Where to sip, sup, shop and more outside Raleigh this month
Persnickety Books BURLINGTON
It’s officially fall, y’all (Sept. 22). Can’t you just feel the cool pumpkin spice breeze in your hair as you blow down 40 peeping changing leaves? While you’re at it, be sure to plan a pitstop at this benevolent Burlington secondhand bookshop “giving books and people a second chance” by providing employment opportunities for those in need through Benevolence Farm and Sustainable Alamance. Also making good stories is Persnickety’s trade-in program allowing you to bring in gently used books for store credit—there’s nothing persnickety about that. persnicketybooks.com
The Depot on First KNIGHTDALE
Who’s on first? The Depot… Roll over to Knightdale Hospitality Group’s farm-to-table-to-depot (er, food truck) concept, dishing up modern American cuisine utilizing fresh, seasonal NC ingredients—with the goal of being Knightdale’s most sustainable eatery. While the brick-and-mortar restaurant undergoes construction (revamping the historic two-story home with an ode to the town’s railroad), the food truck serves up tasty shareables (think boom boom shrimp egg rolls, crab croquettes and fried green tomatoes), local seafood options, naan flatbreads, burgers and more. One thing’s for sure, you mustorder the original Wisconsin garlic cheese curds. You can thank us later. depotonfirst.com
Pinehurst Barbecue Festival PINEHURST
Ed and Ryan Mitchell
Go hog wild at this inaugural three-day ’cue lovers’ foodie fest feteing NC’s fave food with four signature events—plus barbecue samples and traditional fixins’ from statewide award-winning pitmasters (think Ed Mitchell, Christopher Prieto, Ashley Sheppard and more). Our must-do? Q School demos where you can get, well, schooled on cooking and grilling a range of meats. And don’t miss live tunes from Nashville-based country music duo McKenzies Mill. It’s sure to be a finger-lickin’ good time. Sept. 3–5,pinehurstbarbecuefestival.com
Pandora’s Pies/Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream ELON
Pizza and ice cream—name a better pairing, we’ll wait. Pandora’s Pies—which also houses famed Smitty’s Homemade Ice Cream—offers both savory and sweet ops because, with a combo so good, it just made sense to house them in the same place. Stop into the duo shop for “the best ice cream for the nicest people” (with 100 flavors from which to choose—so good luck), plus unique pizza, salad and calzone creations. Both eateries use locally sourced and seasonal ingredients whenever possible, and, no, we won’t tell if you have dessert before dinner. pandoraspizza.com; smittyshomemadeicecream.com
Palatini’s GRAHAM
There’s nothing to wineabout at Graham’s new (and first!) women-owned wine shop. After first being introduced to wine in college, owner Kassia McKain noticed a gap between people of color and wine—hence her choice to feature various unique minority and international selects. Her MO? To ignite your palate, naturally—via primo vino, prices and customer service. Sip, sip, hooray to that! palatinis.co
WEB EXCLUSIVEThe California-based biopharmaceutical company’s expansion to North Hills will add more than 300 jobs to the Raleigh-Durham community.
Leading California-based biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences is setting up shop at North Hills’ Midtown Plaza, adding more than 300 jobs to the Raleigh-Durham community.
The company, which worked to develop treatment options for patients suffering from COVID-19 (receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the antiviral drug Veklury, aka remdesivir, in October 2020 for the treatment of COVID patients requiring hospitalization), will be moving into three floors of the 330,000-square-foot office tower just a short walk from the new North Hills Innovation District.
“When the Kane Realty team developed plans for the Innovation District, we hoped to attract forward-thinking, innovative companies to North Hills,” says Kane Realty CEO John Kane. “That’s exactly what we found with Gilead Sciences, a revolutionary biopharmaceutical company that is working to improve public health day in and day out. We hope Gilead employees will enjoy the opportunity to work, live, socialize and spend time outdoors at North Hills.”
Beginning in November, Gilead Sciences’ expansion to North Hills will add jobs in fields like human resources, finance and information technology. And all of these employees will be able to enjoy North Hills’ many amenities, from bars and restaurants to apartments and hotels to gathering spaces, venues, shops and other conveniences. Not to mention all the exciting new experiences that will come with the $1 billion new multiphase North Hills Innovation District, which is currently underway.
Adds Bailey Jones, head of acquisitions for Lionstone Investments, “Attracting a tenant like Gilead Sciences to North Hills reinforces Lionstone’s conviction that exceptional mixed-use projects in the best locations have enduring value.”
WEB EXCLUSIVEOrder a picnic basket from Catering Works ahead of one of NCMA’s outdoor events this summer.
Instead of telling you to beat the North Carolina summer heat, we’re gonna urge you to embrace it with a picnic and a special event at the North Carolina Museum of Art (because food + sparkling wine makes everything better). Catering Works is providing the ’Gram-worthy spreads for weekends and amphitheater special events (think concerts and movie nights) at the art museum this season.
Picnic basket options include the Elite picnic basket with shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, Bellini mixer and sparkling wine splits, and other desserts, plus snacks and utensils; the Classic basket with pimento tea sandwiches, spring pasta salad, prosecco splits, and more; and a Family Picnic with the choice of four different sandwiches and chips. Gluten-free and vegetarian picnic baskets are also available.
Catering Works’ picnic baskets are just one reason why we’re excited to hit up the NCMA this summer. The museum also brought back its beloved outdoor movie series at Theater in the Museum Park, with upcoming films including Sister Act on Aug. 7, Singin’ in the Rain on Aug. 14 and The Wiz on Aug. 21. We provided the nostalgia—now you just bring the popcorn.
And while people say nothing beats dinner and a show, legend also has it that “nothing is better than a picnic.” Ok, well at least according to Zooey Deschanel. Advance ordering for picnic baskets required, cateringworks.com/our-venues/nc-art-museum/picnic-in-the-park.
WEB EXCLUSIVESupport the Kay Yow Cancer Fund while strolling Waverly Place’s many boutique stores every last Thursday of the month through October.
There’s nothing to wine about when you’re walking for a good cause. Put a little pep in your step during Waverly Place and the Kay Yow Cancer Fund’s annual Wine Walk, which benefits the nonprofit’s mission to aid in the fight against cancer impacting women, the last Thursday of each month from now until October in the open-air Cary shopping center.
Trish Pruitt, marketing director for Northwood Retail, couldn’t be happier that the event is happening this year. After missing last year, she is eager to get back to an event both people of the Triangle area and Waverly Place tenants love—not to mention the great cause it supports.
“Almost everybody has been affected by cancer in some form or fashion,” Pruitt says. “And knowing that the funds stay local as well … there’s so many national organizations that are great, but having that local tie, I think, is special to people.”
For just a $25 donation, guests can stroll through the open-air market with a sampling glass of vino and Waverly Place Wine Walk passport while listening to music, enjoying special in-store promotions and maybe even winning a raffle prize. A night out on the town supporting a good cause? Sign us up! Purchase tickets here.
WEB EXCLUSIVEThe U.S. News & World Report listed the Triangle area as the No. 1 best area to live in NC and No. 2 best place to live in the country.
We all know Raleigh is a great place to live, and now we have the proof to back it up. Raleigh and Durham jumped nine spots this year in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of best places to live in the country, coming in at No. 2 (behind Boulder, Colorado). Only seven other North Carolina locations were mentioned in the 150 city list. Now that’s street cred.
The report was compiled by looking at the area’s job market, value, quality of life, desirability and net migration ratings. Raleigh rated 7.6 in desirability, 7.7 in value, 7.5 in job market, 6.9 in quality of life and 7.8 in net migration.
“This year we’re looking at how the most populous metro areas in the U.S. fared for much of the coronavirus pandemic and seeing how far they’ll need to come to recover,” said Devon Thorsby, real estate editor at U.S. News. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that many metro areas that saw unemployment levels skyrocket in 2020 fell in the rankings, but those with greater employment stability tended to fare well.”
Raleigh and Durham also ranked the No. 1 best place to live in North Carolina and the No. 23 in fastest-growing places in the U.S. Can you say #RaleighStrong?
