bites of bull city
A Culinary Tribute: The Life and Legacy of Karen Barker
THE AUTHOR IS
THE CREATOR AND
WRITER OF THE LOCAL DURHAM FOOD AND RESTAURANT NEWS
BLOG, BITES OF BULL CITY (BITESOFBULLCITY.COM).
B Y A M B ER WAT S ON
I
N EARLY FEBRUARY, WE LOST A beloved community figure and legend in the culinary and pastry world, Karen Barker, at the age of 61. Most Durhamites know her best from Magnolia Grill. Though the restaurant closed in 2012 after a very successful 26-year run, it’s still referenced frequently by those who worked or dined there. Karen and her lifelong partner, Ben Barker, were foundational leaders and visionaries in the contemporary food movement, beginning with the regional rise of new Southern cuisine in the early 1980s. “The Barkers established a model of excellence in ‘farm-to-table’ dining unsurpassed in the nation,” says Marcie Cohen Ferris, professor emeritus of American Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. “Recently, I have been so moved by how many leading lights in our local food scene have told me of the power of Karen’s personal mentorship to them, from teaching her art and craft, sharing her business savvy and, finally, her generous support of their professional ventures.” It was a bit of good fortune, a lot of determination and drive, and an honest passion for what she did that made for such a fulfilling life and legacy. And, as with most good stories, Karen’s begins with love and shared dreams. Karen and Ben met in 1979 during their first day of class at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. As their relationship grew, so did their shared pursuit of one day having a restaurant of their own.
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As the couple approached graduation, they debated between moving to Napa Valley or returning to Ben’s hometown of Chapel Hill. Their desire to work at La Residence under then-chef/owner Bill Neal enticed them to the South. While their formal training was not a fit for Bill’s kitchen, he ended up leaving the restaurant in 1981 and his wife, Moreton, found Ben Barker’s letter of inquiry and gave him a job learning alongside Bill’s acolytes. Ben and Karen married in 1982; she joined him in the La Residence kitchen as the pastry chef. From that point on, they worked together for the remainder of their professional lives. At La Residence, they were able to learn from Bill Neal’s successors, top talent like Bill Smith (prior to the opening of Crook’s Corner). Learning the high standards of execution and operation required to achieve success enabled them to gain enough confidence to take over the helm at the Fearrington House Restaurant just two years later. The Barkers were generously afforded the support of the owners, Jenny and R.B. Fitch, and in return, that confidence resulted in a highly successful business that captured national attention. Two years in this role gave them the self-assurance to pursue their dream and open their own restaurant in 1986. At the time, Wellspring Grocery stood on the corner of Ninth and Knox streets in Durham. When the owners, Ann and Lex Alexander, sought a bigger location down the street and offered the space to the Barkers, they jumped at the opportunity; this became the home of Magnolia Grill. “Without their willingness to support our dream, we might not have found the venue that defined our love and partnership, our personal and professional relationship, and the location for a career-defining business that wrapped itself around more than a generation-plus of cooks, servers, growers and suppliers, and a wealth of devoted and warmly supportive guests,” shares Ben, who also recalls there was skepticism about their choice of location at the time. “We did our due diligence and felt the Triangle was on the cusp of exploding in growth and sophistication. The location was central to the anchor towns of the Triangle and RTP; the diverse university communities guaranteed an audience that was well-traveled and food savvy.