2015 College Cup Food Reccomendations

Discussion in 'Women's College' started by babranski, Dec 3, 2015.

  1. babranski

    babranski Member+

    Dec 15, 2012
    Raleigh, NC
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not really sure where to put this, suppose it'll be alright here for the next 3 days.

    Cary & Surrounding Area Food Recommendations

    Saw some conversations on Twitter about places to eat in the area and was a little disappointed some of my favorites were not mentioned, so I thought I'd post a list of my own recommendations for people making the trip in for the College Cup this weekend. Just wish I had thought of this before tonight, would have made something a little more thorough.

    This list is 100% local.

    The park itself is off of East Chatham Street, which is sort of a side road for Chapel Hill Road, which itself is technically NC-54 and changes names several times as you get into different parts of the Triangle. The Park is also right off of 40, which really opens up the Triangle in general. If you want to go to Chapel Hill, you could technically take NC-54 all the way (turns into Raleigh Road as you get onto the UNC campus). Same thing can be said with getting to Downtown Raleigh (NC-54 aka Hillsborough St. goes all the way to the State Capitol block). That being said, I-40 is so much easier and faster for both trips.


    Breakfast

    La Farm Bakery (Cary Suburbs)
    4248 NW Cary Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513
    ~10 minutes west of the Soccer Park.

    This name is in all sections on my list, because if you only visit one place while your in Cary, I want La Farm to be it. Excellent bakery, excellent lunch cafe, excellent coffee, and more. Pastries are to die for. Honey Butter. That is all.

    Hereghty Heavenly Delicious
    2603 Glenwood Ave #123, Raleigh, NC 27608
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park.


    This is an odd one, but I felt compelled to add it. I went on a trip to Paris in 2007 and when I came back I vowed to find the bakery/pastry that came closest to all the wonderful things I ate while I was over there. Although La Farm makes great pastries, Hereghty Heavenly Delicious is still my absolute favorite. Perfect croissants, every time.


    Benelux Coffee
    402 Oberlin Rd #118, Raleigh, NC 27605
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park.


    You go here for the coffee, but they make excellent waffles. Cameron Village is my favorite destination, and Benelux is also across the street from Tupelo Honey.

    Tupelo Honey Cafe (sit down)
    425 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh, NC 27605
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park.


    On the weekends it might be hard to get a reservation. Trust me, you'll need one, and it will be worth it.

    The food here is amazing. It stretches the definition of "local" a bit, but there are only a few shops and they're spread out in North Carolina. I know I say if you go to one place, go to La Farm, but this place is a close second.

    Rise Biscuits & Donuts
    1100 Market Center Dr, Morrisville, NC 27560
    ~15 minutes west of the Soccer Park in Park Place Shopping Center
    8200 Renaissance Pkwy, Durham, NC 27713
    ~25 minutes west of the Soccer Park


    Absolutely the best donuts in the triangle. This one is a nod to Sarah Gherkin.

    Two options here. Park Place is an okay outdoor shopping (more like multiple strip malls put together) area to visit. The Durham location might be a little more convenient as your coming or leaving the area, but take note, they close at 2pm.


    Brigs (sit down)
    1225 NW Maynard Rd, Cary, NC 27513
    ~10 minutes west of the Soccer Park

    1040 Tryon Village Dr, Cary, NC 27518
    ~10 minutes south of the Soccer Park.


    You go to Brigs for the Pancakes. Both locations are convenient to the Soccer Park, but I prefer Tryon Village.

    Lunch/Dinner
    There's lots of great places to eat in the area, local or otherwise, but these are my favorite local places that aren't too far.

    La Farm Bakery
    4248 NW Cary Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513
    ~10 minutes west of the Soccer Park.


    Neomonde Mediterranean
    3817 Beryl Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607
    ~10 minutes east of the Soccer Park.


    Char-Grill
    3635 SW Cary Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513 (and many more beyond)
    ~15 minutes west of the Soccer Park.


    This is the Triangles absolute best and nationally recognized burger/hot dog joint. There are lots of Char-Grills out there, there might be one closer to your hotel depending on where your staying.

    Village Deli & Grill
    2500 Wycliff Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
    ~15 minutes north-east of the Soccer Park. Closed on Sunday.
    500 Daniels Street, Raleigh, NC 27605
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park

    Both are within reasonable driving distances of the Soccer Park, but I highly recommend going to Cameron Village in general. Cozy outdoor mall you can see the Downtown skyline from. Wycliff Rd is closed on Sunday.


    Smokey's BBQ Shack
    10800 Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville, NC 27560
    ~15 minutes south-east of the Soccer Park.

    Closed on Sundays.

    These guys are busy all the time, especially during lunch, but they tackle the crowds well and I've never had to wait too long.


    Taipei Cafe
    9825 G Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville, NC 27560
    ~15 minutes west of the Soccer Park.


    Best Chinese Take-Out hands down. It's 30 minutes away from where I live, with about a dozen other Chinese places in between, but this is still my go to.

    Poole's
    426 S McDowell St, Raleigh, NC 27601
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park.

    Anything and everything by Ashley Christensen is a must go to (http://ac-restaurants.com/) but Poole's Diner is by far and away the best of the lot.

    Tupelo Honey Cafe
    425 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh, NC 27605
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park.

    I can't recommend this place enough. Sensational Food.

    Specialty Coffee (that's worth driving a bit for)
    I've been a Barista in the triangle for over 10 years so I had to throw this in. I've been a little disappointed with the specialty coffee scene in the so called "fancier" part of town that Cary is supposed to be. If your okay with "so-so" coffee or if your not really wanting to travel far, this list is not for you. Plenty of Starbucks & Caribous in the the area. If your willing to stretch your legs a bit, you'll find that some of the absolute best coffee in the country is a short drive away in one direction or another. Like I've mentioned before, if you go to only 1 place on this entire list, go to La Farm. They have some great Baristas.

    La Farm Bakery
    4248 NW Cary Pkwy, Cary, NC 27513
    ~10 minutes west of the Soccer Park.


    Benelux Coffee
    402 Oberlin Rd #118, Raleigh, NC 27605
    ~15 minutes east of the Soccer Park.


    Great waffles, in the fabulous Cameron Village.

    Cafe Driade
    1215 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
    ~30 minutes west of the Soccer Park

    It didn't seem like too long ago that Cafe Driade was the only place in the triangle I felt comfortable recommending. It's the specialty coffee original in the Triangle, and it's still absolutely worth going to for an outstanding cup of coffee. It's a little easy to drive past on suburban Franklin St and has a gravel parking lot that I've spent the last ten years expecting them to announce they are going to pave, to no avail.

    Joule Coffee (Downtown Raleigh)
    223 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601
    ~20 minutes east of the Soccer Park.

    USA Today ranked Joule Coffee as the #6 Coffee Shop in the country. 'nuff said.

    It's a coffee bar with a world famous chef in the kitchen. Ashley Christensen has been an Iron Chef competitor, won the 2014 James Beard Award, and is beloved in these parts for her wonderful, wonderful Poole's diner. Pretty much every shop listed on her site http://ac-restaurants.com/ is worth visiting.


    Jubala Coffee (Raleigh Suburbs)
    8450 Honeycutt Rd #104, Raleigh, NC 27615
    ~25 minutes north-east of the Soccer Park.

    My personal favorite, despite the drive. Like Joule Coffee, it's a nationally ranked shop with competition level barista's making everything to order. Everything. It's worth the drive and wait.

    Jubala is in a neat little shopping place called Lafeyette Village, which makes the drive out there more worth your time. Great restaurants, shops, a great little gelato place, an interesting spice shop, and of course, the best coffee in the triangle.
     
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  2. RtD!

    RtD! Member

    Nov 12, 2014
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Thanks for this. We were thinking about heading to downtown Raleigh tomorrow night. Any suggestions for there?
    Is that the best area for parents leaving the team at the hotel?
     
  3. babranski

    babranski Member+

    Dec 15, 2012
    Raleigh, NC
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sure! I was balancing pro's & con's of putting DTR stuff on this list, didn't think too many would want to go that far.

    I'd still strongly encourage the Ashley Christensen 3, Poole's off McDowell, Beasley's Chicken + Honey and Joule Coffee off Wilmington St, the later two being right next to each other. Joule Coffee is almost a must visit if your going DTR, #6 coffee shop in the country.

    I would also try The Pit, if you can get reservations. It's a famous, comfort BBQ place.

    The main road to to go visit and walk up & down would be Fayetteville St., especially if your going at night. Plenty of pubs and great little hole in the walls to go visit, with the State Capitol on one end, the Performing Art's center on the other.

    Also, DTR is doing a holiday thing tonight.

    http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/event/ipreo-winterfest-2015
     
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  4. hykos1045

    hykos1045 Member

    May 10, 2010
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think it's very cool that Cary gets to do this all again in 2016 since Orlando stadium won't be ready in time.
     
  5. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006

    Ask the folks out West how cool it is.
     
  6. orange crusader

    May 2, 2011
    Club:
    --other--
    Well, it didn't matter in 2015 since the final 4 teams were from the Eastern time zone.
     
  7. babranski

    babranski Member+

    Dec 15, 2012
    Raleigh, NC
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If anything the NCAA should make Cary the permanent home of the NCAA College Cup. It's not like it would set a precedent. *looks at college baseball*

    I'm wondering how much money Cary pays to host... I can't help but thing if places out west were willing to schill out something similar/more the NCAA would listen.
     

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