Comments on: Herons: New Chef, New Food, New Heart

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:28:08 +0000

u rock

By: burgeoningfoodie

burgeoningfoodie — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:03:27 +0000

Without looking and comparing.. other expensive restaurants that I can think of would be Four Square, Bonn Soiree, Second Empire, Revolution and Il Palio. Again I’m not looking right at the menus and so I can’t compare as to whether they are as expensive or just slightly less so than Heron’s.

By: Matt Huffman

Matt Huffman — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:54:52 +0000

It is so exciting to hear that the restaurant is blooming so well. Even with the previous talent that inhabited that place, it was still some of the coolest dining in the area.

Having been there several times for lunch and dinner, I never felt like I received anything but the best value for my money. And the comments about the service, atmosphere and dessert are exactly right: they have been the highlights of each visit.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:38:43 +0000

I had the real privilege of getting to eat in Chef Crawford’s previous restaurant in February when he was still at The Georgian Room at Sea Island, a Mobil 5-Star restaurant, and it is an experience that I will never forget. The food was wonderful, truly wonderful. If you’re thinking about trying Herons, do it! You will not regret it. I can’t wait to get up to North Carolina and get a taste of this new menu, myself. Chef Scott Crawford is a food genius. It is true that his brain and his heart and soul for cooking come out in his dishes. Every component in each dish is necessary; each part needs the other, and it creates a perfect harmony of flavor. That is a skill and a gift that Chef Crawford has. Do not hesitate to splurge just a tad, because you will find it worth every penny for such fine cuisine.

By: blueheron

blueheron — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:27:16 +0000

in response to ap1′s comment about being in no hurry to eat at Heron’s again even under Crawford’s helm, you have to remember that a chef is so integral to the quality of a restaurant that for all intents and purposes this should be considered a completely new and different restaurant. I believe one should follow chefs instead of following restaurants. No restaurant should be able to rest on the laurels of a previous chef who longer leads it, but neither should it be biased against the new leader.

I’ve eaten Crawford’s food at Woodlands in Summerville, SC when he led there. It was a tremendous experience and deserving of the 5-star Mobil rating that he received while there. He then went to the Cloister on Sea Island and earned that place a new 5-star Mobil rating. and just for comparison’s sake – the Triangle doesn’t currently have a 5-star Mobil restaurant. You see where I’m going with this in terms of what Crawford could mean for our dining scene…

By: jeremyclayman

jeremyclayman — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:14:21 +0000

it is good to see that chef crawford is getting a good reception. the guy is talented and is in a place where he can shine. i applaud him and the umstead for recapturing an audience that can be a tough crowd. can’t wait to go eat…

By: ap1

ap1 — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:00:57 +0000

Unfortunately, Heron’s has a lot of ground to make up. I have been there twice, both times prior to Mr. Crawford’s employment, and the food was weak for any price point and shameful for where it was priced. I may get around to eating there again, but am in no hurry to do so.

By: Varmint

Varmint — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:31:09 +0000

Word has it that the prices will come down — but just a bit, so no entree will be in the 40s. It will still be the most expensive restaurant in the Triangle, outside of high-end steak houses. If there is a more expensive place, please let me know.

By: burgeoningfoodie

burgeoningfoodie — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:28:22 +0000

I took my girlfriend to Heron’s when her birthday rolled around and while the restaurant was under Evan’s eye. The food was good and the prices were high so we will have to see how the food is different and try something new. I’m not sure we will make it during Restaurant Week as I’d like to try some places in Raleigh.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:30:14 +0000

I love the whole vibe at The Umstead but had been disappointed with our last dinner at Herons, too, so we haven’t been back since September. Now we will definitely go after Restaurant Week!

By: Varmint

Varmint — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:38:24 +0000

The desserts have been a strong point at Herons over my visits, and the pastry chef has been there throughout. Moreover, he usually doesn’t make things overly sweet. I will, however, have to admit that the olive oil cakes weren’t fantastic. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t memorable, either.

By: VaNC

VaNC — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:34:33 +0000

I have to back Varmint up on this. My hubby and I went to Herons on Monday and had the exact same tasting menu with wines. And we paid for it ourselves. It was the best meal we have had in quite a while. As Varmint says, each dish was stellar, although I will have to say that the butterfish was my favorite, well, maybe. The wines were perfectly paired. I am glad he posted the wine pairings, as we meant to write a few of them down (the Waterbrook and Grant Burge were particulary favorites).

I will have to say that if there was a weak link for me, it was dessert. WIth the exception of the almond-apricot, the olive oil cakes were very dry and weren’t so great.

I also commend their bartender. We both had a cocktail before dinner and they were both perfectly mixed. Yes, after cocktails, all that wine (poured fairly heavily I think) and the prosecco they brought us at the end of the meal ……we were moving a little slow the next morning!

Oh, and the bread. When we were there, it was not bacon, it was BBQ in the bread. Very yummy. But not as yummy as the pimento cheese scone!