Dining Out

The Ultimate North Carolina Dining Guide | Listen

By: Jenn Rice

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Best Chef in North Carolina: Cheetie Kumar

Cheetie Kumar is as committed to making every dish an explosion of flavor as she is to advocating for the industry and policy change. One example: During the pandemic, she joined the Independent Restaurant Coalition nationally to help save thousands of small American restaurants from shuttering. To Kumar, it isn’t just about making good food and winning awards; it’s about preserving culture and memories. At her restaurant, Ajja, she dances with flavors and ingredients from the Mediterranean and Middle East. “I’m finding connections to food I have known and cooked for over a decade while discovering new ways to honor a whole new region,” she says. Kumar is also a magician with vegetables. “People who continue to farm are getting more adventurous, and small farms are trying new things. Between seed savers and thoughtful new hybrids, solar tunnels that extend growing cycles, I find new inspiration from our local food supply all the time.” We have to consistently confess our love for her carrot dishes: One bite of the carrot houriya—with caramelized carrots, urfa pepper, soft goat cheese, almonds, and fennel—and you’ll understand just how much her wizardry in the kitchen sets her apart.

Cheetie Kumar’s North Carolina Recommendations

Seabird, Wilmington

Not only is the food always creative and delicious, but the care taken in sourcing thoughtfully is palpable throughout the menu. Hospitality and kindness are woven into the vibe for an always great experience.

Chai Pani, Asheville

There’s a reason it’s become a legendary spot. Though I haven’t had the pleasure to visit the new location (thanks to Helene), Chai Pani sets itself apart—the flavors are just that much more potent yet balanced, the decor is just that much more jubilant, the service that much more joyful.

Nanas, Durham

Beautiful food in a thoughtfully designed space featuring maybe the most gorgeous bar in the state. This legacy Durham landmark landed into the best hands it could dream of with Matt Kelly and Nate Garyantes. A favorite celebration spot.

Cheeni, Durham

It’s been a joy to see Preeti Waas’ evolving path enriched with creativity and buoyancy from the community. Her menu, featuring regional Indian dishes, makes me a little homesick for Garland.

Best Mixologist in North Carolina: Cassidy Bright

The Fearrington House Restaurant, Pittsboro

Working at the tucked-away bar inside The Fearrington House Inn, Cassidy Bright is making some of the state’s best cocktails. Relais & Chateaux awarded Bright the Cocktail Trophy at their 2024 Trophies ceremony for her Late Bloomer cocktail with Monkey 47, garden cucumbers, and jasmine tea. “There are some great products and spirits coming out of North Carolina these days,” she says—with Durham Distillery, Mother Earth Spirits, Olde Raleigh Distillery, and Alley Twenty Six syrups in constant rotation. “My favorite cocktails have more to do with flavor combinations I find unique and interesting, or the surprise I see on someone’s face when they taste something they weren’t expecting.”

Cassidy Bright’s North Carolina Recommendations

Hawthorne & Wood, Chapel Hill

It sounds like a law firm but is one of the best restaurants in Chapel Hill for a special occasion meal. They have great cocktails, and my favorite dish is hands-down the pork shoulder.

NC Coast Grill & Bar, Duck

Situated idyllically in the Outer Banks, it has an eclectic menu and cool ambiance. I’d drive the four hours there from Chapel Hill just for the fried cauliflower with gochujang.

The Crow & Quill, Asheville

It has great cocktails, cozy antique surroundings, and an extremely impressive collection of spirits.

Guglhupf, Durham

This is my go-to brunch spot to meet family or friends with excellent coffee, great outdoor seating, and a bakery to top it off. You can’t go wrong, but I like the croissant sandwich, iced Vietnamese coffee, and the cheese danish if I’m craving something sweet.

The Best of North Carolina

Figulina Corzetti Credit Forrest Mason — Figulina

Best New Restaurant: Figulina, Raleigh

Post up at Figulina for chef David Ellis’ pasta-centric and small plates menu (we’re never not ordering the whipped ricotta with seasonal North Carolina vegetables and the mafaldine country ham carbonara when it’s available). Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m., aperitivo hour exists with Italian sips and snacks—plus, you can now take freshly made pasta, conservas, and wine home via their shop. Like the whimsical illustrations? Ellis’ wife, Sam Taylor, is responsible for the brand’s vision.

Best Tried & True: Beef ’n Bottle Steakhouse, Charlotte

Since 1958, Beef ’n Bottle Steakhouse has been a local favorite known for its classic steakhouse charm. With candlelit, white-tablecloth ambiance, impeccable service, and a solid wine list, it’s perfect for special occasions. A steak is a must, but don’t skip the shrimp cocktail and oysters Rockefeller.

Best Pizza: Mission Pizza Napoletana, Winston-Salem

Mission Pizza Napoletana is a cozy osteria-style setting where small plates, pasta, and pizza Napoletana change frequently. It’s like a trip to Naples, Italy, with each visit. Plus, pizzakase, dreamed up by chef Peyton Smith, is the first service of its kind in America. Based on Japan’s omakase tradition, it offers off-the-menu pizzas and dishes per chef’s choice. We’d spoil the surprise, but we literally can’t!

Best Detour: The Hackney, Washington

Need a little adventure? Dinner at The Hackney is a mix of modern coastal dishes with Southern flair, served in a beautifully restored bank building in the heart of downtown Washington. Find chef Jamie Davis turning to the bounty of local seafood and produce to whip up dishes like grilled catfish with North Carolina stone-ground grits and a brilliant collard green salad. The restaurant is also attached to a distillery that produces 1000 Piers gins, so yes, there are lots of fun cocktails, too.

Best Global Influence: Cheeni, Durham

Cheeni is one of Durham’s most exciting restaurants. Chef Preeti Waas, and her daughter, Amy, bring a heartfelt dining experience to diners. A unique touch: Every table receives a thoughtfully explained menu, delivered in in a small travel trunk-inspired box, where Preeti connects diners with the origins of the dishes they will eat. The menu features regional Indian fare like Kerala beef, hariyala whole fish, and chicken ishtu—where chicken, vegetables, spices, and coconut milk gravy will knock your socks off, it’s so good.

Coolest Pop-Up: Amalieä , Triangle-based (with pop-ups around the state)

“Our goal with Amalieä is and has been the promotion of Caribbean food as a popular cuisine and fine dining option,” says founding chef Lemar Farrington, who hosts ongoing dinners at various event spaces around the Triangle and beyond. Eat and listen as he weaves stories full of ingredients, recipes, and Southern food traditions like barbecue and hummingbird cake. Keep an eye out for his “island hopping series,” where you’ll journey through a 6-to-7-course menu where each dish is influenced by a different Caribbean island.

Best Bakery: Mother, Asheville

After their success inside a 190-square-foot bread and wine spot, Mother (named after their signature sourdough) in the River Arts District, Brett Watson and Heidi Bass opened a Euro-style bakery and café in South Slope with a full-blown menu centered on: bread. Everything is stellar, including the lamb burger, croque Madame and chocolate espresso crémeux—and the wine never disappoints.

Most Likely to Have a Michelin Star: Herons at The Umstead, Cary

Herons, inside The Umstead hotel, offers American regional cuisine with a seasonal, locally sourced menu. Executive chef Steven Devereaux Greene’s precise technique and focus on high-quality ingredients shine in every dish. A Forbes Five-Star gem, it’s one of the Southeast’s most celebrated spots, and if Michelin rated North Carolina, it would surely earn at least two stars. Green’s tasting menu is otherworldly, with dishes inspired by art and nature from the hotel’s grounds. Harkers Island oysters are known to arrive looking as if they’re floating in a cloud fog by way of dry ice—topped with caviar, of course. Here, you’ll consistently ponder whether you’re Alice in Wonderland.