THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Pop's Restaurant: A Durham Trattoria

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Pop's Restaurant: A Durham Trattoria Restaurant Review:

Pop’s offers contemporary Italian cooking near Duke’s East Campus. Owners (and chefs) John Vandergrift and Chris Stinnett celebrate fresh local produce whenever possible in such dishes as shrimp and corn risotto or seared scallops with broccoli rabe, gnocchi and fennel coulis. Pasta is made in-house, as in a rich pasta fagioli with braised pork and Gorgonzola. Main courses on any given evening could be grilled salmon with puttanesca vinaigrette and polenta, or prosciutto-wrapped grilled trout. We also recommend the wood-fired-oven pizzas. Desserts tend to be well-made simple classics, like crème brûlée and gelati and sorbetti. The almost all-Italian wine list (there are a few French selections) isn’t long, but it exhibits care and discerning taste, with choices that are moderately priced yet showcase quality. Several choices by the glass are available, all terrific options.