My job just keeps getting better and better. I’ve known that intuitively for several years, as I’ve found more and more new restaurants living up to their promise.
Some of Greg Cox’s favorite restaurants from 2018 include left from top Copa, G.58 Cuisine, Swagat, Postal Fish Company and Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets, right from top, Saint James, Cucciolo Osteria, Saltbox Seafood Joint, The Village Diner and Postmaster.
2018 News & Observer File Photos newsobserver.com
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And now I can prove it mathematically. For the past three years, the average star rating of the restaurants on the Best New Restaurants list has hovered around four. This year, for the first time ever, 10 restaurants — all rated four stars or better — made the list. The fact that three of the 10 are seafood restaurants, a category that until recently has been underserved, is icing on the cake.
And that’s just the new restaurants. A return visit to Herons, eight years after my last review, earned that restaurant a rare five-star rating. Longstanding favorites Elaine’s on Franklin, Oakleaf and Sono gave convincing demonstrations of the reasons for their enduring popularity.
It all adds up to a scintillating, rapidly evolving dining scene with so many worthy contenders that the annual Best Restaurants list has outgrown a single article. So we’re splitting it into two parts. This week, Part 1 features this year’s selections for Best New Restaurants and Best in Class. We’re also including a list of past Restaurant of the Year winners for a little historical perspective.
Next week, I’ll share my picks for the crème de la crème of local restaurants in Part 2: the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists, and the 2019 Restaurant of the Year. (Hint: You’ll find its name somewhere on these pages.)
BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2018
Copa
107 W. Main St., Durham
919-973-0111
Cuisine: Cuban
Knowing that their first restaurant, Old Havana Sandwich Shop, would be a tough act to follow, husband-and-wife owners Robert Copa Matos and Elizabeth Turnbull aimed high with their second. Copa hit the target with a Cuban tapas menu (including a few gems inspired by a 19th century cookbook) and one of the best restaurant bars in the Triangle.
Don’t miss: queso de cabeza, platanos rellenos, croquetas, pasteles, cebolla rellena, arroz con pollo, La Diosa Negra cocktail; oh, and you can still get those excellent Cuban sandwiches at lunchtime.
Cucciolo Osteria
601 W. Main St., Suite C, Durham
984-243-8744
Cuisine: Italian
Authentic Roman cuisine, prepared skillfully and without compromise (those black flecks in the truffle tajarin? yup, that’s actual black truffle), has quickly earned this newcomer a place among the elite handful of best Italian restaurants in the area.
Don’t miss: butternut squash arancini, risotto al latte, tagliatelle pomodoro, linguine alla carbonara, porchetta, panna cotta.
G.58 Cuisine
10958 Chapel Hill Road, Morrisville
919-466-8858
Cuisine: Chinese
It’s hard to say which is more jaw-dropping: the elegant dining room with the art gallery setting, or the lavish presentations of a self-styled “contemporary approach to traditional Chinese cuisine.” Either way, it adds up to a prime destination for corporate expense account meals and celebrating special occasions.
Don’t miss: appetizer sampler, Shizitou meatball soup, lobster tail, Peking duck.
Postal Fish Company
75 W. Salisbury St., Pittsboro
919-704-8612
Cuisine: seafood
If it’s Southern comfort, Carolina style, that you’re craving, look no further than the Cedar Island Fry at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro. Catfish, oysters and jumbo shrimp, all perfectly cooked in a light, crisp breading, are piled onto a parchment paper-lined plate with hushpuppies, house-made potato chips (a welcome twist on the usual fries) and crunchy icebox slaw.
2018 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Owners James Clark and Bill Hartley take turns driving to the coast to buy seafood directly off the boats. Both are veteran chefs, and Clark’s wife, Marcey Clark, is a top-notch pastry chef. Need I say more?
Don’t miss: peel ’n’ eat shrimp, Cedar Island Fry, anything cooked on the wood grill, and don’t skip dessert.
Postmaster
160 E. Cedar St., Suite 100, Cary
919-378-9493
Cuisine: contemporary Southern
An inventive menu with lots of small plates and share plates for the table, a streamlined urban decor, garage doors opening onto a patio — wait, this is downtown Cary, not some hotspot in Raleigh or Durham?
Don’t miss: honeycomb oysters, cast iron chicken, gnocchi’d grits, market catch, dessert.
Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets
121 N. Gregson St., Durham
919-797-2233
Cuisine: contemporary Asian, desserts
Start with an Asian-inspired menu celebrating local produce and nose-to-tail pork (owner-chef Justin Meddis was formerly a whole animal butcher). Add a drool-inducing dessert offering (wife Katie is a first-rate pastry chef). Cram them into a tiny space. It’s well worth negotiating a space in the even tinier parking lot.
Don’t miss: The menu changes frequently, but rest assured you can’t go wrong.
Saint James
806 W. Main St., Durham
984-219-7900
Cuisine: seafood
To some, just knowing that Saint James is the latest venture of Matt Kelly (whose culinary Midas touch includes Vin Rouge, Mateo and Mothers & Sons Trattoria) is enough. For those who need more convincing, a meal at Saint James should suffice in proving that it’s the best seafood restaurant in the Triangle.
Don’t miss: Take your pick of anything on the extensive menu, from voluptuous baked oysters with bone marrow to seared North Carolina flounder with crawfish butter over dirty rice. Dibs on the Nautilus seafood tower.
Saltbox Seafood Joint
Two Durham locations: 608 N Mangum St. (walkup window only) and 2637 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.
919-908-8970 (Mangum); 919-237-3499 (Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.)
Cuisine: seafood
Fans of the original Saltbox, a takeout-only fried seafood joint (unless you count a couple of picnic tables out front), cheered when owner-chef Ricky Moore opened a second location with an expanded menu and indoor seating. You can count yours truly as one of the cheerleaders.
Don’t miss: Check the sign out front for the seasonal catch; otherwise, anything fried will do you right. And by all means, get a side of fried broccoli and an order of Moore’s signature hush honeys.
Swagat
9549 Chapel Hill Road, Morrisville
919-378-9090
Swagat Indian Cuisine serves a quartet of lamb chops, marinated with fresh ginger and spices before getting roasted to a juicy turn in the clay oven.
Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Cuisine: Indian
On the surface, there’s little to distinguish Swagat from the scores of other Indian restaurants that have cropped up all over the region in the past few years. It’s the food — classic northern Indian, prepared by an internationally acclaimed chef — that sets this place apart.
Don’t miss: cauliflower Manchurian, chicken 65, Punjabi kadhi, lobster masala, lamb vindaloo, tandoori dishes, Swagat special biryani.
The Village Diner
600 W. King St, Hillsborough
919-245-8915
Cuisine: Southern diner
Both figuratively and literally, this is not your father’s Southern diner. Chef Justin Bohlin, who was trained at the Culinary Institute of America, gave new life to the tired old local landmark last year, eliminating the buffet and replacing it with a menu of scratch-made updates of Southern classics.
Don’t miss: tomato soup, bibb salad with fried oysters, fried grit cakes, vegetable plate, salmon patties, fried chicken, meatloaf, banana pudding.
PREVIOUS RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2007: Bonne Soirée, Chapel Hill
2008: Fins, Raleigh
2009: Lantern, Chapel Hill
2010: Herons, Cary
2011: Bella Mia, Cary
2012: Magnolia Grill, Durham
2013: Oakleaf, Pittsboro (now Carrboro) and Yamazushi, Durham
2014: One, Chapel Hill
2015: Gocciolina, Durham
2016: Death & Taxes, Raleigh
2017: The Durham, Durham
2018: Crawford and Son, Raleigh
BEST IN CLASS (BY CUISINE)
Bakery
Boulted Bread
614 W. South St., Raleigh
919-999-3984, boultedbread.com
Boulted Bread in Raleigh
Bar (Serving Food)
Alley Twenty Six
320 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham
984-439-2278, alleytwentysix.com
Barbecue
Hillsborough BBQ Co.
236 S. Nash St., Hillsborough
919-732-4647, hillsboroughbbq.com
Breakfast
True Flavors Diner
5410 NC Hwy. 55, Suite AJ, Durham (A second location is opening this year at 2022 Chapel Hill Road, Durham, in the former The Lakewood restaurant.)
919-316-7978, trueflavorsnc.com
Bartender Shannon Healy prepares the Alley Cocktail made up of Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Dry Vermouth, Cynar, Luxardo Maraschino and celery bitters at Alley Twenty Six in Durham.
2017 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Brewpub
Trophy Brewing + Pizza
827 W. Morgan St., Raleigh
919-803-4849, trophybrewing.com
Burger
Hops Burger Bar
140 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
984-234-3298, hopsburgerbar.com
Cajun/Creole
La Place
111 N. Churton St., Hillsborough
919-245-0041, laplacehillsborough.com
Chinese (Cantonese)
Shanghai
3433 Hillsborough Road, Durham
919-383-7581, shanghaidurham.com
Chinese (Szechwan)
Szechuan Garden
10285 Chapel Hill Road, Suite 300, Morrisville
919-468-6878, szechuangardennc.com
Chinese (Taiwanese)
Taipei 101
121 E. Chatham St., Cary
919-388-5885, facebook.com/carytaipei101
Coffeehouse/Cafe
Cocoa Cinnamon
Three locations in Durham; see website.
Cocoa Cinnamon carries a variety of coffee and teas.
News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Cuban
COPA
107 W. Main St., Durham
919-973-0111, copadurham.com
Deli
Lucky’s Delicatessen
105 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-864-8841, luckysdelinc.com
Dessert
Bittersweet
16 E. Martin St., Raleigh
919-977-3829, bittersweetraleigh.com
COPA’s presentation of Queso de Cabeza includes the Cuban-style pork terrine served with toast, cornichons pickles, and olives.
2018 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Diner
Grub
1200 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-973-3636, grubdurham.com
The Roast Turkey is served with smoked gouda, bacon, avocado, leaf lettuce, red onion, tomato and garlic mayo on a kaiser at Luckyâs Delicatessen in downtown Durham.
2016 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Ethiopian
Goorsha
910 W. Main St., Diurham
919-588-4660, goorshadurham.com
Food Truck
Mr. A’s Beignets
squaredoughnuts.com, twitter.com/mrasbeignets
French
Vin Rouge
2010 Hillsborough Road, Durham
919-416-0466, vinrougerestaurant.com
Fusion
Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas
112 W. Main St., Durham
984-439-8702, lunarotisserie.com
Greek
Kipos
431 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-425-0760, kiposchapelhill.com
Indian/Pakistani
Swagat
9549 Chapel Hill Road, Morrisville
919-378-9090, swagatnc.com
Indian (Southern)
CholaNad Restaurant and Bar
308 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
800-246-5262, cholanad.com
Italian
Cucciolo Osteria
601 W. Main St., Suite C, Durham
984-243-8744, cucciolodurham.com
Japanese
M Sushi
311 Holland St., Durham
919-908-9266, msushidurham.com
Korean
Golden Pig
815 W. Chatham St., Cary
919-650-2720, facebook.com/goldenpigcary
Lebanese
Sitti
137 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh
919-239-4070, sitti-raleigh.com
Pan-seared sea bass with shittake mushrooms, tomato broth, garlic confit and white truffle polenta is served at Sitti in downtown Raleigh.
News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Mexican (Contemporary)
Centro
106 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh
919-835-3593, centroraleigh.com
Mexican (Taqueria)
Taqueria El Toro
3601 Junction Blvd., Raleigh
919-661-5676, taqueriaeltororaleigh.com
Mexican (Traditional)
Tacos y Mariscos Vallarta
3177 Capital Blvd., Raleigh
919-790-2696, Facebook
Baked goods on display at lucettegrace, a modern patisserie on Salisbury Street in downtown Raleigh.
2014 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Pastries
lucettegrace
235 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh
919-307-4950, lucettegrace.com
Peruvian
Mi Peru
4015 University Drive, Durham
919-401-6432, miperupci.com
Pizza
Pizzeria Mercato
408 W. Weaver St., Carrboro
919-967-2277, pizzeriamercatonc.com
Pub (Irish)
Doherty’s
Two locations: 1979 High House Road, Cary; 5490 Apex Peakway, Apex
919-388-9930 (Cary); 919-387-4100 (Apex), dohertysirishpubnc.com
Toppings are “a mix of classics and combinations that change with the market and the chef’s inspiration” live up to the high standard of the crust at Pizzeria Mercato in Carrboro.
2017 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Pub (sports)
The Players’ Retreat
105 Oberlin Road, Raleigh
919-755-9589, playersretreat.net
Pub (not Irish, not sports)
First Street Tavern
115 First St., Clayton
919-780-2815, firststreettavern.com
Sandwich
Neal’s Deli
100 E. Main St., Suite C, Carrboro
919-967-2185, nealsdeli.com
Seafood
Saint James
806 W. Main St., Durham
984-219-7900, saintjamesseafood.com
Southern
Angie’s
1340 W. Garner Road, Garner
919-661-6707, angiesrestaurant.com
Steakhouse
Bin Fifty-Four
1201-M Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill
919-969-1155, bin54chapelhill.com
A burger “all the way” from The Players Retreat in Raleigh is served with a 2003 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon.
News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Thai
Thai @Main Street
317 W. Main St., Durham
919-219-7444, thaiatmainstnc.com
Turkish
Talulla’s
456 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-933-1177, talullas.com
Vegetarian
The Fiction Kitchen
428 S. Dawson St., Raleigh
919-831-4177, thefictionkitchen.com
Crispy fried “chicken” and waffles, topped with arugula and agave is a vegan pleaser at Fiction Kitchen in Raleigh. The restaurant is 100% vegetarian with a large and varied vegan menu.
2014 News & Observer File Photo - Juli Leonard jleonard@newsobserver.com
Vietnamese
Mekong
2121 T.W. Alexander Drive, Morrisville
919-251-8426, mekong-triangle.com
Wine Bar (serving food)
Vinos Finos
8450 Honeycutt Road, Suite 110, Raleigh
919-747-9233, vinosfinosypicadas.com
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