The neighborhood joint. That versatile eatery that could serve as a haven for a busy family that needed a break from the tsunami of dirty dishes and pans at home or the place that is nice enough to take a date. Admittedly there was a time when I didn’t appreciate these places as much as I should’ve. I took them for granted. But as algorithms and elaborate influencer partnerships begin to drive a certain type of restaurant to the top of our feeds, I came to truly treasure these local haunts and the organic nature that they’ve come to establish themselves.
Poppyseed Market is that kind of restaurant. Opened in 2006 in North Raleigh, it first established itself as a lunchtime deli until it added a dinner service in 2011. Owner Julia McGoven is deeply embedded in Raleigh culinary lore as she was part of the team that backed former Angus Barn Executive Chef Watler Royal (RIP) to victory on Iron Chef America.
The crew at Poppyseed asked us to try out their monthly specials Supper at Poppyseed dinner menu which features upscale dinner entrees. Part of the Supper at Poppyseed menu was the cheekily named date night salad. The sliced dates brought not only a nice sweet touch but a chewy texture contrast with the crispy mixed greens and fresh berries. The white cheddar and vinaigrette balanced out the sweetness nicely.
While the Supper at Poppyseed menu has interesting specials, the items like the Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread and the Chevre Caprese Crostinis are tasty mainstays of the regular dinner menu. The Mrs really enjoyed the goat cheese spread across the crostini.
Poppyseed has a full cocktail menu as well which accompanied our starters. While we aren’t big drinkers anymore we appreciated indulging in the Eiffel 65, a gin cocktail with fresh squeezed grapefruit and lemon juice with prosecco. The gin forward cocktail was nicely rounded out by the fresh juices.
The featured dinner special for the month, a pan seared scallop dish, appeared to be extremely popular as it was sold out when we came to visit, leading us to make a pivot again to the regular dinner menu. This change of course wasn’t a disappointment as my butternut squash lasagna was a real delight. An truly unexpected balance of flavors and textures. I half expected the dish to lean heavy on the cheese as a way to crank up the flavor but each ingredient was able to come through.
My wife, ever a fan of classic dishes, went with Poppyseed’s rendition of steak frites. She enjoyed the skinner, crispy fries and a steak that was cooked properly to temp. She was also complimentary of a solid crust on the sear.
Growing up, Sticky Toffee Pudding was one of those funny English things that sounded weird and never really interested me. Since my adolescence, it’s been one of those desserts I like ordering whenever I see it on the menu. Lucky, the Supper at Poppyseed menu had it featured when I visited. It was a warm and satisfying way to end the our dinner at Poppyseed.
Poppyseed is solid food served by solid people. More catering to stomachs than catering for clicks. Raleigh, and probably everywhere, could use some more places like it.
Poppyseed Market
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