Member Moments

Proudly Recognizing North Carolina’s Hospitality Leaders

SALTBOX OWNER RICKY MOORE NAMED NEWS & OBSERVER’S ‘TAR HEEL OF THE YEAR’

For his dedication and talent in celebrating local seafood from North Carolina, Ricky Moore, owner of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, was chosen as The News & Observer’s ‘2022 Tar Heel of the Year.’ He has spent a career changing diners’ perceptions of popular and unpopular fish and along the way, he has lifted up and mentored a new generation of Black chefs and business owners. Last year, Moore was named Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation. Chef Moore also participated in the 2022 NCRLA Chef Showdown as a guest judge in both preliminary and regional rounds.

TABLE FOR TWO: THE CELLAR AT DUCKWORTH’S NAMED NC’S ‘MOST ROMANTIC’

Intimate, dimly lit, and romantic are just a few adjectives used to describe The Cellar at Duckworth’s in Charlotte—North Carolina’s ‘Most Romantic’ restaurant according to Yelp. Prior to Valentine’s Day, business review platform Yelp compiled a collection of the most romantic restaurants in each state by those with the highest concentration of reviews that mentioned relevant keywords, like romantic, date night, and Valentine. The Cellar holds a 4.5-star rating on Yelp, and was even ranked highest among upscale restaurants in Charlotte in 2022.