How Crookâs Corner Lives On in Kitchens Across the United States
Photo by Brett Villena | Design by Jon Fuller
Good restaurants beget good restaurants. One positive experience leads to another, drawing in talented cooks and servers who then go on to open their own restaurants, spreading outward like the roots of a tree, until a region becomes known for culinary excellence and distinctive cuisine that can stand on its own.
In the Triangle, Crookâs Corner is at the center of those roots. The iconic restaurant was opened in 1982 by Bill Neal and Gene Hamer. Earlier this summer, the new ownershipâwho bought the restaurant from Hamer in 2018âannounced that the restaurant would close. (In a recent interview with the