R E S C H A P E L H I A N A D V E R
T A U R A N T S , D E L I L L , C A R R B O R O , D N O R T H E R N C H T I S E R S H I G H L I G
S A N D B I S T R O S H I L L S B O R O U G H A T H A M C O U N T Y H T E D I N B O X E S
THE DISH O U R
P I C K
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S E A S O N
TASTE Radish crudo, toasted pistachio sauce and Johnny jump-ups (edible purple flower) with brown butter and lemon.
Oakleaf 3 1 0 E . M A I N S T , C A R R B O R O O A K L E A F N C . C O M 9 8 4 - 2 3 4 - 0 0 5 4
A few months ago, Leslie and chef Brendan Cox’s restaurant occupied a restored historic mill just outside downtown Pittsboro, surrounded by gently sloping grass hills and tall, quiet pine forests. This spring, Oakleaf relocated to Carrboro, directly next door to legendary rock ’n’ roll club Cat’s Cradle. It has been a whiplash-inducing few months for Leslie and Brendan. “We had no plans to move,” says Leslie. “Then our landlord doubled our rent.” The couple opened in East Main Square in March, between Cat’s Cradle and Fleet Feet. But while much has changed for Oakleaf, Leslie and Brendan have focused on keeping the menu stable. They’ve juggled the balance of traditional course dishes versus small plate offerings, but diners will find a familiar mix of farm-to-table seasonal vegetables – corn, peaches and blueberries should be in as summer arrives – homemade pasta and fresh seafood. Fresh-caught fish from the Chesapeake Bay to Charleston arrive every day. “What makes us different is not just that we buy from farmers, but we make those things shine,” says Leslie. “A screamingly fresh fish is great on its own. What we do is highlight what makes it great.” Leslie also says the move “gave us a chance to get everything we wish we had in the old place,” including a patio and firepit, a larger bar and a private party room. The couple still lives in Pittsboro, but moving Oakleaf to Carrboro has, in one way, felt like coming home. “We knew that many of our customers were coming down from [Carrboro and Chapel Hill],” says Leslie. “This let us go where our customers already were.”—Matt White CHM
PHOTO BY MATT WHITE
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May/June 2018 chapelhillmagazine.com
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