Taste the trip: My culinary journey at NC State

It has to be said, food can make or break a trip. Some would say scarfing down some lukewarm Chick-fil-a nuggets left over from the NC State cheerleaders’ lunch while an utter maelstrom rages outside would be a low culinary point, and they would be dead wrong. Those nuggets, at that moment, were a veritable hug from Mother Mary. They truly hit the spot, and I came to the realization that food doesn’t necessarily need to be highbrow or even a complete meal to be utterly satisfying. Thus, here is my food diary from my trip to the NC State football game. Warning: There are some extreme highs and lows in this review — a few pictures may be unappetizing. Read at your own risk.

This journey started as I was in Raleigh, North Carolina, to photograph the NC State football game for The Observer. Along for the ride were prolific sports writers J.J. Post and Matthew Crow. We hadn’t met before but were about to spend the next 72 hours together. The perfect solution to melt the ice? Eat some good meals together and explore the city.

For our first meal after we arrived in Raleigh, we went to the Morgan Street Food Hall. Now, this is probably the only actually popular place to eat that we went to. It’s a bustling food hall with a couple dozen food options from diverse and local vendors. Perfect for a bunch of hungry journalists who just got off a flight. It was a well-designed space, with a lodge-esque feel indoors and some lovely green spaces to sit at outside as well. 

I had a hankering for a lobster roll, while Matt went for a Neapolitan wood-fired pizza and J.J. had a steak sandwich. While I didn’t get quite enough of a generous serving of lobster in my roll (I wanted it to be a beefy sandwich), it still tasted fresh and succulent. I even had room for homemade chorizo empanadas. This place was honestly delicious and everyone got to fulfill their cravings.

Shamrocks: 5 out of 5

The next day — despite the group bonding that occurred through dinner, an escape room and a stint on a mechanical bull the previous night (we were in the south, so of course I rode a mechanical bull) — we were refreshed and ready to tackle the arduous day ahead covering the NC State game. I was preparing to carry about 20 pounds of camera equipment for the next seven hours in the rain, and I needed to fuel. Then I saw the magical words at our lovely Fairfield Inn — continental breakfast included. Who doesn’t love a classic continental breakfast? I felt my salivary glands gush in anticipation as I saw the waffle machine and selection of pastries of a Danish variety. We dined like royalty and the waffles were golden brown and tender.

Shamrocks: 4 out of 5

When we got to the press box at the stadium, there was luckily another buffet for the media team laid out. Chicken strips, crisp Caesar salads, brownies — it was honestly a pretty extensive spread. However, since we arrived closer to game time on account of the rain, pickings were slim. While I tried to create a balanced meal of protein and leafy greens, others chose the true meal of journalists: pure cane sugar. It had been sitting out a while when we arrived, but the food was still very welcome as a sort of hobbit-approved second breakfast.

Shamrocks: 3.5 out of 5

Here is where the food photography gets even more harrowing, and if you don’t want to see the desiccated remains of a nugget box after getting devoured by a ravenous photographer, then scroll past. The NC State game had been delayed because of lightning, and me and the other photographers were ushered into a back room with the NC State cheerleaders. I was freezing, drenched and started to have a startling resemblance to a sewer rat (I was wearing a trash bag as a poncho). The atmosphere in the room was tense with the NC State photographers studiously ignoring me as the sole Notre Dame photographer in the room. Then, a cornucopia of Chick-fil-a and snacks were brought for the cheerleaders, while the media team crouched in the shadows hoping for a tidbit to be tossed down to us. Once the cheer team had eaten, I dared to ask if the photographers could have the leftover nugget boxes. They said yes, and I enjoyed the best meal of the trip. Not only did it warm my frozen bones, but the acquisition of food thawed the other photographers towards me and I enjoyed some riveting conversations for the rest of the delay.

Shamrocks: Infinite

Finally, we finished the game and J.J., Matt and I enjoyed one last dinner in Raleigh, NC. It had been a busy and fun weekend, and it was time for some comforting Mexican food. I got pineapple fajitas, which were served in a scooped-out pineapple half. It was cheesy, savory and had little chunks of pineapple in it. The only issue we had was being peer-pressured into getting table-side guacamole, which I will forgive because it was really dang good. 

Shamrocks: 3.5 out of 5

The next morning, we flew out and arrived at the South Bend Airport. As I walked back to my dorm, I thought back on my weekend and knew that I would never forget it. I highly suggest visiting Raleigh and exploring more of the great culinary scene than I was able to during my short stint. (With that thought, my stomach rumbled and I pivoted towards North Dining Hall. It was time for lunch.)

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