Brodeto Restaurant Raleigh Is a Carolina Hurricanes Favorite

Jordan Martinook walked through the door carrying the Stanley Cup over his head, staff frozen mid step behind the bar before someone finally reached for a phone. This wasn't a locker room or a parade route, it was Brodeto restaurant Raleigh, an Italian and Croatian influenced dining room that had, without much fanfare, become the Carolina Hurricanes' favorite place to eat in the city.

A Chef With Deep Roots in Raleigh

Brodeto is owned by chef Scott Crawford, a five time James Beard nominee who operates several of Raleigh's most respected restaurants, three of which, including Brodeto, carry Michelin recommendations. Named after the traditional Italian seafood stew, the restaurant has built a genuine relationship with the hockey team over time rather than through any single marketing push. "The Carolina Hurricanes have just always been really supportive of my restaurants," Crawford says of the connection, one that grew organically as players kept returning and eventually became friendly with staff members themselves.

A Celebration That Was Half Planned, Half Hoped For

During the Stanley Cup playoffs, Crawford's culinary director Connor Delaney and Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook had already begun texting about a potential celebration at Brodeto if the team won. "They were kind of manifesting it," Crawford says of the exchange. Two days after the Hurricanes actually won the Cup, that plan became real, the team and their families filling the restaurant late into the night. Crawford hadn't expected quite how far the moment would go. "Jordan walked in with the Stanley Cup, hoisting it over his head," he recalls. "And then he told me and my staff to hoist it, which I wasn't expecting. I had just been hoping we could take a picture with the cup."

A Room That Doesn't Feel Like the South

Stepping into Brodeto feels less like Raleigh and more like Manhattan, cool wood tones paired with a neutral palette across floors and walls, strategic uplighting casting a warm glow throughout the space. A sleek marble bar in the restaurant's side room offers a swankier alternative to the main dining room, with full menu access available there as well.

What Draws the Players Specifically

The menu pulls inspiration from the Adriatic Sea, blending Puglian, Croatian and Slovenian influences into dishes centered on wood fired grilled meats, seafood and vegetables. Crawford says the Hurricanes players gravitate toward the fresh pastas in particular, cavatelli with braised pork and linguini with sea urchin butter and chili breadcrumbs among the favorites, alongside the grilled ribeye finished with an anchovy garlic crust.

Small Plates Worth Building a Meal Around

A recent visit turned up standout small plates as well, lamb pogača, lightly cooked lamb tossed in mint yogurt and spooned over grilled Croatian bread, hearty enough to anchor a meal on its own, alongside grilled beets topped with gorgonzola and pistachios. A rotating soft serve dessert, simple vanilla finished with olive oil and sea salt, closes the meal on an unexpectedly memorable note. For readers curious how other neighborhood dining scenes across the country build similar loyal followings, the pattern often traces back to exactly this kind of consistency, a kitchen that never serves a bad plate.

What Loyalty Looks Like at a Restaurant Table

You may not catch a Hurricanes player at Brodeto on your next visit, but the meal itself carries the same quality that made a professional hockey team choose it as the backdrop for lifting a championship trophy, proof that great cooking, consistently delivered, earns its own kind of loyalty.

More information is available on the official website at brodeto.com.