As many of you like to research the best local places to visit when in convention-mode, The Indy has release its “best of” lists for 2022. Two important bests that are shared here are best restaurant, M Sushi, and best veggie burger, Bull City Burger & Brewery. Both of these establishments are within easy walking distance from the convention hub, so plan to give them a visit.
M Sushi
In my opinion, the other three restaurants in Mike Lee’s M-pire are equally deserving of this title, but as the first to launch, M Sushi gets the most love because it’s where many Triangle residents lost their omakase virginity. An omakase meal often spans hours, with diners relinquishing all control over the menu to the chef—the word translates to “I leave it up to you” in Japanese—and watching the preparation and plating occur right before their eyes. It’s an experience that sticks with you, especially when the ingredients are as fresh and flavorful as they are at M Sushi. If you’ve struggled to land a reservation, don’t fret: a second location is set to open in Cary’s Fenton development this month.—LG
Bull City Burger and Brewery
I’ve eaten upwards of 50 veggie burgers from Bull City over the course of my life, so when I tell you they slap, you better believe me. During middle and high school, I regularly ordered the Joan Jett (three-bean patty, lettuce, garlic aioli) as part of the restaurant’s “Grade A Burger” deal, which offers free meals to students who make the honor roll. After graduating college, I applied to work at Bull City—partially because I knew I’d get a discount on their veggie burgers—and during my tenure there, I grew especially fond of the restaurant’s rotating selection of plant-based burgers, which range from beet-quinoa to sweet potato-chickpea. It’s rare that a burger joint has more than one veggie patty on the menu, so Bull City stands out in this regard, but above all else, the restaurant cinched this category because their veggie burgers celebrate, instead of mask, the ingredients that make them; amid the faux meat craze, Bull City has stood its ground, proving that veggie patties don’t have to compromise their integrity to be impossibly good.—LG