Welcome to Larb’s super swanky urban loft, former tobacco warehouse in the heart of Durham!
It’s so much bigger in person!
And …loftier 😉
We gathered for Prosecco and conversation before heading out to dinner
Our destination was Bull City Burgers, a super cool all-local Durham restaurant. EVERYTHING about this place was awesome – from the local North Carolina pastured beef served to the made-from-scratch everything to the no HFCS/trans-fat policies to the Ball jar water glasses to the house-brewed pumpkin beer.
Our group shared a couple of the fried-tizers
French fries, pickles (yum!) and onion loaf. You can guess which were my favorite and least favorite!
I ordered a simple burger topped with K+M and gruyere and jalapenos!
Only wish there was a side salad option… !
[Missed you Kanz!]
Back at the loft, we met up with SARAH! She lives in the next building over! She joined us for some birthday cupcakes for dad.
Larbs went all out with 6 flavors: Lemon, Almond, Vanilla, Red Velvet, German Chocolate and Carrot Cake
Happy Birthday to you!
It was a cupcake free-for-all afterwards!! With a family of frosting lovers, it was quite the enthusiastic event.
I tried them all (of course!) and while carrot cake is NOT my favorite kind of cake, it stole the show tonight. But I also really liked the almond! I can’t quite remember where Larbs got the cupcakes, but it may have been Bull City Bakery? They were delicious. Good icing!
My alarm is set for 6 hours from now…closing eyes
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
What a beautiful evening you all had 🙂
Cristina says
Love the Bull City posts! I’m from Durham and used to live in Hillsborough, but it’s always great to see how much the places are evolving.
kaila@ healthy helper blog! says
Those cupcakes are gorgeous! They look like flowers!
JenATX says
yeah I love the display with the paper wrapping & birthday candles, too cute
Cait's Plate says
Wow Larbs’ loft is AMAZING!!! I’m so jealous!
That burger place looks incredible – love love love fried pickles.
And there are no words for how good the cupcakes look. You gals definitely know how to treat a guy right on his birthday 🙂 Glad you’re having such a fun celebration!!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
The loft is so cool! I adore exposed brick walls. And cupcakes – YUM!!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
That NC restaurant looks amazing!
I love her loft! It’s so cute and those cupcakes….GAH! I want one!
kathleen @ the daily crumb says
what a delicious day!
i LOVE onion loaf. there’s a restaurant in chicago called hackney’s that is famous for it’s massive, crazy greasy onion loaf. it’s in my top 5 of “worth it” foods.
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
The almond cupcake sound so unique!
Josie says
Have you tried onions lately? I try foods I dislike once or twice a year to make sure my tastes haven’t changed. I was pleasantly surprised this year when I learned pumpkin doesn’t make me gag anymore!
KathEats says
If smelling them means trying them, then yes. And I still don’t like them
Krystina (Organically Me) says
Those cupcakes are darling.
Christine @ Oatmeal in my Bowl says
I would eat every single one of those cupcakes. Haha! Happy Birthday to your dad. Looks like everyone had an awesome time.
Love the loft. Always wanted one of those. I used to ride a bike around my friend’s loft. 😉
Kelly @ Foodie Fiasco says
Get some sleep and have agreat trip!
Julia H. @ The Petite Spiel says
When you listed the cupcake flavors, I was thinking “Man, I would have had to sample each!” And, of course, you did, too! Good plan 😀
I love that the restaurant served you water in a mason jar. Mason jars make everything taste better–I’m convinced!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
The restaurant looked awesome! Like you said, all the details to the food seemed fantastic. A good cupcake topped with lots of yummy frosting makes for a great end to the evening too, if I do say so myself! 😉
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
Those cupcakes. Wow!!
And Larb’s pad. Omg. I am in lust with it. I would love love love to live in something like that. There are places like that in downtown San Diego here but I’ve never lived in something quite that amazing look..wow. The wood, the lighting, the rustic nature…I want to move in 🙂
Khushboo says
Does anyone else is your family share your onion aversion?
Mom says
Her dad and I love onions and her grandfather Al grew them in his garden!
Sonya says
Viva l’onion! Silly me, I know.
KathEats says
Larbs also hates them
KathEats says
also, my mom needs to share the story about how she breathed onion breath on me at my birth – we think that’s where the aversion comes from
lynn @ the actor's diet says
i heart lofts!!!
Sylvia @ My Attempt at Balanced Living says
Sounds like a fantastic day. Extra dry Prosecco is my very favoritest of wines 🙂 Great call splitting up all of the cupcakes. I would have wanted to try each and every one too. Have a good night lady!
Irina says
wow, those cupcakes look gorgeous! And so much more exciting trying all those flavours instead of just one in a cake (though cakes are good too of course). Happy Birthday, Kath’s Dad! 🙂
Zoe @ loseweightandgainhealth says
What a super cool apartment your sister has. Looked like a perfect evening, dinner out with sister and both parents and ending with cup cake. Awesome.
Marijke says
Those cupcakes… wow. I wish I wasn’t reading this post with two pieces of toast in front of me. Serious food envy right now! I feel that cupcakes for breakfast would be a solid life choice…
Christie Inge ~ Intuitive Eating Coach says
Oh my goodness!! What a delightful surprise. My grandmother worked in that building for 36 years until it closed down!!! Very cool.
sarah (the SHU box) says
so great to see you!!! have a fantastic trip!
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I hope to live in a loft like that some day. That would be after the boys are long gone and it would be just Tony and I. I hope your dad had an incredible birthday! Looks like it was a very special occasion!
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats says
Those cupcakes look so cute wrapped like that! And I agree, I hate when restaurants don’t have a side salad option. Carbs carbs and more carbs can be a bit much for me!
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope says
Larbs loft is beautiful! So stylish! That restaurant looks great! I’m loving those burgers. Oh, and can we talk about those cupcakes?! They look incredible!!!! I love cupcakes. They are my weakness 🙂
Susan H. @ the food allergy chronicles says
I love the cupcake presentation…wrapped up in colourful paper…they looked like individual gifts! Personally, carrot cake is one of my favourite cakes topped of course with cream cheese icing that has a hint of lemon to it! Yummy! I too, would have wanted a side salad. The hamburger looks so loney on the plate.
Emily says
Looks like your dad had a nice birthday with great company and what looked like fabulous cupcakes!
Marlow says
Yay Bull City! We live in Durham and we absolutely love Bull City!! Last year before they opened, they hosted a Golden Bull scavenger hunt, where they hid golden bulls all around the city. If you found one, you would win one free burger a week for a year!
Molly @ RDexposed says
That’s my kind of flight! I’d like to dream about being served a flight on a flight. A girl can dream, right?
Jules @ La Petite Maison Verte says
Love the cupcakes in the colored paper wraps! Mmm carrot cake!
Amanda says
I love her loft! So much character.
Those cupcakes look awesome. And good to hear the icing was tasty! I’m an icing girl as well, and I’m always so disappointed when it’s plastic-y or the texture is too sugary. Ick.
Happy birthday to Kath’s dad! 🙂
Katie says
What no pumpkin cupcakes? My 6 year old chose pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting with Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream for her birthday, after having calamari and grilled shrimp for her birthday dinner. Happy birthday to your dad. Love Larb’s loft. Looks like a fun time with your family, enjoy!
Melody (Redhead in the Kitchen) says
How was the Bull City Burger and Brewery Pumpkin Ale? It wasn’t ready yet the last time I went. 🙁 They definitely have the best burgers in Durham.
KathEats says
Delicious!!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
Beautiful dessert presentation – you have so many neat restaurants nearby!
Angel7 says
Awesome-looking cupcakes! They look so pretty in the colored paper, as opposed to the cupcake holders that most places use.
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
Her apartment looks so cool! They renovated an old warehouse on my college campus and I got to live in it the first year it opened my junior year, very cool, funky vibe but open ceilings and walls are not necessarily the best idea when you’re in college with noisey roommates!
~Christy @ wonderofallthings says
What a cool loft! Love the look of the exposed brick, wood floors…and those ceilings! Dinner looks awesome (love those fried pickles!) and those cupcakes look, as you said in your last post, “to-live-for”! Fun post, thanks 😀
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
What a lovely evening and celebration! The cupcakes look excellent.
Cat @Breakfast to Bed says
Do you think she’d mind if I moved in with her?
Dad says
The cupcakes came from Carolina Cake Company at 2922 W. Main St., Durham, (919) 937-9715, via a Groupon offer. They were devine.
Erin says
No way! I live in Durham and when the post title popped up on my Google Reader I was psyched. Glad you liked BCBB– they rock. Were the cupcakes maybe from Daisy Cakes? Either way… om nom nom.
Erin says
Whoops… just saw Dad’s comment. I’ll have to give them a try!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
Oh mmmmmm those cupcakes ALL sound delicious!!
Andrea @ The Skinny Chronicles says
That loft is absolutely gorgeous. I just want to move right in. Does it come with the cupcakes???
Shannon @ My Place In The Race says
Prosecco is my fave! That burger looks so good and what a cute loft! I love how the buck walls! So cute 😀
Shannon @ My Place In The Race says
That is totally suppose to be “I love the brick walls”. What was I doing? 😉
Pam says
my brother used to live in that building! it’s really neat!
Karen says
Those cupcakes look delish!
Got home yesterday evening.
Kerry says
Lovely loft – it looks amazing! And those cupcakes look super yummy
Davida says
I live in Durham and my daughter and I LOVE Bull City Burgers. We were there last Saturday, would have been great to bump into you! I am an avid reader of your blog!
Dad says
Thanks for all my presents Kath. Happy to have some ID with me now.
KathEats says
You are welcome! They are all the rage in the blog world. Mine says “eat real food!”
Hillary says
I am SWOONING over your sister’s loft. Good heavens, that’s perfection.
Sandy says
Love the loft! What a fun family day.