In the Crabtree Valley Mall food court, just around the corner from The Cheesecake Factory, a mega-chain where feeders flock and wait for an hour or more to be seated, lives Kabobi, which opened without much fanfare last month. The customers are coming, not like the torrential eaters at The Cheesecake Factory, but in a […]
Erika Gamel
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Fomenting fermentation
The benefits of fermented foods are myriad. No one knows them better than Sandor Ellix Katz, aka Sandorkraut. Katz, who was diagnosed with AIDS back in 1991, began to enjoy saurkraut, kimchi, miso and a host of other fermented favorites well before his diagnosis. In search of cures and distractions for his illness, Katz sought […]
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Queen of Sheba celebrates her one-year reign
For a restaurant, the facade is certainly not the most attractive. Green paint worked thick on the outer structure gives it a military encampment look. However, the inside of Queen of Sheba, at 115 North Graham St. in Chapel Hill, offers a cozy dining experience, a serving staff as friendly as can be, and the […]
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Like sons, like father
It’s an interesting story. Father of two culinarians–one a chef at a well-liked local bistro and the other attending a prestigious culinary school–decides to leave the nine-to-five world and join the ranks of his kids to become a pastry chef. This is the story of Richard Smith, a former mortgage company supervisor who found himself […]
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From the Third Place to Morocco and back
Anyone who’s ever stopped into Third Place Coffee House on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh for a cup of fresh ground coffee or chai, has probably found Rich Futrell behind the counter. Or not. In August 2002, Futrell disappeared to take a break from his business to explore new worlds with the Peace Corps as a […]
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A restaurant with little dishes and a big heart
Adrian Taylor, owner of Durham’s new tapas bar, Bakus, at 746 Ninth St., is not your typical restaurateur. His entire kitchen staff, from the chef de cuisine to the dishwasher, is salaried–rare in the restaurant business. He commits Bakus to monthly fund-raisers to benefit local nonprofits. This month, for instance, Taylor donated space, food and […]
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Chef for a day
How would you like to spend a day with a top-notch, fun-loving chef? To go with him to the market, select expensive produce, meats and cheeses and prepare a spectacular four-course meal standing at his side? Chef Jim Anile of Il Palio Ristorante is currently offering that challenge to the kitchen curious. For the better […]
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Heroes of the kitchen
If you’re looking for a quick shot of inspiration and enthusiasm, give it up for Ashley Christensen. She’s the chef and general manager at the Raleigh restaurant/wine bar Enoteca Vin, off downtown Glenwood Avenue around the side of the Creamery. Besides her 80-plus-hour work week, Christensen recently decided to add another commitment to her intense […]
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Where the waiter can always write
Dan Antonelli is a man with a mission. An advocate for workers in the service industry, Dan and a friend founded www.badtipper.com (“Where the Customer is NOT Always Right”). The Web site is neat and attractive with a ticker tape running along the top showing whether tips in various fields are going up or down. […]
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Tasca Brava
When Marta Brewer, chef and co-owner of Tasca Brava, makes a paella, she doesn’t skimp. Her rice, imported from Valencia, the original home of paella, has an amazing capacity for absorbing flavors. The saffron, which colors the rice a deep golden yellow, is another Spanish import. To cook and serve this traditional Spanish entree, she […]