Located in the new South Square development, Apéritif offers an extensive wine and cocktail list that is complemented by a range of snacks, platters, and desserts. A menu of bit sized canapes like the Lyon (Brie, raspberry jam, pecans, and parsley on puff pastry) and the Laguna Beach (whipped goat cheese with sun-dried tomato and lemon zest on cucumber) complements larger charcuterie and cheese boards, and the dessert menu options are designed to pair perfectly with cocktails or wine.

Matt Kelly’s love letter to all things seafood is open — again. After two closures (gas main explosion and a pandemic) Saint James is back with seafood towers, plenty of oysters, and of course the hot baked crab dip. The chowder fries come with Old Bay-seasoned fries, clam chowder, aged white cheddar, and Benton’s bacon. The fried seafood platters, Kelly’s nod towards classic Calabash joints, have also returned, and the raw bar menu is heavy on oysters from across the country. The beverage menu has plenty of seafood-friendly wines plus tiki drinks, sherries, and a party bowl called the Polynesian Paralysis which serves four.

Michelle Vanderwalker and Sean Umstead, the couple behind Kingfisher and Queenburger, partnered with Durham event guru King Kenney to open Queeny’s, a neighborhood grill updated for the 21st century. The menu features crowd-pleasers like nachos, a pork chop sandwich, fried pickles, and a daily blue plate special. The space is intended to be a gathering place for the community, with a coffee bar and podcast studio among some of the additions to the the traditional bar and grill vibe.

After closing the doors to Littler in March 2020 chef Grey Brooks (Jack Tar, Pizzeria Toro) is finally reopening the tiny restaurant with the help of two returnees to North Carolina’s restaurant scene. Chef Elizabeth Murray (most recently at celebrated California eateries Post Ranch Inn and Coi) will collaborate with Brooks on the menu and helm the kitchen, while chef Tanya Matta (a Durham native and recently at Savannah’s the Grey) will take over pastry duties at Littler, as well as Toro and Jack Tar. Diners can expect a return of Littler favorites like the lamb burger, the latkes Benedict, and the shrimp spoonbread, as well as new items on the ever-changing menu.

Ideal’s recently joined Rofhiwa as one of the growing food and drink options in East Durham. The draw here is the bread — baked fresh daily, Ideal’s is only open until it runs out of bread, not what goes inside it. The deli serves both warm and cold sandwiches, with offerings like the Harlem chopped cheese (ground beef, onions, sharp provolone, cherry peppers, and chop sauce) or the roast turkey (turkey, bacon chili basil mayo, provolone, pepperoncini peppers, roasted red peppers, and arugula). They also have a retail and deli section.

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 Buena Vida is the latest restaurant from husband and wife Salvador Alvarez (Chido Tacos, Totopos) and Biridiana Frausto (Fonda Lupita). The vibrant decor hints at an exciting menu, filled with items like Mexican-style sushi, Zarandeado-style fish, and a carne asada steak dish that comes with roasted marrow and is served with a drizzle of tequila that’s been set ablaze. The flare for the dramatic also extends to the cocktail list, making the entire experience endlessly Instagrammable.

After opening during the pandemic as a pop-up and garnering a loyal following, Fine Folk has brought its style of amped up comfort food to a new brick and mortar location on Crabtree Boulevard. The menu is divided into shared plates and mains, with options like a beet Waldorf salad, fried tortellini, mussels en brodo, mushroom stroganoff, and loaded steak frites among the choices.

Food hall meets full-service restaurant at Craften, the brand new establishment from co-founders Max Trujillo (NC F&B Podcast) and Kip Downer. Guests are able to order from all of Craften’s food menus at the same time, rather than splitting up to order from each individual stall. The offerings include Venezuelan, tacos, Italian pasta bowls and sandwiches, and burgers, along with beer, wine, and cocktails. The Knightdale location is the first, with a second Craften planned for Clayton in the near future.