WEB EXCLUSIVE When COVID-19 initially shut down restaurants in March, most either closed temporarily—or, in some cases, permanently–switched to to-go or delivery, or started selling grocery items rather than meals. Nunizo Scordo, on the other hand, decided to flip his restaurant concept completely, changing Driftwood Southern Kitchen + Bar to Driftwood Cantina, a Mexican-inspired restaurant and bar.
Scordo says that, had it not been for a PPP loan and the meals his team was preparing for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Driftwood would most likely have had to close permanently due to lack of income. When phase 2 came around and Driftwood was gearing up to reopen, Scordo talked to his managers about relaunching as something different. “I was like, ‘If we’re going to do this, let’s just start from scratch,'” Scordo says. “Let’s do something that we really think is going to work, something that’s fun, affordable and packages well.”
Scordo had been contemplating the idea for a Mexican concept for a little over a year now. He says Southern food became overplayed here in Raleigh and he didn’t find it interesting anymore; every Southern restaurant had the same menu of fried chicken and Southern-inspired brunches.
With Driftwood closed due to coronavirus, Scordo saw the perfect opportunity to see out his idea for a Mexican restaurant. He thought a new kind of restaurant would reinvigorate his employees after they’d been out of work for so long, and that Mexican food would attract customers already trekking to Lafayette Village for burgers and Italian.
Scordo revamped the originally neutral-toned space into a colorful, tropical-themed restaurant complete with fun murals by local artist Sean Kernick. He also closed off the open kitchen and added a huge pergola outside that increased seating from 30 seats to 70.
The bright colors and renewed energy set the tone for excellent Mexican food, which Scordo says is unlike offerings at any other Mexican restaurant in Raleigh. Think yucca fries, esquites and tacos loaded with braised lamb barbacoa, pulled confit duck leg, grilled chipotle adobo marinated shrimp and more. “We’re doing things the way they’re done in Mexico and give it our own stamp,” says Scordo.
The main thing that sets Driftwood Cantina apart from the rest, however, are the house made tortillas, which Scordo and his team prepare everyday at exactly 4 p.m. Soon, the restaurant will have a wet stone grinder—they’re currently having it made in Mexico—that will allow them to carry out the nixtamlization process of grinding corn down to masa for tortilla making. “What you’re going to get is a tortilla like you’ve never had before because it tastes like you’re eating fresh corn,” Scordo explains. “Our tortillas right now are really good because we make them and we’ve got it down to an exact science, but once we starting doing [nixtamalization], it’s a whole different ball game.”
Scordo will source five different varieties of heirloom corn from Oaxaca. Additionally, he shops at local Latino grocery stores in Raleigh and Durham for many of the specialty ingredients used in dishes that comprise the rest of the menu.
Scordo has made the most out of an unfortunate situation, creating a refreshing concept highlighting Mexican food and culture in a significant way within a fun, energetic environment. “In history when things like this happen, people either roll over or they reinvent themselves,” says Scordo. “For me, I took what I knew and flipped it on its head. This was a time for reinvention.”
Angus Barn’s 60th anniversary celebration this year will look different from birthdays past.
There won’t be the crowds, the bands, the explosion of paraphernalia. Instead, there will be a smaller, quieter gathering, if allowed, with loyal customers celebrating what they love most about the Angus Barn—its sense of family.
“[It] will be low-key, not to say we still couldn’t throw a party later,” says owner Van Eure, whose father, Thad Eure, co-founded Angus Barn along with Charles Winston in 1960. “We’ll have some kind of gift or memento for our guests. It won’t be the big blowout, but that’s okay.”
Eure will post pictures and memories to social media celebrating Angus Barn’s legacy for everyone to enjoy; she realizes it’s not the same but says she still feels like everyone will be able to celebrate in their own way.
“Instead of being sad we can’t do a big thing, I’m grateful our restaurant will still be okay for our 60th,” Eure says. “It’s priceless for me that we are just able to be here. I’m thankful we have a place to come to that has survived [so much].”
Angus Barn, like other restaurants, has had to adjust to a different way of operating. Curbside service is its new normal, running every day from 4 to 8 p.m. with a limited menu. Restaurant staff works to include personal touches such as cheese and crackers and the traditional apples.
“We tried to include little things they would have normally gotten with their meal,” Eure says. “If it is a birthday, we give them a birthday cake. We tape candles on the outside of the [container]. We’ve gotten better and better at to-go, we’re really good at it now.”
While curbside service isn’t a money maker for Angus Barn, it is a way to serve the public and keep employees inspired and coming to work.
“We sent out an email and asked who felt comfortable coming in and 100 people signed up to do anything we needed,” Eure says. “I mean they are on their hands and knees scrubbing floors and walls. They cared about the restaurant so much that they wanted to help get it ready for opening.”
It’s this attitude that has created the “Angus Barn family.” Since the dining room closed, Eure says the employees were first priority. From making a big dinner for workers to pick up to share with their families to making sure managers spoke to each employee to verify they were doing OK, Eure is passionate about her relationship with all 356 people she employs.
“I didn’t want a single person to be struggling and we didn’t know it,” Eure says. “We did find several in pretty desperate need and we were able to take care of them, whether medication or a visit or something else. Without these employees that have been here for us, we’re nothing.”
Angus Barn
In this way, the apple doesn’t fall far from the Eure tree. Thad Eure taught his daughter how to hire good workers and, in turn, to listen to what they have to say. He also taught her to take care of them in times of trouble. In fact, when Angus Barn burned down in 1964, all but three returned to work upon its reopening. Eure recalls watching the fire and its aftermath.
“I reach back into my mind to remember how my parents handled it,” she says. “The first thing I watched my dad do was to put out lights so they could work through the night to rebuild. He wasn’t sitting there crying and putting his head down. The first concern was about employees. The next concern is about the guests.”
Eure says she understands that when she reopens, things will have to change. Crowds of people can’t wait in the lounge so guests waiting in their cars for tables will likely have to be summoned by pagers. Partitions are up already and half of the tables have already been removed from every dining room. Sadly, children will no longer be allowed into the kitchen to make ice cream sundaes.
“Everything is completely opposite from how we’re used to operating,” Eure says. “It’s going to be a mindset change. We’re still going to be doing to-go because we can only open at [limited] capacity and a lot of people may not feel comfortable coming in for dinner yet.”
Moving forward will be gradual, especially with the uncertainty around rules related to the pandemic. But Eure and her staff have taken the highs and lows of 60 years in the business for strength and inspiration.
While closed to the public, the Angus Barn has undergone a renovation to replace old floors and fixtures. As she was cleaning out one of the Angus Barn attics recently, Eure found a treasure trove from the past, items her parents had stored up there for decades she otherwise would never have known about, including a whole box of her mother’s recipes.
Eure says she plans to share some items on social media for the 60th anniversary. She admits she can only sort through two boxes a day because of the emotion involved.
“[My mom] and my dad were the ones who put together Angus Barn sauces, dressings and desserts and I found all of her recipes,” Eure says. “One of the chefs and I thought we’d start making one [dish] a week for her, and during our 60th year, have a wine cellar dinner with all of Alice Eure’s recipes. That’s been great.”
In an ideal world, chef Kenny Gilbert would be putting the finishing touches on his new north Raleigh restaurant Cut & Gather. Instead, he’s cooking $10 meals in a friend’s restaurant kitchen, supporting his community while keeping tabs on construction of the new spot. “The pizza oven is installed, the smoker is created and shipping soon and tables are being built,” Gilbert says. “It’s fair to say we will open 30 to 45 days after the state reopens.” Gilbert says he’s relieved his newest project isn’t dependent on income from other restaurants to open, meaning he’s free to keep moving forward with his plans.
We spoke to Gilbert about Cut & Gather’s menu and the dishes he’s enjoyed cooking throughout his life and career. Here are the stories and memories behind some of his favorites.
Cocktail: “Hey Y’all” “One of my favorite cocktails is called ‘Hey Y’all!’ Clean and refreshing with a beautiful rosy color, it’s a great way to introduce moonshine. It’s made with Ole Smoky strawberry moonshine with muddled strawberries, lemon juice, simple syrup and topped with Prosecco, served in a mason jar. You won’t be able to just have one.”
Dish: Fried Chicken “My 24-hour brined fried chicken is always a crowd pleaser. Every stage is important and yes, it does brine for 24 hours; it is seasoned, double dredged and then fried. Afterwards, it is tossed with oil and more seasoning. Every bite is flavorful. I’ve served it to Oprah during the holidays. She really enjoys the sweetness of the honey and the spice from the hot sauce along with crispiness. It’s magical.” The fried chicken is served on a classic Belgium Pearl sugar waffle layered with kumquat marmalade, orange blossom honey butter and a side of Fernandina Beach hot sauce.
Appetizer: Cornbread “Skillet cornbread was the first quick bread I ever made. It celebrates the South. I grew up in Cleveland; my mom was from St. Augustine, Florida so she didn’t cook like other families up north. She used Alaga cane syrup on toast and on lots of other stuff and it’s the syrup I prefer. Alaga is one of the oldest sugarcane farms in the country. It’s located on the border of Alabama and Georgia, hence the name Alaga (Ala + GA).” Skillet cornbread is served with jalapeño cheddar drop biscuits, apple jam, Alaga cane syrup butter and house pickled vegetables.
Dish: Ramen “My Southern Ramen is a very unique preparation. I cooked in Osaka, Japan back in the late ‘90s. There are five main parts to ramen: Dashi, tare, fat, noodles and garnish. I start off by making a smoked ham hock dashi that I call ‘Mothers Milk.’ This is the foundation of this delicious ramen. It takes 12 hours to make it. I find it a great merging of my travels and training plus my Southern roots. I have great memories of debating with my father if I could have the smoked ham hock out of the greens pot. This dish is inspired by those times in my life.”
Dessert: S’Mores “I love S’mores, everything about them reminds me of being a being a Boy Scout, building forts, being a kid. This dish is the adult version of S’mores, with ginger snap cookies—my favorite cookie, especially with a big glass of milk. I could make marshmallows, but why? I love the nostalgia of mini marshmallows that we all remember as a kid. This dish brings back memories of making S’mores during the holidays when my father would be cooking barbecue.” Bittersweet chocolate creme brûlée layered with crushed gingersnap cookies with toasted mini-marshmallows.
Lady Luck opens with a mix of local talent and good fortune.
It’s not a restaurant. It’s not a bar. It’s not a nightclub.
“It’s the best of all of those things,” says Kevin Ruiz, a partner and chef at Lady Luck, the new spot at 222 Glenwood South—former home to Indio and Blue Mango—that’s set to open this month.
Gone are the lackluster orange-hued lights and dark walls of Indian restaurants past, replaced with vibrant teal booths, glowing neon signs and a jungle of greenery hanging from the ceiling. A pair of neon-crowned lions from Glas, a local design studio, greet guests at the entrance’s gold double doors; walking into the space, you just know you’re in for a good time.
Megan Corbally, Balu Torres and Kevin Ruiz | Photo by Andrew Albright, Mainland Creative
That’s what Ruiz and his partners, Balu Torres and Megan Corbally, are aiming for. Inspired by the overall vibe of Miami, Torres asserts that, as well as being fun, Lady Luck has some of Raleigh’s top talent at the helm, including Ruiz as its head chef, Corbally (formerly of The Cortez) as its beverage director, general manager Cat Edman and creative director Hillman Ball (owner of Mainland Creative). The team members are all in their late 20s and early 30s.
“We wanted the best of everything,” says Torres. “I’m very fond of these people and I have so much respect for them. They’re all young and have so much hustle and talent.”
Torres, who opened Viva Mexican Kitchen, Chido Taco and Medusa social club, first reached out to Ruiz and Corbally about the Lady Luck concept last summer. A core driver for the project, he says, was to showcase local talent rather than outsourcing to “celebrity” chefs.
“In reality we have talent here, we just need to support them and show them off,” says Torres. “We’re going to show that locals, we can do that. And that young people in their late 20s can do that.”
Ruiz has been cooking since he was young, starting in his family’s kitchen in Puerto Rico, then at a mom-and-pop pizza place in Cary. Since then, he’s worked as the sous chef at three restaurants in Raleigh, including Raleigh Raw, The Cortez and Wye Hill. Now, he’s excited to open up a place of his own, where he can bring his eclectic approach to food, seen in Spanish-inspired dishes prepared using Southern ingredients—to the forefront. Menu items will include tuna tataki, chorizo meatballs and pork belly empanadas.
Along with the food and atmosphere, Corbally’s cocktails will take on a starring role. At The Cortez, her drinks were known for being brightly colored, creatively decorated, refreshing and delicious. “We’re going to put a spotlight on Megan,” says Torres. When the kitchen closes on weekends, guests will be encouraged to stick around for drinks and dancing; a DJ will bump popular tunes out of a converted pink Ford truck.
The Lady Luck partners competed for the roomy, but historically ill-fated, Glenwood South space, which has sat vacant since 2016, against nine other interested parties. Rather than being wary of its past misadventures, the partners see their securing the spot as fortuitous, a sign that the project was meant to happen.
Lady Luck’s signature ‘fingers crossed’ logo glows in pink neon behind the bar as a reminder to Torres, Ruiz and Corbally that, sometimes, you just get lucky.
“I hope [Lady Luck] becomes a destination, not only for people to come grab food and drinks, but to socialize, create memories and enjoy the experience that we’re curating,” says Ruiz. “For Raleigh, by Raleigh.”
“Sunburn On A Cloudy Day” | Photo by Monarch & Oak Photo
Seared Beef Carpaccio | Photo by Monarch & Oak Photo
Chef Kevin Ruiz | Photo by Monarch & Oak Photo
“Trash Tiki” | Photo by Monarch & Oak Photo
Octopus Salad | Photo by Monarch & Oak Photo
Editor’s note: The original version of this story stated that Balu Torres was involved in the opening of Totopos Street Food & Tequila, among other restaurants in Raleigh. Totopos co-owner and general manager Favian Miranda says, though Torres said he helped open Totopos, he actually had no involvement with the business. Torres sold his stake in Lady Luck following allegations of sexual misconductin July, 2020.
At Rosewater in North Hills, it’s the little things that make up the beauty of the big picture: baskets full of lemons, roses in glass vases on round bistro tables, rose gold light fixtures and plenty of greenery.
Those who remember the Bruegger’s Bagels shop that occupied the space located between the Captrust and Bank of America buildings until 2017 would agree a substantial transformation has taken place. No more is it the generic bakery found in shopping centers and strip malls in cities large and small across the United States. Now, it’s the intimate, American-style bistro, serving Mediterranean small plates and comfort food dishes that Rosewater’s owner, Giorgios Bakatsias, envisioned.
“The space kind of winked at me,” says Bakatsias, a longtime fixture in the local dining scene. We’re sitting on Rosewater’s enclosed patio on a cloudy, rainy day but the space feels warm, like you’re in a greenhouse in wintertime, with its wood-paneled walls, soft lamplight and tall windows. “It was just a beautiful, sleepy garden and I saw it buzzing with energy, the piazza in the center of a community. I fell in love with the building, the architecture, the structure.”
Giorgios Bakatsias; Photo by Jennifer Robertson
Bakatsias, whose Giorgios Hospitality Group also owns Vin Rouge, City Kitchen and Parizade in Durham and Chapel Hill’s Local 22 and Bin 54, personally designs all of his restaurants. This space, too, Bakatsias has made his own.
“I wanted to mix the elements of what allows guests to feel happy,” he explains. “This, to me, felt joyful, whether rainy or sunny. I incorporated wood and elements of art and the right lighting. You feel it’s in this state of golden light, like at nighttime when everything radiates with it. It’s almost like a sunset, constantly.”
When developer John Kane of Kane Realty Corp. decided not to renew the Bruegger’s lease two years ago, he said at the time that he wanted, with this essential piece of real estate, to go in a different direction. Those wary of the chain restaurants and big box stores that often crop up in expensive new developments like North Hills were pleased to learn that the space’s new tenant wouldn’t be another national brand but a local entrepreneur.
Mike Smith
Mike Smith, the president and chief operating officer at Kane Realty, says the company is committed to supporting local restaurateurs and has been working intentionally to create great spaces for them and other local business owners. He points to Rosewater, as well as Coquette and Vivace, as examples of that commitment in North Hills.
Downtown, Luang Prabang, a Laotian concept from the owners of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, will occupy the marquee ninth floor space in The Dillon. And the upcoming Smoky Hollow development on West Street will, Smith says, have “a very targeted focus on local operators,” including local restaurants, bars, cafes, retailers and other business owners.
“There are so many great local chefs and food purveyors in Raleigh and we are trying to create spaces and places in advance for what we believe is the need,” Smith says. “We know there is work that needs to be done together to make it a success. We want to make sure we’re thoughtful in the design as we think through it and try to anticipate what a local restaurateur is able to be.”
Bakatsias says roses signify balance to him, which is why he chose to name his newest restaurant “Rosewater.”
“Balance, whether it’s in food or spirituality, whether in fun and laughter, whatever life chooses to be and how it is, there is always some kind of balance that is necessary. [Here], we want to have this European romance but we spice it up some. I love the aroma of rosewater, but you have to use it in balance.”
Another aspect of life that requires balance? How we choose to build our communities.
“I guess chains are necessary for this community to be successful,” Bakastias says, “but I was delighted that [Kane Realty] was responsible enough to realize that [this space] is a little jewel and they wanted it to be independent. I saw it, we both met and it was like this perfect marriage. I’m excited to see more of this so we can have a balance in the community.”
