Xia
134 N. Spruce St.
"Asian fusion" is what Xia is going for -- it's not quite that innovative, but still helps to close a huge gap in the quality of Asian restaurants in Winston-Salem. Reasonably-priced lunch specials, a respectable Asian beer list, and it's gorgeous, too.
Café Gelato
845 Reynolda Road.
Phone: 725-9110. $. NS.
A small but rotating selection of freshly made Italian-style ice cream. Owner Ciska Weber makes a mean yogurt-flavored gelato, and her chocolate is nothing to sneeze at, either.
Solaris
125 Summit Ave., Greensboro.
Phone: 336-378-0198. $, ABC, NS (except at bar).
I'm a sucker for little savory dishes. At Solaris, there are hearty tapas -- apple pork loin and sesame ribeye that you can make a meal of -- plus such lighter plates as a Spanish cheese plate, potato croquettes and bacon-wrapped dates.
Skippy's Hot Dogs
624 W. Fourth St.
Phone: 722-3442. $, B, NS.
Grilled, garlicky hot dogs snuggled in Skippy's deservedly famous pretzel buns, birch beer and bottled micro brews.
Saratoga Steakhouse
190 N.C. 801, Advance.
Phone: 998-4400. $$$-$$$$. ABC. S/NS.
(out of five) Reviewed May 21, 2009.
There's a good reason to stick to steaks here -- they're dry-aged, a pricey but tasty way to age meat -- and delicious with freshly-made potato chips or out-of-this-world onion rings. The Kansas City strip is my favorite.
Hutch & Harris Pub
424 W. Fourth St.
Phone: 721-1336. $$-$$$. S/NS.
Better-than-average bar food and a welcoming outdoor patio with wide umbrellas. Try the crab cakes and the Bayaldi sandwich, a lusty mix of roasted vegetables, goat cheese, olives and pine nuts in hot flatbread.
Christopher's
712 Brookstown Ave.
Phone: 724-1395. $$$-$$$$. ABC. NS.
Chef Christopher Fulk has jumped on the creative-comfort-food bandwagon. His version includes ribeye with rosemary truffle frites, as well as carryovers from the old menu, such as lobster mac and cheese.
El Triunfo
7842-D North Point Blvd.
Phone: 896-8600. $. NS.
Interesting Salvadoran home cooking tucked in a not-so-interesting strip mall. Try the pupusas -- stuffed corn tortillas. They're to El Salvador what hot dogs are to the United States.
6th and Vine Wine Bar and Cafe
209 W. Sixth St.
Phone: 725-5577. $$$. ABC. S/NS.
Great list of wines by the glass, but I've found them to have an inconsistent dinner menu. Share some appetizers (the garlic shrimp is especially good) with a group along with a bottle of Rioja or Albarino. Or try the bountiful antipasti platter.
The Juice Shop
308 S. Stratford Road.
Phone: 721-0444. $. NS.
Despite the name, your only choices here are super-fresh smoothies, perhaps doctored with some nutritional supplement. They're big, though, enough to make a fresh-tasting liquid meal, especially during summer swelter.
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