Tastes of Triangle East

Date night … what a great way to warm up your winter, lingering over a dinner with the one you love.
Menu matters on these special nights, so our third annual Tastes of Triangle East feature highlights a trio of eateries destined to make your dinner date casual, but special.
Tempt your taste buds with ribeye steak, sushi and sake, or roasted chicken alongside macaroni au gratin ... after all, two’s company, whatever your style.

Kaze

Kazé Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar
1227 Timber Drive East, Garner
(919)329-6789
www.kazenc.com

By Nancy Pardue, Editor

Photography by Jonathan Fredin    

Follow a lighted walkway into the dining room of Kazé Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar … and be prepared for dinner and a show.

With soft lighting and an earthy ambience — Kazé means “wind” — the scene is set for dinner for two. But with tables seating eight people around a hibachi grill, the meal is a social event too. 

 
“We’re known for the show,” said Kazé General Manager Michael Navarro. Diners return again and again to marvel at the impressive antics of hibachi chefs, who prepare dishes with fast-paced dramatic flair right before their eyes.  

As for the menu, Navarro says the filet mignon is popular, and is available served alongside scallops, shrimp or lobster.

“Once you bite into it … it’s so juicy and full of flavor,” he said.

Couples love the Imperial Dinner for Two, featuring shrimp appetizers, soup and salad, a shrimp-steak-chicken combo, and cinnamon bananas for dessert.

In the mood for sushi? Watch Chef Issei at work in Kazé’s separate sushi bar, dishing up specialty rolls with names like spicy eel crunch, shark bite, dragon and volcano.

“It’s vision, then taste, then memory,” the chef said with a smile.

“Chef Issei is the best I’ve seen,” Navarro said. “He not only serves you great food — it’s artwork.”

There’s much more to enjoy on Kazé’s menu, whether you can pronounce the dishes or not.

For example, gyoza is an appetizer of fried pork dumplings; shumai is a shrimp-filled crispy shell; and kushi katsu is skewers of breaded beef, chicken and onion, complete with dipping sauce.  

Kazé boasts a full bar with table seating, offering a large selection of wines, popular Japanese beers, and sake served both warm and cold. Cocktails include the light and fruity house specialty, Ichiban.

Kazé, owned by Vinh Tan and Joon Lee, is open for lunch and dinner daily.

“We make sure our guests are entertained and come back,” Navarro said. “Come try something you haven’t tried before.”

Clayton Steakhouse

Clayton Steakhouse
307 E. Main St., Clayton
(919) 553-2299
www.claytonsteakhouse.com

By Nick Zulovich, Editor

Photography by Jonathan Fredin

The Clayton Steakhouse menu isn’t anywhere near as thick as the local phone book.

Owner Michael Grannis saves any references to thickness for the steak, chicken, pork and salmon that are hot off the grill at the restaurant nestled on Main Street,  in  downtown Clayton.

Generous servings  cooked to your request highlight the entrees at Clayton Steakhouse, which conducts its business with the motto, “Good food, good service, all at the right price.”

Grannis, who has nine years of restaurant experience, says his market research determined that  rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes and a salad bar are often exactly what people in surrounding areas want in a dining experience.

The rib-eye steaks here, from 8 to 18 ounces, are cut to order just before going on the grill. Grannis says a simple mixture of seasonings highlights the choice Angus steak that’s aged at least 21 days for tenderness.

If your dinner date isn’t in the mood for steak, try grilled chicken, hand-cut pork chops or market-fresh salmon, all prepared with the same care.

“Although I thought the idea of simplicity was very good, I also thought that if I’ve got someone who’s a red-meat eater with someone who is a vegetarian or non-red-meat eater, I stand the chance of not getting either one of them in here,” Grannis said. “We decided that we can still keep it simple,” by adding the other entrees.

Each entree comes with the choice of baked potato, baked sweet potato or steamed broccoli. The salad bar is chock-full of fresh greens and other vegetables prepared multiple times per day. Several of the dressings are made in-house, too.

Desserts are also homemade, by Grannis’ wife, Betsy. Often included in the wide selection is buttermilk pie, with a custard-like filling; Grannis says it’s most popular by far. Clayton Steakhouse also has a full bar stocked with beer, wine and spirits to complement entrées. Now open for two years, Grannis sees Clayton Steakhouse as among anchors in the blossoming downtown area, and a destination for those looking for a superb dining experience.

“I take great pride in what we’re doing, and I want to do it right,” he said.

Poole’s Downtown Diner

Poole’s Downtown Diner
426 S. McDowell St., Raleigh
(919) 832-4477
www.poolesdowntowndiner.com

By Nancy Pardue, Editor

Photography by Jonathan Fredin

Dinner for two is a lively event at Poole’s Downtown Diner, according to proprietor and chef Ashley Christensen.

“It’s lively and loud — people like the energy and buzz,” she said of the T-shirt-to-tux crowd, which often includes show-goers and performers alike from the North Carolina Symphony and the N.C. Ballet.

The third oldest restaurant in downtown Raleigh, Poole’s got its start as a pie shop in the 1940s. Boy, how times have changed.

Christensen has taken the restaurant far beyond its roots in her two years as owner. She describes her food style as Southern witha bit of French influence, meals that are involved in production, but casual enough to share.

Unique twists on classic tastes include The Royale, a “steaky” house-ground burger rolled in toasted peppercorn and seared in duck fat, served on house-made brioche. Then there’s the macaroni au gratin, made with fresh sharp Cheddar, Parmesan and Gruyere, and loved by patrons for its velvety texture.

“Everything is made to order, from scratch,” Christensen said. “It takes time, but it’s worth the wait.”

Poole’s menu is hand-printed on oversized chalkboards, and has been known to change mid-evening. That’s because dishes are made using local ingredients.

“We have a great community of growers, and that dictates nearly everything on the menu,” Christensen said. She connects with farmers via Pittsboro-based East Carolina Organics, to offer fresh seasonal foods.

“We’re seeing more responsible consumers, who want to know where their food comes from,” she said. “We’re serving it, talking about who’s growing it. That fires people up. It’s a great success.

“Dining here is not a passive experience. I like to see folks gathered around the chalkboards; it adds to the idea that this is a fresh, everyday thing.”

What’s not new is the Poole’s look — the diner’s retro-chic style features its original double-horseshoe bar and red leather banquettes.

Poole’s offers specialty cocktails like the Wake County Cooler, and is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, and for Sunday brunch.

“One of my life rules is to always do something I believe in,” Christensen said. “And I love classic, simple things that make people say, ‘Whoa.’”