Req: Durham, NC

Art S. wrote:

> I am looking for a list of recomended restaurants to eat at in or near
> Durham (I will be there for a week).  I am interested in most any type of food
> (especially BBQ or something unique to the area) or price.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Art ([email removed])

Just ate at the Five Points Grill in Raliegh. A real find. Highly recommended.

Frank

Someone wrote:

: I am looking for a list of recomended restaurants to eat at in or near : Durham (I will be there for a week).  I am interested in most any type of food : (especially BBQ or something unique to the area) or price.

Here are some random notes on the area.  Feel free to e-mail or post any questions, if you need any more info.

Bullock's Barbeque.  Durham.  This is a quintessential NC BBQ restaurant, complete with signed photos of country music stars, stock car racers, and other celebs (look for the young Jay Leno) on the wall.  We always take our out-of-town visitors here for dinner.  Inexpensive, filling, delicious.

Crook's Corner.  Chapel Hill (about 10 miles from Durham).  This is an upscale southern restaurant (sometimes called nouveau Southern).  The specialties include things like sauteed shrimp with cheese grits.  This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area.  The original chef (since deceased) was written up nationally as being on the forefront of the increasing prestige of southern regional cooking.  Entrees run about $12-16, but are well worth it, especially if you are used to big city prices.  (I'm a transplant to the area from Chicago, and the restaurant prices here never cease to amaze me.)  Crook's also has a really nice Sunday brunch (off of a menu, not buffet) that is quite good. Reservations recommended for all meals, but not necessary.

Nana's (named after the Chef's grandmother).  An outstanding restaurant. It can stand up to almost any place that I went to in Chicago.  The chef does a great job with everything.  It tends towards regional specialties, but the southern influence is not very strong.  Expensive but worth it. It's in Durham.

Magnolia Grill.  Durham.  I've never been, but I've heard it is outstanding.  Similar to Nana's.  (BTW, both Nana's and Magnolia Grill were included in Esquire Magazine's best new restaurant listings in 1994 and 1993, respectively).

Dip's Country Kitchen.  Chapel Hill.  Really good southern food and great atmosphere.  A little more expensive than Bullock's, but not much.

Fearrington House.  Fearrington Village (about 8 miles south of Chapel Hill).  Never been there, supposed to be great.  Really expensive (probably the most expensive place in the area).

Allen and Sons (2 locations, one south of Chapel Hill and one north of Chapel Hill).  Basically a BBQ shack, but it is really good.

That's about it for restaurants with a regional flavor (at least in my experience).  There are also a number of good restaurants that serve trendy light Italian and continental cuisine.  From your post, you didn't seem especially interested in those.  If you are, let me know, and I'll be happy to provide more info.

Have fun.

Michael Berman
Center for Transportation and the Environment
NC State University

Hi,
I use to live in Durham, NC.  This message made me hungry for some of the great places there. (1)  Bullucks...for BBQ  it is on Hillsborough Rd in Durham (2)  411 West...Californian it is on Franklin St in Chapel Hill (3)  Crooks Corner... Franklin St, Chapel Hill (4)  Farington House... Chapel Hill (5)  Angus Barn... Best wine cellar on east coast Route 70 Raleigh (6)  Magnolia Grill.... 9th St in Durham (7)  Nana's ...Durham