the daily planet cafe

had lunch with a co-worker yesterday and both of our meals were delicious and a good value - french dip and apple & gorgonzola salad withgrilledchicken and maple vinaigrette. employees were friendly and helpful. i saw workers carrying trays for mothers with multiple kids. great food, and so much better than your typical museum food.

one of the absolute best restaurants in raleigh, attached to the north carolina museum of natural sciences , is the daily planet cafe . no kidding! and locals are beginning to figure it out. image: facebook.com/thedailyplanetcafe local, local, local is pervasive at the cafe. from local beer, wine and coffee to produce, proteins and bread. they’re not shy about it, either. inside, looking out monitors throughout the cafe show a steady stream of local sources. i was so impressed, i kept snapping pictures of the monitors. too much glare meant they didn’t turn out that great, but you can see what i’m talking about by browsing photos here . didn’t ask, but i’m guessing the countertops are made with recycled tin or other metal. the menu not only screams local and homemade, it screams “delicious” and “excellent pricing”.  take thisgrilledcheese sandwich ($6) made on honey wheat bread with local brie, bacon and apple chutney. and then there’s their fried green tomato blt ($8) , made on multi

amazing.. i had not gotten a chance to go to the museum since it had been remodeled so i jumped at the opportunity to gaze at the huge globe for lunch! even when you are driving past the museum you can’t help but notice how inviting and gorgeous the outdoor seating is. perfectly placed in downtown raleigh. i was excited to check it out. unfortunately, it was very windy the day that we went and when we sat outside it was impossible to keep anything on the table. however, when i return i am looking forward to sitting on the patio. for my choice of food i took advantage of the gloomy day (seeing that 90 degree weather was heading our way) and went with the combo ofgrilledcheese and tomato bisque soup. i like that they had the option of pairing a sandwich with either a soup or salad. i was also pleased to find that instead of getting just a halfgrilledcheese, you get a whole sandwich and a pretty large bowl of soup. mine was very good, though i find it hard to believe you could mess upgrilledcheese. i am excited to go back and try out some of the small entrees that they had when i am a little more hungry. i have my eye on the chicken and broccoli alfredo and will definitely be going back when the weather is nice.