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Sharing Southern Specialties Around Town By Laura White | Photos courtesy of Rye KNOWN FOR ITS INNOVATIVE SPIN ON Southern fare, Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen in downtown Raleigh has launched a new takeout option, Rye To Go. The new dining service caters to outof-town visitors—the restaurant is located on the first floor of the Raleigh Marriott City Center—as well as to locals. According to the restaurant’s director of outlets, Joseph Gosselin, ordering to go is more convenient than coming into the restaurant, and can be done without making a single phone call. Through the ChowNow app, diners can place an order from the full Rye menu, choosing to either “Order for Now,” or “Order for Later.” The app uses location technology to suggest restaurants nearby, and then the customers simply swing by the Raleigh Marriott City Center for pickup. “They can just walk right in those doors, grab their food, and head out,” Gosselin says. In addition to offering the full Rye menu through ChowNow, Rye To Go has several options ready for pickup, including the restaurant’s famous $5
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pulled pork biscuits and a cooler packed with freshly made salads, house-made hummus plates, and a selection of cured meats and cheeses. Beverages range from local craft brews and coffee to vintage soda brands like Nehi and Cheerwine. Rye To Go also carries a selection of locally made or North Carolina–inspired goods, such as Oak City Coffee Roasters coffee, Outer Banks Sea Salt, Bertie County Peanuts, and a wide range of hot sauces. Its own in-house seasonings, like Rye Ranch, Rye House Creole, and Rye Rub, are also available for purchase. Gosselin says they see around 20 customers a day ordering on Chow Now, and the number of guests who come through and grab freshly made items varies depending on what’s going on downtown. “If there’s a big event over at the convention center, that [cooler] will be empty. They’ll come take everything we have, because they’re looking for something quick,” he explains. Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen is committed to serving seasonal and sustainable dishes, sourcing its produce
and meats from North Carolina farms. On the hotel rooftop is a garden where they grow garnishes and keep beehives for their house-made honey molasses butter. According to Gosselin, Rye To Go felt like a natural extension of the fresh and refined concept, ideally suited for those without the luxury of time. “We wanted to be able to capture the local business guests for lunch, especially those guests who don’t have time to come sit down and be served,” he says. “They can just order something and have it ready when they get here.” While Rye To Go is currently pickup only, Gosselin says they are considering delivery as an option for the future. They also offer specials—such as coffee and breakfast biscuits—for downtown events, along with order-ahead meals for the holidays. Rye To Go is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Orders can be placed through Rye’s website at RyeRaleigh.com or through the Chow Now app from 11:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. First-time users receive a 20 percent discount.