Fran Castillo is a local freelance food writer and wine educator. She covered the Durham dining scene for years on her blog Sip.Stir.Go but is now turning her focus to wine, cocktails, and recipes for making every day delicious. Follow her on Instagram @sipstirgo.

Durham has been called the tastiest food town and for good reason. Durham has an incredible restaurant scene and newcomer Nerra lives up to the city’s hype. I always want to eat at a spot more than once before making any sort of recommendation and two visits in, both with groups so I could sample a lot of the menu, Nerra does not disappoint.

Nerra occupies the space in downtown Durham that used to house Krill. Step inside and you’ll find a dining room bathed in warm light wood and a soothing blue that conveys its nautical menu without kitsch. The focal point of the room is a seascape mural by local artist Kate McLoughlin. The music leans toward 70’s soul (we may have joined in once or twice to the chorus of Papa Was a Rolling Stone) and for my aging ears, is perfect. You’re aware of the music but can actually have a conversation with your table mates without being hoarse from yelling at the end.

Chef Lex, with years of experience in kitchens across the Durham restaurant scene and as the owner of a personal chef business, helms the Nerra kitchen. As Executive Chef she brings her deft touch to seafood and her sense of eating as a communal act by offering a variety of shareable outrageously delicious small plates. She has presented, with Nerra’s menu, a balance of serving options meaning your friend who eats like a bird and the one who gives tapas side eye (is that just me?) will both be satisfied. Your friend who wants to dissect pricing? They’ll be satisfied too with a menu offering a range of price points including a stellar seafood plate where you choose your own adventure. Pick your fish, choose your cooking style, add some sauces and round it out with 2 sides – $20.00 for salmon or $24.00 for tuna. The food punches well above the reasonable price point. The portions are huge by the way. Both times I’ve eaten there everyone in my group was absolutely delighted with every bite they took and every sip they sipped.

I judge restaurants by a few dishes and one is by their Caesar Salad. Hear me out. Caesar salad dressing is fairly simple but in the wrong hands it’s a mayo-laden snobby second cousin to Ranch. Getting a Caesar dressing wrong means the kitchen doesn’t pay attention to detail or worse, they’re using store-bought dressing. I don’t hold out any hope for the rest of the menu. Nerra passed my test with flying colors!  This is not a salad of limp greens covered in mayo tears. The Nerra Caesar salad is EVERYTHING a Caesar should be! The greens are crisp and cold, the dressing has a balanced lemony zip with that hit of garlic that almost reads peppery on the tongue. It was perfect! The salad is definitely shareable but add the blackened salmon and it’s a meal. The salmon seasoning was assertive but not overpowering and the salmon was perfectly cooked. This pairing and a glass of wine (the Picpoul on offer is great) was a winning combination. My aunt was trying to buy the dressing from them hint hint Nerra.

Other menu standouts are the Cajun Seafood Linguine which was loaded with seafood in a flavor bomb cream sauce with a hint of heat from turkey andouille sausage. For the non-seafood eaters in your party, the Braised Short Rib is fork tender and delicious. There are also blackboard specials on offer. Make sure to start your meal with the bread basket. Trust me, you want the hushpuppies. ALL THE HUSHPUPPIES but sharing yada yada. Then move on to the sides. All the entrees come with two. The truffle fries are crisp outside but tender pillowy inside with just the right amount of truffle funk. My favorite sides though have to be the Brussels sprouts which are bathed in a sweet tart balsamic reduction and the broccoli. Are you thinking, broccoli? Come on, it can’t be that good. The broccoli is THAT GOOD. It’s tender crisp and again Executive Chef Lex does what she does best – she seasons just enough to get your attention but not so much that the actual ingredient gets lost. Finish your meal off with the key lime tartlet. It’s just the right amount of tart – no lip puckering action here and it’s right sized to be just that bit of sweet you want at the end of a meal. I also appreciate that they have decaf espresso which is so nice to enjoy with dessert.

With a variety of menu options, a beautiful setting and a price point that will satisfy everyone in your party, Nerra should be on your short list for new spots to try. Nerra is definitely one of my new favorite spots for a great meal!

Nerra is located at 506 Ramseur Street in downtown Durham and is open Wed-Sun for dinner starting at 5:00 and Sunday brunch is offered 10:00-3:00. Reservations can be booked on OpenTable.