Cocoa Cinnamon

 

Located at 2013 Chapel Hill Road (with other locations on Hillsborough Road and Geer Street), Cocoa Cinnamon serves coffee drinks, teas, baked goods, and desserts. Online ordering and outdoor seating are available.

Cocoa Cinnamon is the storefront for Little Waves Coffee Roasters, and if it were just a coffee shop, it would be worth visiting on that basis alone. The roastery received international recognition, and having previously picked up a bag of their beans from a Greensboro shop, I can say that it’s well-deserved. Cocoa Cinnamon gives you a chance to experience Little Waves in everything from a cup of joe to an espresso drink to a “wonder drink” with house made syrups and infusions.

Unfortunately, I had already reached my coffee limit for the day at the time of my visit (which didn’t stop me from snagging a bag of Royal 7 to take home). Fortunately, there is another very good reason to check out Coca Cinnamon: homemade churros. You can get them by themselves, in a pack, ala mode, or dipped in chocolate. Or, you can do what my wife and I did and split a Morros de Torros. 

This insane concoction features a churro dusted with your choice of sugars topped with vanilla ice cream and a chocolate and condensed milk drizzle. Made fresh to order, it was worth every cent of its $8 price tag. Seriously, it’s hard to overstate how good this dessert was. The churro was hot, the chocolate sauce had real chocolate flavor, and the sugar blend imparted a bit of spice as well as sweet. As if you don’t already have enough reasons to visit yet, Cocoa Cinnamon also offers fast service and an interesting ambiance that reflects the owner’s Mexican roots.  

Whether you just want a cup of coffee or want to send your tastebuds on a strange and delightful trip, Cocoa Cinnamon has you covered.

Honeygirl Meadery

 

Located at 105 Hood Street in downtown Durham, Honeygirl Meadery offers homemade meads by the glass as well as bottles to go. Tasting flights, outdoor seating, and curbside pickup are available. The tasting room is open from noon to six on Fridays and Saturdays and noon to five on Sundays.

 

I don’t think I’d had but a small sip of mead previously, and Honeygirl made for a fine introduction. The tasting room is small but bright and clean. Combined with a friendly and knowledgeable staff, it makes for an inviting space.

 

Honeygirl offers more than a dozen meads from basic to barrel aged and semi-sweet to dry. The ingredients are sourced locally (and, in one case, foraged by the manager) and incorporate a variety of apples and herbs. 

Hard-pressed (pun semi-intended) to make a decision, my wife and I settled on a flight consisting of spiced apple cyser, farmhouse wildflower, hibiscus lemonthyme, and tri-berry. The wildflower was all that I expected mead to be: a smooth honey wine. The cyser boasted some nice spice notes, but it also made me realize that I strongly prefer cider to its wine-based cousin. The tri-berry, on the other hand, was outstanding. A seasonal offering, it brings together mulberries, blackberries, blueberries, and black currant juice. The resulting concoction offered complex flavors and was not too sweet. We liked it so much that we ended up getting a bottle to take home.

 

Honeygirl isn’t cheap – a flight of four is $15 and most glasses are in the $8-$12 range – but it’s a great way to try something different.

The Oak House

 

Located at 126 West Main Street in City Center, Durham, The Oak House serves wine, beer, coffee, and tea every day except Sunday. It regularly hosts live music and community events. Online ordering is available.

This place was a lifesaver. We were on our way home toward the tail end of a travel-heavy day and were exhausted and thirsty. The Oak House won our business by virtue of being open and slinging caffeine, and it won our praise by doing so well. Nutella lattes were among the seasonal coffee offerings, and they were smooth, refreshing, and delicious.

Beyond that, The Oak House is nicely appointed. The woodwork and chalkboard drink lists add old-fashioned charm. While we only glanced at the latter, the selection seemed plentiful.

The bar-coffee shop combination doesn’t always work (one sometimes suffers for the sake of the other), but The Oak House certainly seemed to have its act together.

Beyu Caffe

Located at 341 West Main Street in downtown Durham, Beyu Caffe offers coffee drinks, cocktails, and Southern-influenced food. It is open seven days a week from 8 to 8 (8 to 6 on Sundays) and offers breakfast all day. Formerly a regular jazz venue, Beyu still offers occasional live music.

Beyu is pronounced Be You, and that sense of individual character permeates this cool and comfortable spot. Conveniently located and reasonably spacious, Beyu offers a comfortable ambiance: lively without being loud.

This character extends to the menu as well, which features names to remember (Dope coffee specialties, a Chuck Berry Parfait) and fresh takes on familiar dishes (i.e. chicken wings and French toast subbing in for chicken and waffles). Hungry and tired, my wife and I opted for coffee drinks (Mexican coffee and a Carver’s Peanut Butter) and lunch items (Satchmo Po Boy and Shrimp and Grits). Everything was ordered at the register prior to seating, and service thankfully proved expeditious.

Both coffee drinks were excellent. The Mexican coffee added cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate to the standard brew and made for a bold and rich concoction. The Carver’s Peanut Butter combined espresso, peanut butter, steamed milk, and honey. If peanut butter in coffee causes you to raise an eyebrow, a few sips of this smooth and tasty blend will make a convert of you.

Unfortunately, the food wasn’t quite up to the same standard. The Shrimp and Grits used Italian sausage in place of Tasso ham, an odd choice but not a poor one. However, the shrimp were just short of overcooked, and the grits needed copious stirring to reach the right consistency. Thankfully, the flavor still delivered. Meanwhile, the Po Boy – actually, a pair of fried catfish sliders – featured nicely breaded fish, but the accompanying side salad sported dubious-looking lettuce.

Given the atmosphere and coffee quality, I would not hesitate to return to Beyu the next time I’m in Durham, but I might think twice about ordering lunch.

Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas

Located at 112 West Main Street in Durham, Luna serves Latin American cuisine for lunch and dinner. There is a full bar, and specials change regularly.

On concept alone, Luna would be well worth visiting. Billing itself as South American and American South, the restaurant offers Latin entrees, empanadas, and patacones (plantain sandwiches) along with Southern sides such as succotash, smoked bacon collards, and pimento mac and cheese (as well as quite a few vegetarian options). But there is more than just a good gimmick here. Food quality, service, and pricing all make Luna a hit.

The restaurant’s interior is fun and inviting. Spacey wall murals and a well-lit bar are inviting, and there are both long communal tables as well as more traditional seating. It can get quite loud in here when the restaurant is at capacity, but that was a non-issue during our visit.

As we were first-timers, our server was good enough to give a rundown of a few unfamiliar menu items and offer recommendations. We eventually settled on a starter of arepas (maize cakes topped with chicken, pork, brisket, and black beans, respectively) and an empanada and two sides a piece. All of the food came surprisingly quickly, and were it not so filling, we surely would have opted for some of the dessert empanadas (yes, that’s a thing) as well.

About that food: the flavors here are incredible. The meats were juicy, flavorful, and well-seasoned, and the sides equaled, if not surpassed them. The black beans and coconut rice was creamy, the maduros (plantains) sweet, and the yucca frites a welcome break from regular fries. Among the drinks we tried, a mint mate was clean and refreshing while Luna’s version of a horchata – a departure from the Mexican-style rice milk drink – tasted like a passionfruit iced tea.

The pricing here proved to be surprisingly wallet-friendly. Empanadas (either one with two sides or two with one side) were $9.50 and portioned generously. The drinks were south of $3 and included free refills. Even entrees here (aside from seafood specials) top out at $15.25.

With some restaurants – particularly newer or inconsistent establishments – it is natural to question whether it is worth the gamble. But with Luna, the question is, “What are you waiting for?”

9/10