Both the Canes and PNC are shaking things up this hockey season.
True to their Bunch of Jerks nickname, the Carolina Hurricanes are poised to “cause chaos” this 2023–24 season—in the best way. The new tagline dropped ahead of the Canes’ first regular season game Oct. 11 and proved to be true following a 5–3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Not to mention our home hockey team is the consensus favorite to win the Stanley Cup among sportsbooks (!). Adding to the allure of the season are a bunch of updates at PNC Arena, including four new food and beverage concepts, three of which are local: The BBQ Lab (sections 105 and 120), Gonza Tacos y Tequila (section 112 stand and section 130 cart), The Optimist (section 105) and Chick-fil-A (section 120 and 325 carts). Needless to say, you’re gonna wanna Take Warning for one heck of a season. Go Canes!
Alex Ricci’s Prospects restaurant to serve up good eats and drinks for Raleighites—by Raleighites.
When the opportunity arrived for Alex Ricci to open his own restaurant in Raleigh, he naturally tapped residents to help him build the menu—think friends, influencers, fellow chefs and other “people who have really impacted both me and the food scene here,” he says.
That concept, Prospects Craft Kitchen & Cocktail Bar, is opening in the former Rainbow Luncheonette space on North West Street in December, but will evolve as Ricci continues to query guests for featured rotating dishes.
“I’ve written tons of menus, but I’ve never really thought about what my guests want and what dishes mean something to them,” elaborates Ricci. “So instead of having a chef-driven concept, it’ll be a guest-driven concept.”
The menu features Ricci’s elevated takes of those inspired, nostalgic dishes, like a Puerto Rican-inspired pork dish—a nod to his mom; and a steak dinner as an ode to Rainbow Luncheonette, with $5 from every one sold going to late Rainbow employee Tyler McDavid’s daughter’s college fund. Meanwhile, the bev menu features cocktails, boozy milkshakes and beer.
Adding a super-late-night option to the city relatively lacking one, Prospects will serve food until 3am Thursday through Saturday. NTM the longest (and latest) brunch in the city (!)—11am to 6pm on Sundays—to ensure industry folk can still get a hearty weekend breakfast in, even if they worked a brunch shift elsewhere that day.
To further encourage communication and relationships between Ricci and guests, an open layout ensures patrons will feel like they’re eating at his own home kitchen. And while the signature rainbow floors remain, Ricci enlivened the space with hydroponic gardens, spice racks and cool commissioned pieces from local artist Cassie Ott. … Peep the black-and-white painting of Anthony Bourdain that looks down at the chef as he prepares food in the kitchen. And look out for an alfresco parklet to connect Prospects to sister bar The Devereux, opening by the end of the year. @prospectsnc
When it comes to Harmony Farms Natural Foods, most people know the local natural nurturer for its organic juice, smoothie fix or as a go-to healthful grocer. But the nee-1974 North Raleigh market has been serving up health and healing far beyond its snack power for nearly 50 years. Ask any wellness-minded local why they frequent the holistic health store and their answer will usually surprise you (think advice on gut health and a fix to catch those elusive Z’s, to name a few). Because what’s in store at Harmony Farms goes beyond what’s literally in store, an MO that’s critical to co-owner Steve Long.
“We make sure the customers know we are available to answer their questions and assist on their natural lifestyle path,” he says of his homeopathic health hub. In a world where medicinal health care is complicated and we all have to advocate for ourselves, people are looking outside of standard Western medicine more and more. So, we asked Long to give us the lowdown on the top five holistic health goals Raleighites turn to his well-trained staff for.
Photo by Monica Cope
Immunity
Keeping immunity up during cold/flu season is especially crucial—and is what people flock to Harmony Farms for the most, says Long. To keep yourself in tiptop health this fall, he recs taking natural herbs and formulas, including top items like vitamin C and D3. Other supplements include quercetin, a powerful antihistamine found in fruits and veggies; elderberry, clinically known to kill 99% of throat infections; and NAC-N-Acetyl-Cysteine, which occurs naturally (found in garlic, eggs and turkey) and is clinically known to help with building healthy new lung tissue. Of course, the organic smoothie bar serves up immunity-boosting ops as well, including sea moss, which “has 92 of our bodies’ naturally occurring 108 minerals—thus, in essence, is a living multivitamin,” says Long. See ya, Airborne!
Digestive Issues/Gut Health
Think gas, bloating, gurgling and the runs after a meal are normal? Think again. Gut health is also top of mind for Harmony Farms’ frequenters, and Long’s go-to answer for healing your tumultuous tummy are digestive enzymes, probiotics and other formulas—all of which could save you some trips to the bathroom—and boost brain health. “An unhealthy gut takes a negative toll on your brain as you are not absorbing all the nutrients you need from food,” he emphasizes. “Antibiotics and the stomach flu wipe out all of our naturally occurring beneficial gut bacteria and digestive enzymes, thus getting those probiotics and enzymes back is paramount.”
Sleeping
What was once easy is now a 2am struggle—and supplements aplenty offer the promise of sweet slumber (even Kourtney Kardashian has a line of melatonin gummies). But sleep solutions are not one-size-fits-all. Weary-eyed Raleighites stumble to Harmony Farms looking for a sound solution to navigate all the natural products and herbs promising peaceful slumber. … Sleep = happiness—and “all healing begins with sleep!” Long maintains. “Lack of sleep undermines every aspect of your life.”
Brain Health
“Staying mentally sharp is a must for achieving life goals,” says Long. Those looking for a brain boost frequent the health hub to navigate its stock of smarts-supporting natural anti-inflammatories like turmeric extract curcumin, which remove plaque from the brain; and fish oil, clinically known to boost the neurotransmitters for focus and short-term memory—just two must-have-on-a-daily-basis products he recommends.
Energy
Though Harmony Farms does offer coffee and espresso bevs, sluggish customers also come in for more natural energy-boosting supplements. Long suggests trying a multivitamin with a good spectrum of B vitamins, which is “foundational for boosting your metabolism and thus your energy levels,” he says. And in addition to popular caffeinated herbs like guarana and yerba maté, for lackluster locals looking for a noncaffeine-based herbs, there’s ginseng, gotu kola and cat’s claw. Meow!
If you’ve never met a carb you didn’t like, this one’s for you.
Nothing in the world compares to the smell of freshly baked bread (prove us wrong—we’ll wait). And it was La Farm Bakery that first began spoiling the Triangle with the scent—and impeccable taste—of fresh loaves when it bowed in 1999. But it wasn’t until 2013 that other breadmakers began to build on the toastiness of a true classic bakery—aka where you can scoop artisan homemade loaves hot from the oven, in addition to other baked goods, pastries and cafe items.
Yellow Dog Bread Co. initially filled the void, with Boulted Bread following closely behind in 2014. After another short gap, Andrew Ullom, former executive pastry chef under Ashley Christensen, stepped on the scene with pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar Union Special to much fanfare. And so, now, we raise a toast to these four authentic bread bolsters fueling the area with delectable carbs. Here, where to break—and buy and eat!—bread throughout Raleigh.
Boulted Bread West End
Run, don’t walk, to DTR’s recently relocated loaf haven. Even if you’ve never been to Boulted’s OG location or its new one just a few blocks away, you’ve likely enjoyed a slice or two before at a local restaurant (it’s a staple fixture of many eateries). Crafted with a three-step process—“our mill, our hands, our oven”—each batch of bread starts with in-house stone-milled flour using organic and heirloom grains that are then mixed with water and salt, and left to ferment overnight until the baking process begins the next morning. And the results are, well, immaculate—hence its nod as the best bread in NC by Food & Wine last year (!). Hey, it’s a no-grainer. boultedbread.com
Union Special Gateway Plaza, Fayetteville Street District
With “special” in its name, you know Andrew Ullom’s beloved bakery is going to deliver some exceptional carbs. And, boy, does it. Come for the fresh loaves made from a blend of sifted and whole-grain flours from Lindley Mills—and boasting the perfect balance of crusty yet soft and airy—and stay for the breakfast, lunch and brunch dishes. Think sandwiches (naturally), salads, biscuits and gravy, and more… but especially keep your eye on the ’Gram to see what specials the team is whipping up each week at both locations. Oh, and always save room for one of the signature cookies. unionspecialbread.com
La Farm Bakery Cary, Fuquay-Varina
About as close to an authentic French boulangerie as you can get in the Triangle, master baker Lionel Vatinet’s traditional bakery honors centuries-old baking traditions and techniques he acquired while training at France’s prestigious artisans’ guild, Les Compagnons du Devoir—elevated by locally grown fresh ingredients. Now boasting five locations—including one at the airport—La Farm produces 15 different types of breads, plus an additional 20 seasonal varieties throughout the year, using a European-style hearth oven. Now that’s anything but crumby. lafarmbakery.com
Yellow Dog Bread Co. Seaboard & Person Street District
Who let the dogs—er, carb lovers—out?! Despite its name (an ode to founders Tanya and Matt Andrews’ yellow lab, Ellie), this quaint bakery is all about treats for humans. On any given day, the shelves lining the wall behind the counter are stocked with fresh breads of myriad shapes, sizes, textures and flavors, all of which are made from local ingredients, like flour from Lindley Mills in Graham, NC. Yellow Dog’s rotating and seasonal sweet and savory bakery case is also not to be ignored—tempting with the likes of homemade cookies, croissants, scones, pop tarts and more. Good luck choosing just one. yellowdogbread.com
Scott Crawford’s Brodeto to bow at Raleigh Iron Works in December.
It was during a trip to Croatia in 2018 Scott Crawford enjoyed a particularly tasty traditional brodeto (otherwise known as fish soup) that he thought, “I could just do a whole restaurant about this type of [flavor] profile.” And, now, that serendipitous idea will become a reality as his resto of the same name is anticipated to open at Raleigh Iron Works before the end of the year.
First announced late last year, Brodeto will pay homage to the cuisine of the Adriatic portion of the Mediterranean—specifically Southern Italy and Croatia—via lighter coastal Italian food, with a strong focus on seafood. Rustic, humble and memorable are just a few words Crawford uses to describe the fare.
“We fell in love with those flavor profiles, so we’re gonna cook them the way we cook here,” says Crawford, who’s spent the last four years traveling to the region—most recently exploring 16 cities in Italy alone. “I’m not from Italy; I’m not trying to honor my family with this as I was with my other businesses. I’m not pretending to be this guy who trained in Italy or anything like that. This is very authentic in that we love this concept—we love the feeling that we got there and we want to recreate that.”
Brodeto will, of course, be a highlight of the menu, and rotate seasonally with a heavier broth in the colder months and a lighter one in summertime. Additional menu highlights include crudo, housemade pastas (orecchiette, cavatelli and lightly stuffed pastas, to name a few styles) and breads (namely a Croatian bread, a crusty Italian bread and a great focaccia). Not to mention wood-fired meats, vegetables and seafood on a Beech wood-fired hearth rack system—similar to how food is prepared in Croatia—with seafood being sourced both locally and from the Mediterranean.
There will also be a chef’s table-like experience where diners can order dishes not found on the restaurant menu, like a seafood or crudo tower. “People should anticipate what they experience at Crawford and Son and Jolie,” Crawford emphasizes, “where you can expect a little unexpected—some nice surprises. … But also this is very grounded and based in a tried-and-true style of cooking. I think finding that balance is where we really have a lot of fun as a team.”
The simple yet masterfully balanced cocktail program by Beverage Manager Jordan Joseph will also place a large focus on coastal flavors, amari and herbal liqueurs, coal-grilled fruits and vegetables, infused salts, and bitters—not to mention a list of coastal and mainland wines from Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and throughout the Adriatic.
“Travel, to me, is such a big part of being inspired—and I was inspired there to want to cook that food and bring that experience to people in our community,” says Crawford. “The region has so much to offer and show, and the flavor combinations are limitless between linking the best of what each territory can offer.” And, so, a worldly trip for the senses awaits. brodeto.com
