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
Featured Above: Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria 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
Featured Above: Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria 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
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.
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.
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
Each year, Our State celebrates the very best in North Carolina craftsmanship with the Made in NC Awards. Meet the talented artisans who won top honors in 2022 — and watch them at work.
A Forsyth County chef grew up working in his family’s seafood restaurants, but he dreamed of running a steakhouse. Now, his grill has become a neighborhood staple.