Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to get out more…say, with your spouse or significant other? Maybe you’re determined to try something new together, explore the area, make new friends. Perhaps you want to treat your loved one to an evening out but you’re new in town. Don’t worry—we have ideas for you. Here’s how to do date night right in Apex!
Good Eats on Salem Street
Mosey into historic Downtown Apex and stroll along Salem Street. Explore antiques stores and shops featuring local crafts and artwork. Grab dinner anywhere along the street. The hard part will be trying to choose among Italian, Mexican, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, farm-to-table, and more. For dessert, you’ll find pastries, cookies, cream puffs, cupcakes, cannoli, ice cream, cheesecake and numerous other delectables. Linger in the popular downtown parklet down a few doors from Buttercream’s Bakeshop and just outside of FRESH Local Ice Cream or have a conversation over coffee or tea at Common Grounds Coffee House & Desserts in the Tobacco & Mule Exchange building. There are, seriously, too many fabulous dinner and dessert options to name them all! Be sure to plan your evening around a visit to the Halle Cultural Arts Center. Keep tabs on their schedule of events so you don’t miss their unique mix of art exhibitions, movies, concerts, dances, and more.
If you’re inclined to keep things low-key, catch a new release at the Regal Beaver Creek movie theater followed by dinner at one of the many casual options in Beaver Creek Commons.
Food and Fun, All in One
How about live music, trivia, and bingo? Doherty’s Irish Pub and Restaurant, located in the Olive Chapel Village shopping center (Apex Peakway and Highway 55), has all of it. Live Irish music and discount pints on Tuesdays, trivia (with prizes) and whiskey specials on Wednesdays, and music bingo paired with prime rib and wine on Thursdays. Check out their online calendar so you don’t miss a minute of fun.
If you want to enjoy a drink with your date, and you don’t mind a little mess, try the growing trend of combining art and wine. At Wine & Design you can bring your own beverage, or try Pinot’s Pallet and order from their bar and snack menu. Both studios offer a variety of painting projects for groups and individuals and you don’t have to be an artist to have fun and produce a mantle-worthy piece.
Another option is a BYOB adult cooking class at Taste Buds Kitchen in Beaver Creek Commons. You don’t need a chef’s background to savor pasta, sushi, pizza, tapas, vegetarian dishes, and other delicacies you prepare yourself. In a single class, you’ll make multiple recipes and meet new friends as you mix, stir, sauté, and taste.
Craft Beer and Fine Wine
If pubs and paint aren’t quite what you had in mind, how about a laid-back craft brew. It’s impressive the number of breweries cropping up all around the Triangle, and some are right here in Apex. Southern Peak Brewery, off Highway 64 in The Villages of Apex, is a seven-barrel brewery and taproom that opened in 2016. They host parties and gatherings that include a running club, craft classes, food trucks, private events, and more. Along the same lines, Brüeprint Brewing Company on Perry Road, established in 2010, offers cycling and running meet-ups, music, food trucks, yoga, and trivia just to get you started. Both breweries have online event calendars worth noting as you plan your social schedule.
Do you prefer a wide variety? Stop in at The Beer Dispensary of Apex on Salem Street. They’ve been around since 2010 and their store in Downtown Apex is a cozy place where you can browse more than 900 labels, over 200 of which are NC craft beers, with new names arriving every week. Want to taste? Try any of their 12 rotating taps and discover an ale, cider, stout, sour, nitro, or IPA that might just become your new favorite.
Does wine please your palette more than beer? Treat your date to Downtown Apex’s Peak of the Vine. Sip and sample wines from around the world while enjoying live music, an open mic performance, a sommelier-led class, weekly specials and happy hours, food trucks, and even yoga. When it’s time to head home, purchase a bottle or two to take along.
Not Just for Kids
Okay, so maybe you’re looking for something a little less grown-up. When was the last time you panned for gold? Treasure Quest Mining on Upchurch Road offers indoor gem mining and gold panning and you don’t need to register for a time or make an appointment. Just drop by, buy a bucket, and start searching for that one-of-a-kind treasure!
Conveniently enough, in the same shopping complex is Whole Brain Escape if you’re intrigued by the escape room experience.
If you’ve never been to an escape room, chances are that your preconceived ideas may be wrong. Whole Brain Escape was the first escape room facility we’d ever visited. My wife was hesitant to go since she’s claustrophobic. We were surprised to find out that the entry door to the room is never locked (NC state law). We were also surprised to learn that the clues are not trivia or knowledge based, and there’s really no age limit. We took our two kids, ages 10 and 18, and we all solved clues in the room. It’s not what you know, as much as how well you can connect the dots. It was fun to see the kids solve puzzles that my wife and I were struggling with. The concept is simple. Solve a puzzle, get a code, unlock a lock, get more clues. When all the locks are unlocked, you’ve conquered the room; as long as you do it in under 60 minutes. We were all a little bit apprehensive, but as soon as our time was up, both kids asked if we could stay and do another room. We have been back since to do another room, and we are waiting to do their other two. They have four different rooms, each with their own theme. It’s great for family night, double-date night (it might be a bit much for just two people) and even team building.
…And Much, Much More!
Apex may still be considered a small town, but we have big things to offer. More than we can possibly list here. Take a drive and explore. See what’s new on one corner or different in that shopping center you pass all the time. Then, on date night or any other night, stop in at any of our local businesses and introduce yourself. Have a chat with the owner, staff, and other patrons. Many of our shops and restaurants are family-owned and you’ll find that you’ll become one of the family in no time at all.
