Mandolin now offers farm fresh eggs, prepared meals

"Raleigh is on the cusp of this culinary awakening," Fowler said at the time.

Fowler is also very passionate about the Mandolin Farm, where many of the restaurant's herbs, all of its lettuce and many other vegetables are being grown.

"I think the farm is kind of where we've really been putting a lot of our resources, a lot of time, a lot of our energy. And I think one of the things that really kind of differentiates us from a lot of places around town," Fowler said.

The farm is also growing hops, which Fowler said will be used for an upcoming collaboration with a local brewery.

The farm has also been the site of several on-site ticketed dinners, which Fowler hopes to resume after the coronavirus pandemic.

Restaurants shift focus to grocery offerings amid pandemic

While Mandolin's dining room is closed, Fowler has shifted the focus to take-out and family meals. Guests can also purchase fresh eggs and heads of lettuce from the Mandolin Farm.