All Star Shenigans!

"The fact the All-Star Game is awarded to the Hurricanes is a testament to the strength of this franchise and, above all, the enthusiasm and fantastic support that you 'Caniacs have shown your team. When the Canes are home, you make RBC Center one of the loudest places in sports." - Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner

Nick and I headed down to the FREE headline 3 Doors Down concert last night at the (still fairly new) Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater (that you'd think has finally gotten approval to be called the Bud Light Ampitheater due to all the Bud Light signage displayed) and it did not disappoint! 3 Doors Down has been my favorite rock band for years and their most-recent Raleigh show was canceled when the lead singer was sick. Seeing them for free? Yep, I braved the cold for that! We had a nice view from the lawn, but many thanks go out to Marcie, Ellen, and Andrew for inviting us to join them at the media box for an even closer view... directly behind all the crowd surfers ;-)

There is SO much happening for free on Fayetteville Street and for $8.00 in the Convention center still today as part of the NHL All Star Wide Open weekend, so if you're in Raleigh and haven't made it to Downtown yet for the All Star shenanigans, you should do yourself a favor and put on some comfy shoes and make your way down!

Nick and I are heading out shortly to check out today's action on Fayetteville Street and maybe even spend a few bucks to head inside the Convention Center. See ya there!

The Hushpuppies are a Big Deal

I almost laughed out loud when I read this line from George Cox's review of Garner's (somewhat new) Shuck 'Em Shack:

Hushpuppies are not bad for a commercial product, though the Southerner in me cringes at paying $1.99 for a dozen.

I can remember going to Dockside at some point in college, one of the best locations in Wilmington for a great coastal view - paired with a bite to eat and a tasty drink. only to find out at that point they had decided to not offer hushpuppies at all. (Something about space for the fryer or it being the off-season... clearly I was in no mind for any excuses.) Everyone at our table heavily considered just leaving before ordering anything. What's a Po' Boy sandwich with a no hushpuppies? (The answer: not much.)

Same situation with the ill-fated Sunny Side Too, which also called Garner home. (I can name more than a handful of reasons this local restaurant didn't last, sadly. But I won't.)

My point is this: in Carolina, and much of the South, hushpuppies are expected. And we more often than not expect them to be yummy and a complimentary part of the Southern seafood meal.

You can read Greg's entire report on the Shuck 'Em Shack online at http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/14/917251/where-you-can-shuck-to-your-hearts.html.

Happy New Year!

Nick and I went to Nashville this past week/weekend for a few days, so I didn't get a chance to wish everyone a Happy New Year's Eve... or even New Year's Day. However, I don't believe January 2nd is too late to start the year off right!

We have dinner at my parents' house every Sunday, so of course tonight we had to have our traditional New Year's dinner: pork, greens, black-eyed peas, potatoes, and cake. Nom, nom, nom - it is by far my favorite meal of the year!

When Nick and I were driving back to Raleigh from Nashville yesterday, we were curious about the tradition behind the New Year's meal and found this great resource on Epicurious (thank you, Google), that I wanted to share: Lucky Foods for the New Year.

Greens and black-eyed peas (or legumes) are symbolic of economic good fortune or wealth, pork symbolizes progress, and so on. Next year, I'm adding wine to the menu since the article covers the superstition of grapes, too!

Welcome to 2011 and best wishes for a wonderful year, y'all!