Giorgios Epicurean Market—and East End Bistrot’s private dining room—slated to bow in April.
Another brilliant “gem” from mastermind Giorgios Bakatsias’ treasure trove, Giorgios Epicurean Market is slated to shine in mid- to late-April. The crown jewel coming to East End Market will entice the senses with its Euro-style market and morning-to-night cafe offerings with an emphasis on Greek, European and Asian flavors—think classic and nouveau European breakfast items, Mediterranean salads, lingue di pizza and Asian stir-fries.
Helmed by managing partner and chef William D’Auvray, the F&B program will offer everything from a full bakery to prepared foods—with bonus access to East End Bistrot’s brand-new private dining room, opening April 1 to meet the burgeoning demand for special events. Think breakfast meetings, work luncheons or lunch/dinner for you + 24 of your besties (or 35 total for ’tails).
Anchored by the three B’s: butcher, baker, beverage program, “GEM will be a curated market for a joyful life,” says Bakatsias of the haven for handpicked goods and hospitality dishing a welcome alternative to big-box ops. “We are delighted to serve this community all day—from squeezing fresh juice in the morning to having a personal sommelier in the evening… the best olive oil to helping guests select the finest gourmet gifts”—adding: “Let food be medicine and medicine be your health.” So, a gem and the elixir Raleigh needs now.
One post by NC “it” Mean Girl Reneé Rapp pays more than the average monthly salary.
Reneé Rapp, who’s star saw rapid rise upon the release of Tina Fey’s new Mean Girls movie-turned-musical-turned-movie and musical, has notoriously lit up the media circuit with her brutal honesty—from a fiery rant (“if you’re watching this, I can’t stand you and I hope your business burns”) to a plug for Megan Thee Stallion’s lovely lady humps (“best a** I’ve actually never seen anything aike this!”) to tripling down on being “very ageist” on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen (who, by the way, is 55). Worse, she was referencing her ageism toward “old,” ahem, millennialwomen (Rapp is 24) when asked her favorite Real Housewife—in the presence of a (not 24YO!) Real Housewife herself.
Whether she’s just committed to the bit (you have to applaud the method acting), a humorous breath of fresh air or a smidge “delulu,” the world concurs that her press tour has been completely chaotic. But as they say, no press is bad press.
To wit, the NCer’s stock has skyrocked to a whopping $13,400 per single sponsored Insta post—earning her almost 3x the average NC monthly gross salary ($4,700) for a singlepost on the social platform.
While her role as Regina George alone catapulted her clout (even NYC buses sported signs that said “look both ways, Regina” (lol) in front of the film’s hotly anticipated premiere) and burn books became the new diary—NTM what everybody was talking about from TikTok to talk shows—her fame (er, notoriety) has revealed something about our quest for less polish, more pizzazz. In essence: Do we really want polished personalities (see: Rachel Zegler) or is it chaos we’re craving?
While Rapp has, at this point, run the risk of offending or alienating anyone turned off by objectifying women, damning business owners, F-bombs in interviews, and, well, anyone over the age of ~28 (the eldest nonmillenials according to generational divides), she’s also clearly sparked enough interest to keep the anarchy alive. Er, the show must go on?
Don’t ever text someone ‘k’—and other ways to get along in a postmodern society.
Miss Manners meets New York Magazine’s The Cut a la hypermodern etiquette when the publication-on-the-pulse put out a modern manners list of sorts that got the world talking—from MSN to the UK’s The Guardian to, naturally, the internet.
“Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?” queries the punchy headline, subtitled with the call to action: “How to text, tip, ghost, host and generally exist in a polite society today.” Essentially, in a fast-paced, tech-driven, bot-friendly society, “the ways we socialize and date, commute and work are nearly unrecognizable from what they were three years ago.” Facts.
And in those trio of short years alone, we’ve come head-to-head with a pandemic; social, cultural, workforce and literal warfare; the proliferation of social media; and so much more… all of which has moved the needle faster than our minds or wallets can pace or comprehend—NTM the AI takeover.
To the rescue are 194 tips amassed and vetted by The Cut—with guest picks from celebs and socialites like artist Laila Gohar and actress Amy Sedaris and socialite/mag editor Lauren Santo Domingo—running the gamut from lessons on friends & lovers (“You may callously cancel almost any plans up until 2pm”) and strangers to going out and hermiting in to work life, the city, parenting; and, of course, posting and texting (oof).
And the list got us thinking… (*in our best Carrie Bradshaw voice*): In a society that’s becoming ever more casual, are there certain rules we must abide by to avoid social upheaval?
Don’t ever message someone “k.” (It’s the text equivalent of “I hate you.”)
You may callously cancel almost any plans up until 2pm. (We feel so liberated.)
If someone starts telling you a story you’ve heard before, you have two seconds to tell them. (Though we argue it should be more like 10 seconds!)
The proper response to being told something you already know isn’t “I know.” It’s “You’re right.” (Don’t be a know-it-all)
Listening is not the time for you to silently rehearse what you want to say next. (Say less)
Go on, take the last bite. (We’d say go for the “gentlemen’s bite,” aka the second to last one—less rude.)
Hot gossip goes only in the voice memo, never in text. (Some next-level Inspector Gadget ish)
Whoever put the most work into planning the trip gets first dibs on rooms […] whether single or a couple. (It’s like the story about the hen who made all that bread with no help.)
If you’ve met someone and they clearly don’t remember your name, say, “Hi, we’ve met, I’m X.” (Let’s be real, y’all.)
Don’t talk shit about your baby. (You know it’s your baby, right?)
There are three things never to gossip about at work: someone crying; someone getting yelled at; a private phone call you overheard. (Keep your thoughts to yourself.)
It’s OK to ghost after one date. (Houdini who?) … But… if you ghost someone, stay gone forever.
Ask if someone wants advice or just wants to vent. (Venting is therapy.)
Still, the historical mandate is hard-coded into most people and should be considered: If you’re penetrating, you pay. (It’s just the hard truth)
Never answer a compliment with a compliment. (Thank you.)
Don’t be loudly naïve about dating apps if you’re in a relationship. (There’s a lot of pee in the dating pool—and a whole site dedicated to outing local losers.)
When casually asked how you are, say “Good!” (Save your real feelings for your therapist.)
Never ask anyone what their job is. (Why?)
If there’s no dress code, tell your guests what you’re wearing—and then actually wear it. (It’s a thing)
If you like them, text people within three hours of hanging out with them. (Friends, fam, your date…)
Leaving negative comments says more about you… (How do you even have the time?!)
Sit down and respond to an email, even if it’s a year late. (Better late than never, right?!)
While on a date, if… you’re talking a lot, ask yourself, When was the last time I asked a question? (Dating is a two-way street, people!)
Raising the bar on at-home hangs is this local backyard boxcar bar.
What sweeter escape—or impromptu happy hour—than a backyard bar. Enter the ultimate man cave or she shed. Though, ironically, avoiding the latter was the inspo for this avant-garde backyard boxcar bar.
Dubbed The Loose Mangoose as a dual play on owner Steven Mangano’s name and a beloved bar in Tortola (The Loose Mongoose), the shipping container bar concept was born out of a reno storage space turned practical (and party). The initial brainchild of—and later designed by—Will Alphin, and implemented in a space that housed an outgrown treehouse, the transition made perfect sense. “During a whole-house reno and addition project, Steve and Sarah wanted to achieve some outdoor storage and an outdoor covered ‘hangout’ space,” says the founder/designer of sustainably minded local firm REdesign.build.
Fast-forward through its fledgling unoptimized era and the “threat” of a she shed, and Mangano was spurred to optimize the space. “My wife told me if I didn’t figure out what to do with it, she’d use it as a room for her wrapping paper,” he laughs. So he built the bar in three days with wood from Raleigh Reclaimed.
“I’d like to think the bar I co-own Downtown, Foundation, was an inspiration,” muses Alphin. To give the option to extend the dozen-ish-capacity bar hang, “we designed and built more outdoor entertaining space adjacent to The Mangoose, including a modern patio with a cast-in-place concrete fire pit—and the world’s smallest doggy gate,” he adds.
Beyond being the envy of your friends and revolutionizing storage sheds—NTM the first residential shipping container in town, if not arguably anywhere (“I would bet a bottle of good bourbon on it being the first and still the only one in Raleigh!” jibes Alphin)—the appeal is much deeper. Always staged during “open” months mid-September to May (think yes electricity, no plumbing/AC) and ready for an impromptu hang, the iconic neon light serves as a bat signal Mangano turns on and transmits to invitees via text. It’s that very spontaneity and the mix of people it thereby draws that serves as its core appeal.
“It’s not the formality of opening your home or even meeting at a bar,” he says. “It’s so organic and unscripted—and it’s been such a great space to build community. It brings people from all different aspects together that house parties and bar hangs just don’t—and without any planning or major prep.” And for those looking to recreate the vibe, a pro tip on implementation from Alphin: “Choose the container carefully. Some have bad smells and small leaks. But also, some have great wood floors! Using a shipping container is probably not as expensive as you might think.” Here’s to letting loose!
From rock bottom (“Holy crap was I broke,” she jokes) to rocks queen, meet your 2023 Best Bartender. Coming down to the wire—and a literal handful of votes—Watts & Ward bar wizard Kelly Lynch steals the coveted crown from last year’s winning mixologist Colby Kress. Whether whipping up White Negronis or slinging Miller Lites, the Connecticut native cut her teeth on the Charleston bar circuit at 18 (“so, to my previous employers in Charleston, who are definitely going to read this, yes… I was underage”—sounds like an SC problem) and joined the Watts crew in March 2018. “I took a few-year hiatus to explore other bartending opportunities and also decided to finally use my degrees,” she says of her record run. “Turns out law is not for me, so I came back to Watts in May 2023.” Clearly, Raleigh supports this choice. We’ll have what she’s pouring.
Fave drink to make? A Miller Lite (joking… sort of). Since participating in The Cocktail Classic, I now have a newfound love for making White Negronis.
Least fave to make?Tiki drinks (I’m allergic to pineapple.)
Your go-to drink order? A boilermaker
Your bartending backstory: I moved from New York to Charleston at 18. I was completely on my own—and holy crap was I broke. The only jobs I was able to get were hosting at a restaurant or fast food (you know—what 18YOs usually do for work). But, I had rent and a ton of new bills, and I knew from working in restaurants in New York just how much bartenders walk home with. So I walked into a dive bar in Charleston where I knew money was under the table, filled out an application and got a job as a bartender.
18?!: Confidence is key—and I have literally lived by the phrase ‘Fake it till you make it.’ I wish I could describe every bouncer’s face when I wore a 21st birthday sash on my 21st birthday walking into all the bars I had been going to for years (and some of them I even worked at).
When you’re not behind the bar? I write/produce my own music, and I’m a DJ! I’ve played at some of the more popular bars on Glenwood, and I’m known for DJing a lot of Taylor Swift-themed events.
Show you’re currently bingeing? Anything with Gordon Ramsay
In a past life? I was actually going to school for law. I did my undergraduate in San Diego and graduated with a major in psychology and a minor in cultural anthropology.
Advice to current/future bartenders? Don’t put ‘No No’ spicy bitters in a spray bottle. You will end up macing yourself and the entire bar.
