You’re surrounded by great restaurants in Durham, but somehow, none of them fit your mood right now. You want a bite of something you’ve never had before – perhaps something with a little buzz that’s made you envy friends in the Capital City, whose earnest invitations you’ve managed to resist.
After all, can Raleigh really be all that? Can dinner be worth a 30-minute drive? Is it possible that compelling culinary diversity has overtaken a downtown that used to roll up its sidewalks after dark?
Yes, yes and yes. Raleigh is earning due acclaim for its lively food scene, largely due to Ashley Christensen. The reigning James Beard winner for Best Chef: Southeast recently hosted five pop-up dinners at her sixth downtown eatery, the open-kitchen Death & Taxes. Bridge Club, an event space upstairs, will open later this year.
Her flagship, Poole’s Diner, continues to beckon with high-end eats that attract a noisy in-crowd. Beasley’s Chicken + Honey is more low key but no less tempting. Tucked into a former Piggly Wiggly, it adjoins Chuck’s, her burger palace, while Fox Liquor Bar is downstairs. Close by is Joule, Ashley’s jewel-box coffee shop/bar that also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A HIGHER STANDARD
Once you’ve completed the Tour de Christensen, where to next? Seek a seat at Standard Foods, opening soon in the burgeoning Person Street neighborhood. Scott Crawford, former chef of the upscale Herons at The Umstead Hotel, is creating a farm-to-fork eatery and grocery hybrid that will source some fresh-picked produce at the adjacent Raleigh City Farm. Scott’s partner – in this and the white-linen Nash Tavern at Nash Square, to follow – is Raleigh entrepreneur John Holmes. They’ve hired Bret Edlund, who previously worked alongside Scott, as chef de cuisine, and James Naquin, former butcher/charcuterie whiz at Guglhupf.
Nearby is Stanbury, where Drew Maykuth dazzles diners with adventurous and ever-changing seasonal options – his Thai-seasoned steak tartare is a rare treat. 18 Seaboard equally attracts politicos and admirers of Jason Smith’s delicious commitment to supporting local growers.
SOMETHING NUEVO
How about a walk on the culinary wild side? The tantalizing flavors of Laos are deliciously on display at Bida Manda, a place so beloved by cellist Joe Kwon of The Avett Brothers that he built his new house just blocks away. (Before that, he lived in Durham.) Can’t get in? Try for a table at Garland, where Cheetie Kumar serves spicy Indian food that Ashley Christensen can’t resist.
Also not to be missed is Jose and Sons in the Warehouse District. The Ibarra family operates the local El Rodeo chain, but chef Oscar Diaz has built a nuevo menu that fuses Mexican-Southern traditions – like the crazy good chicharron and waffles. Their hashtag? #HOLAYALL. Videri Chocolate Factory is in the same handsomely refurbished building.
More regionally distinct flavors can be found at Centro and Sitti, kitty-cornered on Wilmington Street. Centro’s Angela Salamanca recently handed her apron to a new chef, but her kitchen skills made the small restaurant a big success. She’s now focusing on expanding the second floor to add a mezcal bar. Sitti, which means beloved grandmother in Lebanese, celebrates flavorful family traditions. You can make a meal of hot and cold mezze and steaming puffs of pita bread dunked in za’atar-laced olive oil.
Vegetarians get to be the cool kids at the table at Fiction Kitchen. Caroline Morrison and Siobhan Southern use the best local ingredients (growers are credited on daily menus) and serve vegan desserts you wouldn’t think possible without eggs or dairy.
SWEET ENDINGS
Ah, yes. Dessert. With two extraordinary new bakeries now open downtown, it is imperative to save room for a treat at Bittersweet or lucettegrace. Heck, if you don’t make it to Raleigh often, you really ought to hit both. Think of it this way: You’ll walk off a few calories in the two-block stroll between them.
Kim Hammer of Bittersweet used to make bittycakes organic delights for the now-closed Café Helios and other shops, but longed to have her own place to serve comfort desserts and classic cocktails.
Daniel Benjamin, former pastry chef at Herons, now crafts elegant nibbles priced for everyday indulgence at the contemporary patisserie lucettegrace, just steps from Death & Taxes.
Ed. Note: This article first appeared in our April 2015 issue.
