In 2016, Crawford opened his first restaurant, Crawford & Son, gaining immediate accolades as the best new restaurant in the area. In a nod to the importance of family, this casual neighborhood eatery is named after Crawford’s son. Crawford wows diners with honest, straightforward food, focusing on the quality of ingredients. Since it’s next to sister restaurant Jolie, you could start with charcuterie and fromage at the bistro, and then settle into Crawford & Son for grilled short ribs and apple spice cake.

Crawford’s commitment to hospitality has been evident from the start, landing him as a James Beard Award finalist for outstanding hospitality in 2024. […] We don’t expect this award-winning chef to hang up his apron anytime soon. Crawford plans to keep serving up Southern hospitality, one delicious dish at a time.

“I’m just paying forward the way I’ve been treated and embraced by this city,” Crawford concluded.

Jolie is where chef Scott Crawford’s farm-to-table cuisine takes a trip to France, all served in an intimate bistro-like interior and romantic rooftop terrace. Escargot, gnocchi Parisienne, and a classic roast chicken are some of the menu items on offer — all to be enjoyed with a superbly edited wine list and Jolie’s craft cocktails. Finish up with a chocolate tart or go true Parisian with a cheese plate.

“I never thought it was possible that Michelin would even come to the Southeast,” said Raleigh restaurateur Chef Scott Crawford. “I sort of gave up the dream for Michelin stars by staying in the South.”

When Crawford started cooking in the region more than 25 years ago, he says he focused on building up the Capital City’s culinary scene.

Now, three of his places are listed as Recommended Michelin restaurants: Crawford and Son, Jolie and Brodeto.

“It’s the most meaningful recognition that I’ve received in my career,” said Crawford. “We’re incredibly humbled and it is a surreal moment in time for me.”

Throughout his nearly three-decade career as a celebrated chef, Scott Crawford has always trusted his gut.

This hasn’t just applied to the flavors and cuisine he serves at his fleet of Crawford Hospitality restaurants; it expands to the opportunities and chances he has taken as an entrepreneur.

Scott Crawford commands a restaurant empire across the greater Raleigh area, with Crawford & Son as its crown jewel. For almost a decade, it’s been a primary destination for couples celebrating a special occasion, and like Poole’s, in many ways, it has set the tone for the upper echelon of the Oak City’s dining scene. The rotating cast of desserts and appetizers is just as worthy as the entrees.

Crawford himself is credited with having a heavy hand in developing Raleigh’s restaurants. He was the executive chef at Herons when the restaurant received a Forbes Five Star designation in 2008, one of only seventy-nine in the country, before opening Crawford & Son in 2016.

Scott Crawford’s Raleigh Iron Works resto is nothing short of spectacular—the dishes, the drinks, the digs and the delivery will leave you speechless. / Tucked into a humble strip of Person Street, Scott Crawford’s first born doesn’t chase trends, it sets the bar / If Crawford builds it, they will come. With its signature top-tier service and a killer bev program, this polished “redemption story” cements what we already knew: The Crawford name doesn’t miss.

Yes, this is an upscale restaurant, not an ice cream parlor. But it’s one place to make sure to save plenty of room for dessert after dinner (or to skip the mains altogether), as chef-owner Scott Crawford has some of the best soft serve in town. The secret weapon is the specialty machine that his team uses, which makes the ice cream pretty much fresh to order.

For example, Joseph makes an orgeat using Tiger Chai tea from Tin Roof Teas, oat milk and sugar at Crawford Brothers Steakhouse. He uses the creamy housemade orgeat in the restaurant’s “Port of Spain” cocktail, which also features mezcal, cachaça and Angostura bitters. His team uses oat milk for most of their orgeats due to nut allergy concerns, but the result still tastes similar to nut-based versions.

No. 3: Brodeto – A restaurant that’s as adventurous as it is approachable, Brodeto has rapidly ascended in popularity. / No. 20: Crawford & Son – An institution and a crowd favorite in Raleigh for any occasion.