When you walk into Brodeto—Scott Crawford’s Adriatic seafood-focused restaurant in Raleigh’s Iron Works—you might expect a wine list to remember or a delicate crudo to start your meal. But what you might not expect is the nostalgic joy of a towering swirl of pistachio soft serve, topped with Sicilian olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

When diners talk about Raleigh’s most beloved restaurants—like Crawford and Son, Jolie or Brodeto—they often associate them with the acclaimed Chef Scott Crawford. But behind the scenes, another name plays a vital role in shaping the flavors and philosophies of the Crawford Hospitality group: Conor Delaney.

We Asked 16 Bartenders: What’s the Best Gin for Mixing Classic Cocktails? – “It’s hard not to pick Xoriguer Mahón Gin for all classic needs. This gin hails from the island of Menorca, Spain, and is incredibly singular […] This gin flexes with classic cocktails of all kinds, especially drinks like a Last Word, Bees Knees, or a classic Martini. Lastly, this may make the best Gin and Tonic you ever had.” —Jordan Joseph, beverage director, Crawford and Son/Jolie,/Sous Terre, Raleigh, N.C.

Ordering a burger at a steakhouse, especially one like Crawford, where the steaks are well regarded, may seem like a sin, but when it’s this burger, all rules go out the window. This is a big boy, topping the charts at “about” eight ounces of dry-aged beef. It’s rich, thanks to the bacon jam and aged cheddar on top. A mountain of piping-hot, hand-cut fries, cooked in beef tallow and tossed with fresh parsley, accompanies the burger.

“Honest ingredients delivered simply and consistently with caring hospitality.” – Giorgios Bakatsias, founder/owner, Giorgios Hospitality Group / “These restaurants, and, more importantly, these chefs, are some of the standard bearers in our area” – Sunny Gerhart, chef/owner, St. Roch / “Scott Crawford’s take on Parisian food is done really well to represent classic Parisian bistro-style cooking.” – Saif Rahman, chef/co-owner, Peregrine

A hulking wooden door at this sister restaurant to Crawford & Son gives way to a dining room filled with earth tones and a quartzite slab behind the bar that’s so thin, light shines through it. Water defines Brodeto—the Adriatic Sea, to be precise. Dishes draw from Croatia and eastern and southern Italy, many of them featuring seafood from sea urchin butter to monkfish, not to mention a crudo section leading the menu. With a range of two-tops, Brodeto is ideal for lovers splurging on a special occasion dinner in the intimate back room.

Ask locals for the best place to celebrate an anniversary and Crawford & Son will likely be the most common response. Long heralded for its hospitality, the North Person Street restaurant is a standard-bearer for the city’s upper crust dining.

If you remember the old dive bar that once lived where Sous Terre now exists, forget everything you know. Crawford Hospitality—chef Scott Crawford’s hospitality group that now includes Crawford and Son, Jolie, Brodeto, Crawford Brothers Steakhouse—has transformed it into a subterranean lounge with warm oak, leathered stone, and just the right amount of moody lighting.

“I’m happy and grateful,” Crawford says. “Part of being in recovery is having gratitude for the things you have each day. It is a privilege to be alive right now, considering the things I did in my life. Everything in life is very fragile. Nothing is guaranteed. I think of that every day of my life.”

You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, but stalwart chef/restaurateur Scott Crawford agonizes over what many people consider the minutiae. Whether it’s choosing the type of vessel for serving a dish or zhuzhing up a private dining room, attention to detail is always paramount.