Worth the Drive: The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

Greg Lewis opened upscale restaurant The Sycamore at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro because his wife wanted a nice place for people to eat steak.

While prime beef certainly gets top billing, it’s not the only star of the show. Diners also can savor duck, ostrich, seafood, and more in a circa 1920s building that formerly housed a textile manufacturing plant.

“The Sycamore provides a warm, welcoming atmosphere for guests to relax and enjoy a seasonal menu filled with creative food,” says Greg, an easygoing New Jersey native who also owns 39 West Catering and special-event venue Forest Hall at Chatham Mills.

Proprietor Greg Lewis

A 1986 alumnus of New York’s renowned Culinary Institute of America, Greg has worked in restaurants since he was a young teenager. He’s now 62.

“I’m a classically trained chef who’s been given the opportunity to do a lot of things over the years,” he says.

Greg and his wife, Maria Parker-Lewis, came to North Carolina in 2000, choosing to settle in Cary. He owned and ran the now defunct Italian eatery Errico’s and then founded Catering by Design, an award-winning business that still thrives today under new proprietorship.

“We moved to Chatham County in 2007 because we preferred to live in a more rural area,” Greg explains.

The Lewises bought Pittsboro Roadhouse in 2012, which enjoyed a successful run until the covid pandemic wreaked havoc on the business, ultimately forcing its closure. But in June of 2021, the resilient couple reemerged and opened The Sycamore, which provides refined cuisine in a revitalized setting.

The main dining room features an elevated ceiling with vintage chandeliers, antique hardwood flooring, and exposed brick walls awash with character. A cast-iron fire door provides a striking vestige from the historic mill, which once served as the world’s largest maker of woven cloth labels for everything from clothing to mattresses to parachutes.

Additional flourishes like peacock-themed wallpaper and custom upholstered chairs were envisioned by Maria, who collaborated with Ashlie Campbell and Shana O’Leary of interior design business An Acquired Style in Pittsboro to pull everything together.

A retro-vibed lounge features a fireplace, billiards table, and comfortable furniture that’s perfect for unwinding. On Thursdays, small plates are available in the lounge for just $10, including items such as an Angus burger, burrata, and beef tartare.

On any given night in the main dining room, an instrumentalist plays a baby grand piano during dinner service. Live jazz music is available each Wednesday from 6–9 p.m.

“We have five different jazz musicians or groups that we rotate through each week,” Greg says.

Greg realizes that running a successful restaurant involves treating people well, starting with his staff. To see him in action is like watching a father doting over his beloved children.

“We’re all family here, and every member of the team knows if there’s ever anything I can do for them, I will,” he asserts.

Bar Manager Tabitha Mattson agrees.

“Greg has been the best boss I’ve ever worked with, so this is the only place I want to be.”

Delfiscio Herring II, the restaurant’s general manager, appreciates the camaraderie of the staff and the way Greg regards them.

“I’ve been here since March of 2021, which was before the restaurant opened for business, and Greg has always shown respect to me and others,” he says.

In addition to valuing his front-of-house staff, Greg gives Executive Chef Ernest Fisher free reign in the kitchen. Consider it one chef trusting another to consistently churn out first-rate gastronomy.

Ernest, who hails from Connecticut, serves up well-composed dishes with aplomb. Many of the artfully presented dishes arrive tableside on handmade stoneware from Seagrove, NC.

Executive Chef Ernest Fisher

Inventive small plates include offerings like ostrich meatballs paired with sweet-and-spicy red pepper coulis and stuffed quail with cranberry wild rice and a cherry reduction.

Notable entrées available during our visit encompassed pan-seared duck breast with whipped parsnips, fondant potatoes, and lemongrass pesto; slow-cooked boneless pork tenderloin accompanied by braised collards and cranberry-apple chutney; and an alligator-stuffed airline chicken with goat cheese, kale, shallots, and a creole butter sauce.

“Ribeye, New York strip, and filet mignon are always on the menu,” Greg says with a smile, adding that the ribeye is his favorite among all the main-dish selections.

Fresh fish ranging from amberjack and black drum to cobia and tile is sourced from Locals Seafood.

Side dishes should not be an afterthought. You can’t go wrong with crispy delicata squash with hot honey or buttered broccolini and cauliflower. But if you don’t try any other shareable side dish, order the resplendent mac and cheese. (Confession: We couldn’t stop relishing it during and after the photo shoot.)

“It’s a signature side that contains Gruyère, white cheddar, Brie, and fontina and is made with cavatappi pasta,” says Chef Ernest.

Desserts run the gamut from orange olive oil cake and ricotta cheesecake to chocolate-laden indulgences like pot de crème and a pecan tart with huckleberry compote.

The menu at The Sycamore is adaptable for gluten-free or vegan purposes.

“We can also accommodate people with alpha-gal,” says Greg, adding that his wife suffers from alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne illness that causes some people to become allergic to red meat.

The eatery’s beverage team curates a wine list that balances approachability with sophistication, combining thoughtful by-the-glass selections with reserve-level bottles from celebrated regions across the globe.

Distinctive craft cocktails include choices like the ginger-infused Apple of my Chai and the house Old Fashioned with Elijah Craig bourbon, demerara syrup, bitters, an orange peel, and a cherry.

Service is polished, gracious, and attentive.

“When people come through the door, we let them know we’re going to take good care of them and guide them through their dining experience,” Greg says.

The Sycamore at Chatham Mills is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5–9 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended for the main dining room.

thesycamoreatchathammills.com
@TheSycamoreatChathamMills

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