! Hashcapades

50 Cities 50 Hashes: Kristen Baughman at the Midtown Grille in Raleigh!

I love a good food adventure and what better way to kick off a weekend than embarking on a hashcapade in Raleigh, NC!

I asked a group of talented people, the chefs at Midtown Grille, to host Raleigh’s first-ever hashcapade. Midtown Grille is a restaurant serving regionally-inspired, creative cuisine, and is located in the heart of Raleigh’s North Hills.

The wonderful Midtown Grille team, Scott James, Chris Santucci and Jeanne Sutherin, put on a hashcapade I’ll never forget. A group of bloggers, a farmer and a token pastry chef arrived at Midtown Grille for the hashcapade adventure.

Of course, we arrived only to find bacon cinnamon rolls in the center of our table. Midtown Grille’s pastry chef, Jeanne, created these goodies as a special treat. Everything is better with bacon, right? Even our token pastry chef in attendance agreed that these cinnamon rolls were quite the teaser to our hashcapade.

After eating bacon cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins and sweet potato biscuits, it was time to bring on the dueling hashes.

Scott James is the executive chef of Midtown Grille and he created the “rich man’s hash,” which included dock confit, seared foie gras, shiitake mushrooms, and fingerling potatoes. Midtown Grille’s sous chef, Chris Santucci, created the “poor man’s hash,” which included pulled pork, julienned sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, and chow chow.

Many bottomless mimosas later, it was time to wrap up our dueling hashes extravaganza.

Hashcapades in Raleigh is one event I’ll always remember. There’s never a dull moment when you’re enjoying hash with a group of amazing people. Most importantly, people who share a passion for food and drink.

Special thanks to Midtown Grille for making hashcapades a big success. What a talented group of chefs who are dedicated to providing innovative food in Raleigh. I’d have to agree with part three of the hashcapades definition, too. Everything was absolutely delicious.

Gadabout: a person who flits about in social activity, a.k.a. Kristen Baughman. She claims,  “My Google calendar is never empty!” Kristen spends time with her friends, family, coworkers, and CouchSurfers…and local food. Her work in North Carolina inspired her blog, the 43 Day Local Food Challenge, where her mission is to eat only locally grown and produced foods. Currently the Foodie blogger for the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Public Relations Specialist for the “Got to Be NC” Competition Dining Series, she eats her way across the Greater Raleigh area. Catch her on twitter @knbaughman..