Noted Kinston restaurant has fire

Chef & the Farmer, a well-regarded restaurant in Kinston, had a major fire this weekend, and a reopening date has not been set, reports the Kinston Free Press. Owners Ben Knight and Vivian Howard opened the place in a former mule stable in 2006, and it specializes in fare made with Eastern N.C. growers' products. A fire official said the fire "gutted" the restaurant's storage area, according to the story.