A Surprise at Spize Cafe!

Saturday Chris and I ran over to the venue for Marc and Marie's wedding so Chris could see it finally and so he could check out the "techie" side of things.  We wanted to check the WIFI to see if we'd be able to Skype his mom in to the festivities since she isn't able to fly out for the wedding. WIFI testing went great and we decided to walk through the gardens a bit when Marc joined us there and wandered a bit with us. The gardens are so beautiful and it will be the perfect spot for their wedding.

Marc left his car there and went with us for lunch and an errand. Ever since going to Spize with the lovely Laura I've wanted to get Chris there to try one of their baguette sandwiches.  Definitely NOT gluten free but their artisan/local baguettes looked like the real deal and something Chris would love.

Chris chose the pork sandwich with lemongrass and a honey mayo. The pickeled veggies and chips rounded out his plate. I had to take this picture quickly or I would have missed it all together but since this is a gluten free blog it really shouldn't be here in the first place! =D

There's an eggplant and mushroom sandwich with basil and chili paste that I want to recreate in a gluten free version - it sounds amazing!

Spize Cafe has the most flavorful sauces and dressings and they take really simple fresh ingredients and make the most delicious combinations.

Marc had the Chicken Thai Red Curry Rice Plate - the chicken version of the veggie meal Laura and I enjoyed.

Marc really enjoyed the fresh veggies - especially the bamboo shoots.

The pickled veggies are more than a pretty plate garnish - each veggie seems to have a different heat to them - all fresh and crispy and yummy.

The red curry is super hot but so flavorful.

This time I chose the White Peppered Shrimp Asian Noodle Salad.

Our cashier asked if I would like it hot or hotter.  He used the terms medium and burning. Burning seemed like a good choice but in retrospect why it seemed like a good choice is beyond me! The red peppers you see on top of those rice noodles were really and truly burning hot! But once the sweet and tangy vinaigrette mixed with everything it was the most delicious salad I've had in a long time. I'd order it again but I might order a medium next time.

The only thing I'd love to see at Spize Cafe are more gluten free veggie options without tofu. This salad would have been just as good without the shrimp and even better with more veggies. Their gluten free menu is really varied and better than most but that one small thing would thrill me.

Oh, and the surprise?  We bumped into our sweet neighbors!

Justin, Kyle, Andrea and Gabrielle, from left to right. They were in Raleigh for the NC Museum of Natural Science Bug Fest and stopped in for lunch. Empty plates and happy faces are always a good sign.