A Dinner to Celebrate Southern Living Magazine's Tastiest Town Competition

Durham is fortunate to have some of the best food in the country, at least according to publications like Bon Appetit and the New York Times. In fact, Durham has been nominated as one of the tastiest towns in the south by Southern Living.  Read more about that in a previous post.  So far the contest has amounted to an essential food fight between the two NC cities on the list, Durham and Asheville who topped the list until Wednesday, February 6th when late in the evening Memphis snuck into first.

Since this is a contest in the south, everyone is being pretty cordial, even polite.  So much so that on Sunday, February 24, a gathering of some of Asheville and Durham’s top chefs will host a dinner at Four Square Restaurant in Durham to promote Southern Living Magazine's Tastiest Town Competition.  The competition itself ends on February 28 and the public can vote every day from every email address they have. The upcoming dinner will draw attention to the fact that Asheville and Durham are contending for the top spot and promote both city's residents to vote.  The six course feast will be a celebration of the amazing food culture that makes North Carolina a great place to eat out!

Chef Shane Ingram will host the dinner at his landmark Durham restaurant Four Square.  The dinner will feature Asheville chefs Jacob Sessoms of Table and Brian Canipelli of Cucina 24.  Durham chefs will include Justin Rakes and Scott Martin of soon to open Salted Pig, Matt Kelly of Mateo and Shane Ingram of Four Square.

Each chef will prepare a course of their choice and meet with the guests after dinner to chat and possibly offer a little persuasion as to why their cities should win.

The dinner will be Sunday, February 24, at 7 PM and priced at $75 per person not including tax and gratuity.  In addition, wine pairings will be made available by Four Square Sommelier Brandon Carr.  Reservations can be made online through www.opentable.com or by phone (919) 401-9877.  Seating is limited to 75 guests. 

To vote for Durham to be the Tastiest Town in the South click here, and also learn more about all of Durham's dining options online.

Durham's Magnolia Grill is Tops

People around the country and the world are aware that Durham is a dining hot spot.  Bon Appetit called Durham the Foodiest Small Town in America in 2008 and last year Durham was named on the New York Time's list of the "Top 41 Places in the World to Visit" citing it's food as a primary reason.  That NYT article was one of several on the matter that appeared in the publication.

Among Durham's best known restaurants is the Magnolia Grill. Just passing the 25 year mark in November, the restaurant holds two James Beard Awards (think Oscars, but for food) and more accolades than is reasonable to mention, though being number11 on Gourmet Magazine's list of Best Restaurants in the country bears repeating.

Today it was named by the News and Observer's restaurant critic, Greg Cox, as Restaurant of the Year. Magnolia Grill is a venerable mainstay that continues to push the envelope of discovery in the creation of new flavor and preparation within the contemporary Southern sphere. Alumni from the restaurant have opened restaurants both locally and far afield, as well as gone on to positions in some of the world's most notable operations.

Durham's food scene is in large part due to the continued, tireless efforts of the Magnolia Grill's proprietors, Karen and Ben Barker. Collectively, they provide culinary direction that wows guests nightly and provides a bar which many chefs in Durham aspire to reach and best. As the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.  In Durham, the Barker's have raised the knife and set a standard upon which those who live and visit can count for the quality of food and service.

Congratulations to the Magnolia Grill family for this achievement.  Congratulations also go to:

• Nana's for their Gold Medal 
• Fairview, Four Square, Revolution and Watts Grocery for their Silver Medals
• Blu Seafood and Bar, Dos Perros, Los Comales, and Vin Rouge for their Best in Class rankings
• G2B and Happy China for being among the Best New Restaurants

For a searchable list of all dining in Durham, see Durham's official visitor website dining section.

Farm Fresh North Carolina Launch Party March 7

Durham has long been a leader in the slow food movement through chefs like Shane Ingram (Four Square), Amy Tornquist (Watts Grocery), and Ben & Karen Barker (Magnolia Grill). But now Durham can also add to its list of “greats” a book on sustainable farms and restaurants.

Durham-based writer Diane Daniel has completed writing Farm Fresh North Carolina, “the go-to guide to great farmers’ markets, farm stands, farms, apple orchards, u-picks, kids’ activities, lodging, dining, choose-and-cut Christmas trees, vineyards and wineries, and more.”

A launch party for the book will be held Monday, March 7 at 6pm. Taking place at Fullsteam Brewery, Scratch Baking and Farmhands Foods will be on hand to provide the crowd with food while Piedmont Lowlanders will provide live bluegrass music.

Diane’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic Traveler, Budget Travel, Gourmet, Backpacker, AARP Magazine, and more. She has also contributed to several other books including Checking In 2007: Places to Stay in New England and The New York Times Practical Guide to Practically Everything. In 2008, she received a prestigious national Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award in the newspaper writing category.

Farm Fresh North Carolina was supported by a grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation and was published by UNC Press.

Durham Looks Good with a Beard

It is very difficult to look at national media outlets without seeing Durham, NC featured as a top place in the US to eat, visit, relocate, and retire. Those already living in Durham know what all the fuss is about, but for those still learning about this great place known for its diversity, openness and creativity, here’s one more reason to stop into the place where great things happen.

The James Bread Foundation Awards announced the 2011 semifinalists and Durham's nationally acclaimed local chef culture is represented well. Scott Howell of Nana’s (who has been a semifinalist before) and Shane Ingram of Four Square are semifinalists in the Best Chef in the Southeast category and Magnolia Grill looks to bring home Outstanding Restaurant in the Southeast honors.

Considered the Oscars of the food world, The James Beard Foundation Awards honor excellence in restaurants, chefs, wine service professionals, cookbook authors and food journalism each year...and this year they're paying a lot of attention to Durham!

“Nose to Tail” Triangle Foodie Tweetup Kicks Off 2011

One of the greatest advantages of technology is its ability to bring people of similar interests together. That’s exactly the purpose of a “tweetup.” Named tweetup because they are real-life meetings organized on the social networking site Twitter, these events are happening all around, whether you know it or not. Luckily, you do not have to be on twitter to attend!

In Durham, there is a particularly active foodie group on Twitter and this group gathers on occasion to mix, mingle, and enjoy good food. The first Triangle Foodie Tweetup of 2011 will be held on February 20 at Four Square Restaurant.

Not usually open on Sunday, Four Square will open its doors to serve an assortment of pig from “nose to tail.” Here is a sample of the menu (subject to change):

Crispy Ears with gribiche sauce

Pig Head Terrine with horseradish

Confit Shoulder Rillette

Loin Porchetta

Lardo and Olive Crostini

Pork Butt braised in coconut milk and banana leaf with Thai garnishes

Trotters stuffed with house Italian sausage

Roasted Tail, (Since there is only one, we may raffle it off for charity!)

Crispy Belly with mustard and pickles

Tickets for the event are only $8.17 and a cash bar will be available. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.