21 minute read
Representation Matters by Dezanii Lewis
REPRESENTATION MATTERS
BY DEZANII LEWIS
Subrina Collier and her husband, three-time James Beard Foundation nominee Chef Gregory Collier, didn’t always intend on launching the BayHaven Food and Wine Festival, a year event that prominently features Black culinary artists from around the world in Charlotte, but after attending numerous festivals in the city where Black chefs weren’t featured, they felt the time had long since passed to do so.
“I didn’t want us to be an afterthought at festivals,” said Subrina Collier. “I wanted Black folks to be a primary focus in the festival.”
That’s just what will happen — again — when the Colliers host the second annual BayHaven Food and Wine Festival at Camp North End from Oct. 1923.
While her chef husband may get the lion’s share of media attention, BayHaven is technically Subrina’s baby.
“I needed to do this festival for me because when I went to other festivals, I would go to certain cities where I didn’t see the representation reflective of that city,” she said.
The couple was inspired to name the festival after their respective roots in Memphis, Tennessee. Subrina is from the Frayser neighborhood, also known as the “The Bay,” while Greg comes from the Whitehaven neighborhood.
The collaboration doesn’t end with the name. Drawing on their two-decade experience in the culinary arts, the couple works together closely to make the event a success.
Subrina taps into her background in hospitality to oversee aspects of the BayHaven Food and Wine Festival that have to do with front-end logistics, from customer service to hosting and planning activities. Greg, on the other hand, handles logistics related to the food and culinary artists.
It’s a foundation built upon their experience working together at two restaurants the couple co-owns: Leah & Louise and Uptown Yolk. And a foundation that BayHaven has only improved upon.
“I think that actually made our foundation a little bit stronger,” Subrina said of the festival.
The festival was also borne out of a desire to showcase the many ways in which Black people flourish culinarily. Noting that Black people can be shoehorned into one style of cooking, Subrina thought the festival would be a great way to display their talents.
“When they think of Black people, sometimes we get boxed into soul food or traditional; macaroni a certain way, collard greens a certain way, chicken a certain way,” she said. “You can have all these ingredients and the technique be done in different ways. These chefs do that.”
After attending Greek and Italian festivals in her old neighborhood, Subrina felt that Black people could do something similar.
“I didn’t know there were levels to [Greek and Italian food] until I went to this festival and tried different foods,” she said. “I want that same thing for Black food.”
The festival will feature a variety of different cuisines including vegan, vegetarian, wild game and seafood.
A new start
The couple moved to Phoenix, Arizona, from Memphis while Gregory was in culinary school. Once he completed his studies, they wanted to move to a place where Black entrepreneurs could thrive.
They wanted to remain in the South, but didn’t want to return to Memphis. Their research led them to Charlotte, but it was just out of reach.
“We could not afford Charlotte so we found Rock Hill, [South Carolina],” Subrina Collier said.
In 2012, they found a location where they could open a restaurant and start small. The Yolk, a breakfast restaurant, provided them the perfect opportunity to learn the restaurant industry and make mistakes.
Since they were in an obscure town where they were relatively unknown, the couple had to play it safe.
“Greg was able to be creative with breakfast and it’s a little bit harder because you’re in a smaller country town,” she said. “So you have to watch how creative you are, but people were really receptive after trusting us and trying our cuisine and trusting what we did.”
After successfully operating the restaurant, they launched Soul Food Sessions, a pop-up dinner series hosted by a group of chefs, in 2016. After doing the pop-ups for two years, the couple went on a tour, sponsored by Coca-Cola, to Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, DC; Charlotte; and Charleston, South Carolina.
In 2019, the couple relocated The Yolk to Charlotte and renamed it Uptown Yolk.
Opened in summer 2020, Leah and Louise faced troubles due to the pandemic but has surpassed those to become one of the city’s most critically acclaimed restaurants.
The Memphis-style juke joint is named after Gregory’s late sister and grandmother, both of whom inspired Gregory’s cooking.
“My baby sister Leah and my Granny Louise both died too soon for me,” Greg said upon announcing his intentions to open Leah & Louise in July 2019. “In the kitchen, Leah was always fun and creative, and my Granny was always classic and consistent with cooking and techniques.”
Uptown Yolk closed due to the pandemic, but is set to reopen by December 2022 or January 2023, said Subrina.
With the success of their restaurants and Soul Food Sessions, Subrina had the desire to do something on a larger scale, but she needed the time to plan it.
A party for everyone
Having launched the BayHaven Food and Wine festival just a year ago, the Colliers had to learn a lot and learn it quickly. Experience has been the best teacher, allowing them to learn the ways in which they can improve the festival this year.
“I didn’t have a foundation the first year. So you’re kind of shooting in the dark and learning as you go,” Subrina said. “We have a foundation this year. I know what to expect a little bit better. Certain things you can’t verbally teach people. You have to just go through it.”
There were several facets to confront, with the hardest part of launching any new venture being capital. For the Colliers, that was no different, but Subrina said they were able to make it work.
“You are putting up a lot and waiting to either get return on the back end or you might lose money because it’s a lot of capital,” she said. “Fortunately, you get great sponsors that still want to assist.” Another difficult aspect involves the planning and logistics. Sometimes it helps to have another hand in the pot. Veteran chef and James Beard Foundation award-winner Ricky Moore has worked with the Colliers on the festival since its inception and, like them, he thought an event like this was overdue.
“What Greg and Subrina is doing is really bringing things forward,” he said.
Moore has been in the culinary industry for about 30 years and in that time he has not seen many events like BayHaven.
“There was a time where people who looked like me would go to all these events across the country and you can barely see any African Americans working these events,” Moore said. “You’ll see a sprinkle here and there. It’s gotta be more. Why aren’t they being invited? Why aren’t they being showcased?”
Subrina agrees with Moore’s observations, and thinks this shouldn’t be such a novel concept.
“I think people have become more conscious of it. I think after 2020 a lot of folks were conscious of stuff,” said Subrina Collier. “Folks act like Black folks just came out in 2020, but that’s another conversation.”
“We are here, we’re present, we are crafts people, we are skilled professionals,” added Moore. “We’re well traveled and we have influenced a lot of the culinary culture in this country.”
While the focal point of the festival is to showcase Black talent, that doesn’t mean other communities aren’t invited.
“It’s for everybody,” Subrina Collier said.
According to Moore, it’s not only encouraged for others to come, it’s necessary.
“I support everybody outside of the community coming to check it out,” he said. “We need more people outside our community coming to see it and feel it.”
Moore said he hopes that attendees will feel like they’ve been missing something by not attending events like this sooner. He also thinks it will influence future generations.
“People need something, somebody, to connect with, that looks like them, to see the possibilities,” he said. “That’s what I was looking for when I was coming up.”
This year’s BayHaven Food and Wine Festival will feature a college homecoming theme, as Subrina Collier said colleges and universities have been some of the festival’s most vocal supporters.
Given the theme, it’s going to be a party and the Colliers want everyone to have fun, but they also want it to be a learning experience.
“Life is hard so we just want to make sure people have a good time,” Subrina told Queen City Nerve. “Everybody can learn something. Not only have a good time but learn. I want you to learn about more Black cuisine and beverage makers. It’s not only for showcasing, it’s for educating and having a good time while you’re doing it.”
Both Moore and the Colliers intend on doing this festival every year that they are able to do so. It’s not only fun, but important. “I think it shines a light on that question asked by the New York Times. There was a question that was asked, ‘Where are all the Black chefs?’” Moore said.
He thinks the BayHaven Food and Wine Festival will help answer that question.
“What do you mean where are they?” he asked. “They’re here.”
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Pg. 17 OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 1, 2022 - QCNERVE.COM
SUDOKU
BY LINDA THISTLE
PLACE A NUMBER IN THE EMPTY BOXES IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH ROW ACROSS, EACH COLUMN DOWN AND EACH SMALL 9-BOX SQUARE CONTAINS ALL OF THE NUMBERS ONE TO NINE. 1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the coldest ocean on Earth? 2. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What kind of animal is represented by the scientific order Proboscidea? 3. LANGUAGE: What does the Greek prefix “pan-” mean in English? 4. MEDICAL: What is the common name for Hansen’s disease? 5. LITERATURE: Which 1970s nonfiction book begins with the line, “We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold”? 6. THEATER: Who wrote the Tony Award-winning play “The Heidi Chronicles”? 7. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: The Empire State Building in New York has how many stories? 8. ACRONYMS: In photography, what does the acronym SLR stand for? 9. FOOD & DRINK: Which country produces a cheese called Manchego? 10. HISTORY: Who was the first House Speaker in U.S. history?
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Pg. 19 OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 1, 2022 - QCNERVE.COM
AERIN IT OUT A LESSON IN JUDGMENT
Proved wrong and loving it
BY AERIN SPRUILL
“I’m so excited not to have plans tomorrow,” I lamented to my boyfriend after a long weekend of selfimposed overindulgence, followed by two “school night” commitments.
“Well, we’ve got tickets to a show at Visulite tomorrow,” he responded. News to me, I thought to myself and proceeded to have a baby mental tantrum. I knew a hump day show for this nightlife owl would quickly devolve into a state of disrepair until the following Monday afternoon. Then I remembered that one of my girlfriends (who was also going to the show) was celebrating her birthday at midnight, which meant there was no escaping this one.
He sent me the flyer from Visulite Theatre’s IG, a rudimentary graphic depicting John Moreland and special guest Caroline Spence in an annoyingly fuzzy typeface and an ’80s-style double-exposure image of who I assumed was Moreland (you know, the kind with an ethereal-looking floating head?) smack dab in the middle of a plain white square backdrop. Enticing.
Don’t let my undeniable country twang fool you, if you’d asked me if I’d heard of Tulsa-born, “Americana and alt-country” singer/songwriter John Moreland before that day, I would’ve choked on my sweet tea and replied with one of my country ass colloquialisms, “I don’t know that man from Adam,” which, for those of you who don’t speak Southern Baptist, simply means I don’t know that person at all.
Then I would’ve followed with some version of, “Have you seen Watchmen on HBO? Yes, I know its depiction of The Black Wall Street Massacre follows an alternate history but I still don’t want nothin’ to do with Tulsa.”
Ask my friends, they’ll tell you. So I did what any sensible (read: a deep South skeptic from the sticks of NC) person would do, I Googled, “John Moreland on racism.”
I found an article on the first page of results, “How John Moreland Became Miranda Lambert’s Favorite Songwriter” from Rolling Stone. Sounds promising; Miranda seems to stay above the fray when it comes to controversy. And there I found my green light for attendance, a quote from Moreland, “I don’t believe in Satan. I think the devil is just anything that sucks. I think the devil is just like assholes and racists and homophobes: all the shitty things about the world.”
Now if that didn’t make me want to finger-whistle, hoot, holler, and whatever else you do at a country show, I don’t know what would.
It was chilly when the sun went down that evening, but standing in front of Visulite with all its “historical humility” as the taste of the Magners Irish Cider I just chugged hung on my lips, I felt oddly cozy. The lobby is no frills, like the “vestibule” of an old church. Dust gathered in the corners, a single decorative rug far too small to make the space feel homey, an entryway table holding absolutely nothing with a few flyers for shows (most likely long past) hanging above it on the wall, and the light smell of mothballs in the air.
All indicators that the message one needs to hear is inside, not seen on the outside.
We entered quietly so as to not interrupt the scratchybut-sweet-voiced Caroline Spence in the midst of telling a quite funny bit on how her next song was inspired by post-drunk feels. Same, girl.
Spence was delightful, quirky, and charming, which made me wish we’d gotten there in time to see her whole set. But it came to an end shortly after we settled into stools on the edge of the bar. And soon after, a quiet John Moreland stepped through the red curtain and beneath a panel of Austrian scalloped curtains walking toward a chair on center stage.
A gentle giant and man of few words, Moreland’s calm demeanor, and humble presence performed the only introduction needed as he sat down, quietly tuned his guitar, and maybe mumbled a few discernible words of thanks. A single disco ball hanging over the crowd caught my gaze spinning slightly as he twisted and plucked. A couple of intentional strums and I knew to return my gaze as Moreland began to play “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars.”
The moment you hear his husky twang you know he can carry a tune, but its genteel nature is irresistible, drawing you in as if he’s whispering a melancholic, earnest, and contemplative letter into your ear.
Though concerned he would be “whistling a different tune,” my trepidations were put to ease from the outset and before you knew it, I was heading to the swag table to buy the boyfriend High on Tulsa Heat on vinyl. Sometimes stepping outside of my comfort zone has its rewards.
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LIFESTYLE
OCTOBER 19 - 25 OCT. 26 - NOV. 1
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This is a good time for the usually outspoken Lamb to be a bit more discreet. You still can get your point across, but do it in a way less likely to turn off a potential supporter.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Good news: All that hard work you put in is beginning to pay off. But you need to watch that tendency to insist on doing things your way or no way. Be a bit more flexible.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might want to delay making a decision on the future of a long-standing relationship until you check out some heretofore hidden details that are just now beginning to emerge.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Your reluctance to compromise on an important issue could backfire without more facts to support your position. Weigh your options carefully before making your next move.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) This is a good time for ambitious Leos or Leonas to shift from planning their next move to actually executing it. Your communication skills help persuade others to join you.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Relationships -- personal or professional -- present new challenges. Be careful not to let a sudden surge of stubbornness influence how you choose to deal with them.
HOROSCOPE
BORN THIS WEEK: You have a gift for understanding people’s needs. You have a low tolerance for those who act without concern for others.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You might need more facts before you can decide on a possible career change. But you should have no problem making a decision about an important personal matter.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You’re respected by most people for your direct, nononsense approach to the issues. But be careful you don’t replace honest skepticism with stinging sarcasm.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A newly emerging situation could require a good deal of attention and some difficult decisionmaking. However, close friends will help you to see it through.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Family matters need attention. Check things out carefully. There still might be unresolved tensions that could hinder your efforts to repair damaged relationships.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Of course you deserve to indulge yourself in something special. But for now, tuck that bit of mad money away. You’ll need it to help with a looming cash crunch.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A temporary setback in your financial situation is eased by changing some of your plans. You’ll be able to ride it out quite well until the tide turns back in your favor. ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Someone has some suggestions to offer regarding your new project. You might find them helpful. Remember to avoid speculation and to stick with just the facts, dear Lamb.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) An old friend suddenly reappears. Whether this proves to be a boon or a bane in the Bovine’s life depends on the reason for this surprising reappearance. Be cautious.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Vital information finally emerges, allowing you to make that important personal decision. You can now move your focus to an upcoming professional development.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might not like seeing so many on-the-job changes. But some of them could open new opportunities for your Moon Child talents to shine to your best advantage.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Expect a challenge to the usual way you do things. Although you might prefer the tried-and-true, once you take a good look at this new idea, you might feel more receptive to it.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A close friend could offer advice on how to handle a difficult family matter. But in the end, the decision has to be made based on what is best for you and those you love. BORN THIS WEEK: You seek balance, but not at the expense of justice. You would make a fine judge.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Family problems are best worked out when all those concerned contribute suggestions that will ease tensions. Stay with it until a workable solution is found.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Expect to hear more about an offer that has piqued your interest. You earn respect for insisting on solid facts, not just a fancy talk about potential opportunities.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) What seemed to be a reasonable workplace request might need to be defended. Don’t fret. You have both the facts and a surprise ally on your side.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A bit of capriciousness might be just what you need. Plan to kick up your heels in a round of fun and games with family and friends this weekend.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Although some of your plans might have to be put on hold, things do begin to take a turn for the better by midweek. Your financial crunch also eases.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your financial picture begins to brighten by week’s end. There are also favorable changes in your personal life. Someone you care for has good news to report.
PUZZLE ANSWERS
10. Frederick Muhlenberg. 9. Spain. 8. Single lens reflex. 7. 102. 6. Wendy Wasserstein. Thompson). in Las Vegas” (Hunter S. 5. “Fear and Loathing 4. Leprosy. 3. “All” (panorama, etc.). 2. Elephants. 1. The Arctic Ocean. Trivia Answers
SAVAGE LOVE CRUSHING LOADS
That special feeling
BY DAN SAVAGE
I’m a 71-year-old gay man married to a much younger man. That’s all fine, not relevant so much as just info. Fifteen years ago, I briefly took Prozac. While it dulled my sex drive, the orgasms I did manage to have while taking Prozac were off the charts. I even talked to my doctor about it at the time and he just sort of shrugged and said enjoy it. Okay, fine. But a little more than 15 years later — off Prozac for most of that time (I didn’t stay on it long) — my orgasms are still off the charts. My husband’s last a kind of normal-ish five-toeight seconds but mine continue for a good 30 seconds and leave me unable to function after. Possibly related, from time to time I get a short but slamming headache. I also very rarely experience unpleasant orgasm-related disorientation, like a sense of “déjà vu” that lasts for hours. I have been to a neurologist about this but was offered no explanation. I worry these orgasms might be permanently debilitating to me. Do you think I could be harming myself with these massive mindblowing events? I am having sex about twice a week and they are always like that.
MASSIVE ORGASMS AND NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Some people get intense headaches immediately before or after climaxing, and while “sex headaches,” as their doctors call them, can be extremely annoying, they’re not life-threatening. If you’re using Viagra or poppers (which should never be used together), that could be causing or worsening your sex headaches.
As for your other symptoms, a recent study written up in The Times of London could offer some guidance. The study, published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, focused on post orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS), a rare sexual dysfunction that afflicts a tiny percentage of men. Basically, men can become allergic to their own sperm cells, and their own immune systems mount a response to those “left behind” sperm cells that exit the balls but not the body.
“Many health providers do not know about it, let alone the public,” the study’s lead author, Andrew Shanholtzer, a medical student at Oakland University, told The Times of London. “It is more than likely that it is underdiagnosed, with many sufferers out there.”
Seeing as symptoms include feelings of fatigue, disorientation, and headaches, along with an assortment of flu-like symptoms, MOANS, it’s possible that you’re one of those undiagnosed sufferers.
The study details how Shanholtzer treated a younger POIS sufferer whose symptoms sounded a lot worse (and a lot less fun) than yours: a cough, swollen lymph nodes, hives. The use of an antihistamine reduced the severity of this man’s symptoms by more than 90%. The study will be published in the November 2022 issue of Urology Case Reports (“Post orgasmic illness syndrome successfully treated with antihistamine: A case report,” Shanholtzer, et al), if you want to print it out, show it to your doctor, and give the recommended antihistamine — fexofenadine — a try. Or, hey, maybe it was the Prozac you briefly took 15 years ago and an antihistamine won’t help.
All that said, MOANS, we all gotta go sometime … and I can think of much worse ways than being taken out by a massive orgasm in my eighth decade of life.
Listen to Dan on the Savage Lovecast; send questions to questions@savagelove.net; follow Dan on Twitter @ FakeDanSavage.
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