Little Bull
[Durham, NC] “Little Bull is sincere, nostalgic comfort food, inspired by the palates of first-generation immigrant kids,” states the restaurant website.
“Pocho cuisine is not a gimmick. Like [owner and Chef Oscar Diaz], it’s a little bull-headed, but with no bullshit. It means more than loaded terms like ‘New American’ or ‘modern Mexican.’ And it’s authentic to Chef’s personal experience.”
And with the “bull-headed, but with no bullshit” reference, we knew we had found our people.
While chef at The Cortez in Raleigh, Diaz earned two James Beard semifinalist mentions for Best Chef: Southeast.
The News & Observer reports, “Diaz has called North Carolina home for nearly 13 years and at 41 said he saw now as the moment to distill his career in kitchens into a distinctive kind of restaurant.
“The Little Bull menu will change seasonally, Diaz said, but have a few staples. There will always be a ceviche, often blending Mexican and Peruvian styles. There will be a version of the fried plantain and yucca dish alcapurria, but here topped with chilled North Carolina crab salad.
“There will be grilled duck hearts and an embrace of some non-traditional cuts of meat, like cheeks and tongue and goat. ‘I know it sounds wild but it’s delicious,’ Diaz said. ‘It’ll be grilled medium rare, not fried. I want you to see the little heart and eat it.'”
OK … so maybe duck heart eaters are not our people after all. However, they may be yours. In his first solo restaurant venture, James Beard semifinalist Chef Oscar Diaz opened Little Bull in Durham, NC, on Jun. 7, 2023.
LITTLE BULL LINKS