Oliver Twist
8111-137 Creedmoor Rd
Raleigh, NC 27613

Last week was Triangle Restaurant Week, when an assortment of local restaurants run a special set menu. We were meeting up with Lynn and some of her friends.

I ended up narrowing our dining choices to between Oliver Twist and Red Room, but the humor value of a restaurant naming itself after the Dickensian orphan famous for wanting more gruel, won out. What can I say? As an English major and bibliophile, that’s right up there with Gatsby Gardens and Gatsby hair products for men.

The interior was gorgeous. With it’s strip-mall location, Twist has a challenge with the utter lack of windows and natural light, but they succeeded with dark wood furniture, red drapes, cushions and a stylish wine bar feel.  (A bit like the wine cellar at Alla Osteria)

Our wines and martinis were all tasty, our waitress was friendly, and I can’t emphasize enough just how pretty the place is. Our food was all stylishly plated and looked like a food magazine. But the food tasted… fine. It wasn’t bad, but for a splurge restaurant like this, I expected better. There was nothing I couldn’t prepare myself (with my meat the slightest bit overdone and my asparagus just the slightest bit underdone, it was uncannily like I did cook it myself!), so the markup for gorgeous plating was just too high.

Also, the food arrived in the way Stick and I call “Chinese style”, which means there was a huge wait between when the first plates and last plates came out. This works in a traditional Chinese restaurant because everyone’s eating from the same dishes, no one is watching their food get cold as they wait politely for their date’s dinner to arrive. But, in a Western restaurant, it’s really annoying.

I still had a great time, because the drinks and company (thanks to Lynn’s “devious friend matchmaking scheme”) were both fantastic, and the food was fine. I think Stick and I would go back for a bottle of wine, or a cocktail from the extensive martini list.

From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:

Oliver Twist

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We found mangosteens in the supermarket today! I recognized them from the Yihai market, but I really didn’t expect to find them in such close proximity to drive-thru hush puppies.

From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:

Disconnect

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Luke started a group writing challenge to list seven things we’re thankful for this Thanksgiving. I had to go over a little, and I kind of combined some things, because an endless list — while great for me — wouldn’t make such a great post.

8 ) Caramel Apple Crack at Starbucks.

I don’t know if the Starbucks in China has this, because I was too busy slurping up all the real-bean coffee and then getting the jitters. I don’t know what’s in it, either. I asked Stick and he thinks maybe it’s sunshine and rainbows and highly addictive chemicals.

Note: This is not a paid advertisement, but if Starbucks would pay me I would totally advertise the Apple Crack. In fact, I’d even call it by its proper name.

7) Not working retail on Black Friday. It’s been years now that I haven’t BUT I still feel good waking up the day after Thanksgiving and knowing I don’t have to ring up frazzled shoppers. If you are such a shopper, be extra nice to the sales assistants. I’m also thankful for not having to shop on Black Friday.

6) Being back in the land of English bookstores. And libraries. And newspapers. And Cosmo magazine, wait, I mean all magazines. I think I have to change this one to all English printed matter.

5) Freakishly good weather here in Nascar land. I think I’ve wore a hat one morning so far.

4) Getting the gig with the Middle Earth poster. You know when internships talk about how valuable the experience is, how much you’ll learn, and all the mentoring you’ll get, and that’s why they don’t have to pay any money? This job is like that, only they pay me.

3)  My Stivison family and my Malavette family.

2) Western food. No, wait, what I really meant was Southern food. Apparently food needs a compass direction to be extra tasty. I was in Yantai and Beijing for the last two Thanksgivings, and while I wouldn’t miss my China holidays for anything, I’m excited about eating some deep-fried turkey. [not hyperbole]

1)  Stick.

From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:

Thanksgiving

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1) Hushpuppies

2) Biscuits

3) If you turn on the radio, you can always find Creedence Clearwater Revival playing on one station or another.

From the blog Simpson's Paradox, please comment here:

Things I Love About The South, Part 1

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