at the TABLE
dash of FLAVOR Winston-Salem’s quirky, sophisticated food scene
words and photos by LAURA WHITE
OO
nce upon a time, if you had said to me, “I’m going to Winston-Salem,” I would have reacted incredulously. Conjuring tobacco, Moravian culture, and the fond if fuzzy memory of a college night spent at the former indie music venue Ziggy’s, I had a limited handful of constrictive clichés about the city 100 miles west of Raleigh. Recently, I decided to give the place a chance to speak for itself. After a few days exploring the Twin City, as it’s often called, and eating, eating, and eating (OK, there were cocktails and coffee, too), I’d like to issue a formal apology. Gone are the clichés. Food destination is now first and foremost on the list of how I describe Winston-Salem.
88 | WALTER
Diving in At just under two hours away from Raleigh, or one-and-a-half if you drive like I do, Winston-Salem is a quick and easy jaunt. I started my recent visit a bit outside of the main drag downtown, in the West End. What began as a streetcar suburb at the turn of the century still retains much of its original charm, and this national historic district, while primarily residential, is also home to a number of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and retail spaces stacked on gentle hills along meandering streets. In search of lunch, I snagged a parking spot just outside of Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro, a West End fixture since 2008, and hurried inside. It was intimate and inviting, which I would find
At right: Single Brothers bar in the historic Tobacco Soho building near downtown Winston-Salem.