These days he’s an affable statesman of North Carolina’s food scene, quick to smile and capable of cultivating a team (at Crawford and Son) that made it to the finalist round in the latest James Beard Awards for hospitality.
But before any of that—before his kids were born and before the fame—a phone call from his brother made it all possible.
“He called me and very bluntly said I was going to die, and he was just waiting for the phone call every day saying I was gone,” the chef and restaurant owner recalls. “He had seen me recently on a bender and the condition I was in, and the condition my health was in. I’d never really heard that from him before. But I knew he was right.”
Crawford had battled addiction and says he’d wanted to get sober for a long time. But despite knowing he was on a downward trajectory, he didn’t know how to stop.
“I knew there was a chance I wasn’t going to make it,” he says candidly. “[My brother] asked me bluntly, ‘Do you want to live or do you want to die?’ I had to dig deeply and realize I wanted to live.”
His brother, who himself was sober, “made it OK to be terrified to get sober.” He called Crawford almost a dozen times a day those first few weeks. At that point, Crawford couldn’t even take things a day at a time—he took on one hour after another.
“That conversation really changed things for me,” Crawford reflects. “I truly believe that phone call might’ve saved my life.” The day after, he walked into a meeting—and this Oct. 18 marks two decades he’s been sober.
Now, it’s part of his mission to pay it forward by helping other people get clean. He joined the board of directors for Healing Transitions, a Raleigh-based recovery organization with a wide range of services helping people detox, get sober, and sustain their sobriety and recovery. And to mark his 20th sober anniversary, he’s hosting a dinner at the agency to raise more funds for its transformative work.
Crawford’s goal is to turn the event—dubbed Freedom Harvest in a nod to freedom from addiction and the season—into an annual fall fundraiser. Beyond raising money to sustain Healing Transitions’ work, he also hopes to raise awareness, directing more people to its services and playing the same role his brother did for him with that wake-up call.
His message to anyone fighting addiction? “I would say very simply that it’s OK to be terrified by the idea of getting sober,” says Crawford. “I think there’s this fear. My partying, my lifestyle had sort of defined me for so long. You don’t know who you’re going to be. How will you be without this thing that’s been such a part of your life?”
“But it’s worth the fight and worth the work,” he continues. “Sobriety has given me a life I never could’ve imagined when I was active in addiction—beyond anything I could’ve imagined.” Freedom Harvest dinner Oct. 20,healing-transitions.org
A first look at upcoming Gateway Plaza concepts via a supergroup of Raleigh restaurant vets
As anyone in the restaurant industry will tell you, things never go exactly according to plan.
When Angela Salamanca and Marshall Davis opened Ex-Voto inside the Durham Food Hall, the intention had always been to nixtamalize their own corn. The time-intensive, traditional approach to prepping corn and turning it into masa was supposed to be the signature element of their joint project, allowing them to churn out high-quality tortillas, tamales and other products by hand in-house. Instead, their opening aligned with the onset of the pandemic, and Ex-Voto became known for its bounty of thick crunchwraps sealed with melted hoop cheese. It’s one of the single best dishes you can order anywhere in the Triangle, but this wasn’t what they’d set out to accomplish.
“Some of what is going to happen at Mala Pata is a continuation of what we really wanted to do at Ex-Voto that we weren’t really ever able to do once we got in the space,” says Salamanca, who also owns Centro and Gallo Pelón in DTR and lives near Gateway. “There was this unfulfilled desire of, ‘This is something we really want to do.’”
The restaurant’s name is a nod to that journey. Mala Pata—or “bad luck” in Spanish—is a playful reference to the challenging start for Ex-Voto and food hall neighbor Locals Seafood. Two industry vets from Locals—Eric Montagne and Zack Gragg—are partnering on the venture too, ensuring a heavy dose of fresh seafood on the menu. The rest of Mala Pata’s name, molino & cocina, means “corn mill and kitchen.”
In addition to “really good fish tacos,” the menu will “take traditional methods and play with them a bit,” offering ingredients and dishes inspired by flavors from across Latin America, says Davis. The owners are optimistic they’ll open before the end of the year, but they know all too well nothing is a given.
In at least one aspect, Mala Pata will mirror Salamanca’s success at Centro and mezcaleria Gallo Pelón, pairing the restaurant with a neighboring bar. The partners are adding a “come-as-you-are” cantina next door called Peyote Mini-Mercado, which will function as a late-night mezcal bar and grab-and-go joint, in addition to serving as Mala Pata’s service bar. Down the road, Mala Pata’s back of house will also include a ghost kitchen for pop-ups and other fun stuff, but the owners are keeping its name under wraps for now.
It won’t be Ex-Voto though, and that’s partly because Salamanca and Davis are in the final stages of nailing down a spot “near Longleaf Swine” to bring the hit concept to Raleigh. Their target opening is next spring (!).
In the meantime, the business partners are still figuring out the exact vibe of Mala Pata and Peyote. In a group text, they send a jumbled range of inspirational ideas and styles. The strongest influences may be Austin’s Nixta Taqueria; Florida’s Taquiza; and a mélange of places in Oaxaca, Mexico, and market stalls in Mexico City ranging from “gluttonous street food to very traditional,” says Davis.
“At the end of the day, that’s what I think we are,” adds Salamanca: “gluttonous people with refined taste.” “We’re hedonists,” Davis throws in with a laugh. And we’re here for it. @malapata.molino
Adé Carrena is one of the only people in America selling food from Benin, West Africa—and she’s doing it here.
Smart money says you’ve never tried Beninese food, or maybe even heard of Benin. Adégnimika “Adé” Carrena aims to change that, particularly once her new food truck, Dounou (which aptly translates to “let’s eat” in Fon), debuts in March. A native of Benin, a small West African nation neighboring Nigeria, Carrena is using the rollout, in part, as a way to carve out her own identity by sharing Beninese food.
Operating out of southern Wake County, Dounou will be unapologetically Beninese, with dishes like tchantchanga (grilled meat marinated in suya spice), ata (black-eyed pea fritter), azin nsonou (Beninese peanut stew) and akasa (fermented steamed corn).
Few Americans have even heard of Benin—and if Carrena tried to count the number of people in the U.S. she’s met from her birth country, she could fit them on one hand. But she’s used to feeling like an outsider.
Raised in rural Benin, she was adopted by a Puerto Rican family in Connecticut at age 10, severing ties with her family and country. Suddenly an African American immigrant growing up in a Hispanic household, Carrena didn’t really fit anywhere. But years later, after reconciling with her mother and repairing her connection to Benin, Carrena is on a mission to educate and expose people to her roots.
“I went back and fell in love with my heritage and ancestry,” she explains. “That’s when I decided I needed to share food and culture from my home—through my own journey of self-discovery.”
After years working as a line cook, bartender and hostess, Carrena had begun to thrive in private cheffing via pop-ups and catering. But the pandemic shut all of that down. Lying awake at 3am one night she had her Eureka moment—making spices.
“I wanted to start with a spice that was very nostalgic to me,” says Carrena. “All West African countries have their own suya. ‘Chichinga’ is what it’s called in Benin, but ‘suya’ is more recognizable.”
Carrena returned to Benin with her mom in July 2020, relearning some of her family history, culture and native language. By the trip’s end, she’d sourced a small amount of ingredients.
Formally launched as iLeWA in 2022 with just two versions available in her brightly colored packaging, Carrena’s spice operation has already outgrown what she can manage solo. Naturally, those spices will play a prominent role in her new food truck. “All the great food I’ve ever had in the world has been in the streets,” says the spice proprietor. “I want to bring that essence here. I want you to feel like I’ve fed you in my home.”
To wit, Carrena is also organizing a dinner series with chefs across the state tracing West African ingredients and how they’ve influenced Southern cuisine. She’s lining up virtual cooking classes and has several planned in person this month in Apex, with more likely slated for Raleigh. And her pop-up dinners—with a heavy storytelling component—are ongoing. Ultimately, she wants to see a West African section in grocery stores.
“It is my dream to convince people to want to use our ingredients the same way they use curry or chutney or soy sauce,” she says. “The women of Benin have taught me to embrace my culture and share it with the world. I’d love to invite everyone to be a part of this journey of coming out for themselves and understanding what else is out there.” @dounou_cuisine
Zero Proof is building a community for Raleighites who want to drink less or ditch alcohol altogether.
Jacqueline Lee feared that if she quit drinking, her social life would end. “I have always been very social,” says Lee. “I love parties and getting to meet new people, but all of those events usually revolve around drinking or meeting at a bar.”
At 25, Lee didn’t know many people who were sober. Searching online, she couldn’t find a Raleigh community built around alcohol-free experiences outside of recovery and treatment programs. So she created one.
Launched in 2020, Zero Proof has already offered a staggering buffet of sober events, ranging from aerial yoga to drag shows. Hourlong hikes at Umstead also have proven popular. But she has also organized a series of alcohol-free concerts, dinners and even an outing at Boxcar Bar + Arcade.
“For years, I didn’t stop drinking because I didn’t know anyone my age who was sober,” says Lee. “When you stop drinking, it can feel really lonely, so anything I can do to provide an avenue for people to connect with other people who are experiencing the same thing is really worthwhile to me.”
Mocktails may be easier to find here recently, but Raleigh falls behind peer cities. Lee quickly discovered Charlotte’s alcohol-free Counterculture Club, while Austin brags the nonalcoholic Sans Bar. Lee may have initially felt like an outcast for ditching alcohol, but her efforts are actually making Raleigh more inclusive and current.
Zero Proof typically hosts three to four events each month, and the schedule is heavily influenced by participants. Some local businesses like Current Wellness are eager to partner with her, but it’s not always an easy sell. “It’s challenging when you’re trying to plan alcohol-free events because a lot of businesses don’t want to do it on Friday or Saturday since alcohol is such a revenue driver,” says Lee. But the Zero Proof trailblazer—whose main hustle is at a marketing firm—hasn’t let that stop her.
Zero Proof isn’t a support group, at least not in the classic sense. Instead, it attracts a wide net, including those who are sober curious or want to drink less. Most attendees are in their 20s or 30s. And that’s partially intentional; Zero Proof is open to all—but Lee, now 27, hopes to create a social community for young people like her that normalizes not drinking.
“I have countless new friends who are also sober,” Lee writes on Zero Proof’s website, “which makes me not feel so alone in a culture where alcohol is everywhere”—proof positive that Zero Proof’s spirited social options are filling a void for the spirit-free community. zeroproofraleigh.com
Giorgios Bakatsias seeks to create a “restaurant row” with two new concepts at North Hills.
Blink and Giorgios Bakatsias will have opened five new restaurants this year.
At a time when many restaurateurs are struggling after two years of fluctuating regulations and risk, Bakatsias is emerging from the pandemic like an unstoppable juggernaut. He’s building out two new concepts in North Hills alone, along with a third in the upcoming East End Market and others farther afield under construction. While some are tepid about the industry’s future, Bakatsias is all in—that’s the only way he knows how to operate, he told Raleigh Magazine in an exclusive interview.
“Am I a risk-taker? Yeah, of course,” Bakatsias said nonchalantly. “But I do it with calculated energy and a great team around me.”
Giorgios Bakatsias (Forrest Mason Media)
Bakatsias is the affable elder statesman of the Triangle’s restaurant scene, a Greek immigrant often found sporting his signature newsboy hat and white button-down. His Giorgios Hospitality & Lifestyle Group has long been an anchor in Chapel Hill and Durham with mostly European-style mainstays including Kipos Greek Taverna, Vin Rouge, Parizade, Bin 54, Local 22 and, more recently, the acclaimed Italian spot Osteria Georgi. In Raleigh, his revered Rosewater Kitchen & Bar will soon be joined by Las Ramblastapas restaurant and Giorgio Pizza Bar in North Hills, as well as East End Bistrot, a high-end French bistro in East End Market.
It should surprise no one that Bakatsias was named 2022 Restaurateur of the Year by the NC Restaurant & Lodging Association, given his prolific range and seemingly endless growth. He’ll soon own 14 unique concepts in the Triangle, all while beginning a statewide expansion of Kipos. Wilmington is first, but Bakatsias also admitted that he’s planning versions of the Greek staple across the state.
It wasn’t always like this, of course, and for years, Bakatsias skirted Raleigh, expanding his reach to Wake Forest first. Reluctant to say anything critical of the City of Oaks, Bakatsias fairly points out that Raleigh had long cultivated a love affair with chains.
“Raleigh is a very strong restaurant town,” he said. “I like it more now. Now it’s balanced out.”
Bakatsias grew to Raleigh almost by chance. In town for a dinner meeting, he noticed commercial space with “a beautiful garden” nestled in North Hills and felt immediately drawn to it. Soon after, Rosewater Kitchen was born.
That process is not dissimilar from Bakatsias’ general approach. He usually doesn’t go out looking in a specific area, but sometimes a space “winks” at him, Bakatsias said. In North Hills, a good relationship with the developer and an opportunity to create “a little village” inspired him to double down and open two more restaurants nearby.
“My intention is almost to create a ‘restaurant row’ with concepts that are unique.”
—Giorgios Bakatsias
“My intention is almost to create a ‘restaurant row’ with concepts that are unique,” he said. “When I saw turnover in chain spaces, I said, ‘I think this is a good opportunity to provide more local concepts.’”
Las Ramblas—named for the iconic tree-lined boulevard popular with Barcelona tourists—promises to be an electric and celebratory tapas bar, replete with “brilliant tile work,” high-energy music, toasting guests and “bold” small bites, said Bakatsias.
Brian Jenzer will take over the kitchen and join Las Ramblas as a partner along with Laszlo Lukacsi, co-owner of Las Ramblas and Rosewater Kitchen and Bar. Meanwhile, the Momofuku and Culinary Institute of America alum will keep his role as executive chef at Rosewater. Bakatsias is also promoting from within for Giorgio Pizza Bar, tapping Osteria Georgi’s chef de cuisine Jefe Lubiano to helm the operation. It’s a natural pick, as Lubiano formerly ran his own Pop’s Back Door South pizzeria until 2016, and he brags a range of experience including a stint at the popular Durham Hotel.
Having a deep bench of talent is a cornerstone to Bakatsias’ meteoric growth. He’s quick to praise his whole team, adding that Lubiano has been “instrumental” and calling Jenzer a “rock star.”
“You have to provide space for them to grow,” he said. “It’s not just a paycheck—though of course that’s important—but it’s also a chance for them to curate their craft, a chance to experiment.”
The proximity of the restaurants allows for easier management and oversight, Bakatsias said, but he also thinks the three distinct menus will complement each other and add vibrancy to an area that’s still growing. Bakatsias took a similar approach with Parizade and Local 22 in Durham, two markedly different restaurants that compete for parking space.
While the forthcoming pizza bar may be more casual and takeout- friendly and Las Ramblas will be the kind of place to celebrate a birthday among friends, East End Bistrot will be a high-end special occasion date-night spot that’s decidedly more intimate. It is slated to open this fall, while the other two should be ready in July or August.
Despite their differences, it’s safe to assume each will be impeccably designed. From afar, Bakatsias may look like Taz, a ball of energy blazing a zigzagging path that places him everywhere at once. But he never skimps on the vibe—“That’s one of my love affairs,” he said—because he wants each restaurant to grip patrons as they walk in the door, pulling them in. Clearly, his seduction is working. giorgiosgroup.com
