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Special Report:
North Carolina’s Triangle Region

North Carolina’s “Triangle” region--delineated by the cities of Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh --is a great place to enjoy southern hospitality while exploring lodging, dining, and cultural options. For example, Raleigh, the state capital, had vibrant neighborhoods, especially around the campus of North Carolina State University. Durham’s downtown benefits from creative re-use of old tobacco warehouses, as well as the influence of Duke University. And Chapel Hill has a small town feel that’s enriched by the sprawling University of North Carolina campus right downtown.

LODGING--There are excellent new upscale choices in the Triangle area. We reviewed the Umstead Hotel right after its January opening and recently returned for another visit to try out its spa. The hotel is targeted at the luxury business and pleasure traveler, with custom furnishings (lots of imported wood), artwork (including a stunning Dale Chihuly sculpture), and a host of understated but upscale amenities and appointments. The spa features include a peaceful meditation courtyard, a menu of traditional treatments, excellent amenities, and very professional service. Outside, the grounds include terraced gardens, lakeside paths, and a heated pool surrounded by well-equipped cabanas. The property is self-enclosed and set at some distance from other area attractions. DIS Doubles from about $300, suites from about $420. 100 Woodland Pond, Cary, NC 27513. Tel: 919-447-4000, 866-877-4141. Fax: 919-447-4100. www.theumstead.com

*Another new area choice, the Franklin Hotel, is a luxury boutique property in the heart of historic downtown Chapel Hill, steps away from just about anything you might want to see UNC, as well as many of the town's restaurants, museums, art galleries, and theaters. There are 67 guestrooms, including seven penthouse suites that we highly recommend (many include huge balconies overlooking bustling Franklin Street). The rooms are contemporary in a subdued southern style. Bowing to the current need for personal entertainment everywhere and at all times, room have large LCD HDTVs, in-room distributed audio featuring XM satellite radio and local source connections for iPod with high fidelity sound. Breakfast is available at Windows Restaurant and there's a classic lobby bar, Robert’s at the Franklin, that's highly recommendable for pre-dinner drinks . DIS Doubles from about $175, suites from about $225. 311 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Tel: 919-442-9000, 866-831-5999. Fax: 919-442-4040. www.franklinhotelnc.com

*Chapel Hill’s chic Siena Hotel is another charmer that we've enjoyed on several visits. Its European style evokes the chic of a Tuscan villa filled with European antiques, Italian marble floors and majestic columns. With 80 guestrooms and suites, you can count on a pleasant stay. DIS Doubles from about $195, suites from about $235. 1505 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Tel: 919-929-4000, 800-223-7379. Fax: 919-968-8527. www.sienahotel.com

The Sienna’s restaurant, Il Palio, continues the Italian villa theme with food that will cheer your heart while satisfy your appetite. Executive Chef Jim Anile offers a creative five-course chef’s tasting menu that matches your preferences with what he has available in the kitchen. If his double-braised veal osso buco with black truffle risotto is on the menu, order it. There’s also an interesting five-course pasta tasting menu, and both tasting menus can be paired with wines for a nominal additional charge (try some little-known Italian vintages, including a juicy Puglian primitivo). There’s also a “Tuscan Wine Tasting” option consisting of three whites or reds. DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $100. www.ilpalio.com.

*The more traditional choice in this university town is the Carolina Inn. Built in 1924 and quickly labeled “The University’s Living Room,“ this place oozes southern charm. There are 184 differently furnished guest rooms, five parlors, three pretty courtyards, an afternoon tea service and the convivial Carolina Crossroads Bar. If you're a fan of traditional college towns, this is the place to see and be seen in Chapel Hill. DIS Doubles from about $159, suites from about $324. 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Tel: 919-933-2001, 800-962-8519. Fax: 919-962-3400. www.carolinainn.com

The Inn’s restaurant, Carolina CrossRoads, is a real Southern dining room in both furnishings and food. James Reale, the new executive chef, has created a dinner menu with favorites such as crispy fried Georgia quail; roasted chicken with buttermilk mashed potatoes; black-eyed pea salad; and sweet potato hash. The Sunday brunch is a Chapel Hill tradition, as is their signature coffee drink. DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $75. www.carolinainn.com

*Up in Durham, the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, situated on the campus of Duke University, has the feel of an old English country inn (though it opened in 1988). With more than 270 rooms and suites ranging from traditional to contemporary in decor, this is a solid Durham choice with a beautiful championship golf course just out back. DIS Doubles from about $160, suites from about $400. 3001 Cameron Boulevard, Durham, NC 27705. Tel: 919-490-0999, 800-443-3853. Fax: 919-688-0105. www.washingtondukeinn.com

The inn’s main restaurant, Fairview, features what they call "regional neo-American" cuisine--Atlantic monkfish, Chesapeake wild striped bass, wild salmon, Colorado lamb, and Niman Ranch pork. The five-course tasting menu (with or without wine) is an excellent option, but must be ordered by the entire table. There‘s a popular Sunday Jazz Brunch. DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $100. www.washingtondukeinn.com.

*If you want to stay in Raleigh, our choice is the Cameron Park Inn, a five room B&B located within easy walking distance of N.C. State and Cameron Village, and about five minutes from downtown. Hosts Jon and Nikki have done the large 1916 house in Victorian style, but with welcome amenities such as plush robes, flat-screen TVs, WiFi, and wonderful breakfasts. NON-DIS Doubles from $139. 211 Groveland, Avenue, Raleigh NC 27605. Tel: 919-835-2171, 800-257-2171. Fax: 919-754-1005. www.cameronparkinn.com.

RESTAURANTS--With its busy visitors' trade, as well as the sophisticated tastes of discerning locals, the restaurant scene in the Triangle is thriving. Traditional local and varied international cuisines are on offer in dining rooms ranging from ultra casual to elegant. Excellent wine lists and typically friendly and knowledgeable service complete what has become a fine dining locale. Along with the selected hotel restaurants covered above, there’s a solid mix of contemporary and traditional feeding in the Triangle.

*Ask anyone in Chapel Hill about an unusual dining experience and they’ll send you to Lantern on West Franklin. Chef and co-owner Andrea Reusing works wonders with fresh local ingredients such as pork bellies and lots of seasonal greens, giving everything an eastern touch that has to be tasted to be appreciated;  her pork and chive dumplings are constant favorites. Or choose her three-course seasonal tasting menu with wine pairings (including a great choice of German, Austrian, and Alsatian wines that go well with Asian-leaning cuisine). DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $60. 423 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Tel: 919-969-8846. www.lanternrestaurant.com

*Our favorite traditional steakhouse in the Triangle is Chapel Hill’s Bin Fifty-Four. It’s part of Giorgios Hospitality Group (www.ghgrestaurants.com), which has a number of excellent restaurants in Chapel Hill and Durham. Only the highest-quality meats and seafood make it on the menu (including Choice Black Angus, USDA Prime, American Kobe, and sashimi-grade fish). We like the Prime Bone-in Ribeye, paired with one of sommelier extraordinaire Doug Snyder’s current favorites, such as a Burgundy-style ‘04 pinot noir from Oregon’s Shea Wine Cellars. DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $100. Glen Lennox Center, 1201 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Tel: 919-969-1155. www.bin54restaurant.com

*After several visits to the various Raleigh-area offerings of the Urban Food Group, we think their best is Vivace in an Italian courtyard-like setting with food that belies its shopping center location. Chef Jeremy Sabo’s seasonally focused trattoria menu is complemented by the rustic-chic setting. A double-sided marble bar opens onto a patio, and there's open kitchen seating for six overlooking the wood-fired oven. Chef Sabo’s pizza with prosciutto de Parma, arugula, figs, and Gorgonzola accompanied with a glass of Venetian Valpolicella is memorable. The owners, Stacey and Kevin Jennings, also own and operate three other Raleigh favorites: Frazier’s, a popular bistro, Porter’s City Tavern, with hip tavern atmosphere and food, and South, specializing in contemporary southern cooking. DIS Prices in all the Jennings restaurants are moderate, running to about $60 for two, before wine. (Vivace: 4209 Lassiter Mill Road; Fraziers: 2418 Hillsborough Street; Porter's: 2412 Hillsborough Street; South: The Circle at North Hills).

*North Carolina native Ashley Christensen is the entrepreneurial spirit behind Raleigh's Enoteca Vin. Come here for a terrific cheese selection, cured meats, and other prepared small plates, tapas style, and a wine list with many unfamiliar Italian names by the bottle or glass. We liked the option of ordering 1.5-, 3-, or 5-ounce pours for many wines on the list. DIS Dinner for two, with wines, about $80. 410 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 350, Raleigh, NC 27603. Tel: 919-834-3070. www.enotecavin.com

*Durham’s restaurant scene is equally interesting. Vin Rouge, owned and operated by the Bin Fifty-Four group, has an obligingly French atmosphere to go along with its menu. Dark wood accents, close tables, and lots of art accompany a bistro menu that includes charcuterie choices, moules frites, and an all-French wine list with lots of options by the glass). DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $50. 2010 Hillsborough Road, Durham, NC 27705. Tel: 919-416-0466. www.ghgrestaurants.com

*Durham’s excellent Piedmont, located in an old brick building just blocks from the center of the city, is a good spot for lunch as well as dinner. There's a nice cheese assortment, soups and, if you want a larger meal, main courses such as pancetta-wrapped trout. The atmosphere is casual. DIS Lunch for two, before beverage, about $40. 401 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701. Tel: 919-683-1213. www.piedmontrestaurant.com

*Restaurant Starlu,  in a Durham shopping center, features personable Chef Sam Poley's creative American cuisine in a contemporary atmosphere. The seasonal menu features lots of area produce (from cheese to pork shanks). If your time allows, his cooking classes are very popular. DIS Dinner for two, before wine, about $60. 3211 Shannon Road, Suite 106, Durham, NC 27707. Tel: 919-489-1500. www.starlu.com

SHOPPING--Sometime during your Triangle stay, drop into A Southern Season (www.southernseason.com) at Chapel Hill’s University Mall. At almost 60,000 square feet, this fine specialty foods emporium is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. From seriously southern to anything international, you’re sure to find it here. The house restaurant, Weathervane, features fresh and unusual salads and sandwiches, as well as ever-changing main dishes and delectable quiches. Saturday and Sunday brunches are very popular, so come early or late. They also host very popular cooking classes featuring celebrity chefs.

With locations in Durham and Chapel Hill, Foster’s Market (www.fostermarket.com) is another delight to browse if not in a buying mood. Chef, caterer, and author Sara Foster offers gourmet food items and excellent market fare.

ACTIVITIES--The presence of major universities, as well as the headquarters of several international corporations within the North Carolina Triangle, assures a vibrant cultural scene. Depending on the time you have, you may want to spend some hours in Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Art (with its excellent African collection), and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, all quite captivating.