Dos Perros and Watts Grocery may seem like odd names for two highly anticipated restaurants opening in Durham later this year. The names of other local favorites like Rue Cler and Piedmont suggest picturesque scenes from Paris or the ambiance of the Italian countryside. Dos Perros, despite its feel-good canine allusions, falls short of offering the same romantic imagery. And Watts Grocery is something of a misnomer, as it is neither on Watts Street nor a grocery store.
Yet the significance behind these quirky names reveals a common thread that in many ways makes these two restaurants quite similar-both represent a nostalgic homecoming for their chef-owners.
Chef Charlie Deal at Dos Perros left his post at Durham's Grasshopper-which recently closed-soon after its opening two years ago. For the past two years he has worked tirelessly as chef-owner at Chapel Hill's Jujube while living in Durham. Dos Perros is Deal's culinary return to Durham and is named after his two pet dogs. The traditional Mexican cuisine will not only pay respect to that country's oft-misunderstood bold flavors but to Durham's vibrant Mexican culture. The restaurant is scheduled to open in early 2008 and will be located at Rogers Alley, the area under renovation by Greenfire Development.
For Durham native and chef Amy Tornquist, Watts Grocery will pay homage to the neighborhood of her youth. Tornquist's first stand-alone restaurant effort, this casual Southern eatery will offer traditional takes on Carolinian classics with a distinctively local flair.
But in as much as these restaurants seem to be fitting additions to the Triangle's rapidly revitalizing dining landscape, they also mark significant breaks from the norm for their chefs. Deal's two previous restaurant efforts have been of the pan-Asian persuasion. And Tornquist assured recess a little more than a year ago she had no plans to open a restaurant in Durham beyond her then-post at the Nasher Museum Café. With her well-established Sage and Swift Gourmet Catering operation and a bakery project also in the works, Tornquist, however, appears to forging new paths beyond Duke's Gothic walls.
From a culinary perspective both restaurants present dishes that are at once traditional yet exciting, familiar yet faintly exotic.
"Dos Perros is my answer to what has amounted to a frustrating compromise in Mexican cuisine in the Triangle and beyond," said Deal of his new venture. "One can find a delicious authentic taco by going to a traditional taqueria, but that often comes at the expense of atmosphere. To get a slightly more refined version, your only other option is typically a Southwestern or Tex-Mex styled fine-dining restaurant."
In order to buck this stereotype, Deal will present affordable tacos and small plates in a taqueria and bar section of his upcoming restaurant, while offering Mexican specialties not typically found in the Triangle area, like serving molé poblano in the main dining room.
With a similar mindset, Tornquist aims to break down another unfortunate misconception-that local and sustainable ingredients must be the sole domain of stuffy and expensive fine-dining restaurants.
"We are, of course, focused on local and seasonal but not in a fussy or fancy way," Tornquist said. "We are planning to open for late night drinks and snacks Thursday through Saturday until 2 a.m. and will serve cupcakes at lunch and brunch."
With staples like hamburgers and buttermilk fried chicken-all sourced from local farms-on the menu, even less adventurous palates will have the opportunity to feast with a clear conscience. And with the famed Ploughman's Plate making a return laden with local bread, artisanal cheeses and charcuterie and a planned dish of Creole spiced fried chicken gizzards, foodies will also have something to look forward to.
It is unlikely that Dos Perros or Watts Grocery will challenge the Triangle's old guard of New Southern restaurants for critical acclaim or media attention. But in their own way, the future success of these newcomers may well reflect on the increasingly local and ethnic tastes that have come to define the region. If their chefs' goals are any indication, they already have.
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