The PR Pantry

 

Located at 1204 Greensboro Road in High Point, The PR Pantry is a convenience store that sells homemade desserts and Puerto Rican dishes from an on-site food truck. It is open from 11-8 Tuesday-Saturday, 12-7 on Sunday (with the truck closing at 6:15), and closed Monday. Family meal deals are available, and $10-a-plate specials are offered on select days.

Not long after the PR Pantry opened over the summer, its social media was awash in tantalizing photos of candied fruit and cheesecakes. More recently, the shop added a food truck to the mix. After driving past it on a nearly daily basis, I finally got around to checking it out.

First, a caveat: this is not a Latin market. If you come here expecting one, you will be disappointed. Think of it instead as a typical corner convenience store…that happens to have an above-average homemade food selection. Inside, you’ll encounter candied fruit, cheesecake, tres leches, pasteles, and more. The truck then offers plates, apps, and sides. From arroz con gandules to pernil to mofongo, classic Puerto Rican dishes are well-accounted for. While there are a few tables outside the store, The PR Pantry is probably best suited for takeout.

I ordered a pernil sandwich with a side of arroz con gandules and an additional side of tostones before popping inside to grab a slice of vanilla tres leches. Nothing took terribly long to prepare, and the guys on the truck were personable. At $13 for the sandwich and $3.50 for an extra side, the prices were reasonable too, especially for the quantity and quality.

The food was, on average, really, really good. Served on pressed Cuban-style bread, the pernil sandwich was a bit greasy, but it was also incredibly satisfying. Tender pork met melty cheese and magic ensued. The rice was only OK, but the tostones were crisp and paired well with the accompanying pink sauce (mayoketchup). Later on, my wife and I split the tres leches, and it was incredible: rich and creamy with hints of cinnamon.

If you want filling, tasty homemade food that won’t break the bank, add The PR Pantry to your list. I regret that it took me this long to try it.

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.

The Basil Leaf Thai & Sushi

 

Located at 2766 N.C. 68 at the Herron Village shopping center in High Point (with another location in Winston-Salem), The Basil Leaf offers Thai and Japanese cuisine for lunch (11-2:30 Tuesday through Friday and 12-3 Saturday and Sunday) and dinner (4:30-9 Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and 4:30-9:30 Friday and Saturday). Food specials change regularly, there’s a lunch menu on weekdays, and alcohol is available.

 

High Point is home to so many Thai restaurants that even a Thai/sushi combo isn’t unique here. Amid such competition, it is hard to stand out though The Basil Leaf certainly gives it a good try.

 

Though not a large space, The Basil Leaf doesn’t lack for seating. The ambiance aims for classy without being stuffy and largely succeeds. Service was attentive throughout our meal.

 

The Basil Leaf’s menu features a variety of Japanese (appetizers, sushi, and teriyaki/hibachi entrees) and Thai (appetizers, soups, salads, curries, noodles, and more) offerings. There were no unexpected finds, but if you know the cuisine well enough to know what you want, you’ll likely find it here.

 

I had a Pad Thai craving and, my wife and I ended up going with a chicken Pad Thai, a beef pineapple fried rice, and a Crab Rangoon starter. The food was tasty (good amount of sauce on the noodles and sweetness balanced with curry notes in the fried rice), and The Basil Leaf will match your desired spice level. While the plating aims for aesthetic sophistication (i.e. carrots cut into a flower shape), serving the rice in a rectangular block was an odd touch. Both entrees were generously portioned. At $15 and $17, neither broke the bank though the prices are a bit higher than the nearest competitor.

 

All told, The Basil Leaf isn’t likely to become my favorite Thai eatery, but it is one that I would feel no qualms about coming back to. 

Damn Yankees Deli and Catering

 

Located at 234 North Main Street in Kernersville, Damn Yankees Deli and Catering offers sub sandwiches for lunch and dinner. It is open from 10:30-7:30 Tuesday-Friday, 10:30-4 on Saturday, and closed Sundays. Hero of the Day sandwich specials change regularly. Online ordering is available.

 

Kernersville isn’t where you’d expect to find a legit New York-style sandwich shop, but here we are. Damn Yankees came about when a Long Island couple repurposed the former Deli on Main, revamping the menu and adding a lot of personal touches. Like many classic sandwich shops, it isn’t much to look at – blue walls, a deli case, a fridge, and a few tables – but the menu is where it really shines.

 

About that menu: Damn Yankees boasts more than two dozen sandwiches, and that’s excluding kid’s menu and daily special offerings. Each can be turned into a salad or paired with a side salad, and there are a few desserts as well. They even have knishes! The sandwiches range from simple classics (a BLT or a chicken salad) to glorious-sounding meat-and-gravy concoctions. While the meats are Boar’s Head, the breads and sauces are all made in-house

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For our first visit, my wife and I opted for the daily special (a Basilicole with balsamic chicken, basil pesto, tomatoes, arugula, and fresh mozzarella) and a Meat Head (pepperoni, salami, meatballs, melted mozzarella and sauce) with a side of potato salad. Earlier reviews suggested that Damn Yankees was still finding its footing – and adequate staffing – and so I anticipated a bit of a wait. Fortunately, there proved not to be much of one. For made-to-order, food was prepared fairly quickly, and co-owner Steve was a personable presence at the register.

 

Damn Yankees may charge more than most – both six-inch sandwiches were north of ten apiece – but you get your money’s worth here. They decidedly do not skimp on the toppings. The Meat Head lived up to its Ron Swansonesque name, offering very good meatballs and a quality tomato sauce (fresh and just slightly sweet). The soft, thick hero roll held everything together nicely. Even the potato salad exceeded expectations. The Basilicole was tasty as well though we’ll probably go in a different direction next time.

 

Kernersville is lucky to have Damn Yankees. As a New Jersian, I can say they make a damn good sandwich. 

Deadpool & Wolverine

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), the soldier-turned-mercenary known as Deadpool, applies to become an Avenger but is rejected and also splits with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). He settles into a quotidian life before he is apprehended by the Time Variance Authority. TVA operative Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) informs him that his timeline is deteriorating due to the death of James Logan “Wolverine” Howlett (Hugh Jackman), who was pivotal to the timeline’s existence. Paradox offers Wade an opportunity to join a different timeline, but Wade instead decides to hop across timelines in order to find a still-living Wolverine who can save his own.

 

Crude humor, violent slapstick, and fourth-wall-breaking self-awareness are Deadpool’s shtick, and that will always be divisive. Even those who find the character and sensibility off-putting, however, should at least be able to appreciate Reynolds’ wholehearted embrace of the role. Here, he’s paired with another performer whose dedication matches if not outpaces his own. Now in his mid-50s, Jackman has played Wolverine for nearly a quarter-century, subjecting himself to a ridiculous diet-and-workout regimen each time. It’s to his credit that this portrayal is markedly different, and not just because he finally dons a comics-accurate costume. In making Jackman a leading man, prior films also romanticized the character, accentuating his haunted, Byronic qualities. Here, he’s still haunted, but he’s also violent, surly, profane, and frequently drunk. His abrasiveness is both truer to the source material and openly contemptuous of past attempts to make the character more marketable and kid-friendly.

This reverence masquerading as irreverence can be found throughout Deadpool & Wolverine. There is biting-the-hand humor aplenty, but there is also a genuine affection for characters whose days have passed or who were never given their cinematic due to begin with. Within the film, the Void – a place outside of time first introduced in the Loki series – serves as a dumping ground for the discarded and a way for Marvel to pay homage to the characters it licensed (to Fox and other studios) before regaining creative rights. A list of Void inhabitants would spoil several (mostly welcome) surprises, but for viewers of a certain age, nostalgia is inevitable.

 

The Void is also home to Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin), who serves as the film’s primary antagonist. For all intents and purposes Charles Xavier’s evil twin, she has all of his telepathic power and none of his empathy or morality. Corrin gives a fascinating performance here, often playing Cassandra as something like a curious child even as she inflicts horrible punishments on those who defy her. Unfortunately, her screen time is relatively brief, and the role as a whole feels underbaked. The same can arguably be said for several other supporting roles though Leslie Uggams as Wade’s blind, cantankerous, coke fiend of a roommate continues to steal every scene she’s in.

 

Story is always secondary to action and comedy in a movie like this, but even by those standards, Deadpool & Wolverine is narratively very thin. Fortunately, there’s enough excitement to make up for it, thanks to Shawn Levy’s surehanded direction. The expected throwdown between the title characters does not disappoint, and the franchise continues its proud tradition of treating drawn-out brawls as quirky music videos. Add to that a number of amusing Easter eggs (a shoe store, Liefeld’s Just Feet, mocks the inability of Deadpool’s comic book creator to draw them), and you’re in for a fun – if shallow – ride.

Taco Street

 

Located at 275 North Elm Street inside of the Stock + Grain food hall in Downtown High Point, Taco Street offers Mexican cuisine from 11-9 Monday-Saturday and 12-8 on Sunday. Catering and sangrias are available.

 

“Overpaying at Stock + Grain” is getting ready to join death and taxes among life’s certainties. Thus, the operative question shouldn’t be “Is the food overpriced?” but rather “Is the food good enough for me to not mind?” In the case of Taco Street, the food hall’s newest tenant, the answer, so far, seems to be “Maybe.”

Positives first: the menu here is commendably huge, and it boasts a few things not easily found elsewhere. As befits the name, you can get tacos with a variety of toppings: everything from pastor/fish/steak/chicken/birria to chicharrons, squash, or Hawaiian BBQ. If tacos don’t scratch your itch, there are also pastelitos, “drowned” taquitos, and pambazo sandwiches. On variety alone, Taco Street is winning.

I ordered a pair of tacos – one pastor and one mango fish – to go. At $4.50 each, they were (surprise) no value, but they were prepared quickly and delivered in the flavor department. The pastor especially was spicier than expected and very tasty. The mango fish was more subdued. Though not a disappointment, I don’t know that I’d get it again.

While High Point has an abundance of Mexican eateries, few have the street food emphasis that Taco Street does. That makes it worth investigating. Your taste buds will likely be happy even if your wallet will not.

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder

In 2022, Salman Rushdie was about to give a public talk when an attacker rushed the stage and stabbed him nearly to death. Though he lost an eye in the process, Rushdie recovered. Knife is the culmination of that recovery. In it, Rushdie offers an unnervingly frank and measured account of the attack and the debilitating effect that it had on his life. The book is more than that, however. Rushdie, who has faced death threats for more than three decades, explores the perils – from censorship to violence – that writers increasingly face. He confronts the controversy and caricature (be it that of a hedonist or an egoist) long attached to his name. And yet, his message is fundamentally an optimistic one. He seeks to understand what happened to him, he expresses gratitude to all who stood by and supported him (especially his wife, Eliza), and he maintains a sharp sense of humor throughout. Despite the book’s power, Knife is nearly undone by one sizeable creative blunder: a self-indulgent series of imagined conversations between Rushdie and his would-be assassin goes on entirely too long. There are other irksome bits here (humble Rushdie is not), but overall, Knife’s vitality and humanity make it a worthwhile read.