Belle's Bites

By: Laura Giovanelli | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: November 20, 2008

Sweet Potatoes

529 N. Trade St.

Phone: 727-4844. $$. ABC. NS (except at bar).

Sultry Southern cooking in the Downtown Arts District. Jazz, lazy ceiling fans, fried okra and green tomatoes, and sweet potato everything.

Lunch: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner: 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Old Salem Tavern

736 S. Main St. (in Old Salem).

Phone: 748-8585. $$$. ABC. S/NS.

The Moravians of the early 1800s apparently ate more than sugar cake and the world's thinnest cookies … take pumpkin and sunflower-seed crusted salmon, for example, served by wait staff in period costume. Don't miss the homemade lemon ice cream.

11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

Full Moon Oyster Bar and Seafood Kitchen

1473 River Ridge Drive, Clemmons.

Phone: 712-8200. $$$. BW. NS.

Oysters on the half shell, steamed shrimp, Alaskan king crab, snow crab, scallops and clams, by the dozen, peck and pound.

4-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Sunday.

Liberty Oak

100-D W. Washington St., Greensboro

Phone: 273-7057. $$-$$$. ABC. S/NS.

(out of five). Reviewed June 15, 2006.

A dream of a neighborhood restaurant, with soulful blue-plate specials and creative comfort food. I love the duck-liver pate with apricot chutney, the salad Nicoise and scallops seared in curry oil. The soups are usually good.

11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday; noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Undercurrent Restaurant

327 Battleground Ave., Greensboro.

Phone: 336-370-1266. $$$. ABC. NS.

A little French, a little Asian, sample menu includes pate with blackberry compote and toasted brioche, and roasted chicken with herb and corn pudding.

Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5:30 to 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Blue Ridge Ice Creams

135 S. Stratford Road.

Phone: 724-5454. $. NS.

It's hard to resist locally-owned Blue Ridge's fun flavors, which extend to their gelato case (honey-lavender and strawberry balsamic among them). My favorites? The chocolate truffle is deep and not too sweet, and lemon yogurt-flavored gelato is zippy.

1 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday; 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday;11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Thai Sawatdee

2281 Cloverdale Ave. (inside Harris Teeter).

Phone: 725-1332. $-$$. NS.

Reviewed Oct. 16, 2008.

Pick up some panang curry and ground-chicken lettuce wraps with your groceries. This tiny Thai restaurant is short on atmosphere, but long on taste. Very good tom kha. Avoid the pad Thai, though.

11 a.m. -10 p.m. every day.

Noble's Grille

380 Knollwood Street.

Phone: 777-8477. $$$-$$$$. NS.

This Winston-Salem mainstay was renovated in the spring of 2008 and now breaks dishes down into small plates. That's not always a cheap option, but now you can skip meat, vegetables or carbs altogether. There is still a small traditional menu.

11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30-11 p.m. Friday; 5:30-11 p.m. Saturday.

Milner's American Southern

630 S. Stratford Road.

Phone: 768-2221. $$$. ABC. S/NS.

(out of five).

Charleston-inspired upscale Southern -- crab cakes, baked pimento cheese, Frogmore stew, pork tenderloin crusted with Moravian spice cookies, sweet-potato bread pudding, and on and on.

11a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Burke Street Pizza

1140 Burke St.

Phone: 721-0011. $. Beer only. NS.

Come here for cheese steaks, spinach-and-feta pizza and highly addictive garlic knots.

11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.