Carolina Crossroads Review | February 2001
by Lisa Lewis, Fine Dining Reviews

The Carolina Crossroads is a gem in the heart of the UNC campus in Chapel Hill. Located in the historic Carolina Inn, this award-winning restaurant offers a delicious and inspired twist on traditional American and Southern cuisine.

For anyone familiar with the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, let me begin by assuring you that parking at Carolina Crossroads is not a problem. Valet parking is available at the entrance to the inn, and if you park yourself, the restaurant staff will cheerfully validate your ticket for the pay-parking lot next to the building. The Carolina Inn, built in 1924 and restored several times since, combines the architectural charms of the Southern antebellum mansions with features of the classical style inns of the northeast. Entering the lobby, I was struck by the resemblance to the historic Andover Inn in Massachusetts.

The bar and dining room of the restaurant continue the inn's theme of luxuriously interpreted historic charm. The dining room is divided into small groups of tables by cozy cushioned booths. The colors and lighting are simple and warm.

When you have been at Carolina Crossroads long enough to be distracted from the ambience, the next feature that strikes you is the impeccable service. The staff, from bartender to servers, is knowledgeable, efficient and friendly.

But the highlight of any restaurant experience should be the food, and Carolina Crossroads does not disappoint. The menu is divided into two "sides": on the left is a seasonal a la carte menu and on the right is the prix fixe "Chef's Tasting Menu" which is changed weekly. The prix fixe is offered in three, four or five courses and can be enjoyed with or without wine selections specially paired with each course by sommelier Thomas Thorne. A separate wine list is extensive and includes a range of high quality wines in a range of prices, several offered by the glass.

Executive chef Brian Stapleton, chef de cuisine Todd Dumke, and executive sous chef Julian Harris have created an interesting and varied menu, using many products from local and regional sources. The quality and variety of the produce is especially evident in the vegetarian items, which are on the menu as soups and appetizers, though the kitchen will also provide them as entrees . The creamed celeriac and leek soup had an amazing depth of flavor and peppery seasoning that contrasted perfectly with the rich creaminess. This is a dish you stop all conversation for, murmuring only the occasional blissful "mmmm"! Gingered beet salad with tangy goat cheese and melt-in-your-mouth potato-chestnut gnocchi in a delicious herbed cream sauce also brought visions of the farmer's market.

Some of the most interesting and unusual dishes are on the Chef's Tasting Menu. A crab and pineapple napoleon was one such creative item, though the pomegranate reduction it was served with was overly sweet. A duck and roasted tomato "pizza" served on a crisp, cumin-flavored potato flatbread was tasty and unique. As you would expect, all breads are made in-house and are excellent.

The most difficult thing about the entrees is choosing just one. Each selection sounds better than the last! A fabulous rockfish and shrimp jambalaya is served with a perfectly spicy couscous. Huge lamb shanks, cooked until the tender meat falls off the bone, are offered with a delicate cornmeal flan. Salmon wrapped in prosciutto is as beautiful to look at, presented on saffron orzo with watercress, as it is wonderful to eat. The seafood, especially, is cooked perfectly.

If you have any room left after this amazing meal, Carolina Crossroads pastry chef's desserts are not to be missed! An alternative to dessert, recently introduced at Carolina Crossroads but growing rapidly in popularity, is the European style cheese cart. The selections change regularly but a recent night's choices included an Italian gorgonzola, a Dutch fontina and a Spanish manchego. You may be too full to eat them but you will certainly save the small package of hand made truffles served with your check. Carolina Pecan/Bourbon and Mint Julep truffles make a great treat the next day and a nice reminder of your meal at Carolina Crossroads!