You never know how much you appreciate variety until you have none. You can quote me on that! I moved to Lillington 4 years ago so by now, I have gotten somewhat accustomed to having only certain choices for eating. My first visit here was total culture shock. Carly C's IGA say what???? I had never heard of a Carly C's. MiCasita's mexican huh? Where was Fazoli's?? Where is the Taco Bell? Applebees....??? There is something very wrong with a town without choices, it's like a man without a country!
After working in Raleigh for my first three years of residency here, I took a job in town so I could be closer to home. That meant I was going to have to do some serious atmosphere adjustmenting! No shopping lunches unless I was into the new flipflops at the Food Lion or the extremely limited variety of Peebles. But more importantly.....where's the beef?! What I mean is...where is the variety? Where are the places you can go and strap on the feed bag while shootin the poop with co-workers while getting a fabulous meal? Where are the new places to try in town? Variety people! Variety!!
Having said all of this, you can probably guess I have tried the various options available to me in this town. You are about to hear my reviews of the local places about town.
MiCasitas - love it. Christian--resident Mexican/Latino hottie. Very friendly (knows how to work a tip). My favorite dish here is the Mexican Pizza. To-die-for! Add guacamole please! The lunch specials are reasonable. The time frame pretty quick even on a bad day. Free chips and salsa that are really very good. Overall, my friends and I give MiCasita's the "nitpickers supreme seal of approval.
Casa Carinis - liked it! For different reasons I have mixed emotions. Atmosphere is fabulous! The fresh tomatoes on the salad bar are the best I've ever had. They obviously use them in the bruschetta which has become my all time favorite appetizer of any place I've noshed! The entrees though, to me, leave a bit to be desired. I got the chicken parm and my hubby got a seafood dish, it tasted to me as though the sauces on the two should be swapped for optimum flavor potential. I've heard the pizza rocks. As I observed a pie from afar, it looked more appealing than what I had in front of me. Also, the bread should get a more than honorable mention. There were several different types of bread in the basket. Some garlic knots - loved it. Some sourdough-hated it. Overall, the bread is a plus, the brushetta which remarkably is served on bread which was as good as the bread basket we got, was a real winner and the entrees are more than edible. The bruschetta alone is worth the trip - believe me!! The take out bruschetta is just as fabuliscious as the eat in! Try it!! Casa Carinis gets the big honkin seal of "I'll definitely eat there again sometime-especially if they swap those two sauces!".
Nonnas - pretty happy with this local version of what is to me a Fazolis. Italian food -fast. Who can beat that with a stick?! Thus far I have savored many flavors here and basically, Nonna's is always worth an encore presentation. I do have to single out the lasagna. I don't know what they do to it but this dish literally seems buttery. Not greasy mind you, butter-melt-in-yer-mouth kinda wonderful. Quarter past the best lasagna I have ever had. 'NUFF SAID! Oh- and you more than get your dollars worth here!
Ribeyes- I've eaten there a couple of times, honestly, to me it wasn't even worth the walk from the car. The value of the meal is non-existent. The salad bar is like the one I make for my family on the weekends- basically - nothing to write home about so I can end this paragraph here! Besides, the wait was so long, by the time we got served, I forgot what I was there for! Use the money you would spend there on one meal and go get yourself a few happy meals for the fam! and a pair of sassy shoes from Belk!!
So, while I wait for my heaven on earth to open up here in town--Taco Bell, I do have a few choices that I can live with in the meantime...and you should too!!
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