Well, what do you think? I just published my first-ever Top 25 list of the Triangle's best restaurants, and I'm dying to hear your opinion. For those who didn't catch the list in this morning's N & O, here it is:

FINE DINING

1. Bonne Soirée
431-10 W. Franklin St., in The Courtyard, Chapel Hill
928-8388
Cuisine: French

Few restaurants in the Triangle can claim as romantic a setting as Bonne Soirée; fewer still boast a culinary talent who can cook on a par with owner/chef Chip Smith; and you can count on one hand the restaurants where service is as polished and welcoming as that headed by Smith’s wife and partner, Tina Vaughn. How many restaurants achieve the trifecta of absolutely topnotch food, service and atmosphere, all under one roof? How many are the sort of place you can recommend to the couple celebrating their 50th anniversary, and be confident that they’ll enjoy one of the most memorable meals of their lives? There’s only one: Bonne Soirée.

2. Fins
7713-39 Lead Mine Rd., Greystone Village, Raleigh
847-4119
Cuisine: Pacific Rim, seafood
Chef/proprietor William D’Auvray’s instincts for seafood and Asian flavors are so good it’s almost scary. Trust me, in this case courage is richly rewarded.

3. Nana’s
2514 University Dr., Durham
493-8545
www.nanasdurham.com
Cuisine: contemporary Mediterranean
A decade and a half after Scott Howell opened his landmark restaurant, it’s as distinctive and inviting as ever.

4. Bin 54
1201-M Raleigh Rd., in Glen Lennox Shopping Center, Chapel Hill
969-1155
www.bin54restaurant.com
Cuisine: Steakhouse
The steakhouse of the 21st century – it doesn’t get more deluxe than this.

5. Frazier’s
2418 Hillsborough St., Raleigh
828-6699
www.fraziersbistro.com
Cuisine: Contemporary
Don’t let the understated bistro setting fool you. There’s some fancy cooking going on in Frazier’s kitchen.

ETHNIC

1. Lantern
423 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
969-8846
www.lanternrestaurant.com
Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Andrea Reusing raises traditional Asian dishes to heights they’ve rarely seen, even on their home turf.

2. Jibarra
7420 Six Forks Rd., in Peachtree Market, Raleigh
844-6330
www.jibarra.net
Cuisine: Mexican
So you don’t think the words “Mexican restaurant” and “gourmet” belong in the same sentence? Allow Jibarra to show you the error of your ways.

3. Red Palace
Beacon Plaza, 3945 New Bern Ave., Raleigh
231-3788
http://redpalacenc.com/
Cuisine: Chinese
Szechwan cuisine that’s out of the way, but well worth seeking out.

4. Waraji
5910 Duraleigh Rd., Raleigh
783-1883
http://warajirestaurant.com/
Cuisine: Japanese
Ask any sushi aficionado where you can find the best sushi in the Triangle, and nine times out of ten the answer will be “Waraji.” Go with those odds.

5. Saffron
4121 Davis Dr., in McCrimmon Corners shopping center, Morrisville
469-5774
www.saffronnc.com
Cuisine: Indian
In a region that’s blessed with excellent Indian restaurants, this newcomer moves to the head of the class.

LOCAL FLAVOR

1. Magnolia Grill
1002 Ninth St., Durham
286-3609.
Cuisine: Contemporary with a Southern accent
More national awards than you can shake a stick at, every one of them deserved. If Magnolia Grill were a college basketball player, we would have retired its jersey years ago.

2. Crook’s Corner
610 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
929-7643
www.crookscorner.com
Cuisine: Southern (traditional and contemporary)
Trademark shrimp and grits are just one of many reasons that Crook’s is a culinary landmark not just for Chapel Hill, but for the entire South.

3. Allen & Son
6203 Millhouse Rd., Chapel Hill
942-7576
Cuisine: Barbecue
The best barbecue in the area, and among the best in the state. No arguing allowed.

4. Big Ed’s
220 Wolfe St., in City Market, Raleigh
836-9909
Cuisine: Southern
The dining room kitsch may say “tourist trap,” but the food that comes out of the kitchen says “the real deal.”

5. Kemp’s Seafood House
115 Page Point Circle, Durham
957-7155
Cuisine: seafood.
Definition of Calabash style seafood: Southern fried, plentifully piled and accompanied by hot hushpuppies and sweet tea; for illustration, see Kemp’s Seafood House.

BARGAIN BITES

1. The Barbecue Joint
630 Weaver Dairy Rd., Chapel Hill
932-7504
Cuisine: barbecue, American bistro
A chalkboard menu crammed with dozens of scratch-made dishes, everything from barbecued pork to duck confit salad, practically everything under eight bucks? Are you kidding?

2. Skipper’s
1001 E. Williams St., Apex
303-2400
www.skippersfish.com
Cuisine: seafood
New England style fish fry proves that Southerners aren’t the only ones who know how to fry seafood.

3. Taqueria Mi Pueblo
1000 Holloway St., Durham
688-3461
Cuisine: Mexican (taqueria)
One of the first of the area’s authentic taquerias, and still the one to beat.

4. Abbey Road
1195 W. Chatham St., Cary
481-4434
www.abbeyroadgrill.com
Cuisine: Burgers and sandwiches
Best burgers in the Triangle (they’re grilled to order, wink wink); killer fries and onion rings, too.

5. Carrburritos
711 W. Rosemary St., Carrboro
933-8226
www.carrburritos.com
Cuisine: Southwestern
Maybe not the biggest Southwestern burritos in the Triangle, but definitely the best.

WILD CARD

1. Enoteca Vin
410 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
834-3070
Cuisine: Contemporary with a European accent, wine bar
The perfectionist cooking of Ashley Christensen and one of the best by-the-glass wine lists in the Southeast: a match made in heaven.

2. Vin Rouge
2010 Hillsborough Rd., Durham
416-0406
www.vinrougerestaurant.com
Cuisine: French
With Matt Kelly’s authentic bistro fare just around the corner, who needs Paris?

3. Rue Cler
401 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham
682-8844
www.ruecler-durham.com
Cuisine: French
Another impeccable French bistro? Oui, oui! Our cup runneth over.

4. Maximillians
8314 Chapel Hill Rd., Cary
465-2455
Cuisine: Contemporary, fusion
A world of flavors, all on one plate. If how they all work together seems a miracle, you’ll quickly become a believer.

5. Underground
861 W. Morgan St., Raleigh
664-8704
Web site: www.comeunderground.com
Cuisine: tapas
Little plate by little plate, talented owner/chef Daniel Taylor will win you over – or is that under?

I'm especially curious as to what you think about my selection of a brash newcomer as Restaurant of the Year. And how about my dedicating an entire category to "local flavor" (Southern restaurants of all stripes)?

Let me know what you think about my picks, and tell me which restaurants you'd include. Then maybe we'll be able to tally all your choices and make a Reader's Top 25.

01/12/07 at 09:35
Every restaurant on the list is a player, but I might have made a 1-to-1 replacement of Pam's Farmhouse for Big Ed's and Zely&Ritz for The Underground. For my palate, Pam's pancakes can't be beat (my son still calls all pancakes pamcakes) and the waitstaff make you feel welcome instead of like so much cattle packing a feedlot. Zely&Ritz is a whole 'nother story; I think they're doing the best restauranting in the Triangle, from their commitment to prima materia to the way plates are sent to your table. I realize I'm usually alone in that thinking, but still, as far as a tapas restaurant goes, they're better than The Underground.

01/12/07 at 09:35
Greg, as I read the article this morning, I was so glad you included the variety you did! I think it's important to make the point that "best" doesn't necessarily equate to "most expensive." This is a very diverse area in many ways, including its culinary offerings, and I'm pleased that you included diversity of food, atmosphere and price! Well done!

01/12/07 at 09:43
Thanks for the kind words, KB. And Jake, I have to say the two restaurants you mention were in the running when I made my list. In the end, the difference between Big Ed's and Pam's, or between The Underground and Zely & Ritz comes down to our individual experiences and personal preference. They're all very good.

01/12/07 at 10:02
What a leap of faith, there are so many great restaurants theese days. I have not even had time to visit a couple of the ones you mentioned. I am astounded though that, Bloomsbury Bistro, my all time favorite in the entire triangle got no mention. Three other people in my firm mentioned the same thing this morning during our partners meeting.

01/12/07 at 10:50
Having eaten in the last year at two of your top five Fine Dining picks, I can say uneqivocally that they cannot hold a candle to what I and many others I know consider to the best restaurant in the triangle for many years now, Bloomsbury Bistro. I find it incomprehensible that it could be left off any list on North Carolina's best restaurants much less just the Triangle.

01/12/07 at 11:02
Believe me, Bloomsbury came oh-so-close to making the final cut. Maybe next year.

01/12/07 at 18:55
I don't know much about Big Ed's or Pam's Farmhouse (I guess I have some new eateries to explore) but I have to disagree with Jake on Zely&Ritz compared to Underground. While Zely&Ritz is a good dining experience, albeit a tad expensive, the food simply isn't all that memorable and has never beckoned me to return like the delectable dishes, and ever changing choices, at Underground.

The crispy duck with sour cherries, the oh-so-tender hanger steak (prefer the horseradish sauce to anything else they've tried) and incredible rack of lamb are just a few of my favorite memories. Okay, so the ambience is that of an old creamery, some people like that and I go there to eat! My only thought is they should have been higher in the wild card pecking order.

Love the new review format Greg – a definitive guide for where to venture out with my wife this year. God bless.

01/12/07 at 20:04
I suppose I should heed the old advice: " de gustibus non est disputandum", but in the interest of a civil debate I must ask you why you left off your list The Fearrington Inn which is, in my humble opinion, the finest in the area. Also, in the ethnic selections, no Italian restaurants? How about Il Palio in CHapel Hill or Nina's in Raleigh. Or is being born in Texas ind raised in NC---( Greg, I know you have a sense of humor) a handicap in recognizing good Italian restaurants?
I read your reviews quite regularly and very often agree with them, so keep up the good work.
Joseph Puglielli

01/13/07 at 21:26
I 100% agree with your selection of Bonne Soiree as Restaurant of the Year. As a recent transplant here from the SF Bay Area CA, I came with a heavy heart at moving away from the fine and wide selection of culinary excellence out there. Not to worry, though, because Bonne Soiree holds a candle to the very best restaurants I've ever experienced (Gary Danko and Chez Panisse, eat your heart out). My experience at Bonne Soiree was truly masterful from start to finish, redefining perfection every step of the way, to the extent that it's difficult to put into words how transcendent it all was. The Triangle is more than fortunate to have such a fine culinary destination in its midst. More generally, I agree with your Top 25, but I would've found a way to include Jujube in CH on that list. The chef there has soul, passion, inspiration, an eye for detail, an open mind, and could hold its own against the very best in that genre in the most discerning of major cities in this country.

01/15/07 at 10:21
There are a lot of great restaurants on the list. However, I was disappointed to see one of my favorites - Jujube - didn't make it.

01/15/07 at 19:46
Each week I look forward to your restaurant reviews.
Although I seldom venture out to the restaurants you review, I still enjoy reading about new and different restaurants. In reference to Jibarra, some co-workers and I did go there for our Christmas luncheon. The presentation and atmosphere was great, but the food was forgettable... bland and no surprises. Next time we will try another restaurants on your list.

Also, I must agree with the comment above about the Fearrington House, although I have not been there in years, it was one of the finest dining experience I have ever had.

01/15/07 at 21:33
You were right on the money with Bonne Soiree. Definitely the best in the Triangle. I do think you need to reformat your list to read the "best categories" rather than the 25 best in the Triangle. I find it hard to believe that Maximillians and Jibarra would make the list rather than Il Palio, Four Square, Vin, or Vivace. You are saying that Maximillians and Jibarra's cuisine is better? I get the ethnic food category, but don't call them the top 25 in the Triangle. Have you eaten there??? The name of this column is very misleading. The restaurants on your list are not as good as the above mentioned.

01/16/07 at 10:01
Thanks Greg, for the list. There are obviously going to be those that are left out but to me there was a glaring mistake and I can't understand how it made the list at all...Jibarra is horrible, from the food to the service both in the restaurant and the bar. It's overpriced, the food is bland and the atmosphere and employees are ice cold. i don't think this place will be around long unless they can make some changes. I also don't understand the fuss over Bin 54...oh well, ne visit is enough at either of these places.

Sorry to be so negative but you've pumped these places on a few occasions...looking forward to eating at bonne soiree though!

Oh, and as far as breakfast goes, Finch's is my favorite over Ed's and Pam's any day

01/16/07 at 13:33
My wife and I ate at Skipper's today. She swipped one of my scallops and thought it was under cooked. I found the rest of them either perfectly cooked or slightly over done. Could it be that she selected the only raw scallop or could it be that two people have differing opinions about something like food?

Greg, I think you do a great job of presenting your opinions and you are a braver man than me for doing it weekly.

01/17/07 at 10:14
You guys make a lot of good points. So good, in fact, that I'm sharing them with the world in my next Chew on This! column, which will run this Friday in the What's Up section.

01/17/07 at 13:35
I've had some of the most amazing meals at Jibarra and am so glad you put them on your list Greg. Maybe the fact that it's a Mexican restaurant makes people automically think everything is going to be spicy and powerful. The chef does masterful work in creating an exciting combination of tastes, ingredients, textures, along with incredible presentation. Great job Greg!

01/17/07 at 15:10
I can't believe you left out Tasca Brava, in Sutton Square, North Raleigh. Fabulous tapas, amazing service, wonderful wines.

01/23/07 at 12:12
I'd like to comment on the list, but I don't see it anywhere on the link provided.

01/23/07 at 12:15
Ah, nevermind. Upon further digging and looking at the small print I see it's located in "Related Content". Perhaps a link directly in the article?

01/24/07 at 19:56
Our favorite list of restaurants you didn't include.

1. The Bloomsbury Bistro for a warm welcoming atmoshphere, great team service and excellent food.

2. Th Bistro 64 in Cary. The new management has taken the Cosmopolitan and beefed up the front of the house while maintaining the quality of the food.

3. The Grasshopper in Durham for inexpensive pan-asian food that is luscious..

4. Vin Rouge in Durham. You feel like you are back on the Left Bank of Paris. A simple steak and pomme fritte menu with great bread and salads and one of the best french wine lists in town.

Ate in Bonne Soiree this weekend. Excellent food that is short of perfection and not worth the inflated price. If you pay $33 for a single baby lamb chop + a (dried out) piece of braised lamb you should expect perfection. The rack of lamb in the Angus Barn is better and the large potions feed two amply.

01/25/07 at 01:29
Greg,
I am a recent emigre to this wonderful area. I moved here for the food. Not just the restaurants, but also the unbelievable consortium of talented farmers, growers and the people that support them. I have lived and worked in Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, and a host of other smaller locales, in my search for the culinary mecca that I could call home. I think I've found it here, and I am continually amazed by the thought and effort that people in the Triangle put into all that is food.
I have one specific comment on your rankings of the the top twenty-five restaurants: How could you possibly leave Four Square off the list? Eight years, thousands of happy diners.
I don't understand.
Explain this to me if you wish.
Happy dining.

01/25/07 at 06:29
Bonne Soiree is off the charts and by far one of the best restaurants in the Triangle and will be on the national landscape in short order. The food, service, and wine are great and I can't speak highly enough about it.
I would also echo the comments about Four Square being left off the list. It is also top drawer. Until Bonne Soiree opened, Four Square was our destination of choice. I am delighted to live in an area with such an abundance of serious food and wine choices.
Thanks!

01/25/07 at 08:26
I agree that Four Square is generally excellent. At this level, however, it takes only a couple of slight miscues to be dropped from the absolute highest tier to the oh-so-close. In my case, those miscues took the form, over the course of two visits, of service which did not live up four star standard (or Four Square's reputation) and food that wasn't as consistently excellent as I'd come to expect - including an abysmal (and regular readers know I don't use that word freely) cherry almond turnover during one visit.

01/26/07 at 12:46
Ok Greg, I can't seem to find the list of Top25, can you please help me out. The link above does not take me to a list just the article.

01/26/07 at 13:27
I second the last comment. I begrudgingly registered online to see this list, alas, there is no list. Just an article on how you picked the list! Can you repost in your blog?

01/26/07 at 14:57
Sorry for the confusion, all. It appears they've removed the link to the list from the article. I've added the list to my initial post in this blog entry.

01/28/07 at 17:37
Most here I completely agree on. (Particularly glad to see Red Palace listed...it is definitely the best Chinese!)
But there are a couple I probably wouldn't agree on. Saffron is one I definitely would never pick...some of the blandest Indian food in the Triangle (well, next to Azitra, that is). Blah...major lacking there.

10/08/07 at 13:16
As I read your review on the Fearrington House Restaurant Country Hotel, it looked as the place to go. So with that we as a family thought this would an ideal location for the once in a life time event, our Sons Wedding rehearsal Dinner. So we carefully went over the details and made a reservation several weeks earlier to ensure that everything would be in place as you have described in your article. When we arrived, the four of us were politely ushered to a room on the 1st floor, seated and given menus with a small selection – (not the wide selection I had expected nor seen in my past travels). We gave our selections and were attended to at what we thought was good service and good food – as expected – not spectacular however as expected, we paid the bill of about $700.00 for the 4 of us. With that, the next week we confirmed the plans for the wedding rehearsal dinner it was to be a few weeks latter. We were to have 12 people attend, with wine, bear and the normal menu. We all showed up on time for this special event ready to celebrate the monumental event. Fresh in our minds was your article and the dinner from a few weeks ago, we were all ushered up stairs to a room and were seated by 1 matradee he turned out to be the only one we had for the entire night for a group of 12 …this in turn was a problem (1), he did not speak English very well ether (2). I had to remind him to keep asking the guests to if they needed bread or anything else (3). As I had prepaid for drinks he had not asked any of the guest if they had wanted anything but water or wine (4). The time between the courses was extremely long from the time we sat down until we were completed it was about 3 hours and this was only a 4 course dinner (5). When I got up and went down stairs I saw 3 others standing by the Bar – hanging out – I was thinking why wouldn’t they assist other? The room we were eating in was also very warm and needed to have the air-conditioning turned up, as it was uncomfortable and the guests were very warm. At the end of the night while I was reviewing the bill over charged me by 1 person and for a few other things, this whole ordeal was just short of $2000.00 and to think you put your name on the Farrington, I would think you need to reevaluate it, or did you give them a “heads up’ so they can show off for you . A little about me, I have spent 30 years in the USMC traveling around the world, and probably 40 of the 50 states eating in some places you would not want to list and some you have, I will tell you this is hands down a miss… Respectably Mr. Clay Burtts Jacksonville, NC