It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! … Head into the holidays (literally) via this year’s installment of Illuminate Art Walk, lighting up the DTR streets now through Jan. 5 with its signature piece, “Talking Heads,” created by Limelight and distributed by Wireframe. Plus, spy a scad of stunning pieces compliments of NC light artists highlighting our state’s wildlife, along with our innovative past, present and future. Merry and bright, indeed! downtownraleigh.org
Beauty is fleeting—as are all the so-called “magical” aesthetic fixes for myriad personal concerns over our appearance. Enter the latest rising fad: castor oil (Don’t @ us, holistic health nuts… we know it’s been around for a hot minute). Becoming quite the talker online, the essential oil has been raved about for its handful of health and beauty benefits—from helping with inflammation and digestion to aiding stress relief. And since you can never believe what you see on the internet, I decided to give the trend a try myself to discover if castor oil was worth the hype or just a bunch of hocus pocus. My guinea pig era, if you will. Here, the results of my castor oil journey.
Laxative? Uh, Yep! Castor oil has long been lauded as a natural way to go No. 2—and I can attest this is true. In the morning, after rubbing a bit of diluted oil on my stomach and waiting ~20 minutes… voila: consider me cleansed.
Hello, Hydration! Packed full of ricinoleic acid—aka a monounsaturated fatty acid—the oil helps moisturize your skin from face to bod. After a few days of applying castor oil to my face before bed, my skin was noticeably softer and smoother. A score for wintertime dry season!
Becky Anna Beth With the Good Hair After a week of massaging a quarter-size bit of castor oil into my roots, my locks started looking less dry and appeared and felt softer. Sign me up for the next L’Oréal commercial!
Mellow Mood This might be a placebo effect, but from the first day I started applying this product in the spot right beneath my lower right rib, I noticed a shift in my mood that can only be described as a sense of Zen (which aligns with the oil’s rep of providing stress reduction). … But don’t just take my word for it. Give the ~essential~ oil a try yourself!
Add a bit of heat to your winter ahead of National Hot Sauce Day Jan. 22 via our saucy quiz that’ll test those spicy smarts on all things #fire—from trivia on local sauce brands to takes on the global Sriracha shortage. Get ready to test your zest. … No weak sauce allowed.
“The OG dry hot sauce,”—aka the only one that exists!—is local brand Benny T’s Vesta. And the master makers have created a sauce so hot it requires those making it to wear how many pairs of latex gloves?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
The spice of life is… spice. Locally owned Oak City Hot Sauce has been heating things up in the city since its launch in 2017. Where did owners Zack Goodman and Devin Bayles work before starting their heated condiment biz?
a. Marriott
b. Disney
c. Hilton
d. Starbucks
Back in 1929, Sam Garner and his three sons spun up a hot sauce that is now a household legend: Texas Pete. What name did a marketing adviser recommend they use for the sauce instead?
a. Carolina Pete
b. Texas Joe
c. Mexican Joe
d. Carolina Heat
For sauce that’s finger lickin’—er, bone suckin’—good, try topping your next meal with Raleigh-based Bone Suckin’ Sauce. First developed in 1987 by a real estate appraiser and father of four, the brand flaunting both heat and sweet added which ingredient to amp up its hot BBQ sauce?
a. Habanero peppers
b. Poblano peppers
c. Cayenne peppers
d. Jalapeno peppers
Hey, hot stuff! Texas Pete’s name may be a nod to the Lone Star State, but it’s actually a staple born in what NC city?
a. Winston-Salem
b. Greensboro
c. Wilmington
d. Charlotte
“Those who don’t fear the Reaper are fools.” Gaining traction after an NPR journalist tried a small sample and rolled on the floor hallucinating, Smokin’ Ed’s Carolina Reaper took the word “fire” to a whole new level with a Guinness World Record for hottest chile. … That is until which pepper recently nabbed the title?
a. Ghost pepper
b. Infinity chile
c. Trinidad Moruga scorpion
d. Pepper X
That’s so fire. While many hot sauces boast massive cult followings, which one brings the heat as the No. 1 most popular in the country per recent grocery shopping data?
a. Tabasco
b. Cholula
c. Frank’s RedHot
d. Huy Fong Sriracha
And which spicy concoction is most beloved in NC per Instacart delivery stats?
a. Texas Pete
b. Tapatío
c. Sriracha
d. Tabasco
So saucy! NJ’s Sauce Bae—which sources its peppers from NC—once made an appearance on which popular show?
a. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
b. Hot Ones
c. Man v. Food
d. Top Chef
Answers: 1. C; 2. A; 3. C; 4. C; 5. A; 6. D; 7. C; 8. A; 9. B
Say ciao to a new Italian concept in North Hills! Sliding into the former Mia Francesca space in the Main District, Leo’s Italian Social has officially made its debut. The renowned resto offers classic Italian faves like pizza, pastas, seasonal specials and desserts—NTM signature cocktail concoctions… s/o to the housemade limoncello!
After keeping their eyes peeled for years for an opportunity to join the North Hills lineup for its perfect marriage of business and residential, the Monven Group—aka the masterminds behind the concept—revamped the restaurant space with two private party rooms, new bar tops and updated lighting for an entirely different look. To boot, guests dining in should stay on the lookout for live music!
“From family to coworkers to friends, there is a little something for everyone,” shares Monven Group Director of Marketing & Events Jen Leonard. “There is an upscale yet casual social feel. And we are excited to bring an Italian concept back to the area.” We can’t wait to get a pizza the action! leositaliansocial.com
We know, we know… nobody likes a 5pm sunset. Now that daylight saving time is over (*patiently waits for the Sunshine Protection Act to pass*), many Raleighites might feel tempted to hunker down at home during those extra hours of darkness. But let’s look on the bright side—the sun setting before dinnertime doesn’t have to put a damper on your fun. Here, five fab ways to spend your winter evenings out and about in the city, no daylight required.
Comedy Show
Good news: Daylight doesn’t go underground anyway. Spend a night or two at Goodnights Comedy chuckling at the sillies of stand-up comics bringing tons of talent from all over into an intimate setting. Sounds cozy and comical, no?
Trivia
If your brain functions better at night, find a lineup of trivia challenges all over town—from adult trivia (*wink, wink*) at Flying Saucer to oodles of other bars and restos offering weekly trivia nights. Think Raleigh Beer Garden, Brookside Bodega and My Way Tavern, to name a few.
Wine Night
Wine all you want this winter with the pals or your boo at such sophisticated and sleek spots as Vita Vite or Barcelona Wine Bar. Sips after sundown? Yes, please!
Movies
Cozy up for a drive-in movie after dark and under the stars at Triangle Cinemas or Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre. Or take the film-watching fun inside with bites and brews at Alamo Drafthouse. Either way, pass the popcorn!
Game Night
Got game? Bring your competitive spirit to Boxcar for a night of arcade classics (a round of Pac-Man, anyone?), Skee Ball, air hockey and more. Level up, indeed!