Former Pizzeria Mercato sous chef David Peretin recently opened this ode to handcrafted pasta right in the center of Carrboro. The restaurant seats just 18 customers at a time, with a similarly scaled back menu of small plates and pasta to match. Starters are homemade bread, a salad of local lettuces, arancini with a salsa Calabrese, and marinated olives. The real stars of the show are Peretin’s pastas — shapes like spaghetti, bucatini, rigatoni, and gnocchi all made fresh in house. Tesoro is an homage to classic pasta, nothing overly fancy or gimmicky.

The newest star in the Giorgios Bakatsias constellation, Osteria Georgi seems to be part of a renaissance of Italian dining in the Triangle — one that combines a bit from both classic red sauce Italian-American joints and true Italian cuisine. Executive chef Dan Jackson and his team put creative spins on dishes like puttanesca (in this case prepared with a catch of the day and served over Sardinian couscous) and polpette (meatballs, made here with both beef and eggplant and studded with pine nuts). The extensive Italian wine list and possibly one of the largest offerings of Amari in the Triangle are two other great draws.

Anchoring Old East Durham’s small downtown, Rofhiwa is Black-owned coffee shop and bookstore that took over the old East Durham Bake Shop space. Books on a wide range of subjects, all from Black authors, occupy one corner of the colorful space, while the coffee bar serves classic cafe drinks. A rotating selection of pastries and small bites is usually available, and a generous side patio is popular on sunny days.

The shipping-containers-as-shops trend has arrived in the Triangle with Boxyard RTP, in an area not really known as a destination for diners outside of office hours. Boxyard aims to change that, with storefronts (box-fronts?) for an outpost of Durham’s Beyu Caffe, Buzzy Bakes bakery, Wonderpuff cotton candy shop, and the much-anticipated Lawrence BBQ from chef Jake Wood. Future openings include a second location for Fullsteam Brewery, Bulkogi (Korean), Carrburitos, Meat and Graze (cheese and charcuterie), RTP Uncorked (wine bar and shop), and Lagoon Bar (tiki).

Pan-Asian street food collides with all things tiki at this newest offering from chef William d’Auvray and Chapel Hill Restaurant Group. There’s lunch and dinner service, with dishes like barbecued chicken banh mi, chili-fried peanuts, coconut-grilled lamb, and larb tod. The signature Colada BangBang cocktail is made with a charred pineapple-infused Plantation rum.

Baker Andrew Ullom has opened a second location of his beloved bakery in downtown Raleigh, offering some of the same sandwiches, pastries, and breads that have earned Union Special a cult following over the past few years. Recent special offerings include grandma-pizza-like vegan slices topped with a tomato sauce made with sesame and pumpkin seeds, garlic, and citrus, shaved Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, and spelt waffles with raspberry compote, espresso cream, and chocolate streusel. Union Special’s regular offerings of cold and hot sandwiches, pastries, and freshly baked breads are also available.

Billing itself as Downtown Raleigh’s first distillery and restaurant, Young Hearts is the brainchild of the folks behind Trophy Brewing. On the booze side of things Young Hearts is focusing on botanical forward spirits, amari, gins, and more, while the food options include both dinner and late menus. Dinner features small plates and mains like a local pork torchon, beet (yes, beet) bourguignon, and a venison carpaccio. Those staying later can soak up some of that liquor with the late night lasagna, Swedish meatballs, or hoppin’ John croquettes.

They survived the pandemic only to be hit with a fire that forced them to close again, but the team at Raleigh’s St. Roch has finally reopened their doors. The renovated space has a New Orleans gothic cathedral vibe, and chef Sunny Gerhart once again leans on his Louisiana roots for a menu that includes crawfish hushpuppies, alligator bolognese, and of course, plenty of oysters. The signature Tchoupitoulas Street Special comes with 18 freshly shucked oysters, a quarter pound of North Carolina peel ‘n eat shrimp, blue crab claws, and a myriad of fixings. An innovative cocktail list and plenty of seafood-friendly wines are available. The weekend brunch menu features biscuit sandwiches, a Cajun breakfast complete with beignets and boudin balls, and a standout fried oyster hotcake that sees freshly fried oysters atop a fluffy pancake with chili crisp, spicy Creole cane syrup, and whipped ricotta.

LA-based Day and Night Exotic Cereal Bar recently opened its newest location off Falls of Neuse Road in North Raleigh. What exactly is an exotic cereal bar? Well, imagine childhood favorite cereals like Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch transformed into magical bowls and shakes by a Michelin-trained stoner. Those Honey Nut Cheerios become The Beehive -—combined with Honey Bunches of Oats, a roasted almond granola, and drizzle of honey (add milk for a bowl, or turn it into a shake). The Buttercup comes with Cocoa Puffs, Reese’s Cup Cereal, whipped cream, a peanut butter drizzle, and chocolate donut sprinkles. Top it all off with a bacon flight and a cup of a coffee, because why not?