New rooftop bar brings daytime Mediterranean and nighttime dance-party vibes to Fenton.
Mediterranean oasis ambience? Check. Dance parties? Check. Impeccable rooftop views? Check. No matter what vibe you’re after, you can have it all—and then some—at AVA Rooftop Bar, slated to open in Fenton Friday, April 7.
Developed by the same team that brought us uberpopular Sports & Social and PBR Cary (and located on the building’s rooftop), AVA will round out a trifecta of impressive entertainment venues.
“The Sports & Social and PBR concepts have been so well received. They’ve been an overnight success,” says Live! Hospitality & Entertainment SVP of Strategic Partnerships Judy Moore. “It’s just kind of gone to the races, so we’re so excited to open the last piece of our entertainment concepts [at Fenton].”
And AVA is sure to become another community favorite with those unparalleled sunset views—thanks to the strategic design of the rooftop space, where guests can join in on a daily sunset toast or stretch away the stress with monthly sunset yoga. It’s also the perfect spot to snap those sun-drenched golden-hour photos. “There’s a ton of Instagrammable moments,” adds Moore.
Not to be outshone by the sun, AVA will also feature can’t-miss Mediterranean-inspired food and drink menus. Executive chef John Suley, the same brain behind the food at Sports & Social, has crafted a menu of light bites with shareable ops like a mezze platter, a dip spread with hummus and baba ganoush, cauliflower tabbouleh, and grilled skewers.
The ’tails will focus on classics with a Mediterranean spin—think a gin and tonic with olive- and herb-forward Gin Mare, rosemary, and lemon. But the real highlight, according to Moore, will be the wine list. With several master sommeliers on the development team, you can expect a killer array of “light and fresh” wines “perfect for sipping outside”—plus wine specials on Wednesdays. #WineWednesday anyone…?
For the aspiring sommeliers and wine newbies alike, AVA will also host monthly pop-ups like chocolate and cheese pairings, tastings, and more, where you can learn about and sample your favorite wines—or, better yet, find a new fave. And you’re going to want to go ahead and mark your cals for Bubbles and Pearls on Friday nights, which will include freshly shucked $2 oysters and $5 glasses of bubbly.
So whether you’re looking for a chill spot to enjoy a glass of vino, chat with friends, or even catch some golf or tennis on TV, AVA is set to be your new oasis—during the day, that is. When the sun sets, the bar will have live DJs select nights to get you hyped for an energetic dance party. So the sun goes down… and “after 9 o’clock, the energy comes up,” says Moore. Time to unwind—or hit the dance floor. Or both?avarooftopbar.com
This local event series makes it easy for women to make new friends.
“Everyone’s a little broken, and everyone belongs. … I want a house with a crowded table.”
These lyrics from country supergroup The Highwomen were just the inspiration Lucy McInnis was waiting for. After moving to Raleigh from her hometown of New York City, she was looking for ways to meet new people and found herself wading through networking event after networking event. But she didn’t want a job—she wanted friends.
So she took matters into her own hands and created The Crowded Table Club, an event series geared toward helping women make friends.
“You can walk in armed with that purpose—that every other single human body in that room wants to meet you and wants to get to know you,” says McInnis, who also serves as director of events and business development for Downtown Raleigh Alliance. “We have so much unlearning to do about female friendships. That helps sort of set the stage. Come and be yourself and make a new friend.”
Each event is themed, which McInnis says not only helps break the ice, but guides attendees on what to wear (because we all know how difficult it can be deciding on an outfit!). She held her first event, Caftans and Cocktails, launched last June and has since hosted four more, including a Hocus Pocus viewing at the enchanting Raleigh Little Theatre and a ’90s-themed night, complete with nostalgic treats like Fruit by the Foot and Ring Pops, a friendship bracelet station, and games like Girl Talk and MASH. On deck this spring, Crowded Table’s Sip & Stroll public art tour in DTR and a BYO dog outdoor picnic.
To help further ease the anxiety that can often cloud new social situations, attendees are seated near those with common interests based on their responses to a survey McInnis sends pre-event. Prompts are also available to jump-start conversation.
Ultimately, the club’s tagline says it all: “Because making friends as a grown woman should NOT be this hard.” So whether you’re new to the area or a longtime local looking for some fresh friendships, this club could be just what you’re looking for.
“I want a space for everyone,” says McInnis. “We’re all a little broken, but we’re here and everyone belongs.” @crowdedtableclub
For nearly a decade, contemporary painter Advait Kolarkar has enjoyed a level of global success that many artists spend their whole lives aspiring to. … And he’s only 9 years old.
From Feb. 24 to March 4, the young prodigy will appear live in Raleigh to show off his newest abstract paintings via Advait: Through the Lens exhibition at LaMantia Gallery—and you’ll have three chances to meet him through artist receptions March 3 and 4 (!).
“I love meeting people,” says Kolarkar. “I feel happy and proud they’re supporting and encouraging me to do more.”
Kolarkar, who began painting at the tender age of 8 months and had his first solo exhibition at age 2, has a vivid imagination that drives his love of being in his studio playing with colors. “I feel like there’s some beautiful force around me that takes me into a different world. In that magical world, everything is possible,” he adds.
Kolarkar’s compelling contemporary style is reminiscent of one of his favorite artists, Jackson Pollock. He also draws inspiration from Leonardo di Vinci. “Leonardo has done so many jobs—a painter, architect, inventor, lots more,” says Kolarkar.
In addition to showcasing his art in major cities around the globe, Kolarkar has won numerous awards, including the 2020 Global Child Prodigy Award; was the youngest TEDx speaker of India in November of 2022; and scored a feature in Disney’s diversity initiative, Reimagine Tomorrow.
Nonetheless, the artist doesn’t feel boxed in by these early days of success. He maintains he wants to do other things too, like be an inventor and a paleontologist. For now, though, you can find Kolarkar splitting much of his time between his studio and international art galleries—and you’ll be able to add some of his remarkable one-of-a-kind pieces to your art collection through his Raleigh exhibition. Clearly, this is just the beginning for this young artist taking the art world by storm.
Former Seattle chef Eric Rivera is bringing a unique pop-up dinner club to Raleigh.
Trying to pigeonhole chef Eric Rivera into one cuisine, one business venture or even one city is like trying to play pin the tail on the donkey—except the donkey is ricocheting around the room. And that’s what makes his new private dining club, Forknife, so intriguing.
Eric Rivera and Emahlea Wilcher
The invite-only pop-up dinner series launched last month and is featuring two more dinners March 9–17 and March 22–30, with an additional two slated for April as well. Only two reservation slots are available per night, each seating up to six people.
Although events will be based on a theme—such as Puerto Rican BBQ and pasta—no meal will be the same. So, essentially, there’s 50 unique dining experiences to enjoy between February and April alone, with more to come.
“I purposely try to forget,” says Rivera of his ever-changing menus. “I aim to give people flavors they’ve never had.”
Rivera is frank about his process on the Forknife website, which is password protected: “I do not share menus ahead of time, nor will I make a dish that you had that one time at that one place. Let me do my thing please. It’s rad for me, and you’ll all be better off.”
This same unpredictability was the backbone of his former Seattle-based restaurant, Addo, which earned him the title of 2018 Chef of the Year from Eater Seattle. Addo has now morphed into a full-fledged tour, keeping Rivera on the road for the last year. The renegade chef has built quite the following across the country, hosting pop-ups in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, DC, Puerto Rico and Raleigh.
With Raleigh as his new homebase, Rivera’s wayfaring mind is making an extended pitstop in the Triangle, where he plans to open a double concept space—essentially two restaurants in one—later this year. He’s also introducing a delivery-only online market that offers a handful of cooking staples, including his sazon spice blend, hot sauces and dried pasta.
But if you really want to get to know Rivera, Forknife is a great place to start. He not only cooks but also serves the food, giving guests a chance to chat with the chef in a fun, low-key setting.
“I am presenting food in a chill environment,” says Rivera. “People can come as they are.” So how do you get a seat at Rivera’s table? Send him an email (really) and grab five of your closest friends for a night of good food, good tunes and good vibes.
