By Dathan Kazsuk |
Eight months. Eight award-winning chefs. Eight tacos you wish you could eat again.
Little Rey at Raleigh Iron Works has spent the better part of this year teaming up with some of the Triangle’s most celebrated chefs for a rotating chef-collaboration taco series. The idea was simple—pair nationally recognized culinary talent with
Little Rey’s wood-grilled, Tex-Mex–leaning style, and let each chef create a one-month-only taco with all proceeds supporting three important hospitality causes: Southern Smoke Foundation, Ben’s Friends, and Now Serving NC. It’s the kind of community-driven food event Raleigh does best: chefs lifting up other chefs, restaurants supporting the industry, and diners getting something creative, exclusive, and irresistible every month.
Below is a look back at the taco lineup month-by-month.
Octopus Taco
Chef Scott Crawford kicked off the series with a bold, coastal-Mediterranean twist: tender octopus tucked into a taco that landed somewhere between refined seafood cookery and Raleigh street-food fantasy. Known for his precision and ingredient-driven plates, Crawford set the tone early—this wasn’t going to be your everyday taco series.
Panch Phoron Spiced Beef Taco with Chimichurri
Peregrine’s Saif Rahman brought Bengali flavors into the mix with a panch phoron–spiced beef taco layered with bright, herbaceous chimichurri. Without a photo, diners had to trust the hype—and the dish delivered, folding warming spices and fresh herbs into a taco that felt familiar and totally new at once.
Torta de Barbacoa with Sesame Cemitas, Avocado, Pickled Onion & Fire- Roasted Tomato Salsa
Leave it to Andrew Ullom to ask, “Why make a taco when you can make a taco-torta hybrid?” His creation leaned into Union Special’s baking strength with a sesame cemita shell packed with barbacoa, avocado, and house-made salsa. More sandwich than taco, more taco than sandwich—exactly the kind of playful creativity the series was built for.
Honey Harissa Fried Chicken Taco with Sumac Onion, Lime Crema, & Rose Harissa
Cheetie Kumar delivered one of the most talked-about hits of the year: crispy fried chicken drizzled with honey-harissa, brightened with sumac onions and cooled with lime crema. Add a smear of her Spicewalla rose harissa and you had a taco that somehow tasted like Raleigh, Beirut, and Mumbai meeting up at a backyard party.
Smoked Beef Barbacoa Taco with Avocado Crema, Pickled Red Onion & Cilantro
July brought the smoke. Christopher Prieto of Prime Barbecue rolled out a deeply flavorful barbacoa, slow-smoked the way only a pitmaster can pull off. Paired with avocado crema and sharp pickled onions, this was a purist’s taco—big flavor, no fuss, classic Prieto.
Chicken 65 Taco with Tamarind Glaze, Lemon Sour Cream, Lettuce, Pickled Onion, Jalapeños & Cilantro
Tamasha’s Bhavin Chhatwani turned the beloved Indian street-food classic Chicken 65 into a fiery, tangy taco. Crunchy, saucy, spicy, and cooling all at once, it showed just how far this series was willing to push the boundaries of “taco” while still keeping every bite balanced.
Braised Chuck Taco with Onion Sugo, Ramp Salsa Verde & Crispy Shallots
Chef David Ellis brought Italian depth to the tortilla: slow-braised chuck layered with silky onion sugo, ramp-bright salsa verde, and shattering crispy shallots. It was soulful and rich—more like a Sunday supper tucked into a tortilla.
Blackened Flounder, Slaw, Avocado Crema, Radish, & Cilantro on Grilled Corn Tortillas
Coleen Speaks introduced a coastal Carolina beauty for October: blackened flounder with crunch, creaminess, and citrusy lift. Perfectly cooked fish plus a slaw that didn’t overpower it—this one felt tailor-made for fall.
Poole’s 3-Year Cheddar Pimento Cheese Queso Taco
The series ends with a full-circle comfort classic. Poole’s brought its cult-favorite three-year cheddar pimento cheese into the taco world with a queso-leaning creation that blends Southern nostalgia with Little Rey’s Tex-Mex roots. It’s the kind of final bite that closes the series on a grin.
Along the way, every taco purchase supported the hospitality community:
• Southern Smoke Foundation — providing emergency relief for food and beverage workers
• Ben’s Friends — supporting mental health and sobriety in the industry
• Now Serving NC — uplifting North Carolina chefs, artisans, and producers
This series wasn’t only about food. It was about community, collaboration, and the creativity that defines Raleigh’s dining scene right now. It also served as a powerful reminder: When Triangle chefs collaborate, the whole region eats better.
