42^nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill offers a variety of seafood, including oysters (of course!), shrimp, crab cakes, lobster and more. It’s not just seafood you’ll find at 42^nd St. You’ll also find steak and chicken on the menu. In addition to food, there is also live entertainment. 42^nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill is located on Jones Street in downtown Raleigh.

Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern is located on Hillsborough Street in a restored Dodd-Hinsdale House. It brings together a warm atmosphere of elegance, charm and relaxation. The main dinner menu changes throughout the seasons. There is also a tavern menu and dessert menu, along with an award-winning wine list.

Death & Taxes is the most recent Ashley Christensen restaurant which is located on Hargett Street in the heart of downtown Raleigh. It was opened in 2015 and focuses on wood-fire cooking. Other Ashley Christensen restaurants include Poole’s Diner, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey and Chuck’s, plus Fox Liquor Bar. At Death & Taxes there is a variety of delicious food choices from roasted oysters, octopus and grilled NC fish to beef tartare, dry-aged steak and much, much more.

Ever been to Italy? If not, ever dreamed of going to Italy? Well, just make your way to Caffe Luna in downtown Raleigh and get a feel of a true Italian atmosphere as you dine on Italian cuisine. In addition to dining for lunch or dinner, Caffe Luna is also available for special events such as bridal lunches, wedding receptions and even wedding ceremonies, as it houses three private party rooms.

So instead of making another meal at home, grab your keys, jump in the car and make your way to downtown Raleigh for a nice, enjoyable meal at one of the many restaurants around town. There are so many to choose from, some new to the area and some that have been around for years.

The post Delicious Downtown Raleigh Restaurants appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

Warm weather. Sunny days. Sunglasses always within arm’s reach. That’s summertime. The official first day of summer this year is Wednesday, June 21, but let’s be honest, it’s already felt like summer for a while now. Now with traditional-calendared schools out for summer, there is even more time for kids and families to make plans and make memories. There is so much to do and see in the Triangle area. So get out your calendar and start planning!

Visit a museum. In downtown Raleigh, you’ll find multiple museums. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers a fun and educational outing for people of all ages, and general admission is free. Definitely be sure to check out the Living Conservatory upstairs on the fourth floor. You’ll see butterflies, turtles, a sloth and even more up close. Located directly across from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is the North Carolina Museum of History. Make a day out of it and visit both museums. There is a restaurant inside each, so you have options for lunch. Other great museums in the Triangle area are Marbles, geared toward kids, the Museum of Life and Science in Durham and the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. You’re out! The Triangle area is home to some great baseball. There are the Durham Bulls and the Carolina Mudcats located at Five County Stadium in Zebulon. Take the entire family out, go with a group of friends or make it a date night. However you decide to go, you’re sure to have an absolute ball!

What better way to enjoy a beautiful summer day than at the park. Fortunately, there are many great parks in the area. Pullen Park offers an array of activities for people of all ages. Children can ride the carousel, play on the playground, and the whole family can hop on the train that takes you around the park. There are pedal boats available to ride on Lake Howell and the kiddie boats are more geared toward younger children. There is a large grassy area that is wide open for kids to let some energy out. If you’re looking to spend some time relaxing, bring a blanket, some reading material and enjoy the outdoors. Laurel Hills Park features the Sassafras children’s playground. It is fairly new and features swings, slides, a basketball court, zip lines and more.

For those super-hot days or on a rainy summer day with thunderstorms popping up, make your way to the movie theater. Several theaters in the Raleigh area offer discounted prices or even free movies. So if you’re stuck at home inside trying to stay dry or even on days where you want to do something different, check out a movie. While you’re there, get a drink and popcorn and you’re all set!

The post Summer Activities in the Triangle for the Entire Family appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

We’ve got you covered.

There’s no way you’re going to the mall at this point. That place is a trap. It’s the commercial version of tragedy of the commons, so you’ll want to steer clear.

You need to do your shopping online, but not on Amazon. No way. That thing you want to get for that person? It’s on back order for weeks, and there’s no Prime membership that will get it to you in two days. What you need are gifts that don’t run out of stock.

You need apps. Apps and also items from our gift catalog. Apps are easy because all you have to do is install them on a person’s phone. The Acura gift shop is also great because it’s a quick, quality gift for someone you care about.

Here’s our list of the top six apps and gifts this holiday season. Also remember to stop by Leith Acura of Cary for any repairs before your holiday travels.

6. TrackR

If you know someone who is always misplacing their car keys or purse, this is an app they sorely need. There is an additional hardware requirement, but it’s what makes the whole thing work. You can attach a TrackR pendant to whatever you’re most likely to lose – wallet, pocketbook, dog, and so on – and then locate it whenever it leaves your site via the app on your smart phone. The app supports more than one item, so you can keep track of all the important things in your life.

5. Acura Keychains

4. XLR8

Get it? If you know anyone who desperately wishes they drove something cooler, hook them up with this app from 2XL Games. It’s simple. Plug the phone into the car’s audio and listen to the roar of a V8 engine. The app uses feedback from a phone’s accelerometers to realistically generate the exhaust note from a selection of supercars. Engine samples are Hollywood quality, so it sounds totally authentic and totally cool.

3. Acura Travel Mug

2. Waze

In terms of crowdsourced traffic apps, Waze is the biggest and best of its kind. Claiming that “traffic is more than red lines” on a map, this app pulls traffic information from other users on the road in real time. It can even gather data from you just by leaving it open while you drive.

1. Acura V-neck Pullover

The post The Top 6 Auto Apps and Acura Gifts of the Holiday Season appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

We’ve reached the season where lots of people are hosting or attending a party every weekend, from here until the end of the month. In the spirit of the holidays, and because our Thanksgiving cocktail recipes were such a big hit, we’ve decided to share another recipe with you. Today we’re making homemade eggnog.

This time we’re pulling out all the stops. You can’t find this recipe in a book, and it’s far superior to your run-of-the-mill homemade eggnog recipe (which is usually just a mix of store-bought eggnog mix and bourbon anyway). Ours is actually a synthesis of several recipes, with an ingredient list provided by a great grandmother and preparation instructions taken from an acclaimed chef. Heed this well and your guests will be talking about the best eggnog they’ve ever had.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint heavy cream
3 cups milk
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup apple brandy
1/2 cup orange liqueur
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 3/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine: milk, heavy cream, and nutmeg. Bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture.

3. Return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat and sieve into a mixing bowl to remove any cooked egg bits.

4. Stir in liquors, then set in the refrigerator to chill.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.

Whatever party plays host to this concoction is sure to be a merry affair. If you choose to make use of this recipe, let us know how it goes. Tell us what your guests and family members think.

All of us in the Leith Cars family wish you a happy holiday.

The post An Eggnog Recipe to Make Your Holidays Happy appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

All of us here at Leith Cars are getting excited about Thanksgiving this Thursday. In terms of no-strings-attached holidays, there’s nothing better than an occasion that just asks you to show up and chow down on some home cooking. If you enjoy the company of your extended family, it’s a great chance for you to catch up and reminisce. If you don’t, well again, there’s food.

We know that many of you already have your Thanksgiving menu set at this point in the week, and maybe you haven’t changed it in twenty years. That’s why we aren’t going to be peddling any sort of dish to insert into the lineup.

What we will do is make some suggestions for beverages, a little something to wet your whistle if the turkey has dried you out. Let’s talk about cocktail hour.

There’s a great book called The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart that talks all about how to make amazing cocktails from your garden. It details how to grow herbs and plants you need, how they combine to make such sweet and savory drinks, and most importantly the recipes that you can use to mix up some tasty cocktails. We’ve picked just a couple of recipes from the book to share with you.

For a pre-dinner drink, try the Farmer’s Market, the author’s take on a Bloody Mary.

1.5 oz vodka (Try Glacier Potato Vodka from Idaho) Gin or tequila would also be lovely in this drink.

2-3 ‘Mexican Sour Gherkin’ cucumbers or regular cucumbers

1-2 stalks ‘Red Venture’ celery

2-3 sprigs cilantro or basil

2-3 slices small spicy or mild peppers

6 cherry tomatoes or 1-2 slices large tomato

Dash of Worcestershire sauce (try Annie’s for a vegetarian version)

3-4 oz Q or Fever Tree tonic water

Reserve a celery stalk, cherry tomato, or cucumber for garnish.  Combine all ingredients excep the tonic water in a cocktail shaker and gently crush the vegetables and herbs, making sure to release the tomato juice.  Shake with ice and strain into a tumbler filled with ice.  Top with tonic water and add garnish.

If you’re more of a dark liquor fan, or if you’re looking to warm up after what looks to be a particularly chilly day, try the Chamomile Hot Toddy.

1-2 oz whiskey

1-2 oz honey-chamomile syrup (see note)

Lemon wedge

6-8 cloves

Note: Make honey-chamomile syrup by combining equal parts honey and hot water. Add fresh (or dried) chamomile blossoms and allow to steep for 1 hour, then strain.

Pour hot water into a heat-proof glass. While you wait for it to heat the glass, press cloves into the rind of the lemon wedge and set aside. Empty the glass and coat the inside with syrup, then add the whiskey and top with hot water. Squeeze the lemon into the drink and drop it into the glass.

The Drunken Botanist is published by Algonquin Books, based locally in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. If you’re interested in more great recipes like these, we encourage you to pick up a copy and check out the official blog.

Leith Cars wishes all of you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. All of our dealerships will be closed, but we will see you bright and early on Friday.

The post Happy Hour and Happy Thanksgiving appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

Most of us dread the morning and afternoon commute. Neglected turn signals, sudden braking, and other habits of poor driving make us feel stressed – even overwhelmed. Raleigh is not without its growing pains as parking ordinances require changes and roads desperately need additional lanes; just ask anyone driving down Glenwood Avenue (yeah, that’s our way into work). This nuisance causes us to lose what feels like hours of time that could be better spent.

An article posted by Motoramic, on Yahoo!, details the cities with the worst roadway congestion. Some of these facts are a bit startling, but they also make us realize that Raleigh traffic isn’t so bad, after all. The article cites navigational information of travel times as reported by TomTom. With several million miles recorded, we get some insight about how much worse it can get.

Nobody should be surprised that Los Angeles ranks first for worst congestion. L.A. commuters lose 39 minutes of every hour spent on the road. If you have a 30-minute drive to work in this city, expect to spend 90 hours sitting in traffic over the course of the year. There’s nothing better in the morning than sipping hot coffee from a mug while enjoying some smog-obfuscated sunshine, right? Add in some angry motorists honking their horns and egregious rubbernecking, and we have ourselves a party.

What may be the most astounding fact is that L.A.’s traffic seems insignificant to the congestion experienced in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City. In Rio, for every hour of travel time, 59 minutes are lost – in other words, a drive that should take a single minute takes nearly an hour.

If you’re a commuter who’s tired of the misery, then Kansas City or Indianapolis may be the prime locations for you. They rank the lowest on TomTom’s list.

Raleigh, for the record, ranks 56^th of 60 American cities. Feel better, my fellow commuter.

The post Think Your Commute to Work Is Bad? appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

Framed Heirloom or Keepsake

There are many items that your mom may have kept over the years. Perhaps she has letters your dad wrote her when they first began dating; or she collected recipe cards handwritten by a grandparent. Regardless of the heirloom or keepsake, you can place the originals in a frame to be hung on your mother’s kitchen wall – or even in the dining room. This will serve as a great conversation starter at holidays or dinner parties.

Basket or Bag – O – Goodies

If your mom maintains a passion for gardening – flowers, plants, vegetables, or herbs – you can place either full-grown items or seeds for planting in a basket, as well as tools that will help her garden during future seasons. This will provide your mom with a lasting gift that she’ll physically see for months, or even years, to come.

Should your mom be more of an ocean-goer, you can utilize a beach bag filled with sunglasses, towels, sunscreen, snacks, and other needed goods for a trip down onto the sand. A gift such as a beach bag will create memories that you may very well be a part of during a family vacation.

Feel free to parlay this idea into creating any basket or bag that relates to your mom’s hobbies or likes.

Tree Limb Photo Ladder

This gift will require some time over the weekend that you can dedicate to crafting and creating.

First, acquire a small, indoor wooden ladder. Go out into the woods or backyard and collect small tree limbs / branches. Attach cross limbs to the side rails with twine (and possibly nails – if needed). Hang framed photographs from the cross rails with twine. You can lean the ladder against a wall or in a corner for display. Should you feel ambitious, hang the photos from the side rails and mount the ladder over top of a sofa, up a staircase, or in a hallway in a horizontal position.

We at Leith Acura Cary hope these ideas might inspire some creativity for your Mother’s Day gift.

The post Personalized Mother’s Day Gift Ideas appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

We champion this day, yet tomorrow will herald a return to our routines. Unfortunately, most of us are guilty of allowing these efforts to fall by the wayside despite our sincerest interest in cleaning up the environment. That’s why we at Leith want to present some ideas to you; ideas that can help on Earth Day and any other day of the year.

If we commit to one – or several – of these suggestions, our dedication can yield incredible results:

Lights Out

Management may find the most enthusiastic response to this idea. If employees’ tasks can be accomplished at home, allow them a day to relax on the couch while completing the day’s tasks. For every 1,000 kilowatt hours saved, energy bills reduce by $100. We recognize, however, that certain industries and jobs require reporting to an office, so we have an alternative suggestion: turn out the lights, turn off the A/C, and only work wirelessly within the office.

Recycle

It’s easy! Divide your office by department or teams, and you can reward the team that collects the greatest amount of recyclables. Gift card? Cash? PTO? There are few better ways to celebrate the Earth than by recycling those aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and other materials that would otherwise inundate a waste dump for the next thousand years.

Carpool

What’s better than saving the Earth, money, and miles on your car? Even if you and a few coworkers agree on a spot to meet, you can save around thirty-two pounds of CO2 per person. A courtesy switch of driver every week could also save each participant a lot of stress.

Sun’n’Fun Potluck Lunch

When the season shifts to warm spring breezes, encourage your company to host an outdoor potluck lunch that utilizes no energy and reusable materials. Everyone can bring his or her own plate and utensils, as well as food that does not require reheating – anything that requires refrigerating should be brought in a cooler to avoid consuming more energy. Before venturing outside for a sunshine filled lunch, turn off the lights and computers for greater savings.

Clean Campus

If you walk around your building – the lawn, parking lot, sidewalks, and alleyways– you’ll likely find litter. Form a group at work of eco-friendly employees who are willing to step outside and pick up that trash. It is a great way to build solidarity among coworkers and clean up your environment.

The post How Did You Celebrate Earth Day? appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.

As 2013 reaches its finality, it is a common practice to reflect on the year’s events: the heartbreaks, the challenges, and  the triumphs. We have changed with the seasons, learning a great deal more about ourselves. Our decisions, and their consequences, have led to this moment – while we write this blog and while you read it. Another twelve months of decisions and outcomes await.

New Year’s inherent appeal is each unknown opportunity we have yet to discover. Our future is limited only by our desire. Whether it is a new love or a new career or  a new car we want, it takes an undying initiative to fulfill it. This is the foundation upon which we build a New Year’s Resolution.

At Leith Acura, we compiled a list of some of the most significant events of this past year. The past, after all, can hint at what the future may hold. Our selection is varied with choices, whether famed or notorious, that acquired the most attention in the media.

January

Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda, and South Korea joined the United Nations Security Council.

February

Pope Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy, which was the first resignation since 1415.

March

Asteroid 2013 ET came within 693,000 miles of Earth’s surface.

April

Syria faced chemical weapon allegations from Britain and France.

May

After losing the spot in 2008, Bill Gates was named the World’s Richest Man with $72.7 billion dollars.

June

Edward Snowden pushed the NSA into the spotlight after he leaked information regarding the agency’s data collection.

July

Egypt’s president Mohammed Morsi is deposed by the military.

August

Vladimir Putin granted Edward Snowden a one-year asylum in Russia.

September

The final episode of Breaking Bad aired, concluding Walter White’s Shakespearean downfall.

October

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

November

Twitter went public, setting an IPO of $26 dollars per share.

December

Nelson Mandella, a pillar for human rights activists, passed away on December 5^th.

What was the most significant event of 2013 to you? Please share!

As always, we at Leith Cars encourage you to…

Read. Re-post. Reply.

The post There Are No Endings – Only New Beginnings! Bring on 2014! appeared first on Leith Acura of Cary, Blog, News & Research.