Warmer days signify rosé season. But I don’t need a season or a reason to imbibe a bottle of pink-hued wine. I’m not ashamed to admit that Sutter Home White Zin was my gateway drug into the world of wine. Nowadays, I keep a box of rosé in my fridge (the good stuff!) and try new bottles on the regular via local bottle shops—or a visit to Oakwood Pizza Box for #pizzawine. Check out these 10 solid picks at local restaurants and shops, just in time for National Rosé Day on June 12.
Garland Staff Favorite
A staff favorite, Los Bermejos Rosado—produced on Lanzarote, Canary Islands—is always on the menu at Garland, and wine director and buyer Scott Phillippi strongly recommends sipping it alongside chef Cheetie Kumar’s roasted confit chicken legs and strawberry-cucumber chaat.
Sip it: Garland
2. Definite Porch-Pounder
Tazza Kitchen bar manager Mara Sudol turns to this Slovenian rosé, best described as a wildly drinkable “porch pounder.” “Grape Abduction Rosé is sustainably made and so unpretentious and fun,” says Sudol. “It’s fruit-forward and dry”—and best matched with Tazza’s prosciutto and arugula ’za.
Sip it: Tazza Kitchen Village District
3. Wine Down After Work
A Southern Italian delight, Tomaresca Calafuria Rosé also features a stunning label created by Italian illustrator Valeria Petrone that represents “Lady Puglia”—Italian women on the beach decked out in sun hats. ”It’s bright, crisp and refreshing with notes of berries, citrus and cherry blossoms,” says Vita Vite owner Lindsay Rice. “It’s the perfect wine to drink on a sunny afternoon, paired with cheeses, salad or a light dinner.”
Sip it: Vita Vite
4. Skyline Sip
Wye Hill is known for its beer, but co-owner Sara Abernethy (with WSET Level 2 Certification and co-host of Wine Club The Podcast) curates the spot’s small but thoughtful wine list. “One of my favorite options for an afternoon sip on the patio is the Anton Bauer Rosé Assemblage from Wagram, Austria,” Abernethy says. “Rosé is always a food-friendly option and is super-flexible to pair with, but my all-time favorite would be pimento cheese, crudité and crackers… delish!”
Sip it: Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing
5. Party in a Box
Boxed wine has come a long way. “Delicious, organic, Provence rosé waiting in the fridge for by-the-glass anytime I want? Sign me up,” says Wine Authorities owner Craig Heffley. Domaine Pinchinat Vénus de Pinchinat Rosé is an instant party trick—plus it’s the equivalent of four regular bottles in one container.
Grab it: Wine Authorities
6. Pizza Wine
“Acidity is brilliant,” says Anthony Guerra, owner of Oakwood Pizza Box, of Domaine de Fontsainte Corbières’ Gris de Gris Rosé—especially when eating a slice… or three. “It bangs off the acidity in the tomato sauce, and together they sink,” he adds. Guerra notes that chilled anything works well with pizza, but the tannins in rosé pair especially well because they help cut through all the cheesy goodness (aka fat).
Sip it: Oakwood Pizza Box
7. Pink Bubbles
“This Champagne-method organic pinot noir brut rosé is grown on the hillsides just south of Barcelona,” says Wine Authorities owner Craig Heffley. And at $16 a pop, Mas Codina Brut Rosé won’t break the bank. Pair with barbecues, picnic foods and basically everything.
Grab it: Wine Authorities
8. Picnic Wine
An unplanned Saturday calls for a stop at Weaver Street Market for grazing board provisions like charcuterie, cheese and accoutrements—plus a crowd-pleasing bottle of Domaine de Châteaumar Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé. Think easy-drinking and elegant.
Grab it: Weaver Street Market
9. Quintessential Provence
A bottle of salmon-colored rosé will suffice if you’re looking for a fast favorite. Château des Annibals Rosé is one of the oldest and most respected wineries in Provence—plus it’s certified organic. It’s Guaranteed to impress at any summer soirees.
Grab it: Weaver Street Market
10. Beer Drinker’s Rosé
Sour and funky beer drinkers are all about this medium-bodied, flirty Slovenian Gönc Winery Canvas Pet-Nat Rosé. “I love the sparkling effervescence of this rosé,” says Chris Powers of State of Beer and Trophy Brewing Co. “As a brewery owner, I pay attention to levels of carbonation in all types of beverages and the effects it can have on the experience.”
Sip it: State of Beer
11. Beat the heat with rosé cocktails
On sweltering summer days, turn to wine cocktails for a serious chill out. Frosé is making a comeback at Vita Vite this summer, where you can sip on a tempting, blended mix of rosé, housemade simple syrup and puréed strawberries. At Wye Hill, Abernethy turned to rosé for sangria—with Spanish rosé, infused berries, rose petals, rose hips and lots of ice. Don’t forget the ’gram, or did it really happen?
Advent calendars are always a festive idea but this season, we suggest taking advantage of our local food and beverage scene to create your very own version. Count down to the holidays with these 12 food and beverage gifts that are sure to satisfy anyone on your list—plus, it’s an ideal way to give back to local businesses and purveyors.
1. CHAPEL HILL TOFFEE The simultaneously crunchy, sweet, salty and nutty toffee — with dark chocolate and pecans — is hard to resist, holiday season or not. Its cult following is enough to vouch that it will suffice as a solid stocking stuffer and beyond. Just be sure to grab a box for yourself while you’re at it. Available at: Logan’s Garden Center, Whole Foods
2. DAMN FINE CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR We all know and love Durham Distillery’s award-winning gin but this holiday season, don’t sleep on the spirit brand’s Damn Fine Liquer label — the chocolate version (made with dark chocolate from Videri) specifically. Sip it on the rocks, craft a divine chocolate martini or add it to cake or brownie batter for adult brownies. Available at: ABC stores
3. SUGAR & SPICE KITCHEN’S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Owner and baker Preeti Waas’ chocolate chip cookies are the perfect treat to leave alongside milk for Santa this year. They’re chocolatey, chewy and slightly crispy on the outside — and we won’t tell if you devour them all before Christmas Eve. Available at: Cheeni Chai and Coffee, Tiffin
4. ALLEY TWENTY SIX’S FIG, CRANBERRY AND TONIC SYRUP GIFT BOX The star of the show is Shannon Healy’s Alley Twenty Six-branded tonic syrup (which makes the best gin and tonic around) but during the pandemic, Healy expanded the line to offer much more. Pick up a gift box with the OG syrups — plus a fig and cranberry version — and be on your merry way to excellent cocktails in a jiffy. Available at: Alley Twenty Six, Wine Authorities
5. MAMA’S SALSA RESTAURANT STYLE AND AVOCADO SALSAS Festive in color and flavor, Crystal Harris’ Mexican style salsas, housed in glass mason jars, are a must for the holiday season. Pour restaurant style and avocado salsas in decorative bowls on a grazing table or slather them on top of homemade chilaquiles (a popular Mexican breakfast dish) for a fun Christmas day brunch. Available at: Midtown Farmer’s Winter Market, Rebus Works, Raleigh Provisions
6. CRUDE BITTERS 6 BITTERS SAMPLE SET Wow any cocktail fanatic with a sampler set of Crude Bitters’ six half-ounce bottles of their most hyped bitters flavors. Rizzo, Big Bear, Bitterless Marriage, Lindsay, Pooter and Sycophant will take cocktail hour to the next level. Available at: The Bittery at Crude Bitters
7. BOXCARR HANDMADE CHEESE HOLIDAY PACK Boxcarr’s holiday pack, chock full of full sizes of Cottenbell, Lissome, Redbud, Rocket’s Robiola, Rosie’s Robiola and Doeling, is a solid supply to have on hand during the season — but also handy to pull apart for gifting blocks of North Carolina’s award-winning cheeses to several people on your list. Available at: Alimentari at Left Bank in Transfer Co. Food Hall
8. LADY EDISON EXTRA FANCY COUNTRY HAM This is not the country ham you grew up with. This is more like thin slices of prosciutto or Serrano or Iberico — but North Carolina’s very own delicacy, crafted from local pasture raised pigs. Style it out on a charcuterie board and pop a bottle of bubbles for the best time ever. Available at: Weaver Street Market
9. BOTANIST & BARREL HOLIDAY CIDER 6-PACK Explore the world of cider with Botanist & Barrel’s six-pack. Pop all six bottles at your next socially distant holiday gathering and let friends and family taste their way through Marguerite, Less is More Pet Nat, Arkansas Black Heritage Series 2019, Love Over Hate, Maple Spice and Aunt Ginny. Best paired with a beautiful cheese board. Shop, shop.botantistandbarrel.com for home delivery. Available at: Raleigh Wine Shop, Botanist and Barrel
10. SLINGSHOT COFFEE COMPANY FRIDGE BOX Calling all wine box fans…..Slingshot Coffee Company takes it to a caffeinated level with its fridge box. Think 64 ounces of the best cold brew around, on tap, in the refrigerator waiting for you when you wake up. Pop a bow on the stylish packaging and call it a gift ready to give. Available at: Yellow Dog Bread Company
11. VIDERI CHOCOLATE FACTORY GIFT BOX Plan on keeping this for yourself as it will be hard to wrap up and gift after reading that it comes equipped with Videri’s hot chocolate mix, a sea salt chocolate bar, a milk chocolate bar, a classic dark chocolate peppermint bar, a buttercream caramel crunch layered candy bar and an eight-piece jingle bell caramel box. You’re welcome! Available at: Videri Chocolate Factory
12. LA FARM BAKERY ASIAGO PARMESAN CHEESE LOAF It’s not a true holiday feast without La Farm and Lionel’s Asiago parmesan cheese sourdough bread. Think chunky, salty Asiago and parmesan cheeses weaved through the inside and outside. It’s basically like a meal on its own but a definite crowd pleaser on the table. Available at: La Farm Bakery, Whole Foods
Frederique Leonard, CEO of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana, shares her vision for the restaurants going forward.
It’s been a long time coming but finally, Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana are ready to open their doors to diners again, under completely new management and a new CEO. Brewery Bhavana, the nationally acclaimed combination restaurant-brewery-bookstore, will open December 1, while next door, Bida Manda, the intimate Laotian restaurant on Blount Street, will open December 8.
Chef Lon Bounsanga and his team will bring back popular staples and the team is currently working on new dishes the chef says will become “fast favorites.” On the beer side, a new brewery team has been working on innovative new beers, including MOON, a corn lager, launching the first week of December. Larkspur 2020, Bhavana’s annual Bière de Champagne, will be released for the holiday season and online beer sales and shipping are in the works, too.
In March, the restaurants closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, in May, allegations on social media of harassment and mismanagement resulted in owner and manager Vansana Nolintha stepping away from the company he founded at the request of co-owners Vanvisa Nolintha (Vansana’s sister) and brewer Patrick Woodson. Vansana has since divested of all ownership in the company. Vanvisa and Woodson were left to chart a path forward; they will remain co-owners of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana respectively, though they will not remain in management roles and have no say in the operational decisions of either of the restaurants.
In September, Frederique Leonard was hired as CEO to oversee both restaurants. Leonard assembled a new team quickly, hiring Jeremiah Ramos as general manager, and Courtney Osgood as publicist. In the past few months, Leonard and Ramos have been focusing on building new teams for both of the restaurants, plus the brewery production facility that Woodson oversaw. Leonard is clear that in no way is the new team dismissing any of the restaurants’ previous employees.
Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana’s new General Manager Jeremiah Ramos | Photo by RDP3 Photography
“I have personally reached out to all of them and have offered the opportunity to come back and apply to work for the restaurants, if it’s of interest to them,” Leonard says. “I’ve opened my door and invited them to meet with me individually, in person or virtually, so that we can get to know each other. I believe in equality and fairness and want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to join us in this next chapter, if they’re interested and feel that it’s the right fit.”
Operationally, Leonard says, the team is “breathing new life into the spaces,” implementing new practices and procedures.
“The majority of these changes are internal, so it’s unlikely that the public will notice too much,” Leonard says. “But it’s extremely important for us as a team to be in sync and confident in this new direction, so that we can deliver on the experience that the community knows and expects from us.”
I wonder what it will be like stepping back into two of our most prized restaurants for the first time, sinking my teeth into dumplings and crab fried rice, in a new light. Will the atmosphere feel different? Will the food taste different? I am uncertain about many things at the moment but over the past few months I’ve been accepting change and practicing the art of patience religiously. Personally, I’ve been pondering how the winter months will go with a side of optimism.
Optimism is a word I’ve used in conversation with Leonard over and over again.
Raised in large cities in France, including Versailles and Dijon in Burgundy, Leonard possesses a deep passion for both gastronomy and terroir. Her hospitality industry resume spans from a stint as a prep cook at Palace kitchens in Paris to attending the Vatel Culinary Institute to participating in the the Hospitality Management MBA program at Cornell University in upstate New York. Most recently, Leonard served as director of operations at Giorgios Hospitality Group.
“The most important thing that I’ve learned over the years —especially in an incredibly demanding city like New York—is that you need to be truthful, transparent and respectful,” Leonard says. “I have a very deep love and respect for the industry that I work in but I’ll be the first to admit that, sometimes, it can be extremely challenging and difficult. But once you realize that it’s the passion of the people involved in the industry that’s delivering genuine hospitality to their guests and the community, you start to cater first to your team so they will transmit your values and appreciation to your guests, naturally.”
Leonard felt an immediate bond with Raleigh, a city she sees as growing but staying true to its roots.
“It’s a special place to me,” she says. “It’s reminiscent of one of my favorite places in New York—a special part of Greenwich Village, about 25 years ago—right before it took off and became the place we all know today. I see Raleigh as being a gastronomical destination and it will define its own style in the process. I personally can’t wait to see it.”
Leonard says the position as CEO of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana felt like “something [she] was waiting for but didn’t even realize.”
“I felt like it was the right time for me to take on a challenge that I’m confident is going to make a real impact on the Raleigh community and beyond,” she adds. “[The owners] knew that they needed to bring on someone that had much more experience in leading a company of this size and caliber.”
The shedding of the restaurant’s boarded up windows, a result of May’s protests for racial justice, feel symbolic, akin to a snake shedding its skin because it doesn’t fit anymore — or because it’s simply old and drained. This is part of the snake’s growing process. Keep an eye out for changes, although, Leonard says, the only thing that will never change is the team’s “genuine intention to deliver a unique experience in a unique space with unique flavors.”
I don’t know if anything will go back to its original state and we don’t have a time machine to go back in time—but would we really want to if we could? I’ve found many silver linings during these unpredictable times. It’s a time to make impactful changes, whether a restaurant owner or just in a sense of day-to-day life. And sometimes it takes shaking things up to get to the next point, a sentiment Leonard seems to share.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to share this next chapter with the community,” Leonard says. “We’re looking forward to a bright future.”
This time last year, we were gearing up for another season of giving thanks, only Raleigh was wide open for business. We went about our normal lives, perusing downtown shops, popping in for bites and sips at our favorite bars and restaurants—St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar included. Downtown is still somewhat quiet but St. Roch has kept its doors open seven days a week while chef and owner Sunny Gerhart, as composed as one can be during a pandemic, navigates an ever-changing world.
As we enter November, the word grace enters my mind, specifically when I think about St. Roch (and the industry as a whole). “This time hasn’t been easy for anyone and everyone is just trying to do the best they can,” Gerhart says. Stepping into the restaurant feels like a time warp back to a reality I’m always down to be privy to: a place where you can devour local oysters, gator bolognese, chili crab claws and smoked pimento cheese oysters; a place where you can enjoy a small but mighty wine list, and a place with killer ambiance and the best playlist I’ve heard in a restaurant to date.
At the pandemic’s outset, Gerhart stood solo in the dining room, trying to sustain his business with takeout food and providing countless meals to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a nonprofit that fights hunger within the community for families in need. Slinging po’ boys and rice and beans, skateboarding around stacks of to-go containers piled high on tables, Gerhart tried not to go stir crazy.
“I’m grateful we’ve been able to feed people who need it, and employ more people who are out of work,” he says. “This is what hospitality is all about, and we all need it now more than ever—our guests, who we’re trying to reach in whatever way works for them, whether its dining in or picking up. But hospitality goes beyond that and includes the team we work with, our friends in the industry and people we don’t know but who are part of our neighborhood and Raleigh.”
Fast forward to fall and Gerhart is still plugging away. It’s refreshing to see the dining room all bright and shiny, with a chalkboard menu filled with current offerings versus an old, worn paper menu, reminiscent of a pre-pandemic life. Currently, Gerhart provides an average of 500 meals each week to the Food Shuttle and has contributed more than 50,000 meals since April. These include hearty, ready-to-heat meals that feed families of four to six people. Think of a tin container, packed to the brim with rice, poached chicken thighs, vegetables, sauce and peppers, plus tortillas, prepared by a professional chef—a sure hit with families.
“I switch up offerings every few weeks,” says Gerhart, noting the challenges inherent to executing a cost effective meal well. “It’s nice to have a little variety. I try to make the meals something I’d eat myself.”
Despite the challenges, Gerhart says he believes that just because people can’t afford food doesn’t mean they should eat poorly. “To me, it’s just like putting a dish on the menu [at St. Roch],” he says. “I go back and adjust the meals just as I would in the restaurant and slowly perfect them.”
St. Roch opens at 4 p.m. for dinner, and Gerhart utilizes the daytime in the restaurant to cook meals for the food shuttle, then packs them up in banker boxes for seamless delivery. His calm demeanor puts him at superhero status in my book; under pressure, he still manages to crush it, one day at a time.
This year, the holidays feel eerie and unpredictable but Gerhart doesn’t plan to slow down. For the holidays, Gerhart will launch St. Roch Pantry, a line of specialty items available to home cooks to kick off the entertaining season.
“We love that people are cooking at home more, and maybe aren’t ready to dine out, so we wanted to make all of [our] specialty foods accessible to home cooks,” Gerhart says. “It’s pretty special to us to think of being part of their table at home — not just with food they’ve ordered for take out, but at the stove when they’re cooking for family and friends.”
The pantry line will include New Orleans-inspired items, including andouille and boudin sausages, chicken gumbo, smoked pimento cheese, fried saltines, charred cabbage chow chow, bread and butter pickles, pickled jalapeños and banana peppers. Ready-to-roast oysters with all the fixin’s, fresh oyster kits and the chef’s much-hyped gator bolognese will be available, too, plus cocktail kits to-go featuring fan favorites like the Bobby Boucher, crafted with house made “Trinity” syrup, to warm up the holidays.
Pre-order St. Roch Pantry items online at: strochraleigh.com during November and December.
A Place at the Table offers fellowship through community—but wait ’til you try the food.
On Wednesday throughSunday mornings, a socially distanced line of people wearing masks dots down Hargett Street, often past Legends night club. It’s a line that begins forming as early as 7:30 a.m., comprised of hungry customers waiting for their morning grind and a house made biscuit from A Place at the Table.
Let’s quickly clear this up: downtown Raleigh’s pay-what-you can cafe is not a soup kitchen, although it might appear this way with the pandemic-impacted line of people patiently waiting to order and pick up curbside meals between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. The patrons are from all walks of life and many are in dire need of a free meal — but many also crave executive chef Andrew Gravens’ thoughtfully prepared dishes and a craft latte with multiple milk alternatives (calling all oat milk fans!).
Last year, when I moved back to Raleigh after a very taxing divorce, I had $2.17 to my name. A friend suggested I check out A Place at the Table when I was too embarrassed to admit I needed help. I later had a conversation with A Place at the Table’s founder and executive director, Maggie Kane, admitting to her that I felt like I didn’t deserve to pay less, but also remarking on how delicious the cafe’s food was, coupled with a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a while: pure joy, and escapism for a few minutes as I ordered a latte with oat milk on the barista menu.
Gravens, who has served as the cafe’s chef for two years, recently introduced a new menu that’s fresh and inviting — plus, anything on it can be modified. “That’s very anti-soup kitchen,” Gravens says. “If someone wants a runny egg instead of a scrambled egg, we’ll make it that way.”
Gravens grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, with a deep connection to Mississippi Delta food. What most don’t know is that Gravens also received a psychology degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. At A Place at the Table, he is able to marry his strengths and interests: food and helping the community.
In previous jobs, Gravens says, there was often red tape around everything, leaving him unfulfilled in a sense that he couldn’t really help people as he wished he could. At A Place at the Table, it’s quite the opposite. “We are trying to get back to that idea of coming together to eat a meal and getting rid of those barriers that separate us outside of those doors — but now, everyone is stuck outside of those doors,” he says.
Before the pandemic, several people would walk in daily for lunch, with no idea that they could have not paid. “[A Place at the Table] is like any normal restaurant,” Gravens says. “It’s a safe place. Bad things happen to all of us and people will show up to feed off of the energy here.”
Gravens says he has been passionate about mental health since he studied the topic in school and notes that, regardless of status, mental health struggles are ones that can touch anyone. It’s a beautiful thing that, at the cafe, customers, myself included, can step up to the register and put everything they’re dealing with aside for a moment.
“I think a lot of people take it for granted to have a home or someone to call,” Gravens adds. At A Place at the Table, you start with a clean slate when you walk in the door — or, currently, stand in a pandemic line.
Gravens sources local produce and ingredients whenever possible. Along with the sandwiches, biscuits and salads the cafe is known for, Gravens says he has plans to offer boxes of sweets to go, with homemade pop tarts, jams and pastries, appealing to the grab-and-go downtown Raleigh crowd and local businesses.
Though the fellowship of the cafe is welcome, Gravens’ food alone is a mental, nutritious escape.
For me, that’s a homemade biscuit with eggs cooked to order and house made sausage — just as rewarding as a Cajun filet biscuit, with a slightly cheaper price tag. A Place at the Table, to me, is like therapy, through both food and conversation, a place where smiles and acceptance come free of charge.
Had the COVID-19 pandemic not occurred, A Place at the Table would be situated in its expanded Hargett Street space, adjacent to the cafe’s current digs, with a beautiful new dining room to show. But, of course, the pandemic did happen and Raleigh’s flagship pay-what-you-can cafe’s numbers have flopped. Current stats count 35 percent of patrons as paying customers, and 65 percent receiving free meals, for a total of roughly 300 meals served, to go for now, per day. Boldly put, each day, the restaurant loses anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000.
While A Place at the Table could certainly use all of the support from the local community that Raleigh has to offer right now, Gravens, Kane and dozens of others invested in the cafe’s success maintain it will be there for those who need it, no matter what happens.
“What isn’t super obvious is that that line of people getting food will always be there,” Gravens says. “We’ll always be here no matter what. We’ll break the bank before we say we’re not doing service.”
