L’Uva + Angel Food

Durham Restaurants

Since our family loooves to celebrate everything with food, we dined at L’Uva for my Dad’s birthday! It’s an Italian restaurant that’s fairly new in Durham and I really haven’t heard much about it. After seeing the seasonal and awesome menu (and the really reasonable prices), I thought it would be a good place for a nice dinner. And now I would definitely recommend it!

But first, we stopped into Pinhook for a beer and conversation!

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Like any good Italian restaurant, there was bread + olive oil.

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We shared the beer braised mussels to start – they were wonderful, but the bread dipped in the broth was even better.

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The description for my dinner entree was simple – sweet potato gnocchi with pork sausage, sage, and basil pesto – but the flavors were oh so complex. This was hands down one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had. The other pastas I sampled were wonderful too.

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Then wishes were made, presents were opened, and angel food cake was consumed. My mom just made one of these cakes with whipped cream for my sister, and I’ve been craving a piece ever since – reminds me of my childhood!

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All my Dad’s cakes (or pies) have basketball man on top. I’m not sure where he came from, but maybe my mom will share in the comments…

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The cake was blue and green – according to my mom the colors represent the Earth and the destruction from Sandy:(

Mmm…what a delicious night. I hope my Dad thought so too!

k bye.

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  • Laura
    November 2, 2012 at 9:45 am

    Sweet potato gnocchi? Mind blown. 🙂

  • Mary @ Little Orphan Annie
    November 2, 2012 at 9:46 am

    Cool cake – did your Dad get any presents? I always like to take my Dad’s car in and get it washed and vacuum it out for him since he never thinks to do that 😉

    • Mom
      November 2, 2012 at 7:18 pm

      That is a neat present for your dad! Very clever.

  • Mom
    November 2, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    I bought Basketball Man when you girls were little. He came with a goal that somehow broke. I guess we should have given him a more creative name. Any suggestions?

  • lynn
    November 2, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    Do you have the recipe for the birthday cake?

  • Dad
    November 2, 2012 at 6:15 pm

    Thank you my dear daughter #2 for a wonderful birthday evening.

    Lynn, DH off the shelf angel food cake mix, prepared according to the box, plus food coloring as desired. Heavy whipping cream whipped as usual for frosting.

    Basketball man: in view of our Duke allegiance we should paint him Duke blue, even after all these years. Maybe soak him in blue food coloring.

    Mary: presents? Got some neat beers and wine plus Neil Young’s autobio, maybe one of the few rock bios that I’m genuinely interested in reading. Oh — and some cash!

  • Emily @ www.main-eats.com
    November 3, 2012 at 8:51 am

    Looks like a great celebration for your dad!!! I LOVE mussels-can’t believe how long it took me to try them!