Food Porn Friday: Fried Apps at Raleigh Times

This post is far from chronological, as I’d forgotten about all this fried deliciousness until I searched through the depths of my camera. These greasy treats were consumed just as Raleigh caught its first hint of sunshine and warmth. Charlie, his sister, and I (along with every other human being in the city) had gone on a quest for an outdoor drinking spot.

After resounding failures at the crowded Boylan Bridge and Flying Saucer, we arrived at the all-too-often-a-clusterfuck Raleigh Times and were able to sip beers at the upstairs bar while Charlie stalked the rooftop patio for an open table that wasn’t in the shade.

Now normally I wouldn’t brag on the food at Raleigh Times. I’m not even sure we were hungry when we perused the menu for something salty to go with our beers, but obviously we couldn’t miss out on the staple of every bar in the American South: fried pickles. Well, after Charlie interrogated the waiter about the shape of the pickles they used that is. (He really prefers the chips, not the spears, so you can see how this particular shape was difficult for the waiter to describe and for Charlie to understand. Such a diva.)

Obvi, you gotta throw in a side of ranch, we were at a bar.

Then, being the red-blooded Americans that we are and not wanting to give our arteries too much of a break, the fried chicken skins caught our collective eye. They came to the table hot and glistening in fat with a side of hot sauce. You could feel the months that you lost off your life with each crunchy bite. But yeah, they go really well with beer.

Mmmmm, salty AND greasy!

I’d hope that we didn’t eat dinner that night after this ridiculous mid-afternoon snack, but I’m 110% certain that we did. (Charles doesn’t skip dinner under any circumstances.) After these apps, we buzzily made our way home through downtown, and I caught some mediocre shots with my newbie camera skillz. I wish I’d taken some photos of the rooftop patio at Raleigh Times, but I was too afraid I’d offend the hipsters or attract the attention of a too-drunk-for-mid-afternoon guy who was knocking over chairs and making everyone feel uncomfortable.

The North Carolina State Capitol

Statue honoring the women of the Confederacy, because North Carolina

Oh you know, just the juxtaposition of new and old

Raleigh!

And last but not least, that incredible, commonly Instagrammed Raleigh skyline… when you can’t get a seat at Boylan Bridge Brewpub and have to take the picture from the actual bridge. I refuse to crop out the wasteland that’s in front so you can get some perspective… of what it looks like when you arrive too late to a day-drinking hotspot on a warm day around here.

As always, if you have any salty snack or bar food recommendations, leave them in the comments!