The owner of DICED salad bars 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 Michelle Woodward, the owner of DICED. After spending more than a decade as a competitive athlete, Woodward was inspired to create a restaurant offering high-quality, healthy fast food. In 2015, she opened DICED on Kildaire Farm Road in Cary. Diced specializes in fresh, made-to-order salads and wraps, using top-tier ingredients. Known as ‘your favorite local salad shop,’ there are now four DICED locations in Raleigh and Cary, and a fifth on the way in Holly Springs.
Read on for her picks for where to eat and drink 2025!
Where do you go for a special-occasion dinner?
Right now, it’s usually East End Bistrot. I always get the bluefin tuna toro, hamachi cru, fries with the duck fat aioli and split a filet mignon.
What’s your go-to neighborhood spot?
Tazza Kitchen in the Village District is our go-to spot when we don’t know what else to get. I usually get the meatballs and crunchy potato salad.
Where do you get lunch?
I eat DICED for lunch a lot. I usually get some version of the Spicy Thai with shrimp and avocado added — sometimes mango — and the carrot ginger dressing.
Where do you get a meal to go?
Oakwood Pizza Box. I always get a square pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms and olives with no cheese, so it’s dairy free. Best no-cheese pizza around!
Where do you go for a drink?
I don’t usually drink, but I might sit outside with a cider or hard kombucha at State of Beer.
What’s your go-to coffee spot?
My go-to is Jubala, they just have the smoothest coffee around. I usually get an almond milk latte with half miele sweetener.
What’s your favorite new-ish place?
Brodeto is extremely tasty. We usually get some sort of crudo, the focaccia, the little gem salad and linguine al nero or the gnocchi.
What are you excited to try?
I’m excited to try LaGana! Smashburgers are one of my favorite foods and it seems like they do it perfectly, with the wagyu beef and elevated ingredients.
What’s a spot outside of Raleigh that’s worth the drive?
I don’t really want to give it away, but Akami Sushi Bar in Apex/Holly Springs is one of the best sushi places I’ve ever been to. The owner is super friendly and his menu options are fresh. The seared wagyu nigiri and seared hamachi belly nigiri are the best I’ve ever had.
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.
