Up and down The Strip, the dining choices are as rich as Chapel Hill itself. A Turkish teahouse. A Mediterranean deli. A Starbuck’s. Northern Italian cuisine. Sushi. California chic. Elegant dining at Elaine’s. A microbrewery at Top of the Hill. And there, in dead center of the artery, the blue plate specials of the Carolina Coffee Shop.

Dining is a delight in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, where food fans can find an array of choices in cuisine. Acme Food & Beverage Company in Carrboro uses fresh, locally-grown produce in their dishes. Pyewacket Restaurant in Chapel Hill offers fine dining on a patio that overlooks historic Franklin Street.

And with a ratio of one restaurant for every 280 residents, there is a pretty good chance for anyone to find a satisfying meal. Even the pickiest eater should dine well in Chapel Hill.

Here are a just a few area favorites: Crook’s Corner offers some of the nation’s best upscale Southern dining, with its renowned shrimp and grits and a bamboo-shaded patio. Il Palio Ristorante has the distinction of being the only Italian restaurant in North Carolina to win AAA’s prestigious Four Diamond Award. And Elaine’s offers enough urban elegance to dazzle patrons.

Chinatown in North Carolina

The most impressive stop on fine-dining block is Lantern. Directly across from Elaine’s on West Franklin Street, Lantern serves up Asian dishes with regional flair – tea-and-spice-smoked chicken, pork-and-chive dumplings and Thai-style summer rolls. Lantern was created as an effort to recreate the flavors of New York’s Chinatown.

Diners can choose between the intimate red glow of Lantern’s back room and the main dining room, a minimalist’s dream with soft green walls and mod George Nelson bubble lamps from the 1960s.

Fill a Prescription, Sip on a Shake

Ever had a milk shake at a pharmacy? Not very many young’ns in this generation have. That is, except for people who visit Sutton's Drug Store in Chapel Hill. Opened in 1923, this pharmacy has been through two owners but has still managed to keep the pharmaceutical tradition alive; including serving coffee and milkshakes.

No one can budge the café regulars, some of whom have their own coffee cups stored behind the counter. Sutton’s serves a full breakfast, including grits and hand-cut home fries, from 7-11 a.m., then switches over to burgers, dogs and other lunch staples. Naturally, shakes are made the old-fashioned way – with real milk, ice cream and syrups. Sutton’s generations of customers wouldn’t have it any other way.

Made by the Seller, Sold by the Maker

“If they did not produce it, they will not sell it.” That standard helps explain why The Farmer’s Market in Carrboro is one of the best in the region. It also means fine, fresh locally grown produce is guaranteed, along with, prepared foods, flowers, crafts and farm products such as cheese and wool. Held two days a week in the Carrboro Town Commons, next to Town Hall, the Saturday markets are from 7 a.m. until noon between March and Christmas. The Wednesday Market is open from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. April to Halloween.

Chapel Hill restaurants continue to offer throngs of salivating customers cuisine worthy of a much larger town. Perhaps the fact that Chapel Hill is a university town has led to the proliferation of eateries eager to satisfy collegiate appetites. It also can’t hurt that the area’s population is a well-traveled crowd that clamors for fare beyond the ordinary. Whatever the reason, locals look for any excuse to eat out and proudly take out-of-town guests on culinary treasure hunts.