Bill Smith

Crook’s Corner, Chapel Hill, NC

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5.0 out of 5 stars(1)

Crook's Corner

610 W. Franklin St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
919.929.7643
Website: www.crookscorner.com

Bill Smith is the charismatic head chef of Crook’s Corner in Chapel Hill, N.C., a local institution that happens to garner a lot of national attention. Crook’s Corner expresses the diversity of Southern cooking—from classics to new favorites—in a down-home casual, yet eclectic, atmosphere. The name of the restaurant comes from its location (the corner of West Franklin Street and Merritt Mill Road) and the original owner, Rachel Crook, who, in the late 1940s, ran a fish market and café where the restaurant now resides. The building had many iterations—taxi stand, bait-and-tackle shop and pool hall—before establishing itself as Crook’s Corner in 1982.

Growing up in New Bern, N.C., Smith did not set out to become a chef. (Prior to his foray into the culinary world, he was one of the founders of the hallowed Cat’s Cradle music club in the 1970s.) The restaurant where his roommate worked need a prep cook, and Smith needed the extra money for a planned trip to Europe. Once in the kitchen, he was hooked.

Smith joined Crook’s Corner in 1993, when the restaurant was already well known. Crook’s is reputed to be the birthplace of shrimp and grits. The dish became famous after Craig Claiborne wrote about it in The New York Times more than 25 years ago. Smith has put his own highly regarded stamp and style on Crook’s menu, but the iconic shrimp and grits remains there today.

Smith’s upbringing and travels inspire the menu—Southern dishes, often with a twist. Although it offers some staples, the menu changes often and entrées can even change daily. Featured items have included Cold Peach and Red Pepper Soup, soft-shell crab and the Carolina Sampler—North Carolina hickory-smoked, pit-cooked pork barbecue served with Hoppin’ John (rice and black-eyed peas flavored with bacon and topped with tomato, scallions and cheddar), collard greens and black pepper cornbread.

Smith was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast in 2009 and 2010. Also in 2010, Crook’s Corner won the James Beard American Classic Award.

In the Q&A below, Smith discusses the diverse nature of Southern cuisine and his emphasis on seasonal ingredients. He also shares his recipes for Mango Salad, Baked Tomato Soup (served cold with popcorn) and Banana Pudding, a classic Southern dessert.—Vanessa Facenda