Raleigh - Durham Ranks as a Top Small City for Food Lovers

Raleigh - Durham ranked on the Wall Street Journal's list of Great Small Cities for Food Lovers.

The publication "went looking for six of the most vital contemporary restaurant genres in six markets of varying size, none of which are well known for their dining scenes—yet. What we found was very good eating." A variety of restaurants lead to this ranking, some were featured in the article and are listed below: 

MEAT-CENTRIC GASTROPUB: G2B 
This self-described New American spot in Raleigh delivers the requisite profusion of oysters, charcuterie and in-house nano-brews, but also boasts a two-fisted menu more gastro than pub. g2b-restaurant.com

CHEF-DRIVEN REGIONAL ITALIAN: Nana’s 
A Triangle-area leading light since 1992, Nana’s offers both tasting and à la carte menus equally heavy on luxury ingredients and visually modern plating. nanasdurham.com

ENLARGEA dish at Juju PHOTO: DTOWNPERSPECTIVE

HIPSTER ASIAN MASH-UP: Juju 
If you’re looking for groovy small plates in the Momofuku mold, Juju, younger sibling of popular local Asian-fusion restaurant Jujube, is a great bet. jujudurham.com

MODERN SOUTHERN: Poole’s Downtown Diner 
Open since 2007, Ashley Christensen’s Poole’s Downtown Diner helped create Raleigh’s dining scene—and this whole genre of (“retro-chic”) restaurant. ac-restaurants.com

OLD-SCHOOL BISTRO: Vin Rouge 
The wine program is a standout, as are the seafood towers drawing on North Carolina’s spectacular coastline. vinrougerestaurant.com

NEXT-GENERATION FARM TO TABLE: Piedmont 
Chef Ben Adams applies classical technique to ingredients from North Carolina’s Piedmont region, wowing guests in a small, serene dining room. piedmontrestaurant.com