If you thought sandwiches were the most boring lunch op since sliced bread, well, think again. Raleigh’s got sando sanctuaries in droves—boasting all kinds of hot and cold flavor-filled selects piled high with housemade ingredients on freshly baked bread to boot. Think spicy buffalo chicken-stuffed numbers, turkey melts, your go-to ham and cheeses, and even vegan options feat. a rainbow of veggies. In short, your lunch break just leveled up. Here, the sandos you should be noshing on right now.
(ish) delicatessen What to order: Reuben Good ish: found. “Weird sandwiches from weird people” is the MO at this hole-in-the-wall sandwich haven helmed by former Poole’s partner Matt Fern (also a Level 2 certified sommelier!) and boasting Jewish, Italian and Southern influences. Insider intel: Brekkie also slaps. 702 N. Person St.,@ish_delicatessen
Union Special What to order: Grown-up grilled cheese Every sando is ~special~ when featuring Union’s top-notch housebaked bread feat. flour sourced from Graham-based Lindley Mills. Take a sammy scroll on Insta for almost-daily specials—and be sure to grab a pastry for the road, trust us. 2409 Crabtree Blvd., Ste. 102,@unionspecialbread
Southern Craft Sandwiches What to order: Steak and cheese You beefin’? Southern Craft Butchers’ since-revamped full-scale sandwich oasis features the same local beef its longtime fans know and love—making the meat lovers sandos the obvious go-to. So go ham… or beef, chicken, bacon or turkey (!). 8460 Honeycutt Road, Ste. 116, southerncraftsandwiches.com
Eastcut What to order: Chicken Parm Welcome to sandwich utopia! Born from the New Jersey- and Bronx-bred owners’ nostalgia of the delis and sandos of their youth, this Raleigh Iron Works lunchtime mecca boasts traditions from all over the East Coast—alongside craft beer, cider and wine. Pro tip: Always add a side of the housemade mozz sticks. 1101 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Ste. 126, @eastcutsandwich
Alimentari at Left Bank What to order: Tomato jam tigelle They’ve got the meats! … A collab between Mothers & Sons Trattoria chef/owner Josh DeCarolis and Left Bank Butchery, the Transfer Co. Food Hall outpost not only boasts large sandwiches and tigelles (aka Italian sliders), but doubles as a whole animal butchery feat. fresh sausages, bacon and the like. And don’t sleep on the fresh pasta. 500 E. Davie St., @alimentari_at_left_bank
The Panini Co. What to order: Raleigh Rooster Get pressed at this slice of heaven inspired by the restaurant industry’s post-pandemic resilience feat. a pentad of gourmet paninis repping Raleigh. From the chicken-pesto Rooster to the Oak City Hamboree and Carolina Caprese, every bite is made with love—NTM the gourmet charcuterie and those fresh local chocolate-covered strawberries. Morgan Street Food Hall,@thepaninico
Developers craft a dynamic balance of tenants with intention.
“We’re trying to be intentional—instead of just leasing the space to the first person who shows up and says they’re interested.”
So says Highwoods SVP and Raleigh Market Leader Skip Hill of a new wave of competitive—and deliberate—placemaking to ignite energy and create spaces people want to frequent. So, in essence, ushering in a new era of developers shopping for specific concepts to fit the exact vibe they’re seeking, where the “play” component ensures people will want to live, work and hang there.
Local restaurateurs like Matt Bettinger, owner of Cary’s Hank’s Downtown Dive and SideBar, have seen this shift firsthand. “The larger developer scope seems to be more rigid in terms of expectations,” he says. “There’s a lot less flexibility. You’re seeing a lot more, ‘We want coffee service. Or ‘We want this to include cocktails.’”
That’s precisely how it played out for Highwoods’ Charter Square building, where they began scouting an all-day cafe for the former B.GOOD space to entice people back to the office. Enter popular Sir Walter Coffee’s vibey cafe-meets-cocktail bar with a second intentional interior entrance that flows into the lobby.
“It’s not just a one-off disconnected restaurant, it’s a part of the life of that building,” says Hill of the thoughtful approach. “And that building now becomes part of the life of Downtown—because Sir Walter brings community to the area there.” He adds the same goes for Birdie’s, which recently opened—and is already igniting—the opposite end of Fayetteville Street from its perch on the ground floor of Highwoods’ 150 Fayetteville.
Continuing that shift to evoke a specific ethos, the ground floor of Kane Realty Corp.’s highly anticipated Dix Park-proximal Rockway development blends amenities like BK Pilates and Benchwarmers Bagels’ expanded menu of pizzas, sandwiches and cocktails to yield an attractive destination.
Likewise deliberate in their approach, the development team behind DTR mixed-use 400H, including Raleigh’s own HM Partners, sees its ground floor as essential to its success. They passed on a sushi spot for sheer surrounding sushi density, determining Press Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails fit the vibe and operational model for the building, says HM Partners Managing Partner Gregg Sandreuter.
And uptown, Hill is looking to bring a similar curated cast to Crabtree Corridor’s GlenLake via upcoming Wong’s Tacos, Crooked Hammock Brewery and a coffee shop in the works. But “it has to fit,” he emphasizes.
GlenLake photo by Brian Mullins Photography, courtesy of GlenLake
It’s a tango felt on both sides of the concept curation. Bettinger himself got a taste of this approach when he pitched a concept for the former Ladyfingers location in Highpark Village. “We were kind of thinking on our feet. We saw the space and knew we liked it, so we put together what we thought would be a lot of fun,” he says.
But when the lease ultimately went to DC-based Michelin-lauded Timber, Bettinger wasn’t discouraged. “To be honest, it looks great—I think it’s going to be a nice addition,” he emphasizes. “I totally see how, if you own the property and you’ve got a couple people vying for it, you would pick the group saying, ‘We’ve got this system that’s worked up here, and we think it’ll work there.’”
But one rejection isn’t stopping Bettinger. He’s still keeping his ear to the ground waiting on his perfect match. “You’ve got to be OK with hearing ‘this doesn’t fit here’—even if you think it’s a great idea,” he maintains.
While competition is fiercer than ever, it also makes room for more creativity, says Bettinger. “I think it provides challenges,” he adds. “But hopefully it makes for healthy competition.”
Step aside, traditional ramen—a new slurpworthy hot spot is in town. Enter Daijobu, which recently opened in the former Darby bar space on Davie Street from the same team behind City Market Sushi.
Translating to “okay” or “alright” in Japanese, the noodle haven spotlights ramen and hand rolls—in addition to small plates like sesame spinach tofu, truffled edamame, and crispy rice with spicy salmon.
With an MO of challenging the way ramen is presented, the menu boasts Daijobu’s unique takes on classics like tonkatsu (pork broth) and shio (dashi and clear chicken broth) ramen, plus innovative bowls like spicy tan tan ramen. These seriously delish dishes are made with a 12-plus-hour steeped deep rich broth, fresh veggies and roasted meats—think chashu (braised pork belly), chicken chashu and strip loin.
Not to be left out are those hand rolls which feature top-tier proteins like toro, yellowtail, scallops and crab. Opt for a hand roll set to enjoy three, four or five different flavor-packed rolls—because the more the merrier (!). Oh, and don’t skip dessert: The black sesame creme brulee and yuzu lemon sorbet are the perf options to close out a meal.
With its moody, intimate digs—plus a full-service bar pouring sake and spirits—Daijobu makes for an ideal spot to enjoy dinner with friends or fam, or a sultry date night. Not to mention it’s also open for lunch, so you can satisfy those cold-weather cravings all day long. Slurp on!
POV: Your great night out is ruined by a screaming, crying child—whether you don’t have any or paid to keep yours at home. Never mind the mess they may leave in their wake. That’s precisely the driving force behind the controversial emerging restaurant trend: Banning kids.
After New Jersey’s Nettie’s House of Spaghetti’s ban on kids under age 10 went viral last year to global guffaw—taking a cue from Singapore restaurant Angie’s Oyster Bar & Grill’s surcharge for disruptive children added in 2022—restaurants across the country have enacted similar rules.
Brooklyn Italian restaurant Bar Louise has maintained its adults-only MO since bowing in the spring, while Indian fusion restaurant Andaaz, also in New Jersey, banned kids under 5 after 4pm from the get-go, among others.
Locally, a few establishments have—despite the controversy—brazenly jumped on the bandwagon. And for ZincHouse Winery and Brewery, it’s “the best decision we’ve made to date,” emphasizes co-owner Kimberly Tenoever of the 21+ age-restriction policy they implemented after their first year in business.
She explains the decision came in response to a laundry list of unruly child behaviors that, beyond affecting the guest experience, also led to incurred labor and repairs: think sliding down the marble staircase, chalking certain areas of the property, climbing electrical light poles, jumping in the fountain, throwing rocks at the ducks and chickens—to name but a few.
“We discovered early this was not our vision for ZincHouse, as we would have no option but to provide additional supervisory duties in order to keep our farm safe, enjoyable and from turning into an uncontrollable playground,” adds Tenoever. Read: It’s a winery—not a child care facility.
Relatively new-on-the-scene North Hills Indian sensation Tamasha has a similar mindset, having already established a “no kids under 5” sanction—though the restaurant does allow exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
“In an effort to uphold the high standards of service and ambiance our discerning clientele expect and deserve, we offer a child-free dining setting,” maintains co-owners Tina Vora and Mike Kathrani—“and we have found this policy enhances the overall dining experience for all our guests, allowing them to fully savor the moment and create lasting memories.”
Despite the initial backlash following Nettie’s bold ban, the spaghetti house may have actually blazed the trail for a new era in dining. While there’s plenty of discourse around the bans, Tenoever notes ZincHouse’s reviews have been mostly positive—and the couple has even been approached by several other drinking establishments looking for insight for putting similar policies in place. So, is child-free the future of dining? Better have a babysitter on call just in case.
Film director Joanna James premiering A Fine Line documentary in Raleigh
Food not only has the power to connect us, but it fosters personal goals and dreams—and can even play a part in bigger social issues like gender equality. Enter A Fine Line, a doc by film director, producer and writer Joanna Jamespremiering at The Rialto Oct. 8.
The critically acclaimed award-winning documentary explores why less than 7% of head chefs and restaurant owners are women—a staggering statistic—with intriguing perspectives and experiences from world-renowned chefs to boot. Think Dominique Crenn, Lidia Bastianich, April Bloomfield and Barbara Lynch.
The Raleigh event is being hosted by MAPP (Mentorship, Advocacy, Purpose and the Power of Community), which James also founded, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the goal of empowering more women to take on leadership roles—whether in the food and beverage industry or otherwise.
Local chefs and restaurant owners Cheetie Kumar of Ajja, Caroline Morrison of Fiction Kitchen, Sara Abernethy of Wye Hill Hospitality and Morgan Teianne of Flavor Hills will get the chance to share their own insight into the F&B industry during a panel conversation and filmmaker Q&A following a VIP appetizer + wine reception and doc screening.
We chatted with James ahead of the event to talk about her inspo behind the film, where the culinary industry stands as a whole and what to expect from the upcoming evening. eventbrite.com
What prompted you to make A Fine Line?
I made A Fine Line because it was personal to me. I wanted to share my mother’s story, a small-town restaurateur who was on a mission to do what she loved while raising my brother and I—and the odds stacked against her. I soon realized that my mother’s story was universal in that many women across most industries face systemic issues when it comes to getting into leadership. But having a conversation on gender inequality with some of the greatest chefs around food makes it so much more approachable for so many people, which made the film so relevant.
Why did you choose the specific chefs featured in the documentary to include?
It is an elite club of women restaurateurs/chefs who are not only owners, but also operate their businesses. We wanted to feature women who had long track records of success, and each story complemented each other or hit a theme that felt interwoven to the central narrative. I had approached other women as well representing various backgrounds and perspectives, but for whatever reasons some chose not to be part of it, so I am truly so grateful for these incredible women who did decide to be part of this film that ultimately became a rallying call for greater gender equality and representation.
What do you feel is the biggest hurdle for women in the culinary industry?
Years prior the biggest hurdle was going up against a toxic culture of harassment and disrespect where women were simply not valued or taken seriously, and even worse were made to feel less than and to be kept in their place. Today the biggest hurdle is more connected to systemic barriers of less resources for women, whether that’s for child care or access to funding.
How do you feel those hurdles could be eradicated?
We need immediate innovation and investment prioritizing women and families. That is why from a movie came a movement leading to MAPP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to empower more women into leadership through mentorship and advocacy. We know that if we build a strong community uplifting each other and sharing knowledge and information, we all get ahead. Especially when it comes to advocating for affordable child care, paid family leave and access to resources from funding to key introductions.
Why partner with MAPP and host the viewing here in Raleigh?
MAPP believes the most important thing we can do is build community so people learn from each other and prevent making the same mistakes. It is also so important to spotlight women, and, in particular, diverse women who are many times sorely missed in media and awards. Representation matters, so by recognizing Raleigh as a culinary destination connected to female talent, we not only celebrate these incredible women chefs, but we also provide an opportunity for their customers and community to hear directly from them.
What do you hope comes out of the October event?
I hope A Fine Line entertains and enlightens people as to what we can all do to ensure an equal shot at making our dreams come true. We want to provide a delicious event at the iconic Rialto theater with signature bites from some favorite chefs and restaurateurs like Cheetie Kumar of Ajja, Caroline Morrison of Fiction Kitchen and Sara Abernathy of Wye Hill Hospitality. You’ll also get to hear from these community leaders after watching a film that hopefully makes you laugh, cry and open your heart to creating change for good.
