Raleigh - April 2012

When we left Raleigh we committed to returning for a couple of Suppa Clubs.  Both of us had to be in the northeast at the same time (Keith in Boston and Shawna in Hartford), so we planned a route home through Raleigh.

While we were in the northeast, Keith found out he had an afternoon free, so a quick last-minute plan later, we had an unexpected date night in Hartford at Trumbull Kitchen - then Keith drove back to Boston.

We both flew to Raleigh on Thursday night and stayed with John and JoAnna.  Friday was a working day, with dueling laptops on the dining table at John's house.  We had a quick salad for lunch at Crisp at Crabtree Mall, did a bit more work, then went for a 2 hour walk around Umstead Park.  In the afternoon, Shawna met up with two of her friends from BCBSNC, Beth and Lisa, for drinks.  Dinner was at Flemmings, and we were joined by Joyce and Natalie.  It was a terrific meal - one of the best steaks Shawna has ever had - and it was hard to complain about the Chipotle Mac & Cheese!

On Saturday, we first went for a walk along the Crabtree Valley Trail which goes along the green way from John and JoAnna's place to Crabtree Mall.  It was a 2.5 hour walk - good to burn some calories after a naughty night.  After the walk, we immediately headed over to Applebees in Brier Creek to meet Stephanie and Riley.  Following that, we joined JoaAnna for a pedicure followed by a quick sin at Maggy Moos.  Unfortunately, there was not time to have a nap, so we had a quick turn-around and then headed to Keith and Kate's house to see the girls before we all headed out for Suppa Club.  Phoebe and Ruby were as adorable as ever - it was Ruby's first birthday, and she had just started to fully walk for a couple of weeks so it was fun to see her amble around.

Keith with Phoebe and Ruby

It was a smaller group for Suppa Club: Keith/Kate, John/Jo, Steve/Amy, and Kim/Jonathan - but we did have two friends of Keith, Diana and Doug, join us for the evening.  The night started at Geer Street Garden, a really cool place with a super outdoor area.  We loaded up with a heap of appetizers, including the Pile which was a healthy as it may sound. 

JoAnna and Kate at Geer Street Garden

John and Keith at Geer Street Garden

Following a couple of rounds here, we all walked the 15 minutes to Bull City Burger and Brewery where we met up with Steve and Amy.  On the way over, we got to see Keith's office at Merge Records.  Most of us were already full at Bull City so we just opted for more beer.  While the place was packed, we were able to score a large table by the door so everyone snuggled in together.

Jonathan, Kim and Keith at Bull City Burger & Brewery

After we finished our rounds there, we headed back the same direction and went to Fullsteam Brewery.  This is a larger venue, with a heap of food trucks outside.  There was a group that did "Bandeoke" at the place - kind of like karaoke but with a live backup band.  After a drink here, Keith and Kate headed over to the Motorco music hall for a couple of bands, while the rest of us hung back at Fullsteam, had another couple of beers, then headed home after a long day.  We flew home Sunday at 10am on a direct flight back to Denver.

Keith, Amy and Steve at Bull City Burger & Brewery