Husband and wife team Leticia Tello and William Eris are bringing a touch of international flavor to Moore County’s restaurant scene with their new family-run restaurant Carolina’s Kitchen & Catering.
Opening her own restaurant has been a life-long dream for Leticia, and with the support of her husband William, that dream has finally become a reality. Located at the Carolina Pine Inn in Pinebluff, Carolina’s Kitchen aims to give Sandhills locals a new spot to dine, drink, and socialize.
Carolina Pine Inn is home to Carolina’s Kitchen & Catering/Sandhills Sentinel.
Leticia has over 25 years in the restaurant industry refining her culinary skills and learning the tools of the trade. She grew up in Lima, Peru, in a household full of cooks, and spent her formative years working in her family’s restaurants.
“I was born into a life of cooking,” Leticia explained. “In Peru, my whole family cooked. And now we’re here to give everyone a little bite of Peru in Moore County.”
Her life-long passion for cooking led Leticia to study International Gastronomy and Business Administration while in Lima, readying her for her future as a professional chef. After meeting William and falling in love with American life, Leticia settled in at Lisi Italian in Pinehurst, where she learned the ins-and-outs of what it takes to become an American restaurateur.
When an opportunity presented itself at Carolina Pine Inn, the husband-and-wife duo found the offer too good to refuse. After months of hard work and preparation, Carolina’s Kitchen opened its doors for business on June 17.
Thus far, the restaurant’s patrons have been loving what Leticia has been serving. The menu has been specifically handcrafted to ensure that there’s a “food for every mood,” from breakfast to dessert. Leticia personally recommends her signature “Linguine Marry Me Chicken” dish, which combines chicken breast, heavy cream, cheese, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and basil into a fan-favorite fusion of Peruvian and Italian cuisine.
Linguine Marry Me Chicken. Photo provided.
“Peruvian cooking and Italian cooking are more similar than people realize, and I want to show them that,” said Leticia. The multicultural blend is heavily reflected in dishes of Leticia’s own design and tried-and-true classics from both cultures.
There is something for everyone on the menu at Carolina’s Kitchen; Leticia and William have even included American classics such as burgers and wings to satiate all palates. And of course, no meal would be complete without dessert, so the team made sure to include something sweet with ice cream and heavenly, homemade cheesecake.
Homemade cheesecake is on the menu at Carolina’s Kitchen & Catering/Sandhills Sentinel.
The restaurant itself is conveniently located off of the lobby at Carolina Pine Inn and features both a dining room and a bar, offering plenty of seating options for parties of all sizes. The restaurant is not exclusive to hotel guests, and Leticia and William welcome everyone to stop in to dine, drink, and socialize. Additionally, Carolina’s Kitchen & Catering also provides catering services for small gatherings to large corporate events.
Carolina’s Kitchen & Catering is located inside the Carolina Pine Inn at 175 Persimmon Dr. in Pinebluff. For more information, please call (910) 969-1034 or visit www.carolinakcatering.com to view the restaurant’s menu online.
Feature photo: Carolina’s Kitchen & Catering owners Leticia Tello and William Eris/Sandhills Sentinel.
~Article and photos by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Abegail Murphy.
