A big month of restaurant openings across the Triangle
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It's been a busy month of restaurant openings across the Triangle as the region's food scene continues to expand.
Why it matters: Some of the most influential chefs and restaurateurs have opened ventures in the Triangle in the past few weeks, with more to come.
State of play: The restaurants enter an economy much different than when most of them hatched plans a year or more ago.
- The uncertainty over tariffs continues to be one of the big talking points, and many are watching how consumers respond with their wallets.
What they're saying: "We are kind of in a wait-and-see period," Ryan Hart, an operating partner at 1957 Hospitality, which owns The Crunkleton, told Axios.
- "We haven't seen a lot of price hikes quite yet," he added. "And I think everybody has their fingers crossed [that] this will be a short-term issue. But we are planning and figuring out what [our] best options are if this all goes sideways."
- The goal for now, however, is to build a restaurant with high-quality food and great service. "We think that model will help us weather any storms."
Here's what's opened across the Triangle in recent weeks.
The Crunkleton
The first Raleigh outpost for the legendary Chapel Hill spirits bar.
What to expect: The same high quality pre-Prohibition-era cocktails that put the original Chapel Hill location on the map, along with a tight food menu that the restaurant's owners, 1957 Hospitality, have used at a Crunkleton location in Charlotte.
- Highlights include char-grilled oysters, a wagyu-beef burger and a tomahawk steak that can be shared with the table.
Address: 403 W. Johnson St., Raleigh
TaTaco
Chef Oscar Diaz takeover of Durham continues with TaTaco, his third of four planned restaurants around downtown.
What to expect: A menu that includes the staples of Mexican cuisine, from tacos and quesadillas to enchiladas and flautas.
- But also a bevy of creative entrees like clams dunked in a complex birria broth, salmon made with poblano pasta, and fresh seafood options, like a tuna and hamachi crudito and raw oysters featuring a passion fruit mignonette.
- The drink menu includes several takes on the margarita and lesser-known Mexican spirits like raicilla, bacanora and sotol.
Address: 620 Foster St., Suite B, Durham
Peregrine
A collaboration between chef Saif Rahman and artist Patrick Shanahan was the first restaurant to open at the new Exchange development in midtown Raleigh when it debuted this month.
What to expect: A globe-trotting menu that follows the life and career of Rahman, previously of the restaurant Vidrio.
- The food at Peregrine dances from techniques taken from grandmother's cooking in Bangladesh to the global influences that existed in his childhood home of Queens, the Mexican heritage of his wife and his long tenure in central North Carolina.
Address: 1000 Social St., Suite 150, Raleigh
Brewery Bhavana
After becoming a favorite of the downtown Raleigh scene for its dim sum and craft beer, Brewery Bhavana expanded to Cary's Fenton shopping district this month.
What to expect: Bhavana's Cary resturant is more intimate on the inside, but it also adds a large patio and beer garden for those strolling around Fenton.
- The menu, for now, focuses on the classic dim sum dishes of the original location. The goal is to add Cary-only dishes, like hand-pulled noodles, in the coming weeks, owner Patrick Woodson said.
- The beer menu already offers several Fenton-only exclusives, including a German-style dunkel.
Address: 850 Lower Garden Lane, Cary
The Lenny
The main draw might be the sweeping views of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, but The Lenny, which opened in downtown Durham this month, also offers a creative cocktail list and a menu full of seafood dishes.
What to expect: Sunset hour specials every day, a large brunch offering and vinyl-only DJ sets on the weekend around dusk.
- Highlights include a seafood tower, multiple charcuterie boards and grilled meats, including a tomahawk steak.
- You can expect craft espresso drinks and a rotating cocktail menu, featuring sips like a whipped espresso martini and a Morita chili-infused version of a Last Word.
Address: 555 S. Mangum St., 11th floor, Durham
Mala Pata
Set to open in early May, Mala Pata (and its sister bar Peyote) is a celebration of Mexican cuisine by chef Angela Salamanca of Raleigh's Centro and the teams from Locals Seafood and Durham's Ex-Voto.
What to expect: The menu will focus on fresh masa, a dough made from corn in Latin American dishes, and dishes ranging from collard green tamales to chilaquiles verdes.
- Peyote, located in a shared alley, will serve late-night to-go drinks and food.
Address: 2431 Crabtree Blvd., Suite 102, Raleigh
Wedgewood Cheese Bar
Wedgewood Cheese Bar, a cheesemonger's dream, is expected to open in early May in Carrboro. It bills itself as North Carolina's first stand-alone cheese bar.
What to expect: After some delays, Wedgewood plans to offer scores of artisanal cheeses that can be cut to order as well as a small bar for patrons to eat and drink.
- The menu will feature small plates, sandwiches, cured meats and a wine list curated by Rocks + Acid Wine Shop sommelier Paula de Pano.
Address: 100 Brewer Lane, Carrboro