Don’t miss the Twice-Baked Grits Souffle with Wild-and-Exotic-Mushroom Ragôut, Aged Sherry-Mushroom Emulsion and Shaved Confit Foie Gras at Magnolia Grill in Durham.

Magnolia Grill’s iconic twice-baked grits souffle dates to 1987 and, believe it or not, New York City. That’s when that city’s Meals-on-Wheels held a fund-raiser with 14 chefs from all over the country, who brought dishes representing their regions. A panel that included Julia Child, James Beard, and Gael Greene blind-tasted each dish.

“[They] happened to select our grits cake in Chardonnay cream with morels, country ham, and asparagus,” says Ben Barker, co-chef and co-owner with his wife, Karen.
In 2000, when the Grill won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southeast, the twice-baked souffle became the restaurant’s signature grits dish.

Magnolia Grill
1002 Ninth Street, Durham, N.C. 27705
phone: (919) 286-3609
web: magnoliagrill.net