CROSSWINDS CAFE - A Catering Review - Raleigh, NC

Big Daddy recently celebrated a milestone birthday. I could not let that happen without throwing him an over-the-top birthday party for his over-the-hill age. I’m a party master and I knew what I wanted and how I wanted it.

Big Daddy has a thing for airplanes and he is quite the aviation expert. One of our favorite places is the General Aviation Terminal at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. It’s a great spot to watch airplanes and people and they have a neat little restaurant called the Crosswinds Café where you can grab a quick meal. The menu isn’t extensive but the atmosphere is picture perfect.

The space is available to rent for anything, from a small gathering to a wedding of 500. The prices for space rental were extremely reasonable and I booked the date for a party of fifty people without hesitation.

And here is where things got really interesting for me. I am very particular about my food and even more obsessed about food that I’m serving to guests. When renting the General Aviation Terminal you have to use their caterer. Crosswinds Café is the exclusive caterer and they do have a beer and wine permit. And this made me nervous as hell. I wasn’t wanting French fries and burgers or a breakfast biscuit. I wanted a down home Southern meal for my down home Southern guy. A menu with all his favorites. And having only had fries and a burger at Crosswinds Café I honestly didn’t have the confidence that they were up to the task. I scoured the internet for reviews and comments that would alleviate my concerns and came up empty. Then I really got nervous. How could no one, anywhere, not have something to say about them, good or bad? What had I gotten myself into?

I scheduled an appointment with Alice, their catering manager. Our meeting was short and sweet because I knew exactly what I wanted. I’d studied their catering menu with a fine tooth comb and could have easily quoted it to her with no problems. After going through my list Alice promised a price quote and contract and assured me I had nothing to worry about. But I worried anyway and my worry level skyrocketed off the charts when two weeks later I hadn’t heard anything back from Alice or the event space. I was only a few very short weeks away from my event and I didn’t know if I was going to have food or what that food was going to ultimately cost.

Reaching out to anyone who would answer a phone call or email, I’m sure they thought I was a mad woman! But Alice and I reconnected and she was genuinely apologetic. Apparently I’d gotten lost in the shuffle of paperwork and then somehow missed the email message she had sent to me. Within minutes of reconnecting I had that proposal in hand and Alice and I were cooking with some major grease. It was clear by everyone’s reaction that this happenstance was a fluke and was in no way a reflection of their customer service. I debated whether or not to mention it at all but then decided that to fully expound on how good they are I had to mention how they handled this minor bump in the flow. Because it was handled so exquisitely that every concern I had was instantly alleviated. Alice was such a sheer delight, a consummate professional and she felt like a trusted family friend!

A few short days before the party my guest list blew up and my final count to Alice and her staff included an extra twenty people. Alice was delightful in helping me best handle the extras that I suddenly found myself needing. So good at what she does I barely blinked when I had to write that second check!

The day of the event I was a nervous wreck. I was still on edge about the food being good. Arriving early to decorate the space and insure the set up was exactly what I wanted, I was introduced to the chef, another woman named Alice! And Alice Number Two is a master in the food services game! I’d selected a menu of Fried Chicken (of course!), Fried Catfish Fillets, macaroni and cheese, turnip greens, a side salad, dinner rolls and sweet tea. To say that this woman can cook, is putting it mildly. THIS WOMAN CAN COOK!

The chicken and the fish were fried to perfection. The batter was tasty with just the right amount of crunch and flake. The chicken was melt in your mouth moist and the fish was absolute perfection. The macaroni and cheese tasted like down home country. The cheddar cheese oozed around the perfect al dente macaroni. It was creamy goodness with just the right hint of cheddar cheese flavor. And the greens, cooked with ham hocks (optional) could not have been better. Family and friends are still talking about how darn good the food was!

I’ve hired a number of catering companies over the years from as far north as Connecticut, as far south as Florida and even a few in London and Bermuda. By far, Crosswinds Café has risen to the top of my best and most favorite list. Everyone associated with them exceeded my expectations. The two Alices were both sheer delights to work with and I would hands down use them again and again and I still don’t even know if they cater outside that venue; a question I keep forgetting to call and ask!

I would whole-heartedly recommend Crosswinds Café and will most assuredly use them again myself for my next catered event. Big Daddy’s party could not have been better. From concept to execution, Crosswinds Café and the GAT were instrumental in helping my vision come to light. I absolutely adore them for going above and beyond to make that happen. They all have my sincerest gratitude.

FIRST WATCH - Raleigh, NC

There’s a new breakfast joint in town. Big Daddy is a breakfast aficionado and he has a favorite haunt that we frequent on a regular basis. First Watch opened its doors just over a month ago and we waited a week or two for them to get the kinks out. They’re still working on those kinks.

I tried it first, with Number One Son. We visited on a Sunday morning during the height of their brunch hour. The place was a madhouse! Despite the crowd we were seated quickly, in a booth by the window. For starters I liked the atmosphere. It had a very cool, organic vibe to it. I also like the little details; the raw sugar and it’s too cute single-portion dispenser, the water served in milk bottles, and the neat little coffee carafe. But I’m a sucker for the fine touches.

On this day the waitress was pleasant. I don’t know if I can co-sign on their statement that they are known for delivering an excellent dining experience and fast and friendly service because she was clearly overwhelmed and all the wait staff looked like they wished they were anywhere but here. But that’s just how crowded it was. To everyone’s credit they were giving it a rousing try and clearly earned an A for effort. Our waitress was polite but she didn't make any lasting impressions with her customer service skills.

All the food is made to order and they proclaim not to use heat lamps or deep fryers and to only use the finest ingredients possible for the freshest taste around.

I ordered their Avocado, Bacon and Tomato Hash. Its two eggs - any style - atop a hash of fresh, seasoned potatoes, avocado, bacon and tomatoes with melted Cheddar and Monterey Jack. It was served with English muffins and a side of fresh fruit cocktail. And it was good. Not great but I would eat it again. The hash was tasty and filling. The fruit was fresh and it was sweet, which was a big plus because the English muffin was ice cold. It had not been toasted and left much to be desired. I didn't think it worth sending back especially since the kitchen looked like a train wreck waiting to happen. It just felt like someone had missed a step somewhere along the line. One of those kinks I mentioned earlier.

Number-One-Son ordered the Beefeater. It’s a sandwich with roast beef, tomato, Cheddar and Monterey Jack on grilled Parmesan-crusted sourdough served with horseradish sauce on the side and a dressed spring mix salad. Now, here’s where the good took a decidedly quick turn to the right. This was a winner for me. The cheese crusted bread is a definite favorite with great flavor and just the perfect crunch and texture. The entire sandwich was heated through nicely and the horseradish sauce gave it a little extra uumph even though it was surprisingly very mild. The salad was dressed with a very light vinaigrette and was a nice addition to the meal.

We both had their coffee, the Sunrise Select Premium Blend and it was very good coffee, comparable to my favored coffee brand. 

Now, they were clearly still having some issues handling the crowd and this was most evident at checkout. It was a twenty minute wait to pay the bill. The gentleman at the cash register had problems with it, the credit card machine and a dozen other things. The line out the door was even longer than the line in, so much so that one young man in line behind us actually skipped out on his bill, clearly frustrated that trying to pay was making him late for something important. He walked out and no one but those of us directly in front of him and the man behind him noticed. By the time anyone of any authority came back to the front he was long gone.

The second time I visited Big Daddy joined me. We went midweek, just before noon and there was no line to get in. We were seated immediately as they had many seats to spare. This time I ordered the Beefeater sandwich and Big Daddy had the Trifecta. It was two eggs any style with a Belgian waffle and a sausage link. Neither he nor I was impressed. The waffle was not the best we've ever had, lacking the advertised light and airy. It just really fell short and they completely forgot the warm, mixed berry compote. What he got was a cool, berry-flavored liquid with no hint of fruit. I could have made scrambled eggs at home and that single sausage link should just have been left off the plate, not enough to satisfy. And sadly, this visit, I was disappointed with the sandwich. The bread was still good but the roast beef was actually cold and that really took away from my meal.

I won’t write First Watch off just yet. They had an interesting menu and there were a few items I’m still interested in tasting. Big Daddy, on the other hand, didn't get the excellent dining experience that was promised so he’s heading back to his favorite place where the waffles are always spot on and a side of sausage is actually a decent sized portion.