Pizzeria Toro
"Pizzeria Toro served some of the best pizza we've had in the Triangle. This restaurant has been in business since October 2012 for a reason. That's all you need to know. If you want details, read on.This place is popular and doesn't take reservations. We showed up right around 6pm on a Saturday and it was packed. We were given an estimated wait time of 25 minutes. Our actual wait time was about 30 minutes. I generally don't like waiting at restaurants, but this wait wasn't that bad because we were able to sit at the bar, and the wait was worth it.The restaurant's main entrance faces E Chapel Hill St. There's also a side entrance and separate bar room around the corner on Morris St. That's where we sat and waited. We had the option to eat at the bar, but we decided to wait for a table in the dining room for the experience and ambiance. It appeared online orders were picked up from a counter in the bar room. So, if you're picking up takeout, enter via Morris St.Like many businesses in this part of downtown Durham, Pizzeria Toro doesn't have dedicated parking. There's plenty of street, surface lot, and deck parking nearby. We parked for free in "Lot 32" at 111 W Chapel Hill St. The City enforces metered parking Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. At the time of writing this review, parking rates are $2.50/hour for street and $2.25/hour for lot/deck.The restaurant isn't very big. Seating is communal. There's no outdoor seating. A showcase oven and pizza prep counter are the focal point of the the dining room (open kitchen). The atmosphere was bustling.The food menu was straightforward with 10 appetizer, soup, and salad options (priced at $11-16 each), 10 red pizzas ($15-21), six white pizzas ($18-21), and four cured ham options ($11-18 per ounce). Some local items were featured such as Chatham County Crispy Pig's Ears ($14) and Orange County Baby Lettuces ($11). The drink menu was extensive and had a decent variety of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The wine list had a solid assortment of wines from across Italy.Here's what three of us shared:Antipasti* Burrata ($15) - cherry tomato config, everything flatbread* Ricotta Dumplings ($16) - cipollini, NC sweet corn, Italian truffle* Person Co. Roasted Okra ($12) - tomato mayoPizza* Sweet Fennel Sausage, roasted peppers, provolone ($19) - red pizza* Spicy Calabrian Salumi, charred onions, fior di latte ($19) - red pizza* Cultivated and Foraged Mushrooms, garlic, fior di latte ($19) - white pizzaCocktails* Aperol Margarita ($13 each) x2 - Lunazul, Cointreau, aperol, lime, sea salt, rocks* Carousel ($12) - Campari, Barbera d'Alba, honey, lemon soda, rocks* Anguria Fresca ($13) - mezcal, watermelon, jalapeno, rocksWine* Sterparo, Aglianico, Basilicata (2022) ($11 glass) - orange and pink wine from Southern Italy (rosato / rose)Everything was delicious. My favorites were the Burrata and the Mushroom pizza. Everyone in our group liked the Mushroom pizza the best.If it's on the menu, burrata is one of my favorite things to order when dining out. Most restaurant burrata I've had has typically been good. In comparison, Pizzeria Toro's Burrata was above average. Not only was it really fresh, but it had an added layer of richness and complexity. The accompanying "everything flatbread," a la everything bagels, was excellent. It was full of flavor and incredibly tasty on its own.And that's something I noticed they do really well here: bread (dough / crust). The crust on all three of our pizzas was absolutely fantastic. This was the kind of crust that had ideal flavor and consistency (the right amount of springiness) where every single bite was scrumptious and you wanted to finish everything.I'm a fan of mushroom pizzas in general and Pizzeria Toro's Mushroom pizza was probably the best I've had in recent memory. It was packed with umami. I also love garlic and fior di latte, so no surprise this turned out to be my favorite pizza. Second-best to me was the Sweet Fennel Sausage pizza. Again, outstanding crust and just terrific all-around flavor. High-quality ingredients, well-balanced. I recommend it if you like sausage pizza. The Spicy Calabrian Salumi pizza was salty and savory. While yummy, I probably wouldn't order it again simply because there were so many other better-looking options on the menu.The other apps, the Ricotta Dumplings and the Roasted Okra, were very good. The Ricotta Dumplings were recommended to us by our server and it was a great recommendation, fairly unique and very satisfying. The Okra was local and a tasty side.The cocktails were well-made, strong, and refreshing. Also eye-appealing.We interacted with lots of staff, from the hostess to the bartenders to the food runners, and everyone / service was great. Francesca was our server and she was wonderful. I could tell this is a well-run operation."Toro" is Italian for bull. I think the business name is a nod to the City of Durham, nicknamed the "Bull City.""
Seoul Garden Restaurant
"I have yet to try their Korean BBQ but their Dolsot Bibimbap (hot stone bowl with meat n veggies) is solid. Loved the shallower bowl which gives more surface area for toasted rice flavor. The Kimchi Jigae was decent and the banchan side dishes were good. The side dish of mayo-based macaroni with raisins was reminiscent of church meals that someone's mom or grandma always made. I requested a refill on that one. Nice way to offset the heat and spice. We'll be back for the Korean BBQ!"
