dining guide
CITY CENTER DISTRICT Alley Twenty Six Originally a craft cocktail bar, the addition of a kitchen and dining room now offers plates like pan-seared duck breast, cornmeal-crusted fried oysters and pimiento cheese. 320 E. Chapel Hill St.; 984-439-2278; alleytwentysix.com
NEWS BITES
Bagel Bar Homemade bagel varieties, lunch and breakfast sandwiches. 104 City Hall Plaza, Ste. 101; 919-294-6661; bagelbarbagels.com
Littler Look for latkes Benedict, pan-roasted striped bass with sungold tomato and elderflower panna cotta at this small restaurant with big tastes. 110 E. Parrish St.; 919-374-1118; littlerdurham.com
Bar Brunello Featuring 25 wines by the glass and 60 by the bottle, as well as draft beers and ciders, the bar’s food menu includes charcuterie and cheese boards. 117 E. Main St.; 919-294-4825; barbrunello.com Bar Virgile Artfully crafted beverages paired with an ever changing dinner and small plates menu including selections like tandoori chicken, and flat iron steak 105 S. Magnum St.; 919-973-3000; barvirgile.com
Loaf Oven breads and pastries. Counter Culture Coffee, pain au chocolat and cumin gruyere loaf. 111 W. Parrish St.; 919-797-1254
Beyù Caffè Coffee shop, restaurant, bar and live jazz club. Beignets, buffalo wings and mushroom burgers. 341 W. Main St.; 919-683-1058; beyucaffe.com 0BR Bull City Burger & Brewery Local beef burgers with all components from bun to barbecue sauce made in-house. 107 E. Parrish St.; 919-680-2333; bullcityburgerandbrewery.com Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub Pub food and bar snacks like nachos, burgers and wings. 427 W. Main St.; 919-682-3061; bullmccabesirishpub.com COPA Cuban-inspired tapas and cocktails restaurant. Try the Butifaras a lo cubano, Cuban-style sausages and the Paella del verano, “summer rice,” with a mojito or daiquiri. 107 W. Main St.
Dashi Traditional ramen shop and izakaya with sake options. 415 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-251-9335; dashiramen.com Dos Perros Sophisticated Mexican cuisine; plates include carnitas, flautas veganas and pollo relleno. Don’t skip on the guac! 200 N. Mangum St.; 919-956-2750; dosperrosrestaurant.com Jack Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter Diner fare with a twist. A classic diner menu is served all day long, plus a smaller dinner menu is available in the evening. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings. 202 N. Corcoran St.; 919-682-5225; jacktar-durham.com
durhammag.com
M Sushi Quality sushi from seasonal seafood, daily menu changes and creative rolls like “Unagi Maki” with barbecue eel and fried garlic. 311 Holland St.; 919-9089266; msushidurham.com Mateo Acclaimed menu of tapas and small plates by chef Matthew Kelly. Great for date night or night out with friends. Order a pitcher of “Cheerwine Sangria,” pollo frito, gambas and queso frito y huevo. 109 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-530-8700; mateotapas.com Mothers & Sons Trattoria Italian restaurant by partners Matthew Kelly and chef Josh “Skinny” DeCarolis. Handmade pasta, bruschetta and antipasti dishes. 107 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-294-8247; mothersandsonsnc.com
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Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas South American cuisine meets the American South. Wood-fired rotisserie meats, Andean-inspired braises, empanadas. 112 W. Main St.; 984-439-8702; lunarotisserie.com M Kokko Casual chicken entrees including the fried chicken sandwich, ramen and “KFC” wings. 311 Holland St., Ste. B; 919-908-9322
Counting House Upscale restaurant featuring locally sourced entrees, as well as small plates featuring oysters, shellfish, and meats and cheeses. 111 N. Corcoran St.; 919-956-6760; countinghousenc.com BR
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Lucky’s Delicatessen Deli crafted by chef Matthew Kelly and headed by chef Drew Brown serves seasonal soups and sandwiches like the garbanzo with chickpea fritters and the super Reuben. 105 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-864-8841; luckysdelinc.com
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS Chapel Hill’s Roots Bakery, Bistro and Bar opened a Durham location on Hope Valley Road, the former spot of Hope Valley Bar and Grill. The American-Central American fusion restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. INTERNATIONAL COMFORT West Village will soon (maybe even by the time you’re reading this!) be home to the first American location of Cucciolo Osteria, an Italian restaurant with four locations in South Korea. Owners and cousins Jimmy and Julian Kim lived in Europe as children and consider Italian their childhood comfort food. Jimmy, a Duke grad, was the co-founder of now-closed Mixed Casual Korean Bistro and food truck in Chapel Hill. SO LONG, FAREWELL Finch’s Family Restaurant closed in mid-April after more than seven decades in business. The local hot spot moved from Durham to Raleigh last year, but owner Peggy Jin says breakfast business wasn’t as good in the new location. Eastcut Sandwich Bar will take over the Old Chapel Hill Road location and plans to serve up gourmet sandwiches, soup, salads, beer and wine. Its opening is planned for mid-July. NOW BREWING Taste coffees from Kenya, Costa Rica, Mexico and other places around the world at Foster Street Coffee, on the ground floor of Liberty Warehouse Apartments. The menu features a variety of coffees, fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies, cream soda and other traditional coffee house offerings.
AH, NUTS! Double M Bake Shop has launched a line of protein-packed snacks called GO NUTS. The dark chocolate-covered bites are available in two varieties: Curry, which includes nuts, seeds and a blend of curry spices; and Tropical, which includes coconut chips, North Carolina peanuts, almonds and banana chips.
Ninth Street Bakery Organic breads, pastries and lunch. Grab a “Wheel of Steel” (peanut butter, raisins and oats). 136 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-688-5606; ninthstbakery.com BR The Parlour Handmade ice cream in rotating flavors like cookies and cream, salted butter caramel & sweet potato. 117 Market St.; 919-564-7999; theparlour.co The Patio Unscripted Hotel’s poolside bar featuring a range of cocktails and gourmet bites including sushi cones, salads and burgers. 202 N. Corcoran St.; 984-329-9500; unscriptedhotels.com BR
Pizzeria Toro Wood-fired pizza with selections like spicy lamb meatball with kale, fried eggplant ricotta and soft eggs on white pizza. Also, ricotta dumplings! 105 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-908-6936; pizzeriatoro.com Pie Pushers Grab a slice of staples like the cheese or pepperoni, or try out one of the specials, like the Pace Car. 117A W. Main St.; 919-294-8408; piepushers.com BR Pompieri Pizza Neapolitan pizza joint with a family-friendly approach. Try the “Drunken Horse” pizza with beer crust dough and house-made sausage. 102 City Hall Plaza; 919-973-1589; pompieripizza.com Pour Taproom Pay-by-the-ounce beer, wine and cider taps, plus tasting board, sandwich and kids’ options, and specials from Littler and Pizzeria Toro. 202 N. Corcoran St., Ste. 200; 919-251-8985; durham.pourtaproom.com