The not-so-sweet news? Beloved DTR bakery Layered Croissanterie abruptly closed in February. The sweet solution? You can still get some of your favorites—plus new discoveries—thanks to the space’s new owners.
Paul & Jack, the Euro-style bakery that’s had Wake Forest salivating on the daily since opening about a year ago, has taken over the West Street fave. Owner Jacques Matar says the Layered team reached out to him “with the opportunity to carry on their legacy in their space,” which he gladly accepted.
The former bakery team remains intact, and Matar says they’re keeping some of the OG menu faves on offer to boot. In addition, you’re gonna wanna try Paul & Jack’s signature bombolonis, aka Italian doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar and filled with housemade cream or fruit confit—or any number of their other droolworthy confections. Warning: Addiction likely. @paulandjack_nc
Raleigh aims to eliminate crash fatalities with new initiative
In 2023, Raleigh experienced over 19,000 car crashes, resulting in 41 fatalities. These staggering numbers—in combination with the city’s steadily increasing population—are inspiring plans for safer, more equitable and better-connected transportation. And thanks to a federal grant, the city is further working to build roads that are safer for all via a new program.
Aptly called “Safe Streets and Roads for All,” the initiative builds on the city’s Vision Zero program and prioritizes the elimination of roadway crashes resulting in fatalities and severe injuries—with the aim to reduce injury crashes by 25% every five years and 100% by 2045.
“Vision Zero and the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan are about taking a proactive approach,” explains Mayor Janet Cowell. To boot, the city will examine infrastructure, traffic patterns and crash data to identify and then implement necessary changes. “In a rapidly growing city like Raleigh, every safety improvement we make is essential to preventing future tragedies and protecting our community,” Cowell emphasizes.
An 18-month study with the initial grant is underway, observing what locations would most benefit from improved infrastructure—like additional protected left-hand turn lanes—and to understand what behavioral problems (like lack of seatbelt use or speeding) need to be addressed most urgently.
Once the study is wrapped up, a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan will be assembled—a requirement for eligibility to apply for up to $30 mill in additional grant money to help bring the plan to life.
Keeping Raleighites safe while driving has always been a top priority, though, emphasizes Sean Driskill, Vision Zero program manager with the City of Raleigh’s Transportation Department. “For the last two and a half years we’ve been making improvements around the city,” he says, “but this study will help us ensure the improvements we’re making are at the locations that will have the most impact.”
“There’s a small percentage of locations we can improve through infrastructure,” Driskill adds, “but if we really want to achieve Vision Zero we need many of the behaviors of drivers around Raleigh to change.” raleighnc.gov
Kidzu Children’s Museum is all grown up. The team behind the popular Chapel Hill kids’ museum announced their latest concept, The Makery, is set to bow early spring in Boxyard RTP, promising science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) activities for tweens, teens and adults.
“Kidzu Children’s Museum is bringing something really special to Boxyard RTP with The Makery,” says Carolyn Coia, vice president of real estate at Research Triangle Foundation of NC. “This kind of hands-on creative space aligns with our mission to create a lively, engaging environment for everyone who visits.”
The museum has offered STEAM learning since 2006, first out of its original location on Franklin Street and currently at a spot next to Binkley Preschool called The Nest—but has always catered to kids under about 12 years old.
Now, they’ll be swapping out toddlers for tweens, and third graders for 30 YOs with The Makery as the museum continues to grow alongside the families it serves.
“It’s such an incredibly important time in a young person’s life when they are experimenting and thinking about things,” Kidzu CEO Jamie DeMent Holcomb says of why The Makery will cater to older kids and beyond. “[With STEAM] you can teach things about science, technology and math in ways that are fun and engaging that don’t necessarily feel like work or school.”
When it comes to makings at The Makery, Holcomb says to expect “any and all kinds of making” to help people embrace their inner maker—from sewing and woodworking classes to robotics workshops, in addition to more traditional arts and crafts. 3D printing will also take center stage. With the printers occupying the front windows, gawking at creations will be encouraged by those passing by.
Upon opening, The Makery will kick off with predominantly open making sessions for people to make whatever is calling to them, but Holcomb says they’ll also have a few scheduled sessions each week and that the space will evolve over time.
For those who are more into socializing than making, Holcomb says the space will also offer things like a parents’ night out, with future plans in the works for day camps and the like as well. So, prepare to wake and make, baby.
It was the first vegetarian restaurant in Raleigh, the first to go smoke-free, the first to offer Sunday brunch and the first, original owner Arthur Gordon says, to serve avocado. Quite the brag sheet already, but Irregardless is adding another major feather to its cap: It’s turning 50.
Turning back to its humble roots, Gordon—who graduated from UNC with philosophy and chemistry degrees—wanted to go to culinary school, but got rejected for lack of kitchen experience. So, naturally, he did what anyone would do. He opened a restaurant—“irregardless” of his culinary training.
His opening MO was simple: “Spend less than you take in, and treat people the way you want to be treated,” he says, emphasizing “whether I know your name or not, I’m still cooking for you out of love.”
Photo by Juli Leonard
That ethos kept the restaurant going until “the big guy” gave Gordon a sign his time at the helm was up (read: quadruple bypass surgery). In early 2020, he passed the proverbial torch to Trophy Brewing’s David Meeker and former Players Retreat manager Lee Robinson.
“I’m really excited about keeping this place in the community for as long as possible,” says Robinson. “This place is special, and I’m happy to be the steward.”
Today, a multitude of menu ops invite pescatarians and carnivores alike—there’s even real bacon now for brunch! But the menu maintains a commitment to its humble veggie roots by leaning 50% vegetarian—and enticing even the most dedicated meat-eaters.
Also going strong is Irregardless’ live music five nights a week, through which Robinson estimates they have collectively pumped a cool $3.5 mill into the local music scene since the restaurant’s inception (!).
So how do you fete 50 years of an iconic community institution? Pop some bottles, natch. And Irregardless is doing just that at its massive February celebration, followed by a year of themed dinners feat. classics from old menus for each decade they’ve been open. Here’s to 50 more! irregardless.com
Craks, bams, dots, Charleston, pung. … IYKYK—but if not, welcome to the world of mahjong, the table game having a major moment in Raleigh.
Remember the scene in Crazy Rich Asians where Rachel totally schools her judgy soon-to-be mother-in-law amid a room full of people clacking and rearranging small tiles? That was mahjong, where you win by being the first to match your tiles to an allowed combination.
Originating in China, the game picked up steam in America nearly a century ago, especially among Jewish women. From there, the National Mah Jongg League was born in the late ’30s, standardizing the rules for “American” mahjong, which is what most Raleighites play today.
“The game has existed for so long in Jewish circles, but the rebirth of mahjong has been really fascinating,” says Raleighite Emily Kaplan, who first learned to play when she was 9. “It’s been really exciting to see the game become a phenomenon.”
Kaplan’s recently bowed Raleigh Mahj hosts an open play event every month, with its January session selling out in 12 minutes (!)—and still over 60 people joined the waitlist. Meanwhile, Dana Lange, who has taught mahjong for 26 years, says she’s pretty much booked for the next eight months, and last year, a whopping 300 people attended one of her strategy classes.
“I keep wondering when everyone in Raleigh is going to know how to play mahjong,” says Lange, adding that, while the game has been popular in Raleigh for a while, the real explosion started in 2021 postpandemic.
“People were craving a reason to be with people, and this is a low-stress way of creating community,” she maintains of the game that is just as much about community as competition. “There was this six-month period where I taught a morning, afternoon and evening class in Raleigh five days a week.” At the end of the six months, Lange had taught a staggering 750 people—and estimates she’s already taught ~26,000 total.
“Not everyone wants to go play sports all the time,” adds Anne Garland Free, co-founder of recently launched The Dirty Mahj Collective, whose name is at once a nod to the modern, playful spirit of its tile illustrations and the ways in which the collective is redefining the game’s traditional elements. “But when you don’t feel like being active, you can still be social and exercise your brain by playing.”
Fair warning, though, if you give someone a mahjong lesson, they’re gonna want to play. And if they play once, they’ll want to play again… and again. And Lange, Free and Kaplan all agree the game is addictive.
So, clearly, if you haven’t already, it’s time to hop on the mahjong bandwagon. BRB, the next game is calling.
Set the Table First thing’s first, you’ll likely want to take lessons from any of these gamesperts to figure out what the heck a crak and pung is.
Game On Raleigh Mahj’s open play sessions meet at The Flourish Market in Raleigh Iron Works the second Thursday of each month, and Dirty Mahj will launch its open play series in the coming months.
Pro Tip Make sure to snag a 2025 card from the national league with the winning tile combinations.
