by Emma Brennan | Nov 30, 2021 | December 2021/January 2022, Eat
’Tis the season for a cozy cup of hot cocoa—whether you believe in chocolate before breakfast or spiking the classic (holly jolly, indeed!) for a pick-me-up (hey, get chip-faced… no judgment!). Here, we drop knowledge like it’s hot… chocolate—and dare you to ace it.
1. Which local sweet spot serves up a history lesson in each sip with hot cocoa selections dubbed Spain, 1631; Xochiaya; and Italy, 1670?
a. Lucettegrace
b. Videri Chocolate Factory
c. Escazu Chocolates
d. The Chocolate Boutique
2. La Farm Bakery offers a scratchmade hot chocolate mix (inspired by owner Lionel Vatinet’s dad, George) that includes Belgian chocolate, sugar, spices and cream imported from what country?
a. Peru
b. France
c. Germany
d. Chile
3. Which Raleigh chef features a decadent chocolate souffle on its menu that’s pretty much hot chocolate in dessert form?
a. Scott Crawford
b. Ashley Christensen
c. Sunny Gerhart
d. Sean Fowler
4. For some farm-fresh holiday feels, which local farm is hosting a Winter Lights celebration complete with hot cocoa and s’mores, outdoor holiday movies, and a photo op with Santa Claus himself?
a. Cathis Farm
b. Page Farms
c. Raleigh City Farm
d. Phillips Farms
5. What year did iconic sweet spot Videri Chocolate Factory open its doors and start making us melt by serving up such sweet selects as its sipping chocolate (aka its single-origin chocolates in a rich 2-oz. pour—literally melted chocolate for sipping!)?
a. 1998
b. 2006
c. 2011
d. 2013
6. Which local cocktail spot serves up an adult version of your childhood favorite with its boozy hot cocoa drink?
a. Bittersweet Raleigh
b. Killjoy
c. Atlantic Lounge
d. Foundation
7. Which local distillery sells a Damn Fine Chocolate Liqueur that, when combined with hot chocolate mix and fernet, makes a mean boozy and sweet bev that’s ideal for sipping around the fire on cold winter nights?
a. Young Hearts Distilling
b. Pinetop Distillery
c. Durham Distillery
d. Olde Raleigh Distillery
8. So seedy! Harmony Farms in-house cafe features a raw hot chocolate made with cacao, dates and what other superfood?
a. Chia seeds
b. Flaxseeds
c. Pumpkin seeds
d. Hempseeds
9. Escazu Chocolates offers eight different varieties of hot cocoa (!), so you’re guaranteed to never bore your sweet tooth this season. Which of these varietals cannot be found on its menu?
a. Spicy hot chocolate
b. Pumpkin hot chocolate
c. Peanut butter hot chocolate
d. Choco-chai hot chocolate
Answers: 1. C; 2. B; 3. D; 4. A; 5. C; 6. A; 7. C; 8. D; 9. B
by Emma Brennan | Nov 30, 2021 | December 2021/January 2022, Eat
4 Raleigh-area food trucks we’re loving right now
The Portable Portugy
Transport your palate to Faro-way places and add some culture to your diet as you track through flavor town at this poppin’ Portuguese food truck where native chef Shawn Dagnall dishes delish daily rotating traditional Portuguese eats and New England faves (think bifanas and clam chowder) from Southeastern Massachusetts. So delish in fact, it surprises no one that just two years in, this local sup truck has a brick-and-mortar store in the works for 2022—a real culinary success story if you ask us.
@portableportugy
Not Just Icing
Seriously, dough… life just got a whole lot sweeter. The Triangle’s first edible cookie dough and ice cream dessert food truck is rollin’ the Raleigh streets—making you forget all about the oven—and sating sweet tooths with a variety of made-from-scratch goodies. Whether you’re looking for a Double-Dog-Dare-You Doughwich (up for the challenge…?) or an OG Cookie Dough Sundae, this sweet shop is sure to satisfy all your dessert cravings. notjusticing.com
BytheGrace
Southern food meets 1995 Freightliner ambulance. Yes, really. Be on the prowl for cloud-decked Faith—founder Heather Stallings’ home base for BytheGrace, a retired ambulance used as a rescue vehicle with the Sophia City Fire Department in West Virginia until 2018—which now serves up comfort in the form of new variations of generations-passed family recipes. Think pulled pork sammies, BBQ nachos, Watergate salad and Paula’s ooey gooey butter bars, to name a few. Sure, the food can’t save your life, but it can save you from getting hangry. bythegrace.co
Utica Bakery
Holy cannoli! Prop up at this Apex-parked #BakeryNotFakery authentic artisan brick-and-mortar plus food truck, a true “labor of love” by Utica-bred (hence the name) owner Vincent DeSimone, who serves up scratchmade European pastries and baked goods on-site till noonish, then serves up the sweet and savory (and seasonal!) surplus in the truck. All pastries are customized with your choice of housemade custard or cream. …
We dare you not to drool over the lobster tails, sfogliatelle, cream puffs, signature focaccia baked quiche, chocolate almond tiramisu, seasonal half moon (hey, “spooky moons!”)… Delizioso, indeed. uticabakery.com
by Emma Brennan | Nov 30, 2021 | Buzz, December 2021/January 2022
Just months after opening AC Hotel in Glenwood South, Summit Hospitality Group has announced designs for a new apartment/hotel project near Moore Square.
If you thought Summit Hospitality Group peaked with its development of the new AC Hotel and The Willard rooftop lounge in Glenwood South, think again. The veteran Raleigh developers have partnered with Williams Realty & Building Company Inc. on a new seven-story apartment and luxury hotel project situated between Person Street and South Blount Street—just two blocks from Moore Square.
The apartment complex—dubbed The Acorn—will have three stories of shared parking below four stories of apartments boasting 106 units, plus amenities like a fitness center, clubhouse and a fourth-floor pool with Downtown views. Set to open in the summer of 2023, construction on The Acorn is slated to begin before the end of 2021.
Meanwhile, Marriott TownePlace Suites will feature 138 hotel rooms spanning seven stories, with a lobby bar and fitness facilities said to have outdoor terrace access. Summit Hospitality Group has announced plans to begin construction on the hotel in the summer of 2022 (and fingers crossed for another rooftop bar…).
The plans for the development come after an LLC in care of Williams Realty & Building Company bought the site (currently an undeveloped—and not so glamorous—parking lot) for $3.5 million in 2018. Raleigh-based Cline Design was contracted as the project architect, with Withers Ravenel responsible for the engineering and planning. While Summit Hospitality Group’s new apartment/hotel complex is just one of the many developments in the works around Moore Square, it’s sure to make the area all the more exciting. summithospitality.com
by Emma Brennan | Nov 23, 2021 | Do, November 2021
Happy Thanksgiving week! If you’re staying in town this holiday, there’s a plethora of things to do in Raleigh—from WRAL’s Night of Lights and the NC Chinese Lantern Festival to the Trophy Trot 10K and various pop-up markets.
THROUGH 12/24
WRAL NIGHTS OF LIGHTS
Illuminate your holiday season with more lights—and more nights—at WRAL’s second annual Night of Lights Drive-Thru Light Show at Dix Park. wral.com
THROUGH 12/24
THE POLAR EXPRESS 3D
All aboard The Polar Express with Tom Hanks at this Marbles Kids Museum’s 3D showing of the beloved adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s popular picture book. marbleskidsmuseum.org
THROUGH 1/9
NC CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL
Get lit with this uberpopular hip holiday light show tradition, back for its fifth installment with all new displays and can’t-miss nightly performances at Cary’s Koka Booth. boothamphitheatre.com
THROUGH 1/21
ABSTRACTO/LATINO
Explore diverse art movements— from French Cubism to Russian Constructivism—through work from local Latinx abstraction artists at Block Gallery. raleighnc.gov
THROUGH 2/21
RALEIGH’S LIVING ROOM
Time for some much-needed R&R. The COR Museum invites you to rest, reflect and respond through art therapy and prompts. (P.S. Writing on the walls is encouraged! Harold and his purple crayon would be so thrilled.) raleighnc.gov
11/25
TROPHY TROT 10K
Work up an appetite on Thanksgiving Day with some Turkey Day trotting for the annual Trophy Trot 10K at Dix Park (as well as virtual op). Trot on! trophybrewing.com
11/26
A FAMILY HOLIDAY CONCERT
Transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas with a symphonic performance of music from The Polar Express, Babes in Toyland and plenty of other winter faves. ncsymphony.org
11/26
NC STATE VS. UNC
It’s the regular season finale… and the Pack hasn’t taken this rivalry in Raleigh since 2017. Time for a game changer! GTH, Carolina! gopack.com
11/26–28
BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND FESTIVAL
It’s always Black Friday at DTR’s Black Friday Market, so we can only imagine what their Black Friday Weekend Festival will hold. Go big or go home. blackfriday.market
11/26–28
CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC
The only team of magicians in the world is showcasing its impossible illusions and interactive magic at DECPA four days this month. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com
11/26–28
NORTH CAROLINA HOLIDAY FLOTILLA
Deck the dock with boughs of holly… After a one-year hiatus, the fan-fave North Carolina Holiday Flotilla is back and better than ever. Embark on the weekend at the Friday tree lighting ceremony; then buoy up the festive fun factor Saturday with the Festival in the Park, featuring 100-plus vendors, an inflatable- filled kids’ play area, the ever-popular Arab Choo Choo, food and more—not to mention the fest star: the lighted boat parade and fireworks show. Don’t forget to vote via text for People’s Choice and Crowd Favorite awards once the parade starts—hey, whatever floats your boat. ncholidayflotilla.org
11/26–28
RISE AGAINST HUNGER COMMUNITY EVENT AND BLOOD DRIVE
Rise Against Hunger invites you to spend your Thanksgiving weekend giving back. Fight global hunger and a local blood supply shortage simultaneously at this three-day event happening this weekend. riseagainsthunger.org
11/26–12/23
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON THE FARM
Over the hills and through the woods—literally—to the farm we go for opening night of Christmas Lights, with hayrides through the woods to Christmas Village and into the Field of Lights. Get extra festive with s’mores around the fire pits (plus hot chocolate and apple cider to keep warm) and festive carolers, and don’t miss a chance to visit with the jolly man—and his pal Bucky the Reindeer—himself. christmaslightsonthefarm.com
11/26–12/31
LEAPING OFF THE DRAWING BOARD
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” Explore the art of Dr. Seuss at LaMantia Gallery, and listen as Jeff Schuffman shares stories about the collection and its inspiration. lamantiagallery.com
11/27
IN THE SPIRIT OF DICKENS
If you Scrooge you lose… Take your holiday shopping next-level with the Fayetteville Arts Council’s holiday shopping and arts event “in the spirit of Dickens,” complete with select local vendors, carolers and more—so you can start crossing off the “good” list early. It promises to be one heck of a bah- humbug beater. theartscouncil.com
11/27
TRIANGLE POP-UP MARKET
Shop till you drop—just in time for Small Business Saturday! Transfer Co. Food Hall is hosting Triangle Pop-Up and its highly curated selection of local goods. transfercofoodhall.com
11/28
YOGA-INSPIRED POP-UP AT TRANSFER CO.
Om for the holidays? The Zen is in… Yoga Inspired will be hosting a free yoga class at Transfer Co. Food Hall for both beginners and experienced yogis so you can get Down Dog with yo’ bad self. transfercofoodhall.com
12/2
HOLIDAY MARKET AT HARTWELL
“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.” Find meaning at Hartwell’s local- maker-laden Raleigh holiday market. raleighnightmarket.com
by Emma Brennan | Nov 23, 2021 | November 2021, Web Exclusive
WEB EXCLUSIVE Boast your baking skills (and get that bread) through Bailey’s Fine Jewelry Gingerbread House Contest offering a grand prize of $2,500.
Oh, (ginger)snap! Bragging rights—and cash money (!)—are on the table during Bailey’s Fine Jewelry’s second annual Gingerbread House Contest. So while you may have mastered the art of sourdough in the past year or two, you’ll want to brush up on your confection construction skills to participate in this super sweet holiday tradition (entries accepted through Friday, Dec. 3).
“We began the Gingerbread House Contest last year during a very difficult time in the world to remind people there are still so many things that can bring us joy,” says Trey Bailey of Bailey’s Fine Jewelry. “The response we received was incredible, and the designs far exceeded anything we could have ever imagined. It’s such a fun activity for the family to do together, and we knew we had to bring the contest back this year.”
Each gingerbread genius will be judged on five criteria, including overall appearance, originality and creativity, difficulty, precision, and consistency of theme. Although there isn’t an overall theme requirement for the competition, each house must include at least one Bailey’s themed element.
The top five entries will be announced on Dec. 8, with the final winners announced on Dec. 17. Each winner will score a Bailey’s gift card—$2,500 for the first-place winner, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and $50 for each finalist who didn’t place.
So whether you’re a born and bread baking aficionado or an ambitious amateur, the victory lap you’ve been waiting for could happen when you yeast expect it. Visit baileybox.com/gingerbread-house-competition-2021 for all entry rules and criteria.
