Bacon at the Beach

Ben Barker of Magnolia Grill relaxes with CHOW.

As some of you may know, Oxford American is a magazine about the South. Their current edition interviews several of the renouned chefs in the South, two of whom interviewed were Ben and Karen Barker. When asked what restaurants...

Skip the lobsta ice cream at Ben & Bill’s — it’s strictly a barker at a carnival show. Instead, go to the back of the store and try some of their fruit jells, particularly the dark-chocolate covered raspberry...

folks from Lantern pit-cooked a lamb & a goat, and the BBQ Joint folks did a pig, as did Ben Barker (!). Any reports?

than it sounds). Everything was excellent, very flavorful and very tasty; not cheap but still a good value in my opinion. Ben Barker was there which was nice to see since so many well-known chefs seem to spend little time in...

By far the best known and most celebrated restaurant in the area is Magnolia Grill in Durham. Ben Barker has been nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Chef in the Southeast for the last two years, and his wife Karen,...

I made a truffle honey ice cream for Ben and Karen Barker years ago. I just used a basic honey ice cream recipe and kept adding the truffled honey until you could taste the truffles. This is one I found on the web Homemade Ice...

I would say yes, it is not to be missed. It is the one place I always make sure to take my big-city hound friends, because it is not only fantastic but just as important the feel and the flavors are authentic and local. Ben and...

program (http://www.seedsnc.org). Magnolia Grill - Ben Barker - 919-286-3609, Ben and his wife Karen do amazing, award winning food some of which is sourced from the local farmers markets. Nana’s and Pop’s – Scott...

the choices. (My favorite class was the one with the three sous-chefs from Magnolia Grill, Bloomsbury Bistro, and the Carolina Inn, though a session with Ben and Karen Barker of Magnolia Grill is never to be missed.)

Well, I’m not Tom but when we ate there it was around $85 plus tip. That was for two appetizers, two entrees and sharing of a dessert. As you may know, the chef, Scott Howell (?), is a protoge' of Ben Barker at the Magnolia...

Nana’s chef is Scott Howell, Ben Barker‘s former protage’ at Magnolia Grill. Nana’s is a far superior restaurant in atmosphere and ambiance but not quite up to par with Magnolia Grill in imagination of...

, Y Ben House, Yuet Lee, Utopia, Bow Hon, Gold Mountain, and R&G(though I don’t know where this one is yet). All else being equal I want atmosphere over touristy. Please comment. Also, anybody have a cross reference for...

to ben barker would be more appropriate than trashing a very good restaurant on an online message board, though. i think you have a legitimate complaint about that treatment, but the tone of the rest of your post and the...

You should consider Magnolia Grill in Durham. It is definitely upscale chef/owner Ben Barker is one of the pioneers of the local ingredients movement in the Triangle. Some may not put any stock in such lists but it is rated the...