News & Observer food critic Greg Cox says: After working in some of the most celebrated restaurants on the East Coast, Raleigh native Jason Smith has returned home to open 18 Seaboard, his first restaurant. Smith's Southern-accented contemporary bistro fare is both memorable and affordable, with stellar options including fried green tomatoes, sautéed clams, hardwood-grilled steaks and seafood, and moist, crisp-skinned roast chicken. Save room for dessert. Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner nightly.
Official site: http://www.18seaboard.com
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Raleigh native Jason Smith worked in some of the East Coast's most celebrated restaurants, from Durham's Magnolia Grill to New York's Gramercy Tavern, before returning home to open his own restaurant, 18 Seaboard. Nobody would have blamed him if he had followed the path of other rising star chefs, creating a money-is-no-object menu to show off his gourmet cooking skills. (Full review)