A bar can be more than just a place to pop in for a drink. It can serve as a second home—and partners Alex Ricci and Justin Tatnell hope their newly bowed watering hole, the Devereux, is just that. Think of it as a spirited “third place,” aka your home away from home and work.
“Everybody has their bar and that’s their place… and that’s the whole point,” emphasizes Ricci. “That’s actually why they call it bartending—because you’re tending to people’s needs.”
Situated in the now-defunct Pink Boot space on North West Street and trading the tiny weird honky-tonk aesthetic for inspo from the Rainforest Cafe (a vibe, honestly), the duo stripped the space of its kitschy decor, Raleigh relics and pink disco ball-lit bathroom (RIP) and replaced them with red tiles, teal walls, greenery and various pop art.
Nevertheless, Ricci maintains Pink Boot was “our go-to bar,” adding… “One could say we loved Pink Boot and Rainbow Luncheonette so much we bought them,” he says with a laugh. Now, the duo see the newfound space as a chill neighborhood drinking den driven by community. A place that’s “comfortable for everybody,” says Ricci, where regulars can repeatedly return no matter the occasion, and where the bartenders know your name and order. (It’s giving Cheers—and we’re here for it.)
Beyond approachable ’tails, Devereux drinkers can sample fare from adjacent sister restaurant Prospects, NTM a late-night menu—starting at 10pm—of mac and cheeses, burgers, sandwiches, and the like.
“Every single one of our friends and peers has shown up and given influence and helped cultivate this thing along the way,” maintains Ricci. “Justin and I weren’t the only ones who helped create this vision.” And, now, Raleighites can see that vision through. @devereuxbarnc
Take everything you know about “traditional” pasta and throw it out the window. As you likely know, a refreshing new pasta concept is twirling into the former Humble Pie space in early 2024. Now, we have a first look at Figulina’s tasty menu and additional details on the restaurant, opening at the hands of former Poole’s Diner chef de cuisine David Ellis, along with his wife, Sam, and CDC Dylan Shook, who also worked with him at Poole’s.
While the menu will feature some of your classics—done really well, naturally—like a super-comforting Bolognese, the highlight of the menu will be less-common pasta types you may not have heard of. Think rotolo, in which the fillings are rolled up in pasta sheets and baked in the oven; and corzetti, which Ellis makes with a white wine-based dough flavored with pimentón (a type of paprika) and Old Bay—a nod to the South—that’s cut into circles and imprinted with different designs using a special stamp.
Local ingredients will be prominent throughout the entire menu, which, in addition to six or seven pastas, will also include lighter fare like crudos, charcuterie and salads. Because, you know, balance. A large full-service bar will serve up wine, beer and simple cocktails incorporating local elements as well.
Having worked at Poole’s for four years, Ellis is well-versed in cooking with local ingredients, and pasta will serve as the ultimate vessel for showcasing the state’s harvest. Before that, the Stoke-on-Trent, England-born chef proprietor also honed his pasta-making skills working in kitchens across the world—from England to France to New Zealand and Australia.
It wasn’t until the pandemic, however, that making pasta became a “new obsession,” says Ellis. And having always wanted to open a restaurant, going with a pasta concept just made sense at the time. “There is a small pasta scene in Raleigh, but I felt there was space for a fresh handmade pasta restaurant,” he adds. “There seems to be a little bit of a pasta buzz right now and we hope that people will be excited by what we bring to the table.”
But Figulina is guaranteed to stand out from the rest. In addition to an extraordinary menu, the restaurant will also feature an on-display pasta production room, where guests will be able to see the pasta being rolled and cut into shapes, and a provisions aspect that will start small and eventually grow to offer take-home pasta kits, dry and fresh pasta, sauces, and the like.
Additionally, Ellis and his team envision Figulina will grow and evolve as a whole over time. “We have so many ideas,” says Sam, who created the branding for the restaurant. “We look forward to growing into the space and bringing all those ideas to life.” In the meantime, prepare yourself for a world of new pasta-bilities (!). @figulina.raleigh
Alex Ricci’s Prospects restaurant to serve up good eats and drinks for Raleighites—by Raleighites.
When the opportunity arrived for Alex Ricci to open his own restaurant in Raleigh, he naturally tapped residents to help him build the menu—think friends, influencers, fellow chefs and other “people who have really impacted both me and the food scene here,” he says.
That concept, Prospects Craft Kitchen & Cocktail Bar, is opening in the former Rainbow Luncheonette space on North West Street in December, but will evolve as Ricci continues to query guests for featured rotating dishes.
“I’ve written tons of menus, but I’ve never really thought about what my guests want and what dishes mean something to them,” elaborates Ricci. “So instead of having a chef-driven concept, it’ll be a guest-driven concept.”
The menu features Ricci’s elevated takes of those inspired, nostalgic dishes, like a Puerto Rican-inspired pork dish—a nod to his mom; and a steak dinner as an ode to Rainbow Luncheonette, with $5 from every one sold going to late Rainbow employee Tyler McDavid’s daughter’s college fund. Meanwhile, the bev menu features cocktails, boozy milkshakes and beer.
Adding a super-late-night option to the city relatively lacking one, Prospects will serve food until 3am Thursday through Saturday. NTM the longest (and latest) brunch in the city (!)—11am to 6pm on Sundays—to ensure industry folk can still get a hearty weekend breakfast in, even if they worked a brunch shift elsewhere that day.
To further encourage communication and relationships between Ricci and guests, an open layout ensures patrons will feel like they’re eating at his own home kitchen. And while the signature rainbow floors remain, Ricci enlivened the space with hydroponic gardens, spice racks and cool commissioned pieces from local artist Cassie Ott. … Peep the black-and-white painting of Anthony Bourdain that looks down at the chef as he prepares food in the kitchen. And look out for an alfresco parklet to connect Prospects to sister bar The Devereux, opening by the end of the year. @prospectsnc
LM Restaurants to reinvigorate North Carolina’s Main Street with new restaurant
Finally—Fayetteville Street has found its (tasty) linchpin for the revitalization our city’s core has yearned for. A concept over a year in the making, LM Restaurant’s full-service yet-to-be-named restaurant in partnership with Highwoods will bow on the first floor of the 150 Fayetteville building this spring with a focus on “those who live, who work—and the extended community of people who come Downtown for the nightlife,” says LM President Amber Moshakos.
First teased in our Fayetteville Street update last summer, the all-day restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night bites with a focus on homemade American food that celebrates North Carolina. Easing the transition from day to evening will be a breakfast bar with pastries, espresso and other to-go items in the morning that, by night, will convert to a romantic nook with dessert and Champagne.
Diners will have the option to partake inside or on the patio for an alfresco affair, or at the inside/outside bar. The outdoor area will also play host to live music, with additional plans for a national artist to help activate the space.
“Last year, Highwoods moved our headquarters Downtown to be a deliberate part of the good things going on at the heart of our region,” says Highwoods Senior Vice President and Market Leader Skip Hill. “We wanted to create a place at Downtown’s ‘main and main’ that served those in suits and sneakers throughout the day, week and year—and we could not imagine a better partner in Amber and her team at LM Restaurants to make this happen.”
LM VP of Brand Strategy Katherine Goldfaden describes the eatery as “polished casual—from suits to sneakers,” all will feel comfortable. “Not many people are from Raleigh anymore, but here everyone in Raleigh can be a local,” she adds.
Opening in this particular building is a natural fit for the hospitality group as “we have revitalization projects at the core of LM,” says Amber. Take Taverna Agora, or Vidrio—which was an empty building LM co-founder Lou Moshakos bought in 2008 when that end of Glenwood was otherwise void of F&B concepts. “Restaurants are the anchor in revitalizing and building community,” Amber emphasizes.
In fact, LM is so committed to DTR that the group has their eyes on yet another property. “We’re looking to invest in this area because we believe in it,” maintains Amber. And we believe it’s going to be a game-changer for the area.
EXCLUSIVE:Poole’s Diner chef de cuisine David Ellis opening new restaurant in Humble Pie space
Following Humble Pie’s announcement that it’s closing its doors after 30 years of service, the first question on everyone’s minds was: What’s going to open in its place? Well, we have your answer. Figulina: Pasta and Provisions, a pastacentric restaurant by former Poole’s Diner chef de cuisine David Ellis, will be opening in the space in December/January. Finally, some good news for Downtown Raleigh.
Not your classic Italian concept (you won’t find any cacio e pepe here, says Ellis), Figulina will use pasta as a vessel to highlight North Carolina ingredients from local farming and fishing communities—with a touch of Southern flair, naturally. In turn, the menu will be created around the seasons. “We’re kind of just going to have a bit of fun with it,” says Ellis. “At the same time, you may see a tagliatelle Bolognese.”
Like a lot of people, Ellis especially got into making and eating pasta during the pandemic. He’s also worked with pasta over his years as a chef. The English Stoke-on-Trent native honed his culinary skills across the world before coming to the U.S. in 2019 and landing a job with Ashley Christensen shortly thereafter.
“As I was getting my concept together, [pasta] just felt right,” Ellis maintains. “This is what’s making me excited right now. … And I thought it would bring something different to the table. I’m still having a lot of fun making pasta.”
Ellis, who previously lived around the corner from Humble Pie and would walk there to eat with his wife on multiple occasions, realizes he has big shoes to fill. “The food was really approachable—we loved hanging out on the patio,” he muses. “We’re excited to go into the space now and do our own thing with it.”
Renovations will be very slight—think a new coat of paint and a freshening up of the existing furniture, with further upgrades over time. Additionally, Ellis will incorporate myriad pottery into the restaurant, a nod to his pottery-famed hometown and the name, which translates to “pottery work” and “to shape or form”—also relevant given the manipulation of pasta dough that will take place within the pasta production room and be visible to guests.
Figulina will also feature a small retail section with provisions like cookbooks, dry pasta and tinned fish, with plans to expand and include offerings like fresh pasta and sauces. Group classes and events are another goal for the future.
“I am so honored that [David] spent time with us growing and leading Poole’s kitchen,” says Christensen of Ellis opening his own restaurant, “and it has been a tremendous joy to witness his very thoughtful approach to Figulina. I am also beyond excited to see another independent restaurant set roots in Downtown Raleigh.” Forks up!
