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Crook’s Corner

NEWS
“Crook’s Corner. a Landmark North Carolina Restaurant, Has Closed”
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“Big changes ahead for NC’s beloved – and iconic – restaurant, Crook’s Corner” READ ARTICLE

“Meet the new chef of Crook’s Corner, the third in the storied restaurant’s history” READ ARTICLE

“Crook’s Corner, a Southern Institution, Embarks on a New Era” READ ARTICLE

crookswritersaboutcrooksABOUT CROOK’S CORNER

Crook’s Corner was opened in 1982 by Gene Hamer and the late Bill Neal. Chef Neal’s unique approach to Southern dishes and his first cookbook, Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking, attracted national attention. A rave review by Craig Claiborne in the New York Times put the restaurant on the culinary map.

Bill Smith became chef of Crook’s Corner in 1992. He continued to serve Bill Neal’s signature dishes, while also making his own mark in contemporary Southern cuisine. His cookbook, Seasoned in the South, was named a New York Times Notable Book and a Food and Wine Best Book. Smith was twice a finalist for the James Beard Best Chef in the Southeast Award.  In 2011 the James Beard Foundation honored Crook’s Corner with the coveted America’s Classic Award.

Although Crook’s Corner closed in 2021, its impact on our community will last a lifetime.

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The 2022 Book Prize Winner

Things We Lost to the Water
by Eric Nguyen
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HOSTED BY

The 2023 Book Prize Judge

Ben Fountain was born in Chapel Hill and grew up in eastern North Carolina. His most recent book is Beautiful Country Burn Again, a narrative, with history, of the 2016 presidential election. He is also the author of the novel Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which was adapted for film by three-time Oscar winner Ang Lee, and the short story collection Brief Encounters with Che Guevara.
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The 9th Annual Longlist

Longlist Announced!
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The 2021 Book Prize Winner

As a River
by Sion Dayson
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SHORT ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO

LIBRARY PANEL

The 2022 Book Prize Judge

Ron Rash is the author of the PEN/Faulkner finalist and New York Times bestselling novel Serena, in addition to the critically acclaimed novels The Risen, Above the Waterfall, The Cove, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight...
More about Ron Rash

The 8th Annual Shortlist

Shortlist Announced!
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The 2020 Book Prize Winner

Atlas of Reds and Blues

by Devi S. Laskar
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2020 Announcement Party

Announcement party January 6, 2020

Winner Devi Laskar with Crook’s Corner restaurant owners Shannon Healy and Gary Crunkleton on either side

left to right, Judge Charles Frazier, author Daniel Wallace, author (our first Crook’s Corner Book Prize winner in 2014) Wiley Cash

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© Crooks Corner, 2017 · Twenty Seven Pro by Brian Gardner

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