While Nanasteak is justly renowned for its filets, rotisserie-roasted chicken, grilled fish and other mouthwatering entrees and appetizers, its libations are also worth a toast. The offerings include a robust wine list and a tantalizing line-up of cocktails. 

Nanasteak is particularly well-suited to sensational sipping.

“Our approach to wine and cocktails has always been to share with people great ingredients with a slight twist,” says Brad Weddington, who manages the restaurant’s handsome bar. “We find that it’s about taking what people like and enhancing their pallet.”

An example is the venerated Old Fashioned. “We get a lot of love for that drink,” says dining room manager Graham Weddington. “We perfected the recipe.” And in a rave review, one of the region’s most influential restaurant critics reported enjoying a “20-year-old tawny port.”

To find the right refreshment match for each customer, the brothers are always happy to talk through the options. “There are a lot of different types of wines and beverages and sometimes it can be intimidating,” says Brad. “It’s about getting people what they like.” 

Nanasteak is particularly well-suited to sensational sipping. Founded by James Beard Award-nominated chef Scott Howell, the elegant eatery nestles at the nexus of the bustling Durham Performing Arts Center and Aloft Hotel, popular with business and pleasure travelers. In other words, Nanasteak serves up delights at the crossroads of culture — cocktail and otherwise. Cheers. 

Boricua Soul, one of the first businesses to occupy American Tobacco’s popular PopUp @ ATC space, opened its first brick and mortar location in the American Tobacco Campus’ Crowe Building in November. 

Tastemakers Toriano and Serena Fredericks — who, previous to their pop-up experience, ran Boricua Soul as a much-in-demand food truck — created a restaurant and event space as unique as their southern soul, Carribean flair, Euro-African roots cuisine.

In addition to lunch and dinner fare, the space will also serve as a gathering spot for Durham’s acclaimed creative class with regular live music, poetry and other events scheduled both in the restaurant and into the campus’ Down Under thanks to floor to ceiling windows that turn this restaurant into an indoor-outdoor hot spot. 

Says Serena, “With a comfortable space designed to share delicious food amongst family and friends while you experience live performances in a world-class setting like the campus, I believe we’re creating a restaurant that will become a home for repeat customers.”

Boricua Soul is open in the Crowe Lobby Monday through Saturday – 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 

Near the source of the Old Bull River sits a seemingly inexplicable small cedar shake cabin among the renovated American Tobacco Campus.

On closer inspection, a visitor quickly learns that this is no ordinary cabin, but rather a historic monument to the creator of one of America’s greatest brands.

The cabin of Burt’s Bees founder Burt Shavitz, relocated from his beloved Maine, marks the entrance to the global headquarters of the company he co-founded, Burt’s Bees.

Burt’s Bees employees operate the beloved natural personal care brand as well as conduct research and development for new products in their historic, refurbished office and lab space that has become a model on campus and beyond for office design.

And, recently, the company’s parent, Clorox, doubled down on its investment in Durham by creating a hub for its global IT operations on the campus. In fact, since its acquisition by Clorox, the number of Durham employees has grown six-fold in the past three years with plans to add even more.

So, the next time you grab your lip balm or give your baby a bath, know there is an ace team committed to the brand promise of founder Burt Shavitz right in the heart of the Bull City.