Calling all cheese aficionados! A slew of Gouda cheese-y Qs to snack on.
“Do you like cheese? Why, yes, I do.” And whether or not your fave is Gouda like Viola—er, Sebastian?—in She’s the Man, we rounded up some sharp trivia all about the local cheese scene to top (had to) our best-of burger content. We swiss you the best of luck!
Feelin’ board? Grazin’ Gals is run by food/hostess guru Carolyn Mundorf, who left her job in which sector to follow her creative charcuterie biz dreams? a. Tech b. Real estate c. Hospitality d. Marketing
With vibes that are anything but cheesy, Vita Vite touts art, wine and charcuterie (natch) for a hangout spot where you can relax, socialize or unwind as you sip and snack. From what city does its delish cheese straws hail? a. Wilmington b. Asheville c. Savannah d. Columbus, GA
All a-board! Barcelona Wine Bar feats a treasure of tasty tapas reminiscent of Mediterranean, Spanish and South American flavors—including gobs of cheese ops, of course. In how many states can you find this delish and welcoming wine bar/resto? a. 10 b. 11 c. 12 d. 13
It ain’t easy being cheesy. The Cheese Shop offers sharp skills in cut-to-order cheeses, meats and other gobbleworthy goodies. In which Downtown Carrboro bar is thi sup spot located? a. Glasshalfull b. The Station c. Bowbarr d. Belltree Cocktail Club
The first full-service locally conceived and owned restaurant to drop in Smoky Hollow, Madre will offer cheese board selects to whet or sate those cravings. Which Raleigh sup spot is co-owner Tyler Helikson also behind? a. Happy + Hale b. Barcelona Wine Bar c. Tazza Kitchen d. Layered Croissanterie
Nothing can get cheddar than this! Boxcarr Handmade Cheese offers “artisan cheese handmade with love” via sibs and biz partners Samantha and Austin Genke. What year did the fam first establish their cheesy endeavor? a. 2012 b. 2013 c. 2014 d. 2015
Let’s get shredded. Raleigh Cheesy believes the best way to celebrate significant life events is through cheese (we concur!). What was founder Courtney Bowman’s job before going full-send into the cheese scene? a. Waitress b. Pharmacist c. Teacher d. Lawyer
How legen-dairy. Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar boasts oodles of cheesy delights on its menu—from macaroni and cheese to grilled cheese to cheese fries. (How’s that for Southern comfort food?!) What’s the name of the resto’s sister concept/board game cafe? a. Got Games? b. Stay Board c. The Kitchen Table d. Board Games at Relish
Tastefully, yours. Ladyfingers adds a tasteful touch to both your extravagant affairs and modest mixers (the pimento cheese is always a must). Since what year has this fam-owned business been on the scene? a. 1975 b. 1985 c. 1995 d. 2005
A first look at upcoming Gateway Plaza concepts via a supergroup of Raleigh restaurant vets
As anyone in the restaurant industry will tell you, things never go exactly according to plan.
When Angela Salamanca and Marshall Davis opened Ex-Voto inside the Durham Food Hall, the intention had always been to nixtamalize their own corn. The time-intensive, traditional approach to prepping corn and turning it into masa was supposed to be the signature element of their joint project, allowing them to churn out high-quality tortillas, tamales and other products by hand in-house. Instead, their opening aligned with the onset of the pandemic, and Ex-Voto became known for its bounty of thick crunchwraps sealed with melted hoop cheese. It’s one of the single best dishes you can order anywhere in the Triangle, but this wasn’t what they’d set out to accomplish.
“Some of what is going to happen at Mala Pata is a continuation of what we really wanted to do at Ex-Voto that we weren’t really ever able to do once we got in the space,” says Salamanca, who also owns Centro and Gallo Pelón in DTR and lives near Gateway. “There was this unfulfilled desire of, ‘This is something we really want to do.’”
The restaurant’s name is a nod to that journey. Mala Pata—or “bad luck” in Spanish—is a playful reference to the challenging start for Ex-Voto and food hall neighbor Locals Seafood. Two industry vets from Locals—Eric Montagne and Zack Gragg—are partnering on the venture too, ensuring a heavy dose of fresh seafood on the menu. The rest of Mala Pata’s name, molino & cocina, means “corn mill and kitchen.”
In addition to “really good fish tacos,” the menu will “take traditional methods and play with them a bit,” offering ingredients and dishes inspired by flavors from across Latin America, says Davis. The owners are optimistic they’ll open before the end of the year, but they know all too well nothing is a given.
In at least one aspect, Mala Pata will mirror Salamanca’s success at Centro and mezcaleria Gallo Pelón, pairing the restaurant with a neighboring bar. The partners are adding a “come-as-you-are” cantina next door called Peyote Mini-Mercado, which will function as a late-night mezcal bar and grab-and-go joint, in addition to serving as Mala Pata’s service bar. Down the road, Mala Pata’s back of house will also include a ghost kitchen for pop-ups and other fun stuff, but the owners are keeping its name under wraps for now.
It won’t be Ex-Voto though, and that’s partly because Salamanca and Davis are in the final stages of nailing down a spot “near Longleaf Swine” to bring the hit concept to Raleigh. Their target opening is next spring (!).
In the meantime, the business partners are still figuring out the exact vibe of Mala Pata and Peyote. In a group text, they send a jumbled range of inspirational ideas and styles. The strongest influences may be Austin’s Nixta Taqueria; Florida’s Taquiza; and a mélange of places in Oaxaca, Mexico, and market stalls in Mexico City ranging from “gluttonous street food to very traditional,” says Davis.
“At the end of the day, that’s what I think we are,” adds Salamanca: “gluttonous people with refined taste.” “We’re hedonists,” Davis throws in with a laugh. And we’re here for it. @malapata.molino
The NCRLA Chef Showdown isn’t just a competition—it’s a platform.
Like a simplified local version of Top Chef, the NCRLA Chef Showdown is a big deal. The annual competition—now in its seventh season—pits chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists and distilleries from across the state against each other to battle it out for the crown of NCRLA Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year and Distillery of the Year.
But let it be known that these aren’t your Ashley Christensen, Vivian Howard or Scott Crawford gourmands. Instead, the Showdown provides a platform for industry peeps on the comeup to stand out, get noticed and make a name for themselves.
Take rising star chef Saif Rahman, NCRLA Chef of the Year in 2021 who returned in 2022 to judge the competition—and hopes to return to judge this year as well. “You get a lot of local media attention,” he says. “[Winning] gives you a platform—but it also helps the chefs to represent North Carolina in a different way versus just in their own restaurants.”
Rahman says winning provided him a career boost, local recognition—and bragging rights, natch. And he’s just one of many local names the comp has bolstered—see also: Asheville’s Steven Goff, 2019 NCRLA Chef of the Year and now the owner and executive chef of Tastee Diner; 2022 NCRLA Chef of the Year Oscar Johnson, co-owner of Jimmy Pearls in Charlotte; and 2022 NCRLA Pastry Chef of the Year Lydia Greene of Machete in Greensboro.
“The Chef Showdown has become the place to showcase the incredible talent of the North Carolina hospitality industry,” says NCRLA President and CEO Lynn Minges. And this year’s competition promises to be fierce—and perhaps the most competitive and star-studded yet—with an elite cast of 62 chefs, 14 pastry chefs, and 18 teams of bartenders and distillers in the mix (the most in any year to date) making their way through the rounds from May to August.
And Raleigh came not just to play—but to win (!)—repping in both strength and numbers in this year’s lineup—from culinary contenders Longleaf Swine BBQ’s chef Marc Russell and Cheeni Indian Food Emporium’s Preeti Waas (hey, 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist!) to mixology contenders Wye Hill’s Zac Rogerson and The Willard’s Jessica Rossabi (also the 2022 Bartender of the Year first runner-up. (See the full list of competitors at raleighmag.com.)
Each preliminary round takes place at community colleges across the state, with Raleigh’s own Wake Tech Community College School of Baking and Pastry Arts hosting July 12. A partner of the Chef Showdown for several years now, the college offers ample room and great equipment for the competitors—NTM “the culinary students are so interested in helping where they can,” says Heidi Billotto, a Charlotte-based restaurant, food and travel writer who conceptualized the Chef Showdown in 2016 and continues to contract with the NCRLA to organize the event.
Only 15 chefs and five pastry chefs will move on to compete in the regional rounds and grand finale—with the final elite six of the highest scoring mixology teams set to shake and stir things up for the public at the grand finale. “I’m proud to say this is our biggest year ever—and it’s going to be spectacular,” adds Billotto. Clearly, this year’s NCRLA Chef Showdown will be one for the books. Grande Finale, open to the public, Aug. 14, The Pavilion at Angus Barn, ncrla.org
These local brick-and-mortar establishments are taking to the streets to deliver their delish eats and drinks on the go.
Samantha Bechtold
Trophy Trailer
If beer on the go is your thing, enter Trophy Brewing Co.’s brand-new mobile bar and taproom (!). Designed with the intention of serving beer more easily at events (you may have seen it at the likes of Brewgaloo, Gettin’ Piggy With It and Raleigh Fashion Fest), the trailer feats five drafts of Trophy beer, as well as wine and draft cocktails made with Young Hearts Distilling liquor, natch. When it’s not rolling around town, you can find it parked at Trophy Maywood serving up bevs to be enjoyed outside on-property. “We always want people to come visit us at the brewery, but we’ll also put out the beacon and have people try our beer and spirits out in the wild,” says Trophy co-owner Chris Powers. Cheers to that! @trophymaywood
Wandering Wolf Food Truck
Schnitzel on the road? Say less. Capital Club 16 is launching a new food truck this month—painted by local treasure/sign painter extraordinaire Joe Giampino of Spclsigns—with beer garden-style fare parallel with its brick-and-mortar menu. Spot it at the likes of Trophy Brewing, Clouds Brewing, R&D Brewing and more ~three days a week to start. “The food truck is a natural step for us to take our show on the road year-round,” says chef/owner Jake Wolf. “We also hope to stir up some synergy with the Wandering Wolf and our restaurant in Downtown.” Prost!@capital_club_16
Foodies of North Raleigh, rejoice! The highly anticipated Che Empanadas outpost next to TheMixx (drinks 🤝 empanadas: perfect pair) on Duraleigh Road has been in the works for awhile now—and is finally open!
The eatery will be primarily positioned as a takeout and catering hub—with a few stools in case empanada enthusiasts need to grab a quick seat (you can bet we’ll be popping a squat!).
This will be the Argentinian nosh spot’s second brick-and-mortar (see also Che Empanadas’s Transfer Co. Food Hall outpost) aside from its uberpopular food truck—and owner Mark Rossbach has high hopes for what his sophomore spot will bring to Northwest Raleigh.
“With the reputation that we’ve built up Downtown, we plan to hit the ground running,” he says of the new sup spot’s upcoming opening.
Rossbach also looks forward to neighboring TheMixx. “The landlords wanted a nice place for people to be able to order food—and it’s part of a general effort to make that a better area,” he shares. “And we’re there for any partnership and events with TheMixx—we’re thrilled to be next to them.”
Empanada eaters can anticipate the same fare they know and love from the DTR location—plus, Rossbach looks forward to more people coming to check out his restaurant and see “what they’re about.”
“We’re excited to be there,” he says. “There’s no other empanadas in the area at all. I think it’s an underserved area in terms of food—and this is an opportunity for someone to come to a local baker.” … We’re stuffed with anticipation!
