Durham Magazine June/July 2022

JUNE/JULY 2022 DURHAMMAG.COM

RIGHT ON ’CUE Boxyard RTP – named best in Durham for live music – is also home to readers’ favorites like Lawrence Barbecue and Fullsteam Brewery.

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Love Your CARPET

magazine

JUNE/JULY 2022 VOL 15 NO 3

durhammag.com   

EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR

Amanda MacLaren amanda.maclaren@durhammag.com

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Renee Ambroso renee.ambroso@trianglemediapartners.com Brooke Spach brooke.spach@trianglemediapartners.com DIGITAL EDITOR

Hannah Lee hannah.lee@triangledigitalpartners.com

EDITOR, CHAPEL HILL MAGAZINE & EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE

Jessica Stringer

MANAGING EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE

Anna-Rhesa Versola EDITORIAL INTERNS

Cailey Cetani, Alicia Clanton, Ben Crosbie, Delaney Galvin, Natalie Huschle, CC Kallam, Abigail Keller, Casey Medlin, Jessica Mirelli, Isabella Reilly, Caleb Sigmon, Megan Tillotson and Caitlyn Yaede CONTRIBUTORS

Morgan Crutchfield, Elizabeth Kane, Matthew Lardie, Shane Snider, Amber Watson and Morgan Cartier Weston

ART

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kevin Brown

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Lindsay Scott

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Khadijah Weekes-Nolan PHOTOGRAPHER

John Michael Simpson CONTRIBUTOR

Jean Carlos Rosario-Montalvo

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PUBLISHER, HEART OF NC WEDDINGS

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June/July 2022

contents

72 Best of Durham 2022 Winners 90 Remarkable Rooms A few of our city’s best architects and interior designers share a unique recent project

FEATURES

24 9 Burning Questions with Durham County Manager Kimberly J. Sowell 116 The Biker Gang A group of Durham cyclists gather together in the name of health and camaraderie 120 Give a Little Bit AmeriCorps Retired and Senior Volunteer Program matches volunteers to local organizations 124 Directory of Continuing Care, Assisted Living, Independent Living, 55+ Living and Cohousing Retirement Communities

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS BEST OF DURHAM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

10 My View of Durham Readers’ favorite photographer Morgan Crutchfield shares a meaningful image of her own

18 Noted What we’ve heard around our city …

150 Engagement & Wedding Tying the knot, Bull City-style

30 Durham’s Finalists Alley Twenty Six and Saltbox Seafood Joint – both of which celebrate a decade in business this year – are perennial Best of Durham Winners and 2022 James Beard Award nominees

DURHAM INC.

134 Hot Shots We chat with Paul Davis and Gavin Jocius of Mosi Tea

36 Hot and Happening The scoop on our best new restaurants

140 Biz Briefs

42 Tour de Force This downtown district is jam-packed with Best of Durham winners

144 Networking Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours

48 How Do You ’Cue? Meat (OK, OK … ‘meet’) the man behind this Boxyard RTP fan favorite

146 The State of Our Local Auto Industry Computer chip shortages, inventory woes, supply chain issues and rising gas prices have created a challenge for consumers and business alike

52 Primo Pasta Authenticity is the name of the game for this readers’ favorite food artisan 56 Step It Up One of Durham’s best new businesses and dance studios sees early success despite opening amid the pandemic 60 Minding Their Manor The couple behind this readers’ favorite B&B reflect on a quarter century in the hospitality business

6 Go.See.Do Our top picks for a sizzling summer

PEOPLE & PLACES 64 Summer Do’s (and Don’ts) Hairstylists at our readers’ favorite salons share tips and styles to beat the heat this summer 70 Made in Durham Bestselling products from our readers’ favorite local brands

12 The Gathering at Parker & Otis 16 “Reckoning and Resilience” artists celebration at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Best Museum e Best Event Spac

2022

“You can spend all day there from open to close and still find something you haven’t done the next day.”

The Museum of Life and Science is one of the top-rated destinations in North Carolina. It’s an interactive science center, a nature park with animals, and 84-acres of open-ended experiences. We’ve got bears, dinosaurs, butterflies, train rides, treehouses, stuff from outer space, and a 20-foot waterfall. Visit today!

433 W. Murray Ave, Durham, NC 27704 lifeandscience.org 919-220-5429

Duke Hospice Gala JUNE 1 1 Duke HomeCare & Hospice hosts the

18th annual event benefiting its hospice patients and services, including grief counseling programs in local school systems and its Camp ReLEAF program, which provides a grieving space for youth who have recently experienced the death of a significant person in their lives. The gala’s theme this year is “Essence of a Hummingbird” and will include dinner, dancing, silent and live auctions, a photo booth and more at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club.

go see do

American Dance Festival J U N E 3 – J ULY 20

One of the most influential modern dance festivals in the world celebrates its 89th annual event. ADF welcomes audiences back to its first full season in three years, which features more than 25 companies such as Pilobolus, Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Limón Dance Company as well as North Carolinians Ramya Sundaresan Kapadia and José Velasquez at venues including The Fruit, Reynolds Industries Theater, Page Auditorium and Rubenstein Arts Center.

OUR TOP PICKS FOR A SIZZLING SUMMER

PLAYlist Concert Series JULY 1 , JULY 2 8, AU G. 5 , SEPT. 2 , OCT. 7 Durham Central Park and WNCU 90.7-

FM bring back this free outdoor concert

series featuring national and local artists at DCP’s Pavilion and lawn – rain or shine. Every first Friday through October, head to the park and spread out your blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy live music, food trucks, craft beer and cider. Performers include Gaby Moreno, Wesley Nóog and more.

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EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; CHECK WITH ORGANIZERS PRIOR TO ATTENDING Compiled by Alicia Clanton

Mandy Moore J U N E 12

The award-winning singer, songwriter and actress takes the stage at The Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall to perform songs from her latest album, “In Real Life,” which was released in May. The tracks lean heavily on personal storytelling, exploring themes including Moore’s recent journey into motherhood and relationships with loved ones.

You’re a leader, nurturer, companion.

We provide healthcare focused on you.

Duke Integrative Medicine provides a personalized whole-person approach to care that puts you the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that may affect your health.

To learn more or to make an appointment call 919-660-6826 or visit DukeIntegrativeMedicine.org

Our Services Include • Integrative Medicine Consultations For Adults

• Integrative Nutrition • Acupuncture

• Psychotherapy & Emotional Wellness

• Massage Therapy • Yoga Therapy

• Wellness Strategies For Cancer • Integrative Health Coaching

Go See Do

Festival for the Eno

Beyond the Surface

JULY 2 & 4

J U N E 16 – FE B . 19

The 43rd annual EnoFest will have musical performances across several stages, an international food court with local vendors and food trucks, plus a juried craft show spotlighting talented artisans, all on the banks of the Eno River at West Point on the Eno. As one of our city’s premier Fourth of July celebrations, the festival benefits the Eno River Association, which protects land and natural resources in the Eno River basin.

The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University presents this exhibition of about 40 works – primarily from its own collection – which highlights collage, mixed media and textile pieces that showcase the combination of unexpected elements to create a cohesive vision, like this 2013 work by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, “The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born” Might Not Hold True For Much Longer.

Juneteenth Celebration J U N E 18 & 19

To Kill a Mockingbird AUG. 2 -7

The Durham Performing Arts Center presents Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of the classic American novel by Harper Lee, starring Emmy-winning actor Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch.

This official Juneteenth celebration commemorating the abolition of slavery returns for its 17th year, this time as a two-day event at the Golden Belt Campus. Hosted by Spectacular Magazine and the Triangle Cultural Awareness Foundation, the festivities begin on Saturday with live music and children’s activities as well as African and African American art, food and fashion by craft vendors on display. Sunday celebrates Southern Black culinary traditions with a barbecue cook-off; the winner will advance to the National Juneteenth BBQ Competition in Galveston, Texas.

Pork, Pickles & Peanuts

That Music Fest

JULY 2 3

Come Hear North Carolina

Celebrate our state’s history and culinary traditions at Duke

presents 25 North Carolinabased acts performing across three stages at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park during this new two-day music festival. Buy a single-day ticket, an on-field pass to experience live entertainment on the baseball diamond or a weekend pass to catch the entire lineup, which includes The Mountain Goats, Delta Rae, Steep Canyon Rangers, Mipso and American Aquarium.

J U N E 24 & 25

Homestead State Historic Site and

Tobacco Museum.

Watch historical cooking demonstrations from vendors in costume, sample traditional dishes like barbecue and pie, enjoy live music and cast your vote for the People’s Choice award for best barbecue.

PAGE 8 (Clockwise from top left): Duke Hospice Gala photo courtesy of Duke HomeCare & Hospice; American Dance Festival, Helen Simoneau Danse, photo by Whitney Browne; PLAYlist Concert photo courtesy of Ryan Moeller; PAGE 10 (Clockwise from top right): "Beyond The Sufrace," Acrylic and transfers on paper, 64 × 82 inches (162.6 × 210.5 cm). Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Promised gift of Marjorie and Michael Levine. ©Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Photo by Peter Paul Geoffrion; "To Kill A Mockingbird," photo by Julieta Cervantes.

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Our 2022 Travel Guide is Now Available!

Scan this QR Code to request our 2022 Travel Guide

my view of durham Readers’ favorite photographer Morgan Crutchfield shares a meaningful image of her own

PHOTO BY ARIEL PERRY

‘Home’

“I may be a Durham native, but it wasn’t until 2011 when I really fell in love with Durham.

Downtown, specifically, before it was what it is now. It was definitely on the ‘come-up,’ as you can see from this older photo of the Durham Freeway, but I remember (and miss) when downtown was quiet. (I’m a bit of a grandma.)

As a waitress at Dame’s Chicken & Waffles during the tail end of college – back when it was still at 317 W. Main St. – I passed this sign nearly every day. Those years were spent as an Eagle at North Carolina Central University, so I also took this exit to get to campus. Fayetteville Street holds a very special place in my heart. It’s really where my photography journey began to bloom.

This photo was taken in 2018. I didn’t know at the time that years later it would bring me comfort. When I look at this photo, I honestly see home, for so many reasons.

I am Morgan Crutchfield of Morgan Crutchfield Photography. I love photographing love, candid moments and life changes. I grew up a Bouncing Bulldog and had my first paid wedding gig as a photographer in 2013.

Shoutout to my Durham friends for taking a chance on me, and all my friends and family who have since supported me. Durham, and this community, is a big reason I’m even a photographer today. Thank y’all.”

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people &places

The Gathering

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Several female business leaders in our community joined together in a networking event hosted by Triangle Media Partners, the Reinvention Road Trip and Parker & Otis at the latter in late March.

Two dozen women gathered to mingle and nosh on delicious hors d’oeuvres at the American Tobacco Campus gift and sandwich shop (in fact, it won a Best of Durham award this year in both those categories!), and Jes Averhart of Reinvention Road Trip even gave away a copy of one of her books, “Oh, Lords!”  12

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1 Eno River Association Development Director Emily Hill, BridgePoint General Contracting President Shelley McPhatter and Kate’s Korner DropIn Childcare Center Owner and Founder Kezia Goodwin.

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The world always looks

brighter

from behind a smile

Martha Ann Keels, DDS, PhD Erica A. Brecher, DMD, MS M. Gentry Byrd, DDS, MPH

TOP magazine

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People & Places

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2 Cast Iron Group Partner Rochelle Johnson, Durham County Manager Kimberly J. Sowell and SPROCKIT Chief Marketing Officer Nicole Marsalis.

3 Durham Tech Foundation Executive Director Melissa Chappell, American Tobacco + Diamond View Events and Property Experience Director Valerie Ward and Triangle Media Partners’ Ellen Shannon.

4 Dr. Audrey Kemp of Bull City Dental; Jes Averhart with the Reinvention Road Trip; Jennings Brody of Parker & Otis, Tiny and Chet Miller; and Rory Gillis of Triangle Media Partners.

5 Durham County Library Development Officer Sara Stephens and Egnyte Campaigns Manager Pashara Black.

6 Durham Public Schools Director of Marketing and Community Engagement Sheena J. Cooper, City of Durham Public Affairs Director Beverly Thompson and Casey’s Company Founder and CEO Casey Steinbacher.

7 Jewelsmith President and General Manager Kristine M. Wylie with Triangle Media Partners’ Chris Elkins.

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FAITH. COMMUNITY. SPIRIT. GROWTH. 2022

2021

2020

Photography by Bellamy’s Angelic Images

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Part of The Empower Circle, a creative company focused on empowering communities through art around the world. theempowercircle.com

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People & Places

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Art Together Now

BY MEGAN TILLOTSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY J CALDWELL, NASHER MUSEUM

The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University (one of our readers’ favorite museums and art galleries in the 2022 Best of Durham poll!) celebrated the 30 artists in its “Reckoning and Resilience: North Carolina Art Now” exhibition, which features more than 100 works of contemporary art in media ranging from traditional paintings, drawings and sculptures, to ceramics, textiles, performance art, experimental video and more. Visitors to the event made their own art inside the museum, enjoyed Wonderpuff cotton candy, and danced to the tunes provided by 9th Wonder and DJ Khrysis in the museum’s Sculpture Garden. The works by Durham-based artists such as Kennedi Carter, Julia Gartrell, Stephen Hayes, Meg Stein, Cornell Watson and Saba Taj, among others, will be on display through July 10.

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1 “Reckoning and Resilience” artists Saba Taj and Kimberley Pierce Cartwright. 2 “Reckoning and Resilience” artist Stephen Hayes and his piece, “Flying ‘W.’” 3 Duke University President Vincent Price and his wife, Annette Price, check out the Radical Repair Workshop. 4 Nasher Friends Board member Danny Bell and “Reckoning and Resilience” artist Jessica Clark of the Lumbee/Coharie and Lumbee tribes, respectively.

5 Grammy award-winning producer 9th Wonder.

6 “Reckoning and Resilience” artist Cornell Watson and Chris Facey.

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noted.

ON THE MOVE

Jeanette Collins stepped down from her post

as the director of curation and operations at the Museum of Durham History in April to move on to a nationally focused exhibit company.

Kate Senner, former

director of development at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, joined the Museum of Life and Science in March as its new vice president for advancement, in which she is responsible for leading the organization’s fundraising strategy and establishing a culture of philanthropy. One of Kate’s first tasks was to oversee the museum’s 75th anniversary celebration on May 20.

Tabitha Blackwell is the

new executive director of Book Harvest. She took over the nonprofit’s Durham operations and programming following founder Ginger Young’s appointment as CEO as the organization expands to serve communities across the state.

Tabitha previously served on Book Harvest’s board of directors from 2015 to 2021, and was board chair for four years.

Big Spoon Roasters is moving from the space

it’s occupied since 2013 at 4517 Hillsborough Rd., Ste. 103-B to set up shop in a more than 20,000-square-foot warehouse at 500 Meadowlands Dr. in Hillsborough. Big Spoon will occupy about 16,500 square feet by August of this year, with plans to expand into the 18

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Send us your news!

WHAT WE’VE HE ARD AROUND OUR CIT Y …

Compiled by Renee Ambroso and Natalie Huschle

remaining space within three years. Big Spoon recently acquired two accolades – its limitededition Fig Walnut Macaroon Almond Butter won the new product award in the Nut, Seed and Confectionary Butters category of the Specialty Food Association’s 2022 sofi Awards; and the brand was named a best DurhamMade Product in our Best of Durham poll.

WHAT AN HONOR The Duke Office of

Durham & Community Affairs presented the

annual 2022 Lars Lyon Volunteer Service Award and partial scholarship to rising senior Emily Gitlin, pictured above right, for her involvement in the Hypertension Outreach program with Lincoln

Community Health Center,

among other projects.

Shana Lee McAlexander,

pictured right, who leads grant operations for Duke’s AI for Understanding and Designing Materials Program, received the 2022 Duke Employee Community Service Award. The office donated $200 to The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, where Shana serves as a Student Action Board advisor.

Danny Thomas “Tom” Jaynes, who retired

from his post as executive vice president at Durham Technical Community College last June, was honored for his nearly three decades of service to Durham Tech with an award from The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society. He was given the highest honor N.C.’s governor

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From births to awards to new biz and more –

Email editorial@durhammag.com

can bestow in March during an opening celebration for the D. Thomas Jaynes Art Gallery, where three of his own artworks are displayed. The award recognizes exemplary contributions to the community. “I could not be more honored than to have my name associated with the acts of artistry in painting, photography, in sculpture, drawing and more,” says Tom, pictured center with Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton, left, and former president William “Bill” G. Ingram.

The Raleigh-Durham area ranked No. 6 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-23 Best Places to Live list among the 150 most populous metro areas in the United States.

The rankings were determined based on affordability, desirability and quality of life.

The Forest at Duke worked with SAGE

Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders, the largest and oldest nonprofit in the U.S. advocating for queer older adults, to provide training to employees. It subsequently earned a SAGECare Certification at the platinum level, signaling the retirement community’s daily commitment to honor diversity and inclusion.

Triangle Ecycling received the 2022 Leaders

in Literacy Award from the Durham Literacy Center during a ceremony at Durham Central Park on May 12. The honor is in recognition of its ongoing work to provide tech education

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Bull City Gymnastics

student Olivia Liu, 11, placed first in her age group for the second year in a row at the North Carolina State Championships, held at the Raleigh School of Gymnastics in March.

She earned the highest score in difficulty level No. 7 among 150 competitors and went on to compete during the Region 8 competition in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as part of North Carolina’s team, which placed first in the allaround competition.

Durham Jazz Workshop

and Sharp 9 Gallery were recognized among 28 of the nation’s leading jazz facilitators in local communities by the Jazz Journalists Association and received a Spring 2022 Jazz Heroes award.

Co-founder and Durham Jazz Workshop director Dave Finucane (pictured) and co-founder Valerie Courreges were honored in the annual award announcement.

Durham ranked No. 19 on Southern Living’s list of The South’s Best College Towns, which was released in March.

The North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association held its 2022 Stars of the Industry award ceremony on April 18 at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. Event sponsors included Ponysaurus Brewing Co. and Fullsteam Brewery. Giorgios Bakatsias of Giorgios Hospitality & Lifestyle Group – which operates Parizade, Vin Rouge, Local 22, 20

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IN OUR SCHOOLS

Durham Academy students competed

The Nasher Museum Cafe and Krill – received

at the KCF All-Girls National Chess Championships in Chicago in April. Asha Kumar, a ninth grader, won the 16 and younger category while her sister, Arya Kumar, tied for fifth in the 18 and younger group. Eleventh grader Triya Venkataraja also played in the 18 and younger division and tied for ninth.

the restaurateur of the year award (pictured), while James Holcomb of the Washington Duke Inn was one of two recipients named restaurant manager of the year.

Choreographer Shen Wei received the 2022 Samuel H. Scripps/American

Dance Festival Award

honoring his lifetime achievements. He’s in PHOTO COURTESY residence during ADF’s OF HUNAN TV 2022 season, teaching students in the Footprints program. Shen will be presented with the $50,000 award during a ceremony on July 16 prior to his students’ performance at Reynolds Industries Theater. “Shen Wei is one of the most innovative choreographers of the 21st century,” says ADF Executive Director Jodee Nimerichter.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs was among

PHOTO BY SUKIA IKBAL-DOUCET

via internships for Durham Public Schools high schoolers, computer classes at the Durham County Library and in recycling electronics.

10 emerging authors who each received a $50,000 prize during the 37th Annual Whiting Awards in April. Judges stated that Alexis’ work of nonfiction, “Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals,” offers “new methods of feeling, and insists with the best of environmental literature that protecting the planet’s collapsing animal ecologies is vital to saving what makes us human.”

Duke University School of Nursing was ranked

No. 2 among nursing master’s programs and doctor of nursing programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report this year. Nine nursing degree programs within the school ranked No. 1 in the U.S.

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Durham Academy students also competed in the 2022 Tarheel Forensic League State Championship at Pinecrest High School and won for the second consecutive year. Their coach, Crawford Leavoy, received the 2022 Mildred Hussey Coach of the Year award for leading the 43-student team, an honor he also earned in 2018 and 2020.

Durham School of the Arts theater teacher

Kristin Winchester is one of two recipients

nationwide of the 2022 Inspiring Teacher Award from The Broadway League’s Jimmy Awards. Kristin coached DSA alum Elena Holder, who won the 2021 Best Actress Jimmy Award, and will be honored on June 27 at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City.

The Durham Public Schools Foundation launched Corporate Leaders for Public Education in May, consisting of a network of companies collaborating to build strategic corporate partnerships with the public school district. Founding corporate leaders include Lilly, Duke University, Capitol Broadcasting Company and Triangle Ecycling, among others. “We need robust, strategic and aligned investment from the business community in our public schools,” says Adam Klein, board chair of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of the DPS Foundation’s board.

Durham Public Schools Board of Education

voted to name the district’s newest elementary school after attorney and activist the Rev. Pauli Murray, and Betty Massenburg, the first Black

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woman to be named principal within DPS in 1975, heading Holloway Street Elementary School. Murray-Massenburg Elementary School is slated to open in August of next year at the intersection of South Roxboro Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.

Durham Academy students placed second out of 28 teams and earned an Excellence in Engineering award at the FIRST Robotics regional competition. The team went on to earn an Innovation in Control Award after placing 15th at the FIRST North Carolina District State Championships in April. The TerrorBytes of Research Triangle High School also competed in the state competition and finished ninth, while The Zebracorns from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics finished 18th.

Wendell Tabb retired

after more than 35 years of teaching and directing theater, the majority of which were spent at Hillside High School. During his tenure, Wendell directed more than 100 plays and started Celebrities in the Classroom, a program bringing Hillside alum André Leon Talley, among other public figures, to share their experiences with students. He was honored by the DPS Board of Education with the renaming of Hillside’s theater and stage as the John H. Gattis-Wendell Tabb Theatre and Wendell Tabb Stage in February 2019.

Durham Public Schools announced Durham native and DPS and N.C. Central alum William Hill, who teaches English/language arts and social studies at Little River K-8 School, as its 2022-23 Teacher of the Year. William is completing his sixth year as a DPS teacher at Little River K-8.

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GIVING BACK

The Raleigh-based Jandy Ammons Foundation announced it is giving a combined total of $418,131 to 10 grant recipients. A portion of the funds will support a new section of the Explore the Wild outdoor exhibit, currently home to red wolves and other animals, at the Museum of Life and Science.

The Durham Sports Commission launched a grant program to offset the rising cost of youth sports participation in May. Its One Team, One Durham Fund has an initial $10,000 pledged that was 100% privately funded. A selection committee will meet monthly to award grants of up to $200 per recipient to Durham nonprofits that provide youth sports opportunities. Up to five people from an organization are eligible to apply at durhamncsports.com/1t1d.

Habitat for Humanity of Durham received

$4.5 million in unrestricted funds from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, providing an investment that will accelerate its locally based affordable homeownership programs.

This is a portion of the total $436 million that MacKenzie gifted to Durham Habitat, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and Habitat for Humanity International, along with 82 other U.S. Habitat affiliate organizations. This gift comes in the midst of a building project in East Durham, a partnership with the City of Durham, NC Government and the Durham Housing Authority as well as ongoing urgent home repair projects throughout Durham.

The funding will provide critical resources for long-term future expansion in an environment where affordable housing is in short supply.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Museum of Durham History’s newest exhibit, “Dining Out in Durham,” opened on May 6 and explores Durham’s culinary past, the historical roots of Southern cuisine and how community members currently bond at the table. Visitors learn about the experiences of Black and white diners during segregation,

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and discover how immigrants have brought new culinary practices to the city. Oral histories also highlight the experiences of longtime Durham residents. The exhibit, which is on view until October, aligns with a monthly dining series and featured guest speakers; upcoming events take place at Parizade, COPA and Geer Street Garden this summer.

Rodrigo Dorfman’s feature-length documentary

“Quaranteened” premiered April 25 on the PBS series “Reel South.” “When COVID-19 hit, I found myself at home with my wife, four daughters from our blended family, three cats, one dog and a pet rat,” Rodrido says. The filmmaker documented the experience of living through the first months of a global pandemic with teenagers. You can stream the film at pbs.org/video/quaranteened-m7jvgm.

PS118 Gallery opened its latest exhibit, “The

Magical Realism of Henryk Fantazos,” on May 5. Polish artist and Hillsborough resident Henryk Fantazos lived on a farm in West Virginia as a young adult, and his copperplate engravings and paintings included in this exhibit draw on the formative experience and show his vision of an abundant world. His works remain on display until July 1.

BOOKIN’ IT

Performer and life coach Karen Novy released her latest book, “Coming Home: Be the Hero of Your Own Story (Regardless of Previous Chaos, Choices and Chapters)” which offers an autobiographical account of her fight with breast cancer and advice to others coping with similar challenges. The book is available through Balboa Press and other booksellers.

noted

Duke University

professor and journalist Frank Bruni’s memoir, “The Beauty of Dusk,” was released in March and chronicles his life since 2017 when a rare stroke caused him to partially lose his eyesight. Frank, who has written for The New York Times for more than 25 years, teaches at the Sanford School of Public Policy.

NEWS BITES

The Roof at The Durham hosts its Sweet Social

pop-up series this summer. Local confectioners, including small-batch ice-cream makers and establishments like Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets, will offer treats for purchase from 4-6 p.m. on select Sundays.

Che Ramos serves

patrons at Alley Twenty Six on the last Wednesday of every month when the bar offers a select whiskey for a break-even price.

Che, also known as The Black Bourbon Guy, shares his expertise in cocktail preparation, whiskey and culinary history.

Chef Chick’s Bakery is slated to open at

Research Triangle Park’s Meridian Business Park this summer.

Treats like kolaczki – traditional Polish cookies – will be sold at the European-style shop, owned by Poland native and former accountant Margaret Szewczyk.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

announced in April that Beyu Caffé will open two shops (one in each terminal) later this year. Chef Scott Crawford will also open Crawford Genuine, a casual bar, in Concourse C, and Carolina Craft, an open-air kiosk serving drinks and small plates. Black & White Coffee Roasters will open in Terminal 2 in the current Starbucks location behind TSA security.

Raleigh-based coffee shop 321 Coffee plans to open its first Durham location at 300 Morris St. in Durham.ID later this year.

The cafe, founded by two now-N.C. State University alumni, employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, aiming to mitigate the steep unemployment rates among them.

Former Nantucket Grill pastry manager of 14 years, Nichole Anderson, joined Sweet Bumpas, an ice-cream shop-turned-whimsical-bakery that provides Durhamites with custom cakes.

Romanz Tea will occupy its first brick-and-

mortar tea shop at 504 Erwin Rd. A soft opening takes place on June 19.

Vit Goal Tofu Korean Restaurant permanently closed in April, but reopened under the name 92 Chicken, serving dishes like bulgogi at 2107 Allendown Dr. on March 5.

also features a menu of small, shareable plates plus charcuterie boards and decadent desserts. Triangle Coffee House, which hosted a soft opening on May 11, offers barista specialties like the “Bull City Turtle,” an espresso drink with caramel and hazelnut.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams,

an Ohio-based chain spearheaded by James Beard Award winner Jeni Britton Bauer, opened in Brightleaf Square at 908 W. Main St. in May.

Torero’s closed its location next to Saint

Chef, author and Saltbox Seafood Joint owner Ricky Moore was featured on Ebony magazine’s website, sharing recipes like grilled escovitch red snapper with coconut pickled vegetables and advice on how to score the freshest seasonal seafood.

Gabriela Kavanaugh and Addison Yarbrough

The former location of the Melting Pot across from The Streets at Southpoint Mall is being renovated to house a First Watch restaurant.

James Seafood on April 30 and moved to a new space at 701 Fernway Ave. in West Village, which was previously occupied by Gonza Tacos y Tequila.

of Caballo Rojo Coffee are slated to open their first coffee shop at 2300 N. Roxboro St. in north Durham by mid-June.

Barbecue joint The Pit announced that by June it will shift to exclusively hosting private events and catering. The restaurant’s Raleigh location will continue to serve diners seven days a week.

Lula & Sadie’s vacated its location in

the Durham Food Hall on May 22. The Southern-inspired restaurant is slated to open in the historic Davis Baking Company building in Lakewood by late June.

Two more newcomers have joined University Hill. Wine, beer and cocktail bar Apéritif began serving customers on April 29 and

Jetplane Coffee announced plans to operate

as “The Flyaway Lounge” in the evenings.

Cocktails, live music and trivia nights are all coming soon, the coffee shop and restaurant said in an Instagram post.

IN OTHER NEWS

Durham Parks & Recreation celebrated the construction of a

new playground at Burton Park with a ribboncutting ceremony on May 5. The play structure was created in partnership with Kaboom! and BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina. j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 2 |

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Burning Questions ... with Durham County Manager Kimberly J. Sowell

PHOTO B Y J OHN MICH A EL S I M PS O N

K

imberly J. Sowell fell in love with the energy of Durham County a few years ago when she visited Duke University’s campus during an executive leadership program. Kimberly, who most recently served as an assistant city manager with the City of Greensboro, was sworn in as Durham county manager on March 14, and she’s worked nonstop ever since.

On the weekends, she is an active member of her church, Love and Faith Christian Fellowship in Greensboro, with her husband, Broadus Sowell, who is a captain in the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department. Kimberly and Broadus have been happily married for 28 years – they even host a 30-minute radio show, “Marriage So Well,” on their church’s radio station where they give advice and coach couples. “Strong marriages make strong families, and strong families build strong communities,” Kimberly says.

The rest of the Sowell family includes their two adult children, Bianca Sowell and Myles Sowell, who both live in Greensboro as well, and Lab-pit bull pup, Remy. Kimberly says she was thrilled when Myles was recruited to play baseball at N.C. A&T State University, her alma mater. “We traveled [extensively to watch him play], and – this is not an exaggeration – I can count on one hand the number of games that we missed in Greensboro or out of state,” she says. “One of us was at every game, and I probably did not miss more than five myself.”

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Since you started in this role, what’s primarily been your focus?

The budget has been first and foremost in my day-to-day operations.

My days have been filled with meetings with departments and discussing their budget needs. And not only departments, but also some of the external partners that the county funds, such as Durham Technical Community College, Durham Public Schools, Alliance Health and a number of external agencies. Durham County staff – who have been amazing – planned for the presentations to have a similar look and feel and a similar flow. That helped me in learning and being able to absorb the operations of each department or agency, and then be able to formulate questions that were adequate and appropriate. We were able to make some really good decisions on building the budget, which leads up to May 9, the date that I present a recommended budget to the Board of Commissioners. That’s primarily the bulk of what I’ve been doing.

[Ed. Note: This interview took place prior to the budget presentation.

Kimberly’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $794,655,897, a

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7.97% increase from the last fiscal year. Highlights include maintaining the existing property tax rate, increasing annual funding for Durham Public Schools by $10 million (for a total of $176 million) and investing in Durham County’s employees through a cost-of-living adjustment and increase in the “pay for performance” range. Residents can learn more at dconc.gov/residents/news.]

Circling around to have meetings with each of our commissioners – it’s important for me to have consistent communication with them to learn their expectations and what they’re hearing from our community. [Another thing] that was important for me to do was to hear from our [county] employees. In the first week that I was here, I had an organization-wide meeting. I shared my desire to have more small-group meetings with employees and a more intimate conversation to learn about the culture. There are some changes that we’ve made early on, just from hearing some of the concerns of our employees.

Are there any examples of changes you’ve implemented?

We started talking about leave policies, and one of our leave policies is an adoption leave. Part of that policy allows for an employee to take leave if they adopt a child 4 years old or younger. Leave was not afforded for the adoption of a teenager. The reason [for] the age limit was because of data study – research shows that you really need to spend time bonding with a young child, and we wanted to give employees time off to do that bonding. Research didn’t say that about teenagers. It was just a matter of us having the conversation, of it being brought to our attention that we have employees who are looking to adopt older children and then finding out it really wouldn’t harm anything for us to make that change.

One of the other trends that I noticed was our need to improve the manner in which we communicate. I’ve been speaking with staff

about coming up with something that we call ambassadors, people who can be champions for us when there are major initiatives that we need to make sure people know about and ensure that the communication channels are not broken for those who are out in the field and who are not sitting at a desk every day. Communication is always a challenge, especially for an organization this large, so we have to continually assess how we communicate, how often we communicate and how effective we are in communicating. I feel like that’s how you can improve your culture [and] make significant and impactful change in an organization.

What are the most pressing issues the county needs to address? A huge priority for our

board is pre-K funding. Our board has a partnership with Durham Public Schools to provide funding for privatized efforts with pre-K. Reducing violent crimes is also something that our board has been very vocal about. I’m pleased to see the strong partnership between our Board Chair Brenda Howerton and Mayor Elaine O’Neal. Because they have a good relationship, it helps to facilitate the relationships among our staff. Another high priority is [addressing] affordable housing, which is becoming a crisis because our residents are having to pay rental rates that are escalating higher than income is. An emerging priority is addressing maternal health and, more specifically, Black maternal health and reducing the number of infant deaths, as well as deaths of women who have just given birth.

Have you had any discussions about how your office will tackle these concerns? We are

working with some external entities and the City of Durham that can help fill a gap. The county has a department called Community Interventions, and under that department is what we call Bull City United and Project BUILD. The role of these divisions is to intervene and prevent violent crime before it happens. We just expanded, in partnership with the city, the number of outreach workers j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 2

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“

who actually go out and have mediations with ganginvolved persons. That’s what we’re doing internally.

Are there community leaders who you’re looking “A portion But in addition to that, if we’re asking gang-involved forward to working with in order to accomplish your of Durham persons to reduce crime and to put down guns, we goals for the county? One of the people who I will be County’s vision is have to be able to give them tools and equip them with joined at the hip with is Wanda Page, the city manager. to be a thriving skills to be able to become gainfully employed and to A lot of the priorities that [the county has] and the community, and earn a living wage. We are working with some external issues that we need to address take partnership with so it’s my hope partners to put a framework together to provide a the city. One of the first people who reached out to me that in the future, streamlined process that helps a person enter into after I got the position was J.B. Buxton, [president] at we have a true job training, get job readiness skills, become gainfully Durham Tech. There is already a strong partnership community that employed, find safe, affordable housing, and address that the county has [with Durham Tech], but [we thrives equitably. any mental health needs – it’s a comprehensive set of need to make] sure that we understand what [the That we have needs that we know are there. Can you think about how college’s] needs are, and that we are helping to support reduced those transformative that would be – to take a person who, initiatives that provide the training and the skills for all wealth gaps, the only way they know to earn money is to engage of the wonderful companies and new industries that and everyone is in illegal activity, [and help them become] someone are coming into Durham County. Which leads me enjoying a high who is a productive community member working and to Geoff Durham with the Greater Durham Chamber quality of life, not earning a living wage and being able to give back to our of Commerce – another person who I feel like I’ll be just segments of community? That is exciting, and it energizes me. working closely with because of all of the economic our community.”

The county provides funding to various agencies development activity. It’s a great problem to have, but – Kimberly J. Sowell to help improve maternal health, one being Family you have to be strategic about the projects that our Connects Durham. We’re also looking to utilize board provides incentives to. We have to make sure organizations that have already established trust in the that those projects help us address some of our gaps Black and brown communities where that trust either has been broken, – wealth gaps and gaps in equity – and that we can identify segments fractured or where it was never established [with other outside entities]. of our community who can receive positive impacts from the jobs that We are being intentional about seeking out those organizations – we’ve come along with these projects, and that they can be hired into these already identified some of them [and] met with representatives of jobs. We have to make sure that our community as a whole benefits MAAME and H.E.A.R.T.S. – and are engaging contractually to provide from the vast economic growth that we’re encountering. Also our DPS maternal health resources to our new mothers. superintendent, Pascal Mubenga. The county funds a significant portion of Durham Public Schools. [We need to] make sure that we are aware How will you utilize your past career experience to help inform your of their needs, that we are working as partners to make the best use decisions as county manager? I was always highly successful in roles of the funding that we provide to them so that we are addressing and where I had to be a problem solver. I don’t think that is what I saw minimizing the achievement gaps and increasing educational outcomes. myself as early in my career. But many of my roles required me to solve There are a lot of people [to get to know and work alongside]. Even problems, to be transformative in my thinking, and it taught me to Mayor O’Neal has reached out and made herself available to me. There is approach my work without fear. In order to find ideal solutions, I had a direct line of partnership [among] me, the mayor, our board chair and to learn to become comfortable in uncomfortable spaces. I learned not the city manager. to be easily offended. I learned that to come to an ideal solution, I had to be open to hearing critics. So when I make decisions, I ask the hard What do you hope to see for Durham in the next five years? A portion questions. I want to hear from the people who are in opposition. I’m not of Durham County’s vision is to be a thriving community, and so it’s my afraid to address the elephant in the room because, otherwise, you make hope that in the future, we have a true community that thrives equitably. decisions based on false assumptions and incomplete information. I’m That we have reduced those wealth gaps, and everyone is enjoying a not afraid to have difficult conversations to confront controversial issues. high quality of life, not just segments of our community. I hope to see In having conversations with people who have diverse perspectives and that we have a safe community. One of our goals is that we improve, diverse voices, it helps us develop an ideal solution. It may not be the not just safety related to crime, but also safety in the quality of homes perfect solution, but it’s one that has been informed by those various that our residents live in. I feel like educational success and attainment is perspectives and voices. That took some learning and growth; I know I impacted if a child is living in a substandard home or apartment. Making didn’t start off that way. sure that our water quality is safe. That’s a city-owned function, but in 26

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burning questions

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burning questions

partnering with them where we can, to make sure that we have highquality water in our community. I would hope that Durham County is looked at as a leader across the nation of how to come together and create a community where everyone feels like their needs have been met.

It may not be that everyone is a millionaire, but everyone feels like they have food security, housing security, a great quality of life, can meet the needs of their families and all have an equitable opportunity to thrive.

Even if we haven’t achieved those goals in five years, I would hope that we would have made significant progress toward that.

Is there a way residents can let you know how the initiatives are helping them and their thoughts? Every month, there is an

opportunity for residents to come to the Board of Commissioners meetings where they can provide comments. We also do a citizen survey on an annual basis and reach out to the community to ask for feedback. On one of the questions, I was really glad to see that there was a high level of satisfaction that residents indicated that they have with the services that are being provided for their tax dollars. One of the things I would like to see us do is to have what I call D.Co. On the Go, where we’re taking services to residents in the community. This will be a mobile unit that will be equipped with Wi-Fi access, laptops, big screen TVs, so that if we need to present something to residents,

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they can sit outside in a socially distanced manner. If there are already planned events, we can take the unit there, and it’s another avenue of us being able to [reach] residents and to hear from them in real time about what we’re doing here at Durham County. And, like I already told you, I’m open to feedback, positive or negative. [laughs] We need true, open, honest dialogue and feedback with our residents.

Is there anything you’d like to add? I will just sum it up with this: I

want to create a culture in our organization where people enjoy coming to work and enjoy what they’re doing. And that’s what I want for our community, a community that people enjoy being a part of and that people are proud to be a part of. In the morning, when people wake up, I want them to say, “I feel good about where I am.” On my calendar, I have a reminder. It says, “You get to impact lives for the better today” with a smiley face. That feeds me every day. It gives me a sense of purpose. It helps provide a reason for me to be happy about today, because I get to impact the lives of others. No matter what it is we’re doing, we’re making an impact in some type of way. I want us to be proud of that and then to give all that we have to do that, so that we can make things better for those in our community. And at Durham County, we all get to do that in some way, shape or form. – as told to Amanda MacLaren

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winners

circle

300-plus businesses, organizations and people earned your votes.

This is the definitive 2022 Best of Durham: PHOTO GR AP HY BY JO HN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Durham' s finalists

Alley Twenty Six and Saltbox Seafood Joint – both of which celebrate a decade in business this year – are perennial Best of Durham winners and 2022 James Beard Award nominees ost of us know our way around a plate of barbecue – many would say it’s the definitive cuisine of our state. Chef Ricky Moore has been on a mission to change our minds about that for more than a decade. “[North Carolina] also needs to be known for seafood,” Ricky says,

bigger fish

to fry

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adding that many restaurants offer only a handful of familiar seafood options – and that’s what people have come to expect. “It’s going to be fried, and it’s gonna be flounder, shrimp and oysters, and maybe a stuffed crab.” His goal is to educate eaters and “open them up to trying things that they’re not culturally conditioned” to choosing off a menu, all while benefiting North Carolina’s fisherfolk.

Ricky opened Saltbox Seafood Joint out of a 205-square-foot A-frame hut at 608 N. Mangum St. in 2012, four years after moving from Washington, D.C., back to North Carolina with his family.

Customers ate at picnic tables out front, and there was just enough elbow room to butcher fresh fish and organize his prep station behind the walk-up window.

Ricky’s inspiration came from continents away.

While working in Singapore, he often ate at hawker centers – open-air food courts packed with “these stands of small little restaurants serving really delicious stuff. …

I [realized then that I didn’t] want to do a full-service restaurant,” Ricky says. By scaling down, he could cook everything himself and perfect one type of cuisine.

Those first few years were a rush. The adrenaline of building something all his own reenergized Ricky.

“It put me in a place of creativity,” he says, after years as an executive chef became routine, working in kitchens from Paris to California. The former Army cook and Culinary Institute of America grad brought life and vitality to this small seafood shack.

In an industry where new ventures are plagued by painfully brief life spans, Ricky tackled the duties of entrepreneur, chef, seafood buyer, marketing manager and face of the business. His efforts paid off in spades, as folks clamored in long lines for his hush-honeys, crab grits and, of course, any of his fresh catches of the day.

After the 10-year lease expired last summer, saying goodbye to that tiny green-and-white shack “was emotional,” he admits. “I spent a lot of time in that little space and dedicated myself to [being] there … to really dial in the

LEFT Saltbox Seafood Joint chef/owner Ricky Moore. ABOVE A self-described “hook me up” plate from Ricky – this one includes fried shrimp, soft-shell crab and spicy mahi alongside curry-spiced cauliflower, ”S.S.J.” slaw and hush-honeys paired with a Fullsteam Paycheck Pilsner.

concept and brand to make sure that … the community believed in it.”

On to better – and bigger. Ricky poured his energy into Saltbox’s second location, which opened off Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard in 2017. The restaurant’s signature shade of pastel green gave a fresh look to the unique 1960s building with indoor and outdoor seating, which also has a lot more room to cook behind the counter. Over the years, Ricky earned widespread praise, published a cookbook, appeared in Garden & Gun, Our State and other publications – including our own – and an episode of “The Hook” for PBS North Carolina. Not only was Saltbox named one of our readers’ favorite seafood restaurants in the Best of Durham poll this spring, but Ricky was also listed as a James Beard Award finalist. It’s the second time he’s been in the running for best chef in the Southeast – he was a semifinalist in 2020. All the buzz signals that he’s achieving his goal of convincing more diners to explore the tastes of a wider variety of seafood.

Whether grilled, marinated, poached in oil or added to a stew, regular catches of the day like almaco jack, sheepshead, mullet, snowy grouper and others are featured on the chalkboard menu. Ricky draws on his own “culinary DNA,” an intricate web of memories and regional cooking methods combined with his own experiences with global cuisine that all influence the eastern North Carolina native’s dishes.

Ricky reminisces about eating at coastal dives where seafood is fried Calabash-style (lightly dredged in dry corn flour). “The coleslaw is mixed and then you get hush puppies [all

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in] a basket with a piece of paper in it, and those cups with whipped butter-like stuff,” Ricky says. “I used that as a reference, not straying too far,” but spinning it with refinement into dishes of his own.

Saltbox’s fish is fried using that same Calabash method or prepared in other regional styles – like cooking mullet over charcoal, for example. It’s served in paper boats and paired with shredded slaw that’s never met mayo, achieving the crispness of a salad. Ricky’s version of a hush puppy is a mashup of culinary worlds: It’s similar to the cornmeal recipe we know and love but airy like the zeppole he learned to make in a pastry kitchen in Italy, and glazed with honey. Some fish like croaker and pompano, cooked whole, also pop up on the menu frequently.

Many folks are not used to eating whole fish, but Ricky hopes that’s another boundary he can push while supporting our state’s fishing industry. “We’re helping out a huge economy down in coastal North Carolina,” he says. “Fishing is hard work.” During the pandemic, Ricky partnered with some of his seafood suppliers like Steven Goodwin of Salty Catch Seafood Company to host creative and supportive events, like a weekly drive-thru chowder pickup.

Ricky says it best: “If you’re living in this state and you’re not eating local North Carolina seafood, shame on you.”

He’s pleased with the progress that Saltbox has made thus far, but much bigger plans – including additional locations and retail product lines – are also in the works.

He senses a deeper implication in the recent James Beard Award nomination. “Regional seafood is being recognized,” he says. “That was the big deal for me.” – by Renee Ambroso

Alley Twenty Six bartender/owner Shannon Healy and chef Carrie Schleiffer in the bar’s namesake brick alley.

hannon Healy can certainly pour a perfect Manhattan or whip

up a heavenly strawberry daiquiri. The bartender of more than two decades and owner of Alley Twenty Six is a master of his craft, but he says his true talent lies in being a good listener. Find a bar stool, pick your poison and – whether you ask for a top-shelf whiskey or something fruity and devilishly sweet – he’ll deliver.

“What I love to do is surprise and delight somebody with [a cocktail] that they like. They say, ‘How’d you do that?’ and I say, ‘I cheated. You told me, I listened,’” Shannon says.

“My favorite drink is probably the next drink. Because now that I’ve gained [a customer’s] confidence and their trust … I can turn them on to something a little new.”

The industry veteran (and former general manager of Chapel Hill’s famed Crook’s Corner) says that it’s gratifying to serve people who aren’t used to a bartender who will spark a conversation and “use their ears as the most important tool” in mixing a drink.

The approach is refreshing, and it dispels any lingering impressions of pretense and pomp that puts some off from cocktail bars. Alley’s upscale atmosphere is built on a foundation of genuine hospitality, and, clearly, Durhamites have warmed to Shannon’s take.

Alley Twenty Six is a top choice among our readers for date night and late night, and it’s where they’d steer you to find some of the best cocktails in the city. Alley also garnered national attention this spring as a James Beard Award finalist nominated for outstanding bar program, placing it among four others in the U.S. singled out for exceptional skill and care in the selection and preparation of spirits, beer and wine, and cultivation of a diverse portfolio of brands. 

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That above-and-beyond effort that tropical twist matched the mood when the Alley team exudes extends even Alley’s bartenders trade their buttonfurther. They produce, package and downs for colorful and floral prints sell their own extensive line of cocktail during outdoor summer specials called syrups (we adore the ginger). They “Alley Freezes Over” and “Islands in also host monthly virtual and inthe Alley,” which began in 2020 as a person classes, plus private events, for pandemic pivot. anyone looking to refine their at-home Shannon says the successful series, bartending skills. And you can learn which will return this June and July, is to make a Corpus Christi Collins, “a great excuse” for Alley to dive into a Chartreuse Swizzle and more from zany subgenre of frozen cocktails – “old Shannon himself via the “Mixology at tropical drinks that had their heyday in Home” YouTube series. the ’30s through the early ’60s and then Other programming includes became the bastion of nonsense in the Whiskey Wednesday, when a visiting ’70s.” Five drink bays churn daiquiris Yellowfin tuna with cucumber, yuzu water, pickled jalapeño, kiwi and radish pairs perfectly with a kiwi bartender chooses a featured bottle to and mai tais all season long, allowing daiquiri with lime and white rum. sell without any markup on the last patrons to cool off under the market Wednesday of each month. “It’s just lights and colorful flags that wave in the another layer of possible geekery,” Shannon says, where customers breeze above the bar’s namesake brick alley. Shannon added fold-down can taste a top-shelf brand inexpensively and knowledgeable pros tables built into the brick walls to increase the bar’s outdoor seating can share their expertise. capacity and hoped the tropical favorites would draw out new faces after Since 2012, when Alley Twenty Six opened on the ground floor pandemic shutdowns. “There’s no on-ramp like a piña colada,” he jokes. of its East Chapel Hill Street building, the plan was always to build True to the bar’s longtime standard, its cocktail, dinner and a kitchen to complement the bar program. Charcuterie plates and weekend brunch menus change regularly to encompass fresh, local snacks were served out of roll-top coolers until 2017, when a full ingredients. Carrie often shops at the Durham Farmers Market for kitchen was added. Enter chef Carrie Schleiffer, who made her produce, and sources microgreens from Bull City Greens and bread debut at Alley in 2016. from Loaf, among other local businesses. This versatility is informed The New Jersey native relocated to the Triangle from New York

by Shannon’s experience with the daily menu changes at Crook’s City in 2009 to pursue a job at one of restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias’ Corner. “It was a way of keeping it seasonal without pretending eateries in Cary. She subsequently stacked her resume with stints that the seasons only changed four times a year.” at the now-shuttered G2B Restaurant & Brewery and fellow Best of Participating in downtown’s Small Plates Crawl on Thursday Durham winner (for its cocktails and burger) Bar Virgile. nights – in which Alley offers up a small plate special and Carrie paired elevated-yet-familiar American favorites that celebrate recommended beverage pairing – is a chance to dream up new local ingredients with the established bar program. She says that the dishes and drinks every week. The variety keeps things interesting most popular dish on her menu remains the Alley Burger, inspired for the regulars and for the staff, Shannon says. by hearty bacon cheeseburgers but dressed to the nines with black For now, Shannon says, it’s satisfying to be back to in-person truffle cheddar, house-made bacon jam and an 8-ounce service after grinding to a halt in 2020, but he’s looking chuck-and-brisket patty that’s ground in their kitchen. forward to finding enough staff to stay open seven days a She maintains a collaborative back-and-forth with week until 2 a.m. And with mounting interest in Alley’s James Beard Award Shannon so that food and beverage menus evolve in educational offerings, its classes and events are sure to winners will be unison. “They go together hand in hand,” she says. continue and grow with Shannon at the helm, ready broadcast live June Named one of our city’s best chefs in our Best of to impart his wealth of cocktail knowledge. “There’s 13 on the James Beard Foundation’s Durham poll, Carrie tempts diners with creative spins enough in this category to never stop learning,” he says.

Twitter feed, on staples, like a Spam version of the burger. The – by Renee Ambroso  @beardfoundation.

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thank you for voting alejandro as best chef

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hot happening and

The scoop on our best new restaurants

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IDEAL’S SANDWICH AND GROCERY It was love at first sight for Ideal’s co-owner Ian Bracken. “​​As soon as I saw 2108 Angier in East Durham, I knew it was the place,” Ian says. He and Culinary Institute of America classmate Paul Chirico turned their sandwich shop and neighborhood grocery into one of Durham’s most talked-about restaurants.

All of the bread at Ideal’s is baked fresh daily, and the menu reads like a love letter to the Northeastern delis the pair grew up loving. There’s a Philly roast pork sandwich, an egg-and-cheese on a homemade English muffin (classic corner store offering) and one of the most true-to-form Italian subs available in the Triangle. The Harlem chopped cheese sandwich, with ground beef, onions, sharp provolone cheese and housemade chop sauce, might be the closest thing to an original found south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The small grocery section offers frozen meals (hello, lasagna!), fresh local veggies, ice cream, dry goods like pasta and even wine, creating a sort of small Italian market that really doesn’t exist elsewhere in Durham.

Ideal’s has joined its neighbors like Sofia’s Pizza, Cates Hot Dogs and Rofhiwa Book Café in transforming East Durham’s little downtown into a dining destination in its own right. “The neighborhood has been incredibly kind and welcoming to us, and we look forward to continuing to grow as a community with everyone,” Ian says.

Ideal’s Italiano and Uncle Primo’s chicken cutlet sandwiches come on a housemade hoagie roll and rosemary focaccia round, respectively.

PRESS COFFEE, CREPES AND COCKTAILS might still seem a bit too risky for some. Press Press Coffee, Crepes and Cocktails joined the Coffee, Crepes and Cocktails stands ready to serve American Tobacco Campus restaurant scene last up that leisurely cafe breakfast or lunch you might summer after a yearlong pandemic delay, but has hit have had in Paris, Rome or Madrid, right here in the ground running with its unique style of Europeanthe heart of Durham.  inspired cafe offerings. This is the second location for Press, which originated in Graham.

“Press was truly born out of the idea of being something that was both surprising yet familiar at the same time,” says co-founder Jason Cox. “[My business partner and culinary director] Brett [DeVries] came up with the idea of taking this very French thing and then mixing familiar Southern ingredients with common European items.”

Press offers a truly massive menu of breakfast crepes (both sweet and savory), sandwiches, salads and toasts during the weekdays. On the weekends, it transforms into the ultimate brunch machine, with hash brown waffles, steel-cut oats bowls and an entire list of brunch crepes. The salmon crepe is like a three-way marriage among New York City, North Carolina and Paris, and it comes with house-cured lox, marinated mushrooms, red onions, Swiss and hoop cheese, topped with over-easy eggs, chipotle hot sauce and hollandaise.

DeVries and his team follows up the impressive food menu with a wide range of beverages including coffee and espresso drinks, a full wine list, craft beers, cocktails and apertivi, and even a selection of Spanishstyle gin tonics.

While the world may be opening up to travel this Tuck into a South by Southwest crepe and Farmers Market crepe paired with a Brandy 43 cocktail and a mimosa at Press Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails. summer, a European vacation j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 2

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MR. FRIES MAN Picture it – a heaping pile of piping hot french fries topped with barbecue and ranch sauce, bacon, cheddar cheese and your choice of fried or grilled chicken.

Or perhaps honey garlic sauce with cheddar, shrimp and steak?

Maybe you have your own french fry fantasy. Well, you can make it all come true at Mr. Fries Man, located below the Brightleaf on Main apartments at 1105 W. Main St. This popular (and so far only) North Carolina outpost of a concept first started in Gardena, California, is owned

by Jaquetta Bratley and Safiyyah Williams. The pair first fired up the fryers in January of this year.

The concept is simple and delicious. It starts with the fries, and then customers can choose from one of the store’s menu options (like the aforementioned barbecue bacon ranch or honey garlic shrimp steak) or create their own combination. There’s an assortment of sauces like the Smack (sweet and spicy), the Hello (sweet and tangy), Mango Habanero, Lemon Garlic and more. Add-ons like steak, crab, bacon, chicken (fried or grilled), or Beyond Meat add to the customization possibilities.

If you’ve ever been the kind of person who’s thought, “I could make a meal out of these fries,” Mr. Fries Man might just be your new favorite downtown Durham joint. 

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Build your own heaping helping of toppings at Mr. Fries Man or choose from customer favorites like the chicken bacon Parmesan and barbecue bacon ranch shrimp.

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VICI RISTOBAR The city lost one of its most popular spots for wood-fired pizzas when Treforni closed in early 2020. Luckily the Cinelli family (who also own Vieni Ristobar in Holly Springs and Vivace in Raleigh), stepped in to fill the void in late 2021 and opened Vici Ristobar in the same space off Highway 54 in south Durham.

The restaurant’s tagline plays on the famous phrase attributed to Roman ruler Julius Caesar, “veni, vidi, vici” – I came, I saw, I conquered.

Vici Ristobar invites customers to make one slight addition to the quote: “I came, I saw, I conquered, I ate.”

And eat you can, with an extensive menu of Italian favorites, from pizza to pasta and everything in between. While its predecessor was primarily focused on the pizza part of the equation, Vici Ristobar branched out to create a lunch and dinner

atmosphere that offers the comforts of Italian-American food with the draw of a cocktail-meets-sports bar.

Ziti al forno. Pasta fagioli. Parmigianas chicken, eggplant and veal.

Vici Ristobar’s menu reads like a greatest hits list of some of America’s most beloved Italian classics. Order the sausage and pepper pasta, and you’re transported right back to Grandma’s house in New Jersey. Or opt for a hand-tossed, New York-style pizza to relive those late nights in Manhattan. There’s even its famous grandma-style margherita pizza, a Cinelli family original recipe that lives on at Vici.

The Bull City is home to a lot of great pizza, and some stellar Italian spots to boot. Vici Ristobar is a welcome addition to that scene, especially for those of us from up North who crave a little taste of home every now and again. – by Matthew Lardie  Bolognese pappardelle and an “Amelia” cocktail with vodka, blackberry puree, lemon and lime, garnished with a basil leaf.

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tour fo rc e de

ake a look at a postcard of Durham, and you’re likely to find a few iconic sights – Duke Chapel, the Old Bull tobacco sign and, very likely, the Lucky Strike Water Tower at American Tobacco Campus. The development is an integral part of the Bull City and a destination for thousands of visitors each year.

ATC’s restaurants are iconic in their own right, with NanaSteak serving hungry patrons of the Durham Performing Arts Center (best place for live music, according to our readers) and local diners alike, Tobacco Road Sports Cafe offering one of the city’s premiere sports bar experiences, and the much-beloved and recently relocated Parker & Otis (in a space developed by best commercial builder BridgePoint General Contracting) sharing its equally beloved deli fare down by the ATC river.

And a new slew of eateries have either recently opened in American Tobacco or announced plans to do so. Puerto Ricanmeets-Southern-fare food truck Boricua Soul found its brick-and42

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This downtown district is jam-packed with Best of Durham winners

ABOVE NanaSteak’s charcoal-grilled prime rib-eye and an Old Fashioned with Old Forester bourbon, a mixture of bitters, Luxardo cherries and Luxardo syrup, garnished with an orange twist.

RIGHT Caitlin Long and Nick Long enjoy drinks

and appetizers on NanaSteak’s patio overlooking ATC.

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mortar home in 2019 across from where Tyler’s Taproom was (which Parker & Otis has occupied since early 2021); Press Coffee, Crepes and Cocktails opened its doors on Blackwell Street near the Durham Bulls Athletic Park last summer; and NanaSteak, QueenBurger and Zweli’s Kitchen & Restaurant are also adding their new concepts to the campus. With American Tobacco Campus poised to expand even further – a 700,000-square-foot mixed-use project on 11 acres of the former University Ford site is slated to include a 14-story highrise residential building and 90,000 square feet of experiential retail, to be completed in 2024 – and solidify its claim as one of Durham’s premier dining destinations, we wanted to find out what made it such an attractive place to open a restaurant.

So, we started making a few calls.

Surprisingly, (or perhaps not, if you’re familiar with the Goodmon family and Capitol Broadcasting Co., which owns ATC) the No. 1 answer we got was “the landlords.” 

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“What drew us to do something into lockdown. “They understood else [at ATC] is our relationship with where we were in this life cycle the landlords,” says Brad Weddington, of still learning [how to run a co-owner of NanaSteak. “They have restaurant],” he remembers. “They been wonderful.” wanted to see us succeed and make Brad and his brother, Graham it through.”

Weddington, will open Seraphine Not only did American later this year in the remaining Tobacco Campus offer Toriano portion of the former Tyler’s significant rent abatement, but Taproom space shared with Adam Klein, director at American Parker & Otis. Seraphine will be Tobacco Campus and American a completely separate restaurant Underground, personally connected encompassing what was formerly Toriano and his wife and Boricua the back bar and side patio of the Soul co-owner, Serena Fredericks, taproom. The restaurant will be to Live Oak Bank (which has an Brad Weddington and Graham Weddington will open an ode to the family’s Louisiana office at American Underground) to Seraphine later this year in the remaining portion of the heritage – think roasted oysters and process Boricua’s PPP loan. former Tyler’s Taproom space. It’s just one of several new cocktails made with barrel-aged “I’m really proud of our team dining options coming to ATC that’s likely to draw in whiskey – and feature an extensive for the time we took during the patrons of DPAC (pictured below). patio that will serve as a gateway to pandemic to support our local the aforementioned future American operators,” Adam says. “We start Tobacco expansion. from the perspective that they Boricua Soul’s Toriano Fredericks are our partners. I know you hear had no immediate plans of settling developers say that a lot, and into a brick-and-mortar when he was sometimes it rings hollow, but for us invited to participate in a monthlong they really are.” pop-up at American Tobacco, Adam and his team hosted but within the first week, ATC webinars and info sessions on management approached him about pandemic-related aid, reached out making the move a permanent one. personally to the restaurants on site “During the whole process, from and made a conscious effort to focus before we opened, it really felt more like a partnership than a on outdoor dining at American Tobacco Campus. landlord-renter relationship,” Toriano says.

That emphasis on patio space continues, and it’s a huge That close relationship proved to be vital during the pandemic, when draw within the entire campus for both guests and businesses. many restaurants were forced to shutter because they couldn’t pay rent. Wandering through the restored factory spaces with their soaring “Michael Goodmon came in and sat down with us right as we ceilings, art installations and historical markers of what life was shut down and helped us develop a plan,” Brad recalls. “He told us like as an American Tobacco Company worker is like stepping not to worry about his side of things, but to focus on the longevity back in time. Relaxing with a picnic or book beside the bubbling of NanaSteak. stream that runs through the center of the campus offers a unique “It was so intense and scary. I had my house on the line for Durham experience.

NanaSteak. To have landlords be as supportive as they were, it was “You have all of this unique food, but you also have the beautiful incredible and really helped ease some of that stress,” he adds. scenery,” says Leonardo Williams, Durham City Council member Toriano had a similar experience. Boricua Soul had only been in and co-owner of Zweli’s with his wife, Zweli Williams. The pair are operation a few months before COVID-19 sent our community working on a new restaurant, Zweli’s Ekhaya – slated to open in late 44

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2022

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fall in the former Saladelia space inside the Crowe Building – that highlights an eclectic offering of southern African fusion cuisine.

It will also feature accordionstyle doors similar to what is installed at Boricua Soul.

“It’s a beautiful campus, it’s a historic place,” Toriano says.

“When we did the pop-up I remember walking down Blackwell Street and thinking, ‘Wow, it’s going to be really cool to work here.’”

Brad agrees. “It’s so unique to have something that beautiful,” he says. “They’ve done such a good job taking care of the area.”

Dining options and programming were more focused on the campus’ office workers prior to the pandemic, but Adam notes that all of the improvements ATC staff made to the space – including new lighting (with multiple color options for thematic illumination of events) in the area between Parker & Otis and Boricua Soul, which is now called The Patio, and the prevalence of more outdoor dining options – creates a vibrant, buzzing campus long after the workday ends.

“One of the big moves we’ve made over the past year is to have tenants who are active well into the evening,” Adam explains. “[And] to be a dining destination, whether you’re going to DPAC or a Bulls game or not.”

Adam gives Boricua Soul as an example of what he hopes to see and hear throughout the campus in the future. “Boricua does this so well,” he says. “If you go to see them on a Sunday afternoon, they’ve got jazz playing, they’ve got great food and drinks.” It’s his hope that with all the new, locally owned restaurants opening, patrons will be more tempted to make the short walk over the train tracks from downtown to shop, dine and play.

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gold

standard

The American Tobacco district’s Best of Durham Awards: Angus Barn (Bay 7) Best Full-Service Catering Bella Trio Studio Best Spa Boricua Soul Best Latin/Caribbean Food; Best Food Truck Durham Performing Arts Center Best Venue for Live Music (Large) NanaSteak Best Overall Restaurant, Best Place for Date Night; Best Wine Selection at a Restaurant Parker & Otis Best Sandwiches; Best Gift Shop Press Coffee, Crepes and Cocktails Best Breakfast/ Brunch; Best New Restaurant The winning legacy is sure to continue with ATC expansions from other Best of Durham award recipients, including Queeny’s (Best Place for Late Night)/Kingfisher (Best Cocktails), Zweli’s Kitchen & Restaurant (Best Restaurant Catering) and NanaSteak.

addition to Seraphine from the Weddingtons and Zweli’s Ekhaya from Leonardo and Zweli, popular pandemic pop-up QueenBurger (from the team behind Queeny’s and Kingfisher) will find a permanent home in the former Only Burger site along Blackwell Street, looking to open sometime in July. One of this year’s best commercial builders, Gateway Building Company, is working on all three of those projects – its handiwork can already be seen in the Boricua Soul and NanaSteak spaces.

Raleigh’s Five Star Restaurant is also slated to join in the delicious fun and open at ATC in July. Moving forward, Adam insists that he and his leasing team will focus almost exclusively on recruiting local dining concepts.

“We’re as homegrown as they come,” he says. “It’s very much a cultural hub for the community. It’s only fitting that our restaurants reflect that local heartbeat that Durham is known for.”

Perhaps that is ATC’s true secret to success – for all the gorgeous landscaping and beautifully restored spaces, the campus is first and foremost by Durham, for Durham.

And here in the Bull City, we celebrate and support our own. Which is why I’m sure I’ll see you under the water tower sometime this summer!

– by Matthew Lardie 

2022

Unlock the Possibilities Amy Gretenstein

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919.906.1040

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How do

you

'cue?

Meat (OK, OK … ‘meet’) the man behind this Boxyard fan favorite

seems to have found a winning recipe – take one part deep reverence for barbecue tradition, add one part fine dining training, and season with a whole lot of rock star attitude and fun.

The end result gets you one of this year’s Best of Durham barbecue awards, a fitting trophy for chef Jake Wood and his crew.

The key to Jake’s success is focusing on a few things and really knocking them out of the ballpark (or in Lawrence Barbecue’s case, the shipping container park aka Boxyard RTP). “We’re doing very simple things,” he says. “We’re not trying to awrence Barbecue

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ABOVE A Texas-style brisket sandwich on a tallow-toasted brioche bun.

RIGHT Jake Wood credits his grandfather with instilling in him a profound love for food. BELOW A half-rack of ribs.

reinvent the wheel. We’re just trying to put our twists on modern classics.” Those twists include a crumble of Zapp’s Voodoo Potato Chips atop the uber-popular mac and cheese ( Jake estimates that they’ve sold close to 20,000 orders of the side since they opened in June 2021). There was also the beloved, and now sadly gone, smoked brisket birria tacos. (On the birria side of things, Jake notes that the demand got so high that his team couldn’t keep up given the small space of their kitchen, but that brisket birria will make a future appearance as its own stand-alone concept.) 

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me o s e w a

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2022

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Lawrence Barbecue is in good company at Boxyard RTP, with several other readers’ favorites occupying the 15,000-square-foot cargotecture space. The venue itself was named one of the best spots for live music, and its food and drink vendors were recognized for their own specialties, including: Beyu Caffé, best coffee shop; Fullsteam, best brewery; Wonderpuff, best artisan food product; and Bulkogi Korean BBQ, best food truck (yes, you can often still find the truck out and about in Durham, too, and its sister restaurant, Namu, was also recognized for its stellar draft beer selection!).

Pair your ’cue – ribs, brisket, turkey or pulled pork – with sides like tangy slaw, three-cheese mac and cheese and broccoli Caesar salad. Wash it down with Lawrence’s Leisure Land Lager, a collab with Trophy Brewing Co.

Then there is the barbecue – pulled pork, naturally, but also smoked turkey, Texas-style brisket, ribs and chicken thighs.

The pork is available on its own, but can also usually be found in some sort of sandwich, as can the brisket. The best way to enjoy everything is to order one of Lawrence Barbecue’s sampler plates, with your choice of meats and sides.

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Another menu staple that sets Lawrence Barbecue apart from in the coastal marshes of North Carolina, of a love for family-run traditional barbecue joints is the focus on oysters. “I’ve never barbecue joints and of a deep desire to feed people truly good food. seen an actual raw bar and on the half shell oysters that are being “There’s just a little bit of everything that I love put into [Lawrence sourced like we’re sourcing ours,” Jake insists. He partners with Barbecue],” he says, “which, I mean, what else could you ask for?”

N. Sea Oyster Co. out of Hampstead, North Carolina, serving Durham diners would agree, which helped launch the new its Dukes of Topsail Sound oysters raw or sometimes broiled restaurant right to the top of this year’s list of best barbecue in the whenever he can get them. And when the oysters aren’t available, Bull City. – by Matthew Lardie  Jake leans on other coastal connections for seafood specials, like a recent offering of fried soft-shell crab sandwiches.

Upstairs from Lawrence Barbecue’s well-trafficked ordering window is the Lagoon Bar, a mini Tiki-style oasis created by Jake and his team. Here you can wash down your sampler platter with a tropical cocktail or a cold can of Leisure Land Lager, a collaboration “Come See Why Life’s between Lawrence Barbecue and Better at the Bach!”

Raleigh’s Trophy Brewing Co. Every detail at Lawrence Barbecue New Zealand pasture-raised beef and lamb comes together to give a dining Mid-Atlantic raw bar • Roasted oysters • PEI mussels experience unlike any other. The casual, Organic cage-free chicken • Black bean patties counter-service style of ordering is Fresh-cut fries • Salads • Seasonal cocktails complemented by the intense attention Southern hemisphere-inspired wine selection to detail Jake and his team provide 30 Craft beers on tap • 16 Bach-made dipping sauces to every aspect of the meal. The fun, whimsical atmosphere (look for the surfing and Mexican wrestling memorabilia inside) incongruously manage to go hand in hand with Jake’s fine dining background.

“I wanted to go and find what was very specific and special [to barbecue] in different parts of different states,” he says, “and figure out what I like and incorporate that into what we do on a high-profile level.”

Jake credits his grandfather, Allen Lawrence, with instilling in him a 2022 profound love for food, especially for whole-hog barbecue and oysters.

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primo pasta

Authenticity is the name of the game for this readers’ favorite food artisan

armella Alvaro

grew up in Liverpool, New York, in a traditional Italian American household.

She was the first in her family to be born in America. Her parents, Giuseppe and Giuseppa, sister, Rita, and brother, Rocco, were born in Calabria in southern Italy. “[My childhood] was great, and I am thankful for it every day,” Carmella says. “Growing up, my Italian community was strong at the time, and every holiday and personal milestone was celebrated with lots of people [and] huge tables of food – all homemade.”

Fresh gnocchi, fettucine and ravioli, the products of Carmella Alvaro Reamer (pictured right) and She moved to Raleigh in 2010 her team at Melina’s Fresh Pasta. “I started out making the pasta by hand with a KitchenAid mixer from the Washington, D.C., area attachment and a small ravioli mold,” Carmella says. and “started the business in a little apartment kitchen,” Carmella says.

She operated as Melina’s Italian Kitchen until 2011, when she how handsome he is for 30 minutes every morning [cuts] into decided to fully focus on fresh pasta. She then changed the name to my pasta-making time,” Carmella jokes.

Melina’s Fresh Pasta, which stems from Carmella’s family nickname, Carmella opened a storefront for Melina’s Fresh Pasta in a Carmelina. In 2012, she decided to settle her home and business in quaint, homey building on Chapel Hill Road in December 2017. north Durham, operating out of her 400-square-foot garage until The floorplan was designed to be an open concept so that people she was able to move into a commercial building. She shares that could see the pasta production in action and feel more connected to home with her husband, Billy Reamer, whom she married in 2019, the process. “When I was younger, I would spend Saturdays going and their new rescue pup, Bruno. “Petting [Bruno] and telling him to the local Italian butcher to get meat, then to the Italian bakery Reamer

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to get cannoli [from the baker], Nunzio,” Carmella says. “That personal touch was lost for a while, but local food made such a comeback that owning a local pasta shop made me feel a connection back to the times when everyone knew the names of everyone who made their food.”

The busiest mornings in the shop are Wednesdays and Thursdays – Carmella and her employees start at 7 a.m. to prepare pasta dough and fillings. Once the ingredients are ready to go, they use small presses to make the ravioli.

The remaining dough is thinned out and cut into pasta like fettuccine and linguine. The other days of the week, staff make other products like gnocchi, lasagna and sauces. “It really is a team effort,” Carmella says.

“There were a few weeks where I was doing a lot of this myself because it takes time to train people.”

Carmella’s creative flavors and combinations have become regional favorites and awardwinning foods. In 2021,

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Our State awarded the Made in NC award in the food category and overall to her pimento cheese ravioli, which graced the cover of the magazine’s February 2022 issue. “I was happy when it won this award since it was such a perfect combination of my Italian culture and my new home,” Carmella says. “It was one of my favorites, but people were hesitant to try it.”

Carmella not only crafts pasta, she writes about it, too. “I was approached to write a pasta-making cookbook, and since I was unsure if we would be able to stay open at the start of COVID-19, I agreed,” Carmella says. “It was a lot of fun, and I even wrote a second book focused only on stuffed pasta.” Her two cookbooks, “Authentic Homemade Pasta” and “Homemade Ravioli Made Simple” are available on Amazon and at the pasta shop.

When she does find some free time, Carmella spends it cooking for friends, hiking and traveling. But those moments have been

Durham has always been very supportive of the business – our logo proudly has “Made in Durham” right on it. And we try to give back when we can. [Most recently], I was so happy to use our strong community to donate to my hero José Andrés’ charity, World Central Kitchen, to help feed Ukrainian refugees. We made varenyky – a Ukrainian [potato] dumpling – and donated all the sales. The community came out to support us and donated even more to help us raise $8,000 in fewer than two weeks.”

few and far between during the pandemic. “The last two years we saw an increase in business due to people cooking from home,” she says. “Things are starting to calm down, and a goal for me this year is to get more balance and be able to do things we like to do.”

Carmella expects a continued slowdown as people start dining out at restaurants more frequently, but she doesn’t currently have plans to expand the brand further. “We became known throughout the state for our pimento cheese ravioli and had a very busy few months,” she says.

“We turned away a lot of business due to [our own] capacity [limitations]. I want to stay at a size where I can still keep the quality the best it can be without having to compromise to grow. … We love selling directly to our customers and working with local businesses like Weaver Street Market and the Durham Co-op Market, and we plan to continue that.” – by Megan Tillotson 

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step up it

One of Durham’s best new businesses and dance studios sees early success despite opening amid the pandemic

ierra Riddle didn’t begin her dance career believing that

one day she’d have a studio of her own. She graduated with a bachelor’s in dance studies and psychology from Meredith College in 2015 and started providing lessons full time at a private studio in Cary.

“I thought I was actually going to go back to graduate school,” Sierra says. “But I fell in love with teaching, like everyone said I would … it’s something that was just naturally fitting for me.”

After five years of instruction in Cary, Sierra decided it was time to work for herself and find a space where she could offer dance lessons. “I wanted 56

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to open a place where we could openly say, ‘This is a place for everyone,’” Sierra says. “We want to do as much as we can to make sure everyone who walks in this door feels welcome.”

The name she chose for her studio reflects that aspiration: All in Dance Academy, which opened in July 2021 in the Sutton Station shopping center. “We ask for pronouns on our registration,” Sierra says. “We have gender-neutral signs on our bathrooms. …

We wanted to make sure that everybody feels represented.”

She co-owns the business alongside her husband, Joey DeVito, who works full time in the marketing department for software company Keen Decision Systems. “The second he gets off work, he’s working our front desk, taking kids’ temperatures, doing our marketing and building our website,” Sierra says.

The couple initially set their sights on a location in Chapel Hill. But when Sierra, who grew up attending Nina’s School of Dance – heard about a space in Durham, she decided to pursue it.

“My husband and I just immediately fell in love with All in Dance co-owners Joey DeVito and Sierra Riddle [Durham],” Sierra says. “My mom, Susan Pearce, grew up in this area – our family actually had land on Riddle Road – [and she] thinks it’s full circle that we’re back [here]. It truly fell in our lap, and we couldn’t be happier we’re in this location.”

The studio focuses its instruction on dancers from ages 2 to 18 years old and provides a variety of lessons in styles including tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop and acro dance, which combines classical dance techniques with acrobatics. Classes take place Monday through Friday, with some Saturday classes available. All-day summer programs are also offered this year, which Sierra says allows dancers to get “a little taste of everything.”

Emily Minick, who joined as an instructor in December 2021 and teaches two acro jazz classes, recommends that prospective students sign up for trial classes, which allow them to sample a session before fully committing. She adds that she’s greatly enjoyed watching the studio’s fast success. 

All in Dance Academy company dancers (clockwise from bottom left): Nitya Ravindran, Sumitra Senapati, Emily Dolle, Jillian Beese, Arya Hansoty and Mia Patel.

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“One of the dance classes, I literally had one girl [in attendance],” Emily says. “Then, about two weeks later, all our classes were full. It was crazy how fast it grew.”

Still, opening amid the middle of a pandemic was not without obstacles – Sierra, while optimistic that she could maintain in-person instruction, remained cautious and implemented a handful of safety measures.

“I got this reputation of, ‘We know Sierra’s going to do everything she can to keep our kids safe, because she worries about those things and has a similar concern,’” Sierra says. Sha’Ronn Brown, whose daughter, Erin Brown, 16, has taken lessons at the studio since its inception, says Sierra made her feel at ease.

“Sierra made sure the dancers were in a safe environment,” Sha’Ronn says. “Masks were required 100% of the time, and class sizes were small to allow for distance among dancers.”

Sierra adds that she is grateful she could rely on the city’s mandates in an effort to keep the studio’s mask requirement as long as possible.

“We felt like our community was always in agreement with us,” Sierra says. “It was nice to be in a place where we felt like we could do this safely.”

Erin, for her part, says she believes Sierra has always fostered a safe, comfortable and open environment.

“She’s willing to listen to us, and she challenges us while also being a positive influence,” Erin says.

“She’s always willing to trust us.”

Sierra says she hopes to double the size of her studio within the next year, opening up the second room of her space to students. She also plans to welcome a new instructor and offer additional classes.

“In the future, we’re looking to keep growing and keep motivating people,” Sierra says. “You can be an inclusive environment for everybody, but also be a serious, competitive dance studio.”

She’ll also keep her eye on the bigger picture.

“I’ve always known there’s so much more to dance,” Sierra says. “I’ve worked with kids 58

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ABOVE Arya, Jillian and Mia bound across the floor at All in Dance.

LEFT Sierra assists Mia in her stretches.

BELOW LEFT Sierra leads the company dancers in a warmup exercise.

who I know that this saved their life, because they’ve gone through experiences where dance was the only thing they had. I’ve literally had a student tell me that it’s the reason she’s here today. … We’re trying to help make more people feel accepted.” – by Isabella Reilly 

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minding their

a sweet potato and spinach frittata, while her husband and talented baker, Daniel Edwards, pulls something golden brown from the oven. But this morning, the ground floor is quiet.

Georgia and Shambé – 12-year-old siamese cats – lounge on couch cushions in the sitting room, unaware that April 12 marks a milestone for the three-story brick home; Daniel and Monica are celebrating the 25th anniversary of opening their business, which was just named one of our readers’ favorite places to stay in our Best of Durham poll.

The couple often join guests at breakfast in the dining room to sip coffee and find out how dinner plans panned out the previous night. They’ll suggest a bustling new brewery to try, give directions to the Durham Performing Arts Center (a mere few blocks away) or just chat about what the day holds.

Monica wasn’t born here, but after living here for more than 30 years, she has enough insider knowledge and pride in the Bull City that she might as well be a Durhamite. She’s now a self-proclaimed “ambassador” of Durham, having moved to the area from eastern North Carolina to earn her master’s in business administration at North Carolina Central University. There, she met Daniel, a New Jersey native who was studying criminal justice.

Monica and Daniel delight in helping travelers navigate our city for the first time. But even locals book stays to enjoy their hospitality.

“When people start making reservations, it’s either for the location or an event, but then they get here and that shifts,” Daniel says. “We have personality, and we become a part of their experience.”

Interacting with visitors is part of the Edwardses’ everyday life and what they love most about their roles, although they’ve had to navigate its ups and downs.

“We don’t advertise that we’re [people] of color,” Daniel says.

Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast is just two blocks from the “Sometimes people are taken American Tobacco Trail and three from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. aback.” Yet, Monica says, they It’s owned by Monica Edwards and Daniel Edwards (pictured right with one of their cats). “get a lot of first-time inngoers,

manor

The couple behind this readers’ favorite B&B reflect on a quarter century in the hospitality business

irds chatter, a buttery sunrise filters through the trees and warmth creeps back into the air as Morehead Hill neighbors wake to an idyllic Tuesday morning in April.

Yet, it’s unusually still at Morehead Manor Bed and

Breakfast. Innkeeper

and co-owner Monica Edwards is typically busy in the kitchen by 9 a.m., whipping up a stack of her zucchini-pecan waffles or 60

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& style

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especially those who are African American. They express that, because they’ve never had the experience before and don’t know what to expect, they feel more comfortable coming to us.”

With unwavering warmth, the Edwardses have formed close bonds with many of their guests.

Staying at the Manor “just feels like coming home,” says Colette Wismer. She and her husband, John Wismer, visit from St. Joseph, Michigan, to see their daughter, Emily Wismer, who works at Liberty Arts. They most recently made the more than 15hour drive to stay at Morehead for a second time in early summer 2021. “[The Edwardses aren’t] pushy in any way, they don’t invade your space … they’re perfect,” Colette says. “We’ve enjoyed that we can develop what we think of as a friendship.”

The Edwardses learned the nuance of sharing their home with strangers over the past couple of decades. “[We think], ‘How much of me do you need during your stay?’” Daniel says.

“We’ve had guests who follow us around from room to room helping us clean, and we’ve had guests say, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’” Most importantly, the Edwardses know how to make everyone who crosses their threshold feel welcome.

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officer at Central Carolina Bank & Trust Company. At the time, Daniel’s job as a patrol officer with the Durham Police Department afforded him a few days off each month to sharpen his skills as an apprentice interior designer. A co-worker gifted them a stay at the Blooming Garden Inn on Holloway Street.

“I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread,” Monica laughs. “[Blooming Garden] was like an oasis in the city – that was way before people were really into staycations.” She daydreamed of owning a similar getaway amid the growing metropolis of Durham.

Daniel’s interior design mentor knew of a house on Vickers Avenue with more than 8,000 square feet, five guest bedrooms and an equal number of baths, plus space for living quarters on a third floor – just the right size for a B&B. Even though the home wasn’t on the market, the owners agreed to give Daniel a tour and subsequently settled on a price. Things moved fast from there – the Edwardses finalized a business plan by February 1997 and welcomed their first overnight guests less than a year later.

The Colonial Revival-style home – which was built in 1910 for James S. Cobb of The Venable Tobacco Company and later sold to his colleague, Edgar Toms Sr. – hasn’t changed much. Aside from installing standing showers, the Edwardses made largely cosmetic updates when they moved in, like stripping the house of wallpaper, repainting and bringing in new furniture.

“We wanted to have a place where people would feel welcome,” Monica says. At the same time, they hoped to avoid any comparisons to “Grandma’s house” that B&Bs sometimes receive. Morehead has an updated feel thanks to its modern art – among their collection are paintings and a mural by Daniel, and a handful of drawings and sculptures that follow a theme of showcasing human spines and backs.

Morehead Manor also plays host to every kind of celebration imaginable, from weddings and corporate retreats to garden parties and July Fourth barbecues. The 1940s carriage house has garage 62

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ABOVE The Tiger Room features a king-size bed and lots of natural light. An antique Louis Vuitton trunk sits at the foot of the bed.

LEFT Guest rooms are on the second floor and can host up to 12 people.

space and a second level, which tacks on an extra 1,200 square feet for events. The largest modification to the grounds and the property’s latest update was Daniel’s pandemic project: a bocce court that stretches along the side yard.

Daniel works day in and day out to keep up with cleaning and maintaining the large house when he’s not busy as an adjunct professor at N.C. Central and a mental health counselor at the university’s Counseling Center.

Monica, who manages bookings and turns over the rooms, serves as an advisory board member for N.C. Central’s Hospitality and Tourism Administration program. “Ever since we’ve opened, I’ve been very active in regard to the bed-and-breakfast industry,” Monica says. She passed on her gavel after serving as president of the North Carolina Bed and Breakfast Inns association a few years ago.

There’s no separating work from home life when you own a B&B, but the Edwardses don’t mind. “Innkeeping is a lifestyle,” Daniel says. “It’s just something that you take on, and it becomes a part of what you do.” – by Renee Ambroso 

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summer do' s don'ts A n d

Hairstylists at our readers’ favorite salons share tips and styles to beat the heat this summer

What are some hairstyles people can try out to keep cool and comfortable in the heat?

“Some of our favorite styles for summer are French or fishtail braids. We love that you can split them into two for a different style or toss on a ball cap for a brand-new look. You can never go wrong with a low ponytail tucked into a sun hat for a beach day!” – Catherine Lucas, salon owner and stylist and Brittany Dunagin, bridal artistic specialist and master stylist at Posh The Salon

PHOTO COURTESY OF FUSS & BOTHER

and reapply throughout the day to keep hair color from fading.”

– Catherine & Brittany

It’s no secret that summer in North Carolina means harsh and humid conditions (not to mention, chemicals from swimming pools!). How can people care for their hair during the warmer months?

“For clients who swim, we would recommend using a hair cleansing cream to help remove buildup.

Redken’s Hair Cleansing Cream Clarifying Shampoo is color safe and a wonderful product to try. We also always recommend keeping Redken’s One United [Leave-In Conditioner] in your beach bag to spray on your hair before going into the sun 64

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Hot weather is the perfect time to go short!

Bobs and pixies are lowmaintenance ways to enjoy summer without worrying about your hair. Most people with long hair have mastered a decent ponytail and messy bun. And sure, ponytails and buns are fine, but aren’t we all a little bored with them by now? Consider mixing it up with two braids (worn down or up, like a milkmaid), pigtails or space buns. Parting it down the middle keeps your neck nice and cool, and the braids or buns keep your hair controlled, whether you’re sitting on your porch or sitting on the beach. Leave some pieces hanging loose, and don’t fret about making it look perfect – summer isn’t about neat and tidy hair! A product like Hairstory Powder will add a little volume and grip to help your style last longer.”

– Christina Pelech, owner at Fuss & Bother

PHOTO COURTESY OF POSH THE SALON

“If you’re spending a lot of time outside, blocking the sun with a hat is your best bet. Before you go out in the sun and into the water (whether it’s a pool or an ocean), wet your hair in the shower and slather it with conditioner. Don’t rinse it out! That will help protect your hair from chlorine, sun and

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN SOIGNET

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salt water. This is especially crucial if you color your hair. After What products or methods help keep humidity at bay? every dip in the pool, take a trip to the shower to shampoo and “We love using Amika’s The Shield. It’s an anti-humidity spray condition your hair. This is important! Chlorine can really build that helps keep frizz down. Another great product to use up in your hair, leaving it feeling crispy and tangled. What’s is Redken’s Frizz Dismiss or the Instant Deflate.” more, it can change the color of your hair, especially if you’re – Catherine & Brittany blonde (whether naturally or with a little help from your hairstylist). Protecting your hair from damage is easier “Living Proof ’s No Frizz line is the best Caring for your hair during the summer than mending damage already done!” – Christina thing I have ever seen for calming frizz. I months has many can tell a difference in my clients’ hair after facets, mostly [focused using just the shampoo and conditioner. The on] protecting the styling products in that line take it to the hair shaft from the next level, from the Leave-In Conditioner sun’s harsh rays. The and Nourishing Styling Cream to the sun tends to dry out your hair during the Weightless Styling Spray and Humidity summer. Hair that is Shield. A light oil can also help! Hairstory’s chemically treated new Hair Oil is a great option.” – Christina

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BELLA LANE & COMPANY

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is more susceptible to be altered due to sun exposure.

During the summer months, you want to preserve the natural oils in your scalp.

Shampooing daily is not recommended because heavy cleansing of the scalp can decrease your natural oils, keeping them from flourishing.

Your hair and skin has a pH balance of 4.45.5. Keeping your hair protected from the sun is important to retain its integrity. A quick tip to protect your hair is, when applying sunscreen to your body, use the residual sunscreen and run it through your hair to add extra protection.”

– Nikki Myers Jones, owner at Bella Lane & Company

The Don’ts: What hairstyles/products/ methods should people avoid in summer months?

“Avoid putting your hair into a ponytail or bun in the same place. This can cause breakage over time, so make sure to rotate your styles among high, low and to the side. If you are in the pool and sun often, try to limit your amount of heat styling.

This will help to not put any more strain on the integrity of the hair. Never use spray-in products to lighten your hair by the sun. They usually contain metallic dyes and are very damaging to the hair.” – Catherine & Brittany “Summer is a great time to give your hair a break from heat styling like blow-drying, curling and flat-ironing. Instead, find products that enhance your natural texture! You can bring out the wave in your hair with Aveda Texture Tonic and Rinseless Refresh (both smell wonderful, by the way) or Hairstory Undressed and Hair Balm. If you want to calm down those curls, try Living Proof Curl Elongator. I firmly believe that with the right cut and the right products, everyone’s hair can look fantastic.” – Christina 

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THANK YOU, DURHAM, FOR VOTING US BEST REAL ESTATE COMPANY FIVE YEARS IN A ROW! 2022

Amy Gretenstein • Angela Sarvis • Colleen Ellis • Erica McDowell • Ganna Fisher Geoff Boone • Jodi Villers • Lisa Ellis • Maggie Hennessey • Max Ehiorobo • Michael Sullivan Shannon Graham • Sharon Carter • Theresa Olson • Tiwana Adams • Turner Bass

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REAL ESTATE BY DESIGN PROUDLY CONGRATULATES OUR BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT WINNERS! LISA ELLIS I am so proud to have three of the agents in my company voted as the Best Real Estate Agents in Durham this year, and I am humbled to be one of them. I have been serving the greater Durham real estate community for 26 years, and I love my job as a market professional, pricing expert, home makeover specialist, personal therapist, sunshine pumper, and overall right hand during the transactions. Thank you for allowing me to do what I LOVE in the city that I love!

THERESA OLSON Thank you, Durham, for voting for me four years in a row! Helping buyers and sellers is my passion. When your clients think you are the best in your field, the job becomes even more rewarding. No agent can be successful without the support and appreciation of their clients. For that, I am truly thankful to be voted one of the best in the Durham market!

THE BOONE TEAM Amy Gretenstein & Geoff Boone We are so very honored to be considered the “Best of Durham.” We pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our clients in order to best serve their needs as either buyers or sellers. To be recognized by them for such a prestigious honor is truly gratifying, very humbling, and, well, just really darn cool! Thank you all for supporting The Boone Team. We promise to keep making you proud.

WORK WITH THE BEST OF DURHAM TO MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE SEAMLESS!

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Bestselling products from our readers’ favorite local brands BRIGHT BLACK Durham candle, $30 for a 10-ounce vessel with 7.5 ounces of wax “We’ve been selling [this candle] from day one. … Customers have shared that the candle conjures up childhood memories and that they like the hint at tobacco without it being overpowering.

Other customers have shared that it’s a hit among the men in their lives ... [and] that it’s a great gift, especially for folks who have moved away, are moving to Durham, and for friends or family who live far away to remind them of whomever is gifting the candle. Many customers say that the candle does a great job of capturing the spirit of Durham: downto-earth, a bit gritty, smooth, open and welcoming. We truly believe that we’ve been able to get where we are today with our business because of the Durham community. … Durham embraced us, supported us, encouraged us and showed us grace as we navigated (and still continue to navigate!) the rocky waters of being

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novice entrepreneurs. Durham, built on the legacy of Black Wall Street, stands with us. We feel it and are incredibly grateful, and do not for one second take it for granted.” – Tiffany Griffin, co-founder and CEO DURHAM DISTILLERY Conniption American Dry Gin, $29.95, 44% alcohol by volume, 750 milliliters “A surprisingly large number of our customers tell us that they weren’t really into gin before trying this one.

Many people can be turned off by the juniper-dominant London Dry gins and haven’t paid much attention to the

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category since. Our American Dry offers a balanced flavor profile with honeysuckle, orange, cucumber and just the right amount of juniper to appeal to a wide audience. It’s easy to plug into many classic cocktail recipes and appeals to gin and vodka drinkers alike. We call it a gateway gin for this reason. We’re excited that, with our glass bottle supply chain now fixed, we plan on bringing back our Barrel Rested Series for this fall. Conniption American Dry has received many accolades since we launched in 2015. Most recently, it was given a rating of 93 (out of 100) by the Beverage Testing Institute in April 2022.” – Melissa Katrincic, co-owner and CEO/president BIG SPOON ROASTERS Pistachio Crunch Almond Butter, $15.50 for a 13-ounce jar (online) “One of our bestselling products began as a limited batch in the summer of 2021, born from a desire to pair two of our favorite nuts together into a single nut butter and inspired by sunny summertime on the West Coast.

We combined certified beefriendly heirloom Mission almonds, ground into a smooth base with single-source organic Vermont maple syrup and hand-harvested Jacobsen Salt Co. sea salt before folding in whole fresh-roasted organic California pistachio kernels.

The result was a mind-blowingly delicious [and] sweet vegan almond butter with an incredible bite of crunchy pistachio goodness.

When it initially launched last July, [this nut butter] received such compliments as, ‘Someone in recipe development needs to be slapped, it’s so good!’ and ‘I hope it makes it out of limited-batch purgatory and into the permanent lineup soon,’ and we were more than happy to oblige. … With such a unique combination of textures, flavors and our signature combo of roasty-sweet-salty, it’s a remarkably versatile nut butter – perfect for baking, spreading on toast, enjoying in sweet and savory dishes, or (as we may be partial to), right from your biggest spoon.” – Elise Holsonback, marketing and communications manager

FILLAREE Soap & Suds hand and body soap, lemon lavender scent: $35 in-store or $42 online for a half gallon refill, ($9 for 8 fluid ounces in glass bottle) “Our biodegradable liquid soap does double duty as effective hand soap and natural body wash.

Organic vegetable oils and quality essential oils make it perfect for the sink or shower. The most heard and appreciated review is one from customers who have very sensitive skin [and tell us it’s] ‘the only soap that doesn’t make my hands break out.’ We have been making a version of this product since 2014 but settled on the current version in 2017. I am planning on a few small tweaks and new scents soon!”

– Alyssa Cherry, founder 

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PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

durham 2022 winners *All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

DINING

Overall Restaurant Gocciolina NanaSteak Vici Ristobar Vin Rouge New Restaurant Mr. Fries Man Ideal’s Sandwich and Grocery Press Coffee, Crepes and Cocktails Vici Ristobar Burger Bar Virgile Burger Bach Bull City Burger and Brewery Only Burger Fries Bull City Burger and Brewery Burger Bach The Federal Mr. Fries Man Only Burger Sandwiches Eastcut Sandwich Bar Ideal’s Sandwich and Grocery Parker & Otis Toast 72

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Cocoa Cinnamon owners Areli Barrera Grodski and Leon Grodski Barrera enjoy the fruits of their labor outside their Geer Street cafe. In addition to the coffee shops’ Best of Durham award, its own Little Waves Coffee Roasters was named the country’s 2022 Micro Roaster of the Year by Roast magazine.

Breakfast/Brunch Elmo’s Diner Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten Monuts Press Coffee, Crepes and Cocktails Coffee Shop Bean Traders Beyu Caffé Cocoa Cinnamon Joe Van Gogh Dessert/Pastries Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten Loaf The Mad Hatter’s Café & Bakeshop Sweets by Shayda Place for a Date Night Alley Twenty Six The Durham Hotel

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Mateo Bar de Tapas NanaSteak Place for Late Night Accordion Club Alley Twenty Six Annexe Cosmic Cantina Queeny’s Barbecue Backyard BBQ Pit Lawrence Barbecue The Original Q Shack Picnic Place for Vegetarians Goorsha Happy + Hale Pure Soul The Refectory Café 

Knowledge Reputation Performance RESIDENTIAL

.

COMMERCIAL

.

MANAGEMENT

(919) 382-2000 | 1901 Hillandale Rd. Durham, NC 27705 Visit WestandWoodall.com and access our local maintenance and improvement resources

The

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2022

*All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Seafood M Sushi Saint James Seafood Saltbox Seafood Joint Skrimp Shack

Hear. Everything.

Hearing Health Care Services has been providing services to the Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, and Hillsborough communities since 1994.

Our professional services include:  Comprehensive hearing evaluation and diagnosis

 Auditory processing disorder (APD) evaluations

 Fitting of a range of digital hearing aid technologies

 Cochlear implant evaluations and device programming

 Routine hearing aid maintenance and supplies  Auditory training to improve aided hearing ability  Tinnitus evaluation, counseling, and management strategies  Earplugs for swimming

 Custom hearing protection for musicians, hunters, and more  Custom in-ear monitors for musicians  Group educational seminars on hearing loss and treatment

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Asian Food Dashi Juju M Sushi Thai Cafe Sushi M Sushi Sake Bomb Asian Bistro Shiki Sushi Asian Bistro Sushi Love Indian Food Indian Monsoon Restaurant & Bar Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar Sitar Indian Cuisine Viceroy Latin/Caribbean Food Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken Boricua Soul COPA Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas

919-489-0995 | hearinghealthcarenc.com 1515 NC 54 Hwy, Suite 100 | Durham, NC 27707

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Mexican Food Cosmic Cantina Dos Perros NuvoTaco Taqueria La Vaquita

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Greek/ Mediterranean Food Bleu Olive Neomonde Mediterranean Parizade Saladelia Cafe & Catering Italian Food Cucciolo Osteria Gocciolina Mothers & Sons Trattoria Pulcinella’s Italian Restaurant Pizza Hutchins Garage Pie Pushers Pizzeria Toro Randy’s Pizza Place to Buy Frozen Treats Locopops The Parlour Simons Says Dip This Two Roosters Ice Cream Kid-Friendly Restaurant Bull City Burger and Brewery Elmo’s Diner Makus Empanadas NuvoTaco Food Truck Bon Fritay Haitian Food Truck Boricua Soul Bulkogi Korean BBQ Chirba Chirba Dumpling

From left to right: Sous Chef Jacqueline & Executive Chef Queen Precious-Jewel

Indulge Catering, LLC is a labor of love. Embracing the motto “Indulge one bite, one plate, one meal at a time” is what sets Indulge Catering apart.

Executive Chef Queen Precious-Jewel is passionate about dispelling the myth that healthy food is flavorless, boring and bland. Looking to cater a corporate event or small gathering in your home? We have you covered.

We pride ourselves on providing a customized VIP experience.

2022

2020

2021

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US BEST CATERER THREE YEARS IN A ROW!

PHOTO BY JENELLE BOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

DURHAM, NC ~ INDULGE-CATERING.COM ~ 919.973.3069

YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD TAPROOM FOR 8 YEARS!

PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

2022

EDITOR'S PICK

“I love picking up selections (including fellow readers’ fave craft beverage producer Bull City Ciderworks) and sitting out in the beer garden at The Glass Jug Beer Lab’s RTP location, which was named a best beer shop by our readers. You can also grab cans, like the brewery’s popular flagship hazy IPA Opacity – at its downtown location!” – Jessica Stringer, editor, Chapel Hill Magazine 

THANK

G

R VOTIN

YOU FO

US BEST

OP! BEER SH

42 ROTATING TAPS | BEER | CIDER | WINE GROWLER FILLS | PINTS | WINE BY BOTTLE & GLASS INDOOR & OUTDOOR SEATING | WIFI | DOGS WELCOME LIVE MUSIC | EVENTS | TRIVIA NIGHT | MEET UPS 4810 HOPE VALLEY RD | DURHAM | GROWLERGRLZ.COM | 919.973.2755 Mon - Wed 11 AM - 10 PM | Thur - Sat 11 AM - 11 PM | Sun Noon

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*All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Chef Matthew Kelly, Mateo Bar de Tapas, Saint James Seafood and Vin Rouge Shawn Holland, Sophisticated Catering and Event Planning Carrie Schleiffer, Alley Twenty Six Alejandro Uribe, University Club Restaurant Catering Foster’s Market Makus Empanadas Saladelia Cafe & Catering Zweli’s Kitchen & Restaurant Full-Service Catering Angus Barn (Bay 7) Indulge Catering Sage & Swift Gourmet Catering Sophisticated Catering and Event Planning Cocktails Alley Twenty Six Bar Virgile Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge Kingfisher

EDITOR'S PICK

“Me and my pal Emily Padula try to meet up a few times a year for our Dashi dates so we can catch up over a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen. It’s our fave!” – Hannah Lee, digital editor

Craft Alcoholic Beverages Bull City Ciderworks Durham Distillery Honeygirl Meadery Mystic Farm & Distillery

Wine Selection at a Restaurant Mateo Bar de Tapas NanaSteak Parizade Vin Rouge

Beer Shop Beer Study The Glass Jug Beer Lab Growler Grlz Sam’s Bottle Shop

Wine Shop Hope Valley Wine & Beverage LouElla Wine, Beer & Beverage Total Wine & More Wine Authorities

Brewery Fullsteam Brewery Hi-Wire Brewing Ponysaurus Brewing Co. Tobacco Wood Brewing Co.

Draft Beer Selection Bull City Burger and Brewery Bull McCabes Irish Pub Namu Town Hall Burger & Beer Durham 

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Thank you, Durham for choosing Patrick Law, PLLC as

Best Law Firm.

We are proud to serve you and to always protect what matters.

2022

3805 University Dr., Ste A | 919-956-7171 | patricklawnc.com |  CheriPatrickLaw Durham, NC 27707

2022

Renovation Design Specialist

Durham | Chapel Hill | Surrounding Areas

TRUE TO YOU • TRUE TO YOUR HOME

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EDITOR'S PICK

“I can’t get enough of the creative cocktails (and pink bubbly on tap!) and dance party vibes at Annexe. I wholeheartedly agree with our readers that it’s one of our best late-night spots!” – Amanda MacLaren, executive editor, Durham Magazine

Bringing Clarity to Life!

Dr. Tonica Johnson has performed over 7,000 cataract surgeries over the past 12 years.

Experienced, board-certified and fellowship-trained Ophthalmologist, specializing in Premium Cataract Surgery, Dry Eye Treatment, Glaucoma, Cornea Diseases and Diabetic Eye Disease.

tonicajohnsonmd.com

919.999.6093 | 3811 N Roxboro St, Durham, NC 27704

Prevention, Health and State-of-the-Art Treatment!

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THANK YOU, DURHAM, FOR YOUR VOTE!

2022

The

best

*All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

of

Artisan Food Product Big Spoon Roasters Durham Toffee Melina’s Fresh Pasta Wonderpuff

Clothing Store BB Boutique Smitten Boutique Vaguely Reminiscent Vert & Vogue

RETAIL

Thrift Store Durham Rescue Mission Thrift Store Pennies for Change Thrift Boutique Scrap Thrift TROSA Thrift Store

Gift Store MagikCraft - Bull City Magic Parker & Otis Smitten Boutique Vaguely Reminiscent Jewelry Store Hamilton Hill Jewelry Jewelsmith John David Jewelers Light Years

durham

SERVICES

Veterinarian Bahama Road Veterinary Hospital Cornwallis Road Animal Hospital Eno Animal Hospital Park Veterinary Hospital & Urgent Care

Home Furnishings & Accessories Habitat for Humanity ReStore Once & Again Consignment Gallery TROSA Thrift Store Vintage Home South Durham-Made Product Big Spoon Roasters Bright Black Conniption Gin Fillaree

Pet Boarding Camp Bow Wow – North Durham Creature Comforts Inn Park Veterinary Hospital & Urgent Care Sunny Acres Pet Resort Pet Sitting Barbie & Company Pet Services Bull City Pet Sitting Kate’s Critter Care Very Important Pets (VIP) Professional Petsitting 

THIS TINY HEARING AID IS THE SOUND OF

North Carolina basketball, Beethoven’s 5th, Opening night “Play ball”, Clocks ticking, A puppy’s wimper, Soft summer rain, “Hi Grandma”, and… “I Love you.”

2022

HAPPY VISITS!

2022 Thank you to all of the voters!

FEAR FREE PROS

Wellness care • Surgery & dentistry • Lab work Laser therapy • Acupuncture • Grooming • Boarding... & beyond

Thank you for voting us Best Vet in Durham!

We’re a one-stop shop for fur babies.

Join our happy family!

(919) 471-0308 • ENOANIMALHOSPITAL.COM

DR. SHAINA STAPLETON, DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY

CALL TODAY for your Complimentary Hearing Consultation!

919-948-1947

BetterHearingDurham.com 14 Consultant Place, Suite 220, Durham In the same building as Eyecare Center

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The

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d u r ha m *All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Car Wash Bull City Car Wash Lightning McClean Carwash Spiffy TC’s of Durham

Cosmetic/Plastic Surgeon Duke Aesthetic Center Duke Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Gunn Plastic Surgery Center New Image MD

Accountant Anthony F. Armento, CPA, PC Balentine & Borg, PLLC Bridget A. Ryan, CPA, PLLC Thomas, Judy & Tucker, PA

Audiologist Better Hearing Rehabilitation Center Duke Otolaryngology Hearing Health Care Services North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat

Dermatologist Dr. Garrett S. Bressler Regional Dermatology of Durham Skin Wellness Dermatology Associates Triangle Dermatology Associates

Financial Advisor Bryan L. Piccirillo Kuhn Advisors Sycamore Financial Planning Tamra K. Ellis

Optometrist/Ophthalmologist Academy Eye Associates Duke Eye Center Dr. Tonica Johnson, Eye Physicians & Surgeons of Durham North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat

Chiropractor Bella Vita Chiropractic Carolina Pain and Performance Chiropractic Partners Peterson Chiropractic

Bank Coastal Credit Union M&F Bank State Employees’ Credit Union Wells Fargo 

Client Accounting Services · Payroll · Financial Statements Consulting and Advisory Services · Tax Return Preparation

A GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT TO OUR AWESOME CLIENTS

2022

2020

2021

Thank you for your support in making us one of Durham’s Best for 4 straight years!

WORK SMARTER. ENJOY LIFE. Full-service accounting firm dedicated to providing professional, personalized service and guidance to individuals, businesses and not-for-profit organizations.

919.933.3421 | WWW.AFACPA.COM 1502 W. NC Hwy. 54, Suite 503 | Durham, NC 27707

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durham

Jackie Moran’s Wonderpuff cotton candy has been named one of our readers’ favorite artisan food products for the second year in a row.

Client-Centered Sustainable Design New Construction Additions Renovations

Thank you, Durham!

Photos by Marilyn Per yer & Arsalan Abbasi

1502 W NC Highway 54, Suite 602 Durham, NC 27707 919.490.3733 I grantgrouparch.com

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If you’ve never tried rock climbing before, Triangle Rock Club – named one of Durham’s best sports clubs – offers discounted day-pass rates for first-time visitors!

THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST OF DURHAM!

Bringing car wash & detail, oil change, and tires right to your door.

(844) 438 - 7743 GETSPIFFY.COM Get $20 off your first service with code THXDURHAM

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$20 OFF FIRST SERVICE

*All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Place to Get in Shape Arrichion Hot Yoga + Circuit Training The BodyGames Center Neighborhood Barre Durham Synergy Fitness for Her Yoga/Pilates/ Barre Center Arrichion Hot Yoga + Circuit Training InsideOut Body Therapies Neighborhood Barre Durham vyb studio Sports Club Hollow Rock Racquet & Swim Club Tobacco Road Rugby Club Umstead Pines Golf and Swim Club Triangle Rock Club

Professional Photographer G. Lin Photography Morgan Crutchfield Photography Nikki Whitt Belch, Fancy This Photography Ripptowne Photography

Brooke A Jackson, MD FAAD Board Certified Dermatologist

Follow  @DrBrookeDerm

Event Planner Enchanting Events & Designs Sabrina Seymore Events Socialite Events Virtue Events Lawyer Ellis Family Law Hopler, Wilms, & Hanna, PLLC Patrick Law, PLLC Richberg Law

Hair Salon Atmosp’hair Salon Bella Lane & Company Fuss & Bother Posh The Salon

Real Estate Agent The Boone Team at Real Estate by Design Lisa Ellis, Lisa Ellis & Company, Real Estate by Design Kevin Fairfax, RE/MAX One Hundred Carl Johnson, Carl Johnson Real Estate at Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston Theresa Olson, Real Estate by Design

Nail Salon Bliss Nail Bar Harper’s Parlour LA VIE NAIL SPA Natural Nails by Nancy Posh Nail Spa

Real Estate Company Inhabit Real Estate Real Estate by Design Right Time Realty West & Woodall Real Estate 

Spa Bella Trio Salon & Spa Fluffy Tiger Massage Fuzion Professional Massage Therapy The Retreat at Brightleaf

Thank you for your support!

WE

2022 Doing Dermatology Differently with Direct Care 5007 Southpark Drive # 100, Durham NC 27713

919.294.9440 | skinwellnessdermatology.com

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The Museum of Life and Science has been a fave museum among families for 75 years – Joey Hodge thinks it’s a rawr-ing good time!

*All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Hotel/Bed and Breakfast 21c Museum Hotel The Durham Hotel Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

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Travel Company AAA Maupin Travel Worldwide Adventure Guides New Business All In Dance Academy Melanated Wine Midtown Yoga Durham Neighborhood Barre Durham

The

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durham

HOME & GARDEN

Commercial Builder BridgePoint General Contracting CT Wilson Construction Company Gateway Building Company Joe F. Berini Construction Co., Inc. Residential Builder BuildSense CQC Home Project 9 Designs Unified Custom Homes

Architect BuildSense Ellen Cassilly Architects Grant Group Architecture SoliDeo Design Studio Landscaper Carolina Garden Company For Garden’s Sake Lawns by Carlito TROSA Lawn Care Landscape Architect & Designer Carolina Garden Company Coulter Jewell Thames, P.A. For Garden’s Sake Tributary Land Design + Build 

Readers’ favorite kitchen designer Little Corner Construction is a women-led design-build firm that creates custom homes and remodels. Its team preserved this downtown bungalow, maintaining the original style while tripling the square footage, restoring its foundation, vaulting the first-floor ceiling, designing five bathrooms and expanding its outdoor living space with both a screened porch and covered front porch.

2022

INDIAN GRILL & BAR Pickup, Dine-In & Catering Authentic Indian Food

LNLRESTAURANT.COM 919-748-3456 @LNL.DURHAM Three Triangle Locations

Durham - 8 11 N in th Stre e t, Su ite 15 0 Raleigh - 10 5 F rie n d ly Driv e , Su ite 10 1 Chapel H ill - 10 0 Me a d owm on t Villa ge C ir # 10 1

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The

best of

d u r ha m *All results listed in alphabetical order **The presence of five winners is the result of a tie

Roofer Alpine Roofing Baker Roofing Company Gonzalez Painters & Contractors Pickard Roofing Company

Storage Facility Ample Storage Center Brassfield Self Storage Public Storage Triangle Mobile Storage TROSA Moving and Storage

Florist Blossom and Bone Florals Flowers by Gary Ninth Street Flowers Pine State Flowers

Painter Gonzalez Painters & Contractors Hansell Painting Company Steve Biddy Painting Zarazua Painting

Kitchen Designer CQC Home The Kitchen Specialist Linda Dickerson Interiors Little Corner Construction

Neighborhood Duke Park Hope Valley Northgate Park Trinity Park

Home Maintenance & Repair Gonzalez Painters & Contractors Rafiki Handyman, LLC Zarazua Enterprises

Interior Design Linda Dickerson Interiors LK Design Max Hugo Interior Design True Design

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dance Studio All In Dance Academy Barriskill Dance Theatre School Empower Dance Studio Threehouse Studios

2022 West Village 610 W. Main St., Suite 101 Durham

T H A N K YO U F O R VO T I N G U S

BEST HAIR SALON! We love making Durham look and feel fabulous!

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919.683.2109

poshthesalon.com info@poshthesalon.com



This facility has more than 9,950 sq ft of bouldering terrain, 17,000 sq ft of roped rock-climbing terrain, and a dedicated fitness and yoga space. In addition to rock-climbing classes, Triangle Rock Club Durham offers a variety of fitness and yoga classes!

Thank you Durham for voting us best sports club!

2022

: @trianglerockclub : @trianglerockclubdurham | trianglerockclub.com/durham 1010 Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy, Durham, NC 27713

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Named one of the Bull City’s best museums, the Museum of Durham History’s newest exhibit, “Dining Out in Durham,” explores the story of Durham’s traditional Southern cuisine as well as its international flavors and how community members have come together at the table. Line up your visit to the museum with its new monthly dining series – upcoming events will be held at Parizade in June, COPA in July, Geer Street Garden in August, Juju in September and Vin Rouge in October.

Venue for Community Theater The Carolina Theatre The Fruit Hayti Heritage Center Walltown Children’s Theatre

Art Gallery 21c Museum Hotel Gallery Golden Belt Artists Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University Steven Ray Miller Gallery and Frame Shop

Venue for Live Music (Large) Boxyard RTP The Carolina Theatre Durham Central Park Durham Performing Arts Center

Museum 21c Museum Hotel Museum of Durham History Museum of Life and Science Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Venue for Live Music (Small) The Blue Note Grill Hayti Heritage Center Motorco Music Hall The Pinhook

Event Space The Cotton Room Museum of Life and Science The Rickhouse Sarah P. Duke Gardens

A Taste of Ethiopia in the Heart of Durham

2022

Feed Your Appetite. Feed Your Soul. Feed One Another.

Goorsha Serves traditional Ethiopian fare. Whether you select a communal plate to share or prefer an individual portion, each dish is crafted using authentic spices and ingredients.

Gluten Free and plenty of vegan options to choose.

910 West Main St., Durham 919.588.4660 goorshadurham.com    88

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Kevin Fairfax Broker/Owner

919.235.5216

As a RE/MAX® agent, I’m dedicated to helping my clients find the home of their dreams. Whether you are buying or selling a home or just curious about the local market, I would love to offer my support and services. I know the local community — both as an agent and a neighbor — and can help guide you through the nuances of our local market. With access to top listings, a worldwide network, exceptional marketing strategies and cutting-edge technology, I work hard to make your real estate experience memorable and enjoyable.

I look forward to the opportunity to work with you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me today!

kevinfairfax.com • fairfaxpm.com 2022

FAIRFAX PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Your Success, Our Motto.

Fairfax Realty is the place to be to find a full-service Property Management Company offering quality service to homeowners, landlords, tenants and investors.

We have staff dedicated to providing top-notch Rental Services throughout the Triangle and surrounding areas of North Carolina.

Our team of professionals have many years of experience with all types of properties – including, short and long-term rentals of single and multi-family homes.

Our mission is to provide high quality and cost-effective services to all our clients. We make a team effort towards helping you find the right rental property at the right price for you. We are also experts in making sure renters are qualified and managing the daily operations of your investment. Give us a call as we would love the opportunity to earn your business!

Paulette Fairfax Owner

919.656.9079

home

Ben Goldstein, Noah, 4, Malcolm, 8, and Cheng Li lounge on a built-in window seat that features custom drawers to maximize storage space.

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remarkable rooms

A few of our city’s best architects and interior designers share a unique recent project B Y MORG AN CARTIER WESTON PHOTOG RAPHY B Y J OHN MICHAEL S I M PS O N

C

TRENDING UPWARD

and Ben Goldstein moved to Durham from California in 2015. “At the time, we had a newborn and were renting a home in Chancellor’s Ridge,” Cheng says. “We planned on growing our family, so we needed room, and we were excited to find a great home in Croasdaile.”

The three-bedroom house included a first-floor guest room and an unfinished attic. “We quickly realized the guest room location was not ideal,” heng Li

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YOUR DESIGN BUILD PARTNER Specializing in kitchen and bathroom remodeling as well as extensive renovation, we help clients all over the Triangle improve their homes with the kind of caring attention that makes us feel like family.

Visit cqchome.com or call 919-971-5119 to schedule your personalized consultation today.

2022

THANK YOU DURHAM FOR VOTING CQC HOME BEST KITCHEN DESIGNER & BEST RESIDENTIAL BUILDER!

2021

2020

WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING THE BEST EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH

best of home & garden

A light blue, gray and white color palette, intended to brighten the third floor, carries into the full guest bathroom. A solar tube overhead also allows natural light to pour in.

Ben explains. “The space is right off the kitchen, sort of in the middle of everything and shares a bathroom with the rest of the first floor as well.” The couple began to dream up an attic space that could serve as both a guest room and a lounge area for their family.

In February 2020, Cheng and Ben kicked off their project with Liz Templeton Scisco of True Design, named one of our readers’ favorite interior designers. “The timing worked out well, because home offices became important a few weeks later with the onset of COVID-19,” Ben says. “We were [also] able to add that function as a primary component of the remodel.”

Liz designed a highly practical footprint, carving out a small section for each use while keeping the central area flexible. “We were able to combine two offices (one for each homeowner), a flexible space for homework, a lounge [area] and a full guest suite with a full bathroom and small coffee station for visitors, all in one room,” Liz says. The guest room also features a Murphy bed and fridge. On the weekends when folks aren’t visiting, the family uses it for movie nights. “The kids (Malcolm, 8, and Noah, 4) bring up their beanbag chairs, we pop some popcorn, and make a night of it,” Cheng says. “We originally intended it to be more of an adult space, but it has evolved into a family space.”

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“And, let’s be honest, the whole house is the kids’ space,” Ben laughs.

Cheng adores the seating area and the natural light. “Before this project, we felt there was not enough light in the attic and worried that adding more furniture would make it feel dark,” she explains.

“Liz did a great job with color choices to help balance that, and we added a solar tube to the bathroom so it is beautifully, naturally lit most of the day.”

“Having the attic as a workplace, in a room removed from everything, is ideal for me,” Ben adds. “Sometimes, prior to the renovation, we shared space, working at the kitchen table or floating around while Malcolm carved out space to do his homework.”

“The most critical thing about the design of this space was its flexibility, and this was difficult because of the many roles this room needed to fill,” Liz explains. Another challenge was making the out-of-the-way third floor enough of a destination to justify a renovation of this size. “The last thing you want is to invest in a space and then have it never be used,” Liz adds.

The project enabled the family to utilize the former first-floor guest room more effectively, too. “It has really opened up so many options for us,” Cheng says. “Now the old guest room is my workspace, and the former office is the kids’ playroom.”

“We give so much credit to Liz,” Ben says. He and Cheng say that they felt they could trust Liz right away. “She has great project management abilities and was also great at helping us whittle down

Let Us Exceed Your Expectations Where We Shine.

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Jodi Bakst Broker, Owner

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501 Eastowne Dr, Ste 140, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Broker, Owner, Property Mgt

r o f s k Than ! e t o v r you BuildSense Architecture, PC. Best Architect BuildSense, Inc. Best Residential Contractor 502 Rigsbee Avenue, Suite 201

Durham, NC 27701

919.667.0404

buildsense.com

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Cheng, Malcolm, Noah and Ben play a game of Clue in the third-floor space, which can function as an office or a guest room when needed, thanks to a custom Murphy bed behind the couch.

our choices, even on things we wouldn’t think about, like where to place electrical outlets and Ethernet cables.”

Liz first proposed several layouts, allowing Ben and Cheng to select the one that best suited their needs. Knowing that the family would lose some storage in converting the attic, Liz suggested built-in drawers under the window seat (now a favorite lounge spot for cats Simon and Eloise) and shelving in the new furnace closet.

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The custom Murphy bed hides behind the sofa, which is flanked by even more storage spaces.

“We’re pleasantly surprised at how much it does for us,” Ben adds. “We really appreciated Liz’s thoughtfulness, responsiveness and personalized touches; it was clear this was not just a job to her.

And because of that, the attic turned out exactly how we didn’t know it needed to.”

2022

INTEGRITY. QUALITY. TRUST. Certified public accountants providing personalized and high quality service to individuals, businesses and trusts.

Thank you to our clients for voting us

Best of Durham

3622 Lyckan Parkway Suite 2001, Durham, NC 919 403 2353 | bandb.cpa |  

CAMP BOW WOW® North Durham 4310 Bennett Memorial Road, Durham, NC 27705 919-309-4959 campbowwow.com/north-durham

2022

*LEGAL WOOF: Free first day valid only for interview day. New customers only.

Camper must meet entrance requirements.

HOUSE WASHING • WINDOW CLEANING • GUTTER CLEANING AND GUTTER GUARDS

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Call us to wash it away

laborpanes.com Call for a Free Quote!

919.694.8415

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Izzie, 13, Cullen, 3, and Finley, 7, love to bake gluten-free bread from scratch with their parents Bruce Lamont and Morgan Lamont.

TEAM EFFORT

In 2014, Morgan Lamont and Bruce Lamont were living in a 1920s home in Duke Park. “At that time, the whole neighborhood was going under this big wave of renovations,” Morgan says. “Among its many past renovations, our house had been turned into a triplex and then back into a single family home,” Morgan explains. Though the house suited their needs, it was just far enough from the growing family’s many activities that Bruce and Morgan felt they were spending more time in their cars than at home.

Busy is an understatement for the Lamonts, which includes daughters Izzie, 13, and Finley, 7, and son Cullen, 3, as well as dogs Lula and Malcolm. On one typically hectic day, between driving to school and dance rehearsals, doctors’ appointments and Grandma’s house, they stumbled upon some empty lots for sale tucked between Tuscaloosa-Lakewood and Forest Hills.

“We were new to the design and build process, so took note of the house next door, which was already built,” Bruce explains.

“That’s how we found Ellen Cassilly Architects and BuildSense custom home builders.”

With their team and lot secured, the Lamonts next spent plenty of time on Pinterest and Houzz, looking for the ideal blend of farmhouse aesthetics and modern functionality that would suit their family’s needs. “The whole process is a lot more involved than we realized,” Morgan says. “We were lucky to have [Ellen Cassilly architect] Meredith Pittman’s eye when we were making design decisions. She was a great sounding board.”

“Definitely,” Bruce adds with a laugh. “We would have ended up taking it a bit too far 98

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ABOVE The screened porch is a communal hangout spot where Cullen, Izzie and Finley relax on comfy couches to read or observe the caterpillars in their bug cage. LEFT The kitchen, dining and living areas are one of three key spaces that Ellen Cassilly Architects helped define in the Lamont home. BELOW LEFT Trendy modern farmhouse touches are combined with timeless elements and natural wood to complete the eye-catching aesthetic.

on the farmhouse theme. We were looking at trendy options, like chicken wire cabinets, but now we’re grateful Meredith talked us into more timeless finishes.”

“Meredith was also really helpful in bringing our overall vision to reality,” Morgan says. “I’d show her a picture of a mirror I liked, and she could track it down and help me buy it.”

“It was so delightful working with Bruce and Morgan,” says Ellen Cassilly, one of our best architects in Durham. “They were a growing family, and we were helping them create a space to raise their children. We worked closely with the folks at BuildSense, and I think they did a wonderful job with lots of fine craftsmanship.”

(BuildSense was also named a best architect and best residential builder in our Best of Durham poll!)

The result of this collaboration is a home that feels both cozy and grand. With soaring ceilings, natural wood accents and soft, sinkable furniture, the house was intentionally separated into three key areas: “The kitchen, dining, living and screened porch is a large, 100

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“We worked closely with the folks at BuildSense,” says Ellen Cassilly, one of our readers’ favorite architects. “I think they did a wonderful job with lots of fine craftsmanship.”

fun communal area for the entire family, while the parents have their retreat on the main level, and the kids have the run of the upstairs,” Ellen says. The children each have their own bedroom and share a playspace as well.

Morgan’s favorite feature is the bifold door connecting the living area to the porch. “No matter where the kids are, I feel connected to them,” she says. “We can entertain, see the kids … it really opens things up. With the fireplace outside, we can watch football and enjoy the space year-round.”

“We are really happy with the lot, the layout and location, all have been fantastic for our family,” Bruce says. “We’re only a mile to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and our neighborhood and the people around us are great.”

“We really feel like we know everyone, especially through walking our dogs,” Morgan adds. The dogs have their own space inside, too, with beds built into a custom room under the staircase; it even includes access to the outdoors.

“This house feels bigger than others we’ve lived in; not so much because of the size, but because of how functional it is,” Bruce says.

“We always dreamed of building our perfect house, and now we have it.”

best of home & garden

practice what you preach

One of our readers’ favorite residential builders and architects puts an eco-friendly stamp on all its projects B Y B RO O K E S PAC H P HOTO B Y J O H N M IC HAE L SIMP SO N

B

BuildSense’s office is a testament to the environmentally conscious home solutions provided to its clients. Some seek this expertise to lower their energy bill and consumption with more efficient appliances and plumbing.

“For example, all of our lights are automated, so when they don’t sense you in the building anymore, they turn off,” Kendall says. “There’s really simple things like that these days that don’t cost that much more money and make a big difference in the long term.” Kendall notes that the building used only $420 worth of energy over a 30-day span this spring, and saved $530 thanks to a high level of efficiency.

She says that, especially recently, clients are looking to prioritize indoor health by using safe and sustainable building materials that don’t emit harmful chemicals. Regardless of the motivation to go green, BuildSense specializes in fully customizable projects on any budget that involve their clients every step of the way.

“Every selection is made by the client, and we have the ability to help guide them toward a healthy house that will last a long time,” she says. 

We love what we do and it shows!

uildSense helps its clients design and build beautiful

spaces that don’t sacrifice luxury for efficiency. Its office space at 502 Rigsbee Ave., Ste 201, which the company completely renovated and moved into about eight years ago, closely reflects the energy-efficient design choices that it values in its residential projects.

“That’s really all we do,” says Kendall Glaze, BuildSense’s sales and marketing lead. “We don’t build just code-standard houses; we build them with longlasting materials for indoor health and low maintenance. And that’s why we said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to walk the talk and do our office this way.’”

The 6,000-square-foot one-story building doubled in size to two-stories and 12,000-square-feet, equipped with sensor lighting, energy-efficient window glazing, solar panels, and rainwater collection that’s used for flushing toilets and watering the landscaping. The new structure earned BuildSense an LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The space uses less than 50% of the energy of a typical office, and the 32.6 kW solar panels produce 37% of the building’s energy on-site.

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FAMILY FIRST

Pat Clements, who’s

lived in Durham for nearly 70 years, fell for back in the 1970s. “I lived in this neighborhood while raising my family, and after being away for several years, [I] had the opportunity to purchase [our current] home,” she says. “I loved the neighborhood and wanted to be close to my family.”

Westwood Estates

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The 1970 home was in need of renovations, but Pat and her husband, Ed Clements, saw great potential in it, and moved in in 2016. “Updating this home has been an ongoing project,” Pat says.

“We have been working on the house for the past five years.”

Their most recent undertaking was the living and kitchen space, totaling approximately 980 square feet. “Although it was a nice room,

home & garden

Pat Clements has the luxury of walking to visit her two younger sisters, who both live in her Westwood Estates neighborhood. Being close to family is one aspect that Pat and her husband, Ed Clements, enjoy about their home.

I just felt it wasn’t finished how I would like it to be,” Pat says. “I have always wanted to have a professional design team work with me to make the room both beautiful and functional at the same time.”

Pat enlisted the help of Katherine Gianakos of Max Hugo Interior Design, to tackle the style and decor. “Katherine listened to what I wanted and gave me a plan that I loved,” Pat says.

“She was very easy to work with and came up with a design that exceeded my expectations.”

“Family is very important to Pat and Ed,” Katherine says.

“They’ve been married for four years now, and have a large family of children and grandchildren.” Katherine looked to Max Hugo’s brand and marketing consultant Allie Balling of Allieway Marketing j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 2

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Inc. to assist in art curation. Blue, a favorite color of Pat’s and also the

tone of Ed’s beloved chairs, became the basis of the color scheme. The team had to work on creating zoned areas for specific functions in an open layout and swap the dining room with the living area as well.

The result is a welcoming space imbued with bright blue tones and that highlights clearly defined seating areas, all accentuated with pieces by local artist Jan Cole Francis. The updates are both classic and contemporary, with plenty of comfort, too, which is perfect for entertaining little ones. “My daughter, Brooke McCormick, son and daughter-in-law, Brian McCormick and Sarah McCormick, and their children, Harper, 9, and Beau, 6, all live in Durham and visit often,” Pat says. “They are very impressed [with] our newly decorated space.”

LEFT Sarah McCormick, Brian McCormick, Beau, 6, Harper, 9, and Brook McCormick play Jenga in the living room where a mix of bold blue and green tones create a cheery atmosphere.

BELOW Nothing beats cookies at Grandma’s house! The kitchen completes the space and provides a natural spot for the whole family to gather.

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best of home & garden

Natalie Gominger and Derek Gominger enjoy a glass of wine in their 1970s Hope Valley Farms home, which underwent extensive renovations before they moved in.

“We loved creating a welcoming and inviting space for Pat and Ed to host family and spend time together enjoying meals, playing games and just [going about] everyday life,” Katherine says. “We talked through what areas were important to Pat and how she would use them, then created a plan that had a cohesive look.”

Pat says if she had known about the Max Hugo team – which won a Best of Durham award for interior design this year and has been a recipient of the accolade in many years past – when she and Ed moved in, she would have had them decorate the entire house. “[They] had ideas that I would have never thought of,” she says. “I was so happy with the way everything turned out.”

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MAKE IT WORK

When Natalie Gominger and Derek Gominger found their 1970s home in Hope Valley Farms, they saw the underlying opportunity – they just needed to look past the surface first.

To do that, they turned to Mollie Ackner of SoliDeo Design Studio – one of our readers’ favorite architects – for the design and Don Tupper of Tupper Custom Homes for the renovation. “It was a significant renovation, and we didn’t know what questions to ask or where to start,” Natalie explains. “Mollie really helped us see beyond the existing walls and layout to what it could be,” Derek adds.

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The screened porch is an area the Gomingers use frequently now that the flow of the home allows them direct access to it.

The Gomingers decided to take on the exterior first. “It looked more like a funeral parlor than a house, with grand Greek columns and a huge overhang in front, combined with little details that didn’t really match,” Derek says. “Our team helped us think through how to make it feel cohesive and make it feel like ours.”

The result was a face-lift of the front and back facades, and a complete gut of the first floor. “The biggest concern was the kitchen,” Mollie explains. “It was dated and felt trapped in the middle of the house, which didn’t work for this vibrant, active family. It’s amazing what moving one wall can do.”

The dining room, once located at the back end of the house, became the new open kitchen, while the former kitchen and living areas were connected to make one large great room. The Gomingers also decided to vault the ceiling in the kitchen to create an extra sense of space in the newly open family zone.

“We hadn’t considered a lot of the changes Mollie suggested, like vaulting the ceiling in the kitchen,” Natalie says. “With any project, there are things that get cut, but we are so glad we decided to trust her on the ceiling.

It creates this lovely feeling of expansion and compression that helps distinguish the two rooms while still feeling connected.”

“We of course ran into supply chain issues, as well as some other challenges, like a faux built-in cabinet that revealed a hidden utility function that couldn’t be moved – so it became a bookshelf,” Mollie says. “But they are dream clients, and we were able to communicate frequently to keep the momentum going.”

The interior project included moving doorways to improve the flow and usability of the whole first floor, a decision that has proved pivotal to the family’s use of the house. “The access to the screened porch has been key to our enjoyment of the space,” Derek says.  110

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Deciding to vault the kitchen ceiling wasn’t an obvious choice to the Gomingers, but when Mollie Ackner of SoliDeo Design Studio, one of our readers’ favorite architects, suggested it, they trusted her expertise.

The result naturally distinguishes the kitchen from the dining room.

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Natalie likes that the kitchen feels large but not ostentatious.

“We can all be there cooking as a family with our 10-year-old and 8-year-old and feel like we have plenty of space to work without being in one another’s way.”

Mollie also helped select finishing touches that brought the open space together. “We added copper accents and dark wooden beams, and chose some deep blue paint for the island,” Mollie says.

“Suddenly, we had a beautiful, functional family space.”

The aesthetic lies at the intersection of modern farmhouse and Parisian cafe, and is the perfect place for a busy family to unwind.

“This type of project involves an unbelievable amount of decision making,” Natalie says. “You don’t know how it will turn out until it’s over, but we’re so glad we had this great team and feel ready for the next project.” Next up, the Gomingers plan to undertake a primary bedroom refresh, finish the home’s basement and create a family-friendly backyard oasis.

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The

biker gang A group of Durham cyclists gather together in the name of health and camaraderie B Y ELIZAB ETH KAN E PHOTOG RAPHY B Y J OHN M I C H A EL S I M PS O N

I

t’s important to stay strong, healthy and active – no matter your age. While you keep your body moving you can also lift your spirits and find joy in the physical nature of exercise as well as in the camaraderie with the people around you.

The cyclists at The Forest at Duke understand this. They’re exercising to stay healthy, but on that path to wellness, they’re also building positive relationships. 

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retirement

Retired pediatric Not everyone who bikes anesthesiologist Dr. Melissa with the growing group McLeod moved to The Forest lives at The Forest at Duke. at Duke in 2019. “I’ve been Some come from other areas, biking pretty much all my life, like Dr. Kathy Turlington, a but I really had time once I retired pediatrician who lives retired,” Melissa says. “When downtown at Durham Central I joined the group in March Park Cohousing.

2020, there were about six Kathy says the rides together of us who biked regularly are heart-pumping. “We usually together. … Now the group is do 25 or 35 miles,” she says. “… up to 15 riders.”

It’s definitely a workout, and She was in her new home it’s a commitment in terms of just six short months before discretionary time in your day. the pandemic initiated Typically, we do something shutdowns. “This group was twice a week, and that [means an essential part of my safe needing to] carve out at least socializing,” Melissa says. “It three hours from your day was a good way to be with to do it. … But almost all of people, but still have distance. us are retired.”

Ray Phillips, Melissa, Kathy and Claudia are part of a biking group Exercising, at least for me, is Kathy says there was that does anywhere from 25- to 35-mile rides all over the area. a great stress reduction. So something special about there was that, too.” biking that came back to Melissa explains that there’s also a sense of security in groups her when she rode. It made her feel a sense of release, one that when it comes to biking. “As we age, we get a little more safety originated from a particularly cherished childhood memory. conscious,” she says. “[And] if you get injured, it takes a long “It reminded me of when I was a little kid [and] … I rode my time to heal.” bike everywhere,” Kathy says. “I still remember when my dad let go Together, they support one another. That includes working of the back of the end of my bike, when I was going from training through some of the ups and downs that can come with the wheels to no help. I just remember that moment, like a little physicality of the sport. “A lot of it is social and being supportive,” snippet of joy from a time I can’t remember much else about. …

Melissa says. “We always have lots of advice on how to get back [if That feeling came back, and I just love the freedom.” someone gets hurt].”

Kathy says she also enjoys “that joy of movement and motion, For older adults looking to engage in more physical activities, and just being completely off and autonomous [when biking]. …

Melissa encourages folks to “start slow and try to make a habit. You I’ve stuck with it ever since. It’s just so pleasant to do.” don’t want to overdo it. Just slowly build back. See if you can find “One of the reasons I also stuck with it is that it has turned out a supportive network, either [through] friends or a group that also to be a great way to connect with your tribe,” Kathy adds. “There’s shares the same activity. just something that we all seem to share, the bikers and the cyclists “It’s important to keep exercising no matter what it is you of the world. We have some gene or something.” choose,” Melissa adds. Maybe that’s biking, or perhaps another Kathy encourages physical activities to stay healthy and keep up the activity like walking or yoga. “Whatever you can do in a group, all consistency of good exercise habits, but more importantly, to discover the better,” she says. “But keep doing what you’re doing, because as what makes you happiest. “Whatever you find that brings you joy, you age, you lose that resilience.” that’s the thing to do,” Kathy says. “Remember: Find the joy.”

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retirement

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give a little bit

AmeriCorps Retired and Senior Volunteer Program matches volunteers to local organizations

BY E L IZ ABE TH KANE PH OTO G RA P HY BY JO HN MIC HAE L SIMP SON

V

olunteers are community heroes. Connecting those heroes to where their time and energy is needed most are people like Sydney Schamay, the AmeriCorps Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) manager in Durham.

“We are essentially a free service [that’s offered] both to volunteers and [to the] community partner agencies – which includes the American Red Cross, Crayons2Calculators, Reinvestment Partners and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, to name a few – that we work with,” Sydney says. “We have formal partnerships with them and they submit to us … their most current, most pressing volunteer needs. Then we act as a connector between those interested volunteers who generally know they want to volunteer, but don’t know exactly where they want to be put.”

In order to find the right match, “we have a one-on-one Volunteer Susan Ragan has worked with the same middle schooler since conversation about [the potential volunteer’s] interests, skill mid-March, tutoring her in reading, spelling, vocabulary and writing skills. sets and life experience,” Sydney says. She explains that once the folks at RSVP understand what potential volunteers are looking for, they offer a sampling of different opportunities science in Ohio and Maryland. Her work involves helping students that might be a good fit. “There’s something for everyone,” Sydney improve their literacy skills and feel confident about their abilities. says. “We really try to do the legwork of thinking through exactly “Reading is so essential,” Susan says. “I’ve worked with my own what would be a good match.” grandchildren, and I just felt like that was something that I could Susan Ragan, who volunteers with the Augustine Literacy Project use my teaching skills to do and help a child.” of the Triangle through the Durham Public Schools Foundation, Susan says the RSVP program understood what her strengths is a retired high school teacher who taught math and computer were and paired her with opportunities that she cared about. “It’s 120

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ABOVE RIGHT Bob Austin unloads boxes of food at Meals on Wheels Durham.

BELOW RIGHT Reality Ministries offers adults with and without developmental disabilities, like Hunter Barbour, Bob Leslie, Charles Markham and Dr. Barbara A. Smith, to participate in activities together.

nice to have a guide who takes you through that,” she says. “… You don’t have to worry about all those steps, and that way you can get the help to the people who need it.”

Susan explains the significance of her volunteering with the kids she teaches: “It’s providing free tutoring for families who couldn’t pay for it,” Susan says. “It’s reaching a population that has the most difficult time finding help. [E]very step in the education process is so important. And being able to give help to people who are not going to be able to financially pay for it is going to pay for itself in so many ways – not only for the child, but for society in general and having a well-educated workforce.”

Bob Austin, who works for telecom company Avaya in Research Triangle Park, volunteers his time with Meals on Wheels Durham alongside a committed group of people. “My role is pretty basic and pretty simple – just unload the truck,” Bob says.

“Every Monday, a truck filled with … boxes and boxes of food [comes in], and a group of us unloads it into people’s cars.”

Bob prefers that his volunteer work starts before his day job. “I like the physicality of it,” he says. “The Monday morning side of it – start the week off right. It’s an easy, nice job to get your heart rate up, and get in a little exercise on a Monday morning.”

He says that – though he doesn’t consider himself a senior, and he isn’t retired – he feels he got lucky in his match with the Meals on Wheels program, and he encourages potential volunteers to find a match where they fit best, even if it takes a couple of j u n e / j u ly 2 0 2 2

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Barbara A. Smith and Fhaylen Cockrell feed a horse at The Glen, a 10-acre farm that partners with Reality Ministries.

tries. “The RSVP program offers lots of other opportunities to find something else [if the first volunteer match doesn’t work],” Bob says.

“So don’t be afraid to jump in.”

Dr. Barbara A. Smith, a retired educator and sports coach, now gives her time to Reality Ministries, which offers opportunities for adults with and without developmental disabilities to engage in activities together and build friendships with one another. She found Reality Ministries through the RSVP program. “They match you perfectly with your heart’s desires, and that was great for me,” Barbara says. She got involved with the nonprofit’s Tuesday Morning Mingle Group and gospel choir. “Reality Ministries is a place where everybody is somebody, and everybody makes you feel like somebody because of the love of God being shared so freely,” Barbara says.

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RSVP program because, she says, it will enhance your life.

“The [RSVP] program is geared toward you not hanging up your shoes and saying, ‘I’m retired’ for good,” Barbara says. “No! Take the shoes down! Get out there, participate, get matched with your right experience. Give – just keep giving.

“There’s somebody out there that needs to hear a kind word, or see a smile, or [receive] a pat on the back or a high-five, or something, just from you.”

For Barbara, the experience is both rejuvenating and meaningful.

“What you give out will come back to you,” she says. “[Volunteering] just gives you more reasons to live. [You’ll remember], ‘Someone’s waiting for me today, I’ve got to go volunteer.’ Nothing beats volunteering – nothing.”

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THE 2022 DIRECTORY OF CONTINUING CARE, ASSISTED LIVING, INDEPENDENT LIVING, 55+ LIVING AND COHOUSING RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES Assisted Living Communities BROOKDALE CHAPEL HILL ASSISTED LIVING 2220 Farmington Dr., Chapel Hill Respite care offered.

Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 984-363-6069; brookdale.com BROOKDALE CHAPEL HILL ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA CARE 2230 Farmington Dr., Chapel Hill Respite care offered.

Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 984-363-6069; brookdale.com BROOKDALE DURHAM ASSISTED LIVING AND DEMENTIA CARE 4434 Ben Franklin Blvd., Durham Respite care offered.

Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 984-363-6069; brookdale.com BROOKDALE MEADOWMONT ASSISTED LIVING AND DEMENTIA CARE 100 Lanark Rd., Chapel Hill Respite care offered.

Entrance Fee One-time community fee, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Contact Information 984-363-6069; brookdale.com CAMBRIDGE HILLS ASSISTED LIVING 140 Brookstone Ln., Pittsboro This all-inclusive facility, which has served the community for 16 years, has a 38-bed memory care unit, private and semi-private rooms. Awardwinning activity programs enhance quality of life for residents.

Entrance Fee Community fee of $1,500 Monthly Fee Range $4,150 – $6,250 Contract Options None. Requires 14-day notice before moving out Refund Options Prorated for the first month from the move-in date Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 65 Contact Information Ronda Stubbs, 919-545-9573 or ronda@silver-thread.com; cambridgehillsal.com

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CAMBRIDGE HILLS ASSISTED LIVING 5660 Durham Rd., Roxboro Entrance Fee Call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Refund Options Requires 14-day notice Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information Tracey Maloney, tmaloney@cvsliving.com; 336-598-4697; cambridgehills.com CALYX LIVING OF DURHAM 4214 Guess Rd., Durham Entrance Fee Application fee required, call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Monthly rate includes care, dining, activities, laundry and housekeeping Refund Options 14-day notice required Medicare Certified Not applicable Long-Term Care Insurance Not required but accepted Minimum Age 60 Contact Information 919-471-0091; calyxseniorliving.com CAROLINA RESERVE OF DURHAM 4523 Hope Valley Rd., Durham Entrance Fee Call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Month-to-month, 2 weeks’ notice required before moving out Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-892-6688; carolinareserveofdurham.com CHATHAM RIDGE ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE 114 Polks Village Ln., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee One month’s rent Monthly Fee Range Starting at $4,600 Contract Options Month-to-month Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-883-9767; navionseniorsolutions.com/communities/chatham-ridge THE LAURELS OF CHATHAM (SKILLED NURSING AND REHAB FACILITY) 72 Chatham Business Dr., Pittsboro This 140-bed facility in a serene setting near Pittsboro caters to both short- and long-term guests who work with the care team to organize a plan that’s specific to their needs. The memory-care unit and specially trained staff provide assistance to those with Alzheimer’s and other memory impairments. The staff strive to give the highest quality of care alongside recreational programs and outings to provide enrichment.

Monthly Fee Range $8,190 – $11,640 Medicare Certified Yes, also accepts Medicare HMO, commercial insurance and Medicaid Long-Term Care Insurance Not accepted Contact Information Facility: 919-542-6677, Admissions: 919-302-7862; laurelsofchatham.com MEBANE RIDGE ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE 1999 S. NC Hwy. 119, Mebane Entrance Fee One month’s rent Monthly Fee Range Starting at $3,195/month Contract Options Month-to-month Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-737-7251; navionseniorsolutions.com/communities/mebane-ridge 

PILATES STUDIO | PILATES-BASED PHYSICAL THERAPY ACUPUNCTURE | ROLFING® STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

2022

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5720 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 101, Durham, NC | tel: 919.361.0104 | ::: @insideoutdurham

retirement guide

TERRABELLA 1911 Orange Grove Rd., Hillsborough Entrance Fee $2,000 Contract Options Month-to-month Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age None Contact Information 919-732-9040; terrabellahillsborough.com

Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) CAROLINA MEADOWS 100 Carolina Meadows, Chapel Hill A vibrant community where residents live a lifestyle of wellness and engagement. The 168-acre campus includes a nine-hole golf course, pristine walking trails, tennis courts, community gardens and more. Residents enjoy six distinctive dining venues, a state-of-the-art wellness center and an auditorium that offers many fascinating lectures and performances.

Entrance Fee Range $133,600 – $798,500 Monthly Fee Range $3,038 – $4,996 Contract Options Fee for Service: Housing, residential services and guaranteed access to health-related services in exchange for entrance fee and monthly fee. Health-related services are provided at per diem rates, which vary. Home Care services are also available. Equity: See below.

Refund Options Upon departure, resident/estate receives refund based on Entry Fee calculation and, if applicable, additional 50% of equity in the residence; calculation is current Entry Fee minus remarketing and refurbishing fees compared to original Entry Fee, and then sharing in appreciation of unit if new balance exceeds original payment.

Medicare Certified Yes, Medicare Part B Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but welcome Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-942-4014; 800-458-6756; carolinameadows.org CAROL WOODS 750 Weaver Dairy Rd., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee Range $106,000 – $522,500 Monthly Fee Range $2,466 – $5,697 Contract Options Modified: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and some health-related services. Health-related services are provided at a discounted rate.

Refund Options Declining Refund: Pay entry fee; full refund in first 90 days; refund declines at rate of 2% each additional month; after 50 months, no refund.

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required; could help pay for discounted per diems.

Minimum Age 65 (co-applicant must be at least 55) Contact Information 919-968-4511; 800-518-9333; carolwoods.org THE CEDARS OF CHAPEL HILL 100 Cedar Club Circle (Meadowmont), Chapel Hill Purchase Price Range $300,000s – $800,000s* Monthly Fee Range $3,283 – $6,619 Contract Options *Equity: Actual real estate purchase, with transfer of ownership of the unit. If resident moves to health center, no added amount except two meals per day. After 90 days, member pays discounted rate.

Refund Options Not applicable because of ownership Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 50) Contact Information 919-259-7000; 877-433-3669; cedarsofchapelhill.com

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CROASDAILE VILLAGE 2600 Croasdaile Farm Pkwy., Durham Set on 110 acres in a pastoral landscape, which provides a country feel fewer than 6 miles from downtown Durham and 3 miles from Duke University. Croasdaile is within the distinguished residential neighborhood of Croasdaile Farm.

Residents enjoy numerous green spaces with yards, gardening and plenty of walking trails, a dog park, lakes and the security of a full continuum of care on-site. The central campus buildings are connected, with a state-of-the-art wellness center, large heated pool, auditorium, woodworking shop, art studio, multiple dining venues and a chapel.

Entrance Fee Range $61,097 – $339,233 (includes single and double occupancy) Monthly Fee Range $2,152 – $4,921 (single occupancy with second person fee $1,361 for all residential homes) Contract Options Fee for Service: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and some health-related services. Advanced levels of health services are provided at per-diem rates. Utilities bundled.

Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Pay lower entry fee; refund declines at rate of 2% per month; after 50 months, no refund. Option 2: 50% Refund – pay higher entry fee; refund declines at a rate of 2% per month until 50% of residence fee is accrued; refund limited to 50%.

Option 3: 90% Refund – pay higher entry fee; refund declines at a rate of 2% per month until 10% of fee is accrued; refund limited to 90%.

Medicare Certified Yes; rehab on-site Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but welcome Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-384-2475, 800-960-7737 or 919-238-1159 for general inquiries; croasdailevillage.org THE FOREST AT DUKE 2701 Pickett Rd., Durham Celebrating 30 years of community, The Forest at Duke is a vibrant continuing care retirement community located in the heart of Durham.

Homes, cottages, apartments – each offer spacious, contemporary living with access to a range of amenities coupled with wellness. At The Forest, residents discover a retirement that is as varied, engaging and multifaceted as you are. The Forest strives to strengthen the community and organizations that enrich the lives of Durham residents.

Entrance Fee Range Call for pricing Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Modified: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping, and some health-related services. Health-related services are provided at a greatly discounted rate and are free for a specified number of days.

Refund Options The Forest retains $10,000 of each person’s entry fee as a health care reserve. The remaining balance of the entry fee, the residence fee, is refundable based on the following plan: 2% of the Residence Fee accrues to The Forest at Duke each month. The refund decreases to zero over 50 months.

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but welcome Minimum Age 65 (co-applicant must be at least 62) Contact Information 919-490-8000; 919-278-9729; forestduke.org GALLOWAY RIDGE AT FEARRINGTON 3000 Galloway Ridge Rd., Pittsboro Crafted with heart, soul and Southern charm, Galloway Ridge is a secure, health-conscious lifestyle destination. The 50-acre campus is just south of Chapel Hill and adjacent to Fearrington Village, an 1,100-acre planned community, offering miles of trails and sidewalks. Jordan Lake and the Haw River are just a short distance away for outdoor enthusiasts.

Galloway Ridge’s main building includes 248 independent living apartments, library and business center, living room, Chapin Auditorium, Weathersfield Café, Bistro Dining Room, Camellia Fine Dining Room, Belties Lounge, billiards room, Players Lounge, a movie theater with stadium seating, art studio, woodworking shop, multiple meeting spaces and conference room. The Arbor, a Medicare-certified health care center, is connected to the main building and offers 96 private rooms for assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. 

PUT DOWN NEW ROOTS

FILL YOUR PLATE WITH GOODNESS

FIND THE

Best

OF ALL WORLDS

YOU CAN HAVE At The Village of Brookwood, you’ll find an intimate community nestled among parks and walking paths, with opportunities to stay active, both physically and mentally.

Centrally located in Burlington, NC, you’ll find all the options you need to build the life you’ve planned.

IT ALL AT...

A Life Plan Retirement Community

Call to schedule a visit today! 336-396-8648 1860 BROOKWOOD AVE, BURLINGTON, NC • VILLAGEATBROOKWOOD.ORG

retirement guide

The residents of the 52 independent living villas have a short walk to all of the amenities of the main building. The Galloway Ridge WellPlex allows residents to maintain their optimal level of health and well-being.

It includes the Duke Center for Living, a 20,000-square-foot fitness center, Duke Primary Care and the Center for Physical Rehabilitation.

For on-campus primary care services, residents can choose between UNC Health Care within the main building or Duke Primary Care in the WellPlex. Residents and staff volunteer thousands of hours each year to local agencies and partnerships.

Entrance Fee Range $236,000 – $1,331,000 Monthly Fee Range $3,529 – $8,215 Contract Options Extensive: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and unlimited assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. Additional meal fee required as one moves from one level of care to another.

Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Time-Sensitive – Pay lower entry fee; refund declines at rate of 4% in first month; 2% each additional month; after 4 years, no refund. Option 2: 90% Refund, Not Time-Sensitive – Pay higher entry fee; receive 90% of what you paid in. Option 3: 75% Refund, Not Time-Sensitive – Pay higher entry fee; receive 75% of what you paid in.

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-545-2647; gallowayridge.com GLENAIRE 4000 Glenaire Circle, Cary Entrance Fee Range $69,000 – $769,000 Monthly Fee Range $2,684 – $5,599 Contract Options Modified: Entrance fee and monthly payments cover housing, residential services such as meals and housekeeping and some health-related services, which are provided at a subsidized rate or are free for a specified number of days.

Refund Options Option 1: Declining Refund – refund declines at rate of 2% per month for 48 months. Option 2: 50% refundable.

Option 3: 90% refundable.

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 58) Contact Information 919-460-8095; 800-225-9573; glenaire.org SEARSTONE 17001 Searstone Dr., Cary Entrance Fee Range $389,000 – $909,000 Monthly Fee Range $3,550 – $7,950; Second person fee of $1,590 Contract Options Type A LifeCare contract. Residents pay a one-time LifeCare fee to cover costs of assisted living, skilled nurses and/or memory support. The LifeCare program has significant tax advantages and works well with long-term care policies.

Refund Options Entrance fee 100% refundable Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Yes Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-234-0339; info@searstone.com; searstone.com SPRINGMOOR 1500 Sawmill Rd., Raleigh Entrance Fee/Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options Modified: Housing, residential services and some health-related services in exchange for entrance fee and monthly fee, which includes 30 days of free health care (with a maximum balance of 90 days), then is available at a discounted rate.

Refund Options Option 1: Life Occupancy – Residence & Care refund declines at 4% per month for 25 months, then no refund. Option 2: 50% Life Equity – refund declines at 2% per month for 25 months. The remaining 50% is returned to the resident or estate after residency is terminated and within 30 days of re-occupancy of the residential unit. Option 3: 100% Life Equity – 100% of the Residence & Care fee is returned to the resident or estate after residency is terminated. The refund is available, once residency is terminated, six years after initial move-in date, or 30 days after reoccupancy of the residential unit, if six years has passed.

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Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 Contact Information 919-848-7080; springmoor.org THE TEMPLETON OF CARY 215 Brightmore Dr., Cary Entrance Fee Range N/A. Community fee is equal to one month’s rent.

Monthly Fee Range $4,620 – $7,665 Contract Options Rental community with 13-month lease, but can give 30-day notice at any time.

Medicare Certified Yes, for skilled nursing Long-Term Care Insurance Yes Minimum Age 62 (for couples at least one spouse must be 62) Contact Information 984-200-3688; thetempletonofcary.com TWIN LAKES 3701 Wade Coble Dr., Burlington An intentional community that draws people from all over the country, but all residents have at least one thing in common: They want a well-rounded life surrounded by people who are engaged and living purposefully. More than 550 people in independent living enjoy the 218-acre community and all the amenities that create a lifestyle where people of all types thrive. In addition to the spacious campus, this is a unique CCRC: there’s no mandatory meal plan; Twin Lakes offers comparably lower fees; and the neighborhoods are filled with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

Entrance Fee Range $55,000 – $415,000 Monthly Fee Range $1,683 – $3,877 Contract Options Fee-for-service contract only Refund Options 30-month declining refund and 50% refund available Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 62) Contact Information 336-538-1572; twinlakescomm.org THE VILLAGE AT BROOKWOOD 1860 Brookwood Ave., Burlington The Village at Brookwood’s intimate size allows the building of strong friendships. Residents can participate in a full array of physical activities that promote healthy living, feed their competitive spirit with fun games and mental challenges, de-stress with their favorite hobby or just relax.

The community prides itself on its dining, including two newly renovated options: the Edith Street Café and Lakeside Dining, plus a brand new bistro.

Enjoy an engaging conversation with friends over a meal prepared by the executive chef while the dining staff tends to your every need.

Entrance Fee Options start at $104,200 Monthly Fee Range $2,339 Contract Options Option 1: LifeCare: Garden Homes & Apartments, bundled services, campus amenities, maintenance and guaranteed future health care all covered by the entrance fee and monthly fee.

When moving from one level of care to another, the monthly fee reflects a significant reduction of the daily per diem skilled nursing rate. Option 2: Fee for Service – Garden Homes & Apartments, limited bundled services, campus amenities, maintenance and guaranteed access to future health care are provided in exchange for entrance fee and monthly fee. Health-related services are provided at the per diem rate.

Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Standard Refund is declining over 47 months. 50% and 90% Refund plans are also available.

Option 2: Fee for Service – Standard Refund declines over 47 months.

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but can help with costs related to assisted living, memory care or skilled care for Fee-for-Service or LifeCare plans Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant must be at least 55) Contact Information 336-570-8440; 800-282-2053; villageatbrookwood.org

“It’s a wonderful environment with lots of things to do.”

Oh, that feeling of camaraderie, to laugh with good neighbors and friends.

At Croasdaile Village, the Baines and Morgans enjoy relaxed senior living steeped in easy fellowship and social activity. Wherever you’re from, you’re always welcome here.

CroasdaileVillage.org 919-289-4476

Owned and operated by United Methodist Retirement Homes, Inc.

THIS TINY HEARING AID IS THE SOUND OF

North Carolina basketball, Beethoven’s 5th, Opening night “Play ball”, Clocks ticking, A puppy’s wimper, Soft summer rain, “Hi Grandma”, and… “I Love you.”

Thank you to all of the voters!

DR. SHAINA STAPLETON, DOCTOR OF AUDIOLOGY

CALL TODAY for your Complimentary Hearing Consultation!

919-948-1947

2022

BetterHearingDurham.com

14 Consultant Place, Suite 220, Durham • In the same building as Eyecare Center

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WINDSOR POINT 1221 Broad St., Fuquay-Varina Entrance Fee Range $55,000 – $185,000 Monthly Fee Range $3,635 – $4,430 for independent living; $3,846 – $6,592 with health-related services Contract Options Housing, residential services and specified amount of health-related services in exchange for the entrance and monthly fee.

Refund Options Declining Refund: Option 1: Life occupancy entrance fee; pay up front and 2% taken out each month over a 50-month period, after 50 months there is no refund; before then, pro-rated refund available. Option 2: 50% Refund; refund declines at a rate of 2% per month for 25 months until 50% of residence fee is accrued; refund received only after resident passes away or moves.

Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but helpful Minimum Age 62 (co-applicant no younger than 55) Contact Information 919-552-4580; 800-552-0213; windsorpoint.com

Contract Options One-year or month-to-month lease options Medicare Certified Medicare accepted through on-site physician and with WakeMed Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information Marketing Director, 919-363-2080; kfaulkner@cvsliving.com

Independent Senior Living

EMERALD POND 205 Emerald Pond Ln., Durham Entrance Fee Range Community fee of $2,850 – $4,700 Monthly Fee Range $2,244 – $4,599 Contract Options Month-to-month leases. No buy-in fees.

Refund Options Community fee non-refundable Medicare Certified No medical services included Long-Term Care Insurance N/A Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-493-4713; emeraldpond.net

ATRIA 5705 Fayetteville Rd., Durham Entrance Fee Equal to first month’s rent Monthly Fee Range Independent living: $4,395 – $4,675/one bedroom; $4,600 – $5,395/two bedroom; cottages: $5,395 – $5,995 Contract Options Independent Living: No lease term, no buy-in, monthto-month rental with 60-day move-out notice. Assisted Living: No lease term, no buy-in, month-to-month rental with 14-day move-out notice.

Refund Options 60-day notice to end independent living lease; no refund.

Medicare Certified No, except for therapy services Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted if the resident meets policy criteria Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-401-0100; atriasouthpointwalk.com BARTLETT RESERVE 300 Meredith Dr., Durham Entrance Fee One month’s rent Monthly Fee Range $3,650 – $4,425 Contract Options Sign a year lease, but can give 60-day notice to leave Medicare Certified Therapy services are covered by Medicare Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted for personal care and veterans benefits Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-361-1234; Barbara Patterson, bpatterson@bartlettreserve.com; bartlettreserve.com THE CAMBRIDGE AT BRIER CREEK 7901 TW Alexander Dr., Raleigh More than just a place to retire, this is an active community of neighbors and friends perfectly located between two premier cities. It offers the luxuries of a first-class resort with the support and services you need for optimal health, fitness and well-being.

Entrance Fee Range Equivalent to two month’s rent Monthly Fee Range $4,395 – $6,545 Contract Options Month-to-month or one-year leases Medicare Certified Medicare accepted through on-site physician and with WakeMed Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Long-Term Care Insurance Accepted Minimum Age 55 Contact Information Marketing Director, 919-737-7000; briercreekinfo@cvsliving.com, thecambridgebriercreek.com CAMBRIDGE VILLAGE OF APEX 1000 Cambridge Village Loop, Apex Featuring well-maintained grounds, certified health facilities, an engaging event schedule and a diverse community, Cambridge Village is a vibrant, resort-style community that offers living spaces, amenities, care and services that are thoughtfully designed to support exceptional whole-self health and happiness for each resident.

Entrance Fee Equivalent to two month’s rent Monthly Fee Range $2,800 – $6,300

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DURHAM REGENT 3007 Pickett Rd., Durham Entrance Fee Range $2,750 – $4,250 Monthly Fee Range $2,200 – $4,200 on single occupancy, second-person fee Contract Options Month-to-month leases. All independent living.

Medicare Certified No medical services included Long-Term Care Insurance N/A Minimum Age 55 Contact Information 919-490-6224; durhamregent.com

TWIN RIVERS INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING 25 S. Rectory St., Pittsboro This 31-unit complex offers a friendly, social and communal atmosphere for independent older adults. Staff is available on-call seven days a week, and residents have use of a communal kitchen, game room and other shared spaces.

Entrance Fee $1,500 per person; second-person fee $500 Monthly Fee Range Starting at $2,000/one bedroom, $3,500/two bedroom; VA/public servant discounts available Contract Options None. Requires one 30/60 day notice prior to moving out Medicare Certified No Long-Term Care Insurance N/A Minimum Age 65 Contact Information 919-545-0149; 919-637-7117; michelle@silver-thread.com, silver-thread.com

Post-Acute Continuing Care Systems HILLCREST CONVALESCENT CENTER 1417 W. Pettigrew St., Durham Entrance Fee No deposit or application fee required Monthly Fee Call for pricing Contract Options All-inclusive monthly rate for short-term, long-term, assisted living or respite stays Refund Options Pay only for the days spent, any unused daily rate refunded Minimum Age N/A Contact Information 919-286-7705; admissions@hillcrestnc.com; hillcrestnc.com HILLCREST RALEIGH AT CRABTREE VALLEY 3830 Blue Ridge Rd., Raleigh Entrance Fee No deposit or application fee required Monthly Fee Call for pricing Contract Options All-inclusive monthly rate for short-term, long-term or respite stays Refund Options Pay only for the days spent, any unused daily rate refunded Minimum Age N/A Contact Information 919-781-4900; admissions@hillcrestraleighnc.com; hillcrestnc.com 

Dr. Alessandra Ritter

DDS, MS

At Ritter Endodontics, your dental health is our passion.

Our priority is to deliver the highest quality Endodontic care (root canals) in a pleasant and compassionate environment to ensure an outstanding experience everytime.

501 Eastowne Dr., Ste. 155, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 • 919-403-5000 • ritterendo.com • 

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HILLCREST HOME HEALTH OF THE TRIANGLE 1000 Bear Cat Way, Ste. 104, Morrisville Personal care, in-home support and companion care, and respite care.

Contact Information 919-468-1204; agencydir@hillcresthh.com HILLCREST THERAPY & WELLNESS 4215 University Dr., Ste. B2, Durham Physical therapy, specialty treatments and wellness programs.

Contact Information 919-627-6700; rehab.durham@hillcrestptw.com SIGNATURE HEALTHCARE OF CHAPEL HILL 1602 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill Entrance Fee None. No application or deposit fee.

Monthly Fee Range Call for pricing Contract Options All inclusive monthly rate for short-term, long-term or respite stays Refund Options Refunds for any days not used Medicare Certified Yes Long-Term Care Insurance Not required, but accepted Contact Information 919-967-1418; admission.chapelhill@signaturehealthcarellc.com; shcofchapelhill.com

55+ Communities CAROLINA ARBORS BY DEL WEBB 357 Carolina Arbors Dr., Durham Price Range of Houses Call for pricing Number of Units 1,256 Resale Status New and resale Average Size of Houses 1,100 – 2,600 sq. ft.

Amenities Included 37,000-square-foot clubhouse, lifestyle director, fitness center, tennis courts, bocce ball courts, indoor pool, outdoor pool Sales Contact 984-219-705; carolinaarbors@delwebb.com; ourcarolinaarbors.com CAROLINA PRESERVE 115 Allforth Place, Cary Price Range of Houses high-$200s – low-$500s Number of Units 1,360 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 1,200 – 3,500 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Tennis courts, bocce ball courts, indoor pool, outdoor pool, fitness center, clubhouse, pickleball court and access to Town of Cary Greenway Contact 919-467-7837; carolinapreserve.com CORBINTON AT KILDAIRE FARM 809 Churton Pl., Cary Price Range of Houses $400s – $500s Number of Units 60 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 1,698 – 2,175 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Walking trail, dog park, yard maintenance, exterior home maintenance Sales Contact 888-523-9070; corbintonliving.com/cary; info@corbintonliving.com THE COURTYARDS AT ANDREWS CHAPEL 1007 Havenwood Ln., Durham Price Range of Houses Call for pricing Number of Units 120 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 1,500 – 4,000 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Large clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, walking trails, pavilion Sales Contact Kaylee Daum, 919-289-5784; epconcommunities.com

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THE COURTYARDS AT O’KELLY CHAPEL 1601 Vineyard Mist Dr., Cary Price Range of Houses Call for pricing Number of Units 149 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 2,000 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, walking trails, access to the American Tobacco Trail Sales Contact Kaylee Daumm, 919-289-5759; epconcommunities.com FENDOL FARMS BY LENNAR IN BRIER CREEK 1003 White Bark Ln., Durham Price Range of Houses Call for pricing Number of Units 500 Resale Status Primarily new Average Size of Houses 1,550 – 2,900 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Clubhouse, fitness center, outdoor pool, bocce ball court, tennis courts, pickleball, community garden, dog park, walking trails, grandkids playground Contact 919-337-9420; lennar.com/new-homes/north-carolina/raleigh/durham/fendol-farms OVERTURE CHAPEL HILL 5910 Farrington Rd., Chapel Hill Imagine carefree, maintenance-free, 55+ active adult living where you can truly focus on yourself. This vibrant community offers spacious living, an engaging lifestyle and meaningful mind, body and social amenities. Experience newfound freedom in a beautiful setting that’s close to everything.

Price Range of Apartment Homes Starting at $1,550/month Number of Units 184 Resale Status N/A Average Size of Houses 604 – 1,365 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Heated saltwater pool, outdoor lounge and terrace, fire pit, elevator-accessible floors, happy hours and yappy hours, fitness center and yoga studio, grand club room with demonstration kitchen, 24-hour self-serving barista coffee bar, media movie theater room, game room, arts and crafts room, on-site guest suite for friends and family, Lyft ride-sharing scheduling through management, 24-hour maintenance and carports available.

Sales Contact 919-907-2200; overturechapelhill.com

Cohousing ELDERBERRY 60 Elderberry Ln., Rougemont Price Range of Houses low- to mid-$200s Number of Units 18 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 700 – 1,200 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Self-developed, community-oriented cohousing, hiking trails, community garden, community-shared tools and equipment, and common house.

Sales Contact Mary Bennett, 919-452-4222, mbkbennett@gmail.com; elderberrycohousing.com VILLAGE HEARTH COHOUSING 4900 Buttonbush Drive, Durham Price Range of Houses high-$200s to low-$400s Number of Cottages 28 Resale Status Resale only Average Size of Houses 650 – 1,150 sq. ft.

Amenities Included Self-developed and self-governed; 55+ LGBTfocused (friends and allies welcome) intentional neighborhood; large, welcoming front porches; community-oriented with large common house; workshop; clustered accessible cottages on 15 acres; walking trails and community garden.

Contact 561-714-8009; villagehearthcohousing.com

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HOT SHOTS

WE CHAT WITH PAUL DAVIS AND GAVIN JOCIUS OF MOSI TEA

BY A M B E R WAT S O N | P H O T O G R A P H Y C O U R T E S Y O F M O S I T E A

HEN ENTREPRENEUR Paul Davis first came up with the idea for a portable, all-in-one tea infuser, it was a matter of fulfilling a personal desire to enjoy loose-leaf tea and other beverages easily on the go. Mosi Tea was officially incorporated in 2019, but the LLC dates back to 2017 when Paul, its founder and CEO, started working on the project.

We asked Paul and Gavin Jocius, his business partner and COO, about Mosi Tea’s successes, challenges and connections to Durham.

Can you give us a brief biography of your personal and professional lives?

PAUL DAVIS I grew up as a missionary kid living in Africa for 10 years and called many places home before settling in Durham a decade ago. My wife and I have been married 10 years and have two boys with one more on the way. I’ve spent time working in both e-commerce and [software as a service]. Prior to Mosi, I was the fourth employee at a highgrowth e-commerce company that grew from $0 to $22 million per year in four short years. I then co-founded Boostopia, a support operations software company.

GAVIN JOCIUS I grew up outside of Toronto and have called North Carolina home since 2006. I met my wife [while] working at Duke University (with both a master of arts and master of business administration from Duke, I’m a die-hard Blue Devil

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fan), and we now have two girls. I’ve spent the past two decades working in e-commerce and information technology. Prior to Mosi, I ran the Raleigh-based online art brands Mosi Tea CEO Paul Davis and COO Gavin Jocius.

Canvas on Demand and Great Big Canvas with more than 200 What makes Mosi stand out holding loose-leaf tea that is full-time employees, selling wall from other tea products on reversible and easy to clean. The art all over the world. the market? whole point is to make it as easy GJ Our patented Mosi Tea as possible. Fill the sieve with What was the inspiration behind Infuser is the world’s first multitea/coffee and water, flip it for the creation of Mosi Tea? brew device that allows you to the desired steeping time, turn PD The idea came from a need brew the perfect cup of anything it right-side up, and you’re ready to solve my own problem of on the go: coffee, matcha, tea, to enjoy it! not being able to brew different cold brew, etc. The infuser is drinks in one bottle and it not made from double-walled, How many employees does being easily portable, hence BPA-free Tritan, which is durable Mosi Tea have?

Mosi’s tagline: “Brew anything, and shatter resistant. It also GJ Right now, it is just me anywhere.” I wanted to create has a leakproof locking lid that and Paul in Durham and a an easy way for anyone to brew allows you to open and close it collection of highly skilled high-quality tea or coffee while with one hand. The infuser also professional contractors they were away from the kitchen. comes with a silicone sieve for around the world. We have

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Mosi Tea’s easily portable infusers are BPA- and BPS-free, dishwasher safe, leakproof and shatter resistant.

our product manufacturing team in China, our tea-growing and blending partner in India, virtual assistants in the Philippines, copy editor and content creator in Virginia, and a growing list of influencers in different locations globally.

After investing in and learning more about Mosi Tea, what made you, Gavin, want to become more involved?

GJ I started a small [venture capital] firm that looks to invest in disruptive technology and services in industries with very large total addressable markets.

Mosi fit my investment thesis because tea is the secondmost drank substance on Earth behind water, and loose-leaf tea, for the most part, is brewed with archaic methods that are centuries old.

The United States is an onthe-go beverage market that values convenience, and younger buyers are looking for coffee alternatives. When Paul managed to raise [close to] $500,000 through crowdfunding, that told me there was a high probability of product-market fit. Finally,

when Mosi secured a design patent for the All-in-One Infuser, it checked off all the boxes that I was looking for from an investment standpoint.

It was Paul’s origin story, however, that made me want to also invest my time and energy to helping grow the brand. He has a real, authentic passion for tea and product innovation, which is key for building a sustainable long-term brand.

How has your background in marketing and e-commerce contributed to Mosi’s success?

GJ Regardless of what I am selling online, there are certain e-commerce fundamentals I always look to optimize, including conversion rate, customer lifetime value to customer acquisition cost ratio, and average order value.

Prior experience managing agile in-house development and marketing teams comes in handy when trying to improve those key performance indicators. The best methods for driving traffic to a website, however, are always changing.

Part of our success will come

from controlled experiments in new traffic channels like TikTok. We must constantly be willing to try new things.

How has the Durham community played a part in making Mosi Tea a reality?

PD Having both lived in Durham for a decade or more, we definitely call the Bull City home, and there’s no shortage of entrepreneurs, dreamers and go-getters here. What really makes Durham unique is that it feels like a community – everyone knows one another, and they are quick to help in whatever way they can. It’s a very affirming community.

GJ There are so many experienced mentors here that continue to give us guidance and help make introductions to the right people when needed. There is truly a sense of community and pride where folks want us to succeed. We are also very thankful for the free coworking space at Frontier RTP. We designed the product here in Durham with an engineering team and did multiple prototypes. The manufacturing takes place in Ningbo, China, with three different factories, given the number of different parts.

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What do you think was/is the key to your recent funding success for the company?

GJ In addition to the [nearly] $500,000 raised through crowdfunding, we closed a seed round of $440,000 in capital. In addition to Paul’s company vision and founder narrative, a fundamental aspect that resonated with investors was the infuser-plus-tea subscription model. Similar to a razor-and-blade or printer-andink model, the ultimate success of the business long-term lies in driving lifetime value with tea subscriptions.

What has been the biggest business challenge for Mosi thus far? Its biggest success?

GJ Our biggest success thus far was winning the Best TeaMaking Equipment Innovation, Consumer [category] at the 2022 World Tea Best of Awards, [a] program [that] recognizes tea leaders and innovators across key categories and is voted on by the global tea industry. This recognition was a real vote of confidence from respected members of the tea industry that validated years of hard work. 

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Pictured left to right: James Nishimuta (Align Technology), John Rees (IBM), Gil Golden, MD & PhD (United Therapeutics)

rtp.org/trails

Find your fit in Research Triangle Park Astroturf, LED lighting, the first pig-to-human heart. This is just a short-list of inventions born out of Research Triangle Park. For North Carolinians, RTP is more than a business park.

A brain magnet housing 300+ companies and 55,000+ employees, the Park stands 6 decades young and stretches among 7,000 acres of Piedmont land.

Today, visitors and residents of the Triangle Region (Durham-Raleigh-Chapel Hill) can venture out to the Park’s great outdoors and find their fit in community-centered events, often for free.

Runners, bikers, and adrenaline enthusiasts can take their strides at the Elizabeth Rooks Trail System which connects about 20 miles of trails to Durham and Wake Counties.

James Nishimuta, a mechanical engineer from Align Technology, weaves in the trail system’s multipurpose benefits in his daily routine. “Bike commuting is a more efficient and healthier way to get to work, for both you and the environment. It builds in exercise to my daily routine and getting outside puts me in a better mood and mental state.”

For your everyday 9-5er and executives like Gil Golden, MD, PhD, executive vice president and chief medical officer at United Therapeutics, the trails provide a convenient way to stay in shape during a busy schedule. “Sometimes you only get an hour to get your workout. It’s important for me to get my exercise every day and I love how beautiful the trail systems are.”

And for some, the trails are a window to the past, present, and future. John Rees, an application architect from IBM, remembers riding the same pathways back in the 80s.

“It builds in exercise to my daily routine and getting outside puts me in a better mood and mental state.”

James Nishimuta

Map of bike and pedestrian trail system within RTP from recent survey evaluation taken in 2019 identifying paved and unpaved trails.

“I have a picture of myself and my daughters here who are now in their 30s. They were tiny.” Most recently, John has been using the trails for last-mile connectivity in his bus-bike commuting. “The connectivity is valuable with Boxyard RTP and the building of Hub RTP to connect local and regional transit to businesses in the Park.”

Boxyard RTP, which opened in 2021, is a hyper-local retail space and music venue made out of 40 upcycled shipping containers. It is adjacent to the Frontier RTP innovation campus and sits inside the Park’s future Hub RTP development. This central and thriving area in the Park offers a wide variety of opportunities for the public to engage in fitness, live music, personal and professional growth, and so much more.

What’s next? Hub RTP is Research Triangle Park’s future urban core, combining 100 acres with greenspace, residential, hotel, retail, office, and life sciences all connected to existing trails, a 60-mile bee corridor, a restorative stormwater system, and so much more. Located at the heart of the Region, Hub RTP is designed to be a thriving ecosystem of people, ideas, businesses and culture that will help shape the Park’s next 60 years.

durham inc.

Our biggest challenge has been global logistics during the pandemic. With our Kickstarter campaign, we have deployed infusers to more than 85 different countries and territories, from Saudi Arabia to New Caledonia. We have dealt with skyrocketed shipping container costs; our entire infuser inventory stranded on a ship in the Port of Los Angeles for weeks during the holiday shopping season; customs issues; and factory lockdowns due to COVID-19. It has been a confluence of setbacks that we have learned to take in stride.

What is the best business advice you have received?

PD I have recently been meditating on this Winston Churchill quote: “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

I feel like when you’re growing a startup from the ground up, raising money, trying to get channels to profitability and doing something that you believe in, you have to keep grinding. It’s your attitude and how you respond to the ups and downs that are important, because they are inevitable.

What is a major lesson you have learned from starting your own company?

GJ Cash flow is king. We try to be as fiscally responsible as possible.

As a company that manufactures and sources products and inventory from around the globe, we need to be extremely disciplined when it comes to our cash flow. There are countless potential hidden expenses with a global supply chain that you need to stay on top of if you want to survive. That, and having very supportive spouses!

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What are you looking forward to sharing next from Mosi Tea? GJ We are very excited about our tea line. We spent almost two years sourcing all different types of teas and have an amazing partner in India. We recently went to Assam in northeastern India to tour multiple tea gardens and experience the entire manufacturing process from leaf to cup. We plucked leaves, toured the factories, and met and interacted with employees and local villagers. We are confident that we have some of the most premium and ethically sourced loose-leaf teas on the planet, and we want as many people as possible to experience them.

For more information, visit mositea.com.

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ABOVE Brewing loose-leaf tea, coffee, matcha, cold brew and other infusions anywhere is made easy with Mosi Tea’s patented All-in-One Infuser. BELOW Mosi also offers its own line of tea, which it sources from India.

durham inc.

THE DOWNTOWN DURHAM GIFT CARD Old Bull homage courtesy of American Tobacco Campus

Experience your favorite downtown Durham shops, restaurants, hotels and merchants with just one card.

SpendaBull is the perfect gift to share – or keep for yourself.

SpendaBullDowntown.com

durham inc.

BIZBRIEFS Compiled by Renee Ambroso, Hannah Lee, Isabella Reilly and Megan Tillotson

ON THE MOVE

Charlene Foley was hired as the vice president of brand and member experience by Coastal Credit Union. After more than 25 years working in customer experience management, communications and strategic planning, Foley is responsible for planning and executing strategies for member experience and promoting excellence across all member touchpoints in this new role.

Coastal Credit Union also promoted MaryAnne Gangoy to the position of chief member advisory officer. Gangoy now oversees the credit union’s advisory and sales functions and leads efforts in growing consumer lending, deposits and new membership.

Gangoy joined Coastal in 2012 and most recently served as vice president of wealth management. She previously held the jobs of vice president of retail sales and service, and as a market manager for the credit union’s Durham branches. Gangoy will continue to oversee departments including wealth management, member assistance program

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and financial well-being as a member of the executive leadership team. She also likes to give back to the community and has volunteered locally with the Ronald McDonald House of Durham & Wake and Duke Children’s Hospital.

Catherine Edmonds started in her role as chief of staff at North Carolina Central University on May 1. Edmonds brings more than 30 years of experience in leadership and all levels of education, having most recently served as the deputy state superintendent for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Edmonds will work closely with N.C. Central Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye and direct all financial and administrative operations for the Office of the Chancellor, among other duties.

Dianne Johnson announced her retirement after serving as business manager of Durham Community Land Trustees for 24 years. Dianne acted as the primary contact among vendors and contractors, and managed human resources for the company. DCLT celebrated Dianne at Grub Durham in May.

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ChannelAdvisor, a Research Triangle Parkbased provider of cloud-based e-commerce solutions, hired Juan Manuel Bahamonde as its director of information security in March. Bahamonde is responsible for leading the global information security teams and developing and executing strategic initiatives.

Bahamonde has more than 15 years of information security experience and most recently held a similar role at Equifax for Spain and Portugal.

Aerie Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on developing first-in-class ophthalmic therapies, welcomed Peter Lang as its new chief financial officer in March. Lang joins the company after working as partner and managing director of New Yorkbased firm Ridge Advisory, and brings more than 25 years of experience in financial and operational solutions within the health care and biopharma sectors.

Biotechnology company Ribometrix, which is developing ways to treat diseases via small molecule therapies targeted at RNA, promoted Dr. Manjunath Ramarao to chief scientific officer in March. Dr. Ramarao

succeeds John Reardon, who retired from the position in January.

Dr. Ramarao (pictured left) previously served as a principal research investigator for Pfizer and oversaw a research and development organization in Bangalore, India.

Jennifer Hunt was appointed chief development officer of Opus Genetics, a gene therapy company that develops treatments for inherited retinal diseases. Hunt will lead clinical development and regulatory affairs as the Opus team works toward helping patients affected by these diseases. She brings more than 25 years of drug development experience, has previously held key clinical and regulatory positions at multiple biopharmaceutical companies, and oversaw trials. “I’m looking forward to leveraging my experience to tackle some of the most neglected forms of blindness,” Hunt said.

AWARDS & HONORS Durham ranked No. 7 on Lantern’s list of best cities to start a small business in the U.S. The rankings are determined by

durham inc.

measuring cities with populations less than 500,000 and scoring each area on factors including walkability, cost of living, average household income, employment rates and more.

owners across the country, after surpassing $1 million in sales in 2020, his second year in business.

Durham ranked No. 4 on WalletHub’s April 2022 list of best large cities to start a business based on 20 key metrics, including the five-year business survival rate as well as office space affordability, among other factors.

The Milken Institute placed the Durham-Chapel Hill area at No. 11 on its 2022 list of best-performing cities, jumping up 32 spots from last year’s rankings. The study noted the resilience of high-tech industry despite the pandemic as part of Durham’s rise among metro areas across the nation.

Robert Ricco, owner of Footprints Floors Durham, earned the 2021 Franchisee of the Year Award at the brand’s national conference in Denver, Colorado.

Ricco was highlighted among about 75 other franchise

The Forest at Duke earned a BBB rating from Fitch Ratings, a global rating agency that provides the world’s markets with independent credit opinions. This rating reflects the continuing care retirement community’s strong market position in a demographically favorable service area and long history of high occupancy levels and strong

profitability, and provides sustained confidence that The Forest at Duke has the financial strength to fulfill its commitments.

The continuing care retirement community’s relationship with Duke University and its high resident satisfaction have helped it consistently draw residents from outside its primary market and maintain a sizable waiting list.

MOVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT

BASF Agricultural Solutions hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Center for Sustainable Agriculture in RTP on April 25. The center features a garden home to more than 100 species of plants plus

multiple interactive experiences for visitors that highlight the various topics that BASF’s initiatives are addressing, including biodiversity; agricultural technology and innovation; pest control; and sustainability. The hub is intended to serve as a resource for community members to seek and learn information.

“The Center for Sustainable Agriculture demonstrates that we’re at the forefront of providing farmers with some much-needed support,” said Paul Rea, the organization’s senior vice president. 

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CALL 919-493-3233 TO LEARN MORE

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RTP’s Lulu launched Lulu Direct in March, adding cutting-edge technology to the company’s publishing platform. This new e-commerce arm allows authors to utilize direct-to-consumer sales channels like Shopify paired with the mobility of print-ondemand. Lulu Direct allows authors to connect their books directly to their WordPress sites, giving them full control over retail choices as well as the ability to sell across the globe and to keep all revenue while only supporting fulfillment costs. Authors who use Lulu Direct can also track customer metrics and data.

Durham ranked No. 4 among the fastest-growing cities in the nation from 2010 to 2020 in a new 42Floors study that analyzed trends in office space development in growing metro areas. The study found that Durham had a 24% increase in population size and added 3,063,671 square feet of new office space across 27 buildings, with The Chesterfield building at 701 W. Main St. contributing the largest amount of new office space within that time.

Duke University’s trio of hotels – the JB Duke Hotel, Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club and The Lodge at Duke Medical Center – have relaunched a training program to help develop hospitality leaders and hoteliers. The yearlong managerin-training program, which has achieved a 95% success rate of promoting participants to managerial positions since its inception in 2002, was paused during the pandemic. A new, refreshed course is designed to build on the skills of those who have completed a two- or four-year degree in tourism or

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in One City Center, hopes the expansion will increase its proximity to existing customers and partners and expand its customer base in the U.S.

Rebecca Newsome, Constructive Marketing; David Lent-Bews, Resolute Building Company; Molly Barnes and Tracey Goetz, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices YSU Realty; Henry Lambert, Lambert Development; Dave Anna and Ryan Plankenhorn, Resolute Building Company; Jared Martinson, MHAworks; and Mark David, investor participant.

VEGA CONDOMINIUMS TOPPING OUT PARTY Real estate development company Lambert Development and Resolute Building Company hosted partners, clients, subcontractors, sales team members, future homeowners and other community members at Durham Central Park’s Pavilion on April 12 for The Vega’s topping out celebratory lunch. The seven-story residential building at 214 Hunt St., across the street from the event, was designed by MHAworks and constructed by Resolute Building Company. When finished, The Vega’s lower levels will house commercial spaces, and its homes, priced from the $500,000s to $1 million-plus, will range from 900 to 2,300 square feet. Occupancy is slated for spring 2023. hospitality management, and offers a rotating experience of key positions in various operational departments.

Construction is underway on four two-bedroom, single-family homes and three 600-squarefoot duplexes at the corner of West Club Boulevard and North Gregson Street. The project – a partnership among Longleaf Building & Restoration, Redeeming Development Group and agent Matt Lunceford Blivin of Nest Realty – is slated for completion in October.

Kate’s Korner, an early learning center and after-school program owned by Kezia Goodwin, will open in the space formerly occupied by Basan at American Tobacco Campus by late summer. Full-day child care and wraparound services for school-

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age students will provide about 100 children ages 6 weeks old to 12 years old with care. The center aims to help address the need for convenient and dependable child care for professionals working downtown while implementing a unique, equitable and just approach to child care via inclusive, play-based education and community advocacy.

Augmented and virtual reality specialist Holo-Light announced in May it would open a Durham office, the first U.S. location for the GermanAustrian company. “The Durham office puts us ... in close proximity to companies such as Lenovo, Epic Games and Google,” said Helmut Gulde, Holo-Light’s chief corporate development officer.

Leadership at the company, which will be based at WeWork

Way to Go Durham, with support from the Durham County Transit Plan, partnered with Commute with Enterprise to launch a new vanpool subsidy that offers up to $1,500 each month for new vanpools of four or more commuters starting and/or ending in Durham County, which could help residents save up to 75% on commuting costs. Commuters can choose their own route, schedule and pickup points.

FUNDING

Duke spinout Lindy Biosciences closed on $3.2 million in funding in March to develop and scale its microglassification dehydration process. The goal: to produce high-dosage, lower-volume medicines. The funds will also be used to expand its team, move to a larger facility and prepare for clinical trials with its partners.

Policygenius announced the closure of a $125 million Series E round of funding, bringing its total funding to more than $250 million. The company’s digital tools serve as a resource and create a streamlined platform for consumers to compare options from leading insurance providers.

Peoplelogic, a software solutions company that provides insights into organizations’ health and tips to improve operational efficiency, raised $1.9 million in pre-seed funding, led by North Carolina Venture Capital Fund.

PARTNERSHIPS & ACQUISITIONS

The biopharmaceutical company Pfizer entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ReViral, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company

durham inc.

that develops antiviral therapeutics to fight respiratory syncytial virus, a pathogen that is estimated to affect 64 million people globally each year. “We have a strong … commitment to fighting infectious diseases, most recently evidenced by our delivery of the first authorized vaccine and oral therapy to combat COVID-19,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer chairman and CEO. “We’re continuing to grow our pipeline – through our own researchand-development efforts … as well as strategic investments in companies like ReViral.”

Durham Technical Community College and Wake Technical Community College partnered to launch RTP Bio, a new biotechnology workforce pipeline, in March. The program aims to provide support for regional biotech employers

in RTP, addressing current demands for employment.

Durham Tech students will have the opportunity to earn biotechnology degrees starting next year, while clinical trials research and biomedical equipment technology degrees and continued education under the BioWork credential are currently available.

Durham Tech also launched the Bio-Agricultural Program Readiness Opportunity (BioAg Pro), a four- to six-month course designed to train technicians in plant agriculture. Classroom instruction and laboratory work is supplemented with paid internships for students who will be prepared to fill entrylevel positions that require knowledge of plant biology, soils and related technologies.

Ingrid Charles, director of Durham Tech’s biopharma and BioWork programs, additionally announced that at least 25 new students will be recruited for the Build Up Local Life Sciences (BULLS) program, an equitycentered initiative that seeks to recruit underrepresented students and provide employment opportunities for those displaced by the pandemic, develop an aligned pipeline for Durham youth and adults, and increase the ability of Durham’s training infrastructure and resources to match local life sciences companies’ needs. Students receive scholarships and funds to cover expenses. BULLS participants who complete Durham Tech’s four-month biomanufacturing program then participate in job interviews with local life sciences companies.

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IN OTHER NEWS

Genome editing company Precision BioSciences Inc. reported a first quarter loss of $28.2 million in May, a loss of 46 cents per share. This result beats the estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research, who predicted a 58-cent deficit. Precision Bio posted a revenue of $3.3 million during the quarter and reported research and development expenses of $20 million.

Life science firm Bioventus Inc. reported a 43% jump in revenue in May, but an overall loss of $14.8 million. The company had net sales of $117.3 million and earnings of $7.1 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. “We continue to build our market penetration and drive growth despite a challenging macro environment,” said Bioventus CEO Ken Reali.

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NETWORKING BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Photography by Ken Huth The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce held its first Business After Hours event since the start of the pandemic at Pinnacle Financial Partners on April 19. The networking event gave Chamber members a chance to mingle, have a drink (including margaritas by NuvoTaco) and snack on appetizers from local restaurants such as Parker & Otis, Loaf and more inside the newly renovated Pinnacle space at 280 S. Mangum St., Ste. 140, adjacent to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

1 Pinnacle SVP Financial Advisor Lisa Long Jackson and Lee & Associates VP Marlene Spritzer.

2 Pinnacle Financial Advisor Leslie Person, N.C. Rep. Vernetta Alston, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Public Policy Bryan Fox, Durham County Board of Commissioners Chair Brenda Howerton and American Cancer Society Executive Director Rachel Urban.

3 Pacific Western Client Services Supervisor James Hall and Pinnacle Area Manager Natanya Chadwick.

4 Dominion Payroll HCM Consultant Aaron Collins and Pinnacle Financial Specialist Derrick Carpenter.

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5 Duke Energy East Region Director Indira Everett, N.C. Sen. Mike Woodard, A+ Test Prep CFO Vince Brown and District C Co-Founder Anne Jones.

6 Pinnacle Senior VP Office Leader Mark Miller and Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Geoff Durham.

7 Realtor Kimberly Williams of Right Time Realty and Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Community Investment Angelique Stallings.

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Best hike.

Best barbecue.

Best place to bank.

In North Carolina, we have a “best of” list for everything. For hikes, many say it’s Black Balsam Knob near Asheville. For barbecue, people love Prime Barbecue in Knightdale. For credit unions, Forbes Magazine and Durham Magazine both say it’s us. Experience why at bankbetter.org.

Named 2021 Best-In-State Credit Union by Winner of Durham Magazine’s 2022 Best Bank in Durham Federally insured by NCUA

durham inc.

THE STATE OF OUR LOCAL AUTO INDUSTRY COMPUTER CHIP SHORTAGES, INVENTORY WOES, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND RISING GAS PRICES HAVE CREATED A CHALLENGE FOR CONSUMERS AND BUSINESS ALIKE

BY SHANE SNIDER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON merica’s love affair with cars all but ended when COVID-19 began its global assault in late 2019. In 2020, the auto industry suffered more than $100 billion in lost sales as the public slammed the brakes on its daily commute activities in favor of remote work.

By 2022, people started to realize there would be no quick jump-start – supply chain disruptions effectively strangled delivery of the computer chips that serve as the brains of our modern vehicles.

Locally, a quick trip to the nearest car lot is an instructive experience. You’ll have to pay top dollar (or more) for a new car, and a lack of inventory means you’ll be waiting months for your new ride. Used car lots are just as treacherous to navigate. You’ll get top dollar for that trade-in, but you’ll pay more for your next vehicle regardless.

For local dealers like Johnson Automotive, the pandemic upended a business model that had worked just fine for decades. “We’ve had to shift from that mentality of, ‘What will it take to earn your business today?’ to ‘How do we slow down and think from a longer-

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term perspective?’” said Erick Kirks, marketing director at Johnson Automotive. “We’ve had to shift our sales skills from being closers to becoming relationship builders.”

It’s not as if the auto industry has never been through a seismic shift. The Great Depression wiped out legions of car manufacturers, and by the 1950s, the car producers had consolidated into the “Big Three”: Detroit’s General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. After the high gas prices of the ’70s, smaller imports from Asia and Europe started crashing the U.S. auto scene. It may seem like a distant memory, but General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and had to be bailed out by the federal government.

The history of the automobile industry is a rollercoaster ride with steep drops and sudden climbs. “We’ve had everything from a war, earthquakes, tsunamis … one thing after another creating problems for our industry,” Kirks said.

ON-DEMAND GOES VIRAL For Durham businesses, the impacts of the pandemic have brought an unusual mix of highs and lows. Durham-based Spiffy is a provider of on-demand car wash, detailing and oil change

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services. Chief Marketing Officer Grayson Leverenz said the company saw a huge shift in its business – on-demand services boomed in the beginning of the pandemic as locked down consumers looked for ways to bring services to their doorstep. And that appetite for convenience has carried through even as pandemic concerns begin to ease up.

“We’re seeing inflation at a 40-year high and record gas prices, and that impacts our customers,” she said. “People are having a hard time getting their hands on new cars because not as many are being built because of supply chain problems.

People are hanging on to their cars longer and buying used

Customer Tony Fiore listens as Senior Client Advisor Shahab Sheibani explains the features of the all-electric 2022 BMW i4 M50 (also shown below) in the showroom of Hendrick’s BMW of Southpoint.

durham inc.

cars. If people are driving their cars longer, that ends up being good for a business like Spiffy.”

Spiffy used the momentum to expand its footprint, launching its business in 10 new markets across the country and hiring many new technicians – bringing its total count to more than 450 coast-to-coast. Leverenz said the company had to get creative when expanding its fleet to meet increased demands. “Our CEO, [Scot Wingo], was on a personal mission to secure new vans, because you can’t grow the business without vans,” she said.

“He really became an expert in sourcing and buying used vans [in the current climate].

But it was actually one of those fun startup stories where we have the flexibility to identify a problem, and our CEO takes it on himself and becomes an expert in buying used vans.”

SUPPLY-CHAINED In even the simplest of vehicles, the semiconductor, a computer chip that powers many functions, is in short supply. The tiny processors have become

the most critical piece in the automotive manufacturing process, and supply chain snarls have left vehicles idling on the production line and off showroom floors.

“COVID-19 has rocked the entire automotive industry as well as others,” said Poonam Nandani, marketing and communications director at Hendrick Southpoint Auto Mall. “The supply chain and the logistical components regarding trans-Atlantic voyages and transport companies have made it very difficult to manage the flow of business. … The

microchip shortage has really put a damper on some options being unavailable for clients to order.”

However, she noted, luxury makers like BMW seemed to have handled the supply shortage better than other brands. “BMW has found a way to ration supplies, acquire new vendors and still ramp up production to fulfill the growing demand for their product,” Nandani said. “But regarding day-to-day impacts, we do not have new car inventory readily available. We have been operating with fewer than five

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The 2022 BMW iX xDrive50, seen here driven by Hendrick’s Shahab Sheibani, can travel up to 324 miles on a single charge.

Hendrick’s Poonam Nandani says luxury makers like BMW seem to have handled the supply shortage better than other brands. available new cars at any given time for almost six months now.”

Most of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing is based in Taiwan and other parts of Asia. Chipmakers like Intel have responded by funneling billions of dollars into future manufacturing sites in the U.S. The problem is that those plants won’t be up and running until at least 2025. And it’s not just chips. Many manufactured raw materials and shipments have been delayed by backlogs and shipping obstacles along with pandemic lockdowns. And talks of “nearshoring” to pull the supply chain closer to the U.S. are in the infant stages – not likely to impact the market for years.

“Those are all great ideas,” Johnson Automotive’s Kirks said.

“But it’s a little too late for all that. We’re years off from seeing any of those fixes come to

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fruition. It will help … eventually.”

Hendrick’s Nandani agreed.

“We are not 100% confident that [new chip factories] will come fast enough,” she said.

But Kirks said it’s not all bad news for dealers … or their customers. The changing dynamics are shifting the way everyone approaches the idea of buying and selling. “This has been really disruptive to the industry, but it has given us a look in the mirror,” he said.

“How the U.S. car industry works – where you have these giant lots full of cars – versus a more European model where you don’t require inventory on the lot, or there’s a hybrid. Now you have higher profit margins.

You’re not being sold a car anymore. You are choosing a car and having to wait for it to arrive. It’s a more customized process.”

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THE FUTURE IS NOW Just several short years ago, we seemed a long way off from all-electric vehicles being a viable option. But shortages that brought long lines at the pump and skyrocketing gas prices have changed minds about the prospect of buying an electric vehicle. “We can’t even keep EVs on the lot,” Kirks said. “The entire industry is shifting toward EVs. It’s becoming a lot more normal to see EVs out on the road.”

EVs are proving so popular that North Carolina is even attracting companies to manufacture here. Vietnambased VinFast announced in March that it would spend at least $2 billion on a plant in Chatham County. The company will produce its VF 8 and VF 9 electric crossover SUVs there, as well as batteries.

But those cars won’t be rolling off the lines anytime soon. And Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told reporters in April that the semiconductor

shortage will likely last into 2024. That means car buying will likely be impacted for the foreseeable future.

Whether you’re shopping for an EV or a gas-powered ride, Kirks said the key for buying a new or used car in this climate is patience and planning. “Have some flexibility,” he said. “Don’t expect salespeople to try to bump you into a car on the same day anymore. I tell my own family and friends ‘Don’t expect a lot of discounts out there – not for another year or more.’”

Nandani offered similar advice: “If you are interested in a used car, do your research. Make sure to find the cars that are equipped nicely to protect the value against lower-equipped vehicles, and make sure to put a good amount of money down … if you put a larger amount of money down, you will have immediate equity and less likelihood of being a victim of a market correction.”

engagement Lizzie Carinder & Cassady Orsini B Y CC KA L L A M

Wedding Date Nov. 12, 2022 Occupations Cassady

graduated from Durham Technical Community College this past May with an associate degree in accounting and recently joined Triangle Media Partners as its office administration and accounting assistant. After teaching for seven years, Lizzie now works remotely as a project administrator for a New York-based software company.

Crossed Paths Cassady and Lizzie met in the summer of 2016 at a mutual friend’s party. They continued to run across each other for several years but remained just friends. One night in June 2019, Lizzie went to dinner at Mateo Bar de Tapas, where Cassady was working at the time.

“I was invited to fill in on a Dungeons & Dragons

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campaign [that Cassady was a part of ],” Lizzie says. “I just thought Cassady was cute, so I agreed to play for a night even though I had no idea what [the game] was. Little did Cassady know, I agreed to keep filling the spot just to get to know him better.” The couple had their first date at Nana’s in July 2019, bonding over their shared interests in dogs, spontaneous travel and games, and have been together ever since.

The Proposal In July 2021, the couple stopped in New York City for a night while on vacation. “Cassady was too excited to wait and ended up proposing in our hotel room almost immediately after we arrived,” Lizzie says.

Now, “I Do” The couple will tie the knot at the Museum of Life and Science. By the Reese’s photography company will capture their wedding day while guests enjoy music from Bunn DJ Company and dessert by S. Richardson Cakes. The couple will reside in Durham.

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Sarah Catherine Carter & Christopher Jaques B Y DE L A N E Y G A LV IN P HOTO G RA P H Y B Y SE AN TR UE P HOTO GR AP HY

Date Oct. 16, 2021

Occupations Christopher works as the assistant manager at

Hollow Rock Racquet & Swim Club and Sarah Catherine is a

head coach at Orangetheory Fitness in the Southpoint Crossing shopping center.

Crossed Paths Christopher and Sarah Catherine both grew up in the Triangle but didn’t meet until after college. Sarah Catherine went to Rider University in New Jersey while Christopher attended UNC-Chapel Hill. Sarah Catherine says that she felt as if something (or someone) was calling her back to North Carolina. That’s when the couple matched on a dating app and stumbled on love.

The Proposal Sarah Catherine says that her engagement was a total surprise. She thought she was going to enjoy a relaxed family dinner at Jack Tar & The Colonel’s Daughter, but the evening kicked off with a proposal in front of the iconic Bull Durham sign near the American Tobacco Campus. The couple later celebrated with close friends at Bull City Ciderworks.

The Big Day “Our wedding day was magical,” Sarah Catherine says.

Other than a surprise rainstorm, the big event went off without a hitch, thanks to the planning skills of A Swanky Affair’s Amanda Scott. The weekend began with a rehearsal dinner at Parizade. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Katie Crowe and held at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church, where Sarah Catherine’s parents were married in 1988. Christopher wore a suit from Bernard’s Formalwear. The party 152

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then headed to The Rickhouse, which hosted a reception complete with decor by American Party Rentals, florals by Floral Dimensions and jams by Todd Moody Entertainment. Guests who stayed at the Durham Marriott City Center received welcome bags filled with Durham Toffee Co., Big Spoon Roasters, The Mad Popper and Cheerwine snacks before enjoying the patio view that overlooks the Historic Durham Athletic Park and sipping on “Chester Jones 75” cocktails, named for the couple’s beagle. The newlyweds also showcased North Carolinagrown sweet potatoes in their cake by Bestow Baked Goods. The evening concluded with an after-party at Motorco Music Hall.

Do you live in Durham and want your wedding or engagement featured in our magazine?

Email amanda.maclaren@durhammag.com.

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