Heavily awarded farm-to-table eateries, finely crafted cocktails, locally made brews — where are we, Brooklyn? The cities of North Carolina’s progressive Research Triangle region — Durham, Chapel Hill and Raleigh — just keep getting better and better. Here are some choice new spots — and some classic ones — not to miss.
DURHAM
Entering Durham, you can’t miss the giant logos for old-timey tobacco brands — Lucky Strike, Chesterfield, Bull Durham — emblazoned on the smokestacks and brick walls of former tobacco factories and warehouses all over town. (Most are now historic districts outfitted with shops, restaurants, apartments and offices.) Tobacco may be dead in Durham, but the culinary and cocktail scenes are thriving.
Downtown, gorgeous Beaux Arts, Art Deco and Neoclassical buildings now house a string of new, locally owned restaurants and bars. Like Whiskey, dimly lit and kitted out with wood paneling, leather furniture and stuffed animal heads, with a speakeasy vibe (347 W. Main St.; whiskeydurham.com). Whiskey bills itself as a “grown-up” private club. As such, it has club rules: no one under 23 is allowed, a small, one-time “membership fee” is required and smoking, both cigars and cigarettes, is permitted.
Get acclimated to the haze and sample one of about 350 whiskeys and bourbons on offer — many of them exceedingly esoteric (and pricey). The cocktail menu skews (refreshingly) old-school — Sazaracs, Old Fashioneds, Sidecars — and expert bartenders will whip up drinks off-menu, too (my Gin Fizz was divine).
On Durham’s culinary front, many a foodie is crying in his twice-baked grits soufflé over last month’s closure of Magnolia Grill, one of the pioneers of Southeastern farm-to-table restaurants.
But the locavore movement is alive and well at nearby Vin Rouge (2010 Hillsborough Rd; vinrougerestaurant.com), where chef Matt Kelly turns out solid French country cuisine using cheeses, eggs and produce from area farms along with regional clams and oysters; the rabbit pate, pork rillette and sausage are all made in-house. (Kelly soon will open a second restaurant with a tapas theme, Mateo, in downtown Durham, and also use mostly local purveyors.)
Other standouts on the city’s culinary circuit: Watts Grocery (order the spicy pimento cheese dip, a North Carolina specialty, with house-made potato chips); Guglhupf Bakery and Café’s delicate, German-style pastries; the Only Burger food truck, with award-winning burgers (and damn good fries); and the specialty food store Parker and Otis, serving Counter Culture coffee (yup, it’s roasted in Durham).
And if you bunk at the 1920s-era King’s Daughters Inn — with 17 tastefully decorated rooms, some with private sun porches — you’ll be treated to a breakfast of homemade scones and chocolate-chip waffles (from $190; thekingsdaughtersinn.com).
CHAPEL HILL
Not many towns the size of Chapel Hill (pop. 57,000) can claim two James Beard award-winners: Crook’s Corner, a 30-year southern food mecca, and just this year, chef Andrea Reusing, of the Asian-inspired eatery Lantern. Their menus emphasize locally sourced ingredients — and that philosophy carries through to the town’s drinking establishments, too. Like the Carolina Brewery, which makes all their own beer, including Jumpin’ Bean Coffee Stout brewed with Counter Culture coffee (460 West Franklin St.; carolinabrewery.com).
While craft beer is a staple in North Carolina, the state isn’t known for its spirits. But this month, Top of the Hill Distillery (505 W. Franklin St.; topofthehillrestaurant.com/distillery
) will open; it’s the brainchild of Scott Maitland, who owns a popular spot down the street, Top of the Hill.
Rolling out first under the ToPo label are vodka and white, non-aged whiskey; both are made not with corn (which isn’t widely grown in the state) but with wheat. The result is a smooth, slightly sweet aftertaste — and none of the burn. Coming soon is rum (made with sorghum, which grows naturally). Tours and tastings will take place on weekends.
The best spot for resting your head after imbibing is the Franklin Hotel; it’s located on the main drag within stone’s throw of hotspots like the Crunkleton (for cocktails), the Cave (for live music) and the West End Wine Bar (with wine on tap) (from $189; franklinhotelnc.com).
RALEIGH
Sometimes it seems as though Raleigh’s entire culinary and cocktail scene revolves around a single woman, Ashley Christensen. Christensen, a thrice James Beard-nominated chef, started with Poole’s Downtown Diner in 2008; her downtown Raleigh empire now includes a fried chicken joint, a burger spot and an urbane below-street-level lounge, Fox Liquor Bar.
With a drinks menu created by Karin Stanley (Dutch Kills, Little Branch), Fox’s is a welcome addition to a city starved for sophisticated cocktail lounges. (Most bars emphasize beer; nearby Foundation has an excellent selection of whiskeys but fails on the mixology front.) Soon the menu will feature a slew of new cocktails, many made with seasonal ingredients – though here’s hoping the Queen’s Park Swizzle (a refreshing mix of white rum, mint and two kinds of bitters) makes the cut (237 S. Wilmington St.; ac-restaurants.com).
Who cares if you can’t find a seat at the insanely popular Poole’s? Take a short walk instead to Capital Club 16, occupying a 1930s-era Art Deco building and outfitted with a wood bar and furniture salvaged from historic New York eateries. Chef (and CIA graduate) Jake Wolf’s affordable American and German comfort food menu doesn’t disappoint, with meats and sausages from NYC’s Schaller & Weber, extensive salad and veggies options (using local organic produce, natch) and a sinister (in the best way) mac and cheese (16 W. Martin St.; capitalclub16.com).
North of downtown, in the leafy Mordecai neighborhood, Chef Chad McIntyre will soon expand his successful Market Restaurant — which embraces all-natural ingredients (the T-shirts read: I eat local because I can) — to include an actual market, modeled after NYC’s Eataly. The larger space will stock local produce, meat and eggs, along with Market’s homemade canned goods. Plans also include an expanded draft beer and soda-making system and a bakery. For now, you can stop by to enjoy a beef and bacon burger with house-made ketchup at its original location (938 N. Blount St.; eatatmarket.com).
Though technically not in Raleigh (it’s 12 miles west, in Cary), the Umstead Hotel and Spa is really the only place you want to stay. It’s just off the main highway but the setting is idyllic — lots of trees and greenery — and the service is what you’d expect from a top-rated hotel. All guests can enjoy the spa facilities (Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna); there’s also a heated outdoor pool. And if you can’t make it to Raleigh, don’t worry, the food at the resort — mainly locally grown produce, much from its own nearby farm, and farm-raised meats — is worth staying in for. Don’t miss breakfast (and the trio of duck, rabbit and venison sausage) at its signature restaurant, Heron’s (from $299; theumstead.com).