On any given service at East End Bistrot, you’ll likely see chef-partner William D’Auvray (pictured) in the open kitchen—cooking on the line, prepping, expoing or even cleaning. And he’s just one of many local working chefs you can find doing the same.
Day after day, these chef-owners are ingrained in daily service—something that sets Raleigh apart from other markets where owners may step away from the kitchen for more managerial roles, and puts the city on par with bigger foodie cities like NYC, Chicago, LA and Atlanta. Not only does Raleigh have a thriving food & beverage scene, but one that’s hands-on, innovative and independently led.
And diners can feel the difference. “They know when something’s chef-driven versus just chef-branded,” maintains Peregrine’s Saif Rahman. “In places like Raleigh especially, that matters. Smaller rooms, tighter communities—you can’t fake presence. Being there isn’t romantic. It’s just doing the job.”
“Independent restaurants historically have chef-owners at the helm, and I believe these kinds of small businesses will always be the most beloved by the community.” —Cheetie Kumar, Ajja
Read: It’s not about ego, it’s about responsibility—for the inner workings of the team, the seamless flow of service and the overall guest experience. “I do a lot of heavy lifting,” says D’Auvray. “It helps me understand the strengths and weaknesses of my team—and there’s something to be said for mutual respect in the kitchen.”
That responsibility comes with a certain level of commitment. Being a chef-owner isn’t an easy gig—it involves long hours, stressful environments and burnout. But it’s also deeply personal, and often an extension of oneself.
Sunny Gerhart of St. Roch | Photo by Anna Routh Barzin
“You have to make time to be there,” says D’Auvray. “I get to be a part of the process instead of just setting it up and leaving it up to someone else. I’ll never relinquish that—it’ll always be me. If I’m going to put my name on something, I’ve touched the plate in some way.”
In turn, these chef-owners put in the hours to build trust, show support and lead by example—so that when they can’t be in the kitchen, everything stays business as usual. In the end, notes St. Roch chef-owner Sunny Gerhart, there are responsibilities outside of cooking; but if you shape a well-rounded staff, the standard stays the same whether the chef is on the line that night or not.
“The goal is to empower the team so they do things the same way regardless of my presence,” concurs Ajja’s Cheetie Kumar, who was recently named a semifinalist for the 2026 James Beard Award Best Chef: Southeast. “What I bring to the table are new ideas, an objective eye and to make things more efficient.”
That presence benefits chefs as much as diners. Being on the line allows them to get real-time feedback and put out fires on the spot—ultimately making for a better experience for everyone, from back of house to guests.
After all, being a chef is not a remote career, emphasizes Kumar. You can’t feel what’s happening in the restaurant from emails or prep lists—products arrive off-spec, new people walk through the door every day, the energy of the room constantly shifts. “If I’m not there, I’m guessing,” says Rahman. “Being in the kitchen keeps me honest and keeps the food real.”
In short, that hands-on presence isn’t about optics—it’s about staying grounded in the reality of the work itself.
“A lot of places sell a chef’s name more than the chef’s work,” says Rahman. “I don’t believe in that. If my name is on the door, I should be on the line. Guests feel that.”
Raleigh is no New York, but our bagel game is on a roll. From classic rounds schmeared with cream cheese to breakfast sandos stacked with a smorgasbord of sweet and savory picks, our city’s carb scene is officially in overdrive. Whether you’re a purist or a flavor chaser, these local spots deliver a ~hole~ lotta love in every bite.
Benchwarmers These are not your average doughy halos. The local fave churns out craveworthy stuffed sandos layered with local and unexpected ingredients—from duck rillette and sour cherries to country ham and cornichons. Rotating specials keep it fresh—with one thing constant: flavor bombs with every bite. Moore Square District,Park District, @benchwarmersbagels
New York Bagel & Deli A Cary classic channeling true NYC deli energy, this OG spot serves up no-frills bacon, egg and cheeses (or swap sausage, ham or Taylor Ham—just don’t call it pork roll). Add salt, pepper or ketchup to seal the deal. Hey, don’t knock it till you try it. Cary, @newyorkbageldelicary
Jeff’s Bagel Run “Always boiled, never toasted.” That’s the way they roll at this cult-fave scratch bakery slinging daily flavor drops—think cranberry orange, pumpkin pancake, bacon Swiss, or Old Bay and cheddar and beyond. Top it off with cake batter, roasted jalapeno or strawberry schmear for the ultimate bagel adventure. Wake Forest & Rolesville (Raleigh coming soon!), @jeffsbagelrun
From Queens With Love Straight from (you guessed it) Queens, the weekend pop-up kettle-boils its rounds in NYC, then wood-fires them at V Pizza and Veloce Italian Market. The result? A golden-crisp crust with chewy center in classic flaves (plain, everything, poppy seed, cinnamon raisin). Add cream cheese of choice and fuhgeddaboudit! Northwest Raleigh, DTR & Cary, @fqwlbagels
Big Dom’s Bagel Shop From the creators of Faulisi Caffé & Enoteca (formerly Pizzeria Faulisi) comes another carb obsession. Rolled by hand, boiled in sweetened water, then baked for that dense, crispy finish—ideal for slathering up with your pick from a handful of cream cheeses (the scallion’s a fave) or building the breakfast/lunch sammy that’ll live in your head rent-free. Cary, @bigdomsbagelshop
NY Bagels Deli & Cafe Not to be confused with the Cary counterpart, this Raleigh cafe cranks bagels in every flavor op imaginable—French toast, chocolate chip, garlic-sesame, sun-dried tomato, jalapeno and beyond—topped sweet or savory with butter, cream cheese, PB&J, lox, or egg/cheese/meat. Simple? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. Northeast Raleigh, nybagelsnc.com
In Capulet’s sea of divine cocktails, its houseblend gin shines.
The Exchange’s highly anticipated Capulet Cocktail Club recently bowed with a bang, instantly winning over Raleighites with well-balanced cocktails from mixology mastermind Zack Thomas. But beyond the menu’s celestial lineup lies an off-menu gem deserving of its own spotlight. Enter Capulet’s houseblended gin, forming the backbone of many of the ornate Italian-inspired destination’s signature gin-based ’tails.
Like a restaurant’s housemade oil or spice mix—designed to bring balance across dishes—Thomas’ custom concoction combines three of the Capulet crew’s favorite bottles: Conniption Navy Strength and two that remain under wraps. He hints that one leans heavily juniper, while the other brings a brighter citrus profile into the mix.
Altogether, the resulting house gin is “layered, expressive and resilient… balancing citrus lift, botanical depth and proof-driven structure—and performing consistently across stirred and shaken drinks,” he says. No stranger to the gin game, Thomas pulled inspo from his days of blind-tasting the spirit, tuning his palate to how different flavor indicators and styles behave when stirred and served up, or shaken with citrus.
While some bars blend rums for Tiki or tropical cocktails, blending gins is far less common, says Thomas—and allows Capulet to make its spirit a deliberate expression and not just a single-bottle default. “We wanted to do it for our house identity,” he explains. “It tastes like us and not like a brand [patrons] have had somewhere else before… appealing to all cocktails and giving us a unique expression of the spirit.”
Giving the already notable cocktails a further leg up, the house blend features prominently in standout sippers like the Quattro Bianchi—a 1980s-era Long Island Iced Tea riff layering gin with rum, tequila, Cointreau and tart soda—as well as the Ghost Light, a floral gin martini with Luxardo and jasmine, plus standards such as a Negroni or G&T.
A defining detail in Capulet’s already buzzy cocktail menu, the one-of-a-kind gin blend doesn’t just raise the bar—it underscores the team’s commitment to making every pour unmistakably its own. And the proof is in the glass.
It’s crazy the difference a period and exclamation point can make—and how each may be perceived differently from person to person. Before texting turned punctuation into a personality test, an exclamation point was just a marker for excitement, and a period simply signified the end of a sentence. But thanks to today’s texting and email culture—plus a healthy dose of generational differences—it’s all up for interpretation. And suddenly, simple punctuation has become an emotional landmine, with the potential for being wildly misread.
Context, of course, is everything—but as shorthand texting has become de rigueur, periods are seen by many as making a serious statement.
“If you use a period, I assume you’re very upset and our relationship is on the line,” says a local Gen Z. “I will be freaking out until you respond better—or I am walking into traffic.” Gen X concurs: “If I send short, direct sentences with periods, it probably isn’t friendly.” But a Xennial maintains periods don’t offend them.
As for the fun-loving exclamation point, its status has shifted from enthusiasm to alarm—depending on who’s doing the typing (and receiving). “If a Boomer or older Gen X sends the exclamation point on a text that’s like ‘I’m coming!’ or ‘Doing it now!’ it reads like they’re yelling at me,” says the Xennial. The Z’er, meanwhile, insists the punctuation is still positive (read: cheering, not yelling)—which is exactly the problem.
So before you spiral over a single dot or stray exclamation, read the room—or at least the age bracket. And sometimes, a period is just a period. Key word: sometimes.
Nearly seven years after the chicken sandwich wars set the internet ablaze, a new poultry-fueled discourse has entered the chat—this time, right here in Raleigh.
Over the past six months, not one, but three fast-casual chicken finger chains have landed around town, with Dave’s Hot Chicken, Guthrie’s and Raising Cane’s opening local outposts—joining an already crowded field that includes KFC, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A and Bojangles. And the flock isn’t done growing yet: Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings is also staging a “coop.”
Raleigh’s craving for chicken is nothing new. Long before LA-based Raising Cane’s opened its first City of Oaks hutch, locals were already swarming to Chapel Hill for the brand’s cult-fave chicken fingers and famous Cane’s Sauce—a meal propelled to viral status by celebs and influencers alike.
So when the Raleigh spot was teased—and then delayed—anticipation grew to a fever pitch. When doors finally opened in February, lines stretched around the block, with some die-hards even camping out overnight to be among the first inside.
“We’re always looking for vibrant communities where we can make a meaningful impact, and the Raleigh community fits that description,” says Raising Cane’s Area Leader of Restaurants Bobbi Frye. “People here value quality, community and great food—and we really believe Raising Cane’s continues to make a fantastic addition.”
For Regency Centers, which owns and operates Midtown East, Dave’s Hot Chicken was an easy swap for the former BB’s Crispy Chicken. “Their energy, brand recognition and loyal following make them a perfect fit,” says Regency Centers Senior Vice President and Senior Market Officer Nate Smith.
Beyond satisfying what was once an out-of-reach itch, the influx of fast-casual chicken chains signals something bigger: Big-name national brands see Raleigh as worth betting on. Alabama-based Guthrie’s Wake Forest Road poultry run is the first in North Carolina, while Raising Cane’s Hillsborough Street spot across from NC State marks its third in the state.
“We knew it was the right time and Raleigh was the right fit,” emphasizes Frye, teasing more locales across the state. Judging by the crowds—and the cult-level enthusiasm—Raleigh clearly agrees. The chicken hype is real.
