Triangle Land Conservancy: Member Spotlight June 2007


	Triangle Land Conservancy 1101 Haynes Street Suite 205 Raleigh, NC 27604 919.833.3662

Member Spotlight - July 2007

Karen and Ben Barker

Ben and Karen Barker

Karen and Ben Barker are the owners and culinary geniuses behind the award-winning Magnolia Grill in Durham. They met on their first day of class while studying at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduating in 1981, the couple headed south, working together at La Residence in Chapel Hill and Fearrington House Restaurant in Pittsboro before opening Magnolia Grill in 1986.

Magnolia Grill has won numerous national awards, as have the Barkers themselves. In 1999, Ben won the James Beard award as Southeastern Chef of the year. In 2000, Karen was chosen Best Pastry Chef in America. In 2006, Magnolia Grill once again made Gourmet magazine’s Top 50 restaurants list at #11. The restaurant was one of five restaurants nominated for the Outstanding Restaurant in America award from the James Beard Foundation in 2007. Karen and Ben are the co-authors of Not Afraid of Flavor: Recipes from Magnolia Grill. Karen also authored Sweet Stuff: Karen Barker's American Desserts.

Along with their passion for cooking, Karen and Ben share a commitment to saving open spaces in the Triangle and have been members of TLC for eleven years. The Barkers feel that conserving land in the Triangle is a vital cause to embrace and they believe that TLC is accomplishing an important task in protecting the area’s natural beauty. To share their passion with others, in March they hosted a special dinner at Magnolia Grill to introduce TLC to many of their friends.

Karen and Ben live in Chapel Hill with their son, Gabriel. Originally from Alamance County and Brooklyn, New York, respectively, Ben and Karen enjoy walking with their chocolate lab, Xena, in the protected woods along Morgan Creek near their home. “It’s nice to have that peace and tranquility before greeting 200 people for dinner!” says Ben. Karen describes Ben as a “bird nerd” and says that they enjoy watching owls, turkeys and hawks near their home.

- Marisa Bryant, Membership Coordinator

Member Spotlight Archives

June 2010 - Greg Smith and Cyndi Grover

May 2010 - Todd and Kathleen Shapley-Quinn

April 2010 - Joyce & Fred Sparling

March 2010 - Diane Allen

February 2010 - Jane Kendall and Ran Coble

January 2010 - Kris and David Jackson

December 2009 - Carol Ruess

November 2009 - Kent Fiala

October 2009 - Linda and Rufus Edmisten

September 2009 - Barbara and Jonathan Sheline