Kinston-based food TV star Vivian Howard never does anything halfway. Her homage to an American-style pizza joint, in a converted factory building, still has plenty of Italian touches, like buffalo mozzarella, along with their own version of the hot honey trend: honey spiced with Calabrian peppers to drizzle on your crust.
206 Greenfield Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 550-2525
vivianhoward.com/bennysbigtime
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.
175 Clingman Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-0169
allsoulspizza.com
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
10620 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
(704) 846-8909
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.
408 West Weaver Street
Carrboro, NC 27510
(919) 967-2277
pizzeriamercatonc.com
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
In North Carolina, spring brings the scent of fresh-cut grass and memories of helping Dad mow the lawn.
Nostalgic burger joints are like time machines, delivering something extra special that keeps us coming back.
This tiny city block in downtown Greensboro once had a gigantic reputation. Not so much for its charbroiled beef patties — though they, too, were plentiful — but for its colorful characters and their wild shenanigans.
In the 1950s, as Americans hit freshly paved roads in shiny new cars during the postwar boom, a new kind of restaurant took shape: the drive-in. From those first thin patties to the elaborate gourmet hamburgers of today, North Carolina has spent the past 80 years making burger history.
