Durham native chef Alex Catotti is coming home with a restaurant shaped by years spent in some of the country’s most acclaimed kitchens. In spring 2027, Catotti and his wife and business partner, pastry chef Erin Kobler, will open Restaurant Cornelia at 949 Washington Street in downtown Durham, introducing a fine-dining concept centered on the bounty of the American South. The couple confirmed the plans during an interview with WhatNow Charlotte.
Catotti said the restaurant represents a goal he has carried for years. Originally from Durham, he began his culinary career locally before spending much of the past decade working in world-class restaurants, primarily in Chicago. He and Kobler connected in Chicago roughly seven years ago and married last year.
“It’s always been my specific vision to go back to Durham and open a world-class restaurant,” Catotti told WhatNow Charlotte. “Restaurant Cornelia is the world-class experience that we have from working under a number of amazing chefs and bringing that back to Durham.”…