The pastry chef and owner of Bittersweet shares where she goes for quick meals, special dinners and more in the Raleigh area.
by Ayn-Monique Klahre | photography by Forrest Mason

For our 2025 Guide to Where to Eat and Drink in Raleigh, we surveyed 11 people in the hospitality industry to learn where they go for a casual meal, celebration dinner, coffee fix and more. One of them was Kim Hammer, a pastry chef and owner of Bittersweet, a cocktail, coffee and dessert bar in downtown Raleigh. Open for more than 10 years, Bittersweet was nominated for a James Beard for Outstanding Bar in 2024. The cocktail and pastry menu changes four times a year, with a strong focus on gin-based cocktails. She also owns Johnson Street Yacht Club, a downtown dive bar with super chill drinks and a slide. Prior to Bittersweet, Hammer had a pastry catering company, bittycakes, for over 10 years. She spent several seasons selling baked goods at the Carrboro Farmers Market and providing daily pastries for Café Helios in downtown Raleigh.

Read on for her picks for where to eat and drink 2025!

Where do you go for a special-occasion dinner? 

If you have great fries, I will find you! And if I can get fries and a dirty martini together, I will visit you often. Oak Steakhouse always makes me happy — the hospitality is great and my idea of a celebration meal is a perfect crispy medium rare ribeye, killer fries and a dirty martini. I also love  those dark and cozy hightops in the bar area.

What’s your go-to neighborhood spot? 

Probably Centro, Angela [Salamanca]’s food is delicious and comforting. Being inside that space feels like being invited to her house, with all the personal touches and bright colors. Her ignacio (nachos) and any of the delicious mezcal cocktails are my go-to for catching up with a friend and munching. I also love going upstairs to Gallo Pelón for flautas and basically any of their cocktails — very into their Carajillo right now. 

What’s a great casual spot?

Definitely SmokeStacks Cafe in Oakwood. They have different, creative items on the menu every day. I have such a struggle trying to decide what to order because I always want three to five different things! They are small and yet they do so much. Everything is made fresh and I especially recommend anything smoked or roasted — great wings and their Thursday burger special is always delicious. They are open for lunch now, and they make a killer brunch so it gives me even more opportunities to try different items. 

Where do you get lunch? 

My night owl life means I’m usually eating lunch so late that it’s other people’s dinner time, but when I get to a normal lunch date I like to go to Side Street in Oakwood. I’m an old-school Raleigh native and Enloe High School graduate, so I have a special place in my heart for places that have been around that part of town forever. I will usually get a Turkey Club or The Camel Rider — I love to read the names of their sandwiches every time I’m there. I will definitely be getting sweet tea and key lime pie as well. 

Where do you get a meal to go? 

I love grabbing a sandwich from Alimentari at the Transfer Food Hall — I often get the Caprese with prosciutto. But my favorite thing about going there is that I can pick up incredible meat from their butcher for dinner later. I also love their homemade pastas. Their freezer is also always stocked with even more items and pasta meals. So the productive side of me loves that I can get a killer sandwich and shop for later meals at the same time. 

Where do you go for a drink?

Okay, I drink a lot at our dive bar, Johnson Street Yacht Club, but I want to give credit to a new favorite: Natural Science Bar at Gateway Plaza. I love all the cozy corners and outdoor spaces there, plus they have a back room with a pool table and darts. I also love that I can order a Negroni from anyone that works there and it’s always spot-on. The vibe is just super chill and friendly. I’m there at least once a week. 

What’s your go-to coffee spot?

My latest favorite coffee spot is one I love so much that I’m okay with tracking it down: Bad Brains Coffee truck. They post a schedule weekly and I usually visit them at Iron Works. The truck is so cool, the coffee is great, the vibes and merch are perfect for a non-morning person like me. I’m not one for fancy coffee drinks — just give me a black iced coffee or cappuccino — but my friends that like flavored drinks love Bad Brain’s unique seasonal menu of chais, mochas and things like Pecan Pie Lattes. As a night owl I’m pretty cranky when I have to get up too early (aka, before 10 a.m.), but stopping to get great coffee makes it a little better. 

What’s your favorite new-ish place?

Probably Gussies. It’s solid and the menu has everything I need for a casual hang. Plus the crew there is super friendly and hospitality is on point.

What are you excited to try? 

A few things — but I’m not allowed to talk about them yet!

What’s a spot outside of Raleigh that’s worth the drive?

Hank’s Downtown Dive in Cary. I’m obsessed with their fried chicken. You get this pile of delicious, juicy chicken, crispy fries and green beans — all plated together with a drizzle of ancho chili garlic honey. It’s everything I need on a plate, plus I can get a great cocktail or bottle of bubbles to go with.

A portion of this article originally appeared in the January 2025 issue of WALTER magazine. The full version was published on waltermagazine.com on December 30, 2024.