Cha Da Thai

Located at 420 Jonestown Road in Winston-Salem, Cha Da Thai serves Thai cuisine daily. It is open from 11-3 and then from 5-10 Monday-Friday, 5-10 Saturday, and 11:30-10 Sunday. Lunch specials and vegetarian and vegan options are available.

One of Winston-Salem’s longest-running Thai establishments, Cha Da Thai made for a frustratingly uneven dining experience. To the restaurant’s credit, it’s very nicely appointed. The interior features decorative woodwork, plants, and even a fish tank. The ambiance here is cozy and inviting.

Cha Da also boasts a sizeable menu. In addition to the soups, salads, curries, rice, and noodle dishes you’d expect, there are more lamb, duck, and fish offerings than you’d find at many Thai places.

Everything else was a mixed bag. Servers are affable, but the kitchen is rather slow. The food ranged from off-putting to solidly satisfying, with nothing really impressing. An order of papaya salad was generously portioned but went too heavy on the fish sauce. A tofu green curry featured a flavorful, coconut-forward sauce that was both tasty and too thin, and the accompanying vegetables could have benefited from more eggplant and less cabbage. A chicken Pad Thai hit the desired level of spiciness and did not skimp on the tamarind. While it was sweeter than I’ve had elsewhere, it hit the spot overall.

Cha Da Thai’s setting would make it an attractive dine-in destination if only the food were more consistent. As-is, Winston-Salem has better Thai options.

To Your Health Bakery

 

Located at 1263 Creekshire Way in Winston-Salem, To Your Health Bakery specializes in gluten-free baked goods. Vegan and keto options are also available as are coffee drinks and online ordering. The bakery is open from 11-6 Monday-Friday and 10-5 on Saturday.

My sweet tooth and my desire to eat healthier have long been at odds, and I wanted to get a sense of how keto desserts compare to their sugarfied counterparts. That led me to To Your Health. It’s a small bakery with minimal seating, but there’s quite a bit here: cakes, cupcakes, pies, cookies, donuts, and more. As expected, there were more gluten-free than keto/paleo options, but a helpful staff member was able to point me toward a few sugar-free offerings.

I ultimately went with a piece of pumpkin cheesecake, which proved to be a somewhat mixed experience. I knew the texture would be different from a classic New York-style, and it was. However, the sweet, creamy filling with warm spice notes proved to be plenty tasty in its own right. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same about the crust as the pronounced almond flavor was a bit off-putting. Finally, while I was prepared for keto desserts to cost more, $9 for one piece of cheesecake still stung.

To Your Health does a commendable job of providing options for those with food allergies and sensitivities, and if I were in that camp, I might rate them higher. I can appreciate the care they put into their offerings, but for me, they just weren’t worth the cost.

O'Brien's Deli

Located at 4001 Country Club Road in Winston-Salem, O’Brien’s Deli offers sandwiches and salads. It is open from 11-7 Monday-Saturday. Catering is available.

O’Brien’s is the kind of classic deli every city should have. It’s a small space – a few tables inside and a few tables out – but don’t let that or the line you are likely to encounter deter you. They crank out sandwiches quickly here.

Said sandwiches include about two dozen hot and cold offerings as well as the ability to build your own. The meats are Boar’s Head, but the desserts and soups are made fresh in-house. Check out the display case for salads and sides that might catch your eye.

O’Brien’s prides itself on its Reuben, and so I went with the “mini” version (a quarter rather than a half pound of meat) with a pickle for my first visit here. Ordering at the register was a breeze, and I was fortunate enough to snag one of the tables for dine-in.

Though I was a bit skeptical that the Reuben would match the hype, it delivered. I don’t know that it is without a doubt the best version I’ve had, but it is definitely up there. The grilled rye was nice and crisp, and I appreciated that they used both mustard and Russian dressing. That, plus the meat, kraut, and melty cheese, made for a very satisfying bite. At $10, the sandwich proved a good value, too.

Unpretentious and nostalgically comforting (for Northern transplants, at least), O’Brien’s is a well-oiled sandwich-slinging machine. Though that Reuben will be hard to top, I look forward to giving one of their other offerings (maybe a Cuban, maybe a Spicy Italian) a try.

Sushi Sho

 

Located at 2213 Cloverdale Avenue in Winston-Salem, Sushi Sho offers sushi and Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner daily. Online ordering and all-you-can-eat are available.

Now that High Point and Greensboro have multiple AYCE sushi options, it was only a matter of time before Winston-Salem got in on the act. The more, the merrier, and Sushi Sho clearly serves a need. That said, if you aren’t coming here specifically for flat-rate fish and rice consumption, there are better options.

Sushi Sho is reasonably spacious, which is a plus given how busy they keep. I stopped by for lunch around 12:30 on a Monday, and there was a fairly steady stream of customers before and after me. They seemed understaffed given the volume, but both the front-of-house staff and sushi chefs were hustling at a commendable rate. Tiffany (I think?) provided good service despite doing what looked like the work of at least two people.

Not wanting to commit to an AYCE experience just yet, I opted for a regular menu and took a seat at the bar. Pricing is another point in Sushi Sho’s favor. AYCE runs under $20 for lunch and under $30 for dinner. I went with the sushi roll lunch, which also proved plenty affordable: any two classic rolls with miso or salad for about $12. Even with the specialty rolls removed from the equation, there were plenty of appealing options. I ended up picking an Alaska roll and a spicy yellowtail roll.

 

Unfortunately, the food here was merely OK. The salad was mostly lettuce though the requisite ginger dressing didn’t disappoint. Typically, an Alaska roll is an “inside out” (fish on top) concoction, but not here. Composition aside, the salmon and avocado left no reason for complaint. However, the same cannot be said for the yellowtail roll. Dry rice, an absence of spice, and an abundance of crunch in the middle made this roll one I would avoid in the future.

If you have time and patience to spare, you can find a good value here, but on food alone, Sushi Sho is only so-so.

Young Cardinal Cafe

 

Located at 424 4^th Street in Downtown Winston-Salem, Young Cardinal specializes in breakfast/brunch and cocktails. It is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Specials change regularly, and patio dining is available.

I had been wanting to try Young Cardinal for quite some time, but it always seemed so busy. During our most recent Winston trip, however, my wife and I decided to bite the bullet and endure whatever wait we had to. Fortunately, it wasn’t a long one: the quoted fifteen-to-twenty minutes ended up being more like twelve. We ended up with a patio table perfect for people-watching (and likely not as loud as inside the restaurant would have been).

Young Cardinal’s menu offers up pancakes, waffles, omelets, bowls, and benedicts (among other things) for breakfast as well as sandwiches and salads for lunch. The biscuits/benedicts/omelets offer a good deal of customizability, including vegetarian options. There is also an assortment of coffee drinks, including several spiked coffees.

After briefly contemplating the French toast of the day (a bread pudding inspired concoction with a cherry glaze – probably amazing but more dessert than brunch entrée), I opted for the hot honey chicken and pimento Benedict with hash browns as the side while my wife went with the Young Cardinal breakfast (eggs hard fried, bacon, grits, and a biscuit with a side of gravy) and a millionaire’s coffee (Irish cream, Kahlua, Frangelico, whipped cream). Given how busy Young Cardinal was, we were expecting a bit of a wait for our food, but thankfully, that proved not to be the case. Service here is remarkably efficient and pleasant as well.

 

The food was good though had I been more ravenously hungry and subjected to a longer wait for it, I might have been more critical. The Benedict was nicely plated with the eggs done just right. The chicken cutlets were a bit thin, but they delivered the expected flavors (spicy and sweet). My wife appreciated the hard cook on the eggs and enjoyed everything on the plate. Pricing was moderate: $17 apiece for our dishes.

I don’t know if the other Andrews Group establishments run as tight a ship as this, but with food and service as good as they are here, it isn’t hard to see why Young Cardinal always seems to draw a crowd.

The Old Fourth Street Filling Station

 

Located at 871 West Fourth Street in Winston-Salem’s West End, the Fourth Street FillingStation offers American cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-9 Monday-Thursday, 11-10 on Saturday, and 11-3 for brunch on Sunday. Online ordering, reservations through Open Table, and outdoor seating are available.

While the name calls to mind a gas station-turned-pub, the Fourth Street Filling Station is a bit more upmarket than that. It isn’t fine dining but rather a place where you can get a steak. The worst that can be said about this place is that it isn’t terrible innovative: apps, salads, sandwiches, a few seafood and pasta dishes, and the aforementioned steaks. In the grand scheme of things, however, there are far greater culinary sins than not offering anything unique.

The Filling Station boasts a spacious patio, and even as it got busier, our group of four was able to enjoy a comfortable meal. Our server was friendly and helpfully offered drink recommendations, and the kitchen didn’t leave us waiting long for our food.

The menu boldly claims Winston’s Best Calamari, so we decided to put that to the test. While there may be a match out there somewhere, the Filling Station’s version is quite good: a generous portion, well-breaded, not overcooked, and paired with both a superb cocktail sauce and a tangy remoulade. My entrée – a jambalaya – was likewise very satisfying. I’ve had jambalayas that were disappointingly dry, and I appreciated the gravy in this one. Though it offered no heat, it was still flavorful, and the shrimp were sizeable.

 

The Filling Station isn’t cheap – most entrees in the twenties and sandwiches in the mid-teens – but given rising food costs, the prices aren’t out of line for what they offer.

If you’re looking for a “nice meal” destination with solid food and plenty of seating, the Filling Station presents an appealing option provided that you are OK with the somewhat predictable menu.  

Oh' Calcutta

 

Located at 310A West Fourth Street in Downtown Winston-Salem, Oh’ Calcutta offers modern Indian cuisine. It is open for dinner (4:30-9) Tuesday-Thursday, lunch and dinner Friday-Sunday, and closed Monday. There is a full-service bar, and food specials change daily. Online reservations and online ordering are available.

 

I really wanted to like this place. Oh’ Calcutta boasted strong reviews and an appealing menu. Unfortunately, it’s a classic case of style over substance as eating here made for an underwhelming experience, more Eh than Oh.

 

Oh’ Calcutta brands itself as modern Indian, which helps it stand out in a few ways. Though a smallish space, it offers a chic, intimate atmosphere that would be quite comfortable if it wasn’t also loud enough to make conversation a struggle. The menu contains both Indian classics and fusionist Badhi plates (think Masala-braised pork belly, lobster shorba, or tandoor surf n turf). There was enough here that looked good to make decisions difficult.

 

My wife and I opted to split a gunpowder chicken starter and a garlic naan with saag paneer and lamb biryani as our mains. While the food offered a few bright spots, there is definite need for improvement. Indian establishments defaulting to mild unless you say otherwise is something I’ve come to expect, but even by those standards, Oh’ Calcutta is pretty bland. The gunpowder chicken (chili, ginger, garlic) actually had a good amount of flavor as did the biryani (which was also distinguished by the welcome additions of potato and a boiled egg). However, neither offered much spiciness, and the meats were overcooked. Both the saag paneer and its accompanying rice definitely needed more seasoning: they were practically flavorless.

 

While not surprising given its Downtown Winston location, Oh’ Calcutta’s pricing added insult to injury. At $19 and $22 respectively, the saag paneer and the lamb biryani were each a couple of bucks more than I’ve found (better) elsewhere.

 

To Oh’ Calcutta’s credit, the service was great. Nicole (?) and her team were prompt, polite, and attentive.

 

It’s possible that Oh’ Calcutta’s fusion/modern dishes are its true strength, and it’s possible that we caught the kitchen on an off-night, but unless the food takes a leap forward, I don’t think I’ll be back.

Dough-Joe's

 

Located at 114 Reynolda Village Suite C in Winston-Salem, Dough-Joe's serves up donuts, coffee, and tea from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Online ordering and outdoor seating are available.

Ever since Rise closed its Greensboro branch years ago, I've been on the hunt for a donut shop with some adventurous flavors. Dough-Joe's, with its assortment of glazes, drizzles, and fun seasonal offerings, is it. The donuts are a cake style, and they are made to order. Cheap they are not ($2.55 and up per), but they are worth it.

During a recent visit, I went with a few of the winter specials: a Butterbeer Latte (caramel and butterscotch syrup) and a cheesecake donut. The former had a strong butterscotch flavor, and while I might not get it again, it was still comforting on a cold day. The latter was delicious. The cheesecake glaze offered a nice bit of tanginess. For being made fresh, it was served up quickly, too.

If there's one drawback to Dough-Joe's, it is that indoor seating availability is hit-and-miss. This isn't a problem in the warmer months when the outdoor tables are an option, but in the winter, the inside fills up fast.

While there are closer places to get a decent donut, Dough-Joe's is enough of a standout to be a regular stop during future Winston visits.

Chad's Chai

 

Chad's has been supplying local businesses for years, so it is nice to see them finally get their own spot. While they could have done brisk business on name recognition and the strength of their product alone, they happen to have a very nice atmosphere: bright and airy with plenty of natural light. The staff here are knowledgeable and can help offer recommendations, which is useful if you find yourself overwhelmed by the number of options. From classic teas to chai lattes to seasonal concoctions to even tea flights, there's a lot to choose from here. Packaged teas, tea accessories, and baked goods are also among the offerings.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I went with a Peachy Keen (with basil) iced tea, an iced vanilla chai, and an ube cheesecake roll. The teas were very refreshing on a hot day while the pastry tasted great warmed up. Chai lattes can sometimes be cloyingly sweet, but this one was thankfully not.

 

If you like tea, Chad's Chai is a must if you're in the area. If you don't, Chad's might make a convert out of you.

Quanto Basta

 Located at 680 West 4^th Street in Downtown Winston-Salem, Quanto Basta offers Italian cuisine from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (closed Sunday-Tuesday). There are nightly food and drink specials. Online ordering and family takeout meals are available.

 

Classier and pricier than a neighborhood red sauce joint but more modestly priced than Cibo, Quanto Basta is a solid option that unfortunately falls into the “looks better than it is” category. The downtown location is convenient, and the restaurant offers an attractive, intimate space. However, the acoustics and table placement are such that it can get loud when it’s near capacity. As Quanto Basta doesn’t do reservations, your best bet is to arrive early.

 

The menu here is short but well-rounded. It features salads, antipasti/appetizers, pasta dishes, entrees, and pizzas. Your classics (caprese, spaghetti and meatballs, eggplant parm, etc.) are accounted for, but you can also opt for the less expected such as parmesan and pork belly crab dip or short ribs with gnocchi, charred carrots, and tomato jam. The wine and drink offerings are similarly versatile.

 

Our group of four went with caprese and focaccia al forno starters and then shared stuffed peppers parmesan, eggplant parmesan, sausage & clams, and baked ziti with meatballs, followed by a tiramisu trifle for dessert.



We didn’t have long to wait for the food – service here is attentive and efficient – and the caprese was beautifully plated. However, it could have benefitted from salt. Flavors in general were understated even in dishes that were otherwise well-composed and satisfying. The sausage & clams came with a delicious hunk of herby focaccia, which QB would do well to offer as a side. Tiramisu in trifle form (layered inside a mason jar) is a concept whose novelty exceeds its practicality. It tasted great (if you like mocha), but by the time we got toward the bottom, everything was soggy.

 

Quanto Basta’s menu and décor are winners, but the food itself was a mixed bag. I wouldn’t rule out a return here though it wouldn’t be at the top of my list.

The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden

 Located at 450 North Patterson Ave. in Downtown Winston-Salem (with an additional location in Mooresville), The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden offers burgers, sandwiches, salads, beer, and more. It is open from 11-8:30 daily (but closes between lunch and dinner on weekdays). Outdoor seating and online ordering are available.

 

Situated across from Bailey Park, The Barcelona couldn’t ask for a better location. It offers a fantastic patio and a tantalizing dessert case inside. True to its name, it also has a variety of brews on tap. The burger selection is far more limited, but rotisserie chicken, hot dogs, and salads present a few more options. While there’s something to be said for fidelity of concept, a deep and varied menu this is not.

 

The Barcelona is an order-at-the-counter establishment, and menus are located by the register, a setup conducive to crowding and potential chaos. To their credit, cashiers and staff are quick and adept at keeping up with the volume. That same haste extends to the kitchen as we didn’t have long to wait for our food.

 

For our first visit, my wife and I opted to share a Madrid burger (American cheese, caramelized onion, roasted tomato, and spicy pepper sauce) with truffle fries as our side and a blue salad (spring mix, blueberries, bleu cheese, candied pecans, and apricot dressing). The burgers here are smash-style: nicely crisped with a bun that holds everything in place. However, in addition to the Madrid being more “done” that I usually opt for, the toppings outshone the meat. The fries were definitely made fresh and were tasty though almost overdressed. The salad, while nothing spectacular, was refreshing.

 

The Barcelona isn’t overpriced per se, but it isn’t a good value, either. Burgers run in the $12-15 range with a choice of side while our salad sans protein was about the same.

 

All told, The Barcelona offers solid food in a comfortable, casual atmosphere, but if it were located anywhere else, you wouldn’t miss much by passing it by.

Hakkachow

Located at 615 St. George Square Court in Winston-Salem, Hakkachow offers Asian fusion cuisine for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. There is a full bar as well as daily drink specials. Online ordering and online reservations are available.

 

Much like Phoenix Asian Cuisine in Greensboro, Hakkachow calls to mind a non-corporate P.F. Chang’s, only better. The restaurant is modern and spacious with plenty of seating to go around. The menu skews Chinese though there are Korean and Thai offerings as well as a sushi/poke menu as well. While there is something to be said for the comfort of familiarity, that menu, save for a few of the sushi rolls, offers no surprises. Everything you’ll find here, you’ve likely already had elsewhere.

 

My wife and I opted to start with one of the unique rolls (Cajun Revolution: tempura shrimp, cream cheese, and jalapeno inside/Cajun salmon, tuna, yellowtail, crispy shallot, aioli, and eel sauce outside), followed by a veggie fried rice (with homemade chili oil) and Singapore noodles, respectively. Our app came quickly, and we didn’t have long to wait for our entrees either though service slowed considerably as the restaurant got busier. However, our server remained courteous, apologetic, and unflappably professional through it all.

 

The kitchen proved to be on its game as well. On paper, the Cajun Revolution seemed almost too much, but it made for a tasty bite: spicy, crunchy, and flavorful. Singapore noodles are one of my go-to dishes for Chinese and Asian fusion, and Hakkachow’s version didn’t disappoint. While not the best I’ve had, the composition, flavors, and aroma were all there. The fried rice was likewise well-executed, and it contained a variety of veggies, but it wasn’t leaps and bounds ahead of what you can get elsewhere.

 

Hakkachow’s entrees run large, which helps take the sting out of the mid-teens pricing. On the one hand, that is hardly unreasonable for a nice meal out. On the other hand, depending on how you feel about your favorite Chinese takeout joint, the extent to which Hakkachow’s food surpasses it may or may not justify the extent to which Hakkachow’s prices do.

 

All told, Hakkachow promises competently made food in a pleasant environment. It might lack a distinctive “wow” factor, but it doesn’t seem likely to let you down, either. 

Timmy's Hot Chicken

 

Located at 237 West 5^th Street in Winston-Salem’s Downtown Arts District, Timmy’s Hot Chicken serves Nashville hot chicken from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. A second location is planned for Greensboro.

 

As a fan of Nashville hot chicken, I’ve had versions that have ranged from fairly faithful to loosely adapted and done right to butchered beyond all recognition. This made me curious about Timmy’s, and I’m pleased to report that it falls in the former categories rather than the latter.

 

A long, narrow, dimly lit space next door to Small Batch, Timmy’s boasts a wall of plates to commemorate the winners of its Hellfire wings challenge (one order eaten in ten minutes or less without drinks). I opted for takeout during my first visit, but it seems like a casual, relaxed spot for dine-in.

 

Timmy’s menu suits its concept well and offers a fair bit of flexibility. You can get wings, tenders, boneless thighs, or fish. All are available with bread on the side and pickles, or you can opt for sandwiches that are varying degrees of loaded (Beyond Meat is also an option here) or even chicken and waffles. Sauce heat levels range from medium to the aforementioned hellfire.

 

I decided to play it safe with a medium Timothy: tenders, pickle, American cheese, slaw, bacon, and comeback sauce. At $12 for the sandwich only (sides are another $4 to $5), it wasn’t cheap, but it was well worth it. The sandwich delivered the sweet-and-heat combination I was looking for while the slaw and bacon added a welcome crunch. Surprisingly for a sandwich as loaded as this one, it didn’t completely fall apart while I tried to eat it.

While I can’t attest to Timmy’s sides or the dine-in experience, the sandwich was enough to tell me where to go the next time a Nashville hot chicken craving hits. Here’s hoping the Greensboro location opens soon.

Bobby Boy Bakeshop

 

Located at 1100 Reynolda Road in the Buena Vista neighborhood of Winston-Salem, Bobby Boy Bakeshop serves up baked good from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

 

In the few years that it’s been open, Bobby Boy has attained a loft reputation, a status reinforced by the line out the door that greeted me on arrival. Given that, I really wanted to love this place, but I will have to settle for liking it instead.

 

One area where Bobby Boy definitely did not disappoint was its selection. The bakery boasts several kinds of bread, several types of croissants and rolls, cookies, pastries, coffees, and more. If you have anything resembling a sweet tooth, you’re in for a hard decision here.

 

While everything here looks amazing, the high-ish prices may dampen some of that enthusiasm. Still, quality can override cost-consciousness.

 

For my first visit, I went with a vanilla honey raisin roll and picked up a pan au chocolat for my wife. The former was very sweet, but it wasn’t a one-dimensional sweetness. The latter packed in plenty of rich chocolatey flavor but lacked some of the buttery flakiness of croissants found elsewhere.

 

All told, Bobby Boy is definitely worth trying, but it may not blow you away.

Earl's

 

Located at 121 West 9^th Street in Winston-Salem, Earl’s offers Nashville-inspired cuisine for lunch and dinner. The establishment is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily with dinner entrees available after 4 p.m. and brunch on weekends. There is a full bar, outdoor seating is available, and live music (country) plays on Friday and Saturday nights.

 

A whiskey kitchen is becoming de rigueur for North Carolina cities of a certain size, and Earl’s is Winston-Salem’s take on the concept. While it can’t hold a candle to either 913 in Greensboro or Whiskey Kitchen in Raleigh, it fares well enough on its own merits.

 

Conveniently located near Wise Man and Radar breweries and the Ramkat, Earl’s is spacious and comfortable. Though I’m definitely not a country music fan, “What am I doing here?” never entered my mind.

 

Earl’s specializes in chicken, but the menu offers everything from burgers, sandwiches, and salads to meatloaf to tomato pie. For our first visit, my wife and I opted for a fried pickles starter, a Winston Hot Chicken sandwich, and chicken and dumplings. While the app arrived relatively quickly, we faced a considerably longer wait for the entrees. Granted, fried chicken takes time, but the kitchen’s pace could best be described as leisurely. However, Portia, our server, was warm and friendly and did a great job.

 

When it did arrive, the food was more satisfying than not. The fried pickles were a definite hit. They do them as chips rather than spears here. They were very thin, very crisp, and packed a good bit of dill flavor. The accompanying ranch tasted homemade. That same crispiness extended to the tots and the chicken sandwich as well. The latter packed a welcome kick from the dry rub, and creamy slaw in the sandwich was a nice touch. That said, I found myself missing the sauciness of a “Nashville Hot,” and this did not feel like $14 worth of sandwich. At least it was easy to eat. The chicken and dumplings, on the other hand, were worth the $16 charged and then some. The gravy was rich and herby, savory without being too salty. The dumplings were delectable, and chicken is a house specialty here for a reason.

 

Overall, Earl’s falls short of great (except for, perhaps, in chicken), and the kitchen is slow, but it offers good service, solidly tasty food, and an inviting atmosphere.

Brasstown Craft Chocolate

 

Located at 5029 Country Club Road in the Club Haven shopping center in Winston-Salem, Brasstown Craft Chocolate offers craft chocolate bars, bon-bons, and other chocolate products. It is open Tuesday through Saturday for in-store shopping. Online ordering and shipping are available.

 

Coming from the chocolate desert that is High Point, Brasstown Chocolate was a welcome find that reminded me of Foster Hobbs Coffee: a small concern that uses high-quality ingredients and takes its products seriously without a hint of elitism. When my wife and I visited, we were impressed by Brasstown’s selection: more than half a dozen bars and at least as many bon-bon flavors. The chocolates in question use organic fair-trade cacao beans, and each country of origin lends the resulting chocolate a different flavor profile. Considering the ingredient quality, pricing was more affordable than expected: we lucked out and hit a $1 apiece sale on the bon-bons (bars run under $10). A sampler thereof and a chili bar made for a promising haul.

 

The bon-bons did not disappoint. From amaretto to hazelnut to Irish cream, each flavor was recognizable – and tasty. The chili bar was more subdued than others I’ve had, offering a little bit of heat on the back end.

 

Black Mountain remains my go-to chocolate spot for Winston visits, but for those who live in town, Brasstown’s product quality, flavor assortment, and customer service make it absolutely worth visiting.

Yamas Mediterranean Street Food

Located at 624 West 4^th Street in downtown Winston-Salem, Yamas offers Mediterranean fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Outdoor seating, catering, and online ordering are available.

Courtesy of the Michael family (Mama Zoe Michael’s, Waldo’s Wings, CinCin Buger Bar), the Chipotlefication of Mediterranean has arrived in Winston-Salem. It is, thankfully, far more than just a gimmick, offering quality ingredients and bold flavors to complement the expected versatility.

Yamas’ approach is simple: start with a prefab favorite (such as a gyro or a falafel salad) or build a pita wrap, salad, grain bowl, or half salad/half grain bowl to your liking. Should you go the latter route, plenty of possibilities await. You can add up to three spreads (including a white chocolate babaganoush), a protein (there are both meat and vegetarian options), toppings (everything from feta to fries to marinated vegetables), and a sauce. Mild or spicy, vegan or meaty, it’s all fair game, and it’s all (unless you upgrade your protein to lamb for $3 more) only $8.99.

For my first time out, I went the half salad/half grain bowl route, starting with arugula and freekeh wheat and topped with hummus, babaganoush, tzaiki, gyro meat, tomato cucumber salad, feta, and toum garlic cream (!). The garlic cream was rather strong and something I might think twice about repeating, but everything else was delicious. The white chocolate babaganoush added a touch of sweetness while the fresh vegetables balanced the saltier spreads and protein. The portion was plentiful as well, and it was prepared promptly by patient counter staff who made ordering easy.

Though Yamas can get a bit loud when busy, it is absolutely worth braving a line (it will move quickly) and hunting for a table (or a spot at a long communal table). Tasty and flexible, the restaurant presents a winning concept that will hopefully endure

Bagel Battle Bonanza: New Garden Bagels, Bagels and More on Main, and Bagel Station II

There are some who swear that good bagels do not exist outside of the New York City metro area. That may be an overstatement, but the influx of transplanted Yankees may account for many of North Carolina’s better bagel offerings. Those in the bagel biz who don’t hail from the region at least have an idea of what they should be emulating: firm and crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, a result of boiling before baking. Some bagel places get this right; some don’t and should probably stop trying.

Three such “haves” are New Garden Bagels in Greensboro, Bagels and More on Main in Lexington, and Bagel Station/Bagel Station II in Winston-Salem. Each establishment has its own strengths and weaknesses, but you can’t go wrong with bagels from any of them.

New Garden Bagels can be found in the New Garden Crossing Shopping Center at New Garden Road in Greensboro. Offerings include bagels, spreads, breakfast sandwiches, and deli sandwiches. The establishment is open from 6 a.m. to 4p.m. daily.

Though tiny enough to preclude dining in and not the cheapest option ($1.09/bagel or $13.08/baker’s dozen), New Garden Bagels offers the best bagels I’ve encountered so far in the Triad. The consistency (crisp outside, chewy inside) is spot-on. New Garden stocks more than a dozen varieties of bagels at any given time, and there is usually a good mixture of sweet (cinnamon crunch, blueberry, chocolate chip) and savory (garlic, onion, salt, tomato basil) as well as several types of everything (egg, wheat, and traditional) bagels. There are also at least ten cream cheeses including lox, all of which, like the bagels, are made in-house. Staff are patient and accommodating of the indecisive. Though a baker’s dozen + cream cheeses has been my default order, New Garden also offers a few sandwiches (Taylor ham, whitefish salad, sliced lox) that I will have to try the next time I start feeling nostalgic for home.

Bagels and More on Main is located at 19 Main Street in uptown Lexington. It is open until 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 1 p.m. on Sunday. Sandwich, soup, and cream cheese specials rotate regularly.

Lexington is best known for BBQ not bagels, and amid these somewhat low expectations, Bagels and More on Main acquits itself nicely. The bagels are a reasonable facsimile of a New York style (in that they aren’t just round bread), and the homemade spreads are quite tasty. We sampled a honey walnut cream cheese that, while very sweet, was hard to resist. Bagels and More is also more spacious than a typical bagel shop and has more of a café/coffee shop/sandwich shop vibe.

That said, the selection is a bit more limited (maybe ten varieties?) relative to other bagel shops, and the recent addition of “and More” reflects an attempt at catering to a wider audience (via soups and sandwiches). This might not be the most authentic bagel experience around, but it is a fine fit for the area, and the owner is friendly.

The Bagel Station is located at 129 Oakwood Drive in Winston-Salem while its sister store, Bagel Station II, is located at 1977 Peacehaven Road in the Whitaker Square Shopping Center. Both establishments are open until 2 p.m. daily, and both offer deli and breakfast sandwiches as well as coffee drinks and smoothies in addition to bagels.

I had a chance to sample Bagel Station II’s wares at a recent Yelp event and liked what I tasted enough to pay them a visit. Truth be told, this is a bit of a chewier bagel albeit one that preserves the requisite crisp crust. On paper, Bagel Station II has a lot to offer, but in the flesh (so to speak), it’s a mixed bag.

First the good: Bagel Station II offers a commendably large selection and plenty of seating. You will find more than a dozen bagel varieties here (including a brightly hued rainbow bagel) and nearly a dozen spreads. Add to that the coffee selections and baked goods, and you’re in for more than the usual bagel shop offerings. The sausage, egg, and cheddar bagel sandwich was served hot and fulfilled a craving.

That said, there are a few drawbacks. Pricing ($1.09/bagel or $11/baker’s dozen) seems very favorable at first, but four designated-as-premium varieties run 60 cents more each and can’t be included in a dozen or half-dozen. Bagel Station II can get quite busy, and while counter staff are proficient at keeping the lines moving, they also seem harried and rather curt (the cashier, on the other hand, was polite). On food alone, Bagel Station II is worth a visit, but if you go during peak times, make sure you know what you want and be prepared to order it quickly.