Seared steak with scallion from the Korean steakhouse dinner

[ 2025 — 26 season ]

Everything we cooked this year.

5 tasting menus, 3 pop-ups, and one very full teaching kitchen — each one served once, then gone.

[ 09pop-up ]

[ stage ] x Killer Queen

Killer Queen, Durham

Our first collaboration with a real wine bar — focaccia sandwiches built to order across three seatings, with a wine pairing from Killer Queen's list. Around 120 orders went out the door.

what we served

The Meat
meat focaccia sandwich, built on house-baked focaccia
The Squash
vegetarian focaccia — squash, pickled zucchini, smoked labneh, preserved lemon oil, almond
The Salad
bright, acidic, built to cut the bread
Bread & Butter
baguette and cultured butter
Lemon Blueberry Mint Pudding
one of two desserts on the pre-order
Chocolate Tiramisu Pudding
the other — and narrowly the favorite
A focaccia sandwich from the Killer Queen pop-up
Focaccia sandwich plated with greens
The pop-up spread laid out for service
Cups stamped with the [ stage ] logo
Guests at the Killer Queen pop-up
Fresh-baked bread for the pop-up

[ 08workshop ]

Chef's Kitchen

Durham

An open cooking demo — meatballs, mushroom sauce, eggplant parm, kale caesar, and fresh pasta made in front of everyone. Less service, more teaching.

A chef leading the Chef's Kitchen demo

[ 07tasting menu ]

Dinner 3.0 — Korean Steakhouse

Durham

The last dinner of the year: a Korean steakhouse, run as an eight-course tasting menu with a vegetarian track running alongside it.

the menu

Amuse
homemade cold tofu, crispy shallots, dubu jorim sauce
Salad Service
skewered green goddess salad, pickled daikon, shiso dressing
Cabbage Jjim
braised cabbage, jjim sauce
Pasta
Chinese sausage agnolotti with kimchi, carbonara sauce, smoked eggplant with doenjang
Steak
banchan and bellow butcher steak, charcoal-grilled shiitake — or oyster mushroom yakitori with tare glaze and ssamjang butter
Bokkeumbap
Korean mixed fried rice with leftover kimchi
Palate Cleanser
bingsu — kombucha granita, condensed milk, tapioca
Dessert
lemon curd disk, green tea meringue, barley ice cream, filo crisp
Mignardise
black sesame sablé, peach ginger pâte de fruit, peanut yeot-gangjeong
Seared steak with scallion and romesco
Steak course finished with scallion
Skewered green goddess salad
The amuse course plated
Guests seated for Dinner 3.0
A chef working during service

[ 06tasting menu ]

Dinner 2.0 — Steakhouse

Durham

American steakhouse bones with our own backgrounds injected into them — the melting-pot idea, run as a full tasting menu.

the menu

Mushroom Parfait Tart
port reduction, tarragon
French Onion Soup Tart
caramelized onion jam, parmesan crisp shell, pickled mustard seed
Beet Tartare
vadouvan yogurt
Pasta
hand-made pasta, lobster tail, white wine, shallot, breadcrumb
Wedge Salad
on a bed of kadhi
Milk Bread
with a saag artichoke dip
Steak & Potatoes
miso au poivre, caramelized cauliflower purée, burnt bread and peppercorn
Palate Cleanser
kombucha granita
Chocolate Cake
mascarpone chocolate frosting, espresso soak, raspberry
Cheese Mignardise
cheddar gougères, black pepper honey glaze, thyme
Plating grapes and pecans with tweezers
A tart course plated
A plated course from Dinner 2.0
Layered chocolate cake
Fresh greens being plated
A soup course

[ 05pop-up ]

Brunch Pop-Up

Durham

A game-day morning café — pastry case, open-faced toasts, and a small drinks program built with Counter Culture coffee.

what we served

Smoked Salmon English Muffin
whipped cream cheese, pickled mustard seeds, micros
Mushroom Sourdough Tartine
mushroom parfait, fried sage, jammy egg, smoked salt, pickled red onion
Egg & Cheese Brioche
the simple one, done properly
Pastry
olive oil cake with mascarpone and currants, banana bread with malt crumble, raspberry lemon scones, chocolate hazelnut tart
Drinks
mimosas, matcha-yuzu tonic, cold brew with cherry blossom cold foam
A torched meringue tart from the brunch pop-up
Smoked salmon toast with micros
Cream and jam pastries on the pastry table
Iced cookies from the pastry case
A drink from the brunch pop-up bar
A chef plating by the window during the brunch pop-up

[ 04tasting menu ]

Dinner 1.0

Durham

The first dinner of the spring, served across two seatings — bright, citrus-forward, and built around a blue corn pozole tamale.

the menu

Amuse Bouche
hearts of palm, kalamata, radicchio, cucumber, tomato, dijon vinaigrette
Ceviche
sheepshead, coconut-lime base, mango, red onion, salsa macha, micros, wonton
Bread Service
burrata, blood orange, roasted leek, hazelnut, chive, sourdough
Twice-Baked Eggplant
muhammara, yogurt, tomato
Winter Squash Soup
carrot, coconut cream, cilantro oil, seared scallop
Pozole Tamale
blue corn masa, slow-cooked pork, salsa morita, cabbage-lime slaw, crispy pork belly, queso fresco
Palate Cleanser
champagne-passionfruit sorbet served on the shell
Dessert
almond-lime joconde, coconut mousse, mango jelly, white chocolate shell
Mignardise
tamarind pâte de fruit
Dessert spheres reflected on the pass
Radicchio and citrus plated
A plated course from Dinner 1.0
A chef in a [ stage ] shirt finishing a plate
Herbs and micros as garnish
The printed Dinner 1.0 menu
A chef plating during Dinner 1.0 service

[ 03tasting menu ]

Vegetarian Dinner

Durham

An entirely vegetarian tasting menu drawn from Indian cooking, served across two seatings of eight.

the menu

Chaat
melon, frisée, ladolemono, pistachio, mint, chaat masala
Pappadum
red kuri squash purée, pomegranate molasses, dill
Patta Gobhi
charred confit cabbage, pickled cashew cream, Kashmiri chili oil, roasted chickpea
Tandoor
smoked and charred yogurt-marinated paneer, charred bell pepper, mint chutney
Roti & Daal
masoor daal, paratha, fried okra, mango pickle, micro cilantro
Mukhwas
fennel, coriander, anise
Dessert
chai-spiced apple sorbet, cardamom cake, ginger meringue, macerated apples, almond crumble, tamarind-ginger
Rasam
mango and saffron crème légère tartlets, pistachio, rose

[ 02tasting menu ]

[ stage ] @ Shep's

Few Quad, Duke

A nine-course dinner in partnership with Shep Moyle, cooked for students in Few — local seafood, local greens, and a duck course.

the menu

Canapé
Boxcarr goat cheese, savory granola, tomato
Amuse Bouche
clarified stock, aromatics
Crudo
speckled trout (Local's Seafood), capers, blood orange, oil
Grilled Zucchini
feta, jalapeño honey, basil, microgreens (Piedmont Greens)
Cappelletti
spinach ravioli, crab, walnut cream sauce
Seared Duck
cauliflower, squash, jus, microgreens (Piedmont Greens)
Entremet
grapefruit, mint, puffed quinoa
Mango
cheesecake mousse, coconut, passionfruit meringue
Mignardise
choux au craquelin, coffee, blueberry, lavender

[ 01pop-up ]

Taco Pop-Up

Durham

The season opener — a backyard taco night under string lights, and the first event for a brand-new team.

what we served

Cochinita Pibil Taco
corn tortilla, pibil pork, salsa verde, tomato salsa, escabeche, queso fresco
“Chile Relleno” Taco
refried black beans, Oaxaca-stuffed poblano, pico, salsa macha, fried shallot
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie
with a horchata shot — regular and gluten-free
Two chefs under a hand-painted [ stage ] banner
The team under string lights at the taco pop-up
Three team members at the taco pop-up

next season is being written now

Come to the next one.