Put ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes. With a flexible spatula, remove strata to
Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria This American-style pizza joint in a converted factory building still has plenty of Italian touches. Try the buffalo mozzarella, along with their own version of the
Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria This American-style pizza joint in a converted factory building still has plenty of Italian touches. Try the buffalo mozzarella, along with their own version of the
Artisan pizza, with its thin crust and cheese that tastes of the woodsmoke in which it was baked, outshines its boxed-and-ready cousins. These five restaurants deliver the traditional Italian version with North Carolina ingredients.
This American-style pizza joint in a converted factory building still has plenty of Italian touches. Try the buffalo mozzarella, along with their own version of the hot honey trend: honey spiced with Calabrian peppers to drizzle on your crust.
In a town that already takes bread seriously, All Souls sets a high bar. In a tiny building that used to be a diner, they grind their own flour, creating a whole-wheat crust with an emphatic chewiness.
Owner Grant Arons is a stickler for details: He brought his ovens (and even his water) from Naples. Here, pizzas are divided into two camps: red sauce and no red sauce. Either way, expect lots of speckles and char on the crust, chewy edges, and a soft center.
2230 Park Road, Suite 101 Charlotte, NC 28203 (704) 900-0929 iniziopizza.com
Gabe Barker, son of Durham restaurant legends Ben and Karen Barker, has set up shop near the Carrboro Farmers Market to make the most of the seasonal ingredients around him. His margherita crust is thinner and crispier than some, and his toppings are adventurous (think mustard greens). There’s an anchovy version, too, for those who crave the salty bits.
The menu is as pared down as the ingredients, with minimalist descriptions — “cremini mushrooms, garlic, fior di latte” — but the simple language belies the complex flavors coaxed out of local ingredients. The antipasti, like the ricotta dumplings with pancetta and pecans, are well worth sampling, too.
105 East Chapel Hill Street Durham, NC 27701 (919) 908-6936 pizzeriatoro.com
For decades, a remote piece of Currituck County has been a respite for wildlife. Now under the protection of conservationists, this land, the waters surrounding it, and the skies above will remain a constant in our coastal circle of life.
On North Carolina’s coast, boardwalks wind alongside our sounds, rivers, and beaches, reminding us that the journey is often just as delightful as the destination.
