I was just talking with a friend from out of state recently about the huge array of food choices in the metro areas of Greensboro, High Point, and Winston-Salem.  For many newcomers to the area, the options for eating out are a pleasant surprise:  from ethnic specialties like Indian and Vietnamese food to Southern classics, there’s something here at just about every price point.

I feel as if I have been doing a restaurants in Downtown Greensboro eating tour lately, and between old standbys and new eateries, I think my pants are getting a bit tight! Two relatively new places my family and I have tried lately—and really enjoyed— are:

Crafted:  The Art of the Taco

I have three words for you:  bacon, caramel, and chocolate.  Crafted’s carnivore-friendly appetizer called “Mason of Bacon” features salted caramel-covered crispy applewood bacon along with a spicy chocolate dipping sauce.  Unusual, probably VERY unhealthy, and 100% delicious.  However, if you’re more of an herbivore, don’t despair.  My neighbor swears by the fried tofu and black bean & corn tacos, and the house-made chips are to-die-for.  All tacos—from chorizo to falafel—are made with fresh corn tortillas and come with shaved radish, cilantro, avocado onion, and lime wedges.

Crafted’s motto is “We are not a Mexican restaurant.  We are a taco joint!”  So don’t expect the classic Tex/Mex or Cali/Mex fusion food you’ll find at so many places.  DO expect some of the freshest, best tacos you’ll find anywhere in a stylish downtown Greensboro building (219-A South Elm Street) with “big city” ambiance!

Dame’s Chicken and Waffles

In late 2012, this famous Durham restaurant opened a second restaurant in Downtown Greensboro at 301 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.  Dame’s Chicken and Waffles offers an array of Southern cuisine, most notably the dish it’s named for:  fried chicken and waffles.  If you haven’t experienced chicken and waffles, it’s high time you did.  And if you grew up eating the dish, you won’t be disappointed by Dame’s.  The fried chicken is outstanding – perfectly crispy on the outside, exceptionally tender inside—and the waffles are bigger than the plate they sit on!  Add a “shmear” of sweet cream butter whipped with peach and apricot, toasted almond and chocolate, blueberry, orange and honey, or other delectable options, and dinner becomes the perfect blend of protein, salt, and sweetness.  (You can have your salad another day.)  Everyone in my family loved Dame’s!

Next Destination?  The Worx

I’m eager to try another new place I keep hearing buzz about:  The Worx, which is on Barnhart Street downtown, and calls itself the place where “bistro meets pub.”  I’ve heard the food is great and at a good price point, and the beverage selection is wide enough to keep just about every adult happy.  It looks like it might be good for a date night with my wife…

If you've been somewhere interesting lately in the Triad, drop us a comment.  Tell us what you know!