It’s not a trueparty until you break out the cheese board! Beautifully laid out charcuterie boards have become all the rage, with rivers of cold cuts, wheels of soft cheeses, piles of olives and sprinkles of edible flowers appreciated as much for their snack-worthiness as for their pleasing aesthetics. But, let’s face it, we don’t all have the eye for edible art; luckily, there are plenty of custom charcuterie board creation services around the Triangle, ready to craft a stunning meat and cheese board just for you. For National Cheese Lovers Day on Jan. 20, order a board from one the local services below and get ready to steal the show at your next gathering (or solo night in!).
Grazin’ Gals
When Raleigh Night Market co-founder Lauryn Colatuno and her friend Erin Riddick of Peak City Hair Studios realized their businesses would not be reopening soon due to the pandemic, they knew they needed to come up with a way to pivot. Colatuno says she’s always been a foodie and both she and Riddick like entertaining at home, so custom-made charcuterie boards were a natural fit. “We needed a creative outlet and this gave us that,” Colatuno says. Besides your typical meat and cheese charcuterie boards, Grazin’ Gals offers candy charcuterie boards and “beer boards,” created with pretzels, pickles, sharper cheeses and mustard, as well as vegan boards with vegan meats and cheeses and pickled vegetables. The pair sources many ingredients from local vendors—meats and bacon jam from Under the Oak in Smithfield, cheeses from Chapel Hill Creamery and Boxcarr Handmade Cheese, plus produce from the State Farmers Market. Grazin’ Gals’ unique charcuterie boards are available for delivery or pickup throughout the Triangle, including at Wine Feed, where you can pair your board with a bottle of wine. grazingals.com
Raleigh Cheesy
Photograph by Abigail Jackson Photography
Courtney Bowman credits herself with creating the first custom charcuterie board service in the area. Last summer, Bowman made charcuterie boards for her friends and family and fell in love with the process, so she set up a Raleigh Cheesy Instagram page; orders started pouring in just two days later. “Every board is created as a work of art,” says Bowman. “We believe that community can be formed around delicious food and that cheese boards are one of the best conversation starters.” Since last October, Bowman has made more than 1,000 cheese boards and more than 1,000 people have attended her Cheese Board 101 classes. In early 2021, Bowman will open a Raleigh Cheesy storefront in Apex that will offer to-go charcuterie boxes. She’ll also continue to offer to-go boxes at pickup locations around Raleigh. raleighcheesy.com
WEB EXCLUSIVE Slurp up these 7 soups around town when you’re feeling the winter blues.
“Gorgeous, gorgeous girls (and guys) love soup…” After Raleigh’s second official snowfall/ice storm of the year (plus freezing temps), we can officially declare that it’s #SoupSzn. And nothing makes miso happy on a cold day than a big ol’ bowl of hot soup. Here, we roundup some of the most delicious soups in town to keep you warm even when the degrees drop below freezing.
Everything you love about a cheeseburger is put into soup form via Wye Hill’s new Cheeseburger Chowder, a cozy soup starring American cheese, pickles and french fries. Served on Wye Hill’s heated and covered patio, it’s a sure way to cure the winter blues.
Nothing takes you back to your childhood like a tomato soup and grilled cheese combo, which gets an adult upgrade at Union Special. And, yes, dipping is encouraged.
Cold-weather comfort—New Orleans style. St. Roch’s hearty gumbo stars andouille, chicken, red potato salad and trout roe—and is guaranteed to warm you up, no matter how cold your heart may be.
Comfort meets kindness with a cup or bowl of Carroll’s Kitchen’s chicken velvet soup—made with a creamy chicken broth, grilled chicken and fresh herbs—makes for a soup-erb lunch, not only because it’s delicious, but also because it helps support the nonprofit’s mission of providing employment for women overcoming traumas like addiction, homelessness, incarceration and domestic violence.
Noodle Boulevard’s ramens are pure comfort in a bowl. Our current fave is the chicken curry ramen, which combines everything you love about curry with a big, hot bowl of noodle soup. Ahh, we’re feeling warmer already!
The best surprise is one that involves soup. My Way Tavern keeps things interesting with a rotating soup of the week—the broccoli cheddar is a hit (just look at how gooey and cheesy!), but loaded potato soup and clam chowder have also been known to grace the menu.
WEB EXCLUSIVE Watch out New York City, North Carolina is coming for the “Best Bagels in America” title. While the Big Apple has its signature soft and chewy bagels, made with city water, the Triangle boasts a bevy of unique bagel options you won’t be able to find anywhere else. Bagel shops in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham experiment with bold ingredients and interesting flavors to dish out some truly noteworthy breakfast items. Below, we take a look at some of the most exceptional bagels in the Triangle to try for National Bagel Day on Jan. 15.
Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend typically consisting of dried oregano, thyme or marjoram, sumac, salt and toasted sesame seeds. It adds a savory, herbal flavor to Benchwarmers’ bagels that packs a delicious and unique punch, and pairs well with savory spreads or as the base of a loaded sandwich. benchwarmersbagels.com
Though the everything bagel is its namesake, this Durham Food Hall-based boutique bagel shop specializes in out-of-the-ordinary bagel flavors that are as intriguing as they are tasty. The black lime bagel only sounds intimidating; chef Ray Williams seasons the outside of the bagel with dried and ground up Persian limes, along with flaked sea salt, just before baking to deliver a balanced citrusy and salty flavor that really pops. everythingbagels.net
Although not technically a bagel, a bialy (pronounced “bee-a-lee”) is made with the same ingredients as a bagel, but instead of boiling the dough, it is baked, and instead of a bagel’s signature hole, a bialy has a depression that can be filled with any sweet or savory ingredients. Though a classic anytime treat in New York, bialys are rarely seen here in the Triangle. At Brandwein’s, you’ll find traditional bialys with caramelized onions as well as a rotating flavor of the day on weekends. brandweinsbagels.com
Big Dom’s Bagel Shop’s Spicy Pickle Cream Cheese
It’s no secret that Big Dom’s NYC-style bagels are delicious, but what really takes them to the next level are the cream cheese options—especially the spicy pickle cream cheese. Perhaps not your first choice, you’ll no doubt be pining for it again after you get a taste of the brine-y, zing-y, creamy schmear that, yes, tastes exactly like pickles. You’ll never be able to go back to regular cream cheese again. big-doms-bagel-shop.square.site
WEB EXCLUSIVE Charleston-based Gigpro app is launching in Raleigh—hoping to help with local staffing shortages.
“Now Hiring” signs have become all too familiar around Raleigh—and across the country. Since the pandemic struck, employees are becoming more and more scarce every day, resulting in many local stores having to cut hours (or even close down for a whole day). Case in point: Wake County ABC stores announced they were closing at 7 p.m.—two hours earlier than normal—for at least the rest of January, while (ish) delicatessen had to close for a whole day due to staffing issues that resulted after a couple of its members had potential COVID exposures.
Here to the rescue is the just-Raleigh-launched Gigpro restaurant staffing app, “created by the service industry for those with experience in the service industry,” that helps connect people who want to work within the hospitality industry to those who need to fill shifts.
“Traditional staffing methods didn’t really work before; they’re definitely not going to work now,” says Ben Ellsworth, founder and president of Gigpro. “We need to think outside the box. Gigpro is attractive to pros because it gives them an on-demand rate and the flexibility to work when and where they want. It provides businesses instant access to those people and the ability to get in front of more possible applicants quicker because they’re actually coming in to work a shift and make money.”
Based out of Charleston but active in 12 markets across the South (now including Raleigh!), Gigpro’s on-demand model is currently filling 1 million labor hours per year in the hospitality industry.
To celebrate its launch in Raleigh, Gigpro is hosting a happy hour launch party on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at Raleigh Brewing Company. Upon signing up, guests will receive a complimentary drink ticket, food by Baltic Bites Food Truck, and the op to enter a raffle to win gift certificates to various local bars and restaurants (that may or may be staffed with help from Gigpro!). Additionally, hospitality businesses that sign up with Gigpro at the event will receive a $200 rebate.
And let’s just hope—with the help of Gigpro—being short-staffed can be a thing of the past…
WEB EXCLUSIVE It’s the most wine-derful time of the year! Here are 8 holiday-themed cocktails around the Triangle to get you in the merry mood.
The best way to spread Christmas cheer… is with a festive cocktail! Put your pinkies up and imbibe on these holiday-themed cocktails around town to really get in the spirit.
Sugar and spice and everything nice… this gin-based cocktail is made with gin, ginger syrup, fresh pomegranate juice, agave, egg white and a rosemary garnish—aka a liquid holiday in your mouth!
Raise a chocolate cheers to Corpse Reviver’s sweet and spicy cocktail made with Espolon Anejo, Durham Distillery Damn Fine Chocolate Liqueur, heavy cream, cinnamon and habanero.
We promise you won’t be disappointed by Bittersweet’s superb cocktail version of a fruitcake, a mix of honey-pecan rum, Frangelico, cherry juice, orange, lemon, peach bitters, cinnamon, clove, soda and rosewater. Perfection!
Once you take a sip, you’ll be sure to come back for s’more… This fiery cocktail from Olde Raleigh Distillery—made with bourbon, vanilla spice simple syrup, chocolate bitters, roasted marshmallows, and a chocolate and graham cracker rim—is sure to warm you right up.
You can’t go wrong with any of the festive drinks at Miracle at The Haymaker, but the Jingle Balls Nog (cognac, cream sherry, almond milk, cream, egg, vanilla, nutmeg) remains a fan fave.
Nothing will warm your heart—and your hands!—like Wye Hill’s Heart Warmer cocktail, a hot bev of bourbon, honey, orange marmalade, chai tea, cranberry and spices.
Kanki’s festive ‘tail is best in snow, returning to the menu by popular demand throughout the month of December. It gets its fruity and creamy notes from Malibu rum, cream of coconut, Pearl Nigori Sake and pineapple juice.
