Top Ten Favorite Restaurants

Organize for Success® Turns 10 

In honor of 10 years of business for Organize for Success®, I will be posting a "top 10" list to this blog each day through Wednesday, May 31st. Each Sunday, my team will randomly select from those who commented on the prior week's "top 10" blog posts for a gift card giveaway and free download of one eBook via OrganizeForSuccess.biz/shop The grand prize for celebrating Organize for Success, LLC's 10 years will be awarded on Thursday, June 1st, randomly selecting from all those who commented on any of the month's "top 10" blog posts as well as those who have subscribed to my eNewsletter for a winner to receive downloads of all 5 eBooks, a pass for my Stress and Time Management online video course as well as a 60-minute video productivity consultation.

With this morning's feature of Chef Ashley Christensen's travel tips, I thought it appropriate to have today's top 10 list be of my favorite restaurants, which are as follows:

10. Adele's - Housed in the old Universal Tire Center of Nashville, TN, this restaurant features an open kitchen with a large, wood-burning oven. The menu focuses on seasonal comfort food from local farms, and its Sunday brunch buffet is delicious.

9. Butcher and the Rye - This downtown Pittsburgh highlight has a creative menu that offers "contemporary riffs on rustic American dishes". Awarded James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program for two consecutive years, this ambitious cocktail program features two bars: Whiskey Wall downstairs and Rye Bar upstairs.

8. Driftwood Southern Kitchen - Located in Raleigh's Lafayette Village, this open kitchen offers an ever-changing menu designed to showcase "the finest of ingredients from supporting local farms and purveyors". Paired with its wonderful whiskey cocktails, the Pimiento Cheese Board is great, and a meal that ends with its Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie is a home run; further, my favorite of this restaurant's offerings is the Crispy Shrimp and Grits.

7. Jubala Coffee - Opened in 2011 by a fellow Wake Forest University alum, this is much more than a coffeeshop. Yes, the dedicated baristas produce some beautiful, tasty beverages, but you are missing out if you haven't tried their Liege Waffles or Sweet Biscuits. Whether plain or paired with apple butter, honey, seasonal jam or pimento cheese, these biscuits are amazing. Then, for lunch, you should certainly try the Grown Up Grilled Cheese.

6. Outback Steakhouse - Although this is a chain restaurant, its food is consistently delicious, they offer delivery on food that's much healthier than most delivery options, and it provides an easy way to get tasty sweet potatoes as well as fresh steamed broccoli. I can easily choose between the Perfectly Grilled Salmon and the Victoria's Filet Mignon, making me perfectly happy.

5. Plaza Restaurant - This was always one of my favorite Kernersville lunch stops with Dad, but their breakfast is pretty doggone good, too. For lunch, any of their soups would be a good bet (Clam Digger's Clam Chowder, Classic Tomato or Homemade Chicken and Rice); yet, I really like to add tomato slices to a grilled cheese sandwich along with a House Salad, particularly since Plaza's salads feature shredded lettuce.

4. Poole's Diner - One of the many gems created by Ashley Christensen, who is a fellow alum from East Forsyth High School, this restaurant does not take reservations but has easily accessible parking across the street from its downtown Raleigh location. The philosophy of this kitchen and horseshoe bar is to produce "creative, simple offerings carefully executed". In other words, it's reimagining comfort food to be a little more imaginative. The ever-changing menu is displayed on chalkboards around the dining area, and anything you order is guaranteed to be amazing, from appetizers to desserts and including all the salads, sides and main dishes in between; still, I have to attest that the Macaroni Au Gratin is simply life-changing. Do not miss this one!

3. Ryan's Restaurant - Nestled in the woods, there's always a great view. This Winston-Salem landmark is famous for its steaks, chops and seafood but also offers memorable options for drinks and desserts. We had the meal following my graduation at Ryan's as well as many great evenings before that time and since then. The Colossal Lump Crab Meat in addition to the Spinach, Artichoke and Crab Dip are fantastic appetizers, the She-Crab soup is great, my steaks are always cooked exactly as I like them, I really love the sweet potato mash, and Ryan's Pecan Pie is worth the calories.

2. Whiskey Kitchen - This restaurant opened in the Nash Square area of downtown Raleigh in August of 2016 but has quickly become a fan favorite. Its kitchen offers creative options to meet anyone's food desires for small plates or large plates; however, its vast whiskey offerings lead to amazing options for happy hour cocktails. Personally, I like to pair my adult beverage with one of their delicious desserts, especially the Shoo Fly Pie.

1. Winston's Grille - This Raleigh tradition has been serving up memorable dining experiences since 1986, and, having been introduced to it by my Capital Ford family back in 2001, I have plenty of memories in this local landmark. This open kitchen offers great meals that "begin with delicious recipes and the freshest ingredients, prepared from scratch." My favorite is the Cashew Salmon entree paired with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, but the crab cake or shrimp and grits make a great alternative.

As this list indicates, I'm a fan of locally-owned and locally-operated establishments, and, yes, as a fan of Jack Daniels and Coke, I did notice the common theme of whiskey options.

Which are your favorite restaurants and why? What great options did I miss? Are there any on here you'd like to try?

Countdown to Memorial Day: Coach Dave Clawson's Travel Tips

Spring has sprung, and the countdown to summer's unofficial start on Memorial Day has begun! As temperatures rise, I find that travel planning increases so this is the third in my series of interviews highlighting frequent travelers' preferences and best practices, giving you takeaways to try for your next trip.

Coach Dave Clawson

This week, I am pleased to share my interview with Dave Clawson, head coach for the football program at Wake Forest University since December 10, 2013. Known for his prowess in building football programs, Coach Clawson has shown dramatic improvement at every stop: Albany, Buffalo, Lehigh, Villanova, Fordham, Richmond, Bowling Green and, now, Wake Forest. Yet, with all that football success, Coach Clawson faces a tremendous amount of traveling on a regular basis, whether for recruiting, getting to game day and everything in between. Add to that traveling with his wife, Catherine, and two children, Courtney and Eric, and Coach Clawson has plenty of travel experience to share. For more on Coach Clawson, please view his bio here, and continue reading for travel insights to use over your next adventure.


EP: Do you travel mainly for business, pleasure or both?

DC: I travel for both. Recruiting requires me to travel quite a bit for work in December and January. During the season (August - December), we have to travel to away games, but, in the summer, I really enjoy taking at least one trip a year with my family. Each year, we go to a different part of the country or internationally.

EP: Do you prefer traveling via plane, train, boat or automobile?

DC: None! Hahaha! I have to say that the actual traveling is the worst part of travel. Still, if it's further away than a 5-hour drive, I like to fly; other than that, we typically travel by automobile.

EP: What is your favorite destination and why?

DC: I have been to Paris twice, and I absolutely love that. Additionally, I love going down to the beaches of the North Carolina and South Carolina shore.

EP: What is your preference for airlines?

DC: Delta or American, but that's only because those are the two I end up flying the most.

EP: What is your preference for hotels or accommodations?

DC: I prefer both Marriotts and Hiltons because of their consistency - You know what to expect, and their service is usually very good.

EP: Do you book your own travel or prefer a travel agency?

DC: For personal travel, we usually book the travel on our own; however, for work, the athletic department uses Anthony Travel.

EP: Are you loyal to any particular brands or have suggestions for utilizing loyalty programs?

DC: I usually try to travel based on the lowest price for when I need to be going so I don't gravitate towards any specific brand simply because it's the brand. I go to a brand if it's the best price.

EP: When flying, what do you ensure is in your carry-on?

DC: I like to bring a good book and, usually, my iPad.

EP: What's your favorite book?

DC: I love reading presidential biographies. The ones about John Adams and Andrew Jackson are two of my favorites.

EP: Do you keep an extra bag of toiletries packed?

DC: Yes, I do. I always have a bag of toiletries under our sink that is packed, and, any time I travel, I just grab that bag and throw it in my suitcase. It's packed and ready to go.

EP: How do you organize your time commitments and reservation details while on-the-go?

DC: I put everything in my iPhone's calendar. If I'm going to a hotel, I'll put the hotel name, address and reservation number or details in the calendar so I can look it all up with just one click.

EP: Any tools or tactics you use to keep your accommodations organized?

DC: I rarely stay at a hotel for more than one night with my recruiting travel schedule, but I immediately set up my iPad on my desk and try to have it duplicate my work set-up as much as possible.

EP: Do you use technology to help stay productive and organized? If so, what's your favorite program, app, website or tech tool for surviving the chaos of daily life? And what's your favorite for being your best while traveling?

DC: I use the calendar app on my iPhone and iPad a lot; that's probably the technology I depend on the most.

EP: Across all your travels, which restaurant did you enjoy most, why was it your favorite and what was the best food?

DC: Whenever I travel, I enjoy food. I like watching Food Network shows so, whenever I go to a place on the road, I never like to eat in chains. I always like to find what the local restaurant is and what the local food is. If I'm near the shore, I love to get seafood; if I'm in western North Carolina, I like to get the barbecue. It's like when you're in New York and you love to get Italian. When eating at a place that's local, it usually has fresh ingredients and fresh food.

EP: If you could have one super power to make traveling (or life in general) a little better, what would it be?

DC: To eliminate the travel part of travel! If I could just get beamed somewhere, going to the shore could take 5 minutes instead of 5 hours, and that would make life much, much better.

Thanks for sharing so many excellent tidbits, Coach Clawson, here's to a hugely successful season this fall... Go, Deacs!

Readers, do your preferences mirror his? Do you use any of the tools or hacks that he's mastered over his countless travels? Which tidbit do you plan to implement yourself?

Tackle the Time-Crunch for Better Gift-Giving Success

There are many folks who purposefully wait until the last few days to complete their Christmas shopping, loving the energy that comes with running around on Christmas Eve or finding that these last-minute shopping sprees fill them with the Christmas spirit. I have vivid memories of running out with Dad on Christmas Eve to start his shopping, feeling the excitement from everyone's harried movements. However, many procrastinators who have shopping left did not plan to not be done and are truly feeling the crunch. 

If you would rather skip the mall madness, you have a few options:

One wonderful idea is to "shop small" and visit the locally-owned and -operated small businesses throughout your community. When you shop at a chain store, only $43 of every $100 spent benefits your neighbors locally; however, when you shop at a locally-owned business, $68 of every $100 spent stays right there in your local economy. When you look at the statistics, there's ample rationale for saving your sanity, enjoying greater service and shopping your locally-owned small businesses. If you are in the Lake Norman area, consider supporting my sisters' shop, Sweet Magnolia; if you are in the Raleigh area, consider supporting Stylefinder, DECO or The Green Monkey. Which locally-owned and -operated small business in your community is your favorite?

Another alternative is to subscribe your gift recipients to goodies that will be delivered directly to their front doors. The younger folks in your life might appreciate a delivery from Rockets of Awesome, where experts hand-pick a selection of stylish clothes, sending 8-12 outfit-ready items that are $12-$36 per item and can fit what size you select between sizes 2 and 14. The dog lovers in your life might appreciate a delivery from Barkbox, which includes a monthly box of goodies for dogs and their humans. If you have not already gotten them a Poole's: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner book by Ashley Christensen and Kaitlyn Goalen, the foodies in your life might appreciate a subscription to the Snack Smart, Do Good club from Love With Food, which delivers all-natural, organic or gluten-free snacks each month. Those folks in your life that lack a green thumb and want plants easy to keep alive might appreciate a delivery from The Desert Box, which includes a planter made from repurposed wood, 1-3 succulents and / or cacti, depending on size, soil and moss, pouch of white granite pebbles and a plant care card. Plus, anyone can benefit from a subscription to the Dollar Shave Club, which offers blades and associated shaving products as well as sulfate-free shower products that hydrate without stripping, hair styling products and skin protection products. Which subscription gifts have you loved giving or receiving?

Stop spinning your wheels; take advantage of these options to organize for success. What other tactics work best for you? Please share your strategies for time-crunched gift giving to better enjoy the holidays. Make every minute matter!™