.
The undercurrent of caramel flavors come through if you’re fortunate enough to have molasses or cane sugar in your pantry to use as an addition in the recipe below. When roasted, butternut tastes creamy, nutty and sweet with butterscotch tones. The rind is edible once cooked, but is usually peeled away. Similar to sweet potato but far enough away from pumpkin to be different, the butternut squash pie is poised to be a serious holiday perennial favorite.
Butternut Squash Pie
Yield: 8
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 H & 20 MTotal time: 1 H & 40 M
The golden-hued filling is buttery in flavor, tender yet sturdy enough to hold up after a high-heat session in the oven
Ingredients
- 1 9” frozen pie crust or homemade pie crust
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ cups roasted butternut squash purée (see note)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Whipped cream, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 375°F.
- Make homemade crust or blind bake a prepared frozen pie crust: Line the entire frozen pie crust with heavy duty foil. Pressing the foil against the sides and bottom of the crust. Fill with sugar to weigh down the crust to prevent it from rising and bubbling up during the baking process. Dry beans and rice also work (but do not try to cook the beans or rice after this use). Bake for 25 minutes.
- While crust bakes, prepare filling: Combine eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, salt and spices in food processor, and process until smooth. Add squash purée, and process until smooth. With machine running, pour in heavy cream, and process to combine.
- Scrape filling into hot prebaked shell, and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425°F and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes until filling is set two-thirds of the way in from the perimeter and the center still jiggles, about 40-45 minutes total. Tent edges loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
- Remove pie from oven, and cool to room temperature on rack. Garnish with whipped cream and the relish, if desired.
Notes:
To make roasted butternut squash purée, heat oven to 400°F. Trim the stem from 1 butternut squash and then cut through it horizontally, where bulb begins. Reserve the bulb for another use. Cut squash neck in half lengthwise.
Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil or other light or neutral-flavored oil, and place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool slightly, remove skin with a paring knife or a fork. You should have 1 ½ to 2 cups of purée. Cool to room temperature before making the pie recipe. It will keep under refrigeration for up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 2 months.
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
I have to admit, I'm a bit of an elitist when it comes to food. I require very easy, highly flavorful, no-fuss meals on occasion. Sheet pan sausage and cabbage meets this requirement. It's so good, it's made it the menu twice in two weeks.
What are YOU having for dinner tonight? I made Sheet Pan Sausage with Cabbage And Carrots and it's easily one of the simplest meals on record. From oven to table in a little over 30 minutes.
What are YOU having for dinner tonight? I made Sheet Pan Sausage with Cabbage And Carrots and it's easily one of the simplest meals on record. From oven to table in a little over 30 minutes.
In the past I've added multiple variations: Peppers and onions, chicken tenderloins, curry powder, brisket, pulled pork, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower.
Sheet Pan Sausage And Carrots
Yield: 3
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Easily one of the easiest meals on record. From oven to table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 small head green cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage, cored and roughly chopped
- 5 or 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (2 Tablespoons dried)
- 1 to 1½ pounds sausage, about 5 or 6 links
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Arrange cabbage and carrots on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill and use your hands to coat the vegetables with oil (it doesn’t have to be perfect!).
- Arrange sausage on sheet pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir carrots and turn sausage.
- Return to oven and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender and sausage is cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
Notes:
(Note: Be sure to choose a raw sausage rather than a precooked one; If using precooked sausage, add halfway through cooking time)
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
Sheet Pan Sausage And Carrots
Yield: 3
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Easily one of the easiest meals on record. From oven to table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 small head green cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage, cored and roughly chopped
- 5 or 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper, more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (2 Tablespoons dried)
- 1 to 1.5 pounds sausage, about 5 or 6 links (Note: Be sure to choose a raw sausage rather than a precooked one; If using precooked sausage, add halfway through cooking time)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Arrange cabbage and carrots on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill and use your hands to coat the vegetables with oil (it doesn’t have to be perfect!).
- Arrange sausage on sheet pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir carrots and turn sausage.
- Return to oven and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender and sausage is cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
This post is sponsored by Karibe Cookware. I received compensation, but all words and opinions are mine.
Coco bread is the Jamaican answer to American-style yeast rolls. The bread is made with flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter, and coconut milk. Nestled in the Karibe 12" cast-iron skillet and baked until puffy and golden brown, each roll is slightly sweet due to the addition of granulated sugar and full-fat coconut milk.
Sometimes the bread is split and filled with a Jamaican patty (a golden-hued pastry filled with highly spiced meat, cheese or vegetables) to create a highly satisfying sandwich. In order to create a new twist on this classic, I also made a Caribbean spiced butter that can be slathered inside each roll make a unique Caribbean take on a sandwich.
I stay constantly inspired by African and Caribbean food cultures and that's the number one reason why I partnered with Karibe Cookware, a black-owned company based in New Jersey. I am happily and wholeheartedly excited to showcase the new 12" cast iron skillet and share examples of the diversity of recipes you can follow using Karibe Cookware cast iron for meals in your own kitchen.
This skillet is the largest cast iron piece Karibe offers. With proper seasoning, over time this high-quality skillet becomes nonstick, durable and will solidify the fact that this skillet is a must have in your kitchen or to give as a gift this holiday season. It's large size is perfect for large batch cooking, intimate dinner parties and classic down-home southern cooking.
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| Look at the crumb on that BREAD! OMG! Perfection! |
My first time having Jamaican food was during my culinary school residency in South Florida. Most recently, I had some Caribbean-tinged soul food in Harlem, but none of that prepared me for how much I would enjoy making my own coco bread. I can't stop savoring its pillowy texture and buttery flavor. Other than sandwiches and snacking, coco bread is perfect for sopping up the sauces, gravies and drippings left behind on your plate during dinner.
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| Caribbean Spiced Butter: it reminds me of the Ethiopian spiced butter, niter kibbeh |
The true origin of the name "coco bread" is up for debate. There are various theories about the name, none of them confirmed as the absolute truth – one common theory is that the name comes from early versions of the recipe that called for coconut milk. And the consensus is that coco bread is delicious.
Cast-iron cookware is very near and dear to me. I use a few pieces from a set I inherited from my grandmother and I try to incorporate its use into everything I can. I love the Karibe 12" cast-iron skillet because it's incredibly durable, easy to care for and I'll probably be able to pass it down to my own children, nieces or nephews. Check out the step-by-step process to make coco bread in the video below.
Pull Apart Jamaican Coco Bread
Yield: 8
Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 4 H & 4 M
The true origin of the name “coco bread” is up for debate. One common theory is that the name comes from early versions of the recipe that called for coconut milk. Consensus says this bread is delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature, divided
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons Caribbean spiced butter (see recipe below)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 envelope (or packet) or 2 ¼ teaspoons rapid rise yeast
- 1 large egg
- 3 ½ - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and rolling
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
Caribbean Spiced Butter
- 1 stick salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne or smoked paprika
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
- 2 tsp allspice
Instructions
- Lightly grease a large bowl with melted coconut oil, and your 12" cast-iron skillet. Add coconut oil, coconut milk, sugar, and salt to a medium-size microwaveable bowl; microwave on HIGH until sugar is dissolved and oil is melted, about 35 seconds on HIGH (or heat mixture in a small saucepan over low heat for 1 minute). Stir to combine and then stir in yeast and egg. Add flour to coconut milk mixture, and stir together to form a soft dough. Lightly flour a work surface or countertop.
- Scrape the dough out onto the lightly floured work surface and knead, dusting lightly with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking, until a soft, elastic dough forms, 5 to 10 minutes. Don't add too much more flour—the softer the dough, the lighter and more tender the coco bread will be.
- Place the dough in the coconut oil-greased bowl; cover lightly with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place (like, on top of the refrigerator, outside on a warm day or the back of a pre-heating stove), until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and cut it in half; cut each half into 4 or 5 equal portions. Handle lightly and roll each portion into a ball. Then very lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out each ball into 1/8-inch-thick circles. Brush one half of each circle with melted Caribbean spiced butter, then fold in half to form a half-moon shape. Brush the top surface of each half-moon with additional melted butter. Transfer to the oiled 12" cast-iron skillet. Repeat with remaining dough portions; leave about 1/2 inch of space between each portion of dough in the pan.
- Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
- Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Brush again with butter, if desired.
- Serve warm or allow to cool. You may freeze when cool and reheat in the oven.
Caribbean Spiced Butter
- Open softened butter and place into a small bowl. Add black pepper, cayenne, curry powder, garlic powder, Chinese 5-spice, allspice and dried chives to the bowl. Take a rubber spatula and mix the seasoning into the butter until thoroughly incorporated. Transfer seasoned butter onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Form into a log about 1 1/4 inches in diameter, twist ends of plastic wrap to seal, and refrigerate to harden for about 2 hours.
- When ready to use, slice one disk at a time.
Calories
1008.68Fat (grams)
23.72Sat. Fat (grams)
15.98Carbs (grams)
171.38Fiber (grams)
6.21Net carbs
165.17Sugar (grams)
3.75Protein (grams)
24.53Sodium (milligrams)
373.15Cholesterol (grams)
53.77Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
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