Seas the day at Wilmington Beaches—Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville.
One of the best things about Raleigh is its proximity to the beach—just zip down I-40, and in a few short hours, you’ll be sitting with your toes in the sand, the sound of waves lapping in your ears and not a single worry in mind. Ahh… we can picture it now.
The Wilmington Beaches—Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach—are the shortest drive from the City of Oaks, and offer the perfect summer daytrip or weekend getaway when you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
It’s all about the good times and tan lines at the Wilmington Beaches, and there’s shorely plenty of that to be had.
Besides the beach—obviously—these coastal NC hot spots boast fun activities for the whole family. Take a surf lesson or stand-up paddleboard on the Intracoastal Waterway; visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher; nosh on fresh seafood with the ocean as your backdrop; or sip a local brew in the sunshine. There’s so much to do and so much to “sea,” you’ll need more than a couple of days to do it all. So book a week—and consider your plans covered.
DO
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area
Hop from the beach to the salt marsh trails along the 6 miles of wildlife at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. The protected shoreline is home to shells, starfish, sea urchins, loggerhead sea turtles and other species. Bonus: Four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed seasonally with permits. ncparks.gov
35th Annual Carolina Beach Music Festival
Dance barefoot in the sand to live music from local bands, including Jim Quick & Coastline, Band of Oz and Blackwater Band, at the biggest beach music festival actually held on the beach. Coolers, beverages and food are allowed, so you can fuel the fun all day long. Aug. 14, wilmingtonandbeaches.com
Blockade Runner Surf to Sound Adventures
Outdoor lovers, this one’s for you. Spend the whole day out on the water with a plethora of water activities, including a sunset harbor cruise, Masonboro Island hopper cruise, seaside yoga and kayak rentals, in which you’ll paddle your way through the salt marshes, tidal creeks and protected waters of the Intracoastal Waterway. blockade-runner.com
EAT
Britts Donut Shop
You can’t go to Carolina Beach without standing in line on the Boardwalk for these famous homemade glazed doughnuts. Having amassed a cult following, Britts frequents top 10 “best doughnut shops in the country” lists (also crowned best doughnuts in NC, natch). So, a true hole in one. brittsdonutshop.com
Ceviche’s
This colorful beach shack just over the bridge from Wrightsville Beach serves up a delicious Panamanian menu inspired by owner Hunter Tiblier’s upbringing in Panama. Nourish your body with tapas, empanadas, seafood dishes and, of course, ceviches, all made with only the freshest of ingredients. wbceviche.com
Ida Thai Cuisine
This hidden gem at Carolina Beach serves up some of the best Thai food in the area—think chicken satay, spicy basil noodles, som tom (papaya salad) and a multitude of curries. The crowd-favorite coconut cake is heavenly—and a must-have dessert after any meal.idathairestaurant.com
DRINK
SUNdays
No Sunday scaries here. By day, this South End WB cafe serves coffee, lattes, milkshakes, smoothies and acai bowls in rotating flavors. By night, come out for wine and local beer, plus grub from area food trucks. facebook.com/sundayswb
Waterman’s Brewing Company
Well-known NC brewmaster Bob High concocts a variety of easy-sipping beers that go down effortlessly after a day on the water. Choose from the Sea Love Sour made with locally harvested sea salt; Stoker’s Select, a passion fruit summer blonde ale; and more. Plus, enjoy daily specials like 75 cent wings on Wednesdays and half-price wine bottles on Thursdays.watermansbrewing.com
The Fat Pelican
Beach shack meets dive bar at Carolina Beach’s The Fat Pelican, a legendary locale where locals and visitors alike gather for beer, wine and live music out on the sandy picnic area. Grab a few beers for the beach from the walk-in cooler (350-plus on offer!). “I’ve got my toes in the water… cold beer in my hand.” thefatpelican.com
STAY
Blockade Runner Beach Resort
Eat, stay and play at this good vibes-only beachfront boutique resort in Wrightsville—the place to stay when visiting the coast. Enjoy Sunday jazz brunch at the go-to hotel’s uberpopular EAST Oceanfront Dining resto, poolside drinks, surf lessons and more all in a day’s work—er, vacay. blockade-runner.com
Carolina Beach Realty
Since 1963, Carolina Beach Realty has been pairing tourists with their dream vacation homes in Carolina and Kure Beach, whether that means a small oceanfront condo for a couples’ getaway or a large beachfront home for the whole fam. carolinabeachrealty.net
The Lighthouse Inn
The newly renovated The Lighthouse Kure Beach is “a little place for big moments”… what with its nine luxury apartment suites just steps away from the beach. The rooms are the perfect homebase for your next seaside vacay—each with a private balcony with ocean views, functional kitchenettes, and modern decor and amenities. kurelighthouseinn.com
Suraj Kandukuri highlights South Asian American voices through his award-winning podcast.
Here to bust the model minority myth around South Asian Americans is Suraj Kandukuri with his Brown People We Knowpodcast, an interview podcast about the nontraditional paths and shared experiences of the South Asian American diaspora and winner of Lions Share’s 2021 Lion Awards for podcast of the year.
Last year, while Kandukuri was watching comedian Hasan Minhaj’s Homecoming King stand-up special, it hit him that there was very little media coverage of “third culture” kids. A recent graduate of the University of Michigan (he received his MBA), Kandukuri started Brown People We Know while doing a remote internship for PricewaterhouseCoopers at his parents’ house in Apex in an effort to offer more of that third-culture representation he noticed was missing from a lot of mainstream media.
“From the perspective of movies, you have Hollywood and Bollywood—the American experience and the Indian experience, so to speak,” Kandukuri says. “But you don’t have very much that intersects the two.”
BPWK was originally going to be a conversational podcast with him and his friend chatting about famous South Asian Americans (individuals with ancestry from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, among others), but when they couldn’t get their schedules to line up, Kandukuri had his friend on as his first guest and it became an interview show.
Kandukuri has since interviewed a plethora of both well-known and lesser-known South Asian Americans, including Michelin-starred chef Surbhi Sahni; professional tap dancer Vikas Arun; rapper Kunal Patel (aka “Kaly”); and Bobby Mukkamala, a board member for the American Medical Association. The podcast gives South Asian Americans whose stories have not been intensely covered in the past a chance to get their voices out there while also shattering stereotypes around South Asians in America.
Additionally, Kandukuri says it’s very important for him to ask his guests questions not just about how they’ve retained South Asian culture and how being South Asian has impacted them in America, but about their “thing”—dancing, being a chef, etc. “That ultimately leads to interesting conversation in and of itself, but relates back to identity,” he says.
It’s all part of Kandukuri’s three main goals for BPWK: dispelling external stereotypes about South Asian Americans, reducing internal social pressures within the community to follow a certain path (“A lot of this has to do with the fact that I’ve found a lot of happiness in taking a less traditional path,” he says), and connecting members of the diaspora.
Despite the fact that Indians are the second largest population in the world, Kandukuri had only three other Indian students at his high school in Wisconsin. He says the experience of being one of the less than 10 South Asians out of nearly 2,000 students at his school was isolating in a way.
“This goes back to the idea of third-culture kid representation in media,” Kandukuri says. “When you see this podcast of people that are like you, even if you end up living in a place where you maybe feel physically isolated from other people of the diaspora, you don’t feel alone because you’re able to engage with other people that have similar experiences as you, either through social media, or even just by listening to these conversations.” brownpeopleweknow.com
WEB EXCLUSIVE The July/August issue of Raleigh Magazine will be on stands around town and delivered to your doors and mailboxes in just a couple of days! If you can’t wait until then, here’s a quick look at some of the stories we have in store.
State of Adventure: Lake Life
Aerial view of Lake Norman near Jetton Park in Cornelius.
Beat the (humid) North Carolina summer heat with a getaway to one of Raleigh’s nearby lakes. Our guide on where to eat, rent watersports equipment, hike and more allows you to soak up more sun without worrying about where you’re going to get snacks for the boat or pull up for dinner after a day well spent.
The Burbs
Holly Springs
The Wake County burbs are booming as locals and transplants alike set up camp—and the appeal is far beyond cost and safety. We take a look at the rapid rise distinguishing factors of the top 10 Raleigh-area suburbs to see what life is really like on the fringes.
Three Foodie Exclusives
Crawford Cookshop | Photo by Jessica Crawford Photography
We got not one, not two, but three foodie exclusives for this issue, including Katsuji Tanabe’s new Mexican restaurant A’Verde Cocina & Tequila Library, a sneak peek of some of the dishes from Scott Crawford’s forthcoming Crawford Cookshop, and brand-new dual concept dropping in DTR: Soul Taco and JewFro. Get ready to dine out, Raleighites.
Summer Slush
Barrel Culture | Photo by Felicia Trujillo, FOOD SEEN
It’s #SlusheeSzn, y’all! Get sloppy—er, cool off— this summer with our roundup of seven spins on spiked slushees around town, from a Tiki-themed slush at the new Ark Royal bar on Glenwood to a Red Bull-spiked slush at Locals Oyster Bar. Cheers!
RTP Rebirth
Boxyard RTP | Photo by Susan Holt
Research Triangle Park has invested millions of dollars in building a campus for the 40,000-plus employees across more than 200 research, technology and ag-bio companies. Now, Boxyard RTP provides a place for those employees to dine, shop and hangout, and, once it opens, Hub RTP will feature apartments, a hotel, office space and a retail district.
The 12 fiery hopefuls will be split into three teams, led by culinary icons and Food Network hosts Bobby Flay, Michael Symon and Eddie Jackson. The three celebrity chef captains will mentor and coach these up-and-coming barbecue stars from around the country through 10 episodes set at Star Hill Ranch in Austin, Texas.
Each episode, a panel of judges—including barbecue legend Rodney Scott, chef Brooke Williamson and lifestyle personality Carson Kressley—will decide which team was least successful, with the competitor deemed the weakest link eliminated.
The winner is dubbed the Master of ‘Cue (not such a bad nickname, huh?) and will become Food Network’s official BBQ expert of the year—plus, ultimate bragging rights, of course.
We, obviously, will be rooting for Prieto all the way. A champion pitmaster, book author, barbecue judge and teacher, we think he’s got the chops to take home the W. Have you tried the food at Prime yet?! From smoked brisket and housemade sausage to sweet potato salad and mac and cheese, Prieto has already won the hearts—and stomachs—of North Carolinians. Cheer him on when the BBQ Brawl airs Monday, June 14 on Food Network.
If you haven’t been to ATL recently, you’re missing out on a ton of new hot spots.
We know. That six-hour drive to Atlanta down I-85—not so tempting—especially once you get to Spaghetti Junction (don’t even get us started on the traffic). Good news—you can leave the car at home and get to A-Town without breaking the bank via a round-trip Frontier or Delta flight for around $200.
If you think you already know A-Town, think again. Most of our picks weren’t even on the map five years ago, and new hot spots have really taken off—making the city a true destination for culture, food, beer and fun. Areas like West Midtown, Buckhead, Downtown and the BeltLine are walkable, bikeable or scootable (hey Bird, Spin and Gotcha!), allowing you to zip around to the city’s finest spots with ease.
While it’s impossible to narrow down an ATL guide to just these dozen, this list will at least get you started. And in the famous words of Usher… “Peace up. A-Town down.”
DO
Piedmont Park/Ponce City Market/BeltLine
So, yes, this is three things, but, like Friends’ Monica, Rachel and Phoebe, they just go together. Start with a walk around Piedmont Park; then stroll to Ponce City Market to refuel in the food hall (insider tip: Take your grub to the rooftop for amaze views of the ATL skyline!) and peruse the shops. Afterward, you’re gonna want to scoot over to the BeltLine to hit up the breweries, art, street music and more. piedmontpark.org; poncecitymarket.com; beltline.org
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Stop and smell the flowers at A-Town’s 30-acre botanical haven blooming with hydrangeas, magnolias, roses and a host of other flora and fauna. Also be sure to check out the latest exhibit, SUPERnatural: Aerial Art in Motion, Glass Art in Bloom, which features a custom-created “skynet” resembling a flock of birds. atlantabg.org
Shoot the Hooch
Modest Mouse said it best: “We’ll all float on, OK.” Grab the gang and rent kayaks or tubes for a fun and relaxing trip on the Chattahoochee River. “Falling” into the water on a hot summer day is crucial for keeping cool in HotLanta. shootthehooch.com
EAT
Buena Vida Tapas & Sol
Inspired by owners Juan Sebastian Calle and Adam Berlin’s trips to Spain, this chic restaurant and bar on the BeltLine serves up Ibiza vibes and inventive seasonal tapas (think gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas and crispy pimenton chicken) alongside a robust wine list. buenavidatapas.com
Yebo Beach Haus
Each summer, restaurateur Justin Anthony transforms Yebo into a coastal-inspired hideaway for enjoying South African comfort food like tuna tataki, frittura mista, peri-peri prawn tacos and more out on the minimalist interior courtyard, complete with gorgeous greenery and a large fountain. yebobeachhaus.com
Grana
Ciao, bella! This Piedmont Heights Italian eatery specializes in must-sup wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, handmade pastas and other Italian specialties inspired by the traditional “peasant cooking” of Southern Italy. The stracciatella, Meatball Flight (!), mortadella pie and agnolotti are just a few favorites that are best enjoyed on the rooftop patio with a glass of vino. Saluti! granaatl.com
DRINK
Dr. Scofflaw’s at The Works
All rule-breakers are welcome at Scofflaw Brewing Co.’s newest Upper Westside location at The Works, a mixed-use development highlighting local culture, food and beverage, and retail. The ultimate summer hangout destination serves up cold brews, natch, and 27 acres of patio and indoor/outdoor space, plus—wait for it—a beer park, with all the brewery’s popular brews and seltzers on offer. scofflawbeer.com
The Garden Room
Poppy-in to this Buckhead garden oasis for the most enchanting dining and drinking experience. Alice in Wonderland vibes set the stage for refreshing small plates and delicate cocktail creations that make any date night or girls’ night out pure magic. thegardenroomatlanta.com
The James Room
A trifecta of good music, great drinks and Southern hospitality await at this European-inspired cafe and speakeasy cocktail lounge, the latter of which is only accessible by a secret stairwell in the alley (how boujee!). Swing by during the day for coffee, pastries, salads and flatbreads; or slink in through the back at night for minimalist cocktails, beer and wine. thejamesroom.com
STAY
Hotel Clermont
Go for hip factor and storied views (that rooftop bar is next-level, literally—we dare you not to ’Gram it); stay for the nips (Tony Lou’s!), sips (Café Clermont!), accoutrements and location. The latter—within walking distance to Ponce City Market and a multitude of popular parks, restos and bars—makes it the perfect home base for your A-town vacay. hotelclermont.com
Hotel Colee
The party starts the moment you arrive at this whimsical hotel in Buckhead, glorifying the “dapper, dashing and delightful” energy, diversity and culture of ATL’s upscale neighborhood—with glam, colorful lobby areas and rooms, plus a rooftop bar and pool to boot. hotelcolee.com
Secluded Intown Treehouse
Serenity in the city, found. Skip the standard hotel stay and plant yourself in this one-of-a-kind Airbnb tucked into a quiet wooded area, featuring three separate rooms connected by rope swing bridges—perfect for those looking for something that’s out of the ordinary. And while you won’t feel like you’re in A-Town at all anymore, the treehouse is located just minutes from Downtown. May the forest be with you, indeed. airbnb.com/rooms/1415908
