W H AT WE’RE EATING NEWS FROM OUR RESTAURANT COMMUNITY, PLUS A DISH WE LOVE
➾ NEWS BITES END OF AN ERA Crook’s Corner closed on June 9. “With an incredibly heavy heart, we must share the news that we are closing effective today,” the restaurant posted on its website. “For nearly 40 years, Crook’s Corner has served and been welcomed by the people of Chapel Hill and the UNC community, we sincerely thank you for your decades of support.”
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NOW OPEN Dame’s Chicken & Waffles opened its fourth location in May at 147 E. Franklin St. in the space formerly occupied by [B]SKI’S. The restaurant, which was slated to open in late 2019, operates under a counter service model tailored more to the needs of students and folks on the go.
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he peak of the pandemic made Hawkers brand chef Allen Lo nostalgic for his childhood favorites – specifically the dishes he made when his parents were at work. Growing up as a restaurant kid, Allen could always find delicious gems in the pantry. He remembers his makeshift morning meals: lap cheong (Chinese sausage), an egg and rice. “Boom, I had my breakfast,” he says. “That’s what I ate a lot. And it was one of my favorites. I loved it and thought, ‘Hey, let’s put it on the menu.’” Boom, Hawkers’ brunch was born. Now you, too, can order the first dish Allen learned how to cook – “The Traditional” – every Saturday and Sunday. Allen combined his experiences as a Chinese Malaysian and a U.S. transplant to curate the perfect Asian American brunch menu over some six months during the pandemic. Of course, that meant he had to include dim sum – Chinese small plates (typically dumplings) that are intended to be shared and passed around the table. Since debuting the menu in May, Allen says “the soup dumplings have been the clear winner. That took a long, long time to nail.” The 17-ingredient broth alone starts with 100 gallons of liquid and is reduced to about 40 gallons after it simmers for eight hours. Hawkers Chapel Hill was the Orlando-based restaurant’s first location in the country to offer brunch – mostly in part because the University Place location opened just a week before pandemic shutdowns. “Chapel Hill didn’t get the proper opening,” Allen says. “We’ve been fortunate enough to where we didn’t have to close our doors. We didn’t have to lay anybody off. So, we really just wanted to get back and say thanks to the Chapel Hill community.” HAWKERS ASIAN STREET FOOD 201 S. Estes Dr., Ste. 400A, Chapel Hill; 919-415-1799; eathawkers.com 28
chapelhillmagazine.com
July/August 2021
Steel String Brewery opened a new production facility, Pluck Farm, at 6901 N.C. Hwy. 54 W. in Mebane, in May. It includes a beer garden, a shaded orchard and rotating food trucks. KNEAD TO KNOW The Pizza Press on West Franklin Street left the The Pizza Press franchise in April and reopened on April 30 as Sôst, which is the phonetic spelling of the word “sauced.” The restaurant revamped its build-your-own-pizza menu to add more options like macaroni and cheese and sandwiches. WELCOME BACK Perennial reopened at its original location on West Franklin Street in May under the leadership of Carrboro Coffee Roasters. “The town really felt the blow when Perennial had to shut its doors last year,” says Carrboro Coffee President Scott Conary. “We were excited for the opportunity to open the doors back up to this beautiful space and share our farmer direct relationship coffees with the community.” CHM