Polite on the streets (OK, screens), “jerks” in the stands—clearly Usher needs to do a fan version of “Yeah” at the Lenny. We may proudly rep “Bunch of Jerks,” but for a fan base known for getting a little rowdy, Caniacs are apparently minding their manners.
In fact, Canes fans are the “most polite” fandom in the NHL, according to a new Canada Sports Betting study analyzing more than 1.6 million comments across all 32 teams’ subreddits for tone and such party fouls as profanity from August 2025 through September 2026.
And apparently Caniacs kept it clean, with just 8.62% of comments containing swears—the lowest rate in the league, followed by Pittsburgh and Washington fans. And let’s be real: If there’s anywhere to be a monster, it’s from behind a screen. So that’s saying something.
Turns out, we’re downright pleasant to boot: Carolina also ranked No. 5 for positivity, with San Jose taking No. 1. Meanwhile, Edmonton apparently forgot its manners entirely, taking the crown for both most foul-mouthed and most negative.
To be fair, the data doesn’t track behavior at the Lenny (we see you, “No means no, go Canes go” chant). Or perhaps RM reader Trevor Woodham said it best: “Because the ‘North Carolina kindness’ code hasn’t been cracked: Bless your poor, sweetheart.” But hey, we’ll take this crown and add it to our Stanley Cup bling. Bless our hearts, indeed.
Durham Distillery pours a decade of know-how into its first bourbon.
“Civilization begins with distillation”—William Faulkner’s words refuse to age as the gin house that helped put the Bull City on the spirits map makes a “damn fine” foray into whiskey business.
“With our gins, every component has a purpose,” Durham Distillery co-founder Melissa Katrincic tells RM, “and Lee brought that same approach to blending this bourbon.”
And they didn’t rush it. More than a decade after launching, co-founder, President and Master Distiller Lee Katrincic is putting his name behind Damn Fine Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. At just 2,080 bottles, the limited first-batch eight-barrel blend draws on his distilling moxie, flavor-balancing prowess and years behind the still—plus a whiskey-blending education that includes a master class with one of modern American whiskey’s most influential figures: the late Dave Pickerell.
And the magic is in the mix. Distilled and aged in Kentucky, Lee handpicked six mature rye-recipe barrels for structure, depth and a lingering finish, then two wheated barrels for softness and approachability, developing the final rich, rounded blend at Durham Distillery.
“What feels distinctly us,” says Melissa, “is the thought put into the finished spirit: how the flavors work together and how it drinks, whether you’re enjoying it neat or in a cocktail.”
Aged a minimum of four years, that versatile result walks an intentional tightrope, with enough depth and personality to sip neat and enough spice to hold its own in a cocktail, adds Melissa. On the nose, warm vanilla, toasted oak and caramel meet an inviting pop of bright rye spice and crisp apple before giving way to butterscotch, brown sugar and soft milk chocolate. A high-rye backbone carries through to a lingering finish of warm cinnamon, cracked pepper, toasted nuts and oak. Lee’s preferred pour? A Damn Fine Manhattan riff (see below).
So why bourbon—and why now? “Gin has been such an important part of our story, but our curiosity about spirits has always extended beyond it,” says Melissa. “The right time came when we had a blend we were proud to put our name on.”
As for whether Damn Fine signals a bigger whiskey chapter, the distillery isn’t spilling that just yet. For now, it’s focused on giving those first eight barrels the attention they deserve—and hearing what drinkers think. But more whiskey isn’t off the table—“We’re definitely excited about expanding the lineup,” teases Melissa. We’ll drink to that.
Where Raleigh singles are meeting now that swiping is so 2022
All this talk about the dating apps being cooked has us thinking: Where do people actually meet in the wild? For years, locals knew to look for love on the famously flirty grocery aisle at the Village District Harris Teeter, which earned a legendary spot in local lore as the unexpected singles hot spot. But a lot has happened since (hello, pandemic), including a collective case of screen fatigue and a social renaissance spanning run clubs, mahjong mayhem, adult sports leagues, dinner series, all kinds of swinging (rackets, not people—but whatever moves you) and so on. And while there is a rising tide of Raleighites happily checking the single box, for those who’ve trashed the apps and remain open to dating and mating, we wanted to get the lay of the land (had to): Where do people meet IRL now? So, just in time for cuffing season, we went straight to the source—our readers—to find out where locals say the sparks are flying.
Wolfe & Porter
Wolfe & Porter + Gussie’s The Morgan Street mating grounds Between the backyard hangs, neighborhood regulars and seemingly endless events, all roads lead to this little stretch of Morgan Street.
Wegmans The new ~meet~ market Sorry, Harry Teet—you’ve been uprooted. Lettuce help you find love: Eye contact over the arugula worked for generations before Tinder, and clearly it never left—just swapped shops.
Hunky Dory Crate-digging cuties Flip through vinyl, sip a beer, ask what they’re listening to. Congratulations, you’ve invented an opening line—or just a standard Wednesday from the ’90s.
Cuya Salsa Vida Dance-floor dating Hips don’t lie sounds like a pretty solid foundation for a meet-cute—and Wednesday Latin Dance Nights give making a move a whole new meaning. Plus nothing cuts through the pickup-line BS quite like being asked to dance.
North Hills Park Pickleball Courts Dinking over drinking Say what you will about pickleball—the readers brought receipts. Apparently multiple Raleigh couples have met over the dink.
Pitch-A-Friend RDU The ultimate wingman Hand your dating life over to your most unhinged friend who literally pitches you to a room via a three- to five-minute slide deck. What could possibly go wrong?
Nothing lasts forever. Welcome news, especially for people averse to paper records. Effective October, five new laws have taken effect, touching everything from your license plate and concert plans to the ski slopes.
STICKER SHOCK Paper haters, rejoice—NC has gone digital. RIP to paper registration cards and the days of dusting off the corner of your license plate to add another bulky sticker to the stack. The DMV now keeps and verifies those records electronically.
BY THE BOOKNew requirements expand cooperation between state and local government agencies and federal immigration authorities, including ICE, with additional rules around immigration-status checks and enforcement.
FEE AT LAST After years of #ticketgate fees, sellers must now show the full price upfront—with new rules cracking down on bots and fake listings, requiring resellers to ID themselves.
PARENT TRAP Eligible state employees are seeing a boost in paid parental leave—from 8 to 12 weeks—following birth, adoption, and foster or other legal placement.
SAVAGE SLOPES Bad behavior on the bunny hill can now land you in actual trouble. Misusing a ski pass, entering unauthorized areas or fleeing the scene of a ski collision can mean a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Michelin’s sophomore American South guide is official—and with it, three new stars, 14 newly minted Bib Gourmands and 31 fresh Recommendations join the celebrated ranks. NC nabbed 58 nods—trailing only the Atlanta selection and tying Tennessee for the most new recognitions. Meanwhile, Raleigh retained its 2025 honors, adding Ajja to the mix with a Bib.
Up from 228 last year, 265 restaurants across 44 cuisine types made the cut, with just 22 earning a coveted Michelin Star.
State-by-State Restaurant Selection | 2026 Behold the whole Michelin shebang—all 265 restaurants, organized by state and award distinction, with each lineup alphabetized for easy browsing. Look for “(new)” to spot the fresh additions to the 2026 list.
North Carolina | 58 restaurants | 11 new New: 4 Bibs, 7 Recs
One MICHELIN Star (1) Counter — 2001 W. Morehead St., Ste. D, Charlotte, North Carolina 28208
Bib Gourmand (11) Ajja (new) — 209 Bickett Blvd., Raleigh, North Carolina 27608 Ideal’s (new) — 2108 Angier Ave., Durham, North Carolina 27703 Lang Van — 3019 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte, North Carolina 28215 Little Chango — 134 Coxe Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Luminosa — The Flat Iron Hotel, 20 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Mala Pata — 2431 Crabtree Blvd., Ste. 102, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Mother — 244 Short Coxe Ave., #110, Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Prime Barbecue — 403 Knightdale Station Run, Knightdale, North Carolina 27545 Sam Jones BBQ — 502 W. Lenoir St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 The Story of “Mi Cariño”(new) — 1440 S. Tryon St., Ste. 100, Charlotte, North Carolina 28203 Tesoro(new) — 100 E. Weaver St., Carrboro, North Carolina 27510
Tesoro
Recommended (46) Addissae Ethiopian Restaurant — 48 Commerce St., Asheville, North Carolina 28801+ The Admiral — 400 Haywood Rd., Asheville, North Carolina 28806 Albertine(new) — 525 S. Tryon St., Ste. 125, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 All Day Darling — 102 Montford Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Brewery Bhavana — 218 S. Blount St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 Brodeto — 2201 Iron Works Dr., Ste. 137, Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Crawford and Son — 618 N. Person St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Customshop — 1601 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte, North Carolina 28204 Cúrate Bar de Tapas — 13 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Dampf Good BBQ — 6800 Good Hope Church Rd., Cary, North Carolina 27519 Ever Andalo — 3116 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, North Carolina 28205 The Fearrington House Restaurant — 230 Market St., Fearrington Village, Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312 Golden Hour — The Radical Asheville, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, 95 Roberts St., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Good Hot Fish — 10 Buxton Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Haberdish — 3106 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, North Carolina 28205 Hello Sailor — 20210 Henderson Rd., Cornelius, North Carolina 28031 Herons — The Umstead Hotel & Spa, 100 Woodland Pond Dr., Cary, North Carolina 27513 Jolie — 620 N. Person St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Kindred — 131 N. Main Street, Davidson, North Carolina 28036 L’Ostrica(new) — 4701 Park Rd. D., Charlotte, North Carolina 28209 Leo’s House of Thirst — 1055 Haywood Rd., Asheville, North Carolina 28806 Little Bull — 301 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham, North Carolina 27701 Little Mama’s — 4521 Sharon Rd., Charlotte, North Carolina 28211 Manna(new) — 123 Princess St., Wilmington, North Carolina 28401 Nanas — 2514 University Dr., Durham, North Carolina 27707 Native Fine Diner(new) — 907 Dickinson Ave., Greenville, North Carolina 27834 Nikos — 905 W. Main St., Unit 21B, Durham, North Carolina 27701 Omakase Experience by PrimeFish — 2907 Providence Rd., Ste. 101, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211 The Pit Authentic Barbecue — 328 W. Davie St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 Poole’s — 428 S. McDowell St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 Prime Fish — 11212 Providence Rd. W., Unit B, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277 Pump Social(new) — 24 Church St. NE, Concord, North Carolina 28025 Rada — 2820 Selwyn Ave., Ste 180, Charlotte, North Carolina 28209 Restaurant Constance — 2200 Thrift Rd., Charlotte, North Carolina 28208 Salita Pizza(new) — 615 S. 16th St., Ste. 130, Wilmington, North Carolina 28401 Seraphine — 324 Blackwell St., Ste. 4, Durham, North Carolina 27701 Soprana Rooftop Cucina — Embassy Suites Asheville Downtown, 192 Haywood St., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Spaghett(new) — 224 W. 10th St., Charlotte, North Carolina 28202 St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar — 223 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 Stanbury — 938 N. Blount St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27604 Sunny Point Café — 626 Haywood Rd., Asheville, North Carolina 28806 Supperland — 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte, North Carolina 28205 Table — 18 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Tall John’s — 152 Montford Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801 Tamasha — 4200 Six Forks Rd., Ste. 130, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609 Ukiah Japanese Smokehouse — 121 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, North Carolina 28801
Two MICHELIN Stars (1) Emeril’s — 800 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
One MICHELIN Star (3) Dakar NOLA(new) — 937 Leonidas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 Saint-Germain — 3054 Saint Claude Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 Zasu — 127 N. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119
Dakar; Jeremy Tauriac
Bib Gourmand (12) Acamaya — 3070 Dauphine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 Cochon — 930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Cochon Butcher — 930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Domilise’s Po-Boy & Bar — 5240 Annunciation St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Dooky Chase — 2301 Orleans Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 Hungry Eyes — 4206 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Lufu Nola — 301 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Mister Mao — 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Parkway Bakery & Tavern — 538 Hagan Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 Saba — 5757 Magazine St., Ste. A, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Safta’s Table(new) — 129 Allen Toussaint Blvd., Ste. 103, New Orleans, Louisiana 70124 Turkey and the Wolf — 739 Jackson Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
Recommended (24)
Addis Nola — 2514 Bayou Rd., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119 Atchafalaya — 901 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Casimiro(new) — 800 Louisa St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 Clancy’s — 6100 Annunciation St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 Compère Lapin — The Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery, 535 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 The Crustacean Club(new) — 1036 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70116 Elsie’s Plate & Pie — 3145 Government St., Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 Evviva(new) — 2600 Dauphine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70117 Feliciana Bistrôt and Bar(new) — 405 E. Gibson St., Covington, Louisiana 70433 Galatoire’s — 209 Bourbon St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Herbsaint — 701 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Jewel of the South(new) — 1026 St. Louis St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 Killer PoBoys — 219 Dauphine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 The Kingsway — 4201 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 La Petite Grocery — 4238 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Molly’s Rise & Shine — 2368 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Osteria Lupo — 4609 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Patois — 6078 Laurel St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 Pêche — 800 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Restaurant August — 301 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Saffron NOLA — 4128 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 Saint Claire(new) — 1300 Richland Rd., New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 St. Francisville Inn & Restaurant — 5720 Commerce St., St. Francisville, Louisiana 70775 Willie Mae’s Nola — 898 Baronne St., New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
Recommended (10) Ajax Diner — 118 Courthouse Square, Oxford, Mississippi 38655 City Grocery — 152 Courthouse Sq., Oxford, Mississippi 38655 Maringouin(new) — The Roost Boutique Hotel, 604 Porter Ave., Ocean Springs, Mississippi 3956 Poppy Pies(new) — 800 Manship St., Ste. 106, Jackson, Mississippi 39202 Pulito Osteria — 800 Manship St., Ste. 104, Jackson, Mississippi 39202 Siren Social Club — Hotel Vela, 1409 24th Ave., Gulfport, Mississippi 39501 Snackbar — 721 N. Lamar Blvd., Oxford, Mississippi 38655 Taylor Grocery — 4A Depot St., Taylor, Mississippi 38673 Vestige — 715 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564 White Pillars — 1696 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, Mississippi 39531
South Carolina | 27 restaurants | 6 new New: 3 Bibs, 3 Recs
One MICHELIN Star (4) Malagón Mercado y Taperia — 33 Spring St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 Scoundrel — 18 N. Main St., Greenville, South Carolina 29601 Vern’s — 41 Bogard St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 Wild Common — 103 Spring St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403
Bib Gourmand (4) Leon’s Oyster Shop — 698 King St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 Okàn(new) — 71 Calhoun St., Ste. 100, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910 Palmira(new) — 2366 Ashley River Rd., Charleston, South Carolina 29414 Rivayat Creative Indian(new) — 210 Rutledge Ave., Charleston, South Carolina 29403
Recommended (19) The Anchorage — 586 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina 29611 Cane Pazzo(new) — 1276 Yeamans Hall Rd., Hanahan, South Carolina 29410 Chubby Fish — 252 Coming St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 Di Vino Rosso — 807 Gervais St., Ste. 100, Columbia, South Carolina 29201 The Establishment — 28 Broad St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Fig — 232 Meeting St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Husk — 76 Queen St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Jianna — 600 S. Main St., Ste. 200, Greenville, South Carolina 29601 Lewis Barbecue — 464 N. Nassau St., Charleston, South Carolina 29403 Lowland — The Pinch Hotel, 36 George St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Merci(new) — 28 Pitt St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Motor Supply Company — 920 Gervais St., Columbia, South Carolina 29201 Oak Prime — 4210 River Oaks Dr., Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29579 The Obstinate Daughter — 2063 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina 29482 Radici Italian Chophouse(new) — 4376 Bluffton Parkway, Bluffton, South Carolina 29910 The Restaurant at Zero George — 0 George St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Soby’s — 207 S. Main St., Greenville, South Carolina 29601 Sorelle — 88 Broad St., Charleston, South Carolina 29401 Topsoil Restaurant — 13 S. Main St., Travelers Rest, South Carolina 29690
