This morning I was quite sad to see the news that Starlu will be closing its doors. From Starlu's website:

To our friends and guests,

The anatomy of goodbye is complicated by emotion. First, there is the news that you are going away; then the explanation and the questions about why; and lastly there is the departure and all its inherent finality.

It is with great sadness that I share with you all that December 22 will be our last day to serve you....

Brooklynne and I only made it out to Starlu once (it was expensive for us, even if it was certainly worth the price), but our experience was the best. Chef Sam came to our table personally to see to see that we were enjoying our meal and to chat briefly about the what we thought about it. He was friendly and down to earth and seemed to think our judgement was as valid as any of his peers, verifying what everyone else had already  said about him.

While the food was exceptional, the location was not. Still, a restaurant's quality can be judged on factors that transcend its booths and lighting, or even its cusine, and Sam's business is a leading example of positive community engagement. Also from the Starlu website:

In conjunction with our melancholy, we'd like to share with you the joy of remembering our successes. In our 3+ years in business we:

• helped raise over $43,000 for charity through our Bottles of Change program,
• bought holiday gifts for children living under the auspices of Children's Home Society,
• raised awareness of dozens of great organizations doing wonderful work in Durham and beyond,
• received numerous accolades generated by our diners attesting to their appreciation of what we do,
• and had the pleasure of getting to know so many wonderful people.

Durham will miss Starlu and I can only hope that Sam finds a way to give it another shot sooner rather than later. If you have the chance to take a special evening between now and the 22nd, you should consider visiting this one-of-a-kind venue before it goes, and if Sam stops by your table, wish him the best.

If you want more info, here's the link.