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May 2015
64 Raleighites
Road tRip
When mom is boss by Ann Brooke Raynal photographs by Eve Kakassy Hobgood
Kids in tow by Samantha Thompson Hatem
WalteR pRofile
The great asheville gastro challenge words and photographs by Dean McCord
56
Raleigh native and pga standout Chesson hadley by Andrew Kenney photographs by Nick Pironio
64
tRavel seCtion
Welcome to our travel issue: food, kids, humor, and style
71
stoRy of a house
The world of vanCollier by Liza Roberts photographs by Catherine Nguyen
84
at the table
92
WoRth the dRive
food to travel for by Kaitlyn Goalen illustrations by Emily Brooks
98
thRough the lens
building a better ’bot photographs by Tim Lytvinenko
106
74
On the cover: Textile collage by Elaine O'Neil
10 | WalteR
74
Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh 919.510.8484 • Streets at Southpoint, Durham 919.544.1818
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Shop Local: apex Outfitter & Board Co. The Usual: The Gateway Restaurant Game Plan: andrew Valkanoff Off duty: wade Smith
by Jessie Ammons and Liza Roberts photographs by Travis Long and Tim Lytvinenko
82 Now & Then Visual history
words and photograph by Dwane Powell
114 Givers
Junior League of Raleigh
by Todd Cohen photographs by Jillian Clark
116 Reflections On Mothers
by Lisa Grele Barrie photographs by Juli Leonard
118 Just one plant Scheffleras
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson
90 Travel reflection Van of my dreams
by Ann Brooke Raynal illustrations by Emily Brooks
Visiting Nannie at Mayview
97 Drink
alarm Call
by Anna Long
by Gibbons Ruark
120 The Whirl
Parties and fundraisers
104 Essential ingredient Rhubarb
by Kaitlyn Goalen photographs by Jillian Clark
110 My Town
Marco Zarate: Overcoming barriers, building leaders
by Lewis Beale photographs by Nick Pironio
12 | waLteR
22
119 Verse
71
130 Seen in Raleigh Oaks & Spokes
In Every Issue 14
Letter from the editor
18
Contributors
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Your Feedback
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Raleigh Now
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nyone who has (or who has ever had) very young children knows that there’s a vast difference between travel and vacation. With very young children, you can travel far, wide, or luxuriously, but a vacation you will not have. Even if you go to an actual resort – even if you call it a vacation – you will not vacate responsibility. Plenty of people find themselves in similar shoes. They can’t take a vacation because their job is too demanding, their time is too short, their resources too few, their responsibilities too vast. But if ‘taking a vacation’ falls off of the list of expectations, and ‘traveling’ fills its place, suddenly we’re all primed for success. We can all – regardless of time, money, or responsibilities – soak up new places, people, and ways of being, and be broadened by them. We can eat strange foods, see strange art, hear strange music, and learn from them. We can venture into nature and be refreshed. We can venture into culture and be renewed. Especially in a state with mountains like ours, beaches like ours, and culture of so many sorts filling every cranny in between – even if there’s only an afternoon to spare – we can all take a trip worth taking. This issue is devoted to the idea that we can make that kind of travel a regular part of our lives, and that we live in the perfect place to do it. Starting on page 71, we’ve got stories about meals worth the drive; trips with children; history along the roadside; life near the coast; and a foodie’s weekend in Asheville. It’s the perfect time of year to venture a little further afield than usual. Happy reading, and happy travels.
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Editor & General Manager Art Director Jesma ReynoLds Contributing Writers tony avent, Lisa gReLe baRRie, Lewis beaLe, todd cohen, tRacy davis, kaitLyn goaLen, samantha thompson hatem, andRew kenney, dean mccoRd, dwane poweLL, ann bRooke RaynaL Contributing Photographers JiLLian cLaRk, eve kakassy hobgood, JuLi LeonaRd, tRavis Long, tim Lytvinenko, catheRine nguyen, nick piRonio, dwane poweLL Contributing Illustrators emiLy bRooks, eLaine o’neiL, ippy patteRson
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Walter is distributed without charge to select Wake County households and available by paid subscriptions at $24.99 a year in the United States, as well as for purchase at Quail Ridge Books and other retail locations. For customer service inquiries, please email us at customerservice@waltermagazine.com or call 919-836-5661. Address all correspondence to Walter Magazine, 215 S. McDowell St., Raleigh NC 27601. Walter does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Please contact editor and general manager Liza Roberts at Liza.Roberts@Waltermagazine.com for freelance guidelines. Copyright The News & Observer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the copyright owner.
In real estate, it’s called a closing. But we like to think of it as a beginning. Buying or selling a home is likely to be one of the single biggest transactions of your life. Thankfully, it can also be one of the most satisfying. With our real estate sales and mortgage professionals in your corner, we deliver the tools to help you find the perfect home. We also live in the communities we serve and know them better than anyone. Because while a new home is certainly about starting fresh, it’s always nice to have the experience of a Great Neighbor at your side.
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1. EMILY BROOKS is a painter, calligrapher, freelance designer, and the founder of Emily brooks Design. After working as a textile designer in new York, she moved back to her raleigh hometown and now works in a Warehouse District studio. she illustrated Kaitlyn Goalen’s Worth the Drive (pg. 98) and Van of my dreams (pg. 90). “You know how you’re not supposed to shop at the grocery store when you’re hungry? The same goes for illustrating food on an empty stomach,” she joked. “i may have fixed a whole gob of nachos when i was looking to draw them for Ventana Mágica.”
4. CATHERINE NGUYEN is a commercial and editorial photographer specializing in interiors and architecture. in this issue, she photographed the home of the Collier family in Washington, n.C. – a renovated hospital, complete with rumors of ghosts (pg. 74). “Photographing the Collier home was a dream,” Catherine says. “not only is the renovated hospital one of the most unique and effortlessly stylish places i’ve shot, but the Colliers have a wonderful collection of art that is so well curated and displayed, there was no heavy lifting required. As Arnold newman said, photography is ‘99 percent moving furniture.’ ”
2. DEAN MCCORD returns to Walter this month to share an epic – and gluttonous – Asheville weekend (pg. 92). “i was excited to visit Asheville, because of its natural beauty and general vibe, but what i never thought about was how gracious the people would be,” he said. “Think about it – people live in Asheville because they want to be there. And it shows. This might be the most hospitable town i’ve ever encountered.” The raleigh resident, health care attorney, and father of four is an avid home cook and eater.
5. ELAINE O’NEIL,who created the
3. ANN BROOKE RAYNAL put a hundred more miles on her dirty white minivan this month (Van of my dreams, pg. 90) tracking down mothers and their children business partners for Raleighites (pg. 56). “That’s where those two very different pieces converge, and where my work life and my family life come together as well,” she said. “Careening around raleigh in pursuit of a story? Ahh, That’s the good life!” Ann writes fiction and enjoys running, hiking, and listening to live music in her spare time. she lives in raleigh with her husband and two daughters.
cover for this travel issue, is an artist who has been re-creating places we love in north Carolina with her unique textile collage art for more than a decade. instead of using paint, she creates each image using a myriad of fabric colors and textures, all painstakingly sewn together, to evoke a sense of place and connection with wonderful memories. Her work includes illustrations for the book Goodnight Carolina, the soon to be released Road Trip Carolina, and a collection at The north Carolina Cancer Hospital. 6. LISA GRELE BARRIE is the development director for the north Carolina Theatre. she has worn many hats in the business world in raleigh and beyond – and has the accolades to prove it. in this issue, she reflects on motherhood (pg. 116). “How to celebrate my first Mother’s Day without a mother and feel young at heart? spend time with a neighbor who will turn 100 in May; share motherhood stories with friends and get to share them with the readers of Walter magazine,” she said. “There’s no better gift!”
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@WALTERMAGAZINE I love Walter! I am not much of a magazine reader. I tend to order lots of them and then not read them, but Walter is very different and I read it cover to cover. It is an excellent magazine. -Mo Percy Having recently visited the NC Museum of Art, I was fortunate to take in the wonderful collection from Jim and Mary Patton. Your informative article really made the exhibit even more meaningful to me. Look forward to getting Walter every month. -Barbara Blaisdell Edenton well represented in fabulous @WalterMagazine “Whirl” Liza Williams, Britton Ellis, Tula & Kara Summerford! -@amknighton Read Jessie Ammons spotlight article on @FullFrame Doc Film Festival in @WalterMagazine -@davidbeckfilm Thank you @StognerABC11 and @WalterMagazine for the article ‘Thank you for the privilege’ in this month’s issue. Hope for a cure #ALS -@jodiraquel @WalterMagazine reminded me just how far the #raleigh bakery “scene” has come in a very short time. @lucettegrace -@Matt_Lail S/O to @Schoolkids Stephen Judge, nice spotlight in @WalterMagazine. vinyl is back. It’s been back b/c records appeal to music lovers. Thks -@BigGame81 Love seeing Hillsborough in @WalterMagazine thanks to @visitchapelhill -@fetchyellowdog We are so honored to have ENDcrowd’s founder, @joe_schmidt, featured in @WalterMagazine as the Giver of the Month -@theendcrowd
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C. graCe Finding a grace note
“I
t must be jelly,” sang Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, circa 1942, “’cause jam don’t shake like that.” It seems poor form to contradict Mr. Miller on anything jazz-related, but the fact is that jam does shake like that during the open jazz jams at raleigh jazz bar C. Grace. The bar’s craft cocktails require lots of shaking too, so really, the place is practically aquiver. to see, hear, and taste what’s shaking at C. Grace, one must first find it. The first hint to C. Grace’s speakeasy nature is the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it black awning over plain stairs leading down from Glenwood South into a … basement? Step inside, and bam, it’s a whole new world. a sublimely dark, luxe, jazz-infused world.
“I like low light and dark places,” says owner Catrina Godwin, and C. Grace has an abundance of both. Named for her daughter, Catherine Grace, the bar pairs shadows with chandeliers, red brocade walls with candlelit café tables. Stretching back for what feels like half a city block, its plush velvet booths and lamp-lit corners are perfect for conversation. In contrast, its main bar is an unadorned workhorse. “we don’t have seven or eight vodkas to choose from,” says head bartender Beren Houck. “we’ve got two. Because we have these.” He points to the tools of his trade: bitters and syrups, absinthe, vermouths, and liqueurs – all the potions that can elevate a drink into an experience. photographs by tim lytvinenko
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levitate as they wait. Even the set of their shoulders suggests a need to play right now. They all get a turn, and there’s an easygoing pattern to it. They trade places, share instruments, and swap the lead in the songs, most of which are jazz standards and American Songbook classics. The audience is diverse in all respects, the single common thread being that these folks are snappy dressers. There’s denim, sure, but also men in suits and women in dresses, a smattering of
Route 66. Encouraged by an appreciative crowd, she stays for another song. Then it’s someone else’s turn, and on it goes. Tempted to tote your instrument in with you? For those inclined to participate as well as partake, Houck suggests coming in to check out a jam or two first, and talking to the regulars. And, he advises, keep in mind that it’s a jazz jam, after all. “Just take the name to heart.” – Tracy Davis Learn more at cgracebar.com.
Warm Weather is Calling
berets and sans-irony waistcoats. There’s even a fellow wearing a full-on Charlie Brown striped T-shirt, and nothing says jazz like a Charlie Brown T-shirt. They’re here for cocktails and camaraderie as well as music, so it’s not a “listening room” atmosphere. Plus, the musicians onstage are having their own musical conversation, playing for themselves and each other as much as for the crowd. “It just works,” Godwin says. A group of women sipping from elegant flutes have a hushed exchange – who’s first? Yes, people show up to sing, too. Their designee makes her way to the stage, confides that she’s never done this before, and proceeds to slay
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But the very best cocktail at C. Grace is a musical one: The open jazz jams served up three Tuesdays a month. “It’s my favorite night of the week,” Godwin says. “You never know what the combinations will be.” It all depends on who walks through the door. Godwin credits Houck with helping to get the jams started, and both point to talented locals who’ve made them thrive: Court Stewart, who plays piano and keys and helps to run the jams; and trumpeter Al Strong, one of the masterminds behind Durham’s The Art of Cool music festival. On any given Tuesday, the musicians most keen to play are easy to pick out of the crowd. They seem to almost
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all month
Gallery C, in the Oakwood Historic District, offers a curated selection of art for serious collectors. Owner and founder Charlene Newsom’s North Carolina roots inspired her annual exhibit of prominent works by artists from our state, The Best of North Carolina. This year’s selection includes Claude Howell, Robert Broderson, and Joe Chris Robertson. Through May 31; 540 N. Blount St.; galleryc.net
2 EmpowEring womEn
Raleigh women can take advantage of a day-long personal and professional development retreat hosted by the Junior League of Raleigh. The conference has a lineup of speakers discussing the power of intention, boosting your self-esteem, and dressing for success. The day’s keynote speaker is Molly Barker, a Charlotte native and founder of the nonprofit Girls on the Run. Advanced registration online is encouraged, but day-of registration is available, too. Breakfast and lunch are provided. 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Free; 711 Hillsborough St.; jlraleigh.org
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George Bireline, Three Tables, oil on canvas, 25 x 36 inches, courtesy Early Design (FINE ART); courtesy JLR Raleigh (WOMEN)
FinE art
The Temple Beth Or Preschool has served students of all faiths for more than three decades. For 26 of its 32 years, Jann Goldenthal, above, has been the school’s director. She’ll soon retire, and the school is saying goodbye in style. A cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, and a silent auction at the Temple will celebrate her legacy while raising money for student scholarships and other Temple Beth Or programs. 6:30 - 11 p.m.; $75 or $600 for a 10-seat table; 5315 Creedmoor Rd.; tboraleigh.org
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Food Truck rodeo
Getting a roundup of the state’s best and favorite food trucks to the same place at the same time is no small feat – which is why statewide food truck rodeos only come to Raleigh four times a year. This year’s first is sure to have a huge turnout, so bring a friend and plan to catch up while waiting in line. There will be more than 50 trucks from all over. Among our favorites? Durham-based American Meltdown has earned national attention for its fried Brussels sprouts, and Onlyburger, another Durham original, is so popular that it has now opened two brick-and-mortar locations. 1 - 6 p.m.; Free; Fayetteville Street; downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com (be prepared – check the website for a truck map before you head out!)
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As Éponine in NC Theatre’s Les Misérables last year.
Home is a first language for english Bernhardt
H
ome, to english Bernhardt, conjures a few specific places. Namely, afternoons at Jubala Coffee, where the ravenscroft grad often spent afternoons studying; and North Carolina Theatre, where she spent countless hours over many years. “I love the people there so much,” says the 19-year-old NC Theatre Conservatory alumna. She remembers rehearsing for her roles as Éponine in Les Misérables and annie in annie, soaking in the wisdom of her seasoned Broadway castmates. “I’d be the raleigh girl and all of these people would come in from New York,” she recalls. “It’s kind of crazy that now I’m considered one of the out-of-towners.” That’s because Bernhardt has been living in New York City since early this spring (where, for the record, she has yet to find a coffee shop she prefers over Jubala). after graduat-
26 | walter
ing a year ago, she spent a semester as a musical theater major at elon University before New York came knocking: She was offered a role in a production’s workshop, which is akin to a tV show’s pilot episodes. “People always say New York will always be there,” Bernhardt says. “well, so will school.” She left elon, at least for now, to pursue her dream in the big city. She’ll continue to take online classes so that if she decides to return to her degree, she won’t be too far behind. “I have always loved theater and I’ve known that’s what I’ve wanted to do for as long as I remember. You kind of have to take it and run with it.” It’s a leap of faith, but one she feels well-prepared for. “Through NC Theatre bringing in so many wonderful people from New York over the years to do shows, I feel like I al-
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ready have a pretty good network” there, Bernhardt says. And while the plan is to plug in to the New York scene as much as she can for the foreseeable future, it was a no-brainer for the actress and singer to audition for NC Theatre’s latest production, Next to Normal. The Pulitzer Prizewinning musical portrays a mother struggling with bi-polar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family. “This show and this role is one I’ve wanted to do for a long time – and I get a little slice of home for a few weeks.” Bernhardt has been home since late April, but show rehearsals began much earlier. To prepare, she and castmate Lauren Kennedy (who plays mother to Bernhardt’s daughter), would sometimes practice lines on the phone. Kennedy, another Raleigh native and seasoned actress, takes regular trips to New York,
so the two often met for a quick cup of coffee and to talk Next to Normal shop. “That’s the thing, the theater world is such a small world,” Bernhardt says. “Especially in New York, the best people in the world are there ... but at the same time, it’s still a fairly small community. It’s nice to have familiar faces.” She’s glad to be surrounded by a few of those faces for a monthlong homecoming. “I’ve grown up with NC Theatre,” she says. “I love coming back and I love working here. I’m just so excited.” – Jessie Ammons Bernhardt in NC Theatre’s Annie in 2010.
“This show and this role is one I’ve wanted to do for a long time – and I get a little slice of home for a few weeks.”
See English Bernhardt in North Carolina Theatre’s production of Next to Normal. The show runs May 1 - 10 in the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more and buy tickets at nctheatre.com.
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Raleigh now / may
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Farmers market kickoFF
Celebrate this season’s opening of the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market with a pig pickin’. The Pit will serve up sandwiches, but if barbecue’s not your thing, Buku, Kimbap, and Rye Raleigh will have other options for sale. It’s a normal market day, too; post-lunch, pick up some locally grown produce for the week. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Free admission, Barbecue sandwiches $5, other lunch options vary; City Plaza, 400 block of Fayetteville Street; godowntownraleigh.com/farmers-market
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In honor of Mother’s Day, local writers will gather to read their humerous and heartfelt stories on motherhood. A lineup of 13 women writers made it through multiple auditions to secure five-minute spots in the third annual Listen to Your Mother performance. Proceeds benefit Book Harvest, a nonprofit that provides books to children in need. 7:30 p.m.; $15; Kenan Auditorium, 15 E. Peace St.; listentoyourmothershow.com/raleighdurham
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Folk-rock band Delta Rae first debuted at Duke five years ago. Since then, the group – siblings Ian, Eric, and Brittany Hölljes, and Elizabeth Hopkins, Mike McKee, and Grant Emerson – have gained traction in the national indie music scene. Their second full-length album, After It All, was released in April and their spring tour, of course, includes a Triangle stop. 8 p.m.; $25; The Ritz, 2820 Industrial Dr.; catscradle.com
Carolyn Scott Photography (FARMERS MARKET); Jess Rotenberg (WHAT SHE SAID); courtesy Delta Rae (DELTA RAE)
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15-17
Young PlaYwrights
Each year, Burning Coal Theatre Company holds a festival of plays written by 6th- through 12th-graders in Wake and surrounding counties. Submissions were accepted throughout the winter and a selection of one-act plays were chosen in early spring. The troupe produces and performs each of the winning manuscripts in its historic playhouse during a marathon weekend of showtimes. Times vary; $10 regular admission, per performance; 224 Polk St.; burningcoal.org
The Right Image Photography (PLAYWRIGHTS); Brian Magee (RALEIGH ARTS FESTIVAL)
15-17
Cameron Village Store Opening May 2015!
After a very successful temporary presence over the holidays, Southern Season, the South’s largest gourmet retailer, is pleased to announce a return to Raleigh with a larger, permanent store. Lining the shelves will be a wide range of products with an emphasis on those made in North Carolina and the South. Shoppers will find favorites such as coffee, cheese straws, nuts, barbecue sauces and chocolates. With wine, beer, cocktails mixers, cheese and charcuterie, the store will be a source for everything needed for entertaining in style. Customers will also be able to shop the region’s finest gift collection. “The ideal place for Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina residents to fill all of their entertaining needs, find exclusive gifts and shop an unrivaled selection of regionally-made products,” says Fred Nixon, the store’s general manager.
Cameron Village - Opening May 2015 443B-207 Daniels St. Raleigh, NC 27605 southernseason.com | (919) 929-7133
artsPlosure
Among street art festivals, Artsplosure stands out. Now in its 36th year, the Moore Square event brings together large-scale, interactive art installations commissioned just for the festival, student art exhibitions, and a market of art vendors. Kidsplosure, meantime, caters to younger family members, while live jazz, blues, and alternative rock music lasts throughout the day. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday; Free; Moore Square; raleighartsfestival.com
RALEIGH now
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ROSÉ in the garden
A photo illustration of staff members from Wine Authorities inspired by French Impressionist George Seurat’s painting A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.
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IS THE SEASON FOR GARDEN PARTIES. THE PERSON Street District’s Wine Authorities will host a themed soirée May 23 to celebrate a favorite spring wine choice: rosé. Many people think it’s a sweet wine, says Craig Heffley, founder of the shop that stocks wine from small, independent farms. “But we feature dry rosés. They’re fresh and just harvested five or six months before we drink them.” Partygoers are encouraged to wear “swanky hats and bowties” to the free afternoon event, where there will be plenty of rosés to sample. Attendees can purchase sips of various wines by the ounce or glass from the store’s Enomatic, an Italian wine dispensing machine. Each glass comes with a plate of five North Carolina oysters or fried catch-of-the-day from Walkingfish, a local Community Supported Fishery. To enhance the wines’ “tart and refreshing” flavors, a gourmet cheese plate by Angela Salamanca of downtown’s Centro will also be available. “This party will make rosé fun,” Heffley says. “It can be a casual wine.” At the end of the afternoon, the winner of a staff-judged contest of garden party attire – the swankier and toungue-incheek-fancier, the better – will get a $100 gift certificate to Wine Authorities. Time to don those rosé-colored glasses. – Jessie Ammons
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The Rosé Garden lasts from noon - 3 p.m. at Wine Authorities, 211 E. Franklin St. Admission is free and includes a tasting of 4 rosés; glasses of wine are $15 and include a fish or oyster plate; chef-prepared cheese plates are $9. The event will also happen at the same time on the same date at Wine Authorities’ Durham location, 2501Owner University Dr. Judge Stephen
STOCK UP! Here, a few favorite rosés from local purveyors: JASON KACZOR, Ridgewood Wine & Beer Co.
1214 Ridge Rd., ridgewoodwineandbeer.com
MIP Rosé: “This is probably my favorite rosé this season. Great summer porch sipper from Provence.” ($19.99)
Domaine Lafage Miraflors Rosé: “Crisp with a touch of spices and minerals that make it pair well with salads and both cold and grilled meats.” ($14.99)
Conde Villar Vinho Verde Rosé “This is a fun, fruitier, and slightly effervescent rosé. It goes surprisingly well with sushi.” ($9.99)
Larry Gottschalka
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CRAIG HEFFLEY, Wine Authorities
211 E. Franklin St., wineauthories.com
Domaine Pinchinat Venus Rosé:: “Dry, citrusy, and Rosé refreshing, this tiny-production, organic rosé is our best seller.” ($9.99)
Mas Codina Rosé Penedes: “A more savory and dark rosé from just outside of Barcelona. Great for people who are generally afraid of rosé.” ($9.99) Barnard Griffin Sangiovese Rosé “A perennial favorite, and possibly the most consistently high quality rosé from the United States.” ($14.99)
LIZ OLIVIERI, The Raleigh Wine Shop
courtesy Ridgewood Wine & Beer Co., Wine Authories, and The Raleigh Wine Shop
126 Glenwood Ave., theraleighwineshop.com
Ameztoi Rubentis Txakoli “Deliciously delicate and deceptively flavorful. This wine is all about terroir terroir,, as the chalky, mineral-packed, ocean-side soil is reflected beautifully in the wine.” ($19.99)
St. Hilaire d’Ozilhan Prestige Rosé “Light on its feet...This is the perfect wine for summertime picnicking. Try it with goat cheese and strawberries on a bed of fresh butter lettuce.” ($12.99)
Lioco Indica Rosé “This limited-release dry rosé is affectionately nicknamed ‘Strawberry Diesel,’ which reflects how addictive it is. It’s a great match for most anything you’re craving: dim sum, ceviche, fried chicken.” ($24.99)
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Charming, coastal & casual, near Wilmington, NC
Obtain the Property Report required by Federal Law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of these properties. The features and amenities described and depicted herein are based upon current development plans, which are subject to change without notice. This is not an offer to sell or solicitation of offers to buy real estate in any jurisdiction where registration or advance qualification is required but not completed. © Brunswick Forest Realty, LLC Licensed NC Real Estate Brokerage Firm
A Day on the Water Is Just a Short Drive Away
RALEIGH now / MAY
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DRAWING FROM PRACTICE
In a profession hailed for precision, freehand architects render accurate, detailed sketches by hand. The skill is often useful in initial planning and brainstorming stages of large-scale projects. Drawing from Practice: Architects and the Meaning of Freehand explores the work of 26 top architects, including six North Carolinians. Raleigh firm Frank Harmon Architect, whose founder and namesake is featured, will host a launch party with all six of the book’s North Carolina architects. Author J. Michael Welton will be on hand, too. 6 - 8 p.m.; Free, but reservations required; AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design, 14 E. Peace St.; activate14.com
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Little Washington is perfect for a day trip or a weekend getaway, with restaurants, art galleries, boutique shopping, and antique stores all just steps from our scenic waterfront.
plan your trip: LittleWashingtonNC.com
SCREENING UNDER THE STARS
Bring a blanket and a few lawn chairs and settle in to watch a free movie projected onto a huge screen in the heart of downtown. This year’s theme is #FlashbackFriday and each week’s show will be a film from the ’80s. If you miss the May 22 kickoff, not to worry, the series runs through the end of June. THE FULL LINEUP: May 22 Ghostbusters May 29 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off June 5 The Goonies June 12 Back to the Future June 19 The Karate Kid June 26 finale A film from this year’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (stay tuned on social media leading up to the screening) Of course, a food truck or two is guaranteed to be nearby, and walking-distance restaurants abound. We suggest getting a fresh salad from Happy + Hale and dining alfresco. Movies begin at sundown; Free; 400-500 blocks of Fayetteville Street; check @DowntownRaleigh on Twitter
Frank Harmon (BOOK LAUNCH); Christer Berg (SCREENING)
Less than two hours from Raleigh,
2124 ANIMAZEMENT
It started with an anime society’s small gathering at N.C. State. Animazement is now Raleigh’s annual anime fan convention, celebrating Japanese animation and also introducing attendees to Japanese language and culture. Listen to speakers and panelists, play video games with like-minded fans, and create traditional arts and crafts at the weekend-long convention. Hours vary by day; $60 for a weekend pass in advance, $65 for a weekend pass at the door; Raleigh Convention Center, 500 S. Salisbury St.; animazement.com
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The Essence of Elegance
Herend • Matouk • Monica Rich Kosann • Peacock Alley • Royal Crown Derby • Simon Pearce • William Yeoward NORTH HILLS · 4209 LASSITER MILL RD · RALEIGH, NC · (919) 785-0787
WWW.SHOPQUINTESSENTIALS.COM
Come What May
Casey Toth (ANIMAZEMENT): courtesy J. Peder Zane (BOOKS)
decoraleigh.com
OFF THE BOOKS
It’s the sort of read that reminds you why you read in the first place. Off The Books: On Literature & Culture is a collection of 130 essays by local writer J. Peder Zane. The News & Observer veteran ran the paper’s book section for 13 years, writing reviews that became commentaries on contemporary culture and politics. Now, his just-published book is a literary overview of the ideas and events that helped shape the late ’90s and early 2000s. The author still writes an op-ed column for the N&O and is the current chairman of the department of journalism and mass communication at Saint Augustine’s University. Meet him at Quail Ridge Books, where he’ll read from his work. 7 p.m.; Free; 3522 Wade Ave.; quailridgebooks.com
Corner of Hargett & Salisbury Streets Open 7 days a week
Raleigh now
T
he Triangle’s robust theater scene is home to almost three dozen actively producing playhouses and venues. If you have a hard time choosing a production, maybe it’s easier to stick with a playwright. Wherefore: Shakespeare in Raleigh is the city’s first organized series of productions either written or inspired by William Shakespeare. Each performance – six theatrical shows and one semi-staged presentation with the North Carolina Symphony – is produced by a different local drama troupe in a unique site. Some are classic performances and some are lively, modern interpretations. The festival kicked off in January with Burning Coal Theatre’s Romeo & Juliet, followed by Raleigh Little Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing, and Measure for Measure by Durham’s Bare Theatre. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, worry not. This month is the perfect time to dive in by attending May 5th’s discussion at Quail Ridge Books. WCPE announcer Tara Lynn and Raleigh Little Theatre’s executive director Charles Phaneuf will lead a panel of local theater directors to explain why Shakespeare matters and consider how his plays are still relevant. Then, mark your calendar for the final four upcoming performances, which include two different interpretations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Dr. Ted Leinbaugh, a professor in the English and comparative literature department at UNC-Chapel Hill – who has an undergraduate degree from Yale, a master’s and Ph.D. from Harvard, and a master’s from Oxford – offers a bit of insight to make your theater-going more interesting. – Jessie Ammons
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May 8 & 9
A Midsummer Night’s Dream North Carolina Symphony, in collaboration with Chapel Hill’s PlayMakers Repertory Company $18 - $75; Meymandi Concert Hall, 2 E. South St. Ted Leinbaugh says to be mindful of the play’s malapropisms. For example, character Nick Bottom says that he will “aggravate” his voice when he plays the role of the gentle lion, when he actually wants to “mitigate” it. Later, he encourages the other players to rehearse “most obscenely,” instead of “seemly.” There are many others to be found!
May 28 – June 7
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Garner’s Seed Art Share $17; Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden, 301 Pogue St. “Be on the lookout for midnight shenanigans among the fairies when darkness falls!” Leinbaugh says.
June 5 – 21
Equivocation Theatre in the Park $22; Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre, 107 Pullen Rd. This is the regional premiere of what Leinbaugh says is considered Shakespeare’s 17th-century version of a political thriller. June 19 – 27 Macbeth Bare Theatre and Raleigh Little Theatre $17; Raleigh Little Theatre, 301 Pogue St. Leinbaugh says the characters commonly called the witches actually call themselves the Weird Sisters, if you pay close attention. The word “weird,” in its earliest occurrences, meant fate. The sisters are Shakespeare’s incarnation of ancient mythology’s three fates, female beings who ruled the destiny of gods and men. Macbeth’s weird sister witches, he says, should be dreaded and feared. Notice how they’re associated with spooky forces, a sinister tone, and thunder throughout the play. Purchase tickets at visitraleigh.com/wherefore. The panel discussion will be at 7 p.m. on May 5 at Quail Ridge Books, 3522 Wade Ave. Admission is free.
courtesy Theatre in the Park
WaLTER welcomes WILLIaM
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IMAGINE COMING HOME
TO A V VA A C ATT I O N
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Raleigh now
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here’s a program in wake County elementary schools that is making kids want to go to school. It’s not recess. But it feels that way. North Carolina arts in action is using dance lessons to teach students life skills one session at a time. Founded in 2005, the program is one of 12 independent affiliates of the National Dance Institute. The group works to help elementary school children reach their full potential using performing arts as a catalyst to build focus, discipline, self-esteem, teamwork, and leadership. “Students respond to high expectations when they know what to do to meet them,” says N.C. aIa board member Susan Garrity. “when students are confident, they behave better. when students are engaged, teachers can do more teaching.” while some students develop a love for dance, that’s not necessarily the goal, Garrity says. More than anything, the program aims to show kids that they can achieve any goal with hard work and dedication.
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“Dance is a critical part of the program, but the focus is dance as a means for teaching these life skills,” she says. “It’s about making them realize, ‘Hey, I can do something I didn’t know I could do.’ ” In its first year in wake County, the program is already making a difference. Using an award-winning teaching curriculum developed by celebrated dancer, choreographer and National Dance Institute founder Jacques d’amboise, musicians and teachers work to tie in elements of the state’s curriculum throughout each high-energy class. while you might expect students to be embarrassed or hesitant to dance, that doesn’t appear to be the case. In a recent class at Knightdale elementary School, a group of fourth graders stomped their way into the school gym, humming with excitement. Despite recent class cancellations from snow, they jumped right into a dance routine they’d learned weeks earlier. artistic Director alton tisino shouted encouragement: “If you make a mistake, do you just give up?” he asked the class. “No!” students yelled back. “No,” he agreed. “You keep going.”
Harry Lynch, The News & Observer
t
in action
But “keep going” doesn’t mean Tisino brushes past mistakes. He expects no less than perfect. The kids respond with gusto. “We make a pact at the beginning of the class. There are three rules,” he says, counting them on his fingers. “Always give 100 percent; Be respectful; Never give up. We promise them that if they follow these three rules, they will be successful.” He means it. Tisino was once a student in an affiliate program in his home state of Texas. At the age of 9, he had no dance or performance experience. He says he initially tried to hide in the back of the room, as many boys do during the first class session, but he quickly excelled in the program. His commitment and energy made an impression on Institute founder d’Amboise. Six years later, d’Amboise took Tisino under his wing and selected him for a scholarship to the organization’s teacher training program. Tisino went on to help run the program. It’s easy to see why d’Amboise was impressed. Students described as ordinarily shy in the classroom have come out of their shells – each dancing unabashedly – as they follow his lead. “There’s an innate love of movement that every child has,” says N.C. AIA executive director Marlon Torres. “We don’t really find a lot of resistance when it comes to participation – everyone feels safe.” The ultimate goal is to promote confidence. According to a 2011 survey, 79 percent of students from low-income households said the program improved their self-confidence and self-worth. “It takes a balancing act to do what (Tisino) does,” Torres says. “Our greatest resource in this program is our teachers. There are amazing dancers out there that can dance beautifully, but it takes a special kind of person to work with children.” –Anna Long
Follow the Progress at WhitneyBlair.com
TH E S O U TH ERN L I V I NG CU S TOM BUI L DER SHOWCASE H O M E I S NOW O P EN TO TH E PUBL I C. Tours Available Every Weekend Through Memorial Day, May 25th.
custom builder program
$10 donation at the door, all proceeds benefit our charities Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Center and Operation Finally Home.
M A KE YO U R P L A NS TO V I S I T S UNSET BEACH.
Knightdale Elementary School’s final performance is May 7 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at Knightdale Elementary School. The performance is free. To learn more about N.C. Arts in Action, visit ncartsinaction.org.
910.338.0801 | ThistleGolfEstates.com 1815 Olde Thistle Club Road Sunset Beach, NC
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Fridays on the t’s become a chapel hill tradition. every Friday throughout the summer, a band – often a local one – plays on the The carolina Inn’s front lawn while residents and students spread out on blankets and sip cold sodas and mint juleps. This year there will be food trucks, too, alongside bar munchies from the historic inn. The series, fittingly called Fridays on the Front Porch, kicked off late last month and will continue until october 23. here’s the summer lineup. You’ll notice repeat performances aplenty, which is part of the fun – by summer’s end, you’re all like family. – Jessie ammons
May 1 Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos (blues/Cajun from Durham) May 8 Mick Mixon & The Franklin Street Band (classic rock covers from Raleigh) May 15 Big Fat Gap (bluegrass from Chapel Hill) May 22 Acoustic Manner (string music from Raleigh) May 29 The Holland Brothers (old-time folk from Pittsboro)
June 26 The Morning After (soulgrass jazz from Raleigh) July 3 Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos July 10 The Holland Brothers July 17 Big Fat Gap July 24 Mick Mixon & The Franklin Street Band July 31 The Gravy Boys (Americana from Raleigh and Durham) August 7 Big Fat Gap
June 5 Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos
August 14 Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos
June 12 Big Fat Gap
August 21 The Morning After
June 19 Mick Mixon & The Franklin Street Band
August 28 The Gravy Boys
Fridays on the Front Porch last from 5 - 8 p.m. Free; 211 Pittsboro st., Chapel Hill; carolinainn.com. 38 | walter
courtesy The Carolina Inn
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Front Porch
courtesy 21C. hotel (ART); courtesy Town of Wake Forest (STREET)
allmonth
21c hotel
North America’s first museum dedicated solely to 21st century art also happens to be a hotel. 21c Museum Hotels are only in four cities nationwide, and Durham is one of them. Stop by the downtown location at any time on any day – the galleries are open 24/7 – to see the permanent collection, which includes sculptures in the hotel restaurant. Throughout the month, Pop Stars! will also be on display: the exhibit is a multi-media exploration of pop culture. Public docent tours are at 5 p.m. on most Mondays and Wednesdays. Free; 111 N. Corcoran St., Durham; 21cmuseumhotels.com/durham
2 block party
After more than three decades, Wake Forest’s annual block party is still going strong. Meet in the Street brings arts and crafts, food, live music, and kid-friendly activities to a few historic downtown streets. Now that White Street Brewery has hit the ground running, there will also be a beer garden for grown-ups. 10am; Free; South Taylor Street, South Brooks Street, and South White Street, Wake Forest; wakeforestnc.gov/meet-in-the-street.aspx
Triangle now / may
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AVERLY FARMERS’ MARKET
SATURDAYS 9AM - 1PM WaverlyFM.com
VieTri Sale
A trip to Italy in the ’80s inspired sisters Frances and Susan Gravely to found the Italian dinnerware brand Vietri. Don’t miss the Hillsborough-based company’s spring warehouse sale, where discontinued, slightly flawed, and sample pieces are on sale for up to 80 percent off retail price. New things are included every morning of the three-day sale, so it’s worth getting there early. Turnout is always big. This year, numbered tickets can be reserved online to guarantee first admission. Go to vietri.com beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, May 1 to take a number – literally. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. each day; Free, tickets not required; 343 Elizabeth Brady Rd., Hillsborough; vietri.com
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Greek To me 6.3 Bull City Syndicate 6.10 Peak City Sound 6.17 The Embers featuring Craig Woolard 6.24 The British Invasion
7.1 7.8 7.15 7.22 7.29
The The Magic Magic Pipers Pipers Jim Quick & Coastline Band of Oz Hip Pocket Rebekah Todd, Matt Phillips & Friends
*VIP Tickets Available at WaverlyCary.com
Master Mediterranean flavors at a chef-led cooking class. Durham Spirits Co. owner Katie Coleman teaches classes in her own home, so the vibe is more dinner party than commercial kitchen. At this session, you’ll learn to make Greek-inspired dishes including moussaka with lamb, homemade pita, and tzatziki sauce. 6 - 8 p.m.; $59; 311 E. Trinity Ave., Durham; durhamspiritscompany.com
Courtesy Durham Spirits Company (GREEK); Courtesy Vietri (SALE)
Cary’s Premiere Destination | WaverlyCary.com
Liberty Bridge at Falls Park on the Reedy in downtown Greenville
It’s hard to believe that once upon a time roads ran over these falls, concealing them from sight. These days, Falls Park on the Reedy is the pride of downtown – and the only thing you’ll find running over the river (and through the woods) are the happy footsteps of our residents and visitors. Whether you’re looking for adventure, a world-class meal or a place to kick back and rest your head…you’ll find it here. To learn more, call 800.717.0023.
TRIANGLE now / MAY
1517
Applause!, Cary’s youth theatre troupe, presents a stage adaptation of Norton Juster’s classic adolescent novel, The Phantom Tollbooth. When main character Milo finds himself in the Land of Wisdom, he must rescue Princesses Rhyme and Reason amidst a dispute between King Azaz and The Mathemagician about words and numbers. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon; $10; 101 Dry Ave., Cary; tickets available at the door, or call the box office at 919462-2055
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EAST MEETS WEST fine gifts and interiors SOUTHCHAPELHILL.COM 107 MEADOWMONT VILLAGE CIRCLE (NEAR THE FOUNTAIN) CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA 919.240.5475
In celebration of Mooresville’s diverse community, the East Meets West food festival offers a chance to try ethnic food of all types. There will be chicken wings, barbeque, and cupcakes, and also curry, daal, and shaved ice. Live entertainment will include belly dancers, Irish dancers, Bhangra dancers, and local school band performances. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Free admission; Town Hall Drive, Mooresville; eastmeetswestmorrisville.org
Courtesy Town of Cary Applause! Youth Theatre (PHANTOM); courtesy Morrisville Chamber of Commerce (MELTING POT)
YOUTH THEATRE
16 railhawks v. cosmos
Unlike hockey and college basketball, there are only a few soccer games per season. Don’t miss one of the Carolina Railhawks’ home matches. Their face off against the New York Cosmos is a perfect family outing. 7:30 p.m.; $11 - $29; WakeMed Soccer Park, 201 Soccer Park Dr., Cary; carolinarailhawks.com
Geoff Wood (RAILHAWKS); Catherine Nguyen (GARDEN GALA)
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Uncommon Garden
Once a year, a secret garden opens to the public for a fundraising gala. Tucked away in a rural part of Chapel Hill, the Uncommon Garden features otherworldly waterfalls, rock structures, and sculptures, and is peppered with unique art like a fire-breathing dragon. It’s privately owned, and remains closed to the public outside this annual event, which benefits The ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Only 120 tickets will be sold. 7 - 10 p.m.; tickets $80 per person or $150 per couple; park and shuttle from Cedar Falls Park, 501 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill; uncommongarden.org
JoAnna Clark, CFP®
Richard Mason
Senior Vice President- Investment Officer
Senior Vice President-Investments
Tel: 919-841-5343
Tel: 919-841-5359
joanna.clark1@wfadvisors.com
richard.e.mason@wfadvisors.com
8540 Colonnade Center Drive, Suite 101 Raleigh, NC 27615
Visit our website masonandclark.wfadv.com Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured NO Bank Guarantee MAY Lose Value
Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Members SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2013 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, All rights reserved. CAR# 0614-02648
Be well addressed ...
2419 Anderson Drive
$2,249,000
TRIANGLE now / MAY
20
NOT SO NORMAL
323 Yadkin Drive
1535 Carr Street
$1,795,000
$ 1,495,000
Runyon Tyler III 919.271.6641
runyon.tyler@bhhsysu.com BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.%AE Equal Housing Opportunity.
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BALLOON BEVY
In anticipation of Memorial Day, more than 30 hot air balloons from across the region will take flight at the WRAL Freedom Balloon Fest. To kick things off, every balloon heads into the air all at once Friday afternoon. Then, balloon pilots and teams split up to participate in various flight competitions, tethered balloon rides, and meet-and-greets throughout the weekend at both Bennett Bunn Plantation in Zebulon and Spring Forest Road Park in Raleigh. At both locations, each night culminates in what’s called a “glow,” when lit-up balloons dot the horizon at dusk. Event times vary; Free; Bennett Bunn Plantation, 1915 Old Bunn Rd., Zebulon, and Spring Forest Road Park, 4203 Spring Forest Rd., Raleigh; wralfreedomballoonfest.com
Courtesy of Not So Normal Run (RUN); Amanda Hoyle (BALLOON)
Last fall, a stay-at-home dad created the Not So Normal 5K with the goal of fostering community pride. The race was such a success that it’s back this spring with two new race options: a 10k and a half marathon, Carrboro’s first ever. Proceeds go toward the PTA Thrift Shop, a resale business that supports parentteacher associations in public schools, and Super Cooper’s Little Red Wagon Foundation, which provides the comforts of home to children in treatment for brain cancer. The races are part of an entire weekend of festivities, including specials at area restaurants and family performances. Childcare is provided for every race-sponsored event. Each race has its own personality – the 5K ends in a parking lot party, the 10K doesn’t allow music or watches, and the half-marathon winner earns a cash prize but must donate half of it to a charity of his/her choosing. This is the race you sign up for for the experience more than the workout. 8 a.m.; $30 for 5k, $45 for 10k, $60 for half marathon; 300 E. Main St., Carrboro; notsonormalrun.org
STEP AWAY FROM YOUR BACKYARD AND STEP OUTSIDE YOURSELF Start your adventure today.
800.852.9506
ExploreBoone.com
Discover North Hills
Over 135 Places to Shop, Dine, & Entertain
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Discover where the locals are at VisitNorthHills.com
R aleigh’s Midtown @VisitNorthHills
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From high-end boutiques to the Triangle’s best restaurants, North Hills is a world of local bliss for your every desire. Find the perfect home decor, indulge in a spa treatment, or join a stateof-the-art gym. Invite guests to stay a while at Raleigh’s premier hotels and enjoy the bounty of entertainment including concerts, a 14-screen cinema, bowling, and the new Midtown Park!
DURHAM
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Your Favorite Br ands & More at R aleigh’s Top Spot for Shopping, Dining, Relaxing & Events
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June 6th 4-9 pm 4:30 pm
Cook-off Awards Ceremony
5-6:30 PM
Blake Kearney Band
7-9 PM
Spare Change Benefiting
ALS ASSOCIATION Jim “Catfish” Hunter Chapter AFSN adventurers for special needs
Saturdays, 8am–Noon Apr 18 – Nov 7 * in the Commons Fresh, locally grown produce & proteins, flowers, cheeses, coffee, crafts, & more! Free Fitness Classes: 9am-10am - Live Music: 10-Noon
THIRD SUNDAYS, 4-7pm 4-5pm YOUTH ACTIVITIES • 5-7pm Concert IN MIDTOWN PARK
Apr 19 May 17 Jun 21 Aug 16 Sep 20 Oct 18 BEVERAGE SPONSOR
R aleigh’s Midtown 919.881.1146 Six Forks Road & I-440
NorthHillsEvents.com
The Snyder Family Band The Vickie Vaughn Band The Bankesters Flatt Lonesome Billy Strings & Don Julin Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
tOwN
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Our
Megan and Kyle Denis welcomed their first child, daughter Lyla Joan, in March.
“I love being active, I love being outdoors, and I love community. I love being face-to-face with people all day and learning about them... and developing relationships.”
F
– Kyle Denis, co-owner, Apex Outfitter & Board Co.
ive years ago, Kyle Denis helped open a shop called tobacco road Outdoors in asheville. a few years later, he took the opportunity to buy the outdoor sportswear store. It coincided with a chance to move back closer to his wife Megan’s native Cary for her job as a therapist. Kyle took the transition as an opportunity to move and completely rebrand the store. In September 2012, apex Outfitter opened its doors. “we’ve put all of our eggs into the apex basket,” says Kyle, now 31, of the small-town location that is also his home. The store was such an immediate success that the Denises quickly added its most unique feature: a board shop. “Board sports have always been a passion of mine,” Kyle says. “whether it’s skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding. I love it all. we also rent and sell stand-up paddleboards.” as the weather warms up, look for apex Outfitter & Board Co.-sponsored activities at lake Jordan and Harris lake. “we try to create as many events as possible to get our customers out there.” Apex Outfitter & Board Co.: 225 N. Salem St., Apex and apexoutfitter.com. photograph by travis long
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Our Town
the
Usual
the most important meal gateway restaurant co-owner Martina Brooks, standing, serves breakfast to (clockwise from left), Philip Matthews; Eve Munford, 5; Don Munford; roland Maurer; Hardin sigmon; Mark Jones; Jim Briggs; Campbell Briggs, 14; and reagan Briggs, 12.
“Martina and tom are like family to all their customers.” – Hardin Sigmon, regular at Gateway Restaurant
t
ucked into a shopping center off of Crabtree Boulevard, Gateway restaurant is one of those homecooking places that has been there as long as any of its regulars can remember. Owners Martina Brooks and tom rohweder say the place has been going strong since 1986. “It’s just really really good,” says Hardin Sigmon, founder and CeO of Sigmon Construction. He eats there almost daily, and is one of a group of friends who meet at Gateway for breakfast every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. while the time and place never change, the orders almost always do. For these folks, choosing a favorite dish would be like choosing a favorite child. Often, you’ll see the same faces right back there again for lunch, where “their barbecue chicken is unbelievable,” Sigmon says. “It’s their specialty.” Gateway Restaurant: 2411 Crabtree Blvd., 919-832-3020. photograph by travis long
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“I love live music, and May is full of it. I’m excited about Needtobreathe, Dave Matthews, and Kenny Chesney.” – Andrew Valkanoff, owner, Triangle Dairy Queen
e
ntrepreneur andrew Valkanoff has a pretty sweet gig: he owns and operates three Dairy Queen franchises in Morrisville and raleigh. “I love the ability to serve ice cream to kids all day, and to make celebrating a game, birthday, or friendship a little better with some chicken strips and a Blizzard,” says the 35-year-old Michigan native. while he plans to catch his fair share of concerts this month, there’s another event on his radar, too. “I’m really looking forward to celebrating Mother’s Day. My wife (Christina) just had our third child. we’ll spend the day relaxing after a big brunch, trying to do all the things that she does for us every day. It’s always a special time in our house.” Join Valkanoff at the Needtobreathe concert on May 15 (7 p.m., $30 - $110, Red Hat Amphitheater, redhatamphitheater.com); the Dave Matthews Band concert on May 22 (7 p.m., $37 and up, Walnut Creek Amphiteatre, walnutcreekamphitheatre.com); and the Kenny Chesney concert on May 28 (7 p.m., $32 and up, PNC Arena, thepncarena.com).
photograph by travis long
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AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND NATURE.
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off
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The Bloomsbury band: Mel Williams, Ron Raxter, Wade Smith (seated), John Crumpler, and Wade Hargrove. Not pictured are Karen and Terry Linehan.
“I couldn’t really live without music. You just make time for it.” – Wade Smith, criminal defense lawyer
w
ade Smith knew he loved music when he co-founded raleigh’s oldest string band 50-odd years ago, but he never mistook it for his life’s purpose. That place was already taken – by the law. “My only dream has been to be the best lawyer I could possibly be,” he says. “I’ve worked and worked and worked for it.” Over the last half-century, Smith, 77, has built Tharrington Smith, which he co-founded, into one of the state’s leading law firms, and burnished his own reputation as North Carolina’s top criminal defense lawyer. But the former Morehead Scholar has always made time for music. Bloomsbury, the band he created with fellow lawyer wade Hargrove and singer lemma Mackie (who has since passed away), has played at the tavern on the Green, the Greenbriar Hotel, and across the pond. Smith sings and plays the guitar, banjo, and fiddle. at 65, he took up the violin, and he still gets Bloomsbury together every wednesday night to practice. They play folk, rock ’n roll, bluegrass, and show tunes. Bloomsbury also includes Smith’s daughter, Karen Smith linehan, and her husband, terry linehan. Bloomsbury’s next concert will raise money for Raleigh Little Theatre’s amphitheatre programs: July 18, 8 p.m., Raleigh Little Theatre. Tickets: raleighlittletheatre.org. photograph by tIM LYtVINENKO
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Mothers. they read and sing to us, listen and advise, salve blisters and broken hearts. and so often mothers are the models for the ways in which we live and work. to celebrate Mother’s day on May 10, walter is happy to honor local mothers whose professional accomplishments have enriched themselves and their families, and inspired the next generation.
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Brian Wolborsky, Mitchell Wolborsky, Phyllis Wolborsky, Jennifer Wolborsky, Kevin Wolborsky
Team Wolborsky When her husband Bernie was on the road, Phyllis Wolborsky would take her four young sons out to dinner almost every night. It was the early 1970s, and Phyllis was raising a family and building a thriving real estate practice in Raleigh. “Going out to dinner was an excuse to get away from the phone, and to give my boys my complete attention.” Her sons listened and learned. “When I was on the phone with a client, Bernie would whisper to them, ‘Listen to your mother. See the way she treats people.’” after their father’s death in 1997, the boys wanted to help. “They volunteered. It was also their calling. They were raised in this business,” Phyllis says. The Wolborsky team today includes sons Kevin, mitchell, and Brian, and daughter-in-law Jennifer. “I’ve learned from working with mom to do it the right way,” Kevin Wolborsky says, “Or not at all.” He recalls a time many years ago when he brought his mother an offer – but the buyer’s initials were missing in one place. She wouldn’t accept it. “I almost lost the sale,” he says, with a mock outrage that makes clear his admiration. The family gathers for weekly Sunday dinners, mostly prepared by Phyllis, and the talk often turns to what’s on the market. “There’s an advantage to working with us,” she says. “Five heads are better than one.” Phyllis earned her real estate license in 1969, but the last 56 years have only increased her drive: “I’m so proud of my children, but I still love this. I’m not retiring any time soon.” may 2015 | 57
Crissy Hawley Pressley, Joyce Hawley, Liz Hawley
EclEctic Mix During the 35 years that Joyce Hawley worked two jobs and raised two daughters, liz and Crissy, she dreamed of having time to paint. She intended to become a portrait artist, but luck and fate intervened. Joyce had a knack for giving new life to old wooden furniture – first for her own beach house, and then for eclectic Furniture and Décor (formerly, the eclectic Furniture Garden), a business she has run with her two grown daughters for the last 15 years. In the early years, the store provided a way for liz and Crissy to work outside the home while their own children were young. each daughter has two boys. “we would switch off schedules and bring the babies into work with us,” says Crissy. “I wanted to give my daughters what I didn’t have: the time and space to be a mother,” says Joyce. The daughters agree that their mother has always had their best interests at heart. “There’s a trust factor with her that I couldn’t find anywhere else,” offers Crissy. and that trust goes both ways. “If we are going to succeed or fail, we’re going to do it with family,” liz says. as Crissy, liz, and Joyce finish each other’s sentences and good-naturedly interrupt each other, it’s clear that Joyce Hawley’s daughters have inherited more than their mother’s good eye and sense of color. The store itself, with its cheerful mix of painted furniture, locally sourced artwork and accessories, reflects the sunny dispositions of its three owners. “It’s a happy place,” Joyce says.
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Dr. Frances Foster, Dr. Carmen Foster McLean
A Vision for the future Dr. Frances Foster’s grandmother always told her, “a woman should have her own.” and though plenty of women in her hometown of Laurinburg, N.C. had jobs, most were still dependent, socially and financially, on men. Foster was determined to be different. She attended medical school at a time when very few women, and even fewer black women, were matriculating. a role model for daughter Carmen and her friends, Dr. Foster built her own successful ophthalmology practice in Kansas City. She was lured back to North Carolina by her daughter, Dr. Carmen Foster mcLean, who opened the mcLean Eye Center in 2012. mcLean is good at cultivating relationships. Her practice allows for quality time with her husband and two sons as well as with each patient. “I love getting to know my patients," she says. "Ophthalmology enables me to have an ongoing relationship with them.” The other clear advantage: her mother. “It was always my dream to live near and work with my mother,” mcLean says. “We ride in to work together, talking the whole way.” “I trained her as my tech,” Foster says with pride, “but now I work for her.” On mondays and Fridays, doctors Foster and mcLean see regular patients at their Falls of Neuse Road location. Weekdays in between, the show goes on the road. “Carmen had this idea: people in assisted living facilities were not receiving services, so she got a mobile unit. Now, we can make examinations on site, which is so much less disruptive for our older patients,” Foster says. “She’s a wonderful, caring doctor.” may 2015 | 59
Ken Kesterson, Bev Kesterson, Aaron Kesterson, Wendy Kesterson, James Kesterson
The Fine ArT oF A FAmily VenTure what do many of the paintings in the generous and light-filled space of Bev’s Fine art have in common? a touch of Bev Kesterson’s favorite color: orange. after 28 years running the art gallery and custom framing business, Bev turned the operation over to her three grown children this year. “My new role is to play,” she explains. Hence the fun-loving orange. But it hasn’t always been play. according to daughter wendy, she and her siblings were shaped by witnessing their mother’s “hard work and dedication, her attention to detail.” when she was first starting out, Bev was frustrated by the poor quality of framing for her artwork. So she expanded her business into custom framing. “I wasn’t satisfied with ‘good enough,’” Bev Kesterson says. Bev and James Kesterson’s three children – wendy, Ken and aaron – have all been working for the family business for more than 15 years. The gallery carries a wide variety of paintings and sculptures in a broad spectrum of styles for both individual and corporate clients. “we defer to each other’s talents,” says James of the way his children work together. Daughter wendy chooses art and presents it, working closely with Bev’s corporate clients. wendy’s husband, Charlie Oxrieder, is helping the business develop a better online presence and a computerized inventory. Ken handles ordering, receiving, and custom finishes, while aaron organizes assembly and installation. with an inventory of thousands of pieces of art, clients have a lot to choose from. “we can send a van full of artwork out to your house,” says aaron. “we help clients decide what looks best on their walls. It’s all about customer satisfaction.” TeAching TrAdiTion This fall, Broughton High School english teacher Carol allen told her 26-year-old daughter, anna Christian allen, “we can talk about school as much or as little as you want.” Since the school in question was both women’s alma mater – as well as Carol allen’s 60 | walter
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workplace for most of the last 32 years, those words were especially comforting to the first-year English teacher. Carol Allen knew her daughter would be walking into a collaborative and affirming faculty, and would be linked with a veteran teacher mentor for her first year. “It’s exciting to think she could have this opportunity and these resources available," she says. "It’s just an awesome school. I have loved watching her get into her rhythm as a teacher.” Anna Christian was a Teaching Fellow at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she also received a master's in teaching, but it took 18 months of working and traveling in Asia to give her the distance and perspective she needed to come back to Raleigh and teach at her old high school. “I see Raleigh so differently after a year and a half overseas. I’ve come back with an enlarged worldview, and with eyes wide open,” she says. Anna Christian, who also coaches JV girls’ basketball, credits years as a camper and counselor at Camp Seafarer, where mom Carol also worked, for kindling her passion for working with young people. “I’m still finding my style and my voice, but working with teenagers – bringing out their gifts and their passions – that transition has been seamless.”
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walteR profile
chesson hadley
T
The raleigh native and pGa standout on family, faith, and golf by andrew kenney photographs by nick pironio
there’s one photo that tells you everything that’s important to chesson and amanda hadley. at its center is a baby, fair-haired little hughes. he’s sitting contentedly in a huge crystal trophy, white baby shoes kicking out of a fluted rim. his parents are sharing the prize – chesson with his long arms holding the trophy’s base, amanda supporting hughes’s head. The adults beam with happiness. The baby’s sucking his fist. The trophy glimmers with promise – and its size speaks of big expectations.
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runneth over
Chesson Hadley, Amanda Hadley, and son Hughes after Chesson’s 2014 Puerto Rico Open victory.
calls it their new normal. “This one might be the first year that there’s been a little bit of normalcy,” amanda says. The baby’s eyeing the yogurt and Chesson snacks on pimento-cheese toast. “Everything was brand new, for three years.”
Grueling grind
It helps that the couple had so long together to figure “normal” out. The two attended North Raleigh Christian academy from elementary school on, but their relationship really started on the golf course at North Ridge Country Club. He was in fifth grade, she in sixth, and he was already playing near par. amanda didn’t turn out to be a golfer, but the couple stuck together, and their middle school friendship turned to high school romance. Even back then, Hadley was chasing the pros, his jocular goofiness masking a singular drive. He was a lanky, friendly
Michael Cohen, Getty Images
It was the moment that welcomed the Raleigh natives to an exclusive club, because Chesson, 27, had just won the Puerto Rico Open by two strokes, his first PGa TOUR win. “We just kind of looked at each other and put (Hughes) in the cup,” he recalls. “It was a perfect fit. It was the picture of the tournament.” Hadley had worked hard to get there. Two years at golf’s lowest levels, a year on the Web.com Tour, and 13 PGa events with four top 10 finishes. along the way, he built a huge personal following, charming fans with his combination of straight-arrow ambition and jokey candor. He was named PGa Rookie of the year. He even won a joking mention on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show for his lanky build, which Fallon compared to a giant wind sock. It was the Puerto Rico win, though, that really defined this couple’s new life. “It’s such a huge relief. It was almost immediate,” Hadley says. “This is where I need to be. as Christians, during those mini-tour years, we were searching and we were praying.” and they finally seemed to have an answer. For the time being. The Puerto Rico win stamped Hadley’s ticket for two more seasons at golf’s highest level, along with entrance to some of the game’s crown-jewel events. With stakes like that, Chesson’s not a man with a lot of spare time. But on the last day of 2014, at the cusp of a new season, the 2013 Rex Hospital Open winner and his young family found a moment to meet a reporter in Raleigh for coffee and conversation. Despite the late night they’d just had with the baby, and the inconvenience of a car that wouldn’t start, they were full of positive energy. “We’ve had some time with friends and family – we’ve had plenty of time to celebrate,” Chesson says, settling in with a cappucino. “The off-season’s been great, but I’m anxious to get out there again.” you can’t blame him. at this point, he’s already played his last practice round at the North Ridge Country Club. In two days, he and his family will leave their North Raleigh townhouse for Hawaii’s Tournament of Champions – and a return to the spotlight. (He doesn’t know it yet, but by april, he will have posted two top 10 finishes in 10 PGa events.) all of the bustle, the spotlight, the pressure: The couple
may 2015 | 65
kid with a slightly cocky smile and a club in his hands, drawn to golf by its taunting difficulty. “You can ask her: I knew what I was going to do. I was going to play golf,” Hadley says. tim Pitman, Hadley’s former swing coach, can attest to that. Hadley was a tween and Pitman just 19 when they became teacher and student at North ridge Country Club. The kid’s drive was evident already – but there was one little problem. “He had a great rhythm and a great tempo,” Pitman says. “His main issue back when he started was that he was just so small. He was skinny, but he wasn’t tall yet.” Hadley hated that his height kept him from hitting as far as he wanted to. Pitman told him there wasn’t much to do but wait. Hadley hated that, too. So he played even harder, making the high school team before he had left eighth grade. Playing with the big guys only sent him to overdrive. Pitman says that’s when Hadley also started to learn the lessons that have stood him well – to not take his failings so seriously, to slow down that drive, to weigh his options. Growing up is a long game, and those years were good practice – especially for the relationship that would define it all. His romance with amanda lasted when they went different ways for college – he to Georgia tech and she to UNC-Chapel Hill, both to study business. He was a threetime all-american at Georgia tech, and his play changed with the relationship: The couple’s four-month break-up coincid-
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ed with his junior year slump – but they were rekindled and engaged to be married by the time he played his last college round. Hadley launched his pro career in 2010, just as he finished school. amanda, a determined worker herself, was on her way to a master’s in business and a career in consulting. Stability, however, would be a few years coming. The lower tracks of most sports are a grueling grind – all of the labor, little of the money, and none of the glory. Chesson trekked for years through the “mini” tours, driving himself across the country while amanda worked in the triangle. Chesson knew starting out that thousands of golfers burn out on those trips. No matter. “I’m a very big thinker, a very big dreamer, and I’m very stubborn,” he says. His wife nods, a hint of bemusement in her smile. while he toured, she became a consultant and started her career climb, and the two of them
earned enough to lay a family’s foundation. Still, the scramble and the lonely drives wore at the young golfer. Chesson was a newlywed with a shot at his dream – but could he live both lives? “I got better. I made more money every single year. It wasn’t that I wasn’t providing,” he says. But he had to ask: “Was what I was doing at that time the right fit for amanda and I, moving forward?” Golf is a fickle sport, he says, and he didn’t want to be chasing a dream, alone on the road at 30. a season on the second-tier Web.com Tour hastened his climb. a move to the PGa TOUR changed his life.
Looking up
Hadley in 2006, as a senior at North Raleigh Christian Academy
Juli Leonard
Family-style Life with the big show means stop after stop, trip after trip – but it has brought the young family together. Once Hughes arrived, the couple decided amanda and Hughes would follow Chesson on the tour. In fact, the baby attended the mcGladrey Classic in Georgia just three days after he was born at Rex Hospital in Raleigh. (Chesson had won the Rex Hospital Open earlier in 2013, and was himself born at the hospital.) The Hadleys say it’s easier than it might seem to raise a newborn in the middle of a professional golf circus. “most people on the tour with kids Hughes’ age travel,” amanda says. “I feel like almost everybody’s a parent.”
may 2015 | 67
She manages flights and reservations and baby life daily, and the PGa’s official child-care program helps too. “The tour is really supportive,” she says. and so these years are golden, the best kind of normal. Chesson and amanda have their youth, they have his rising star, and they have the gift of a new life. It seems like the only question is what kind of ball the baby’s going to play. “Chesson’s pushing him to be a lefty, so he can be a baseball pitcher,” amanda says. “He sticks things in his left hand, I stick things in his right hand.” Yet a golden age can only last so long. Perhaps they’ll need to change their routine, splitting apart for longer, as Hughes gets older. “we don’t know what it will be like once he gets in school,” amanda says. “we want to take advantage of the time we have.” and nothing’s guaranteed in golf. “You constantly have to earn,” Chesson says. “I have to go earn that right.” as the coffee begins to run low, they talk about the season ahead. “we haven’t sat down to do it yet – but every year, we have a goal-setting thing,” Chesson says.
home base
Amanda, Hughes, and Chesson Hadley.
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“Playing Old Chatham was one of the most memorable rounds I’ve enjoyed in my 30 years as a golfer. One of the things that stands out most is the peaceful, beautiful setting.
Brian Strickland
I truly feel as if I discovered a golf oasis, right in the middle of North Carolina!”
“It’s Chesson’s favorite: What are our goals this year?” Amanda adds. Chesson hopes for another big year, more shots at the biggest events. “I just want to feel like I’ve gotten better, improved. It doesn’t necessarily mean I need to win again this year – but I’d love to have a hall-of-fame career,” he says. “After two or three years, you can get settled in and start to compete in really big majors. If you win, they’re career-changing.” He’d also like to read six books and work out more this year, shoehorning in these little goals with the huge ones. That’s how it goes – a life in the spotlight is still just a life. The small stuff, the broken cars and restless babies, is just as big when you’re the Hadleys. And maybe that’s comforting. “Whatever he wants to do, he’s going to get it done,” Amanda says. “There’s a peace in both of us having a really strong relationship with God. If He takes (Chesson’s) arm tomorrow – He’s going to take care of us. We’re going to be together, as a family.” The 2015 Rex Hospital Open will take place May 25-31 at TPC Wakefield Plantation. For information and tickets, go to rexhospitalopen.com.
King rex An elated Hadley pumps his arm as he wins the 2013 Rex Hospital Open.
— David Glenn, The David Glenn Show
CHESSON’S FAVORITE NORTH CAROLINA COURSES North Ridge Country Club - The course he grew up on. Raleigh Country Club - “A great design with nice practice facilities.” Old North State - “Beautiful location on Uwharrie Point, and that course fits my eye.” It helps that he won a college title there, too. Pinehurst No. 2 - “A phenomenal course. And it’s Pinehurst.” Country Club of North Carolina - “Lots of tradition and prestige here.” Old Chatham Golf Club - A beautiful course, no houses along the fairways, “and a great 18th hole.” Eagle Point Golf Club - “It’s arguably the best course in North Carolina for the overall experience,” from the views to the food and the condition of the course.
2015 #1 Ranked Triangle Golf Course by the NC Panel of Raters
2015 #1 Ranked Private Golf Club by Triangle Business Journal
Wade Hampton Golf Club - Chesson hasn’t played this one, but it’s at the top of his wish list.
(919) 361-1400 oldchathamgolf.org
Keegan Bradley, 2010; Bubba Watson, 2005; Brandt Snedeker, 2006; Jim Furyk, 1993 | ©2015 PGA TOUR, Inc. BOTTOM
Webb Simpson, Class of 2008 TOP
3 out of 4 PGA TOUR® players learn to win here.
Rex Hospital Open May 28-31 Tickets on sale now! A full schedule of events is available at rexhospitalopen.com The Path to the PGA TOUR.
Traveling the state
THe
GREAT AFFAIR
I
is to move
“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go,” said Robert Louis Stevenson. “I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” In a region like ours, you don’t need to move far for those words to resonate. Here, novel experiences can be found around the corner (at Cary’s East Chatham Street constellation of Indian restaurants, for instance, p. 98) or across the state (Lake Mattamuskeet, for another, p. 84). Because perspective broadens with the new – not necessarily the distant – we asked some of our favorite writers to share their best not-too-far travel stories. > continued next page
MAY 2015 | 71
N E W C O NS TR U CTI O N I NS I DE THE BELTLI N E B Y
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Traveling the state So Dean McCord ate every delicious thing in sight in Asheville, and washed it down well, too (p. 92). Samantha Thompson Hatem took her husband and young children on a meticulously un-planned weekend getaway to the coast (p. 84) and lived to tell the tale. Kaitlyn Goalen took to the road in search of worthy eats (p. 98) and found more than her mileage could manage. Ann Brooke Raynal ruminated humorously on the wheels that get her where she’s going (p. 90), and Dwane Powell opened a window to history (p. 82), reminding us how much there is to learn at every turn. We also had the opportunity to visit the beautiful town of Washington, N.C., and meet a remarkable couple who’ve created a most unlikely home and workplace (p. 74). To help us celebrate all of these discoveries, we turned to Hillsborough textile artist Elaine O’Neil to create this month’s cover. O’Neil is well-known to many North Carolinians for her charming, evocative depictions of our state’s favorite places. “I love this state,” she says, “I love the mountains and the beach and the in-betweens; the culture and the history.” Even after 20 years here, the native of Maine says she’s “still dazzled by everything.” That sensibility is evident in O’Neil’s energetic, colorful creations, which she has been making since 1995, and by the time, detail, and ingenuity she puts into each one. After several sketches for our cover, O’Neil settled on a stylized “map” to fit our grab-bag of locations within a green landscape. After researching them each for iconic images, O’Neil started with the sky and quirky moon she’s known for, and then created the green ground, where hills and geography are suggested with fabric variations; then she created the brilliant blue ocean. To create the icons for each map location, she reached into several large bins of fabric, organized by color, and cut them them out by hand, using her sketch as a guide. “Anything that doesn’t work, I throw it over my shoulder,” she says. “My floor looks like Edward Scissorhands’.” O’Neil says her favorite elements include Wilmington’s shrimp on a trident (inspired, she says, by art director Jesma Reynolds) and the dogwood compass rose. O’Neil also particularly likes the windy road she created to connect it all. “It doesn’t really make sense” as an actual road, she concedes, “but it gives the sense of travel.” She’s also pleased that the work offers up more the longer you look at it. “First, you see the composition of the piece,” she says, “then it’s almost an I-Spy: ‘Oh look, there’s wood grain on the sign; there are leaves in that tree…’” The textile design major knows that the beauty is in the details. And, like the Treasure Island author before her, that exotic faraway lands don’t have a monopoly on adventure. Happy travels! -L.R.
CREWEL To Be KIND
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STORY
WORLD
of a house
THE
MAKING AN ENTRANCE
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The Colliers’ double front doors once swung open to admit patients arriving by ambulance to the former hospital. Just inside the door today is a blue-hooved pouffe covered in Tibetan wool, designed by the couple for their vanCollier line. Right: Chris and Beth Collier sit in hide-covered swivel chairs they designed; beyond lies their open dining room and kitchen.
OF VAN
COLLIER
I
It takes a visionary to dream up things that don’t exist and make them real. It takes courage to believe in the unlikely, invest in it fully, and make it your life. And it takes love, faith, and fortitude to do it as a team. But Beth and Chris Collier of Washington, N.C. do all of that with the same refined grace they bring to design. Together they have created an avant garde furniture company in the unlikeliest of places, turned a haunted old hospital into an elegant home, and done it all while raising two boys and remaining happily wed. MAY 2015 | 75
The hospital’s second floor – which once housed patients, a delivery room, and a nurses’ station – became home. by LIZA ROBERTS photographs by CATHERINE NGUYEN The Colliers live and work in the pretty, historic town of Washington (sometimes known as “Little Washington,” incorporated in 1782; population about 10,000), which sits on the bank of the Pamlico River. The town’s inland coastal location has the breeze and spirit of the seaside, and its historic district boasts picket-fenced restored colonials and Victorians. The Colliers don’t live in one of those. Instead, they’ve made a home and workplace in a once-abandoned, 10,000-square-foot hospital, built in 1907. The Georgian pile is a place with significance for both of their families. Chris’s grandfather and great-grandfather were doctors
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here, and Beth’s grandmother lived here when it later served as a nursing home. Tayloe Hospital was eventually shuttered in the mid-90s, and stood empty for more than 10 years. When the Colliers came upon it in 2004, they were not concerned about the building’s ramshackle condition or the detritus left behind – beds, wheelchairs, even slippers. “We jumped in feet-first,” Chris says. It took the two of them a year and a half – and a good bit of their own elbow grease – but they turned the building into a remarkable place to work and live. The hospital’s third floor operating room became an airy studio to design, make, and finish furniture. The second floor – which once housed patients, a delivery room, and a nurses’ station – became home. Today, a giant, creaky, original elevator moves newly finished furniture from the Colliers’ top-floor studio to their ground floor for shipping. To keep the ancient lift’s parts in working order, the couple relies on the 84-year-old repairman who first worked on the thing when its cargo was patients on gurneys, not dining chairs on pallets. The Colliers’ work is clearly influenced by the history of their surroundings, and by the spirits that move them. Sometimes literally. They have seen a ghost more than once, and felt him, too. They expect he may once have been a cheeky doctor – possibly even a relation? – because he’s apparently fond of giving women an occasional goosey squeeze. A plaque with the name of Chris Collier’s grandfather – Dr. J. B. Hawes – sits propped on a sink, providing a possible clue. But it’s the spirit of nature that originally inspired the couple’s joint designs. The first piece they designed together, a gingkoleaf-shaped sconce, was sparked in 2010 by the tree outside their window. The curvy, distinct shape of its leaves also found its way into other pieces, and has become something of an emblem for the vanCollier brand (which incorporates Beth’s maiden name of van Dorp). The tree’s budding branches are now showing up in chandeliers and table legs. Other elements from the couple’s surroundings also play a role: Tobacco sticks Chris amassed from dismantled local tobacco barns have become recognizable vanCollier design elements, incorporated in headboards and light fixtures. Designing together was a natural evolution, they say. The two have always worked in art and design in some fashion – Chris
ECLECTIC ELEGANCE Opposite: Foo dog statues-turned-lamps anchor a Parsons table and two sculptures Beth made from scraps of marble. The mirror upholstered in python leather is a vanCollier design. This page, clockwise from top: The living room, which once served as a nurses’ station, features paintings by the artist Marcus Reichert, whom Beth Collier represents. Antiques and contemporary designs marry effortlessly: An antique chest is topped with a vanCollier lamp; A vanCollier “Gingkie” martini table and a vanCollier candlestick are right at home with a collection of weathered walking sticks, a vanColliermirror, and an antique console table. Beth finished the floors herself with an acid stain. A pecan beam reclaimed from a church makes a perfect pedestal for an antique crystal bowl and a bloom of coral. The 1931 map of the Pamlico River was Beth’s grandfather’s; his favorite fishing spots are noted in pencil. A staircase from the ground floor has bannisters made by a local hog farmer who welds in his spare time.
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LIVING IT Above: A dining table is the perfect link between the Colliers’ open kitchen and living room. Candlesticks designed by the couple flank a bowl Beth made in college; the table itself was a $12 thrift-store find. A gingko table on the left holds a bounty of curly willow brought over as a gift by Chris’s mother, Mary-French Evans. Right: The second and third floors of the former Tayloe Hospital are now home to the Collier family and their design business, vanCollier. Opposite, clockwise from top left: The kitchen’s leather bar stools with stirrups were designed by the couple; sculptures made by Beth reach for the ceiling. Old Dutch paintings collected by Chris line the hallway connecting the kitchen to the pantry and the study beyond. Seashells and books find their way into most rooms. The main floor’s red lacquered hallway – achieved with Dutch marine paint – is a tip of the hat to celebrated interior designer Albert Hadley, whom Beth Collier reveres. This was once a hallway of patient rooms. A portrait of Chris Collier by the artist Marcus Reichert hangs above the bed in their older son’s room.
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BIRTHPLACE Above: Beth’s cozy study was once the hospital’s delivery room; now it’s a place where ideas are born. Its brown lacquer walls are filled with more art by Marcus Reichert. A vanCollier-designed pouffe covered with Tibetan wool adds a note of whimsy. Left: Lanterns in the top-floor studio await finishing touches; a table made of vanCollier’s emblematic gingko leaves – the inspiration for their first piece, a sconce in the same shape – awaits its final home. Opposite: Chris Collier’s grandfather, Dr. J. B. Hawes, worked in the building when it was a hospital. The couple found a sign with his name on it in a Washington antique shop; today it is propped casually on a sink. They joke that Dr. Hawes makes an occasional ghostly appearance and likes to give Beth the odd spectral squeeze.
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as an antiques dealer; Beth an interior designer and museum curator. At first, their creations were custom items for Beth’s interior design clients. But after Betty Nelson (of Eatman’s Carpets and Interiors, her family’s Raleigh business) began selling some of their pieces in her store, vanCollier’s popularity took off more broadly. “What they do is made in North Carolina, and it’s different,” Nelson says, “...so unique and beautiful.” Nelson says she has long considered Beth “one of the most talented people I know” with a knack for “taking something that’s kind of out-there and incorporating it into a traditional home.” Now the brand appears poised for even bigger things: A new line the couple just designed for the major interior design company Kravet hit the market last month. Soon, furniture inspired by one Little Washington gingko tree and two creative souls will be making its way around the world.
IF YOU GO TO WASHINGTON, N.C. EAT / DRINK Rachel K’s Bakery 126 N. Market St., 252-946-2253 The Bank Bistro and Bar 216 W. Main St., 252-948-9000 Bill’s Hot Dogs 109 Gladden St., 252-946-3343 Backwater Jack’s Tiki Bar (and the adjacent Haven’s Gardens Park) 1052 E. Main St., 252-975-1090
DON’T MISS N.C. Estuarium and waterfront walk 223 E. Water St., 252-948-0000 Goose Creek State Park 2190 Camp Leach Rd., 252-923-2191
IF YOU STAY A WHILE Little Washington Sailing School 141 S. Market St., 252-402-7878 Moss Landing’s new waterfront homes 303 Water St., 252-975-8010 The Pamlico-Tar River Foundation’s annual oyster roast Typically held in November ptrf.org
&
Now then
VISUAL HISTORY Revisiting the site of an iconic photo T
here were no cars in sight at the sleepy rural crossroads in Person County. Since the road was the most level spot around, it seemed a good place to set up a tripod for our subject: an old, closed country store. Jim White, a photographer and sales representative for Peace Camera in Raleigh, had invited me to join him on a jaunt into the countryside to photograph
by DWANE POWELL it. This was the very same store featured in Dorothea Lange’s iconic 1939 Depression-era photo, and it was intriguing to speculate on how it had weathered the 76 years since. Carson Boone, a retired Raleigh engineer, amateur historian, and photographer, had assured us it was still standing. Boone, an admirer of Lange’s work, embarked on a mission in 1998 to track down the store, and confirmed that it was one and the same after comparing
his prints with Lange’s image. Later that year, his sleuthing was featured in a The Herald Sun story by Paul Bonner. The feature revealed many historic details about the store – estimated to have been built in the late 1800s, based on some of the period hardware and door styles – and some information about the people in the photo. Just after White and I had our tripods set on the deserted roadway, a large, late-model maroon pickup truck pulled to a stop beside us. The fellow inside drawled, “this is about the most photophotograph by DWANE POWELL
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Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC 20540
graphed spot in Person County.” He went on to tell us that the man standing in the doorway of Lange’s photo was his greatuncle. Relieved that we hadn’t been taken for interlopers or trespassers, we went about taking our photos. Further research revealed that the man in the doorway was actually the owner of the store, Rainey Baynes. His niece, Sara Hester, is quoted in The Herald Sun article describing Baynes as easygoing and likeable; also perhaps a little fond of the bottle. “Likable” aptly fits the posture and body language Baynes conveys in the photo. He died in 1942, and the store closed soon after that. Dorothea Lange captured the Baynes store scene while on a mission for a Farm Security Administration program created to document Depression-era struggles in rural America. Lange’s photographs became some of the most iconographic images of that time. In comparing the old photo with the new one, contemporary builders might take note of the durability of 19th century rural construction. The store’s distinctive cedar posts are testimonials to that species’ ability to withstand rot and insects.
And there’s a lot to learn from sideby-side comparisons of the photos: the toll of time and weathering on the building’s siding; soil that has risen around the porch covering the first of its supporting stones; the replacement of two attic doors with faux bricks; the missing stage-right wing of the building; and of course, the missing signs. Further scrutiny of the old photo invites speculation about what it felt like to live in 1939 Person County. The presence of an electric meter, barely visible over the man on the right in the photo, assures us that the fellow guzzling his soda pop was probably enjoying one that was refreshingly cold. This was when only about 11 percent of rural North Carolina had electricity. But most compelling to me – and a testament to Lange’s skill as a photographer and student of the people she photographed – is the curiosity about her subjects that the image invokes. Would the black men on the porch have been allowed inside the store at a time when Jim Crow dictated race relations? Rainey Baynes and the men seem to be engaged in easy banter and surely
JULY 1939, GORDONTON, N.C. Above: A digital file of the original negative by Dorothea Lange. Her caption card includes the following notes: Country store on dirt road. Sunday afternoon. Note the kerosene pump on the right and the gasoline pump on the left. Rough, unfinished timber posts have been used as supports for porch roof. Negro men are sitting on the porch. Brother of store owner stands in doorway. Opposite: The country store today.
knew each other well. I grew up in rural Arkansas in the ’50s while Jim Crow still very much held sway, but the country store down the road let blacks freely enter and do business. In town they would have to go to a window around back. I think Baynes let them inside. What day was the photo taken? The men aren’t dressed for field work. This question was answered by research confirming that it was taken on a Sunday (no blue laws in rural N.C.). What would one see upon entering the store? I can envision basic food staples, canned goods, candy, soda pop, some hardware items, and a pot belly stove; old-timers would sit around in winter and swap lies. What effect did a woman outsider with a huge, unwieldy camera have on > continued on p. 128 MAY 2015 | 83
ROAD trip
KIDS in
TOW
George Hatem digs for fossils in Aurora
Samantha Hatem
W
TREASURE HUNT
by SAMANTHA THOMPSON HATEM
We love a spontaneous weekend road trip. At least, we used to. Before we had kids. George and Salma Kate arrived, and we decided they would not stop us from traveling. We got on planes with them. We took them on boats. We hauled them to the beach, weekend after weekend. All of it, though, was meticulously planned, down to their favorite flavor of Dum Dums for flight take-offs and arrivals, and strategically timed pit-stops at gas stations with mama-approved changing tables. So the thought of a spontaneous road trip, spending the night who-knowswhere without researching the swimming pool, the number of beds, the breakfast options, or how we’d keep the kids entertained both terrified and thrilled me.
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Greg Hatem
The day after Thanksgiving last year, we realized we had an honest-to-goodness, don’t-have-to-be-anywhere weekend. There were no birthday parties to attend. CASL soccer was over for the season. YMCA basketball was on break for the holiday. A road trip was calling. Could we? Should we? We packed everyone for an overnighter (which, as anyone with kids knows, looks more like a trip for a week) knowing there was a good chance we’d be back to Raleigh that night. We texted a few friends we’d been promising to visit down east with vague plans and we hit U.S. 64.
Aurora
There aren’t many reasons you would go to Aurora, 30 miles southeast of little Washington, down Highway 33 on the edge of Eastern North Carolina’s farmlands. You wouldn’t go unless you knew Aurora’s big (or shall we say old) secret: Fossils. We’re talking fossils so impressive people come from around the world to dig for them. The nearby PCS Phosphate Mine regularly unearths dazzling Pliocene and Miocene era fossils, some as big as your hand. (Practical translation: sharks’ teeth are everywhere!) 86 | WALTER
Our friend, Raleigh lawyer Mack Paul, had been asking my husband Greg to visit Aurora to see what more could be done for its downtown. Paul grew up visiting Aurora, and he’d told us how the town’s fossil pits were a tourism draw. We knew it would be a hit with our 5-year-old son, George. The pits, which are across the street from the Aurora Fossil Museum, were bigger and better than we’d imagined: Big heaping mounds of sediment, or mine “reject,” peppered with fossilized sharks’ teeth, shells, and coral bits. They’re periodically replenished with new reject from the mine, so there’s a fresh supply of treasures to find. At the museum store, we invested in plastic shovels and sifters, essential tools in the pits. The store also stocks plastic bags and a fossil chart. (I would have loved knee pads, but spontaneous road trips aren’t for sissies.) Everyone had a different approach. George went to the top of the mound, digging deep and pulling out big chunks of fossilized dirt balls. (That’s Georgespeak for dirt-covered rocks.) Salma Kate, our almost 4-year-old daughter, preferred the less dirty sidelines, hunting for the itty-bittiest sharks’ teeth and shells she could sift out.
FIRST IN FLIGHT
At the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, Salma Kate Hatem checks out the bust of Orville Wright. Opposite: Lake Mattamuskeet Lodge.
Greg Hatem
BETTER IS...
Forty-five minutes into it, we still hadn’t found the big stuff that would impress the kids back home at share time. A museum volunteer stopped by and within minutes he pointed out a broken 1 ½-inch megalodon tooth. Score! The fossil pits were consuming. Of course, spontaneous moms don’t pack picnic lunches, but it would have been nice to have one at the nearby picnic tables. Instead, Mack and his dad, Allen Paul, who lives in Raleigh but grew up in Aurora, brought us take-out burgers and pizza from Terry’s Convenient Mart. Dragging the kids from the pits and Greg from envisioning Aurora’s future wasn’t easy. But we had a ferry to catch. It’s a 14mile dash to the Aurora-Bayview ferry, which, if you’re on time, will take you across the Pamlico River in 30 minutes. We arrived just as it was pulling out, a sight that sent Salma Kate into a fullon meltdown as we rerouted through Washington before getting back on track to Swan Quarter.
Swan Quarter
We figured we’d just text the Swindells for directions once we were close to Swan Quarter. We didn’t count on Eastern North Carolina’s notoriously spotty cell service. But the Swindell family has a long history in Hyde County, going back to the 1800s. Surely someone in town could help us find them. Russ Swindell and his wife Meredith bought the family home in Swindell Fork from an aunt last fall and have updated it as a weekend getaway from Raleigh. Their property includes the family’s corner store, which Swindell’s great-great-grandfather opened in 1875. Today it’s like a family museum, with odds and ends going back generations. While we pondered the store’s possibilities, the kids exhausted themselves running around the big yard with the Swindell boys and climbing one of Hyde County’s oddities – a mulberry tree known as Mr. Harry’s Tree that was blown over in a 1932 hurricane and rerooted itself lying down.
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SWAN QUARTER
A glorious Eastern North Carolina sunset was coming, so we packed everyone back into the car and followed the Swindells a few miles down U.S. 264 to Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina’s largest natural lake. Here’s where we found another well-kept Eastern North Carolina secret. From the first full moon in October to the first full moon in March, migratory birds, including Canada geese, tundra swans, and 22 duck species, come to Mattamuskeet to spend the winter. We pulled over to watch them flying over the swamps, nesting in the trees, and diving for food. An otter glided by. It was peaceful and serene, except for the kids wrestling in the dirt and running around screaming. They clearly needed a little more action. Back in the car, this time to the Mattamuskeet Lodge, a historic pumping station built on the lake in 1911 and what could be a diamond in the rough for some enterprising hotelier. The three-story, 15,000-square-foot building was renovated in 1934 into a hunting and fishing lodge, which helped the area earn a reputation as a world-renowned hunting capital for Canada geese. In 1974, two years after goose hunting permits stopped, the lodge closed. Recent efforts to restore it have been slow but steady. Nothing a little vision and lot of money couldn’t fix. While we fantasized about the lodge’s potential, the kids resumed their game of chase. The egrets were settling in for the night in the surrounding trees. The sun had set. We vowed to come back in summer, when the lake is alive with boating, crabbing, and fishing 88 | WALTER
(and apparently gigantic mosquitos, too). It was dinnertime when we left the Swindells, the witching hour back home in Raleigh when our children get grumbly and sometimes, well, unpleasant. We turned down the Swindells’ offer to stay in the nearby family hunting lodge. We fed the kids the last of the bananas and made a hasty decision to make the 60-mile trek along the very dark two-lane U.S. 264 to the Outer Banks, where neither of us had been in two decades. It was a risk. A storm was brewing in the backseat. The snack bag was nearly empty. The “you
Greg Hatem
Greg Hatem
Left: George and Salma Kate Hatem with Noah and Quincy Swindell on Mr. Harry’s Tree, a mulberry tree that rerooted itself following a hurricane in 1932. Below: Russ Swindell in front of his great-great-grandfather’s country store. Opposite: Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge.
Greg Hatem
IF YOU GO AURORA - AURORA FOSSIL MUSEUM
If you go: Bring shovels, sifters, buckets, a picnic lunch, water, and hats. Peak time: May 22-24 during Fossil Festival with fossil displays, live entertainment, a 5K run, lawn mower pulls, and rides and games. There’s also a fossil auction that always draws a crowd. Best bet for kids: A day in the fossil pits and a tour of the museum. Cost: Museum and fossil pits are free, but donations are welcome. More information: aurorafossilmuseum.com
SWAN QUARTER - LAKE MATTAMUSKEET
If you go: Bring binoculars, bird guide books, and fishing gear. Peak time: First full moon of October to the first full moon of March. Best bet for kids: Fishing, crabbing, and observing wildlife. Cost: Free. More information: mattamuskeet.org; fws.gov/refuge/mattamuskeet
KILL DEVIL HILLS - WRIGHT BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL
If you go: Wear walking shoes and bring a picnic lunch. Peak time: Summer. Best bet for kids: The interactive life-size sculptures of the Wright brothers’ plane, the mock runway with markers to show flight distances, and the replica 1903 camp of the Wright brothers. Cost: Adults $4; kids under 16 free. More information: nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm
started its” had kicked in. And the inevitable “Are we there yet?” was coming at us every five minutes.
Kill Devil Hills
We drove until we found Darrell’s Seafood Restaurant, a locally owned spot in Manteo with fresh local oysters, wines by the glass, a barbecue combo plate, crayons, and a menu the kids could color in. Everyone left happy. Three phone calls later, we found an ocean-view room in Kill Devil Hills for less than $100 and we were all asleep by 9 p.m. Success. We woke the next morning to amazing views. The calm ocean view on the front deck was nice, but the one out the back was even better: The Wright Brothers National Memorial, one of the state’s crown tourism jewels that I’d somehow missed in my three decades of living here.
We were the first ones at the memorial on that sunny, chilly morning. Knowing we had a three-hour car ride ahead of us that afternoon, we had a race to see who could get up Big Kill Devil Hill first. Up top at the 61-foot granite monument, we paid homage to the Wright brothers and did our best to explain about faith and courage, even when others doubt you. We got a few blank stares. We raced back down across the grassy field where we hit gold again, stumbling on a life-size interactive bronze and steel sculpture of the Wright brothers’ plane. We enjoyed our coffee while the kids played Wright brothers on the sculpture. We tried to linger inside the visitor’s center, but the kids saw other children running along the mock runway outside. With the help of numbered distance markers, the kids could run 120 feet, the same distance that Orville did in 12 seconds on that first flight in 1903. Our spontaneous road trip was capped off, fittingly, by running into one of Greg’s old high school friends. Our families had never met, and now we’re ready to get together for a meticulously-planned Outer Banks summer weekend. Not that we’re giving up on spontaneous. Our unlikely impromptu road trip has already earned a place as one of our most treasured family weekends, one that could have taken place in 1964 instead of 2014. We never broke out the iPad. We didn’t take refuge at a special kids museum or park. Each stop was unscripted. We showed up and let the moment take us, leaving the kids to use their imaginations for entertainment. It gave us faith we’d be doing it more often.
MAY 2015 | 89
Travel reflections
I
THE VAN of my dreams by ANN BROOKE RAYNAL
IN THE FOG OF MY SECOND PREGNANCY I DECIDED THAT A MINIVAN WOULD MAKE my life complete. I was devoting my life to these children, and a van would tell the world: Mother on board! Like an oyster shell, my van would close around me, protecting the bland bivalve inside. And my little pearls. The week after Margaret’s birth found us at the dealership trading in my husband Charles’ beloved Camry for a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country. I was ecstatic. I hadn’t wanted a white car, but it was the “Touring” model, and some luxuries were worth concessions. It had all the accoutrements for which I longed: captain’s chairs, multiple cup-holders, and a ceiling-mounted DVD player. And it smelled good. I envisioned a world in which attractively dressed, obedient children slid effortlessly from its automatic doors.
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illustration by EMILY BROOKS
Fast-forward a couple of years, three replacement DVD players, 10,000 crushed goldfish, decaying banana peels, and mashed chicken nuggets...and now I noticed that people hesitated (or outright refused!) to ride with me. A family of moths completed several life cycles in the driver’s side foot compartment. The bloom was off the rose. I still loved the van, but now it was all about utility. I became obsessed with my children’s ability to watch videos in the car on long trips. Such as to the Harris Teeter. At one point, in a desperate attempt to restore DVD capability to the van, I strapped a barstool between the two front seats with duct tape, and then duct-taped a portable DVD player to it. Problem solved! Talk about life hacks.
wide eyes in the rear-view mirror. “Um, Mrs. Duffy’s car is pretty messy,” Margaret proffered with calculated casualness, only to be met with a chorus of groans. “Not to be mean,” one child piped up, “but it is SO your mom’s! Your mom’s is like the messiest car I have ever seen!” Another glance in the rear-view mirror confirmed Margaret’s desire to throw me under the moving minivan. My parents weren’t car people, either. They never washed their cars, much less paid someone to do it. Our much fancier uncles and cousins nicknamed us “the Squatleys” for my parents’ penchant for being perfectly satisfied with most things. They drove a Ford Country Squire for what seemed like 30 years and drank Schlitz from the can. They refused
When the children suggested they play “bank” in the car, I gave them all my spare change. I later learned they were making their “deposits” in the tape deck and CD player.
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The neighborhood children have always loved the van. On sunny afternoons I would sit outside in a metal lawn chair watching my neighbors do yard work, and let all the kids play with the automatic sliding doors and tailgate. Until the battery died. When the children suggested they play “bank” in the car, I gave them all my spare change. I later learned they were making their “deposits” in the tape deck and CD player. I haven’t had a working CD player for the past nine years. But I enjoyed at least two hours of peace. At age 5, my daughter Margaret was involved in a ballet carpool. The van looked and smelled like Earp’s Seafood. Surveying her surroundings, a ballerina posed the question, “Whose mom has the messiest car?” I met my daughter’s
to buy me Izod shirts. I built character. I grew up and married a man just as “Squatley” as my parents, with that same combination of frugality and rebellion. After we returned to Atlanta from our honeymoon in Italy, we rolled our luggage two miles from the MARTA station to our house. We were babes in the wood, and it never occurred to us to call a cab. Last summer while I was driving my older daughter to camp in the ten-yearold Volvo (with working CD player! That’s 9.5 hours of heaven right there!), my husband took my van in to be detailed as a special surprise. The guy at the detail place looked at the rusted exterior and the moldy interior and flatly refused the job. What? Charles asked him to name his price and he said gently, “Sir, you can’t > continued on p. 128
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at the
TABLE
The Great
A
PUBLIC ART
Asheville artist Brett Douglas Hunter painted this mural of basketball player Manute Bol on the side of shipping containers.
by DEAN McCORD
photographs by DEAN McCORD and ALAN FLEETWOOD
A college buddy of mine used to tell me he was from L.A.: “Lovely Asheville.” I sort of understood what he meant, and I’ve frequently said that if I could move my job and extended family anywhere, it would be to Asheville. But I really didn’t know why I felt that way. I’d been to Asheville a number of times, but it was usually just passing through, on the way to somewhere else in the mountains. Or to a conference at the Grove Park Inn. I knew it was a good-sized city with great food in my beloved Blue Ridge Mountains, but I didn’t have any real clue of what drew me to this spot of heaven in Western North Carolina. I decided to change that. In a big way.
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ASHEVILLE
gastro challenge My mission: Spend a weekend in Asheville and actually get to know it, at least gastronomically, by visiting as many eating and drinking establishments as possible. A buddy of mine from Durham agreed to join me for the adventure. We’d also visit vintage clothiers, used bookstores, and art galleries, but this was about the food. And a little beer, too. So we went. We did what we set out to do. And after visiting 18 places in 46 hours, I can comfortably say that Asheville is the best restaurant city in North Carolina. And its most urban city. It’s incredibly walkable, particularly for a mountain town. It’s gorgeous, with a huge heart, welcoming to visitors like me and millions more. And though I was exhausted after my trip – eating and drinking so much will wear a man out – I was ready to go back the following weekend. I already missed its charm.
Day one
The Great Asheville Gastro Challenge began on a wet and blustery Friday afternoon at All Souls Pizza, in Asheville’s River Arts district. Coming in from the cold, I could not have found a more welcoming place: the scent of a wood burning oven, Dwight Yoakum on the stereo, and some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. This partnership between Brendan Reusing (who opened up Chapel Hill’s Lantern with his sister, Andrea) and baker David Bauer focuses on fresh. How fresh? The flour used in the dough is milled in-house. Local farmers and purveyors provide the lion’s share of the ingredients. And if you’re gluten-free, try the polenta pizza crust. On your way out, be sure to grab a loaf of Bauer’s bread – it’s without compare. After a quick cocktail at The Imperial Life (very classy and creative), I headed over to Nightbell, the new restaurant/ lounge by Katie Button and Felix Meana, the couple behind the renowned tapas restaurant Cúrate (more on that later). A friend tried to talk me out of going to Nightbell for dinner; she believed it was more of a late-night bar. I’m glad I didn’t follow her advice. This was the most exciting meal I’ve had in years. Dish after dish caused me not just to smile, but to giggle – childishly, loudly – over how delicious and creative the food was. Included in all this happiness was my dish of the year: a poutine (a
fast-food Canadian dish usually made of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds) that consisted of brined, three-times-cooked fries, served with duck confit, foie gras gravy, cheddar mousse, and an ultra-light and crunchy waffle. My buddy and I agreed that this place was as good as anything in the state, particularly for a restaurant with small plates for less than $10 and large courses under $20. Though we sampled over 10 dishes at Nightbell and felt a little full, we sure as hell weren’t going to surrender and call it a night. Our late-night destination was King James Public House, a small pub just north of downtown. Not just any pub. A pub with top-notch charcuterie, made in-house (including lardo, or cured pig fat, that’s flamed with a blowtorch at the table). And pickles. Made in-house. And jars of pâté and pimento cheese and turkey rillette (similar to pâté), made inhouse. And amazing fries served with a variety of sauces like pork cracklin’ aioli. You get the drift. Heck, they have a sense of humor, too, occasionally offering a burger topped with crispy Spam and Velveeta. Chef Steven Goff has left since I visited, but this is a place to eat and drink and then eat and drink some more. And listen to indie and punk and new wave songs from
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THIS FOODIE'S GONE TO HEAVEN
Clockwise from top left: An Asheville ambulance; the pig and pork at Cúrate; Night Bell's egg. Opposite top: The kitchen at Rhubarb. Opposite below: An Indian feast at Chai Pan.
the past (cocktails are named from classic indie songs). If King James were in my Raleigh neighborhood, I’d probably live there. Seriously.
Day two, morning….
We woke up Saturday morning wondering how we were going to maintain this pace. But instead of succumbing to a food coma, we decided to plow ahead. How to start the day? With doughnuts, of course. Vortex Doughnuts in Asheville’s South Slope is a new operation, featuring lots of classic doughnuts in a refurbished paper warehouse. We grabbed a doughnut each – call it a breakfast snack – and then headed over to High Five Coffee Bar, just north of downtown, for a latte. But the breakfast coupe de grace came from Biscuit Head in West Asheville. Biscuit Head specializes in biscuits and gravy – palm-sized, cathead biscuits (as big as a cat’s head) with your choice of at least seven different gravies. I had fried chicken gravy, because I was suddenly sort of hungry. With at least a dozen different jams, jellies, and other condiments, Biscuit Head is the perfect family breakfast spot. Then we took a 90 minute break from eating, exploring West Asheville, before we returned to downtown. We walked the remainder of the day, with our next stop in the form of an early liquid lunch at one of Asheville’s many craft breweries, Wicked Weed Brewing. Asheville has nearly 20 different places 94 | WALTER
brewing beer, and the Wicked Weed brewpub is one of the city’s most popular, offering a number of barrel-aged beers and sours. A couple of blocks away we were treated to a couple of flavor bombs from White Duck Taco Shop. There are two locations of White Duck in Asheville, and although these are technically taquerias in that they sell tacos, they don’t sell your traditional Mexican tacos. One taco was filled with Caribbean jerk chicken, red slaw, and pineapple, while another had Korean beef bulgogi with avocado puree and kimchi. They were absolutely delicious and worth the price: $3.45 each. A beer and a taco hardly make a meal, so we headed to Chai Pani, which is known for Indian street food. And it very well might be the best cheap-eats place in the city. Four dishes, enough to fill three or four individuals, cost less than $40, including a healthy tip. The food was fresh, colorful, and just damn good. And we were getting full. Fortunately, we decided to revitalize our hunger by walking the mile or so to Asheville’s newest and hottest place, Gan Shan Station. We knew we were getting close when the smell of Szechuan peppercorns filled the gentle spring breeze, but our excitement was quickly tempered: Gan Shan is not open for lunch on the weekends. This was actually a blessing in disguise, as we were ridiculously full. So we turned around, walked a block, and ducked back into King James Public House for a beer. Maybe it was two.
We walked back downtown to try another cocktail bar, Sovereign Remedies, which quickly established itself as one of my favorite booze houses in the country. First, it’s bright, with lots of windows, perfect for an afternoon drink. Second, they have really good food, like gougères filled with pimento cheese. Finally, of course, their cocktails are superb, and reasonably priced.
head and legs all needed a break. So of course, we instead visited yet another brewery, One World Brewing, which was right around the corner. And, being Asheville, I ran into another old friend. This happens in Asheville: You meet lots of old acquaintances, because so many people gravitate there. And they’re always in a good mood. After a pint of their Inner Thigh IPA (because it’s that smooth and alluring, perhaps), we walked home.
Day two, evening...
Day three
We were spent, so we walked back to the house where we were staying and rested up before we went out, again on foot, to the River Arts District. Filled with nearly 200 art studios and restaurants housed in old warehouses and industrial buildings along the banks of the French Broad River, this area is colorful, whimsical, and downright fun. And, of course, being Asheville, it has a brewery, and an extremely interesting one. Wedge Brewing Company could be the establishment that best encapsulates what is great about Asheville. Its beer is delicious and off-beat. Seating is mostly outdoors. Decorations include a doll’s head in a jar. It just does its own thing. And people love it. Next stop, Rhubarb. Chef John Fleer is an old pal of mine. We met by sharing a bottle of Southern Comfort in a friend’s backyard in Oxford, Mississippi ten years ago, and although we haven’t stayed in touch, the magic of SoCo bonding never fades away. Rhubarb is a big place and the menu is extensive, but it’s comfortable and comforting. The food is Southern, but it’s not shackled to the South – influences include Africa, East Asia, and beyond. It’s a place for a memorable evening and a special dinner, but it also works for a casual meal, perhaps at the counter next to the kitchen. Rhubarb is Asheville. Dress up, dress down – it’s welcoming regardless. After Rhubarb, I’d hit a wall. I needed to go home and sleep. We had been to nine places that Saturday, and my stomach and
Sunday arrived, and I needed coffee. Good coffee. No, great coffee. And we found it back in West Asheville at Waking Life Espresso. Housed in a mustard-colored bungalow, Waking Life is bright and warm and homey. It could double as your grandmother’s place, if your grandmother was an expert barista. I can’t say it’s the best coffee in Asheville, as I only visited two coffee shops, but I can declare it to be the place I’d most want to spend a Sunday morning. But Waking Life is not a breakfast place, and their latte
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ALL SOULS PIZZA
Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Dinner: Tuesday - Sunday, 5 - 10 p.m. 175 Clingman Ave. 828-254-0169 allsoulspizza.com
BISCUIT HEAD
Tuesday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday - Sunday, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. 733 Haywood Rd. 828-333-5145 biscuitheads.com
CHAI PANI
somehow got my stomach thinking about food again. So back we went to north of downtown and a delightful little place, HomeGrown. Super-fresh, amazingly priced, with mismatched chairs, tables, and dishes, HomeGrown was an unqualified superb spot for breakfast. My delicious huevos rancheros were served with a crispy tortilla, and my pal’s over-stuffed breakfast burrito was filled with an obscene amount of chorizo. Throw in a couple cups of coffee, and the bill, including tip, was less than 20 bucks. The weekend was coming to an end, as we only had a lunch remaining on the schedule. So we explored some more. We drove on the bluffs on the other side of the French Broad River, admiring the panoramic view of Asheville. We spent more time in the River Arts District and walking the downtown streets, amazed by some of the spectacular graffiti and street art. Around every corner was a new surprise, a new smile. We picked up some gifts to take home to our families – chocolates at French Broad Chocolate Lounge – before heading over to our final meal: brunch at Cúrate. We weren’t hungry. We were worn out, and we each had a four hour drive ahead of us. But we forgot all of that when we were dazzled by Asheville once again – this time with the cuisine of co-owner and chef Katie Button. She started us off with an exemplary salt cod and potato brandade, followed by a sample of jamón ibérico de bellota. To say that this was a ham plate is laughable. These black Iberian pigs live on a diet of acorns and roam unfettered in pastures. I haven’t had a better piece of pork in my life. Octopus, trout, clams, roasted Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, pork skirt steak. I felt like I was a judge on a television cooking competition; but here, there was but one chef. It was the dishes that were competing for the top prize. Just like I started on Friday night, I found myself laughing at how good this food was. Katie Button is a rock star, and she has two of the state’s best restaurants in this no-longer-sleepy town. It was a great way to end the weekend, with the final tally being two cocktail bars, three breweries, two coffee houses, one doughnut shop, nine restaurants (with one visited twice), and a chocolate shop. Not a bad weekend’s work. And I’m ready to head back. 96 | WALTER
Monday - Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., 5 - 9 p.m. Friday - Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., 5:30 - 10 p.m. Sunday, noon - 3:30 p.m., 5 - 9 p.m. 22 Battery Park Ave. 828-254-4003 chaipaniasheville.com
CÚRATE
Tuesday - Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Friday - Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday, 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Closed Monday 11 Biltmore Ave. 828-239-2946 curatetapasbar.com
FRENCH BROAD CHOCOLATE LOUNGE
Sunday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Friday - Saturday, 11 a.m. - midnight 10 S. Pack Square 828-252-4181 frenchbroadchocolates.com
HIGH FIVE COFFEE BAR
Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday - Sunday, 7:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. 190 Broadway 828-398-0209 highfivecoffee.com
HOMEGROWN
Every day, 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. 371 Merrimon Ave. 828-232-4340 slowfoodrightquick.com
IMPERIAL LIFE
Every day, 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. 48 College St. 828-254-8980 imperialbarasheville.com
KING JAMES PUBLIC HOUSE Sunday, noon - midnight Monday - Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. - midnight Thursday - Saturday, 11:30 - 1 a.m. 94 Charlotte St. 828-252-2412 kingjamespublichouse.com
NIGHTBELL
Tuesday - Thursday, 5 p.m. - midnight Friday - Saturday, 5 p.m. - 1 a.m. Sunday, 5 - 11 p.m. Closed Monday 32 S Lexington Ave. 828-575-0375 thenightbell.com
ONE WORLD BREWING
Every day, 4 p.m. - midnight 10 Patton Ave. 828-785-5580 oneworldbrewing.com
RHUBARB
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Closed Tuesday Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Sunday, 10:30 a.m. - 9:30 pm 7 SW Pack Square 828-785-1503 rhubarbasheville.com
SOVEREIGN REMEDIES
Thursday - Tuesday, 11 - 2 a.m. Wednesday, 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. 29 N. Market St. #105 828-919-9518 sovereignremedies.com
VORTEX DOUGHNUTS Every day, 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. 32 Banks Ave. #106 828-552-3010 vortexdoughnuts.com
WAKING LIFE ESPRESSO Every day, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. 976 Haywood Rd. 828-505-3240 wakinglifeespresso.com
WEDGE BREWING COMPANY Monday - Thursday, 4 - 10 p.m. Friday, 3 - 10 p.m. Saturday - Sunday, noon - 10 p.m. 37 Paynes Way 828-505-2792 www.wedgebrewing.com
WHITE DUCK TACO SHOP Monday - Saturday, 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Closed Sunday 12 Biltmore Ave. 828-232-9191 (downtown location) 1 Roberts St. 828-258-1660 (River Arts District location) whiteducktacoshop.com
WICKED WEED BREWING
Sunday, noon - 11 p.m. Monday - Tuesday, 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Wednesday - Thursday, 11:30 a.m. - midnight Friday - Saturday, 11:30 - 2 a.m. 91 Biltmore Ave. 828-575-9599 wickedweedbrewing.com
Drink
by ANNA LONG WATERING HOLE
The bar at Wicked Weed in Asheville.
Crown, Because When You Need a
photos by Dean McCord
You Deserve One Too!
For your refreshment
Voted Raleigh’s
u
Best Customer Service Award
u
Five Years In a Row!
F
or those who haven’t already packed their bags for Asheville, we thought we’d bring its flavors to you. Mix up a drink imagined in the mountains to create your very own staycation.
KING JAMES PUBLIC HOUSE’S ALARM CALL First, turn on your favorite punk and indie music to get in the right frame of mind. Drinks at King James Public House are named for songs – Autumn Sweater, Flight of Icarus, and Monkey Gone to Heaven, to name a few. With the return of warmer weather, bartenders at King James are mixing up their newest cocktail, Alarm Call, named for Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk’s 1997 single. The song speaks of re-awakening through music: “I want to go on a mountaintop/ With a radio and good batteries/ And play a joyous tune and/ Free the human race/ From suffering.” You may not be able to free the human race from suffering, but you can listen to some joyous tunes while you mix your drink. According to co-owner Peter Slamp, the drink was created for an Iceland-themed Bar Wars competition: “The shrub (a sugar-marinated fruit-herb concoction) is a perfect vehicle – in my opinion – to add acidic zing,” he says. “The vinegar plays off the sweetness of the blueberries and vegetal flavors of the rhubarb. In a word, the drink is refreshing – just what I was looking for with warm weather approaching.”
ALARM CALL 1 1/2 ounces Reyka Vodka 1 ounce rhubarb-rosemary shrub 1/2 ounce Bénédictine 1/2 teaspoon blueberry reduction Fever Tree club soda to taste
To make rhubarb-rosemary shrub: Part 1: Chop 5 pounds fresh rhubarb and mix in a jar or bowl with 2 cups granulated or turbinado sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and let macerate for 2-3 days. Part 2: Mix 1 cup of champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of white balsamic vinegar. Add 7-8 sprigs of rosemary and let sit for one day. Filter out rosemary. Filter juice from rhubarb and add vinegar mix.
To make blueberry reduction: Bring 2 quarts blueberries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water to a simmer. Reduce for 20 minutes, then filter out solids. Add a bit of shrub to help preserve. Combine your ingredients! Fill a shaker with ice. Add Reyka vodka, Bénédictine, rhubarb-rosemary shrub, and blueberry reduction. Shake and double-strain over rocks in a stemless wine glass. Top with soda, then garnish with rosemary sprig and edible flower.
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WORTH the drive
arrive HUNGRY
A
by KAITLYN GOALEN illustrations by EMILY BROOKS
As soon as the weather warms, the wanderlust kicks in. Maybe it’s an evolutionary side effect, something about the biological need to migrate. Maybe it’s just the result of being cooped up all winter. Whatever the reason, when the mercury rises, so does a yearning to cover new ground. A three-week vacation to an exotic locale isn’t always in the cards, but with a car, Google Maps, and a good appetite, a good trip can be no more than a 10-minute drive away. We’ve rounded up five different food-focused itineraries within a short drive of Raleigh, from an afternoon of Indian food to a weekend in one of our coolest burgeoning food cities.
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CARY
12 miles from downtown Raleigh; one afternoon
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aleigh’s best-known exurb is not top-ofmind for most when it comes to planning a day trip. In fact, we know more than a few Raleighites who would scoff at the suggestion. But those willing to stable their high horse will discover that there’s way more to Cary than chain stores, particularly when it comes to food. Those in the know head to East Chatham Street, where a constellation of Indian restaurants and shops cover much of that country’s cuisine, from the biryani of the Hyderabad to the vegetarian buffets of the South. Start at Biryani Maxx Indian Cuisine, a humble canteen of a spot that opened last fall with a menu dedicated to the eponymous Hyderabadi rice dish. Lunchtime brings a packed house of RTP businesspeople and locals, many of whom opt for a thali – the traditional Indian version of a lunch tray – piled high with the lentil dish daal, naan bread, and the house specialty, biryani, a fragrant rice dish studded with vegetables and meat. The goat biryani in particular is rich, aromatic, and delightfully spicy. Then head over to Patel Brothers, a grocery store where you can load up on Indian ingredients. Aisles lined with dozens of types of dry lentils, the clarified butter known as ghee, prepackaged samosa pastries, and more offer plenty of cooking inspiration. For dinner, head to Sri Meenakshi Bhavan, a brand new restaurant that specializes in the veg-
etarian cuisine of South India. Freshly steamed idli (rice and lentil cakes), oversize, paper-thin lentil and rice crepes called dosas filled with spiced potatoes, and coconut-laden cauliflower korma (a typical Southern slow-braised sauce with yogurt) render meat completely unnecessary. Do not leave without ordering the mango lassi, a type of yogurt-based smoothie – simply the best we’ve ever had. Finish your adventure at Mithai House of Indian Desserts, which stocks traditional Bengali sweets. Our suggestion: grab an assorted pack of cardamom-spiced cookie-like treats from the case and take it with you for the drive back.
HILLSBOROUGH
38 miles from downtown Raleigh; one afternoon and evening
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leepy, quaint, and just a short drive from Durham, Hillsborough is home to a thriving community of creatives, which, in turn, has fed a tight-knit food scene. In addition to its status as a destination-worthy dinner spot, the tiny town features an exceptional no-frills wing joint and the best Bloody Mary for miles. You’ll find the latter at La Place Louisiana Cookery, worth the drive for brunch. One of the owners hails from Louisiana, and he pays homage
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to his origins with classics like boudin balls, po’ boys and red beans and rice. Back to that Bloody Mary: customize your own by choosing from three different mixes, plus garnishes that range from a runof-the-mill celery stalk to a house-smoked oyster. But don’t fill up, because you’ll want to sample the chicken wings (plus the holy trinity of fried things: pickles, tots, and fries) at The Wooden Nickel Pub next door. Crisp and fiery hot (if you order them “frickin’ nickel” style, like we did), these wings put the soggy bar snacks of your college years to shame. Work off your morning meals with a stroll along the Riverwalk, nearly 2 miles of trail that winds along the
Eno River. Then stop in at Restaurante Ixtapa, a family-run Mexican spot that makes everything, including their corn tortillas, from scratch. Resist the urge to order everything and settle for a sope (ground beef ) or a lengua (tongue) taco, because you have one last meal ahead of you: Panciuto. Far more ambitious than its location would suggest, Panciuto has some of the best Italianinspired dishes in the area, thanks to chef Aaron Vandemark’s thoughtful approach to hyperlocal ingredients. A fiery squid-ink spaghetti, for instance, is nestled around shrimp meatballs, locally foraged stinging nettles, and is doused in a pork broth; ricotta gnocchi co-mingles with grilled beet tops.
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KINSTON
80 miles from downtown Raleigh; one full day
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s recently as a decade ago, Kinston was the kind of town you’d drive through without even stopping for gum. But thanks to a few culinary-minded pioneers, Kinston has become a cultural capital of eastern North Carolina, drawing regional and national attention. Vivian Howard and Ben Knight are at the epicenter of this change. The New York City-trained chef and her husband own Chef and the Farmer, an upmarket spot that celebrates the local growers with dishes like boiled peanut “risotto,” which is embraced by the smokiness of Benton’s bacon. Vivian has amplified her reach through her TV show, A Chef’s Life, which airs on PBS and spotlights the culinary community that she inhabits. Plan ahead to make a reservation for dinner here; or, if you can’t get a table, head to Vivian’s second project, Boiler Room Oyster Bar. It features exceptionally delicious burgers and steamed, fresh-from-the-coast seafood. But arrive early for a BBQ lunch at Kings Restuar-
ant’s flagship location and try the signature dish, the Pig in a Puppy. This gargantuan special updates the classic pulled pork sandwich by ditching the white bread and stuffing hand-chopped pork barbecue into an oversize hushpuppy. Digest that behemoth with the help of a beer at Mother Earth Brewing, then take a tour of their impressively eco-conscious facilities. Solar panels power the place, while rainwater is collected in a cistern to be reused.
WILMINGTON
133 miles from downtown Raleigh; one weekend
T
he primary draw of this waterfront town is the beach, of course. It’s a fact that has kept Wilmington’s food scene somewhat stagnant, since longstanding seafood shacks with oceanfront views can detract attention away from out-of-date menus (we’re looking at you, over-breaded calamari with cocktail sauce). But the tide might be slowly shifting, with a few new options for exactly the type of beach food we crave: fresh, ingredient-driven, and delicious. Blue Surf Cafe, an all-day spot that opened almost 2 years ago, certainly fits that bill. Think breakfast sandwiches with feta and arugula, spinach salad with roasted tomato vinaigrette, and mojo pork with coconut rice. Then there’s Rx Restaurant and Bar, which has raised the dinner bar with dishes like pan-roasted quail with johnnycakes, or local triggerfish over
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TREASURES
d ew lN O & Beautiful diamonds to celebrate Mom
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d i a m o n d s , e s tat e a n d a n t i q u e j e w e l ry
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loose diamonds of all shapes and sizes
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c e rt i f i e d a p p r a i s a l s e x p e rt j e w e l ry r e pa i r s we buy diamonds, g o l d a n d p l at i n u m
downTown RAlEigh SincE 1949
307 S. wilMingTon STREET 919.832.3461 r e l i a b l e j e w e l r y. c o m
split pea risotto. The chef, James Doss, is an alumnus of Sean Brock’s Husk in Charleston, and his devotion to using pristine ingredients shines through the ever-changing menu. Those who’d prefer to cook their own dinner should head to Seaview Crab Company, a seafood purveyor with multiple locations, slinging crab, fish, and shellfish just hours out of the water. The last time we were there, the coolers were stocked with North Carolina tilefish, monkfish, and royal red shrimp. Don’t pack up your beach chairs without a final cocktail at King Neptune Restaurant. Yes, it’s pirate-themed, and yes, there’s that calamari we railed against, but the drinks are strong and the ambiance reminds you that you’re on a vacation.
GREENVILLE, S.C.
264 miles from downtown Raleigh; one weekend
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his South Carolina city is in the middle of a metamorphosis, stepping out of Charleston’s shadow to find its own cultural footing. The city’s Main Street is a beauty, encompassing a 40-foot waterfall and plenty of high-end boutiques. A spate of new restaurants have opened in the last two years and many more are slated for the next two, making this leafy, pedestrian-friendly place a city to watch. Kick off your day with an expertly rendered cappuccino at the just-opened The Village Grind. The design is as exquisite as the coffee, with blonde wood paneling the walls and deeply colored rugs anchoring a handful of chairs scattered around the room. Passerelle Bistro harnesses the magic of French cooking with a loyally bistro-centric menu. Beautifully composed salads make use of local ingredients, while classic French dishes like cassoulet are given Southern context, swapping white beans for locally available limas. For a postprandial drink, take to the roof at SIP Tasting Room and Rooftop Lounge, an alfresco wine bar that also features pitcher cocktails and beer. Lounge on one of the outdoor couches for excellent people-watching.
And before you head to bed, visit the new late-night taco takeout window, Ventana Magica. Open from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on the weekends, this casual outpost is quickly garnering a following for chile con queso nachos loaded with pickled onions, chipotle-lime sour cream, and cilantro. CARY
Biryani Maxx Indian Cuisine 590 E. Chatham St., #102 919-377-0346 biryanimaxx.com
Mother Earth Brewing 311 N. Herritage St. 252-208-2437 motherearthbrewing.com
Mithai House of Indian Desserts 744 E. Chatham St. 919-469-9651 mithaius.com
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Patel Brothers 802 E. Chatham St. 919-319-5661 patelbros.com Sri Meenakshi Bhavan 590 E. Chatham St., #102 919-463-9130 srimeenakshibhavan.com
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WILMINGTON Blue Surf Cafe 250 Racine Dr., Ste. 1 910-523-5362 bluesurfcafe.com King Neptune Restaurant 11 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach 910-333-6688 kingneptunewb.com Rx Restaurant and Bar 421 Castle St. 910-399-3080 rxwilmington.com
15 foot ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ Before Southern Magnolia
16 foot EmilyAfter Bruner Holly Screen
La Place Louisiana Cookery 111 N. Churton St. 919-245-0041 laplacehillsborough.com
Seaview Crab Company 6458 Carolina Beach Rd. 910-793-0404 seaviewcrabcompany.com
Cooper-Payne Tree Farms and Landscapes specializes in creating private garden retreats with installations of mature trees, shrubs and cold-hardy palms bringing year-round bloom, fragrance and interest to the landscape. Whether your needs are adding privacy screening, shade or color to your garden, consider us to provide the solution.
Panciuto 110 S. Churton St. 919-732-6261 panciuto.com
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A Private Backyard Retreat
GREENVILLE
Restaurante Ixtapa 162 Exchange Park Lane 919-644-6944 ixtapa.homestead.com
Passerelle Bistro 601 S. Main St. 864-509-0142 passerelleinthepark.com
The Wooden Nickel Pub 105 N. Churton St. 919-643-2223 thewnp.com
SIP Tasting Room and Rooftop Lounge 103 N. Main St., Ste. 400 864-552-1916 highstreethospitality.com
HILLSBOROUGH
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Essential ingredient
RELIABLE
by Kaitlyn Goalen
RHUBARB
S
Spring is about hedging expectations. The season promises to redeem us from the cold, frost, and boredom of winter produce with fresh greens, young peas, and asparagus spears. But that promise comes with a caveat: Spring is flaky. Like the friend you have to give a 15-minute head-start because she is notoriously late, spring’s growing season is never a sure bet.
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photographs by JILLIAN CLARK
RHUBARB-POTATO GRATIN WITH TARRAGON & GRUYERE 1½ cups heavy cream
Serves 6 - 8
3 garlic cloves 2 sprigs fresh tarragon 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon Dijon 1 pound rhubarb, cleaned and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled 3 cups grated Gruyere cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 425°. Grease a large, shallow casserole dish and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, garlic, tarragon sprig, honey, and mustard and heat over low heat until warm but not boiling. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Slice the potatoes into very thin rounds (I use a mandolin for this), and fan 1/3 of the slices out in an even layer in the dish. Scatter 1/3 of the rhubarb pieces over the potato layer, and top with 1/3 of the cheese. Sprinkle ½ cup of the cream mixture over the top. Repeat two more times, layering the components and ending with the Gruyere. Transfer to oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
This can be endlessly frustrating for cooks and gardeners, who wait eagerly for spring produce to arrive, only to be thwarted by late frosts and colder-than-average temperatures. Then again, there’s always rhubarb. This brightly-hued stalk is a constant in the otherwise-shifting timeline of spring arrivals, thanks to its proclivity for cold weather. In Raleigh, rhubarb – ranging from flamingo pink to ruby – reliably begins to appear starting in late March and extends through mid May. And yet this dependable vegetable gets the short end of the stalk when it comes to cooking. As a quick Google search will reveal, rhubarb appears almost exclusively in dessert and preserves recipes, despite the fact that it has a bright, acidic flavor which, in my mind, can do backflips around a savory dish. One new cookbook, Root to Leaf by chef Steven Satterfield of Miller Union restaurant in Atlanta, validated my assertion that rhubarb can be used in savory preparations. Satterfield suggests simple roasted rhubarb as a bedfellow to roasted spring chicken or even lamb. In my kitchen, rhubarb’s tangy stems cut through the richness of a cheesy potato gratin, adding a pop of spring color to boot. I’ve also added diced rhubarb to a spring risotto with morels and asparagus, and roasted the stalks to make remoulade for fried shrimp. It’s time to give this spring reliable its due.
Let sit for 10 minutes before serving; garnish the surface with a few tarragon leaves.
MAY 2015 | 105
THROUGH THE LENS
a better A
’BOT
t Dorton Arena one recent afternoon, groups of teenagers wearing kooky matching outfits huddled together, eyes fixed on an obstacle course of sorts – but machines were navigating it, not people. As the teenagers looked on, robots they’d built themselves lifted stacks of massive rubber totes and industrial-sized trash cans off the floor and stacked them onto narrow scoring platforms. They were gathered for the North Carolina Regional robotics competition, one of more than 50 around the world sponsored by FIRST Robotics, a nonprofit created “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” On this day, 55 teams of kids from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were vying for their own robot to win this recycling-themed challenge. FIRST Robotics calls these competitions a “varsity sport for the mind,” since they combine the rivalry of athletics with the technical skills of robotic engineering. Teams often emerge
from area schools including Athens Drive and Green Hope high schools. Most teams have sponsors – IBM, Duke Energy, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers are some – who fund their teams. That pays the cost of supplies, but the kids spend countless hours over six intense weeks building these ’bots from scratch: several hours after school every night, and full weekend days. The time invested makes victory even more sweet. Local fans cheered when a southern Wake County team, the Hitchhikers, emerged as one of three winners at this late March state competition. The Hitchhikers, sponsored by Optimist International, United Therapeutics, Best Buy Children’s Foundation, Duke Energy, ASME, IBM, Gregory Poole, and Athens Drive High School, built their ’bot at the Optimist Club Farm in Apex, and at press time were getting ready to take it to the national finals in St. Louis. photographs by Tim Lytvinenko
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RUSHING TO RECYCLE Opposite: Fans of the HotBotz from Reidsville at the FIRST Robotics 2015 North Carolina Regional robotics competition at Dorton Arena March 20 and 21. Above: Spectators fill Dorton Arena. Right: Members of The Hitchhikers team – Nicholas Losi, Chirag Shankar, and Adam Long – remotely drive their robot in the Recycle Rush challenge.
MAY 2015 | 107
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’BOT BOUT Opposite page, clockwise from top: Announcers call out the teams before each match; Fans for team SPORK from Mooresville; The controls for the Enloe High school RoboEagles team; Alex Settle and Amanda Lugo from the Gadget Girls move their robot on to the competition area. This page, clockwise from top left: Fans of the TerrorBytes from RTP; Aaron Moody of team Scrappy’s Zoo in a tiger suit showing his collected buttons; Chirag Shankar and Nicholas Losi from The Hitchhikers celebrate winning the championship match.
MAY 2015 | 109
Mʸ town
by Lewis Beale
MARCO
ZÁRATE Overcoming barriers,
W
building leaders
When Marco Zárate arrived here from Mexico in 1979 to study for his master’s degree in industrial engineering at N.C. State, he discovered that Hispanic culture in the Triangle was basically nonexistent. No Hispanic markets, no taquerias, no stores selling Mexican soccer T’s. No nothing. Nada. “You can go to any university in the United States and find someone who will speak your language,” says Zárate, “but once I stepped off the campus, to hear somebody on the street or in the stores speaking Spanish, you didn’t see it.”
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photographs by NICK PIRONIO
Things were so bad that when Zárate would go on break to his hometown of Tampico, a large city on the Gulf of Mexico, his mother would load him up with native goodies to take back to North Carolina. Canned hot peppers, the thick cream sauce known as crema Mexicana, Oaxaca and Manchego cheeses. All things he couldn’t find here then. “Even in the early 2000s,” Zárate says, “we were still bringing in some food items from Mexico.” That was then. This is now. This past March, Zárate watched as 800 Hispanic students from around North Carolina crowded into N.C. State’s McKimmon Center to attend the 16th Hispanic Educational Summit. The event was hosted by N.C. State and sponsored by the North Carolina Society of Hispanic Professionals (NCSHP), the group Zárate and his wife Susan, an English as a Second Language teacher in the Wake County Public School System, helped found. These middle and high school kids were in town to spend a day listening to
inspirational speakers, taking workshops on life skills and education planning, and checking out exhibits sponsored by local colleges and universities, the Raleigh Police Department, and businesses like PNC Bank and Univision 40, the local Spanish-language TV channel. “We are a professional organization,” says Zárate of the NCSHP, which boasts nearly 650 members and 1,000 volunteers, “and although most professional organizations focus on the professional development of their members, in our case the education of young people is the main focus. The society has become a kind of platform for people who want to help these kids succeed.” Zárate comes from a solidly middle-class Mexican family. His father worked as an accountant for Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the state-run oil company, and his mother founded a secretarial school that morphed into a middle school. The parents also were heavily involved with the Lion’s Club, helping Tampico’s disadvantaged population. After graduating from N.C. State, Zárate returned to Mexico, where he worked for Pemex as an environmental engineer.
Back to the Tar Heel state
But North Carolina called him back, and in 1991 Zárate returned to the Tar Heel State for good. He found a job with a large consulting company working on environmental compliance regulations across a broad range of industries. Soon enough, Zárate settled down to a comfortable American middle-class life, raising two children – Christian, now in the U.S. Army, and Caroline, a nurse – and relaxing in his spare time by landscaping his property, hitting the beach, and playing tennis. Around the turn of the century, however, he began to notice a significant change in North Carolina demographics. It turned out that the growth spurt in the state’s population had also attracted a lot of Hispanic immigrants – the majority of them Mexican – who gravitated towards the agricultural and construction industries. The Hispanic population of Raleigh has grown by over 138% since the beginning of the millennium, and now makes up over 11% of the city’s overall population. Hispanic restaurants, markets, bakeries, and other commercial outlets are now ubiquitous around the state. There are Spanish-language TV stations, newspapers, and magazines. Spanish-language films play on a regular basis in the theaters. Hispanics now account for nearly 9% of the state’s population, 13% of all K-12 school enrollment, and 15% of school kids in Wake County. This huge influx put a lot of pressure on all sorts of organizations, not least the state’s educational institutions. Most school districts were unprepared to deal with an immigrant population that spoke another language, suffered cultural isolation, and had less parental involvement in the educational process as a result. The fallout was bad enough that in 1999, nearly half of all Hispanic students were dropping out of high school. “I started thinking: What can I do in education?” Zárate says. “And what I was seeing, was that the people in the schools, what they were thinking was that eventually (the Hispanic immigrants) would go back” to their home countries. “But what we started seeing was that they didn’t go back. Initially there
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were a lot of men working without their families, but we started seeing that their families would come up. And the thought was if we don’t focus on the children, we are not going to have the professionals that we want for our state. We’re not going to have the skilled people we need to help our state progress.”
Investing in the future
So Zárate, his wife, and two other couples founded the NCSHP. Their goal was to bring together Hispanic professionals who could mentor local students, and help them along on the road to success. “We offer guidance and consulting to parents about the education of their children,” Zárate says. “We also inform them about educational resources – how to navigate the school system, things like that.” “Marco wants to give high school students all the knowledge he has,” says Rosa Rangel, a member of the NCSHP board and the senior administrator for family and community engagement in the Wake County school system. “He tells them you can still have fun and be a teenager, but still go to school. I think they look up to him as a grandfather, they think of him as el abuelo (the grandfather), they listen more when they see him. He has that respect.” Since its founding, Zárate’s organization has helped over 11,000 Hispanic students through its summits, mentors, and tutors, and has awarded nearly $250,000 in scholarships to 170 college attendees. The NCSHP has a yearly “Stay In School” campaign that raises awareness through Hispanic media, and a bilingual “¡Gradúate!” program that targets high school students. It’s a broad-based educational initiative with a big focus on mentoring. Yessica Vazquez, a Nicaraguan native who attended high school in North Carolina before the NCSHP was established, now heads the group’s Triad chapter. She knows what it was like for a kid with aspirations before the NCSHP came along. “Being an immigrant myself, and my parents, it was hard for them to navigate the schools,” she says. “There is a knowledge about going to college that people who have gone to college, they
»My town know what the requirements are. When I talked to my teachers and guidance counselors, they only came to me with assumptions, that there were things I should know.” The NCSHP is “giving these tools to parents and students.” Juan Fuentes, who grew up in Johnson County, can attest to this. He vividly remembers going to his first summit, and what it meant for him. “I was excited going to my first summit,” he says, “seeing successful mentors that shared similar traditions, culture, and language made me realize that I can be victorious. The motivational effect of the summit is they bring in other success stories. The overall message NCSHP provides to students is to overcome barriers.” Fuentes, who had been interested in journalism, was encouraged by meeting Pamela Silvia Conde, an award-winning journalist for the Spanish-language Univision Network at the summit. He subsequently majored in communications, got a job when he graduated with the Spanish-language newspaper La Conexión, and now works in marketing for Oxford University Press. “It’s important to see a Hispanic person become successful,” he says, “so you can do the same thing.” Marco Zárate can look at his work and see that it is good. But he also emphasizes that despite current controversies over national immigration policy, the NCSHP is about education
and nothing else. Sure, the group supports in-state tuition for undocumented students, and is part of the Adelante (“forward” in Spanish) Coalition, a nonprofit fighting for tuition equality for Latino students. And the NCSHP is also in favor of the DREAM Act, which would provide permanent residency to immigrants who serve in the military or attend college. But ask Zárate to comment on other issues involving immigration and the undocumented, and he becomes visibly uncomfortable, saying only that he hopes the federal government can put together “a comprehensive immigration package.” He doesn’t go into specifics. “This happened a lot when we started, he says. “We were supposed to be an expert on everything, but we decided we just want to talk about education.” And things are certainly looking up. Thanks to increasing cultural awareness on the part of local school systems and the work of groups like the NCSHP, the Hispanic graduation rate in North Carolina is now over 75%, a significant increase in 15 years. It makes Marco Zárate plenty proud to think of all the future wage earners and professionals his group has mentored. “We believe an investment in Hispanic education is an investment in North Carolina,” he says. “We have professional people who believe in productivity, in a skilled workforce. And all those things are going to be better for everybody.”
GIVERS
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF RALEIGH
A
Leading and serving
As a young girl growing up in Lumberton, Selene Brent never heard of the Junior League. But she did get deeply involved in giving back to the community, learning critical lessons about sharing and leadership that have informed her work for the past year as president of the Junior League of Raleigh.
The daughter of a schoolteacher and a barber who had been a firefighter, Brent at 6 started doing missionary work for her church, delivering food to people in need. At 8, she joined the Girl Scouts. At 12, she joined 4-H. And in a community with a population divided about evenly among African Americans, the Lumbee tribe, and whites, she found it natural to get along with people who did not look the same or come from the same background as she did. “I learned a long time ago to accept people of different races and ethnicities, and learned to work together and in envi-
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ronments today that are not so homogeneous,” says Brent, 48. “To me, the Junior League is one of those organizations that reach out to all people and try to make a difference regardless of who they are.”
Celebrating 85 years
The second African-American president of the Raleigh League, Brent has headed the organization during a year in which it celebrated its 85th birthday and conducted its first-ever survey of its members’ diversity. photograph by JILLIAN CLARK
by Todd Cohen The Raleigh League began in March 1927 as the Junior Guild, which enlisted 53 women as members. Three years later, with 87 members, it was accepted into the Association of Junior Leagues. Today, with 1,700 members, it is the 11th largest league among 290 in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and England. Together those members deliver about 50,000 volunteer hours a year. Operating with an annual budget of $1.6 million – most of it from membership dues – the League works to “promote volunteerism, develop the potential of women, and improve communities through the effective action and leadership of volunteers,” Brent says. Since 2000, the League has focused its volunteerism and financial contributions to groups that work to improve the lives of youth. This year, for example, the League is partnering with agencies like SAFEchild, a nonprofit it launched in 1993 to help prevent child abuse and work with families; with the Community Learning Center at Heritage Park, which is a program of Communities in Schools of Wake County; and with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, for which it provides backpack meals for 65 children every week throughout the school year. For the backpack program, League volunteers solicit food from members and the public, stock the backpacks at the League’s headquarters at 711 Hillsborough St., and deliver them to Lacy and Hunter elementary schools. And this spring, first-year provisional members are working on service projects at a handful of agencies, including an after-school mentoring program at the AventWest community in southwest Raleigh, and a national “Kids in the Kitchen” program at the Brentwood Club of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County.
Financial support
With revenue from its Shopping Spree, a holiday market at the Raleigh
Convention Center that features vendors from throughout the U.S., the Junior League nets about $200,000. Of those funds, it provides $15,000 to nonprofits through a competitive grants process, and another $85,000 to support its partner agencies. It uses the remaining funds to support its operations. The League generates another $175,000 a year for operations from the sale of gently used clothing donated to the Bargain Box store it operates in Cameron Village. It also provides $85,000 worth of vouchers to its partner agencies and to school guidance counselors to give to students or parents to shop at the store. And it generates revenue from tenants and groups that use space in its headquarters building.
Looking ahead
Brent has spent the last year working two full-time jobs – as information-technology project manager at Cisco, and as president of the League. She will be succeeded as president on June 1 by Kathryn West, a broker/realtor at Berkshire Hathaway York Simpson Underwood Realty. Brent, who served as community funding captain for Linda Douglas, the League’s first African-American president in 2007-08, has made diversity a special area of focus during her tenure. A first-ever diversity survey in the works will set a baseline for tracking the League’s membership using information such as race, religion, ethnicity, education, work, income, family, and extended family responsibilities. “Today it’s definitely a modern League,” Brent says. “We have people of different ethnic backgrounds, religions, races, cultures. We’re impacting the lives of young people to make them stronger, better citizens, making them prepared to be part of our future. Everybody does this because they love this community and they want to improve it. And they don’t even consider this work.”
Reflections
ON MOTHERS What Miss Ruby taught me
M
by LISA GRELE BARRIE
Most Sunday afternoons after church, the Bullock family gathers at the Oakwood home of its matriarch, Miss Ruby, to share a meal and play some cards. I used to watch with curiosity as their cars and trucks lined up and these folks spilled out in front of Miss Ruby’s house, two doors down from my own. Then one day I found myself in that house, sitting around the table with the family, playing “Horse Thief” and talking trash. 116 | WALTER
Miss Ruby, or “Mema” as she is lovingly called, is a fierce card player. We share my plush tiger cat Asia. She grew up on a farm in Franklin County. She is the mother of two daughters and two sons. She is a great-great-grandmother. She will celebrate her 100th birthday on May 5. My mother was a fierce card player. She adopted my plush tiger cat Willi. She grew up in a small town in Connecticut. She was the mother of two daughters. She was a great-grandmother. And last October, she died at the age of 88. The “meaning” of motherhood has been much on my mind since my mother’s passing. I’ve been contemplating the roles mothers play, the enduring lessons they impart, the love they give. Miss Ruby is my guidepost. There is a magical, effortless quality to the way that Miss Ruby mothers her world. Whether she is carrying her homemade cakes to be sold at the Person Street Pharmacy, or ministering to an ailing friend, or worrying about a family member, her genuine devotion shines through. When you’re with her, life slows down. On her front porch swing, we pet our shared cat and watch the world go by. Miss Ruby’s mother lived to be 104 (and seven months) and was a “tough little woman,” Miss Ruby says, just like Miss Ruby herself. Miss Ruby’s mother taught her the importance of family and faith, the value of hard work, the art of cooking, and the simple joy of living. Miss Ruby often shares stories about the life they led on the farm: picking cotton and tobacco, washing clothes with soap made out of grease and lye, wringing them out to dry, and driving a hoover cart pulled by a mule. And she yearns for those days when life was slower, simpler. When life was more like the uncomplicated love she gives so freely. Universal truths My friend Yvonne speaks of “mother” as a divine feminine power that comes in many forms. “It can be soft and round, or steady and forceful, or tender and squishy, or fiery and scary.” photograph by JULI LEONARD
A mother, she says, is “someone always wanting your best interest to be served, for your utmost highest self to shine, for you to be loved no matter what.” My friend Carly credits her mother for all of the things she loves: writing, reading, eating olives (one by one, off each finger), classical music, cornfields, the smells of the woods, seeking out friends, being fearless (but only in safe situations), collecting leaves in fall and berries in summer, baking apples, reading The New York Times, listening to Paul Simon, and playing in the dirt. My friend Anna cherishes the legacy of her mother as someone who loved her children more than anything but who also valued her independence. Anna’s mother enjoyed a full life after early setbacks with remarkable grace and resilience. Her mother’s appreciation of gardening, volunteering, and traveling lives on in Anna. My friend Glenda sees her mother’s
artistic talents shining brightly in her own two talented, beautiful daughters. When she thinks of what “mother” means to her, she thinks about love, gratitude, and living fully in the present moment, with major doses of dance, song, laughter, and the ability to throw a great party. Glenda recalls how her mother would sit her down and remind her: The only way out is through. This is a quote that resonates deeply in my soul. I believe that it is never too late to accept the gift that is wisdom from our mothers. It is a precious gift that can be received only when our hearts are open wide enough – and it is never too late to accept. My own capacity for love, gratitude, acceptance, and forgiveness has expanded since my mother’s passing, as I have finally considered all that she taught me. And I feel more comfortable and authentic in being a mother to my two sons with a heart that is open wide to imperfect yet pure love and appreciation.
The community that surrounds me – all of these daughters, all of these mothers – has inspired me to honor all that I am as precious gifts from my own mother. My appreciation for beauty and order, animals and flowers, books and grammar, fashion and wine, community service and hospitality; and for always allowing myself a good cry. She taught me that and more. The community that surrounds me has also taught me to learn from mothers not my own, and to redefine what “mother” means to me. On May 5, the Bullock clan will gather to celebrate 100 years of one remarkable, enduring mother. On May 10, we will all pay tribute to mothers everywhere. On that day I will light one candle to honor the life of my mother and another one for Mema: who moves with such simplicity and grace, and is an inspiration and role model to so many.
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just one
Plant
Attention
GETTER
W by TONY AVENT
WHO DOESN’T KNOW SCHEFFLERAS? WHETHER YOU’VE ABUSED THEM as houseplants or strolled underneath them at your favorite Florida theme park, most of us have had a personal experience with scheffleras. Scheffleras are members of the aralia family, a large plant family that includes members on several continents, in both tree and perennial forms. Aralia family members include the houseplant false aralia, the herb ginseng, and its best-known cousin, English ivy. I’m always curious to find and try relatives of plants I already know and grow, so back in the early 1990s, I set my sights on scheffleras. Most of the scheffleras I knew were from my houseplant days; the tree-form Schefflera actinophylla and the dwarf Schefflera arboricola. illustration by IPPY PATTERSON
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As I began to research the genus, I discovered that most schefflera species were completely unknown in cultivation, despite many being native to moderate to high elevations in Asia. At the time, only a couple of the 38 Chinese native species existed in Western cultivation. In the years since my schefflera infatuation began, I’ve made several trips to Asia in search of new scheffleras, while other plant explorer friends have done the same. Finally, in 2003, I was able to acquire my first new schefflera, Schefflera delavayi. This 25-foot tree hails from elevations as high as 9,000 feet in the mountains of South Central China, and word of its winter hardiness was already the stuff of legends in plant geek circles. In the years since, I’ve acquired twelve other schefflera species, all of which, I’m sad to say, made great compost. I learned that scheffleras from low elevations die in our winters, while scheffleras from high elevations die in our summers. So I marveled in 2008 when I first saw the stunning Schefflera taiwaniana in the mountains of Taiwan – only to later discover that it has no tolerance for temperatures above 90 degrees. This would become a theme I’d see repeated over and over again, as I checked each schef> continued on p. 128
Verse
by Gibbons Ruark
Visiting Nannie at Mayview The door swings to behind me and I smell, Among thick vapors from the hidden bedpan, The roses and the rubbing alcohol. You lie propped up on a pillow. The fan Whirrs slowly as you blink your eyes and stare At my wife and daughter. Surely you can Recognize me, it was only last year . . . You want to hold the baby, hold her as You held me, held my father, but now your Limbs are wasted and you shudder when we ease Her onto your lap. When you start to sing The room dissolves in my wavering eyes To the room on Jarvis Street where you bring Vanilla cookies till I’m fast asleep. Morning comes and I listen as you ring Up the drugstore for a gallon of deep Chocolate ice cream and a quart of milk. In the afternoon we loll on the steep Back yard and watch the tennis match, or walk St. Mary’s Street to catch the downtown bus. When you start singing I don’t want to talk . . . What is it you’re singing? You stare at us. Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide Myself in Thee. Let the . . . Your chin drops as You sink to sleep. The nurse leads us outside Into the daylight and uneasy laughter. Dear Nannie, I leave you drying in your bed Like a bent straw fallen out of water, Driving east through Raleigh with my strange wife Holding in her arms my stranger daughter.
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To mark its 10th year as one of the south’s top destinations for high fashion, Vermillion owner Ashley Harris tapped 10 of the boutique’s top designers to create an exclusive collection in shades of vermillion red. The designs were featured at a March 14 event at the historic Merrimon-Wynne House, alongside catering from chef Ashley Christensen, jazz, and decorative vermillion florals — all enjoyed by 250 guests.
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Decorating Your Home
Your Style,Your Way and within Your Budget Fabrics, Trims, Furniture, Bedding, Window Treatments, Rugs, Accessories, Outdoor Furniture and a staff of talented designers to help make decorating your home easy. Pine Cone Hill I Dash & Albert I Matouk Company C I Brown Jordan
Mary Beth Paulson, Brinker Higgins (designer, BK Jewelry), Pam Mullaney (owner, dress)
BELLIZA KNIGHT AT DRESS
The Raleigh designer resale boutique dress welcomed 100 guests March 12 to a trunk show introducing Belliza Knight Jewelry to its collection. The handcrafted, vintage-inspired accessories designed by Brinker Higgins will be carried exclusively at dress.
One Block off Hwy. 70 5910 Duraleigh Road I 919.781.1777 M-F 10-6 I Sat 10-5 I printers-alley.com
Brinker Higgins, Nikki Richardson
Denise Walker, Martha Heath
SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% ON ALL WHITE ORDERS. HURRY MUST SIGN BY 5/31/15 TO SAVE AN ADDITIONAL 10%.
Brinker Higgins, dress staff
40% OFF Plus Free Installation
40% off any order $1500 or more, 10% off any order $700 or more. Not valid with any other offer. Free installation with any complete order of $500 or more. With incoming order, at time of purchase only. Expires 5/31/15.
Hannah Ueland, Abigail Ueland, Amy Buckthal
Gabie Craig
919-850-9030
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Leslie Young, Selene Brent
A Perfect Fit for All Ages
Shericca Morris, Linda Brown Douglas
Koren Townend
JUNIOR LEAGUE FASHION FORWARD
The Junior League of Raleigh partnered with Belk Crabtree to present the 4th annual Fashion Forward event March 8 for a crowd of 400 people. The night of fun and fashion raised $18,000 for area nonprofits, including the Brentwood Boys & Girls Club, AventWest Children’s Mentoring, and the Heritage Park Community Learning Center.
Kathryn West, Kate Weston
Erin Nenni, Stephen Donald
Chef Michael Rigot, guests
RYE OPENING
Rye Bar and Southern Kitchen hosted 150 food lovers at its opening celebration March 19. The newest addition to Fayetteville Street, Rye offers a refined take on traditional Southern cuisine using local ingredients.
party guests
Jonya
SUBMISSIONS FOR
THE WHIRL
To submit your party for consideration, please complete the form at waltermagazine.com/submit-photos.
919-787-9073 Cameron Village Shopping Center • 437 Daniels St., Raleigh, NC 27605
ctweekendsforwomen.com
C.T. WEEKENDS FASHION SHOW
Judi Adams
Dennis Mayfield, Lochie Overbey
Laura Lawton
Celeste Parker, Lee Parker, Jerre Parker
Laura Lawton, Judi Adams, Judy Smith
J1s Photography
Debra DeCamillis, Debra Derr, Elizabeth Beam, Cindy McEnery
Raleigh clothing boutique C.T. Weekends hosted 50 guests for a spring fashion show in support of Community Music School. The school provides professionally taught, one-on-one music lessons and ensemble opportunities to children from low-income families for just $1 per lesson.
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Visit us in Cary at the beautiful Waverly Place Shopping Center (upper level) • 316 Colonnades Way, Cary, NC. Just minutes from Raleigh and less than a mile from the interchange of US 1 and US 64. Mon. - Sat. 10 - 6 • Sun. 12 - 5
www.whiskcarolina.com • 919.322.2458
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Nina O'Neal, Ed Smallwood
CASINO NIGHT
Ann Bennett, Boyd Bennett
Sue Lewis, Rich Lewis
photo credit
Gene Hirsch
The Rotary Club of North Raleigh held its first charity casino night at the University Club at N.C. State March 28. Games of chance, a silent auction, and an Elvis impersonator entertained more than 140 guests. The event raised money for Rotary projects including scholarships for high school seniors, Triangle Literacy Council, Raleigh Rescue Mission, the Food Pantry, and others.
Scott Tarkenton, Betty Tarkenton, entertainer
The Woods Fine Jewelry - and Figue Trunk Shows May 6 - May 7
MARCH OF THE BRIDES
Diamonds Direct Crabtree celebrated its second annual March of the Brides competition March 28 with 40 brides competing for prizes from Diamonds Direct, Eschelon Experiences, Three Little Birds Studio, Edible Art, The English Garden, and more. Despite chilly weather, the brides arrived with family, friends and fiancĂŠes to test their luck at a bouquet toss, seating scramble, photo hunt, wedding planner dash, hairdo hustle, and a cupcake eating contest.
Three Little Birds Studio LLC
Heather Ridlon, Heather Gladden
Braydan Blankenship, Brooklyn Cole, Caryn Biglow, Ashley Holland, Draia Mckinney
raleigh Mariana Danie
9 1 9 .7 8 7. 9 7 8 0
www.vermillionstyle.com
»Just one PLANT
continued from p. 118
flera off my “been there, killed that” list. But one escaped that group. My first acquisition, Schefflera delavayi, still thrives in our garden after 12 years, including some brutal summers and cold, icy winters. Our original plant is now 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide, so not exactly a fast-growing shade tree. Instead, I like to think of Schefflera delavayi as an attentiongetting evergreen specimen. We’ve grown Schefflera delavayi in both sun and shade; and while it thrives in both, we see some foliar burn after cold winters, like this recent one, where temperatures dropped into the single digits. In shadier conditions, it showed no leaf damage. We’ve also grown it in both wet and dry soils, and it’s handled both with grace. Not only is the foliage of Schefflera delavayi great, but in mid-October, the plants are topped with huge, terminal flower panicles, or branching clusters. Each 2-foot by 18-inch panicle is made up of hundreds of small white flowers – quite a sight as the fall season winds down. As they are making their way into more garden centers, I hope you’ll consider adding one of these unique evergreen trees to your garden.
&
»Now then
continued from p. 83
these men? This was the second day Lange spent at the store, and that probably explains how at ease everyone appears. As White and I were about to wrap things up, the couple living in the tidy little ranch house next door came over to chat. After informing us that they owned the store, they asked if we’d like to go inside. Used for storage, it had been largely stripped of its personality, though vestiges of old wallpaper were still visible here and there. An old broom leaned beside a ladder to the attic. At the back of the store, an attached outhouse still stood. We took a few more photos, thanked them and headed for the car. “Just a moment!” the woman called out. “Would y’all like some garden-fresh broccoli to take back?” Wouldn’t you know, I left mine in White’s car on our return drive. I hope he enjoyed it. For those interested in Dorothea Lange’s work, there are many books of her work in print, as well as a documentary on her life available at PBS.org. Highresolution versions of her images can be obtained from the National Archives and Records Administration at archives.gov.
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primland.com • 866.960.7746 Ask about seasonal specials, including our Summer Savor which includes all meals.
»Travel reflections
continued from p. 87
afford this.” Talk about judging a man by his van! Five hours and SIX HUNDRED dollars later, the van was as clean as they day we bought it! And stayed that way for over three weeks. We have talked about getting a new car when the van hits 200,000 miles (by our calculations, January of 2016) and I’m sure Charles was still thinking about this timeframe when he recently took me for a test drive. For a new car. On my birthday. We drove a spanking new Toyota Highlander around town while the saleslady listed the luxury features and the girls caressed the leather seats. And I have to say that the ride was every bit as smooth as the old T&C’s. But not noticeably more so. Charles asked me, “Do you like it? Do you want it?” I said, “Sure!” And he said, “So…this time next year?” And even while I watched the saleslady visibly deflate, I remember thinking not that I was horribly disappointed, but that I couldn’t wait to tell story of “How my husband took me for a test drive on my birthday but did not actually buy me a car” at every single dinner party we attend. And I have! The minivan years are almost over for me. I have two girls who can open car doors for themselves. But the closer we get to New Car Day, the more reluctant and ambivalent I feel. To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, something will be gained, but something lost, in driving every day. I will miss having the ugliest car in the carpool line. I will miss the perverse pleasure I get when I have it valet parked. I will miss my bumper sticker collection. I will miss having other people confess to me that my van makes them feel better about themselves. (Um… you’re welcome.) And the neighborhood kids are still fans of my minivan! The other day I was driving soccer carpool and passing a package of softbatch cookies to the middle row. My friend’s first-grader, cradling seven chocolate-chip cookies in his lap, captain’s chair tilted waaaaay back, let out a long sigh like a famous rap artist finally crawling into the limo after a late-night concert. “Ahhhh…” he said. “This is the good life!”
RALEIGH’S Coming in
JUNE/JULY The need for speed People with purpose Finding love Al fresco dining When Dad is Boss
Padma’s Plantation Shades, Shutters, & Blinds • Draperies & Valances • Wallcoverings & Floorcoverings Custom Bedding & Pillows • Furniture & Accessories • Kitchen & Bath Design
A trek in time
The only decorating source you’ll ever need. 5850 Fayetteville Rd. Suite 104 | Durham, NC 27713 | 919-806-3638 sewfine2.com
first row: Aaron Finley, Rachel Simpson, Bryan Rierson; second row: Rachel Simpson, Anna Stokes, Christopher Mahan; third row: Joselle Torres, Colen Hudson, Sadie Lang.
seen in RALEIGH
OAKS AND SPOKES The News & Observer staff photographer and frequent Walter contributor Travis Long alerted us to the "Slow Roll Photo Scroll," an event held in early March and sponsored by New Belgium and Tasty Beverage Co. to benefit Oaks & Spokes, a collectively led nonprofit organization that seeks to promote and sustain cycling culture in Raleigh. The photo scavenger hunt and fundraiser showcased images posted to Instagram by roving bicycle teams. Long selected some of his favorites for us to feature here. For more information, oaksandspokes.com.
130 | WALTER
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4401 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC, 27612 • 919-571-2881 www.Diamonds-Direct.com CHARLOTTE • RALEIGH • BIRMINGHAM • RICHMOND • AUSTIN
WALTER
Jennifer Age – 38 Runs 25 Miles a Week – Job stress, four kids and the importance of a fast getaway Problem – Stress fracture What We Offer – Advanced diagnostics – Physical therapy – Progressive treatments – In- and outpatient surgery – Minimally invasive procedures – Sports medicine and injury prevention – Urgent care and emergency departments – Fellowship-trained specialists • Knee and hip • Hands and wrist • Back, neck and spine • Foot and ankle • Shoulders and elbows • Traumatic injuries
MAY 2015
What We Did – Rest and physical therapy Outcome
Back On The Road Orthopaedics Four Convenient Surgery Locations: Raleigh Campus | Cary Hospital | North Healthplex | Capital City Surgery Center
ortho.wakemed.org