A Veritable Smorgasbord

We went to the North Carolina State Fair last night. I've never been to such an event before - it was just like I would have hoped it would be. The Midway was raucous and loud, pumpkins weighed in at over 600 lbs and the funnel cake and nacho cheese flowed like water. The only thing that did not flow, in fact, was beer; at first I was a little disappointed, but soon discovered that with all the noise, lights and food, it was probably a good thing.

There was so much fun to be had that we barely scratched the surface - we didn't go on any of the rides because they were nauseating enough just to watch. Maybe it means that we're turning old, or maybe it's just that we have been spoiled by living so close to Disney and Universal Studios for so long. Whatever the case, paying money to climb into such a loud and violent machine was not much of a temptation. And although we did not go on any rides, it isn't to say that we didn't enjoy watching. The walls were covered in honest-to-god carnival pictures, lurid and lively images of astronauts and zombies and witches and freaks.

Far more tempting was the food. Even for a vegetarian there was more than enough to eat. There were nachos, freshly-pulled taffy, freshly fried potatoes, apples, candy bars, pickles, mushrooms, freshly grilled corn and zucchini. And for non-vegetarians there was meat aplenty, and in virtually every form possible. A tie for most absurd: Chicken boats and chicken on a stick.

This sounds as though the only thing there was the Midway and food court, and that is just not true. There were many exhibits that showcased North Carolina's agricultural diversity. From livestock to produce to honey (which we bought), I felt as though I actually learned a bit about my new home.

And then there was hot cider served from a log cabin. Templeton was on to something.

Lilly's Pizza: It's good!

Oh how we love Lilly's Pizza! It is our favorite restaurant in Raleigh and, I think, my favorite restaurant ever. I can't recall having a favorite restaurant in Orlando. There were certainly places that I liked to go for one reason or another, but none of them ever stood out as what I would call a 'favorite restaurant.' In each place there was something I liked but plenty that I did not. And, as further proof, I do not miss any of them. I miss some things, and some specific restaurants even: I miss Junior's Diner, but only because there isn't anything like that here. I miss the whole neighborhood of Vietnamese restaurants, but I'm sure that if we found a good Vietnamese restaurant here we would be okay. I miss the various tea shops and vegetarian restaurants in Orlando, but I miss them less and less as we find suitable replacements here in Raleigh.

But Lilly's... I don't think it is replaceable. If we moved, I know we would never find a place quite like it. We have eaten there at least five times since we have lived here and we have yet to wear out the menu. In fact, nearly everything on the menu is vegetarian-friendly (if not meatless, substitutions can easily be made) and nearly everything looks delicious. Their salads look amazing, calzones and strombolis look intimidating, and the pizzas... well, I don't want to go on for too long about it. I'll look like a fool.