Foodies have been waiting a long while to welcome these two new downtown Durham restaurants to the scene: Mothers & Sons and Lucky’s Deli are a collaboration between the chef/owners of Mateo, Matt Kelly and Josh DeCarolis (who will be manning the kitchen at Mothers & Sons, an Italian trattoria), and Drew Brown, who will be managing Lucky’s Deli. Both restaurants, which are right next door to each other on W. Chapel Hill Street, are expected to hold their friends and family openings later this week and (fingers crossed) will be ready to open to the public by the weekend!
The renovated buildings are full of charming details, like original tin ceilings and structural elements that give them a homey vibe. Lucky’s modern design is clean and bright with red and white industrial-style light fixtures and white subway tiles on the walls. The deli has been curing meats and stocking the sold-by-the-pound deli counter in preparation. The menu board is up and waiting for orders. You can read our Q&A with Lucky’s here and enjoy a sneak peek inside below…
A room in the back with warm wood floors will be used as overflow seating for Lucky’s during the day and then switch over to hold Mothers & Sons patrons at night. A hallway conjoins the two spaces, which have almost identical layouts but very different design asthetics.
Mothers & Sons has a darker warmer color palette and an already bustling kitchen in back. Along the wall is a modern bar area and high shelving. Both front windows feature full wrap around booths which will be great for intimate parties to enjoy while taking in the sights of Durham and the smells of Italy wafting from the kitchen. You can read out story about Josh DeCarolis and his vision for the restaurant here.
By all accounts, you won’t have to wait much longer to enjoy these two new Durham restaurants…one for lunch and one for dinner. It’s a winning combination and will turn this row of buildings into a new culinary hot spot.
Photos: Tommie Watson Photography
BJ Fusaro says
Been waiting and can’t wait to try them both!