If you’ve lived in the city for awhile – or read our publication frequently – you might recall the name Carrie Schleiffer. Her culinary path has wound through the area, beginning first at Giorgio Restaurant in Cary more than five years ago, followed by stints at [ONE] in Chapel Hill, G2B in Durham and then over to help open Bar Virgile in December 2014. Shannon Healy, owner of Alley Twenty Six, knew where Carrie would land next: in the kitchen of his farm-to-sip bar. Alley Twenty Six, which previously featured a limited edible menu of assorted cheeses, meats and homemade pickles, can now create new possibilities in Kitchen Lab, an expanded food concept featuring a menu by Carrie. Shannon had always wanted to add new food options to pair with his cocktails. “We are a cocktail bar for grown-ups,” he says, “most of whom feel more comfortable eating and drinking together, both to appreciate different flavor combinations and for a safer drive home.” And Carrie is just as interested in local food as Shannon is in local ingredients for cocktails. She is currently using Prodigal Farm cheese and Lyon Farms berries and is anticipating dishes she can make with yields from the spring Farmers’ Markets.
The response to Kitchen Lab has been increasingly positive. “It has found an audience of folks who may not want a full meal before or after a show, or folks who are a bit hungry, but have dinner plans elsewhere downtown,” Shannon says. Alley Twenty Six’s location, just two blocks from the Durham Performing Arts Center, makes it an ideal spot for a fresh cocktail and an upscale snack. Carrie’s deviled eggs, for instance, have quickly become a customer favorite as an appetizer or pre-show treat. Shannon says Carrie’s past experience at Bar Virgile has only helped spread the word about her new endeavor. This spring, delight in the ever-changing menu at Alley Twenty Six, trying new creations Carrie cooks up week to week.
