Why “Kitchen”?

After running several acclaimed formal restaurants, Dick and Sue Barrows decided to open the kind of restaurant they enjoy eating at themselves. Kitchen is the result – traditional French bistro fare made from local ingredients served in a cozy, informal environment. The name Kitchen is meant to evoke the image of eating in the kitchen of a good cook, without ceremony.

The bread is baked in house everyday and the mussels and duck confit are French bistro basics that keep regulars coming back for more. Kitchen has superb seafood specials and a delectable assortment of starters that make it difficult to get to the entrée section of the menu. The wine and beer lists are well curated and focus on quality, not quantity. There’s no need for a large selection when everything on the list is delicious.

Background

Dick Barrows was born in Manhattan, but grew up in the iconic American suburb of Levittown. His early interests included baseball, shooting marbles, Davy Crockett, and following his mother around the kitchen as she cooked. After graduating from Ball State University, Dick worked as a busboy and waiter in a crepe restaurant in Philadelphia then snagged a job as a prep cook at Frog, one of the forerunners of the Philadelphia restaurant renaissance. He received much of his early training at Frog, quickly advancing to prep cook and then lunch chef. Sue McCarthy worked at Frog as a server.

When Dick and Sue were married, they moved to Bucks County and purchased Forager House, a struggling restaurant in New Hope. Despite a number of obstacles, they were able to transform Forager House into a well-respected restaurant in the Bucks County restaurant scene. Dick wanted to pursue his passion for fresh seafood, so he next opened Starfish Brasserie in Bethlehem, PA. The place was an instant hit, winning Best Seafood Restaurant nine years in a row.

Dick and Sue spent many happy hours visiting the Triangle area during their daughter, Leslie’s, time at UNC-Chapel Hill. After her graduation, they decided to make Chapel Hill their home. Although he was born in New York and grew up in Pennsylvania, Dick Barrows now considers himself a Tar Heel through and through.