A local chef is making his debut on Chopped and opening a new Puerto Rican restaurant that will transport Raleighites to the island—all in one week.
Photos by Andrew Albright
Nothing quite compares to the food you grew up eating. For some, it’s your mom’s pancakes on a Sunday morning, gooey mac ’n’ cheese, or homemade soup… but for local chef Kevin Ruiz (formerly of The Rockford and star of Chopped’s most recent episode airing May 10!), it’s the Puerto Rican dishes he enjoyed as a child while living on the island that evoke those halcyon days of youth. And, this week, he’s importing that nostalgia—and those flavors—into his new restaurant, Bendito (fittingly translates to “blessed”), which opens Friday, May 13.
Kevin Ruiz
Opening in the former Hightop Burger at McNeill Pointe—and in partnership with Hillman Ball of Mainland Creative—in a district before now comprised mainly of fast-casual faves (Chido Taco, Frésko Greek Kitchen, Venture Pizza, etc.), Bendito will fill the void of the semiformal sit-down experience the area is lacking.
While his grandma’s recipes served as his inspo, Ruiz will put his own spin on the dishes. “My goal with Bendito is to represent Puerto Rican food—but through my eyes, as somebody who has a lot of experiences in other cuisines and places,” says Ruiz.
Fans of Puerto Rican cuisine will recognize the staples, but Bendito’s fare will also be approachable enough to be inviting and accessible to those who’ve never dabbled in the culture’s cuisine. For starters, there’s the creamy beef tartare, served with a skewer of tostones; papas rellenas (fried stuffed potatoes with chorizo); a half-chicken made with mojo criollo, pineapple hot sauce and orange; empanadas; yucca; and more. Plus mofongo—a super-popular Puerto Rican dish made with fried plantains, but one that will only be served on Sundays (hey, Sunday funday…).
Beyond the bangin’ bites, the bev program will also be island-influenced, incorporating Island of Enchantment faves like passion fruit and guava. “We’re just trying to do really great refreshing drinks that pair well with the food,” says Ruiz. And pina coladas are going to be a go-to—naturally.
Burrata SaladWhole FishYucca
But the visionary victuals are only half of the draw—after all, ambiance is everything. And Bendito’s airy yet dramatic atmosphere and aesthetic is designed to play up Ruiz’s modern approach to Puerto Rican-inspired food and drink even more. Think sexy wallpaper, custom-made pitch-black tables (a playful contrast to the white plates that’ll be totally ’Gram-worthy), and a custom bar by Rebuild Fabrication Co.
“Everything is going to have its own little purpose, and it’s going to be accented very well,” explains Ruiz. “I wanted it to feel like you’re walking into a bar in Downtown San Juan. … It kind of has that fancy feeling to it—but it’s done up and very modern and clean and refreshing at the same time.” Living on island time? Don’t mind if we do. #Blessed, indeed. benditonc.com
Transport your taste buds to Mexico sans passport via the latest authentic sup spot to land on the scene: La Buena Vida, a new resto by Salvador Alvarez (who also owns Chido Taco with Joel Ibarra and other partners, and is married to Sanford’s Fonda Lupita owner Biridiana Frausto—read more on the family legacy on p. 36). Translating to “the good life,” La Buena Vida features vibrant and veritable Mexican flavors that “bring us back to home in Jalisco with a nice family atmosphere and live Mexican music every Saturday and Sunday night.” So, in essence, a party for both your ears and your taste buds. And contrary to your typical Mexican-American or Tex-Mex eateries, La Buena Vida’s menu is composed of nips and sips you may have never even heard of—but once you try ’em, you won’t be able to get enough. Think costras—meaning crust—de ribeye (essentially a crispy cheese-encrusted ribeye on a corn tortilla); seafood molcajete, starring a myriad of seafood in a stone mortar bowl; and the Rosa De Guadalupe, a ’Gram-worthy cocktail made with coconut rum, lavender, grapefruit, lime and cotton candy—aka a drink and dessert in one (!). In addition, all of La Buena Vida’s margs and cocktails are made with fresh juices and unique presentations (obviously). We’ll take one of everything! Living the good life, indeed. @labuenavida_oficial
Preeti Waas is expanding her popular Cheeni concept into a whimsical Indian food emporium.
There’s nothing like Cheeni Indian Food Emporium in Raleigh. Or maybe anywhere.
The new concept from Preeti Waas—scheduled to open in February in northeast Raleigh—is a coalescence of a range of ideas that have been kicking around in the restaurateur and former Wake Take culinary professor’s head for more than two decades. As the name suggests, the emporium’s offerings will be expansive, ranging from a demonstration kitchen to a cafe to a retail space with spices and cookbooks from Indian authors.
“The word emporium is evocative of a store or space that’s filled to the brim with things,” Waas told Raleigh Magazine in an exclusive interview. “You never know what you might find. That’s really what I’m going for.”
This is not your stereotypical Indian lunch buffet where a photo of the Taj Mahal looms over portions of chicken tikka masala and butter chicken. Instead, Cheeni Indian Food Emporium will rotate its menu weekly to highlight the seemingly endless range of regional Indian culinary traditions.
“Indian food has been put into a box, which is so unfortunate because it’s a large subcontinent,” said Waas. “Every 15 miles, you have a new cuisine almost.”
Waas is North Indian but was born and raised in South India. She often runs into preconceived notions about both what Indian food entails and what types of Indian food she excels at cooking. The emporium is a way to avoid being pigeonholed, and to offer an exciting and ever-changing mix of dishes, events and opportunities that she was unable to do at her first cafe, Cheeni Chai + Coffee +Tiffin.
Opened in Downtown Raleigh in late 2019, Cheeni drew enough praise and interest that Waas was quickly able to expand to a second location at the Alexander Family YMCA on Hillsborough Street near NC State. The original spot closed indefinitely at the end of 2021 due to the pandemic, but Waas is open to reviving it in the future.
Cheeni Indian Food Emporium—which will be located near the Falls of Neuse exit on 540—is much larger than Cheeni (just over 2,700 square feet), combining two storefronts that used to house a coffee shop and the Hop Yard (which relocated within the same shopping center). It will build on the success of the existing Cheeni locations, with its snacks, masala chai and Indian filtered coffee. But the emporium will also feature an Indian deli concept, more premade takeout meals and a full dine-in menu as well. And the emporium also boasts a larger commercial kitchen, adding capacity that can support the Hillsborough location too, added Waas.
“Indian regional cuisine is not being touched—at least in our area—at all,” explained Waas.
There will be staples like keema pav, which she likened to “Indian sloppy Joes,” and Cheeni’s popular veg puffs, but Waas hopes people will come ready to try something new. The emporium will also offer cooking demos and events with cookbook authors, kitchen staples from brands like Brooklyn Delhi, and pop-up dinners with chefs like Cheetie Kumar.
Waas is intentionally expanding beyond the center city, opening closer to where her family lives.
“To me, North Raleigh is a food desert, especially when it comes to cuisines that are not mainstream in America,” she said. That’s especially true for her attempts to find quality Indian food nearby. “I would like Americans to know about the various regions of India through its food. I make what I would make at home with my family. I’d like to make their experience personal.” And at the emporium, that dream becomes a reality. cheeniraleigh.com
WEB EXCLUSIVE Bru’s Public House brings elevated food and spirits to Raleigh’s relatively resto/bar void PNC Arena area.
If you live in or around PNC Arena and Carter-Finley (or frequent the area)—then you know. Despite its prominent location and abundance of living ops, the area isn’t exactly teeming with hot spots and cool hangouts. And nary a neat bourbon drink in sight. Until now.
Enter Bru’s Public House, an elevated bar and restaurant that opened in the fall in the former Honest Abe’s space at Wade Park, bringing residents, locals and game-/concertgoers alike a place to post up for a craft cocktail (perhaps a Dark and Stormy before a Canes game?) or bourbon (the space has a dedicated bourbon cocktail menu).
Owner Denise O’Dwyer—who also owns fan fave Cary’s RallyPoint Sport Grill—found the current Bru’s space after searching for several years for a space to open a new dining concept that was a slight step above the sports bar vibe of RallyPoint.
After closing on the space this past June, she and her team embarked on an extensive full gut reno, transforming the pizza and burger joint that was Honest Abe’s into an atmosphere that is both accessible and elevated.
“We were looking for something casual, laid back,” explains O’Dwyer. There was extensive painting, the addition of brick facades, and a complete overhaul of the lighting system in order to achieve the vibe O’Dwyer wanted.
While RallyPoint is explicitly a sports bar, Bru’s combines the best aspects of a pub with a nod to area sports fans, especially given the proximity of PNC Arena and Carter-Finley Stadium. “We’re not really a sports bar,” says O’Dwyer, “but we wanted to be able to show the Hurricanes and the NC State games.”
The menu also reflects the upscale-meets-casual vibe—O’Dwyer notes that one of the most popular items so far has been the short rib sliders, a recipe developed in the kitchen at RallyPoint while Bru’s underwent renovations. The sliders are served with pickled red onions and jalapenos on mini pretzel buns and come three to an order. Other menu highlights include poutine, mozzarella arancini and Bru’s Adult Grilled Cheese, described as “an array of cheeses” between Texas toast, served with tomato bisque. Essentially, childhood nostalgia at its finest.
Now, as O’Dwyer and her team continue to navigate the challenges of opening and running a new restaurant during the pandemic, she remains grateful for the support the Wade Park neighborhood has shown.
“It’s been wonderful,” she says, reflecting on the first few months of the restaurant’s life, noting that the Wade Park neighborhood has been incredibly supportive.
O’Dwyer has plans to expand hours once she can hire the appropriate number of staff, but for now Bru’s is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday (11am–10pm)—and look for the restaurant to open on Sunday’s in the near future.
No matter what hot new eatery descends on DTR, North Raleigh’s Winston’s Grille has stood the test of time—earning its third NCRLA Stars of the Industry Award.
When you think of restaurant buzz, you always think of the new shiny toy so to speak—the hottest new resto or chef or location to hit town. And, lucky for that appetite, Raleigh’s got them in spades. But while we clamor at all the James Beard nods and cool eats and digs we can get, it’s not the up-and-comer that’s turning heads for the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association’s annual awards.
Nope. This year’s NCRLA Stars of the Industry Award for restaurateur of the year lands squarely in the laps of the duo behind Winston’s Grille—our steady standby. Somehow, despite sitting at a busy, awkward North Raleigh intersection—and in the face of every new top chef who comes to town or inspired menu that drops—this city staple has managed to stand head and shoulders above the rest. It’s not just any award, but the NCRLA’s top honor.
There are only a handful of Raleigh restaurants that have been around as long as Winston’s Grille. Opened in 1986 by Charles Winston Jr. and Wil O’Neal, the mainstay has become a Raleigh tradition for date night, family meals, business luncheons and dinners—even as a hot spot post hitting the links at nearby North Ridge Country Club—and everything in between. “We are very flattered to be given this award; we’ve been at this for a long time,” Winston says, humbly. “I guess if you do something long enough, you might get lucky like we have.”
This Stars of the Industry Award marks the third consecutive for Winston’s Grille. Longtime manager Roger Carter, who started at the restaurant as a bartender decades ago, was named 2020’s restaurant manager of the year, and Philip Gomes was named 2019’s NC restaurant employee of the year. Beyond the awards, the sheer loyalty of the resto’s staff (think of how many service industry folks you know who stay loyal to one place for years, much less decades—hey, um, maybe never?) speaks to what Winston and O’Neal have created.
Perhaps it’s a nod to a shared vision and true expertise. Winston, who comes from a long legacy of hospitality service (his father, Charles Winston Sr. was the original co-owner of the Angus Barn), and O’Neal have known each other their whole lives. Their parents were good friends, and Winston says O’Neal was always around his house growing up. “Our family considered him my parents’ third son,” Winston says. The pair became partners when O’Neal was managing one of Winston’s father’s restaurants in Greenville.
The two agree that the secret to longevity in the restaurant industry is having a good partner. “The restaurant business brings a lot of ups and downs,” says Winston. Seconds O’Neal: “We’ve always worked as a team with a foundation made of friendship. We’ve helped carry each other along the way.”
Winston adds that his father’s mentorship, especially in the beginning, was priceless, and the advice he imparted on them has been invaluable. Although his dad passed away earlier this year, Winston says his namesake will continue to influence him both personally and professionally.
… And let’s not ignore the gigantic elephant in the room. This top honor is being dished during a pandemic—when many are struggling to merely survive. Despite being forced to close Winston’s Grille for nearly three months (alongside every other resto in town), the restaurateurs survived and, obviously, thrived.
While making plans to reopen safely and keep patrons satiated, Winston and O’Neal continued to pay and provide benefits for their nearly 100 employees—a perk almost unheard of in the restaurant business. “Most of our employees have been with us for decades—some for 30 years—and we knew we had to take care of them,” Winston says.
Meanwhile, the co-owners adjusted Winston’s business model to utilize its large outdoor space upon reopening in June 2020. Anticipating that guests would prefer to sit outside, the co-owners invested in heaters for its token wraparound covered patio. “Heating an outdoor space as big as ours was a challenge, but it was well worth it,” says O’Neal. “The customers loved it, even throughout the cold, wet winter months, so it has been a great asset.”
Considering the average restaurant in America closes within 10 years—a statistic only exacerbated by the devastating year the pandemic dealt the industry—it is quite remarkable that Winston’s Grille has not only remained a Raleigh fave for patrons for 35 years, but continues to turn industry heads and receive top honors.
The savvy duo’s advice to restaurateurs wanting to open a spot of their own? “Take care of your people—both employees and customers,” says O’Neal. “If you do that, they’ll always come back.”
