Crawford’s exploration of Adriatic cuisine immediately became one of the region’s most distinct menus, and its dining room, featuring works from artist Thomas Sayre, feels like it transports you from Raleigh to an airy bistro near the coast of the Mediterranean.

For Scott Crawford’s third Raleigh restaurant, the acclaimed chef looked to the Adriatic sea, cooking the cuisines of Italy and Croatia. Brodeto opened as Crawford’s largest restaurant yet, with a glowing marble bar and a menu fueled by live-fire. The results are tremendous and dramatic, like whole grilled fish, squid ink pasta and a giant roasted pork chop.

Six-time James Beard semifinalist Scott Crawford is a master at setting a cozy mood in his restaurants. Even if it’s still bright and sunny outside, crossing the threshold instantly drops patrons into a low-lit dining room with exposed brick walls and dark furniture dotted with candles.

Chef Scott Crawford’s French bistro Jolie is located next to its sibling restaurant, Crawford and Son, but it has a completely different look, feel, and menu. The food selection is small but tasteful and features items like steak tartare, duck cassoulet, and rabbit rillettes. The beverage list has the same limited yet impactful structure, and guests are also able to order from a selection of non-alcoholic drinks. If you’re still feeling peckish toward the end of the meal, or just craving something sweet, try the pear tarte or the dark chocolate terrine.

So far, 2024 has been a pretty great year. In March, we opened Brodeto, and in June, the Crawford and Son team and I attended the James Beard Awards as finalists for the category of Outstanding Hospitality.

But most importantly, I’m celebrating 20 years sober. A lot of people see my success today and have no idea the depths of darkness that I reached two decades ago. Real talk: most people don’t make it back from where I was. And that’s why I’m sharing my story. For anyone out there who is suffering from addiction: there is a path to peace and happiness.

Crawford needs little introduction in Raleigh, or in many regional or national culinary circles. His surname adorns several of his restaurants, both established and forthcoming—think Crawford and Son, Crawford Cookshop, Crawford Brothers Steakhouse and Crawford’s Genuine. Not to mention there’s Jolie, subterranean Sous Terre and Adriatic-inspired Brodeto.

These days he’s an affable statesman of North Carolina’s food scene, quick to smile and capable of cultivating a team (at Crawford and Son) that made it to the finalist round in the latest James Beard Awards for hospitality.

But before any of that—before his kids were born and before the fame—a phone call from his brother made it all possible.

Five years ago, David Freedman approached Scott Crawford with a proposition. Freedman is a senior vice president at Raleigh-Durham International Airport whose responsibilities include restaurants in the terminals [and] thought Crawford would be a good fit. “We want to make sure that whether you’re living in our community and traveling out or you’re coming in for the first time that you get to see the best of our region,” he said. “And he’s definitely part of that.”

Look for American steakhouse classics at the latest restaurant from the Crawford Hospitality group (Crawford & Son, Crawford Cookshop, and Jolie).

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. Flavors rotate regularly, but try to catch the Sicilian pistachio when it’s there.

”We’re known for our cocktail programs — especially at Crawford & Son,” says Joseph, “In our restaurants, we keep the focus on cocktails that pair with our food. Now, with a dedicated cocktail bar, we’re able to take our experimentation so much further because there are no limits. We’re starting with some of my personal favorite classics, but we’ll be evolving daily to include originals from our team. Our goal is to make the best version of each of these. And that means taking every aspect of the cocktail seriously — from specific glassware, to hand-cut ice and controlling the temperature of every single ingredient that goes into a cocktail; temperature makes such a difference to the mouthfeel. We’ll also have a library of vintage spirits to sip — from Chartreuse and amaro to pre-Prohibition whiskey.”