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 this Grilled Cheese 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 multigrain bread with Brie.
The Cafe serves Breakfast and Lunch, has a nice Salad Bar and offers Kids Meals. It’s a great spot for lunch for area offices since service is fast. There’s also a full-service “coffee shop” staffed by trained Baristas. The latte pictures above passed my quality test with flying colors.
Someone was definitely thinking when they attached The Daily Planet Cafe to the outside corner of the museum. Anyone can go to the Cafe, whether visiting the museum or not.
In case you haven’t been since the new wing was added, I’ve included a few shots below. It’s truly amazing, very high-tech, with hands-on labs circling the perimeter on each floor. If you get this post via email and don’t see the gallery below, click here to view.
facebook.com/TheDailyPlanetCafe
The Daily Planet Cafe
121 West Jones St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 707-8060
