Always on the hunt for the best dish? Are good foods your “thing”? USA Today and Travel + Leisure magazine say that the Triangle is for you, palate pleasers.
The two heavy media hitters put pen to paper—err, fingers to the keyboard—and let the food and restaurant accolades flow. USA Today declared Raleigh among the “Five underrated food cities on the East Coast” and Travel + Leisure added the Capital City to its list of “America’s Favorite Cities for Brunch 2016.”
According to USA Today reporter Devorah Lev-Tov, the local saturation of some of the country’s best chefs is setting the stage for gastric goodness. She says:
While Asheville, N.C. gets a lot of foodie love, its neighbor to the east has been quietly upping its culinary game. Raleigh, North Carolina’s capital, embraces its southern heritage while continuing to evolve and grow. A prime example is Ashley Christensen, chef and owner of no less than six bars and restaurants in the city, and other pedigreed creators, like Iron Chef America winner Walter J. Royal and three-time James Beard Award nominee Lionel Vatinet, also call Raleigh home.
Travel + Leisure chose to namedrop popular restaurants in their expert assessment of the best brunch and lunch places around town saying:
The best places are clustered downtown, near the city’s Nash and Moore Square parks, and offer traditional Southern cooking.
Beasley’s Chicken + Honey serves crispy fried chicken and biscuits with gravy at communal tables. A few blocks away, Humble Pie has an outdoor patio where locals enjoy cornmeal pancakes and shrimp and grits. For a French-style brunch, you’ll have to leave the city center and head to nearby North Hills, where Coquette’s chef Paul Gagne creates delicate crepes and rich quiches that change daily.
We certainly agree with these food-loving writers and their reviews of Raleigh’s eateries and culinary talents, but we can’t let them overlook our broader metro area’s restaurant offerings. The Bull City of Durham earned attention for its own edible delights from Southern Living magazine this past year with Nana’s, Mateo Tapas, and Pizzeria Toro leading the charge. Herons at the Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary, Lantern in Chapel Hill and Fearrington House in Pittsboro are also widely appreciated and well frequented by locals and visitors alike.
Where do you like to dine?