Blue Note Grill (Durham, NC)
As soon as I stepped into the Blue Note Grill, l felt like I was, in the words of Marc Cohn, “Walking in Memphis, walking with feet ten feet off of Beale.” Located in downtown Durham historic Central Park District, Blue Note Grill is one of the Triangle area’s best live-music venues, complete with a full-service BBQ and Ribs restaurant and bar. In short, it’s the closest anyone, in this area, can come to experiencing an authentic “Memphis experience” without the long drive. 🎶
The wings—hot and juicy drums and flats, smoked to perfection, then polished on the grill. Try them “tumbled” (their words) in one or two of their five tumbln’ sauces. Pictured in my below link, is Blue Note’s BBQ and Sweet Red Chili Sauce. Had I a bigger appetite, I would have most succumbed to the “wet ribs” so beloved by the regulars and applauded by the employees. 🍗
The drinks—wonderful selection of craft beers on draft (and some bottles). Washed down my succulent wings with a rye pale ale from—can’t remember the brewery now, but it was a local NC one. As I digestif, I sipped and savored the grand old classic “Old Grand-Dad” neat, at two fingers. For those of you that don’t know about Old Grand-Dad and like Bourbon, well I highly suggest you google it and learn the history and acclaim behind this legendary libation. 🥃 The atmosphere—a swirl of red and blue and purple lights amidst a haze of happy patrons feasting and dancing whilst carrying on liberating conversations. 🎆
The staff—sweet as Southern Iced Tea. I even had the pleasure of meeting their most delightful assistant manager, Xongo (spelling?). I watched from afar as he stood outside the entrance, happily opening doors for patrons and welcoming them inside. “You’re going to love tonight’s guest performance as much as you loved those wings,” he assured me. And…he was 💯 correct.
The music—Holy heaven for Blues fans. I’m not the most seasoned or well-versed with the genre, nor its past or current aficionados, but, man, I’m hear to tell you—this place has a reputation for being voted one of the best Blue’s venues for a reason. The performer this particular night, Annie McCue—an Australian native, now based in Nashville Tennessee, whose current album pays homage to David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World” (can you now see half of why I love her so much ;) ) has toured with giants like Lucinda Williams—has been featured on popular albums alongside other giants like Leonard Cohen, Ryan Adams, and John Coltrane. Please do yourself a favor and watch the video of her performance in my Instagram post along with my youtube link.
And, as a sidenote—as much as a badass on stage—in person, Anne McCue is the sweetest, most humble, and gentle musical giant you’ll ever meet.
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>>>Click here to see Anne McCue’s youtube channel<<<
>>>Click here to learn more about Blue Note Grill<<<
>>>Click here to learn more about Old Grand-Dad whisky<<<