QC Exclusive - No. 36- 2016 Issue 8 - The Holiday Issue

The Quintessential Charlotte Magazine

Vol. 5 | No. 8

The Holiday Issue

NEW Traditions Carolina winter towns, reinvigorating holiday decor, a grandiose feast, and a practice of giving that never gets old make for a happy holidays indeed.

HOLIDAY 2016

The Plaid Penguin and Clean Catch’s King Crab Cioppino p. 166

Feast of

Seven Fishes Squid ink fettuccine, grilled lobster chowder, pine-smoked oysters: The most magnificent of Italian holiday traditions undergoes a modern reinvention, and we’re left wondering why we ever settled for ham and fixins’.

East Fork Pottery / Holiday Gift Guide / Dalla Mano / Jamie Lynch On Top Chef / The Nutcracker / Global Jerald Melberg / Ashley B. Boyd / KBN’s Holiday Decor / Hunt Slonem / Bechtler Young Visionaries / Hex

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The exclusives

HOLIDAY 2016 NEW TR ADITIONS

144

East Fork Pottery Alex Matisse’s work embraces form and function

154

Giving Back Charlotte charities to support this holiday season

158

Winter Destinations The Carolina towns you have to visit this winter

162

Holiday Gift Guide Shop locally this season for the gifts they’ll love

166

Feast of Seven Fishes Experience the authentic Italian holiday tradition

The King Crab Cioppino featured in Clean Catch’s Feast of Seven Fishes.

Photographed by LunahZon. Styled by The Plaid Penguin. Cover photo by LunahZon.

The DEPARTMENTs

HOLIDAY 2016 NEW TRADITIONS

144

92 The CULTURE Hunt Slonem • 50 The New Nutcracker • 56 Passion For Creativity • 58 From The Hand • 62 Bechtler Young Visionaries • 66

The SPREAD Global • 70 Paying Tribute • 76 Hex • 80 Chef Jamie Lynch • 84 Stoke’s Pork Shank • 90 Boyd’s Panna Cotta • 92

56

126

138

The FOLIO KBN’s Halls, Decked • 94 Old Soul, New Spirit • 100 Curated • 106 Saving Space • 108 The Reading Room • 112 Style + Function • 116 A Chiott Home • 120

The Explored

140

Bohemian • 126 Bull City • 134 Cataloochee • 138 Destination Maine • 140

Note • 18 | Eventist • 29 | Exclusives • 144 | Index • 178 | Stockists • 178

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80 116

The NOTE

QC Exclusive’s JP Grice and Brett Barter walk to their office at The Foundry.

NEW TRADITIONS We had a great time putting this issue together. It was actually over 365 days in the making. About this time last year we sat down with our friends at The Plaid Penguin to discuss an idea. We wanted to swap the typical southern holiday fare for something different. Twelve months later our idea came to fruition. With the help of Clean Catch’s chef Charlie Reid we took the authentic Italian celebration, Feast of the Seven Fishes, for a spin. And like most everything we do around here at The Foundry, we may have gone a bit overboard. We replaced classic fish and pasta dishes with our own amped up King Crab cioppino, pine-smoked oysters, squid ink fettuccine, salt-baked branzino, grilled lobster chowder, and bavette and tiger prawns — an inventive upheaval of blasphemous proportions, but one that had a delicious outcome.

Just weeks ago, in early November, we gathered around the table with friends to enjoy our new menu and to start this new holiday tradition. And now we share it with you.

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See the seven beautiful dishes (and a bonus or two) from this grandiose feast in The Exclusives starting on page 166. Also, find these delicious recipes on our brand new, reimagined website, qcexclusive.com, along with all of our archives and new weekly content.

Sticking with the theme of this issue, you’ll also be able to read about Charlotte Ballet’s reinvention of The Nutcracker, the new spirit at South End’s Cowbridge, Hex’s inventive way of drinking espresso, decor that reinvigorates the home, and a renewed Global restaurant in Pineville. Our Exclusives also include a travel plan that embraces winter rather than fleeing it, a can’t miss essay on East Fork Pottery’s Alex Matisse — an artisan reshaping Carolina heritage, our annual gift guide, and a practice of giving that never gets old. These new traditions will make for some happy holidays indeed.

Best wishes, Jon-Paul Grice, Editor | Brett Barter, Publisher

EST. 2011

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EST. 2011

rare gift for the season

our team PUBLISHERS Brett Barter Jon-Paul Grice SALES Kathleen Hands Fern Howerin EDITORIAL Sunny Hubler Corey Miller

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Brooks Corderius Allen Shelavon Bradley Margo Jacobs Jordan Lax Brianna Melanson Eleanor Merrell Laura Shinn CREATIVE Stephen Philpott PHOTOGRAPHY Jamey Price PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Collier Emily Dnistran Thien La Lunahzon Emby Taylor Joe Purvis

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Contact Us FEEDBACK We welcome your feedback — both positive and negative — and believe it is very valuable in our constant pursuit to be better as a publication. We encourage all of our readers to contact us with any critiques, compliments, or questions by email at info@qcexclusive.com.

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E X PA N D A B L E DIAMOND RINGS

The TALENT JAMEY PRICE

SARAH AND BEN COLLIER

Jamey Price is a Charlotte native professional motorsport

This husband and wife team

photographer who has been

photographs weddings and

published by Autosport, Road &

editorials with a love for

Track, MAXIM, ESPN and Sports

timeless, artful photography

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life. Visit them online at www.takenbysarah.com

COREY MILLER

SUNNY HUBLER

A graduate of Appalachian

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film and literature snob, Corey

She is a writer, researcher, and

Miller left a sizable chunk of his

adjunct professor. Her latest

soul in Berlin. He’s just here for

work looks at environmental

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EMILY DNISTRAN A graduate of East Carolina

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H O LI DAY 2 01 6

The eventist NUTCRACKER • 29 | MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS • 30 | STOMP • 34

12/3/16 - 12/23/16 - Witness The Nutcracker as you’ve never seen it! Thanks to a generous gift from the McColl family in honor of Jane Spratt McColl, choreographer Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux is collaborating with a world-renowned design team to reimagine The Nutcracker production with all new sets and costumes. Complete with live music from the Charlotte Symphony, your holidays are made even more special with the magic of Nutcracker. www.charlotteballet.org

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE BALLET

| AVETT BROS. • 48

The NUTCRACKER

TOSCO PARTY • 40 | BELK BOWL • 46

HOLIDAY 2016 EDITOR’S PICK

The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

HOLIDAY 2016 EDITOR’S PICKS

MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

BYV HOliday party

HEARTEST YARD INITIATIVE

12/9/16 - 12/11/16 - Join the Charlotte Symphony for an all new Magic of Christmas conducted by AlbertGeorge Schram and featuring a special appearance by Santa Claus.

This festive celebration features holiday favorites such as “Sleigh Ride,” “Jingle Bells,” “We Need A Little Christmas,” plus rousing sing-alongs. www.charlottesymphony.org

12/15/16 - You’re invited to the 4th annual holiday party hosted by the Bechtler Young Visionaries (B.Y.V.).

Join the B.Y.V. for a festive evening and celebrate the museum’s exhibition, All That Sparkles...20th Century Artists’ Jewelry. Guests will enjoy libations, music, dancing, hors d’ouvres, and a silent auction. www.bechtler.org

12/13/16 - Find the perfect gift for your significant other while you enjoy a beer, browse unique collections by top emerging brands, and test drive luxury cars.

Brandshop will be held at 340 E. 16th Street in Charlotte and 100% of the proceeds will benefit the HEARTest Yard Inititiative. www.thebrandshop.co

Holly And Tinsel

not your grandmother’s “sip & paint” class. The paint just might be flying. Plan to dress for a mess, and bring your own beer or wine.

Registration includes admission to the special exhibition, art materials, and instruction. www.mintmuseum.org

Adorn

12/1/16 - 12/18/16 - The Flats & Sharps are on their way to a Christmas Eve concert when they stop in a diner to wait out a snow storm. Ellie, the crusty waitress, and Will, the all-too wise cook, along with a few other guests, help them rediscover the meaning of Christmas. Holly and Tinsel is a musical celebration of the Christmas spirit and a world premiere of a new work written exclusively for DCP audiences. davidsoncommunityplayers.org Abex Painting Party

12/1/16 - It’s party time in the art studio. Go on an after-hours tour of the Women of Abstract Expressionism exhibit, enjoy an adult beverage with a friend, and join a local artist to create your own abstract action painting. This is

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Chef Alyssa’s Cocktail Party

12/2/16 - This is the third annual rendition of this class for Chef Alyssa. This year’s class will feature a very delicious menu. For the first course, students will learn how to create caramelized onion, mushroom, and goat cheese tartlets. Next up, Chef Alyssa teaches students how to prepare duck confit crispy spring rolls. Then ricotta and butternut squash toast and goat cheese cheesecake trufflles complete the course. www.chefalyssaskitchen.com

12/2/16 - McColl Center for Art + Innovation’s annual juried contemporary jewelry show and sale features unique wearable jewelry art from national and international artists. The show is curated and juried by alumna Artist-in-Residence Eliana Arenas and McColl Center’s Manage of Residencies + Exhibitions Claudia Griffin. This special evening features artwork from over 35 artists making this a can’t-miss event and one of our comunity’s preeminent craft and jewelry markets. www.mccollcenter.org Mint to Move

12/2/16 - Enjoy Afro-Cuban and Latin-American dance rhythms with a DJ and live musicians to celebrate multi-cultures, ethnic and gender diversity, dance, visual, and perform-

PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY

The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

ing arts. Guests can salsa, bachata, merengue, cha cha, line dance, and step to other dance forms relative to various global communities as well as enjoy visual art (including live painting) by local artists. www.mintmuseum.org Weihnachtsmarkt

12/2/16 - 12/17/16 - The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery’s 7th Annual Weihnachtsmarkt returns to the Biergarten this December.

Weihnachtsmarkt is our version of a traditional, German-inspired Christmas Market with open air booths selling gifts and baked goods from local Charlotte vendors. Their winter seasonal beers — Dunkel, Bauern Bock, and Yule Bock — will all be on tap, along

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with their homemade Glühwein: a delicious, spiced red wine served hot and fresh. www.oldemeckbrew.com

delivers an unparalleled magic and hypnosis experience guaranteed to leave even the most discerning audiences astonished. www.blumenthalarts.org

Magic & Mystery

12/2/16 - World-class astonishment artist Mat LaVore presents his unique mystery entertainment show Magic & Mystery. Witness LaVore swallow needles, hypnotize audience members to forget their own names, subliminally implant information into someone’s mind, figure out the name of a person someone is just thinking about, and even predict the lottery — all under impossible test conditions. From all too real mind reading, to impossible physical and mental stunts, to mystifying hypnosis demonstrations, Magic & Mystery

Cookies And Cocoa

12/3/16 - On Saturday bring the family and friends to Metropolitan for a free photo with Santa. Complimentary cookies and hot chocolate will be available for all guests, and Mister Twister will be making festive balloon creations. www.metmidtown.com Destination Christmas

12/3/16 - The Charlotte Chorale is proud to present Destination…

Christmas at McGlohon Theater.

This musical journey begins at

The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

7:30 PM in Bethlehem where the choir will perform “Mary Did You Know,� “Angels We Have Heard on High,� “Joy to the World,� and many other sacred Christmas favorites. The audience will then travel to Hawaii where they will hear the popular tropical Christmas song “Mele Kalikimaka.� The holiday road trip continues to Destination Main Street where the Chorale will perform holiday gems like “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas� from Home Alone 2. Finally, the musical journey reaches its final destination: home. Here the audience will be dazzled with songs including “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,� “Home For the Holidays,� and many more. www.blumenthalarts.org

THE Nutcracker

12/3/16 - 12/23/16 - Witness Nutcracker as you’ve never seen it! Thanks to a generous gift from the McColl family in honor of Jane Spratt McColl, Choreographer JeanPierre Bonnefoux is collaborating with a world-renowned design team to re-imagine his Nutcracker production with all new sets and costumes. Complete with live music from the Charlotte Symphony, your holidays are made even more special with the magic of Nutcracker. www.charlotteballet.org Holiday Stomp

12/5/16 - Capping off a year that’s seen the Sardines play to sold-out venues throughout the U.S., New York’s hot-jazz darlings get into the

big, brass-filled spirit of the holiday season. For the Holiday Stomp, the Sardines infuse Yuletide classics with their unique twist on New York, Paris, and New Orleans jazz from the era of Prohibition and beyond. Enjoy beloved holiday songs like “White Christmasâ€? and “Please Come Home For Christmas,â€? as well as lesser-known gems like Edith Piaf’s “Le NoĂŤl de La Rue,â€? Ella Fitzgerald’s “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney,â€? and even “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairyâ€? — with plenty of surprises along the way. www.blumenthalarts.org Jazz Room Holiday Edition

12/6/16 - Join the Preservation Hall All-Stars as they perform popular

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The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

holiday favorites with a traditional New Orleans jazz twist. Enjoy a pre-reception at the Blumenthal Booth Playhouse for complimentary hors d’oeuvres followed by the main concert event, as they raise funds for Jazz Arts Initiative’s Jazz Academy and Performance programs. The Booth Playhouse is part of Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, at the corner of 5th and College in uptown Charlotte. www.blumenthalarts.org Connecting Families Through Music

12/6/16 - Connecting Families Through Music is a community concert aimed at bringing together students, teachers, parents, the Charlotte Symphony, and the com-

36 • qcexclusive.com • HOLIDAY 2016

munity at large through student performances. Friends, family, and the public are invited to attend three annual performances that feature the Winterfield Youth Orchestra students as well as Charlotte Symphony musicians and special guest artists. www.charlottesymphony.org Sketching In The Galleries

12/7/16 - Experience abstract expressionist works of art in this special exhibition through sketching. Learn methods and strategies to sketch and interpret pieces of art. www.mintmuseum.org Candlelight Holiday Party

12/7/16 - Wing Haven Gardens hosts its traditional holiday cel-

ebration at the Clarkson home for all of their sponsor-level members. www.winghavengardens.org Mark O’Connor: An Appalachian Christmas

12/7/16 - O’Connor says, “Appalachia is the original melting pot of our country featuring more diverse styles of American music than just about anywhere.” This theme makes for a trilogy of his “Appalachia” recordings now, “Appalachia Waltz,” “Appalachian Journey,” and “An Appalachian Christmas.” His album features 11 Christmas tracks, as well as several Appalachianthemed songs about a beloved hunting dog, passing a fiddle down through the generations, and offering a new version of the “Appalachia Waltz” itself. www.blumenthalarts.org

The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

Robert Hobbs

Magic Of Christmas

12/8/16 - Rhoda Thalhimer Endowed Chair of American Art at Virginia Commonwealth University Robert Hobbs examines the work of Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Joan Mitchell in an engaging lecture. www.mintmuseum.org

12/9/16 - 12/11/16 - Join the Charlotte Symphony for an all new Magic of Christmas conducted by Albert-George Schram and featuring a special appearance by Santa Claus. This festive celebration features holiday favorites such as “Sleigh Ride,” “Jingle Bells,” “We Need A Little Christmas,” plus rousing sing-alongs and more. www.charlottesymphony.org

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

12/8/16 - The Trans-Siberian Orchestra comes to Charlotte for their Winter 2016 tour. The show will feature the group’s beloved stories performed in its own renowned audio and visual manner. In its Platinum anniversary year, the TransSiberian Orchestra is bringing back its treasured tale, “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” to Charlotte. www.trans-siberian.com

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perfect family event for the upcoming holiday season. www.blumenthalarts.org Holiday Trees For Wildlife

12/10/16 - Celebrate the season in true Clarkson tradition by creating edible ornaments for wildlife, crafting ornaments with “treasures” found on a garden walk. www.winghavengardens.org Night Of The Seven Fish

Clara’s Trip: A Cirque & Dance Nutcracker

12/9/16 - 12/11/16 - Clara LeBlanc trips at a holiday party and is whisked off to the hospital to learn that her ankle is broken. That night her friends and get-well gifts swirl in her dreams. This show is the

12/10/16 - Upstream presents a special holiday cooking class. Night of the Seven Fish is an Italian Christmas Eve feast featuring 7 seafood dishes. Guests will learn to prepare this amazing meal and can incorporate it into their own traditions. www.harpersgroup.com

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The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

Tosco Music Holiday Party

12/10/16 - Celebrate the season with a Saturday night of great music and song. The party is returning to the intimate McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square for the first Tosco Music Holiday Party.

As with all of their music parties, the evening will feature more than a dozen performers and plenty of singalongs. Enjoy your favorite holiday classics, traditional Christmas carols, as well as songs of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. www.blumenthalarts.org The 62nd Annual Singing Christmas Tree

12/10/16 - 12/11/16 - Carolina Voices presents a winter wonderland of holiday entertainment at The 62nd Annual Singing Christmas Tree. The sounds of the season will fill the Knight Theater as the soaring voices of MainStage Choir perform all your favorite Christmas music — from inspirational and sacred to the traditional pop and family classics. www.blumenthalarts.org BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

12/10/16 - 12/11/16 - Join the cast and crew of JSTAGE as they perform Disney’s Beauty and the Beast live. In this live-action re-imagining of the fairy tale, a young woman takes her father’s place as prisoner in a beast’s castle, only to fall in love with her beastly captor who turns out to be a prince. www.charlottejcc.org A Skylark Christmas

12/13/16 - To celebrate the season, the Atlanta-based Skylark Vocal Ensemble — a group of “soloists who come together to form a dynamic and inspiring whole” — returns to rattle the walls of the Bechtler with their glorious voices. Join Skylark for its annual journey through select excerpts of the Christmas story from the King James Bible, enhanced and celebrated through timeless carols. As a connecting thread throughout their performance, Skylark will share all seven of Hugo Distler’s variations of the classic Christmas hymn “Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen” (“Lo, How a Rose ‘ere Blooming”). The program will end with a festive offering of classic Christmas Carols by American composer Alfred Burt. www.bechtler.org

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The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

THE BIRTH

12/14/16 - 12/17/16 - Charlotte’s very own original Christmas experience, The Birth, enters its 11th season this December. The Birth once more hopes to prove itself the best-kept holiday secret in Charlotte, and will culminate in the audience favorite Celebration Night, featuring a reception and concert of Christmas favorites. This twice-nominated Theater Event of the Year has been called “marvelous” and “Christmas magic at its finest...intimate and special, very moving.” The Birth is a collection of dramatic performance, dance and live music designed to bring the Christmas story to life in a way you’ve never seen. This performance will take place at Duke Energy Theater at Spirit Square and is presented by Starving Artist Productions. www.blumenthalarts.org JIM BRICKMAN

12/14/16 - Piano sensation Jim Brickman brings you the songs and sounds of the season in Comfort & Joy, the 2016 Holiday tour. Hailed by the Boston Herald as a “crowd-pleaser,” Brickman celebrates his 20-year Christmas concert tradition with new music, along with holiday classics and modern favorites. Revisit Yuletide memories with Brickman’s hits like “The Gift,” “Sending You A Little Christmas,” “Peace,” “Angel Eyes,” and “If You Believe.” Jim Brickman will remind you that faith, love, and togetherness are what we cherish most this time of year. www.blumenthalarts.org EAMONN MCCRYSTAL AND CHLOE AGNEW

12/15/16 - Emmy® award-winning Irish tenor Eamonn McCrystal and your favorite Celtic woman, Chloë Agnew, join forces for an exclusive North American tour. On the 15th they visit The Booth Playhouse for an evening celebrating Irish culture, great music, and Christmas. This coast-to-coast tour will feature classic hit music from Ireland, new music from both stars, and a stunning live band. www.blumenthalarts.org SOUL OF THE SOUTH

12/16/16 - On this tour you’ll sample and sip your way through some of Uptown Charlotte’s best representations of the local South. Chefs and restaurant owners will explain the influence of southern heri-

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The EV ENTIST

DECEMBER 2016

tage in their cuisine and beverage menus. You’ll get a taste of craft beer and food products made right here and stroll along city streets by some great examples of Charlotte’s historical past. www. feastfoodtours.com Messiah

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12/16/16 - 12/17/16 - The Charlotte Symphony and Chorus celebrate the holidays with a staple of the season, Handel’s Messiah, which stands as a testament to the human spirit and the highest aspirations of mankind. A cast of brilliant soloists join the Symphony and Chorus for this choral masterwork. Kenney Potter conducts as the Charlotte Symphony Chorus performs for what will surely be a packed Knight Theater. www.charlottesymphony.org Bechtler By Night

12/16/16 - Art enthusiasts across the city of Charlotte have made Bechtler By Night the premier art event to look forward to the third Friday of every month. December’s event welcomes local artist Cathay Dawkins who will guide you through an interactive painting. www.bechtler.org FROSTBITE 5K

12/17/16 - The Frostbite 5K is a 3.1-mile run through the Kannapolis Greenway and surrounding communities with challenging hills. The Fun Run is a one-mile run through the Kannapolis Greenway and surrounding communities. All proceeds benefit the Cannon Memorial YMCA Annual Support Campaign. www.runkannapolis.com

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This is always one of the most festive times of the year at Cheval. Holiday decorations adorn mailboxes and doors. The smell of cookies and hot cider fills the air in our sales information center.

We do hope that you will stop by and see the winter wonderland of beautiful new homes under construction which are available for sale from the mid $550’s to $1.5 million.

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DECEMBER 2016

Dives to Dining PLAzA Midwood

12/17/16 - On this food tour, you will get an enticing look into the history of the area while savoring wonderful cuisine from some great local culinary artisans. The establishments range from a location featured on the Food Network to unique fine dining establishments and everything in between. www.feastfoodtours.com Hip Hop Nutcracker

12/27/16 - 12/30/16 - A holiday mash-up for the family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker reimagines Tchaikovsky’s classic score through hip hop choreography. A dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, an MC, and digital scenery bring the traditional Nutcracker story to life in a contemporary urban setting. This eveninglength show celebrates love, family, and the magic of New Year’s Eve. www.blumenthalarts.org Belk Bowl

12/29/16 - See football teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference battle it out under the lights of Bank of America Stadium and the Uptown Charlotte skyline. www.belkbowl.com Shen Yun

12/30/16 - 12/31/16 - Shen Yun brings to life 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through classical Chinese dance and music in an exhilarating show you will never forget. Shen Yun captures the spirit of a culture long lost. The show moves quickly through regions, dynasties, and legends. Tremendous athleticism, thunderous battle drums, and masterful vocalists are

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all set to animated backdrops that transport you to another world. It is a grand production with nearly 100 artists, 400 costumes, and the only orchestra in the world featuring both classical Western and Chinese instruments. Based in New York, Shen Yun is the first company to present classical Chinese dance to the world on a large scale and it has taken the globe by storm, performing in over 100 cities, and selling out in top venues. www.blumenthalarts.org The Avett Brothers

12/31/16 - The highly acclaimed band The Avett Brothers makes their return to Charlotte for a New Year’s concert you won’t want to miss. Fans will be able to experience songs from their new album True Sadness recently released in June 2016. The album has been praised by Entertainment Weekly among others for featuring the band’s trademark “twangy guitars, feel-good harmonies, and strings courtesy of cellist Joe Kwon,” along with some new sounds like the “galloping synth beat and tempo shifts” in the track “You Are Mine.” On New Year’s Eve fans can enjoy songs from their favorite hometown band’s new album including the hit “Ain’t No Man” along with classics like “I and Love and You.” www.bojanglescoliseum.com

To post an event in The Eventist in the magazine or online at www.qcexclusive.com, or if you have interest in partnering with us for an upcoming event please contact us by email at info@qcexclusive.com.

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A RTS & S T Y L E

The CULTURE STORY BY ELEANOR MERRELL | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

CRAFTED • 62 | MUSUEM • 66

A chat with world-renowned artist Hunt Slonem at the New Gallery of Modern Art

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BIRDS & BUNNIES

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To step into a room with Hunt Slonem is This exchange is part of a squiggly to step into another, more colorful world. line of conversation in which Slonem “That’s part He inhabits a realm populated by parrots, describes what it was like to live of my mission Warhol, and ghosts, where life’s milestones in New York City during the 1970s.

— to make are marked in relation to the deaths of ”There was a thrill of seeing people sacred spaces Marilyn Monroe and Jackson Pollack. in those days,” he says, recalling the Predictably, a man so amorphous and exhilaration of meeting icons like that uplift.” unusual is challenging to pin down in Sylvia Miles and Cookie Mueller, as an interview. He sits across from me in well as the invigorating energy of the the New Gallery of Modern Art on Ratcliffe, in front of New York art scene. “I’m really a loner, though,” Slonem a brick wall covered in his Neo-Expressionist paintings insists. His preferred companions are birds, so much so of rabbits, for which he is famous. Our discussion is that he lived alongside a 40 foot birdcage for 24 years, punctuated by conversational left turns and operatic chock full of tropical birds like those of the youthful ringtone interruptions. I ask him about his early career years he spent in Hawaii and Nicaragua. The bars of the and he tells me about how Henry Geldzahler, the highlymetal cage imprinted on Slonem’s retinas and appeared acclaimed former curator of the Metropolitan Museum in his paintings. “I saw everything through a mesh. So of Art, asked for one of his pieces on his deathbed. “That one day, after one of my first trips to India, I picked up must have been powerful,” I say, mistakenly assuming the back of the brush and started making marks.” Thus that this vignette illustrates a turning point in his career. began one of Slonem’s trademarks: a crosshatching “No, not really. It’s just a story,” he says. It’s disarming, pattern that gives the impression of a cage separating but delightfully so. viewer from subject.

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Over the years, Slonem has become a master of texture. In addition to crosshatching, he incorporates a wet-on-wet style of painting which creates layers of color and line that unfold slowly and almost limitlessly the longer a viewer looks at one of his pieces. The texturing allows Slonem to return to the same subjects — bunnies and birds — over and over again, creating pieces that are redundant in theme yet refreshing in form. The repetition feels religious. Toward the end of our interview, Slonem removes a string of Hindu prayer beads from his pocket and passes bead after bead through his fingers.

Slonem lists Picasso as a primary source of inspiration. “Not because of his art, though,” he clarifies. “He collected mansions.” Slonem currently owns five to six historic homes, scattered across the northeast and southeast and filled with gothic furniture and 19th century artwork. Slonem’s houses, like his paintings, are creative outlets imbued with spirituality. “I’ve tried to lift up any not-great energies that might be residing,” he explains. “That’s part of my mission — to make sacred spaces that uplift.” Visitors are not uncommon in these spaces, usually taking the form of historical society members but occasionally arriving as ghosts. Our interview concludes this way — not with an intimidating descent into the depths of art theory, but with a discussion of his houses and their spirits — and I am neither surprised nor dubious: I have stepped into Hunt Slonem’s reality.

Here, such things are entirely possible.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.huntslonem.com www.newgalleryofmodernart.com

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The New NUTCRACKER

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Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s reinvention of the Christmas Classic STORY BY MARGO JACOBS | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

Sugar plum fairies and gingerbread men, mice and Mother Ginger, Clara and the Nutcracker — no other images summon the magic of a childhood Christmas more than that of The Nutcracker ballet. And this season, for the first time in twenty-five years, Charlotte Ballet will perform the iconic ballet re-imagined with brand new sets, costumes, and choreography.

After twenty years as Charlotte Ballet’s Artistic Director, Jean Pierre Bonnefoux is stepping down next year. He’ll have quite an exit fanfare, too, thanks to a gift from one of the city’s boldest champions of the arts. A generous grant from Hugh McColl, in honor of his wife Jane McColl, has allowed Bonnefoux to redesign the iconic holiday tradition of The Nutcracker this year.

The million-dollar grant, the largest in the ballet company’s history, is being well-spent. Bonnefoux has partnered with two of the best costume and set designers in the industry. “I’ve had great success working with them on different productions when I was in New York,” he says. “They are some of the best in the industry, and it has been a lot of fun working with them. We have spent a lot of time on this new production and I think the result is going to be sensational. I don’t think Charlotte has seen anything like this, really.”

The Nutcracker is an interesting dance choice for Bonnefoux to choreograph, however. His real passion is contemporary ballet, and the development of young dancers in that style. Furthermore, the tradition of producing The Nutcracker each Christmas is a purely American concept. As Bonnefoux, a native of France, points out, “You can do The Nutcracker in Europe because

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it’s a great ballet with great music, but no one does it at Christmas.”

However, he insists The Nutcracker “has been keeping American ballet alive for years.” Its popularity often keeps companies afloat: For major American ballet companies, some sources cite as much as forty percent of annual ticket revenue comes from Nutcracker ticket sales.

Although few images of the new sets and costumes have been revealed, Bonnefoux says that patrons should expect some big, extraordinary changes this year.

“I am going to change up some of the dances in the first and second acts. There is Mother Ginger who traditionally comes out in a big dress and the kids come out from under her dress. So, we are going to have a Mother Ginger who comes out onto a balcony of a house, which is a gingerbread house!” Bonnefoux is also reinterpreting some of the settings, like the party scene in the first act: “When the parents are celebrating, it’s almost like a masked ball with brightly colored costumes, instead of the Victorian theme which is typical in Nutcracker productions.”

Although there are some changes being made to the original production, Bonnefoux urges that it’s not going to be out of anyone’s comfort range. “It’s been done with a sense of taste and a sense of tradition — I think it’s going to be more magical.” The ballet will be performed at Belk Theater, December 3rd - 23rd (with the exception of the week of the fifth when the ballet will be performing in Charleston, SC), with both matinee and evening performances.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.charlotteballet.org

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More than 25 locations across the Carolinas 704-512-3961

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ANYTHING WORTH DOING HAS CHALLENGES.

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PASSION FOR CREATIVITY Charlotte’s own Jerald Melberg Gallery meticulously curates the finest national and international artists, presenting Queen City art lovers with some of the finest works from the 20th and 21st century masters.

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BY SUNNY HUBLER | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

From 1977 through mid-1983, Jerald Melberg was curator of exhibitions at the Mint Museum, the title role that initially brought him to the Queen City from Greenville. As his name in the Charlotte art scene grew with his success at the Mint, a group of local arts patrons approached Melberg about opening a gallery.

The rest is history and the doors to Jerald Melberg, today located on Sharon Amity Road, opened in January of 1984. As Melberg himself puts it, given his background he can’t help but run his gallery like it is its own small museum. Even with decades in the industry, Melberg says “retirement isn’t in my vocabulary.”

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With artists represented from all across the world, Jerald Melberg Gallery is a unique contribution to Charlotte’s cultural scene, offering art lovers a diverse array of styles and mediums to view and collect.

Exhibited in the halls at Melberg are artists such as Romare Bearden, the twentieth century collagist; Wolf Kahn, a beloved American landscape painter; and Robert Motherwell, an American abstract impressionist.

They also regularly exhibit at international art fairs in many major U.S. cities.

Melberg’s first foray into the arts was in the 1960’s, but his passion for creativity and sharing art with the Queen City remains as strong as ever today. Founding and running a thriving gallery is still a constantly evolving process.

“Anything worth doing has challenges,” Melberg says. “Dealing with all the different personalities of my artists comes to mind. Simply keeping a small business afloat is a constant endeavor, but the rewards are infinite. It is also enormously rewarding to have people come to your place of business just to feed their soul and immerse themselves in man’s creative energy.”

He also credits his staff with keeping the wheels spinning at Jerald Melberg creating an environment in which visitors can feel welcomed but also have their artistic views and cultural tastes expanded.

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RETIREMENT ISN’T IN MY VOCABULARY.

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The gallery itself is a simple space, with lots of right angles and softly colored walls to support the works of art themselves. There is a private presentation room along with spacious public galleries.

As dedicated as Melberg’s life has been to the arts, he also expresses a deep passion for engaging in the community and bettering his world. He became involved with the Sister Cities program over 30 years ago and he has since returned to Peru twenty-eight times, assisting in everything from building a technical high school to leading a solar energy program.

“For me, frankly, the most important thing that I have accomplished in the last 30 years has been spearheading the building of a school in a very poor area of Charlotte’s sister city, Arequipa, Peru. To help change the lives of a thousand children is something that cannot be expressed in words.”

Recently, Melberg also opened a satellite pop-up location in Blowing Rock. The gallery also has several new exhibits running through January, and welcomes art enthusiasts, casual visitors, and collectors alike.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.jeraldmelberg.com

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SELLING LUXURY PROPERTIES for over 30 Years...

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Local paramedic Brian Desantis handcrafts fine line of luxury bags for women — Dalla Mano Custom Leather.

STORY BY CORDERIUS ALLEN | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

Mint Hill paramedic Brian Desantis never thought he’d be curating a designer handbag business. Transplanted from New York City, his fashion accessory story began after witnessing his wife struggle to pack all of her designs and samples into Bloomingdale’s shopping bags, and lugging them off to work everyday. He had a notion of a handbag that would make her transportation much easier and replace the less-than-attractive store bags.

While suffering from a work-related injury, Brian had tons of extra time on his hands to teach himself to sew leather. With his healing hands, Brian fashioned for his wife a one-of-a-kind tote — debuting his first handmade creation. Her coworkers and fellow designers fell for the impeccably sleek and chic design of the handmade bag;

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she eagerly proclaimed that her husband was the designer.

Before he knew it, Brian was curating multifunctional handbags and opening the door to his newly found passion in the form of Dalla Mano Custom Leather. Made one at a time from a whole leather hide into a completed satchel, his creations are built to last for decades.

Brian derived the name of his small business from the Italian phrase Dalla Mano, meaning “from the hand.”

Clients come to him with their ideas, and he realizes them with precision. They select the type of bag and the color.

“It’s not only my vision,” Brian explains, “it’s theirs.” It’s a very client-driven process. Brian will usually ask how they intend to use the bag and what needs to fit inside.

He’ll even ask how they wear or carry their bag; whether

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“When is it ever inappropriate to carry a handbag?”

they like dressy or simple hardware, handles or shoulder straps. Ultimately, it ends up being designed around the person and their lifestyle rather than simply being pulled from a rack. Brian ensures that his clients end up with a unique bag that no one else is carrying.

A paramedic who began his career with the New York City Fire Department is now passionately constructing elegant and classic handbags in the Queen City, and he’s loving how useful his new product can be. “When is it ever inappropriate to carry a handbag?” Brian laughs.

Bridging the gap between durability and classic fashion sense, Dalla Mano handbags are skillfully packed with style. Brian has utilized his craftsmanship to produce strikingly unique totes, crossbody, and messenger bags.

Modern and versatile, the Dalla Mano handbag is made to fit the lifestyle of its carrier. Whether you’re an artist, educator, broker, banker, or uptown girl, there is a Dalla Mano handbag idea waiting to be sculpted just for you.

Local hero Brian Desantis is healing one shoulder at a time, showing Charlotteans that there is never a wrong time to carry a well-fitting leather handbag.

FOR MORE INFO: www.facebook.com/DallaManoLeather

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Young Visionaries Former co-chair of the Bechtler Young Visionaries and current Steering Committee member Mary K. Lytch shares how the Bechtler’s program connects Charlotte’s young professionals with modern works of art.

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STORY BY ASHLEY CARLINI PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

An asylum for the art admirer, a retreat for those who wish to immerse themselves in the mastery held within, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is comprised of thousands of masterpieces from some of the most influential and significant artists around the world, including Picasso and Giacometti. An important arm of the museum since 2013, the Bechtler Young Visionaries program centers on the Bechtler collection, which encompasses more than 1,500 works of modern art that were amassed and given to the community by art patron Andreas Bechtler. This collection was created and assembled over seventy years by his parents, Hans and Bessie Bechtler, who were mentors and friends to many of the same artists that they were collecting, including Joa Miro, Alberto Giacometti and Jean Tinguely.

The Bechtler Young Visionaries program was founded

by Brandon Neal, who is a current Bechtler board member, as a way to introduce the Bechter Museum of Modern Art to young professionals. Mary K. Lytch, former co-chair of the Bechtler Young Visionaries and current Steering Committee member, has been involved with the museum and program for three years.

Mary says that the B.Y.V. was created “with the goal of connecting Charlotte’s young adults, and those who are young at heart, with the museum and with others who share an interest in modern art and modernism.” The strategic focus of reaching young people is due to the way in which new generations tend to relate to modern art. “Art in general enriches young people’s lives,” Mary

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explains. “The younger generations find modern art appealing and more relatable — this has helped boost the appeal from a niche into the mainstream.”

The Steering Committee, currently led by co-chairs Jennifer Wozniak and Nicole Frambach, plans events and enrichment programs throughout the year. Creating a unique marriage of networking young professionals with the community and connecting them with modern art, the committee allows young people exciting opportunities in more than just the art world. Their annual holiday party aids in raising funds to support their community outreach programs, such as their Jail Arts Initiative. Members have also had the chance to create art themselves with a watercolor medium in workshops organized with professional artists. Mary explains that the “Bechtler

“The goal [is to connect] Charlotte’s young adults, and those who are young at heart, with others who share an interest in modern art and modernism.”

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“Art in general enriches young people’s lives. The younger generation finds modern art appealing and more relatable — this has helped boost the appeal from a niche into the mainstream.”

Young Visionaries members can expect to learn about art in a fun and informative way, receive invitations to unique events not always available to the general public and meet a lot of great, like-minded young professionals.”

The program will be hosting its 2016 holiday party at the Bechtler Museum on the 15th of December. This year’s rendition is inspired by the All that Sparkles...20th Century Artists’ Jewelry exhibition currently being showcased.

Patrons will enjoy libations, a silent auction, music, dancing, and hors d’oeuvres. This annual tradition is not only a Yuletide blast, but it also raises money to support some of the educational and community outreach programs the museum offers. Tickets to the event are available for purchase at www.bechtler.org FOR MORE INFO: Email Lisa.Woods@bechtler.org or call 704-353-9207

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GLOBA L An old Ballantyne favorite is now relocated in downtown Pineville.

STORY BY MARGO JACOBS | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE OR PROVIDED BY GLOBAL

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CHEF Q&A • 84 | STOKE’S SHANK • 90 | BOYD’S PANNA COTTA • 92

EATERY • 70 | TASTEMAKER • 76 | COFFEE HOUSE • 80

FO O D & D R I N K

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After apprenticing as a chef in France, Bernard Brunet traveled throughout the world cooking in various restaurants and hotels. His career took him from different regions of France and England, then across the continent to Russia. After that adventure, he traveled the globe for three years as a chef in the cruise ship industry. When he finally did make it here to the States, Bernard was offered an executive chef position here in Charlotte. One day, his wife Shannon encouraged him to open his own restaurant, and the rest is history.

Global Restaurant and Bar is operated by chef-owner Bernard Brunet and his wife Shannon. The chic new space in Pineville includes a bistro bar downstairs with live entertainment on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a more formal and intimate dining area upstairs.

Although Chef Bernard was trained in the classic French style of cuisine, he doesn’t want his restaurant to be pigeonholed as a “French restaurant.”

As the name implies, it is truly an array of global cuisine. While most dishes are prepared with traditional French methodologies, his selection of ingredients is far-reaching. Bernard says he wants his customers to “travel the world through a culinary adventure without having to leave Charlotte.”

When we met with Chef Bernard he was preparing his succulent diver scallops and ribeye pave. Both dishes are created with locally sourced fresh produce. Brunet tries to source locally as much as possible, favoring Rosemary Pete for his produce. He is price conscious, though. He wants his dishes to be exquisite yet affordable.

“Travel the world through a culinary adventure.”

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Chef Bernard wants his food to be creative. Part of that creativity is the seasonally changing menu.

While the staples may stay the same — seafood, duck, pork, and beef — the “components,” as Bernard calls them, change with what’s available during any given season. “I try to find components that remain comfortable, and yet I try to find components that spice it up a little bit,” Bernard explains, grinning.

Global definitely has a comprehensive selection of food between its bar and restaurant menus, but the chef admits he is smitten with Southern cuisine. He likes to push the boundaries of traditional Southern dishes with his “tweaks.” Brunet is big on mac and cheese. Instead of using plain white and yellow cheese and overcooked pasta, he prefers to add color, flavor, and texture to the

PORTRAIT THIS PAGE BY JAMEY PRICE FOOD PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GLOBAL

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dish. The chef uses sharp cheddar, aged Gouda, and Swiss Emmentaler. Then he adds in bacon, elevating his mac to another level of irresistible decadence. All desserts at Global are made in house. The restaurant also offers an extensive wine list with offerings from eleven different countries.

“Charlotte is an interesting town full of interesting people,” Bernard says. “It’s becoming so cosmopolitan.” It’s clear that the cuisine and culture at Global Restaurant and Bar are a party to that development. The menu is heavily Southern and French at the moment, but we suspect that that’ll be changing with the weather.

FOR MENUS AND RESERVATIONS: www.global-restaurant.com

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PAYING TRIBUTE Pizzeria Omaggio, the modern, authentic Italian restaurant in the heart of Midtown, pays homage to the art of pizza making.

STORY BY SUNNY HUBLER | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

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Located in the heart of the Midtown Metroplitan is a little piece of classic Italian dining with a modern fresh feel. Pizzeria Omaggio is one of the newest additions to the area’s expanding eclectic restaurant scene. Now, a year after its inception, the husband and wife duo behind the pizzeria are continuing their mission of bringing the best of authentic cuisine to Charlotte.

As Daniel Siragusa puts it, when you grow up in an Italian family the passion for the food of your homeland is born along with you.

Siragusa, raised in both Long Island, New York, and Rome, grew up in a pizzeria for all intents and purposes. His passion for toplevel cuisine, apparent immediately when you speak with him, was curated early on.

His family owned a small chain of pizza and pasta restaurants in South Florida; as a child, he could be found by the register or sitting in a booth with toys. Once he became a bit older, Siragusa began helping manage, and by the

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“Charlotte’s a great city and full of people who appreciate good food, either from their roots or from their travels.”

age of 20 he was given his own location which was opened by his father in Biloxi, to oversee.

One year later, that location was wiped out

by Hurricane Katrina and Daniel returned to Florida where he opened another new location of his family’s chain in downtown Miami.

He remained there until February 2014, when he made the decision to fulfill his dream of opening his very own family eatery. Daniel and Maria settled on Charlotte quickly.

Spend some time here.

From retail fashion to gourmet delights, there are over twenty stores and restaurants to keep you outfitted, well-fed and entertained at Metropolitan.

Right on the greenway and just south of uptown, it’s an ideal location.

Meet some friends, stay a while, and see why Metropolitan is one of Charlotte’s favorite destinations. Learn more at MetropolitanCLT.com.

metropolitanCLT.com | : MetropolitanCharlotte West Elm | Trader Joe’s | Vivace | Best Buy | Pisces Sushi | Lotus | Dressler’s | Silverfly | Lipp Boutique | Xtend Barre | Marshall’s Cherry Berry | Metropolitan Cleaners | Tropical Smoothie Café | Tastebuds Popcorn | Staples | Zoës Kitchen | Which Wich | Midtown Ballroom Pizzeria Omaggio | Hickory Tavern | Modern Salon & Spa | New Dominion Bank | Gigi’s Macaron | Coming soon – Teriyaki Madness

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“I keep the art of making pizza close to my heart and work hard to make sure we are using authentic recipes and techniques.”

“It’s a great city full of people who appreciate good food either from their roots or from their travels,” he says. “We were in search of an audience like Charlotte’s that can really appreciate quality.”

The couple took about three months to open Pizzeria Omaggio at 1055 Metropolitan Avenue. Maria studied interior design at Instituto di Design in Milano and led the design of the restaurant, a fresh, open space decorated with black and white photography and live greenery.

The menu is full of true Italian fare and a carefully curated wine selection. Dough is made fresh daily on site and the pizzas are cooked personal-size in the Roman style; thin and light with no big bubbles or thick crust. Along with salads, pasta, and antipasti selections, Pizzeria Omaggio serves up a wide array of white pizzas and classic red sauce pizzas. The menu is updated frequently, and the chef chooses both a pizza of the month and a pizza for each of the four seasons.

Daniel’s current favorite recommendations?

The Contadino pizza topped with a mozzarella ricotta and prosciutto crudo San Daniele. They also recently added a new antipasto carpaccio and a burrata served with aged balsamic glaze.

“I keep the art of making pizza close to my heart and work hard to make sure we are using authentic recipes and techniques,” Siragusa explains. “Together, we have made a business decision to buy only top quality products. We feel that our knowledge in pizza and Italian food, as well as our level of passion for what we do, is a differentiator.”

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.pizzeriaomaggio.com

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The coffee chemists behind Hex Espresso Bar are reacquainting Charlotteans with excellent espresso.

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STORY BY JORDAN LAX | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

The founders of Hex Coffee share an encyclopedic knowledge of brewing sciences and a fervid dedication to hospitality. At Hex, Tanner Morita, John Michael Cord, and Chandler Wrenn create skillfully crafted espresso that maintains familiarity while it redefines the Queen City’s expectations for what a coffee shop can offer.

Hex began as a pop-up cafe in the spring of 2015. It appeared in various craft beer shops like Rhino Market, Craft, and Good Bottle Co., building on the connection between Charlotte’s growing appreciation for craft beer and the complex, versatile world of coffee. Hex hoped these collaborative efforts would highlight the value of ethically sourced, well-crafted coffee.

“We were intentional about meeting Charlotte where they were with their palates, and beer’s been a huge thing in the last five years in Charlotte,” Chandler says. “People already have this idea that beer is this bigger thing, and we wanted people to think of coffee in the same way.”

Chris Hunt of Good Bottle Co. offered Hex a permanent location within his shop. Occupying a space within a space presented unique challenges that inspired the Hex boys to adjust their focus and suit the location to their benefit. They moved away from batch-brewed coffees and popular pour-over styles found around Charlotte. Hex’s minimal counter space features a spice grinder and an espresso machine. By foregoing the traditional espresso grinder, they challenged themselves to get weirder with coffee. Most notably, Hex pulls an 8 oz. espresso, or a “coffee shot.”

“The coffee shot is kind of espresso, kind of not,” Tanner explains. “It doesn’t drink like a traditional espresso, although it’s coming through an espresso machine.”

“It has the body of a French press or an aeropress, but it has the complexity of an espresso shot,” John Michael adds.

They love to experiment, and Tanner in particular gleefully admits to geeking out over coffee chemistry. “Coffee

“Coffee scratches a scientific theory itch that I’ve had for a long time.”

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scratches a scientific theory itch that I’ve had for a long time,” he says. Like a scientific methodology, roasting and brewing coffee requires time, chemistry, and precision.

Each step of the process plays an important role.

“Because we’re doing something a little bit different, [we’re] making sure people aren’t expecting one thing and getting another,” John Michael says. Charlotte’s nascent coffee industry has seen great success introducing coffee drinkers to new styles of the classic — some might argue essential — beverage. But coffee, true to its scientific roots, is a dynamic and ever-changing field, and Hex set out to offer Charlotte a superior shot of coffee that is both intriguing and approachable.

“Not many people drink espresso unless they’re trained to drink espresso,” Tanner says. “Or unless they’re tricked by dressing it up in a vanilla latte.” Hex builds off this concept by reintroducing people to espresso in a modern, European style. While many espressos in the United States often taste bitter, punchy, and acidic — a consequence of over-roasting beans — Hex found it could avoid this deleterious effect by sourcing coffee from a roaster with a particular style and experimenting with the brew ratio.

Hex works with Passenger Coffee, a roaster out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania that roasts its coffee to optimize extraction levels. “This allows us to get more sweetness

“

Not many people drink espresso unless they’re trained to drink espresso.

“

out of the espresso,” John Michael says. “It allows us to get more depth and flavor complexity that isn’t muddled.”

Providing an excellent espresso is only the beginning of the conversation for Hex Coffee, though: “I can be an expert in coffee, but that’s really not what we’re about,” Tanner says. “We should be experts in hospitality first.”

For Hex, the most important thing is to have a familiarity with the people who walk in the door — understanding their tastes and needs.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.hex.coffee

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my car and hit the road. Just like that. I ended up cooking around Charlotte for years. At that point there weren’t too many places doing chef-driven stuff, maybe two or three restaurants. There wasn’t really a ton of opportunity. I just started cooking around at different places to build a name for myself.

Then, maybe 5 years ago, I ran into Mills, Patrick, and Alejandro and they were pitching this idea of no longer working for other people.

5Church was my first executive chef gig. I’ve been assisting chefs in kitchens all around but this was my first opportunity as the lead. I’m also a partner. This was a big step for me.

5CHURCH’S CHEF JAMIE LYNCH ON

TOP CHEF

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INTERVIEW BY COREY MILLER | PHOTOS BY JUSTIN DRISCOLL

This December, Charlotte’s Jamie Lynch will be challenging some of the nation’s best culinary minds on Bravo TV’s Top Chef. We sat down with the 5Church chef and partner to discuss Top Chef, how he prepared for the show, and the challenges of the television experience. Though he didn’t offer any spoilers, we did find out a bit about the inner workings of the show, the contestant’s mindset, and how terrifying head judge Tom Colicchio could be.

How did you discover that you enjoyed cooking?

I guess it kind of all started when I was 16, I got my first job at this trashy sort of local bar in Marblehead Massachusetts, where I grew up. It was a small neighborhood spot, and I kind of fell in love with this high-octane kitchen life. I went from being a dishwasher to a prep cook to being the fry guy and it just stuck.

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How did you find your way to Charlotte originally and how did you end up at 5Church?

It was after 9/11. I was working at a restaurant in New York on 15th St. At that point ground zero started at 11th. That area of the city had become desolate. After 3 months, I made a move. I had to find a place to cook. After a quick visit with a friend in Charlotte — I thought it was a cool town — I packed up

What dish on the 5Church menu would you recommend to anybody who’s never set foot in there?

I would probably get shot if I didn’t say the 60 Second Steak or the lamb burger. Those are dishes that were on the menu when we started. [The Prime “60 Second” New York Strip Steak] is actually the reason I got hired as a chef. I prepared that steak as a tasting for the owners, and it blew their mind.

They loved it and we put it on the menu when we opened. I’ve tried to present several alternatives to replace it and they always say, “No way, this stays!” [laughs] So how did you become a contestant on Top Chef? How does this kind of thing happen to a Charlottean?

For me, it was really the stars aligning I think. I’m not a competition chef by trade, I’m a restaurant chef, so I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with putting myself out there on a national level.

A friend of one of the casting directors had eaten at one of the 5Church restaurants. They researched me and contacted me.

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My partners, of course, told me I was insane if I didn’t go for it.

there’s a clock ticking in front of you — it’s terrifying.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do a couple fires too...just to see what I could do.

So you’d never expected to be part of anything like this?

What was your first reaction to encountering your competitors?

Were you intimidated?

What kinds of challenges did you

When you started filming the show, did you feel like there was a reason you were there? Did you feel like there was something you had to prove, going in?

Yeah, I guess I kind of got into that mindset. Not everybody gets to do this, you know? It’s a rare opportunity. So I started getting really fired up and focused. I really wanted to perform well; I didn’t want to be a fool and burn and cut myself all the time (laughs).

Were you familiar with the judges?

I didn’t know Tom but I knew of [head judge] Tom Colicchio from New York. He was the chef at Gramercy Tavern when I cooked in New York. So I was pretty blown away. I’ve known of him for years and have a ton of respect for him.

Tom knows food, I don’t know that anyone understands food and can taste food the way he can. He can understand your techniques just by trying your food, and he breaks your dish down. It’s scary.

How did you interact with them? I’m just curious about how things work on and off the show.

There’s no real interaction outside of what’s on the show, we’re not hanging out and drinking beers off-set. [laughs] The judges walk around, talking to you about what you’re doing. But you’re freaking out because you don’t really know what you’re doing. You kind of know what you’re doing. So usually you try to be polite and then run away. You’ve got some of the most knowledgeable foodies asking you about what you’re cooking up and

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It’s hard to remember. When they say “go!” and you’re in there, it’s a blur. You don’t really notice what [the competitors] are doing. I felt like I had as good a chance as anyone.

How do you think being executive chef and part-owner at 5Church prepared you for being on the show?

Was there anything else you did to prepare outside of a typical day at 5Church?

“

You’ve got some of the most knowledgeable foodies asking you about what you’re cooking up and there’s a clock ticking in front of you — it’s terrifying.

“

Never. Not in a million years.

Being a partner and executive chef, I encounter an insane amount of problems daily. Problem-solving is probably about 75 percent of our job, we do so much on the fly. So I think that played a big part in the preparation for the show. I did a lot of research on the show as well. I watched as many seasons as I could stuff in, just to try to get an idea of what they might throw at us and what kind of challenges I might see.

face on a personal level?

You are pulled out of your comfort zone, and I think that’s the idea.

You’re not with your family, you’re not eating the meals that you typically eat, you’re away, sleeping in a strange bed, you don’t get to say goodnight to your kid. Performing well under those circumstances is totally different from how I usually operate — I would say that would be the most challenging. But, that’s the idea.

What kind of support system did you have on the show?

While you’re on the show, you don’t have access to your phone. It’s a very controlled environment. All the calls were filmed, so you couldn’t phone a friend for a secret recipe or anything. I was able to talk to my kid, but you aren’t able to stay in touch, really. There isn’t a whole lot of support structure. All the other chefs that you’re living with, they become your support system. And the thing is, they’re not really there to support you — they’re all there to win the competition.

It sounds like a really intimidating place to be.

Yeah it was really intense! There are only executive chefs in this competition, and they’re all prepared. Everyone there is at the top of their game.

Did you get comfortable with the other contestants or were you always on edge?

I have no idea! I don’t know if I got comfortable or just got used to it.

I would say I was pretty on edge.

Being on edge gave me focus. I don’t know if that kind of thing is just normal for me, but it feels normal.

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Do you think being on Top Chef will affect what you do at 5Church in any way?

How can an experience like that not influence the rest of my work? It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For me not to learn from it, to evolve how I operate at the restaurant, would be a waste.

Do you think you would be on television again?

Yeah I probably would! When we first finished filming, I don’t know if I would’ve answered that way. But now, yeah, I would.

How does it feel to be a local celebrity here in Charlotte?

It’s taken some getting used to. I’ve spent the last 15 years building a name for myself here in Charlotte. So there was a little bit of recognition there already through 5Church. But since the announcement came that I was going to be on the show, it’s been crazy. I think it’s kind of a big responsibility, representing the Queen City. I’m conscious of doing things the right way and being a role model.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.5church.com www.bravotv.com/top-chef

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Stoke’s STICKY PORK SHANK PHOTO BY JAMEY PRICE

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Chris Coleman’s woodfired bliss is a big, intimidating dish. Here’s your plan of attack. It’s sticky, yes, but this is a consistency that’s hard to quantify with a dish this attractive — how can you ever touch it? You ain’t never seen a tower of pork meat look this good, you might say.

It’s far too pretty to simply devour. It needs to be treated delicately, consumed slowly, and addressed softly. Once you actually do start tearing down this fortress of meat, dipping repeatedly into its little moat of chili-sorghum glaze, you become increasingly aware how easy this all

is: it’s some of the tenderest pork you’ve had, and the sticky is the best part — peanuts, benne, and all. Benne isn’t native to Carolina, but it may as well be. This traditionally medicinal herb’s sesame-tinged flavor profile blends with the spicy, nutty glaze for a hearty meal that simply must be savored. No one will fault you for involuntarily moaning while you eat. For the recipe visit www.qcexclusive.com/recipes.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.stokecharlotte.com

@capturehappy

720 Governor Morrison Street, Suite 120

•

Charlotte, NC 28211

•

704.365.7130

W W W.YA F O K I TC H E N .CO M

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Ashley B. Boyd’s

YOGUrT PANNA COTTA

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PHOTO BY JAMEY PRICE

Ashley B. Boyd of 300 East and Heritage Food and Drink isn’t a pastry chef. She’s a dessert artist, and her yogurt panna cotta is just one of her many decadent masterworks. The creamy bliss of the panna cotta itself is only one piece of this intricate sweet-and-tart puzzle. Accompanying this classic Italian dessert are the immaculate procession of fennelstrawberry relish, the chaoticallydeconstructed but precisely-placed strawberry yogurt cake, and the bittersweet taunting of candied black walnuts. Ashley completes the composition with a crescented array of abstract fennel gel art.

Don’t try it at home, folks…unless you like a challenge. And if you do succeed, well...add “Pastry Chef” to your resume, because this one’s no small feat. Find the full recipe at www.qcexclusive.com.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.heritagefoodanddrink.com www.300east.com

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HALLS, DECKED A KBN Interiors home exudes the spirit of Christmas.

STORY BY COREY MILLER | PHOTOS BY JOE PURVIS

BEAUTIFUL VIGNETTES • 108 | A CHIOTT HOME • 120

FOUNDATIONS • 94 | COLLECTION • 100 | FURNISHED • 106

HOME & DESIGN

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It’s not rare for Kimberly Brewer Nawn of KBN interiors to engage with her clients on a personal level, and perhaps no job is more personal than holiday decorating. In a home like this Lake Norman one, she’s essentially curating the setting of a family’s holiday. When the team at KBN Interiors was enlisted to design both this living space and its festive trimmings, they knew they had their work cut out for them.

The on-trend grays of this home’s interior make for a clean, elegant household during the not-so-festive seasons, but this time of year, they’re a gorgeous canvas for an exquisitely artful hall-decking.

“Pick five essential focal points to dress for the holidays and focus on those features: All you need is a few wellexecuted details throughout your main living areas.”

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Shown: Sterling Row™ Chesterfield Pattern in Charcoal

What will you create?

Authentic, handcrafted tile and stone since 1952. www.walkerzanger.com

Tile & Stone Showroom 2116 Hawkins Street Suite 500 Charlotte, N.C. 28203 704.583.7000

Slab Gallery 1331 S. Mint Street Charlotte, N.C. 28203 704.583.7010

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“We already had the vision for the home,” Kimberly explains. “We understand what works for the homeowners’ lifestyle, so it’s easy to translate that to the appropriate holiday decor.”

Much of the design choices that make this home such a pleasure year-round also function excellently as complements to the holiday adornment: The carefully selected 18th Century furniture, accented with contemporary fabrics, pairs perfectly with the innate nostalgia of Christmas decor, while the mixed-metal harmony of unlacquered brass, bronze, and stainless steel channel the shine and twinkle so closely associated with the season.

The trimmings themselves are distinctly evergreen, a life-filled layer of natural Yuletide juxtaposed with the shimmering ornaments of holiday luxe: Silver and

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gold, glass and crystal meet thick piney arrangements with a holiday cheer that’s eye-catching without being gaudy.

Kimberly insists that this balance was the goal: It’s important to “pick five essential focal points to dress for the holidays and focus on those features: All you need are a few well-executed details throughout your main living areas.”

The details here are certainly perfectly executed.

Interiors are hardly full of cheer without their residents, though, and this home has its fair share.

The homeowners themselves, their two dogs and three cats, their children and grandchildren — family completes the space. Consider these halls decked.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.kbninteriors.com

Creating Beautiful Spaces

Famous Luxury Brands * Design Services Available * Special Orders * Custom Fabrics

11735 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville NC Phone 704.910.4045 Mon - Sat 10 am - 7 pm Sun noon - 5 pm

goodshomefurnishings.com

Locally owned & operated

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Scott Edwards of Cowbridge Furniture on his new location, his design inspirations and details, and the evolution of his furniture design processes INTERVIEW BY LESLIE BROOKS | PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

In over two decades of business in Charlotte, Scott Edwards has learned just about all the ins and outs of luxury furniture making. He prides himself on the creativity of his custom works: He’s developed quite the knack for creating high end, truly one-of-a-kind pieces, and every atypical design requested of him challenges him to further experiment. It’s a business model that seems to work — 23 years in South End is no small feat.

What inspires your own designs?

I love furniture that has an old soul and a new spirit…it has character, swagger. It’s all high end material but has a new spunk to it, a wow factor.

Did you go to school for art or

What drew you to the location of

Is there anything that inspires you

design? If not, how did you get

your new store?

in this new storefront?

started in this industry?

We’ve been in our location in South End for the past 7 years. We wanted to stay close. At our new location, we’re just a block away. I just love the look and layout. It’s open and shows so well.

I love the easy-to-view space. It’s a place where customers can feel at home. We also have a stage in the new space for our live music, comedy, and our famous movie night. Customers love those times.

No school for design. I used to build homes and picked up an eye for quality materials that make for a great product. My style has just evolved over the years. Lisa did study art, and that’s helpful.

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“I love furniture that has an old soul and a new spirit…it has character, swagger.”

Tidings

Comforters of

and

Joy



Walk us through your creative process — from initial inspiration to finished design.

© 2006-2016 DEWOOLFSON Down Int’l., Inc.

First we find a style that the client likes. If[the selected style] is wood-exposed, we begin work on a custom finish and fabric choices or leather, then the nailheads, tufting etc. If it’s not wood-exposed and it’s fully upholstered, then we build those frames totally custom. You measure your space and we build it to your personal specs. We can take a chair frame that you like and stretch it to a 120” sofa, no problem. Lisa is great with fabrics and colors, and she spends a lot of time with clients, putting these together.

How long does it take you to draft a design on average? To create a finished product?

Once all the specs are decided, the total process ranges from three weeks to eight weeks depending on material availability and difficulty of the job. ®

natural. comfortable. home.

In the High Country dewoolfson .com

Linens

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What are some of the elements you like to add to your designs?

Ah, the elements. Those are the jewelry of the furniture — the fine points. We do a lot with hand driven nail heads, bullion fringe and even leather. We use a lot of exposed cow hair on our pieces as accent.

I love tooled leather too!

Walk in with Walk out with

Try out Sub-Zero and Wolf products in full-scale kitchens.

Talk details with resident experts. Get a taste of all that your new kitchen can be.

subzero-wolf.com /charlotte 127 W. Worthington Ave., Suite 180, Charlotte, NC 28203 | (704) 375-6025 Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment please

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For the furniture that you don’t design yourself, what goes into the curation process?

We stay up-to-date on design trends. We spend a lot of time at the furniture markets, and we read a lot.

We spend time with clients and see their interests and try to blend in their favorite elements.

How does quality craftsmanship come into play at Cowbridge?

What fashion styles influence your own design tastes?

I’m a big Ralph Lauren fan. He has always combined old-world charm (something that’s been around) with new pieces and rare, hard-tofind pieces…things that make for a great conversation over a glass of wine. For Ralph Lauren, it is all

about the story. And that’s how we are. We’ve used Tibetan Sheep hair to accent arm panels of a chair to tell a customer’s story. We’ve incorporated vintage fabric trim used to sew together two pieces of a Crow Indian Teepee as the trim for the bottom of a sofa. Now that’s a conversation over a Scotch.

It sums us up! All of our frames are hardwood built in North Carolina and are eight-way hand-tied, which is the oldest, most expensive, and most lasting system known. Our finisher is the best in the business and our group of upholsterers are some of the best in the country.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.cowbridgefurniture.com

IN HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS FIND BEAUTIFUL THINGS for everyone on your list. All items shown are available at our showroom for immediate carry-out. Just in time for your family’s celebration. Save an additional 10% on Floor Sample items, too.

Gift cards in all sizes also available!

complimentary interior design service

11410 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville, NC 28134 980.585.0941 Previous purchases excluded. May not be combined with other offers or promotions.

Not all furniture brands are eligible for discount. Special value items and Stickley Collector Editions are not eligible. Ask salesperson for complete details.

Expires December 24, 2016.

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7215 Smith Corners Blvd. (I-77 and Harris Blvd.), Charlotte 704.597.0718 stickleyaudi.com

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furnished

Curated

Two Charlotte designers recommend their favorite sophisticated and stylish home accessories for the holidays.

SELECTED BY LAUREN NICOLE DESIGN AND THEORY DESIGN STUDIO

HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS

A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS Nothing screams the holidays more than these beautiful boxwood wreaths. Add the red ribbon and you’re ready! laurennicoleinc.com

Ornaments ranging from glittery gold snowflakes to classic Christmas balls can dramatically change the look of your Christmas tree. peppermintforest.com

TIN TREE TABLE SITTER DAZZLING DEER MID-CENTURY MODERN CONSOLE A retro design featuring classic, sleek lines and beautiful brass hardware for a sophisticated finish. westelm.com

No matter if you place this beautiful piece outside on the front porch to greet people or bring him indoors for all the fun, he’s sure to be a favorite. laurennicoleinc.com

Three white-washed rustic tin trees rest on a distressed wood base for dimensional display. theory-designstudio.com

MERCURY HURRICANE This is great year round but super festive around the holidays placed on your console table or buffet during holiday brunch or dinner. laurennicoleinc.com

HOLIDAY SERVING BOWLS Stoneware pedestal serving bowl features dimensional reindeer head and tail with gold dipped accents. theory-designstudio.com

MAGNOLIA MARVEL

ANTLER CANDLEHOLDER This gold antler candle holder holds 4 standard taper candles and adds a chic twist to candlesticks on the fireplace. theory-designstudio.com

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Add some South to your front door this holiday season and welcome guests into your home with this timeless magnolia wreath. laurennicoleinc.com

PLAID STOCKINGS Bring the lodge to you!

Personalize yours with embroidered monograms. laurennicoleinc.com

GOLD REINDEERS Gold reindeer figures to accent the mantle, dining table or front hall table for the holidays. theory-designstudio.com

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vignettes

SAVING SPACE

This Pheasant Hill Designs kitchen cleverly maintains an openness by incorporating appliances into the beautiful, earthy design.

L

STORY BY BRIANNA MELANSON PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PHEASANT HILL DESIGNS

Lakefront properties tend to follow a common, lakeoriented theme. Kendra White of Pheasant Hill Designs went another route, though, when starting from scratch on a kitchen for a family with half a dozen kids on Lake Norman. Kendra carefully took their interests — and their family size — into mind while crafting a warm and natural atmosphere.

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Other facets of the home were incorporated into the kitchen to create a cohesive flow. The brick-covered facade of the house led to muted brick walls in the kitchen.

As the kitchen and living area are a conjoined space, the light gray cabinetry continues into the family room and out to their patio doors to prevent an “abrupt end.” The additional storage space is infused with a desk and two refrig-

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erated drawers for snacks. The 72-inch refrigerator and freezer to the right of the oven are disguised, resembling two beautiful pantry doors. The shelves are occupied with Zen-like accessories and preserved greens. A white marble countertop coats the dark gray island and black honed granite protects the perimeter countertops.

The warmth originates from the brick and the custom copper hood over the stove, designed by Kendra herself. The copper stands as a great focal point and complementary texture against the brick.

Despite the detachment from the lakeside theme, wood, metal, and twine quadrilateral light fixtures hang above the island like a gilded lobster trap.

Natural light completes the warm aesthetic, falling into the kitchen from the rounded window over the stainless steel sink.

The home by the lake is now a “collected” piece thanks to Pheasant Hill Designs. All of the mingled textures and magnified space generates an earthy, personalized kitchen suitable for a large family.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.pheasanthilldesigns.com

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vignettes

The REading room Traci Zeller’s study celebrates nature and refined living.

STORY BY SUNNY HUBLER | PHOTOS BY DUSTIN PECK

Charlotte designer Traci Zeller has perfected the art of balancing a rustic sporting aesthetic with a luxe, rich feel.

Located in a brand-new home in The Meadows at Weddington, this handsome study is a monochromatic tribute to nature. Outside the stately home sits a small picturesque lake, which helped Zeller decide to direct the focus of the room. Zeller’s space is decidedly masculine but remains warm and livable through the choice of the soft gray-green walls and millwork.

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“I envision this space as ideal for a gentleman who enjoys and celebrates nature, but also appreciates a certain refinement in his living environment,” she explains. “Of course, what’s wonderful about this room is its versatility.

With the monochromatic color scheme and perhaps a few different pieces, this space could easily be used as an elegant reading room or family library.”

She mixes designers, artists, and textures to achieve a certain richness in her rooms. To give this study depth,

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Using a monochrome theme is both subtle and wonderfully luxurious.

-Traci Zeller Zeller brought in a careful mix of linens, leathers, brass, and oil-rubbed bronze. The abstract art, by local artist Mia Malcolm, breathes life into the understated study. Zeller also tapped into several different vendors to give the room a clear concept “without being overly theme-y.” Here, the desk and the desk chair are by Hooker Furniture, the feather photography is by Kim DeGooyer, the chairs facing the desk are by Sam Moore, and the desk lamp is Robert Abbey.

The decorative chandelier is by Savoy House and the desk and bookshelves are vintage pieces Zeller chose from Matters of Style.

Carefully choosing pieces is especially important, she notes, when using a monochrome theme. “It’s both subtle and wonderfully luxurious.”

FOR MORE INFO: www.tracizeller.com www.arcadiahomesinc.com

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:063 /&8 $0/4536$5*0/ 3&Ê°)"# $0/$*&3(&

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! Thank you for a blessed year!

BORN AND R AISED IN CHARLOT TE FAMILY OWNED | 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE Based in Charlotte, NC, Richard and Kristen Magliocca’s New Life Building Supplies, LLC is a leading supplier of windows, doors, cabinets and hardware, custom closets, counters, and flooring. We also offer interior design, window treatments, painting and faux, concrete and stain, sound and central vacuum, power washing, vinyl siding, roofing, pools, decks, landscaping, hardscaping, and a wide variety of other services.

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STYLE & FUNCTION

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Lucy and Company’s Sophisticated and Usable Foyer STORY BY MARGO JACOBS | PHOTOS BY MEKENZIE LOLI

Rich colors of cream, warm bronze, pale gray, and soft textures dominate this intimate multi-functional area designed

by Beth Keim, founder of Lucy and Company. Keim’s designs range from sophisticated elegance to playful whimsy. “The goal in this space was to keep things light and fresh,” Keim says, and she seems to have succeeded admirably.

Acting as a foyer, dining area, and occasional work space, this room is the pinnacle of chic sophistication.

The elegant white banquette and floating wooden table anchor the space, but it’s the brass accents that add that other level of refinement to the design.

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“Adding the right amount of mixed metals to a space adds that touch of sophistication, but the key word for me is ‘edit,’” the designer says. “When designing a room, I typically bring more accessories than I need; it’s all about the editing when installing a space. I wait until I have everything collected, then I deliver it all at once. Styling is my favorite part of the process and knowing when to edit or stop editing is key.”

Lighting is also central to Keim’s design. This room is punctured by a gilt, star-burst chandelier, and a floor lamp is also incorporated into the space. Keim found the

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“Adding the right amount of mixed metals to a space adds that touch of sophistication.”

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chandelier for a client a few years ago, but had been waiting for the right space in which to use it. The inclusion of the floor lamp acts as both form and function. “The lower directional light [from the floor lamp] helps with the occasional office work done in here, but it also adds the lower lighting that you need to accompany a chandelier. Aesthetically, however, I also wanted to add a little deliberate height to the left side of the room.”

“Multi-purpose rooms, especially in small spaces, are so important in my thought process,” Keim says. “This space was square and located right when you walked in the front door. I always thought it should be a ‘usable foyer’. The space greets anyone who enters there with style, but it’s also immediately functional.”

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.lucyandcompany.com

HAND-KNOTTED AND CUSTOM RUGS • 316 East Boulevard (980) 207-3287 | www.rug-culture.com Hours: Monday-Friday 10:30-5:30 Saturday 10:30-3:30 Evening and Sundays by appointment

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THE GENERAL, MADE SPECIFIC This Foxcroft home exhibits Jonathan Chiott’s knack for flexible, utilitarian design.

STORY BY ELEANOR MERRELL | PHOTOS BY JOE PURVIS

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Homebuilder Jonathan Chiott of Chiott Custom Homes strives to balance bold and neutral, personal and universal, multifunctional and specific. This, after all, is the mission of a man who divides his efforts between building truly custom homes and spec homes for sale.

For inspiration, Chiott travels to cities like Los Angeles, Miami and New York, where he studies design innovations and brings new ideas back to Charlotte, a practice he picked up from his father who was also a North Carolina builder.

Thus inspired, Chiott will spend time visiting new lots prior to starting a design to get the “feel” for what best belongs on the property. “That way I can get a sense of the neighborhood, the lay of the land and the sight lines to build a house that balances visibility and privacy,” says Chiott. He will then apply creative designs in site-specific ways to build homes that are beautiful and utilitarian, unique and flexible.

One of his recent creations, an 8,000 square foot spec home in Foxcroft, exemplifies his adeptness at

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creating homes for an individual and a demographic simultaneously. Chiott’s talented team, along with KBN Interiors, designed every aspect of the home, big and small, with quality and serenity in mind. “This home offers many unique and flexible spaces that can be used in numerous ways,” Chiott says. Unknowing who might eventually live in this beautifully designed home, Chiott strove to create a place with general allure but also personal touches.

Because his project is located in a neighborhood with visually appealing, aesthetically cohesive homes, it was important to Chiott to design an exterior that would complement Foxcroft, rather than distract from it. He settled on a transitional English style with compelling symmetry and clean surfaces for a placid and handsome effect.

Inside, the home trades its transitional English exterior for a modern vibe. Seemingly simple edges, sleek surfaces,

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“When building homes for sale we want to provide spaces that are not only interesting from a design palette, but also neutral.”

“We create a canvas that homeowners can finish to their exacting taste.” and clean lines pervade the home’s five bedrooms, seven baths, apartment suite, front and rear foyers, loft library, scullery, and spa room. Neutral palettes afford visual space for statement lighting, which often doubles as sculpture through its recruitment of mixed metals and unusual forms. No detail is overlooked. Incredibly beautiful and complex steel railings, intricate tile and marble designs, white oak flooring dressed with a handrubbed finish and nine foot windows that bathe the house in natural light are just the beginning of the countless features this home presents.

Chiott’s magic spills outside as well. A glass NanaWall system melds indoor and out by creating a 16-foot opening between the great room and covered porch overlooking

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a gleaming 50 foot-long pool and hot tub. Travertine decking lines the pool and extends down to a linear gas fire pit, built-in planter beds, and a stainless steel grill and cooking area.

“When building homes for sale, we want to provide spaces that are not only interesting from a design palette, but also neutral. In other words, we create a high-quality canvas that homeowners can finish to their exacting taste,” says Chiott. This mindfulness, coupled with careful curation of vendors and trade partners, results in thoughtfully designed high quality homes.

FOR MORE INFO: www.chiott.com

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BOHEMIAN Hunting lodge-inspired indulgence in the heart of Asheville’s Biltmore Village

BY SHELAVON BRADLEY PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GRAND BOHEMIAN ASHEVILLE

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The rustic heartbeat of historic Biltmore Village in Asheville, North Carolina pulses through the businesses there. Whether traveling for recreation or relaxation, one of the area’s most formidable features, The Grand Bohemian Hotel, is sure to surpass the standard for the mountain weekender. Comfortably situated just outside the gates of the famed Biltmore Estate, the property delivers the Kessler Collection’s signature eclectic fusion of art, music, décor, and luxury. It’s been said that walking into this European hunting lodge-style building is like entering a museum.

Its most unique amenity, The Grand Bohemian Gallery, showcasing over 100 local and internationally acclaimed artists’ pieces, has earned the hotel its place among the nation’s best lodgings.

The Bohemian’s parent company, the Kessler Collection, is sprawling.

Curated by hotelier and art enthusiast Richard C. Kessler, the collection is founded on an impressive portfolio of 12 artistically-inspired boutique hotels and restaurants. Passionately created with exquisite detail, elegant accommodations, and intuitive service, each property also houses an aweinspiring art gallery. The Grand Bohemian Gallery features rare, original works of art ranging from paintings and sculptures to glass art and contemporary jewelry. Exclusive to the Bohemian’s gallery are renowned Italian artist Stephano Cecchini, praised for his depictions of wildlife,

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THIS PAGE: The Dutch Exterior entrance to the Grand Bohemian Asheville. The rustic and beautiful lobby features a massive fireplace and antler chandelier which set the tone for the Grand Bohemian Asheville experience.

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and French colorist and expressionist artist Jean Claude Roy. This creative lodging concept has motivated The Grand Bohemian Hotel in hosting monthly art exhibitions and frequent receptions where patrons have the unique opportunity to meet the artist.

From the rustic chic lobby design with stag heads lifted above the check-in desk and a massive 4-sided stone fireplace taking center stage to Balinese wood work lining the ceilings and Swarovski crystal chandeliers throughout, the interiors are bold. A hand-carved marble sculpture of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, greets guests, as does an 18th century wooden red stag, setting the tone for a delightfully rustic ambiance.

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Included with your stay in grand style are The Poseidon Spa with a 24-hour fitness facility, a cocktail lounge hosting live entertainment by local musicians, and 5000 square-footage of immaculately decorated function space. The Tyrolean rooftop terrace and the grand ballroom (where a Bösendorfer piano is king), offer opportunities for a variety of event concepts. 104 earthtoned guestrooms and ultra-luxe suites feature original artwork, custom lighting and tufted velvet headboards.

Antler chandeliers, deep soaking tubs, and tunes from the Kessler Music Collection also complete the lineup of accommodation attributes. The hotel’s restaurant, Red Stag Grill, is catered to those with a palate for fine

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dining: The menu boasts contemporary European comfort selections made with fresh local ingredients — most of them hand-picked by executive chef Scott Ostrander. Eat, stay, and indulge in the invaluable company of enchanting Blue Ridge mountain views.

With all its amenities, recreation and visual stimulation, you could easily design a day’s adventure just by staying on the property. There is, however, plenty to explore in beautiful Asheville for those more in the mood to venture. Downtown is rich in culture with a ton of galleries, culinary trails, locally owned shops, street performers, and breweries just a short drive away. The surrounding areas are rife with entertainments such as wineries, mountain tours, museums and nature excursions. It’s safe to say that the creative traveler may require more than one weekend in Carolina’s western gem to truly experience its offerings. The Grand Bohemian is a necessity for one — if not all — of your Asheville visits.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.bohemianhotelasheville.com

Be our guest.

Plan your next getaway, and experience a fun-filled stay packed with amazing amenities, including complimentary access to the Charlotte Athletic Club, as well as fine dining and much more!

704-377-0400 • omnihotels.com/charlotte

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carolina towns

BULL CITY

Rejuvenated Durham is a historic, culinary, and artistic destination.

Once a neglected town, Durham is now one of the fastest changing urban landscapes in the Carolinas. Before the city became today’s urban center, it was a lonely (if sprawling) tobacco farm. From farm to processing plant and onward, the Durham Family worked to build their empire from the ground up. Tobacco products no longer fill the complex of brick buildings, but the music of blues and the raw soul of the olden times do. Today, innovation and entrepreneurship are rampant, and Durham is quickly becoming a fount of Piedmont culture.

History is a big part of what imbues Durham with the soulful aura people find intriguing. Outside of the city’s rich tobacco history, Durham is home to the famous Bennett Place, an American Civil War battle ground. Now a North Carolina historic site, it is home to a host of festivals and celebrations aimed at

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BY LAURA SHINN

When in Durham WHERE TO STAY The Durham is a sophisticated, designcentric hotel full of amenites while the 21c Musuem Hotel is a cool, contemporary, luxury hotel with an art focus.

WHAT TO EAT Tapas lover will enjoy Mateo while Goccioalina offers up delicious Italian.

Some of the best beer in the state can be found at Fullsteam.

WHAT TO DO A stay in Durham isn’t complete without trips to these three: Duke Chapel, Nasher Museum of Art, and the Durham Performing Arts Center.

honoring the fallen and remembering the ones who walked the fields before us.

All newcomers should visit the old American Tobacco Historic District. It was once filled with the growling machines of the Lucky Strike Cigarette factory, but is now home to some of the most renowned restaurants and anticipated events in the city. Situated across the street from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, it’s a handsome, old-hearted place to have some dinner before catching a game or heading over to the Durham Performing Arts Center for a show. Locals like to bring all their guests to Nana’s for some unique New-American food, local art, and the music of the blues guitarists who play familiar folk songs wafting up from the streets.

Once the grinding of the factory gears quieted and the buildings were renovated to be apartments, offices, and shops, the worn-

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out railroad fell to disuse. But thanks to a community that believes in reclaiming history, the abandoned tracks are becoming a centerpiece of recreation in the triangle.

Stretching from the heart of Durham to the edge of Wake County, a 22.6-mile, railroad-side trail is frequented by walkers, runners, bikers, and equestrians. One of the Carolinas’ largest marathons, The Tobacco Road, is held on the trail every May. If the weather isn’t permitting for outdoor activity or the thought of woods and long walks don’t sound appealing, a visit to Duke may be on the agenda. Hidden among the eaves of the industrial city, the university’s Gothic architecture and renowned botanical gardens create the illusion that you’ve left Durham behind. Duke is very much part of Durham’s identity, though: Duke Chapel defines the city’s skyline.

As one of the pillars of the Triangle, Durham is overflowing with history and soul. The echo of a very different factory city combined with the colorful artistic population of today are keeping the old trade city alive and making the ever-evolving city a North Carolina gem.

FOR MORE INFO: www.durham-nc.com

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CATALOOCHEE A Winter Daycation in Maggie Valley

BY BRIANNA MELANSON | PHOTO PROVIDED BY CATALOOCHEE

Your winter vacation is about to get cooler at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley. Ski, snowboard, or snow tube in the frosty Great Smokies, roughly three hours away from Charlotte.

Cataloochee’s facilities feature state-of-the-art snowmaking, allowing for one of the longest ski seasons in the southeast, for eighteen different slopes of all levels. If you would like to improve your carve, the Ski & Snowboarding School provides both class and private ski and snowboarding lessons. Plus, you don’t have to worry if you are without equipment because you can rent it right at their Ski & Sports Shop and even pick it up the night before. Daredevils will get an adrenaline rush out of the rails, boxes, jibs, and jumps in the Cat Cage Terrain

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Park. At the other end of the property is Tube World, an exhilarating alternative to the high-stakes freestyle park where friends and family can race down a massive slope in snow tubes. Children who aren’t quite large enough are not to be left out: Youngins have a field for their efforts in the Wee Bowl. Warm up and eat in the main lodge before heading back to The Ski Area’s recommended lodgings, including the cozy Cataloochee Ranch, Maggie Mountains Vacations, and Creekwood Village Resort.

There’s plenty of activities for everyone in the family at Cataloochee, and, with its convenient distance from the Queen City, a season pass isn’t out of the question.

FOR MORE INFO: www.cataloochee.com

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DESTINATION MAINE For the ultimate winter vacation, head north.

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BY SUNNY HUBLER | PHOTOS BY CAIT BOURGAULT

When the holiday season hits, there is no better escape on the eastern seaboard to get the full winter experience. Maine has it all: the best skiing in the Northeast, cozy mountain villages, luxury cabins in the woods, and deckedout coastal resorts. Add to that the charm of the state’s biggest city, Portland, and all you need is your parka and a plane ticket.

While the Southern Maine coast still gets plenty of snow, the temperatures don’t drop as low as they do inland and on the mountains, making offseason at the beach a peaceful time to vacation. At the southernmost part of the state lie three of the most beloved beach towns. York, Kennebunk, and Ogunquit, each with buzzing villages, sit perched on the sea and offer a variety of Christmas parades and festivals during the holiday season. The Southern Maine Christmas festival, in particular, offers up caroling, tree lighting, holiday shopping and Maine craft fairs. 84 Main at Capital, Nonantum Resort, and Misty Harbor Resort offer cozy seaside luxury for travelers.

A short drive up the coast is Portland, a waterfront city that extends into Casco Bay. With its lighthouses, lobster, and rocky shore, Portland is a picturesque snapshot of the state with a whole lot of culture infused as well.

Portland is a foodie hub, with a per capita restaurant density that ranks it

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among the top U.S. cities. Since winter isn’t peak tourism season, it’s often easier to get tables at some of these top eateries in the country. Portland offers a wide array of seasonal festivities, too, including horse and wagon rides through the Old Port and the First Friday Art Walk through downtown. A 15-minute drive up the road is Freeport, Maine. The quaint village is filled with outlets, shops, restaurants, and the infamous 24 hour L.L. Bean flagship store. For a stay in downtown Portland, you can’t beat the Harborview Westin and the boutique Danforth Inn. Finally, if you’re looking for outdoor activity and breathtaking views, Maine’s mountains are the first destination for you. Sugarloaf, in Carrabassett Valley, is the largest ski resort east of the Mississippi and Maine’s second highest peak. The mountain has restaurants, bars, shops, and frequently features live music and other shows. Sunday River and Saddleback, two other highly rated New England ski resorts, also offer skiing, snowboarding, and top notch trails. Each of the mountains offer their own lodging, and the quiet mountain towns feature several inns and B&Bs of their own.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.visitmaine.com

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EAST FOR K POTTERY:

KNEADING EARTH

BY COREY MILLER

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PHOTOS BY JAMEY PRICE

PHOTOS OF KILN FIRING BY MIKE BELLEME

Despite an upbringing filled with the finer things of the art world, Alex Matisse has an acute fondness for dirt.

He grew up in Groton, Massachusetts, with a family of artists and a childhood saturated with artistic legacy. He’s brother to a Seattle photographer and a New York painter. He’s son of artist-inventor Paul Matisse and sculptor-poet Linda Hoffman. He’s the grandson of notable art-dealer Pierre Matisse, and the step-grandson of Marcel Duchamp, one of modern art’s boldest thinkers. He’s also the greatgrandson of French painter Henri Matisse, whose expressive, colorful paintings rank among the most influential and treasured 20th century works this side of Post-Impressionism.

But none of these things define him.

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His family of artists is part of him, sure, but in the way those first few brushstrokes are irreversibly only part of a painting — they don’t determine the finished product. He’s far more attuned with the hum of the earth — the soil of the Catawba Valley, the ground make-up of Cameron, North Carolina, and the dirt composition beneath Asheboro — than he is with his famous fine-art family ties. Alex Matisse is a potter.

The stuff he makes, he makes for Alex Matisse…famous great-grandfathers or no.

He discovered North Carolina, a state unfamiliar to him, while nurturing an all-too-familiar state of mind. In his formative years, this New Englander was searching, as many young artists do, for what

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he would be, what he would make. He hadn’t been in Carolina long before he, like many young artists also do, dropped out of school: “I was pretty miserable at college until I found myself in a ceramics studio,” Alex recalls. “And that was it.”

Having found this thing that would be his, Alex had to pursue it in earnest. His schooling quickly gave way to another, decidedly more hands-on type of education.

He began apprenticing under North Carolina potters, “learning to replicate [his] teachers’ work a thousand times over,” an intensive, three-year-long lesson in claythrowing precision. It was a career choice every bit as difficult as it sounds, a concentrated instruction perhaps more rigorous than any he could’ve found behind a desk.

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But Alex graduated. Several years, a marriage, and little baby girl later, Alex is now a working potter, a title that seems in its very nature multifaceted. Within his pastoral compound hidden amongst the hills of Madison County, Alex is father, husband, and dinnerwarefurnisher. He and his wife Connie Coady have crafted an idyllic life on this old tobacco farm, complete with a locally-sourced diet that rivals even the tastiest of the neighboring Asheville eateries. Alex is also teacher, guild-founder, and brick mason: He actually built East Fork Pottery from the ground up. His massive wood kiln, the climax of several thousand pots’ creation (and occasionally the instrument of their destruction), was built, brick for brick, by him. The only thing out here not handmade by Alex and Connie, it seems, is the old

farmhouse, but the property’s pragmatic coziness is definitely of their making. Somehow, Alex Matisse also finds time to makes pots.

And the whole pot-making endeavor is ever-growing: Alex is partnered with potter John Vigeland, who functions as a sort of CFO to Alex’s creative director, while Connie handles the entire communications end of the business.

With ten people on the payroll, East Fork is expanding in several directions. There are now five people “with hands in the clay,” and the business will see the opening of its first brick-and-mortar retail location in Asheville this holiday season. These developments represent what Alex calls a “striking change from a business model that was just me in a farmhouse,” but there’s been little departure from the core philosophy of Alex’s business.

“I was pretty miserable at college until I found myself in a ceramics studio. And that was it.�

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The work of East Fork Guild, headed up by Alex and John, represents the original product — one-off, fine-art works right out of North Carolina’s decorative past. Most are gorgeously earthy in color, browns and greens and reds and golds that can’t help but complement the rustic landscape the Matisses have made their home. And these aren’t your flimsy farmer’s-market arts-and-crafts: Every artfully-glazed bowl and mug, every flower receptacle and sculpture-like vase is imminently safe to touch. They’re made in North Carolina, for North Carolinians, and that’s all Alex wants them to be. “A lot of my pots are so tied to North Carolina,” Alex muses. “They’re so part of this whole vernacular that I can’t see them in a context outside of the Southeast.”

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But that’s why the Guild and its accompanying wood kiln are only part of the business. These days, the dexterous hands at East Fork are focused on producing a line for their shiny new gas kiln, and a new, more utilitarian and universal sort of art. While their bold, decorative work champions our state’s artisanal ceramics legacy, this recent foray into streamlined production refines it. The simplicity of the branding, “East Fork Collection,” is apt: The line retains Alex’s core philosophy — “the material integrity and regional sourcing” upon which East Fork Pottery is founded — but molds it into a simpler, more fundamental ware.

“This product,” Alex insists, “is resistant to trend — timeless, durable.”

“A lot of my pots are so tied to North Carolina.

They’re so part of this whole vernacular that I can’t see them in a context outside of the Southeast.”

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“This product is resistant to trend — timeless, durable.”

He’s not wrong. Everyone needs plates, and cups, and mugs. And in expanding his work outside the decorative realm of ceramics, this New Englander is actually rediscovering this quintessential Carolina craft’s roots.

His repurposing of Carolina pottery is actually a return to the craft’s original purpose. There’s a special kind of art and beauty to be found in that. A Yankee had to come south to show us our roots.

Scored and slipped, his legacy is now inextricably adjoined to Carolina earth, his livelihood aligned with the state’s earliest craftsmen. Alex is a Carolinian, in the most archaic sense. Even the floor in his studio is dirt.

FOR A BIT MORE INFO: www.eastforkpottery.com

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GIVING BACK It’s always better to give than to receive and these Queen City charities sure could use your support this holiday season.

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BY SUNNY HUBLER

The Queen City has a lot to offer its residents but perhaps most notably, especially during the giving-est season of the year, Charlotte is home to a wide array of charities, non-profits, and philanthropies.

All are dedicated to serving the city and bettering the lives of its residents. If there’s a need, Charlotteans have found a way to selflessly fill it. Here, we have rounded up local organizations especially worthy of your time and dollars this holiday season. Give generously and join in making our city a little stronger.

Loaves & Fishes

Loaves & Fishes motto is “groceries for neighbors in need.” The organizers work to connect the 20 local food pantries in order to provide a week’s worth of emergency healthy food to Charlotteans experiencing a short-term crisis. You can volunteer to help with deliveries and food drives or donate money directly. Organizers also encourage gardeners and farmers to donate homegrown produce. www.loavesandfishes.org

School Bell, Mecklenburg County Teen Court, Assistance League of Charlotte Scholarship Fund, and Assistance League Outreach. www.charlotte.assistanceleague.org

Veterans waiting on disability claims often are unable to pay their bills and to support themselves, so the Heroes’ Fund steps in to provide that crucial assistance for current and former military members. The veterans they support are experiencing hardships as a direct result of their service.

The Heroes’ Fund welcomes donations and volunteers. www.ncheroes.org The Mitchell’s Fund

HopeMatch

HopeMatch’s Christmas program matches local families in need with people who want to provide personalized Christmas gifts. They have also been able to expand their services throughout the year with ways to give and to volunteer. www.hopematch.org

Assistance League of Charlotte

OurBRIDGE for Kids

This nonprofit volunteer organization is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families through community-based philanthropic programs. Founded in 1992, they raise funds for Operation Check Hunger, Operation

OurBRIDGE in Plaza Midwood runs an after-school program and community center for refugee and immigrant children. They welcome money, school supplies, and giftcards to low-cost bulk stores. ourbridge.com

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North Carolina Heroes’ Fund

Started by Meg McElwain and Frank Turner III in 2012 after the loss of their two-year-old son to cancer, Mitchell’s Fund looks to fill the gap for pediatric patients and families.

Through the Novant Health Network, they also help address the need for education and advocacy to the community at large. You can donate directly or help support the many events hosted. www.mitchellsfund.org SUSTAIN CHARLOTTE

Sustain Charlotte is dedicated to making the Queen City a better urban environmen. Sustain Charlotte focuses their energy on

improving Charlotte’s sustainable use of resources for generations to come. They launched the Transportation Choices Alliance, which focuses on the local transportation system and making the city more accessible by means other than cars, and also regularly host community events. www.sustaincharlotte.org

with branches that supply food and grocery items to the various charitable agencies assisting people in need. In the past year they distributed millions of pounds of food and other items to a service area in which 18% lives in poverty. www.secondharvestmetrolina.org

FREE Foundation

A Better World is focused around providing all-around academic, financial, and emotional support to kids from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Their primary focus is to help the kids focus on raising their grades in school, develop their futures, and also provide stability and community support to their troubled families. www.abetterworldcharlotte.org

FREE Foundation, or the Foundation for Rehabilitation Equipment and Endowment, is a totally volunteerled nonprofit that provides mobility rehabilitation equipment to help people regain mobility and independence. They welcome donations of equipment and dollars, as well as volunteers. www.free-foundation.org WINGS

Women Initiating and Nurturing Growth Through Scholarships (WINGS) is an organizationthat recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It was formed to help support the growth of female business leaders in Charlotte. They offer scholarships and mentoring to nontraditional (25 and older) female Charlotte college students and manage to support 20 individual students every single year. They encourage people with business experience to help mentor and also welcome financial contributions to fund scholarships. www.wecharlotte.org Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina

The food bank, dedicated to ending hunger, serves 14 NC counties and is able to provide a regional distribution warehouse

A BETTER WORLD

Thompson Child And Family Focus

Thompson Child And Family Focus is a non-profit organization operating across the Carolinas whose mission is to serve children and families through healing, teaching, worship, and play.

Thompson aims to combat a wide range of challenges, from the most severe cases of abuse and neglect, to instances where families simply lack the means or tools to provide quality care and education. www.thompsoncff.org Arthritis Patient Services

Arthritis Patient Services aims to provide all-encompassing support and comfort to those suffering with arthritis. Since there is no cure, many Americans have to cope with the condition with limited resources. APS feels additional support from what is received at

the doctor’s office is needed, and that grey area is what they strive to provide.

Autism Services of Mecklenburg COUNTY

Autism Services of Mecklenburg County’s main objective is to ensure that people with autism are not restricted in how they live their lives because of their disability. ASMC advocates for their members to participate avidly in the community, the workforce, and at home, just as any other person would. www.autismservices.org Bethlehem Center of Charlotte

Bethlehem Center of Charlotte focuses on enriching the standard of life for citizens who are at poverty level and aren’t able to financially provide superior services for their families as they would like to. BCC focuses primarily on providing childcare through summer camps, after school programs, pre-K, and even scholarships for older kids to go to college. www.bethlehemcenter.org Carolinas Healthcare Foundation

Carolinas Healthcare Foundation provides philanthropic support to patients in the Carolinas Healthcare System facility, and the institutions that fall under it, like the Levine Cancer Institute, Levine Children’s Hospital, the James G. Cannon Research Center and Carolinas Medical Center. Their aim in supporting these particular institutions is to advance their services and the health of their patients. www.givecarolinas.org

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One of Charlotte’s top restaurateurs, Jim Noble, and his staff and volunteers launched The Dream Center in 1994 as an answer to the far-reaching problems of the homeless and hungry in the city.

The Dream Center partners with businesses, non-profits, and churches to provide care year round. www.cltdc.org

recovering from addiction. They have conference rooms, laundry services, childcare facilities, a chapel, administrative space, and much more. They help adults get back on their feet and reunite with their families. www.habitatcharlotte.org CAM NEWTON FOUNDATION

As part of the Carolina Healthcare System, LCH provides cutting-edge care to the children who most need it. You can volunteer at the hospital, donate, and join one of their many councils that offer support and care to patients and families. www.carolinashealthcare.org

Cam Newton’s foundation was launched to help establish and strengthen relationships across Charlotte and Atlanta. His work creates and supports strategic programs, events and partnerships meant to encourage youth activity and health, youth education and academic support, and foster community involvement with holiday outreach programs. www.cam1newton.com

THE HEARTEST YARD

KYLE BUSCH FOUNDATION

When Greg Olson’s child was born with a severe congenital heart defect, he joined with the Levine Children’s Hospital to launch this family service program intended to provide a multitude of services from in-home, to private nursing care, physical therapy and speech therapy. receptionsforresearch.org

The Kyle Busch Foundation was created to assist children, families and communities in overcoming hardships. They provide all sorts of essential tools and aim to foster a stable and inspiring environment to live, learn and challenge themselves, as well as ensuring their day-to-day needs are met. kylebuschfoundation.org

LEVINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Habitat for Humanity

HOSPITALITY HOUSE

Habitat for Humanity is an organization that seeks to help people become homeowners. They believe that everyone should have a decent place to live, and they add to that by building homes out of the assistance of volunteers.

HOPE HAVEN INC.

Hope Haven Inc. is a full service living community that houses those

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Hospitality House of Charlotte is a part of the larger Healthcare Hospitality Network that houses the families of various patients receiving hospital treatment.

Hospitality House supports families from all around the country, and the world, not only providing roofs and sustenance, but also emotional support as well. hospitalityhouseofcharlotte.org

Communities in Schools

Communities in Schools believes wholeheartedly in providing fullservice support to students in CMS who don’t have a stable support system at home. They are the only organization in this area to provide a full staff in select schools they operate out of to ensure students and their families have every resource needed. www.communitiesinschools.org Disability Rights and Resources

Disability Rights and Resources aims to bridge the gap between the able-bodied and the people with disabilities so that they can work together to achieve their goals. Too often people try separating and discouraging people with disabilities from living a regular life. DRR works to change that mindset and encourage independent living. www.disability-rights.org MEN’S SHELTER OF CHARLOTTE

Men’s Shelter of Charlotte aims to eliminate homelessness completely one day, but in the meantime, have successfully lowered the homelessness rates by sleeping 400 men per night, providing unemployment assessment, case management, income management, and other services that aid in their journey to get back on track. www.mensshelterofcharlotte.org METROLINA ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND

Metrolina Association for the Blind works to make day to day lives easier for people with impaired vision or blindness. They prepare

their patients to be able to exist as dependently as possible with their circumstances by providing a variety of therapies through direct services. www.mabnc.org SHELTER HEALTH SERVICES

Shelter Health Services is located inside the largest women and children’s shelter in Charlotte, The Salvation Army of Hope.

Shelter Health Services provides a free healthcare clinic to all the homeless that need to get back on their feet. www.shelterhealthservices.com MARTIN TRUEX JR. FOUNDATION

Martin Truex Jr. Foundation: Started in 2007 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. and his long-time girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, the foundation exists to help support underfunded cancer initiatives for some of least attended to sufferers: children and women. MTF supports families and people with ovarian and childhood cancers and in 2015, began a partneship with Levine Children’s Hospital. You can get involved by donating or volunteering at one of their many events and programs that run year round. martintruexjrfoundation.org

JOE MARTIN ALS FOUNDATION

USO OF NORTH CAROLINA

The Joe Martin ALS Foundation was the first organization to provide free home care services to those living with ALS. The goal of this foundation is too assist ALS patients in living as active and satisfying life as possible, as well as provide emotional and financial relief for to the families. www.joemartinalsfoundation.org

USO of North Carolina provides services to thousands of active servicemen and women and their families through dignified returns, care packages, deployments, and homecomings. www. uso-nc.org

THE LEARNING COLLABORATIVE

In 1994, members of the community gathered together and volunteered to establish The Ada Jenkins Center in its current form and has grown rapidly to become a well-respected model for community centers in the region providing health, education, and human services all throughout Charlotte and Lake Norman. You can donate, volunteer, or get involved in many of the events the Center hosts. www.adajenkins.org

The Learning Collaborative believes in instilling the importance of education from an early age. Their early educational intervention entails providing pre-K services to families in need, setting up those children for success as they enter grade school and beyond. www.tlccharlotte.org

The Ada Jenkins Center

THE SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army, Greater Charlotte Area is open 365 days a year and serves tens of thousands of people each year. Their slogan “Doing The Most Good since 1904” demonstrates the expansive reach of their eight programs that help of all demographics, some of their most popular programs being The Boys & Girls Club and Christmas Assistance. www.salvationarmycarolinas.org

THE SPOKES GROUP

WTVI FOUNDATION

The Spokes Group is an organization that fundraises to buy bikes and helmets for less fortunate families with children. They realized 20 years ago that many kids have a dream of waking up to a sparkling bike on Christmas morning, and they made it their goal to provide that for as many families as possible. www.thespokesgroup.com

WTVI Foundation provides educational programming and documentaries for over 1 million families in the central piedmont region of North Carolina. Their new program Carolina Impact features the stories of your local citizens living their lives and impacting your community. www.wtvi.org

Crisis Assistance Ministry

Crisis Assistance Ministry is Mecklenburg County’s hands-on agency working with the poor to provide emergency rent and utility assistance, clothing, household goods, and furniture.They focus on preventing homelessness, educating the community, and preserving dignity. To join the more than 50,000 volunteers or donate directly, visit www.crisisassistance.org Hands on CLT

The organization just celebrated 25 years of mobilizing their diverse corps of volunteers to strengthen the community. They connect a variety of interested parties with service projects, creating and managing flexible volunteer opportunities with meaningful impacts. www.handsoncharlotte.org

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WINTER IN THE CAROLINAS

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The Carolina towns you’ve got to visit during the upcoming season.

BY LESLIE BROOKS

As the blazing colors of fall fade, along with all traces of autumn’s radiance, the lean shadow of winter looms upon us. For many southerners, the season’s first frost heralds the seemingly most dreary of the four seasons. But with a little spirit for adventure and an eye on recreation, amidst the chill and the light layer of snow that blankets our Carolinas, the opportunity for leisure and beauty is just waiting to be seized.

The English poet, William Blake, said it best: “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” With this curated list of holiday and winter travel destinations, that’s just what we aim to help you do. Don’t be tempted to hunker down in the comforts of home this winter; instead, take a plunge into the cold unknown of our own backyard and discover the beauty of winter for yourself.

Waynesville, NC

Affectionately called the “Gateway to the Smokies,” Waynesville is a picturesque mountain town that affords its visitors all kinds of quiet serenity during the winter months.

It’s the perfect winter retreat — only a short drive away from Asheville, but far enough to feel steeped in natural splendor. The town’s Main Street is warm and inviting, with quaint shops and galleries huddled together. If you are the kind of traveler that likes to get to know the local townsfolk, enjoys strolling along quiet avenues, or wants to watch the snow fall while nursing a cup of locally brewed coffee, then this sleepy mountain town is for you.

Highlands, NC

Highlands might be in the South, but with an elevation of over 4,100 feet above sea level, the winters in

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this mountain town bluster with echoes of the North. Luxury hotels like The Park on Main offer decadent rooms to nurse away the chill of the season. Just past the sophisticated warmth of the hotel, Main Street has a diverse and cultured array of shops and boutiques when you’re feeling brave enough to venture outside.

Northwest of Highlands is the Nantahala National Forest. There is a myriad of other hiking trails, with the added adventurous activity of ice climbing. With the comforts of small town hospitality or a winter adventure in the forest, Highlands offers it all.

Beaufort, NC

Established in 1709, this quaint coastal town located on NC’s southern Outer Banks, on the Crystal Coast, is the third oldest town in the state.

During the winter months, Beaufort’s

hospitality remains warm and vivacious. With a myriad of historic sites, delicious local food, and a host of quaint inns, Beaufort is as charming as it is inviting.

“Snowbirds” traveling down the coast may choose Beaufort as an overnight rest for its calm and subdued, hometown feel.

Vintage storefronts lack the neon and garish advertisements of larger cities, remaining true to a celebrated authenticity. Sprawling on either side of the small commercial district of the town are beautiful, historical Southern-style homes. Built with foundations of ballast stones and rooftop widow’s walks, the homes of Beaufort are what help make this seafaring town a perfect winter escape from the hustle of the city.

Winston-Salem, NC

Winston-Salem is a picturesque destination in the winter months, with snow-dusted evergreens, a blanketing of stark white snow, and clusters of historic homes.

Old Salem offers visitors a portal into yesteryear during these months, filled with the resonances of the 18th and 19th centuries all the way up to the roaring twenties.

Moravian Christmas traditions are enlivened in delectable cookie tours, historic homes open up their doors to give a glimpse of the past, and even the covered bridge twinkles with the soft warmth of hanging paper lights.

For those interested in the more modern comforts, there’s no dearth of craft beer selections, local wineries, and artisan crafts to indulge in during your stay.

Blowing Rock, NC

During days made sluggish by some of the lowest temperatures of the year, there is no lack of activities to

CLOCKWISE: Looking Glass Waterfall in Pisgah National Forest just outside of Brevard, NC. A winter sunset in Highliands, NC. Charleston palmettos decorated for the holidays.

The EXCLUSIV ES enjoy in Blowing Rock. Snow sports, winter festivals, and a host of inns, spas, and restaurants can offer an overabundance of entertainment to thwart the stagnancy that comes with the cold of winter.

Winterfest hosts a delicious Chili Cook-off and a daunting Polar Plunge into Chetola Lake. Patrons are drawn to this festival from across the region, gathering to celebrate the season, delicious food, and delectable spirits. Small town winter festivals and a host of local events such as beer tastings, winter feasts, and Arctic Art will chase away any hint of winter boredom.

After all, hot chocolate is best enjoyed at the end of an eventful day, with friends and family gathered around.

Charleston, SC

The weather during the winter months is cool enough in Charleston that there’s still the opportunity to show off some of those favorite fall fashions. Even so, the season is temperate enough that you can still appreciate the city’s unique, antebellum feel.

Stroll along King Street and spend some down time shopping, especially if you’ve an affinity for antiques, as the city is full of impressive boutiques and hideaways. You’ll find that in the cooler months, it’s almost as if you have the city to yourself, and that there’s no rush to indulge in all that the city has to offer.

Landrum, SC

Located just off Interstate 26, the first exit past the NC state border, the city of Landrum is nestled against the stunning backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. During the cooler months, it’s remote, but warm with hospitality. The main

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street is quaint, with small Momand-Pop stores all huddled together.

Winding roads allow long, scenic drives, showcasing some of the best of the Blue Ridge. If driving isn’t of a particular interest to you, luxuriate in one of the numerous retreats in town, such as the Red Horse Inn. With six cottages and six rooms within the Inn itself, the Red Horse offers a wealth of beauty to its patrons both within and without. A patio and arbor overlook the snowcapped mountains, and while the garden might not be in full bloom during the depths of winter, the evergreens will still let you imbibe in the beauty of the season.

Banner Elk, NC

This wouldn’t be a decent Carolina’s winter destination list without including the ski capital of the Carolinas — Banner Elk. If you’re looking for a winter sanctuary for the season where Southern Culture meets the great outdoors, the heart of the North Carolina High Country is just the place.

Up at Banner Elk, you will not be hard-pressed to find a plethora of comfortable accommodations to choose from, good eats, or wintertime entertainment.

Whether it is skiing at one of the numerous resorts and lodges (Ski Sugar being the largest in the state), snowboarding, or tubing, there is no lack of family-friendly fun. Head into town after a long day on the slopes for some delicious food and down-home hospitality. You’ll be sure to savor every moment.

ASHEVILLE, NC

There’s plenty to do in Asheville in December, but the Biltmore Estate is really the only dose of Christmas anyone Asheville-bound needs. The nation knows it for its

size, but Carolinians know the best time to visit: Holiday season at the Vanderbilt mansion means miles of garland and lights, over a thousand poinsettias, and 70 Christmas trees. This year’s theme, “Hearth and Home,” channels the spirit of Vanderbilt family hospitality. There are lightshows and quaint townscapes, and then there are historic sites that, all by themselves, beckon visitors at this time of year. The Biltmore is the Christmas house.

MCADENVILLE, NC

This little Gastonia suburb, known affectionately as “Christmas Town USA,” is known throughout the Carolinas for its extensive light displays. The town holds its annual tree lighting ceremony on December 1st, but that’s only the beginning: Festivals, church choir music, and the legendary Yule Log Parade follow. They also make tons of free kettle corn and hot chocolate. McAdenville is a tiny town of only about 700 people — the amount of Christmas decor per person certainly must hold some kind of record.

BREVARD, NC

The seat of Transylvania County is famous for its Twilight Tour, which is actually a full day of festivities. Downtown is closed to traffic for a massive parade, while Christmas market-style vendors line the streets. At night, the Twilight Tour itself begins: Horse-drawn carriages, luminaries, seasonal music, and the smells of delicious seasonal treats wafting from the many downtown shops and restaurants. It’s all rather magical, and one of the reasons Brevard has become a cultural center in Western North Carolina.

PHOTO OF BILTMORE PROVIDED BY BILTMORE

CLOCKWISE: Asheville’s Biltmore during the Christmas at Biltmore celebration. McAdenville lit up in all its glory. A snow covered Banner Elk.

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HOLIDAY

GIFT GUIDE 58 gifts from local shops and artisans that are sure to please this season

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1 The Diamonds Direct Bangle Collection from Diamonds Direct 2 Chef Alyssa’s Smoked Chili & Rosemary Mustard Spread from Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen 3 5.29-Carat Mint Tourmaline & Diamond Ring from Allen’s Jewelers 4 Aged Stone Statue from Good’s Home Furnishings 5 Winter Snood & Hat from The Pink Hanger 6 Hydros SL Fly Reel from Orvis 7 The Sporting Gent New River Flannel from The Sporting Gent 8 Vitamix Professional from Sur La Table 9 Minimal Hornet Tee from 704 Shop 10 Nomos Metro from Windsor

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Jewelers 11 Valentino Rockstud T-Strap Pump from Nordstrom 12 3-In-1 Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash from Buckskin & Mane 13 BeautyCounter Winter Dream Palette from Layne Barter Makeup 14 Hitl 5 Pocket Sport Pants from Taylor Richards & Conger 15 YETI Hopper Flip 12 from The Sporting Gent 16 Pai Calming Day Cream from Toccare 17 BMay Foldover Crossbody Bags In Vintage Gold And Silver Python from Amina Rubinacci 18 Sefta Colca Woven Throws from Isabella 19 Christian Louboutin So Kate Pumps from Neiman

Marcus 20 Emeralds, Sapphires, Black Onyx, Diamonds, & 18K White Gold Art Deco-inspired Ring from Perry’s Jewelry 21 Montblanc Shakespeare from Montblanc Charlotte Boutique SouthPark 22 23-wick Beauregard Candle from Dewoolfson 23 Set Of Oil On Paper Works By Eduardo Cardozo from LaCa Projects 24 Patagonia Bivy Down Jacket from Jesse Brown’s Outdoors 25 Magazine Subscription from QC Exclusive Magazine 26 Tribute To Shakespeare Cuff Links from Montblanc Charlotte Boutique SouthPark

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HOLIDAY

GIFT GUIDE 58 gifts from local shops and artisans that are sure to please this season

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27 Pearls from Amina Rubinacci 28 Big Green Egg from Blackhawk Hardware 29 Timex Red Wing Waterbury 30 Michael Strang’s “Tower Bridge, Sunrise” from Elder Gallery 31 Bulletprufe Denim from The Sporting Gent 32 The Houndstooth Wool from Ole Mason Jar 33 Whiskey Wood Stirrers from Whiskey Wood 34 Voyage Et Cie Candles from TRC-W 35 Nesting Bowls from East Fork Pottery 36 Dubarry Kerry Boots from Paul Simon 37 BeautyCounter Lustro Shimmer Oil from Layne Barter Makeup 38 Cat Scratch Tee from 704 Shop 39 Josh Brown’s Coon Runner

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from Shain Gallery 40 Merrell Eagles from Great Outdoor Provisions Co. 41 Hearts On Fire Copley Collection from David’s LTD 42 Waxing Poetic Ensemble Necklace from The Mole Hole 43 Shakespeare Pens from Montblanc Charlotte Boutique SouthPark 44 Yeti Rambler from Blackhawk Hardware 45 Oversized Faux Tart Collection Fur Vest from The Pink Hanger 46 Nikon Key Mission 80 from Best Buy 47 18kt Yellow, Rose, Or White Gold Milestone Bracelet from Elizabeth Bruns, Inc. Jewelers 48 Camp Anchor Necklace from The Mole Hole 49

WOLF Leather Jewelry Roll from Bedside Manor 50 Canfield Cannonball Shinola from David’s LTD 51 OyoBox Eye-Wear Organizer from Sally’s Optical Secrets 52 Bracelet by Paula Norby from Coffey & Thompson 53 NC Whiskey States Wall Decor by Heritage Handcrafted from The Sporting Gent 54 Oil On Canvas By Denise Moore from Coffey & Thompson 55 Paula Norby Handcrafted Necklace from Coffey & Thompson 56 French Bulldog Ring from Windsor Jewelers 57 Booties from Tiny 58 Hearts On Fire Multi-Stone Bangle from David’s LTD

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FEAST OF SEVEN FISHES

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PHOTOS BY LUNAHZON | MENU & STYLING BY THE PLAID PENGUIN FOOD & MENU EXECUTION BY CLEAN CATCH FISH MARKET | BY SUNNY HUBLER

As you may have noticed, we and our friends at Clean Catch and The Plaid Penguin really love good food.

This time of year, like most, we go for all the holiday classics: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits, sweet potato pie, and all the other tasty fixins’. But we also love ourselves a good culinary experiment, and as the holidays approached this year, we all knew we wanted to break with tradition and throw a photo-worthy party with a spread that would present us with a new cooking challenge.

Seafood might not seem like the most festive of the holiday dishes, but somehow it called to all of us. The traditional Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes is said to have begun in the southern regions of Italy, those history-laden places like Naples and Sicily. In the old country, Catholic Italians abstain from meat and dairy during the advent, and since meats aren’t eaten again until after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, fish became the star of the show.

Done in full holiday effect, the spread traditionally features seven different types of seafood dishes.

Each family chooses which frutti di mare will be indulged in, but standardly everything from squid to cod, crab, scallops, octopus, shrimp, clams, oysters, and lobsters makes its way to the table.

But what the Feast of Seven Fishes is really about is gathering. In the middle of hectic work schedules and deadlines, we met up with The Plaid Penguin team and called up our comrades at Clean Catch.

We threw together lengthy shopping lists and

photo mood boards, and formulated recipes. We filled our Yeti Tundra with some of the Southeast’s finest seafood and carried everything next door to our neighbors at The Igloo (The Plaid Penguin headquarters). We set up shop in their in-office test kitchen and a dozen of us stood around in the chilly air and fired up the charcoal grills. The nostalgic scent of burning pine began to waft through our little food-loving huddle.

Charlie Reid, the Johnson & Wales-trained chef at Clean Catch, whipped up dish after dish, from pine-smoked oysters to grilled lobster chowder and a killer salt-baked branzino. Charlie was a true pro, and managed somehow to keep the entire scene clean and tidy as he cooked, we tasted, and Lunahzon snapped photos.

We walked away with full bellies, a slew of gorgeous shots, recipes we each intend to store away for the future, and a sense of a new shared tradition. Next year’s Feast of Seven Fishes, we’ve already decided, will be even bigger, and the food even more delicious. Whether you hold your feast on Christmas Eve or on another day, we can’t help but recommend you look into hosting your own version. You can cook up three seafood dishes or thirteen, but it’s one more excuse to step back from the business of the season and the daily grind.

Instead, by breaking bread (and lobster claws) we can all focus on what really matters: food, health, happiness, tradition, and the ones we love.

FOR COMPLETE RECIPES: www.qcexclusive.com • FOR MORE INFO: www.theplaidpenguin.com | www.cleancatchfish.com

GRILLED SARDINES Baby Daikon Radish. Green Apple & Fennel Frond Salad. Grilled Grapefruit Vinaigrette.

MURDER INK PASTA Squid Ink Fettuccine. New Zealand Green Lip Mussels. Shaved Pecorino Toscano.

GRILLED LOBSTER Whole Lobster. Pine Needles.

LOBSTER CHOWDER Grilled Whole Lobster. Garlic Parsley Butter. Black Lava Salt.

SALT-BAKED BRANZINO Whole European Sea Bass. Lemon.

Oregano. Caper Butter Sauce.

BAVETTE & PRAWNS Bavette Pasta. Roasted Leeks.

Spicy Tomato Sauce. Tiger Prawns.

KING CRAB CIOPPINO Carmelized Fennel & Charred Tomato Broth.

King Crab. Little Clams. Grouper. Prawns. Mussels.

PINE-SMOKED OYSTERS Harker’s Island Oysters. Pine Needles.

Bonus 8th Dish:

OYSTER SCALLOPS Pan-seared Scallops. Sweet Potato Purée. Oyster Mushrooms. Chive Oil.

FOR COMPLETE RECIPES: www.qcexclusive.com • FOR MORE INFO: www.theplaidpenguin.com | www.cleancatchfish.com

The INDEX

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Acquisitions.................................................. 68 Allen’s Jewelers ............................................48 Amina Rubinacci .........................................20 Aqua e Vino ....................................................93 Arcadia Custom Homes .............................59 Bechtler Young Visionaries ......................55 Bedside Manor .............................................119 Bird Hardware ...............................................38 Blackhawk Hardware .................................89 Blue Ridge Mountain Club ...........................31 Bridgewater Capital ..................................139 Bruce Julian ...................................................64 Cadenza ........................................................107 Carolina Sculpsure....................................... 47 Carolinas HealthCare System ...................57 Cheval .............................................................45 Chiott Custom Homes .................................63 Clark Hall Doors............................................ 113 Classic Attic ..................................................136 Clean Catch ....................................................91 Coffey & Thompson ....................................110 Cosmetic Dentistry of the Carolinas......... 17 Cottingham Chalk Hayes ............................61 Craft .................................................................93 David’s LTD .......................................................2 Dewoolfson .................................................102 Diamond Springs......................................... 79 Diamonds Direct......................... Back Cover Drawing Room............................................ 129 DwellNova ......................................................10 Elizabeth Bruns ............................................25 Emby Taylor Photography .......................143 Engel & Völkers ...........................................109 Epicentre......................................................... 81

Fahrenheit .....................................................75 Global ..............................................................88 Good’s Home Furnishings .........................99 Grande Builders ............................................28 Grandfather Homes ....................................69 Hearth And Patio ........................................114 Infinity MedSpa ............................................49 Insight Automation .....................................35 J. Landon ........................................................101 Joe Purvis Photos ........................................117 KBN Interiors .................................................54 Kingswood ....................................................33 Laca Projects .................................................36 Lake Norman Realty ......................................12 Land Rover Charlotte ...................................19 Lauren Nicole Designs .............................105 Lindley Law ....................................................43 Lucky Clays Farm ........................................133 Majestic Bath ..................................................111 McCelvey Center .........................................137 McDevitt Agency ..........................................15 Meredith A. Jackson ....................................40 Metrolina Auto Group ....................................6 Metropolitan .................................................77 Mole Hole ........................................................114 Montblanc Charlotte Boutique ................27 Movement Mortgage .................................67 Myron Greer ...................................................42 Nestlewood Realty ......................................65 New Life Building Supplies .......................115 New Old .........................................................179 Noble Food Pursuits ...................................87 Omni Hotels & Resorts ................................132 Opera Carolina .............................................44

The STOCKISTS

Peppermint Forest ......................................141 Perry’s Estate Jewelry .................................22 Piedmont Town Center ...............................73 Pink Hanger ...................................................46 Premier Sotheby’s .........................................8 Queen’s Cup Steeplechase .......................131 ReSalon ..........................................................46 Remax Exclusive ............................................4 Reside Charlotte ..........................................39 Ritz-Carlton Charlotte ...............................85 RugCulture ....................................................118 Sally’s Optical Secrets ...............................135 Schiele Museum ..........................................142 Sea Level .........................................................74 Shain Gallery ..................................................53 South End Kitchens ......................................37 Specialty Shops SouthPark .......................83 Stark ................................................................23 Stickley Audi & Co. ......................................104 The Heartest Yard.............. ...........................48 Taylor Richards & Conger ...........................24 The Sporting Gent .........................................41 Theory Design Studio ................................32 Tiffany Lee Designs .....................................42 Tiny ..................................................................44 Toccare ...........................................................34 Walker Zanger ..............................................97 Windsor Jewelers .........................................21 Wolf Subzero ...............................................103 Yafo Kitchen ...................................................91

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