Jul. 1, 2008 - Tracy's Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in Durham

I was showing homes in Durham last weekend and it brought me back to the days when I lived in Chapel Hill in the early ‘90s and spent quite a bit of time in Durham.  One of the things I've always liked about Durham is that they have a fantastic restaurant scene and I frequently visit the area with my husband Mauro.  I've written a few articles about restaurants in the area but none that focused exclusively on Durham.  That said, I thought I'd bring up a few treasures that can be found in Durham. 

Nana's Restaurant - 2514 University Drive 919.493.8545 My husband and I ate here a few years ago on his Birthday.  It's the kind of restaurant that you go to on special occasions or for a business dinner.  It's a beautiful restaurant enriched by local art and the cooking creations of award winning chef Scott Howell.  Food & Wine referred to the menu as "a blend of Italy and the American South, with a few French accents." Nana's is considered one of the Triangles top dining destinations. When available, suggestions include the lamb with its delicate and subtle sauce and my personal favorite the seafood risotto. Throe is also a cozy little bar to sip on cocktails while you wait for your table.

The Fairview at Washington Duke  3001 Cameron Blvd.  919. 490.0999 This is my favorite destination for Christmas Brunch with my family.  It's a wonderfully intimate and sophisticated setting overlooking the Washington Inn & Duke Golf Course. The Executive Chef, Jason Cunningham serves delightful dishes such as the braised beef short rib with exotic mushrooms, roasted celery and plum-infused veal reduction. To top off the dining experience, there are over 250 varieties in the wine collection and they regularly receive the distinguished Wine Spectator Magazine Award for Excellence.  

Magnolia Grill - 1002 9th St. 919.286.3609 Bold, imaginative cuisine from nationally acclaimed chefs Ben and Karen Barker.  I find this restaurant to be a bit bright, stuffy, and expensive.  It's consistently considered by many to be the finest restaurant in the Triangle and voted to "11th place" in best restaurants in the US by Gourmet Magazine in 2006. The menu is innovated and seasonally directed.

Four Square Restaurant 2701 Chapel Hill Rd 919.401.9877 Bon Appétit calls Four Square "exciting" and remarks, "The plates going back to the kitchen were licked clean." Owned and operated by executive chef Shane Ingram and his wife, former pastry chef Elizabeth Woodhouse 

Watts Grocery 1116 Broad Street, near Club Boulevard 919.416.5040  Watts Grocery is actually an acclaimed neighborhood restaurant in Durham, NC.  The name is derived from the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood where Chef Amy Tornquist grew up and Watts Street Grocery, a favorite childhood stop for candy and snacks. But what's most distinctive is Amy's use of local ingredients, many raised, caught, smoked, pickled or cured within a two-hour radius of Durham, and how she weaves them into her cooking.  It's no wonder that Amy studied cooking at the internationally renowned La Varenne École de Cuisine in Paris. She honed her skills at the elbow of the late Bill Neal, founder of Crook's Corner and an icon of contemporary Southern cuisine.  What a fantastic destination for cuisine at its finest.  

Guglhupf Café - 2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd 919.401.2600 I had lunch with my clients at this charming café.  Gugulhupf is a European bakery in Durham, named for an Austrian Bundt cake studded with rum-soaked golden raisins. Its German-trained artisan bakers have been turning out everything from ciabatta to Black Forest rye to Linzer cookies to the bakery's namesake cake since 1998.   I had the Westphalian ham on Black Forest rye!! Yummy!  Enjoy the striking architecture of the café and courtyard for outdoor dining.  

Café Parizade 2200 W Main St, Erwin Square 919.286.9712 Southern Living has consistently touted this restaurant.  The atmosphere has an expansive open copper covered kitchen, whimsical art and a well stocked bar. There is a good selection of appetizers to go along with your drinks and a dinner menu with specialties like fettuccini with fresh salmon and black pepper dill cream. Fresh homemade desserts and famous Leonia's Belgian chocolates tempt you in the background. 

Rue Cler Restaurant  401 E Chapel Hill St, Downtown  919.682.8844 opened in October of 2006 to great reviews.  Rue Cler's classic bistro cuisine combines the freshest ingredients and delicious French wines at a reasonable price during lunch, dinner and brunch. Food and Wine praises the hot, powdered sugar covered beignets they sell by the dozen. 

Pop's  810 W Peabody St, Brightleaf District, Downtown 919.956.7677
is a fabulous Italian restaurant in Durham. The atmosphere is charming with its wood burning ovens, thin crust pizza, calamari, and taste of Italy reinterpreted with a southern flair and devotion to fresh seasonal local ingredients. The casually sophisticated atmosphere appeals to both long time residents and young professionals. It is a sister restaurant to Nana's but comes with its own set of accolades. 

Foster's Market 2693 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. 919.489.3944 A casual atmosphere and great place to kick back and relax.  where you choose from gourmet sandwiches, salads, wraps, soups and daily specials. Whatever you do, don't leave without a piece of the crumb cake or one of the other tasty desserts.

Here are a few related articles that I've written on the Triangle restaurant scene:

Raleigh NC Restaurant Scene Recognized by Bon Appetit 

My favorite Triangle Restaurants - Bon Appétit 

Try A Southern Season if you enjoy the finer things in life 

NC BBQ-A world apart from Texas BBQ