18 Best Restaurants in Raleigh, North Carolina | Eater Carolinas

"When celebrated Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar announced the post-pandemic closure of Garland, the restaurant she ran with her husband Paul Siler, fans were understandably upset. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long, as Kumar and her team opened Ajja a short while later. Ajja’s menu strays a bit from Kumar’s Indian roots, offering a pan-Middle Eastern and Mediterranean selection of items like lamb seekh, chicken kabab, and the fisherman’s dolma, a seafood-stuffed shishito peppers with Anson Mills blue rice, charred eggplant, saffron, sweet and sour kashk, roasted tomatoes, and toasted almonds. Beverage manager Lindsay Ogden’s creative list of craft cocktails, wines, and beers complements Kumar’s menu." - Matt Lardie