FIVE on Friday

I had a fabulous weekend with my friend Jessica, who visited from out of town last weekend. For this five on Friday, here are a few places we went and loved:

not one of my five, but walking around the Capitol is a must for me

ONE | Sushi Blues. One of my favorite sushi restaurants in town, it was the perfect place for us to enjoy sushi, catch up, and watch basketball.

TWO | Los Tres Vaqueros. I don't care what anyone says, this is my favorite Mexican place. Of course we had certain ones in college we frequented, but I always missed the food at Los Tres.

THREE | Lilly's pizza. The pizza was delicious, and we managed to get a table, thanks to nice ladies who shared with us. My favorite at Lilly's is the Hawaiian Punch, with pineapple, ham, mandarin oranges, cinnamon, and ricotta cheese.

FOUR | Foundation. I had read about this place and how you have to know where you are going to find it. It's true. The staff was friendly and helpful, and a portion of their menu came from a 1939 recipe book, right up my alley. I chose the South Side and was very pleased!

FIVE | Beasley's. I'd been putting this one off for a while, thinking there was no way it'd live up to the Southern Living hype. It was good!!! I prefer collards with vinegar and pepper rather than bechamel (I'm not that fancy), but I recommend the fried chicken and the Ashe County macaroni and cheese.

It looks like we attempted to eat our way through Raleigh last weekend. Thank you, Jessica and Allison, for going on these adventures with me!

What are your favorite places to eat in your hometown? Where would you take a friend who's visiting from out of town?

You can link up for Five on Friday, too, at any of these blogs:

The Good Life Blog

Carolina Charm

A.Liz Adventures

Hello! Happiness

quick trip to Charlotte

Summer days (off) becoming numbered + a desperate need to get out of town = a road trip to see my best friend.  It was refreshing to spend time with my best friend, her husband/my childhood friend, and their dog.  

I was only there for two days, but of course I brought food.  I can't be caught without a snack.  I don't remember this about my grandfather, but I have heard that he took a cooler of drinks with him wherever he went, including in his airplane.  The habit and (obviously) this cooler are hand me downs.  

Lindsay suggested that we make sushi, and when I got there, she already had all of the ingredients.  She blew my homemade sushi away with several more ingredients--asparagus, salmon, carrots--and a beautiful platter.

She even had pretty flowers on the table and around the house!  The more I think about it, the more I want to move in with them...

The next day, we walked Finn, tried a new restaurant, shopped around the neighborhood, took an eclair break, and went to a food truck festival.  I had written down two places that I wanted to see while I was in Charlotte, without knowing that both of them were right in their neighborhood!  

I had so much fun in Charlotte and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Lindsay and Tom.  

Charlotte is the perfect place for me to go to experience a different city that still feels close to home.  Thank you, best friends, for letting me come visit you!   

sushi and new chopsticks

If you follow me on Instagram @kwstell, you may know that I traveled to Asia in the last couple of weeks.  I'm not big on purchasing junk when I travel, but I had to pick up some chopsticks.  And those new chopsticks called for homemade sushi!  I have enjoyed making sushi at home ever since some friends taught me their ways a few months ago.  I find this website helpful for getting you organized to make sushi; I go to this page every time to get the sushi rice directions.  

Tuna, avocado, and cucumber are my favorite sushi ingredients; I am boring and make all of the rolls with the same fillings.  I use white and black sesame seeds and sriracha to add flavor.  

It is a little trickier to make rolls with rice on the outside, but I like them better.  

B taught me how to use chopsticks after I started feeling like I was embarrassing him by always asking for forks at sushi restaurants.  I was very thankful for my chopstick skills when they were the only option at all meals out in Asia!  

Have you ever made sushi at home?  Any tips for making sushi or using chopsticks?