Kevin C.
Yelp
Every once in a great while you discover a restaurant that you immediately fall in love with. For me, Stanbury is one of those restaurants. Yes, she doesn't take reservations. Yeah, she's quirky. But she's fun, totally alluring, and unforgettable.
First things first: if you want to be seated in the first seating (5:00 to ~5:15), arrive at 4:50 or so. If you'd like to dine at 7:00 or ~7:15, arrive at 4:50 or so. Notice a pattern? For even later times, I suspect you're also going to have to stop by relatively early; they'll take your name and number and give you an approximate time. If you live in Oakwood or Mordecai, this system is great; if you're in Durham, Wake Forest or another similarly distant town, not so much. But whatever it takes to snag a table, do it, because this restaurant is well worth this inconvenience.
The restaurant's decor appears to be the product of a Wyoming hunting lodge, a funky art gallery and a garage getting together to experiment with hallucinogens. It's funky, distinctive and seemingly 180° opposite the imaginative, elevated cuisine, but it all somehow works. The vibe is playful and casual, the drinks are wonderful, and the service is attentive without being overly fussy.
And the food! As the kitchen uses local providers and seasonally available ingredients, the menu changes frequently. It usually features approximately a dozen small and four large plates, all intended for sharing, as well as a few desserts. Everything we tried was sublime. In particular, the beef heart bolognese was extraordinary, and the ribeye was perfectly cooked with a great char and and luscious flavor. The Szechuan Cucumber was another delight, featuring cantaloupe, Lady Edison ham, peanut, and cilantro, while Szechuan peppercorns provided their tingly, numbing magic: very good. Don't skip the bread and butter: the sesame loaf slices from Boulted Bread had spent a few moments on the grill, and the marriage of smoke with the richness of the loaf and butter was memorable. We need to return - soon! - to try some of the other dishes.
Finally, I need to mention that this is a restaurant that's genuinely committed to providing a great customer experience. There were a couple of minor hiccups during our visit (a drink ordered "up" was served on the rocks, the pacing of the dishes coming to the table wasn't ideal); the restaurant's staff went to great lengths to make things right. This was totally unexpected and seemingly disproportionate to the couple of minor things that went wrong, but it solidified in our minds that this is a restaurant that deserves our business and we need to return to, frequently. Bravo.