Globe

Beautiful interior: rosewood furnishings with sleek design.

The menu has dishes reminiscent of stops in France, Italy, North Africa, Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia and VietNam--- among others. I ended up not having an entrée and ordering just appetizers.

I started with the Farmer's Market Gazpacho (from Raleigh, I presume): very refreshing with just the right spicy finish.

Cheese plate was fantastic: three selections (one Spanish, one Italian and one domestic). Alongside there were a variety of olives and a scoop of what tasted to me like a compote of raisins and ginger. Our waiter thought it was a mixture of more olives, but corrected himself after checking with the kitchen: it was, in fact, raisins. Also on the plate: two different house-made salami's--- excellent! All this served with toasted pieces of what tasted like sourdough.

I also had the Thai Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps. These were served with romaine instead of iceberg lettuce, and #1 was amused as I struggled to wrap the chicken salad with other ingredients.

A better choice, in my mind, was the Tacos Locos: pulled pork with pico de gallo and sour cream. (A small spoon would have been handy when tackling this dish).

#1 did order an entrée: fish with ratatouille, spinach, orange oregano jam and parmesan in a tomato broth. Must have been good: she ate the whole thing!

Although we enjoyed our visit to Globe, I doubt we will return. There are just too many better choices: Enoteca Vin, to name one, just around the corner.

Total bill: $80 for two, before tip, booze included, no dessert.