Tinsel Tavern is BACK and will be opening this November as an immersive holiday experience. The space will feature an explosion of tinsel and twinkling lights, holiday-inspired cocktails and small bites, several unique photo opportunities and themed holiday events.
Open Thursday, November 12 – Sunday, December 27 | Closed Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26), Closed Christmas Day (Dec. 25)
The world is your oyster indeed at Geo’s. Centered around North Carolina seafood and other familiar tavern fare, the Giorgios Hospitality Group restaurant is led by chef Daniel Jackson, who draws from his experience at Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park to shape the elevated neighborhood gastropub. Start with raw bar offerings like oysters, crab claws or a loaded seafood tower before leaning into the Southern-comfort selects ranging from jalapeno-cheddar hush puppies to the Heritage Farms pork chop and shrimp and grits. Post-meal, settle in for a nightcap at the grand wood bar to cap off a coastal getaway sans the drive east. geostavern.com
Photo by Mariana Morales
Reserve CARY
Indian fine dining is finally getting the local attention it deserves—and Reserve is adding another seat at the table. Rooted in the belief that Indian cuisine belongs among the world’s greatest food cultures, the resto honors tradition while pushing it forward. Inspired by mudra—a sacred hand gesture expressing meaning, balance and intention—the menu from two globally recognized chefs features standouts like tomato-orange sunlit rasa and slow-cooked mountain goat shorba, plus ’tails tailored to complement the seasonally driven plates. The result: a meal that celebrates the depth of Indian cuisine without treating tradition as something static. reservenc.com
Photo by Jenn Dunn
The Arcane Books and Speakeasy CARY
It’s the greatest plot twist ever written: a bookstore that’s also a bar. Tucked inside Cary’s historic Williams House, Arcane pairs page-turners with all-day coffee, craft beer, wine and literary-themed cocktails (read: the Luna Lovegood with dark rum, pineapple and orange blossom). Browse romance, mystery, thrillers, fantasy and classics with a latte in hand—then push through the stacks to reveal a speakeasy hidden behind the bookshelves for a different kind of ~tail~. Order a Shadow Daddy old-fashioned and settle in—or return for best-selling author events, release parties, trivia nights, live music and more. Consider this your invitation to keep turning the page on a new adventure. arcanebookbar.com
Joyfully House APEX
Consider this your warning: You’re not leaving with just a cup of Joe. Sparking joy with a side of retail therapy and Turkish coffee, the downtown Apex social hub, shop and cafe pairs caffeinated bevs with curated goods—from unique jewelry and accessories to gifts and seasonal home decor—while workshops and community gatherings give locals even more reason to make themselves at home. Come for a kitschy fall find, stay for a cuppa and easy conversation—and walk out feeling a little more joyful, natch. joyfullyhouse.com
M Hansik DURHAM
Bring an open mind and an empty stomach to M Hansik, chef Michael Lee’s newest M concept. Built for play but rooted in Korean tradition, the menu gives familiar flavors an imaginative spin: Jjajiang becomes a two-sheet lasagna layered with black bean sauce, minced pork, bechamel and Parmesan, while Korean paella brings together assorted meats, seafood, masago and toasted sesame. And every meal should start with the housemade sourdough paired with signature kongaru and caviar, and end with bingsu, a shaved frozen milk with mango and rice cakes. At M Hansik, heritage is neither forgotten nor rewritten—it’s reimagined, one unexpected plate at a time. @mhansik_durham
Full steam ahead! Once home to a fire department, police station, town court, jail and library—all simultaneously (!)—the century-old landmark is accustomed to wearing many hats, now supporting multiple local businesses. Where food hall meets strip mall, the three-story spot recently transformed into a multitenant space—and it’s definitely on the right track. Start the day with breakfast at Rock & Roll Cafe, browse record stores and beauty shops, take an art class, then head to Crescendo for dinner. The building’s new act is its liveliest yet—with the cinnamon rolls alone worth climbing aboard for. Next stop: East Second Street.
Wake up and smell the coffee. Brews and community are in full bloom at this local microroastery in the heart of historic downtown. With beans from coffee-growing regions across Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and beyond, the shop is committed to sourcing products that are both organic and Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance Certified—all in support of the environment and farmers who make our quiet mornings possible. A vibrant, full-scale exterior mural bursting with birds and florals turns heads before you step through the door, while matcha, specialty lattes and robust pours keep you lingering. Whether you’re dropping in for quick coffee and convo or staying for local baked goods and seasonal sips, locals and visitors alike have plenty of ~grounds~ for gathering.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Bull City’s new entertainment hub is bringing 90K square feet of high-speed fun to the Triangle. The indoor megaplex is packed with climate-controlled electric Superkart courses, a two-story laser tag arena, and Hyperdeck and Hologate virtual reality experiences built for friendly competition—plus a mix of over 150 retro and current arcade games. When it comes time to refuel, Andretti ditches regular concession fare for habanero bacon jam burgers, loaded nachos and chorizo avocado flatbreads—with a full-service bar to boot. Even better? Every lap supports colorectal cancer prevention through the CheckIt4Andretti Foundation, giving playtime a purpose. In it to win it, indeed.
Photo courtesy of Andretti Indoor Karting & Games Durham
Here’s the scoop: The best gelato outside Italy is hiding right in Raleigh’s backyard—and it’s about time you sampled. Husband-and-wife duo Warwick Sheehan and Diana Diaz launched the creamery in 2022 after researching gelato across the country and honing their craft at the famed Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna. The result? National acclaim for a commitment to Italian tradition and use of local flavors, from Homeland Creamery dairy to seasonal fruit from the State Farmers Market. Mainstay flavors like stracciatella and sweet cream are go-tos, while rotating weekly specials such as matcha coconut and labneh Meyer lemon up the wow factor—and for those who are dairy-free, a refreshing lineup of sorbets scratch the itch. The cherry on top? A signature waffle wafer for that extra crunch. Buonissimo!
Bookworms—start digging. After more than a decade of dreaming, former SAS leader Marcie Montague has begun a new chapter downtown—one that brings, well, beautiful things to the city. Named after one of Shakespeare’s greatest—yes, that Juliet—the independent bookstore’s shelves are stocked with bestsellers, staff picks, children’s classics and thoughtful knickknacks showcasing local creatives. And the literary therapy doesn’t stop there. Among Montague’s hopes for the book nook’s future are book clubs, author events, beer and wine service, story times with her dog Maisy—and ultimately giving Cary the happy ending it deserves.
Raleigh hospitality is heading beyond city limits as growth pushes outward.
The suburbs are calling—and Raleigh’s hospitality elite are answering. While the local dining scene has long been anchored Downtown, a growing cast of restaurateurs are looking outward, opening new concepts in the burbs as booming growth and lower costs reshape where—and how—people eat.
It’s a sign of the times—and mirrored across the region, from the housing patterns to restaurant openings—as affordability and interest rates push more residents toward surrounding towns. And restaurateurs are following suit.
Raleigh hospitality maven Scott Crawford tested the suburban waters with Crawford Cookshop in Clayton (since closed), before planting a bigger flag in Cary’s Fenton development with Crawford Brothers Steakhouse in 2024. Restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias brought Naōs Hellenic Cuisine to the growing suburb, while Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana’s Lon Bounsanga also crossed lines to open SAAP in Cary.
“The reality is, for a lot of people, living in Raleigh isn’t financially smart,” says Chris Gass, who previously worked under Crawford before opening Bellow Butcher Co. last year in downtown Wendell with his wife, Lauren. The couple returned to their home state after leaving Nashville and found rent in Wendell to be more reasonable. “We didn’t have to pay anything until we opened,” he adds.
Gass saw the benefits of opening outside of the city from the jump, identifying that Wendell’s core demographic lined up with theirs—and the tight-knit community it offered. The eastern Wake County town is thriving, with new housing pursuits on deck and a planned $350 million work-stay-play project bringing apartments, retail, and industrial and flex space to the area—all just the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come.
But it’s that small-town feel that Gass credits most for Bellow’s early success. “The first month we had people coming in once, twice a week—people make it a point to work us into their rotation,” he says, noting Raleighites still make the trip out as well. “We’re able to cultivate relationships across the counter… and the community really lifts you up out here.”
Atlantic Prime Coastal Kitchen
Meanwhile, Nunzio Scordo, a fixture of the Raleigh restaurant scene (now-closed Driftwood Southern Kitchen and Driftwood Cantina, plus recently bowed Franko’s Prime) has long seen success on the outskirts of the city, having opened popular restaurants Atlantic Prime Coastal Kitchen and Franko’s Italian Steakhouse in Franklinton. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rolesville for Franko’s Trattoria, anticipated to open by the end of April.
“The cost of opening restaurants and doing business is less in these little towns,” he shares—plus “the need is there.” Rolesville is seeing similar momentum, with an up-and-coming mixed-use development serving up apartments; retail; and crowd-pleasing spots like Mezcalito, Lime & Lemon, and just-opened Jeff’s Bagel Run.
“Everyone is following this path because that’s where all the new building is, where all the new homes are going,” adds Scordo. To wit: “We’re doing the same amount of sales we’d be doing in the center of Raleigh.”
As Wake County’s population continues spreading outward, so too does its dining scene. Once considered an afterthought for ambitious up-and-comers, the burbs are quickly becoming Raleigh’s next restaurant frontier—proof that where people live, great food inevitably follows.
Lace up for a race in the name of cystic fibrosis.
If you don’t know Raleigh philanthropist Pete Proimos personally, you definitely know someone who does—or someone who knows someone who does. That’s according to Lewis Lovell, a captain in the Raleigh Fire Department, and Nemanja Savic, former pro golfer turned teacher.
Come December, Lovell and Savic are showing up for Proimos in a big way, running 104.8 miles to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis, a disease Proimos both battles and raises awareness for.
Running four marathons in four days clearly isn’t for everyone, but the community can still support the cause by lacing up for the Lung Run, a fun run chasing a brighter future for CF patients Dec. 14 at Fenton.
Three years ago, Proimos took on a heartfelt venture and founded the Filotimo Foundation, a nonprofit raising awareness and providing resources for people with cystic fibrosis. Named after a kindness-forward Greek philosophy, the foundation revolves around an MO to do what is right, compassionate and generous—no strings attached. Proimos kept his CF diagnosis a secret for most of his life, but a few years into the project, he stopped hiding.
The day Proimos revealed his diagnosis, Savic said he knew something was up. “I don’t think he could have held it in any longer,” reminisces Savic. “We sat down and he said, ‘Okay, so, I’m sick.’”
Around the same time, Lovell and Savic were looking for their next physical challenge. They’d been running together for over a decade—first neighborhood jogs, then full-on marathons. With social media runners as their inspo, they landed on a bold idea: run 100 miles in marathon-sized chunks.
Enter the aforementioned Lung Run, the Filotimo Foundation’s second major event. From Dec. 10–14, Lovell and Savic will tackle a marathon a day, finishing strong with a fun run where locals can hop in for laps—and earn swag along the way. Afterward, the foundation is throwing down in Fenton, with food and drinks, vendors, and a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus and company.
While raising awareness remains top priority, Lovell has a more personal stake going into the Lung Run—to show support for his friend. “At the end of it, Proimos feels like we’re right behind him, that we’re fighting alongside him,” remarks Lovell. Even before race day, the Lung Run is making waves, as partners in Detroit and virtual teams across the country gear up for their own solidarity runs. So strap on your running shoes and gear up to take a lap for CF. filotimofoundation.org
