Two Triangle Restaurants

Wednesday night we had dinner at Blue Corn Cafe in Durham.  It’s an eclectic Latin-American place.  By eclectic, I mean that they’re currently not serving tap water due to the drought ($1 for a bottle, and they promise to recycle) and they’re not really into air conditioning.  I would absolutely recommend visiting if you’re in the area.  Jason made his own combo – a crispy chicken flauta and a yummy, cheesy shredded beef burrito.  The black beans were good, though a little odd.  They were a tiny bit sweet and with an almost-but-not-quite hint of bbq sauce.  This time (I’ve been at least once before) I ordered the chicken tinga.  The chicken had a good flavor to it – not too strong but just right.  I always love saffron rice and refried beans.  Yumm.

On Saturday night, we went to Carmen’s Cuban Cafe in Morrisville with a couple of friends.  We shared the Havana Sampler to start – an excellent decision.  The sampler includes papa rellena, croquetas, empanada, and mariquitas with a green salsa.  I’d definitely consider getting that as a meal for myself sometime; everything was very tasty.  For my entree, I had the Arroz con Pollo, rice cooked with chicken and Cuban spices served with plantains and black beans.  Everything had a good, smooth flavor.  Even picky eaters should like Cuban – the flavors are neither overwhelming nor particularly spicy.  It’s good comfort food.  I think I’ll snag another coupon for the restaurant from Restaurant.com soon so we can return at a discount.