Top Raleigh food truck CockADoodleMoo partners with Avenue to bring CockADoodleMoo at The Avenue at the now-closed Hillsborough Street Snoopy’s.
CockADoodleMoo, Raleigh! In uplifting news, we snooped for the scoop on what’s coming to the now-shuttered OG Hillsborough Street Snoopy’s spot. CockADoodleMoo owner Allison Hensgen and chef/owner Justus Wollbrinck have partnered with The Avenue to bring CockADoodleMoo at The Avenue to the corner of Hillsborough Street and Glenwood Avenue within the next 60 to 90 days.
Rated a top three food truck in Raleigh known for dishing traditional/global BBQ and gourmet sandos (“if it ain’t all over your face, you ain’t eating it right!”) and its commitment to fresh all-natural local ingredients + charity, community and culture, the food truck expansion promises to be a welcome—and juicy!—addition to the Glenwood South scene.
While our hearts broke a little bit when the legendary hot dog spot and late-night savior announced its closing in March 2021 (franks for the memories!), we’re not mad at the thought of swapping those late-night dogs after a night out with ribs, wings, BBQ sandwiches, crispy mac ’n’ cheese (!), and more.
Combat travel boredom with these 4 local podcasts.
Twisted
True-crime fanatics are gonna wanna get twisted on this John Taylor-hosted podcast delving into the likes of the sick and demented “Toy Box Killer,” NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez’s arrest for murder, crime lord Al Capone and even—wait for it—the rather twisted behavior of the King of Pop himself (*dangles baby over balcony*). Thriller, indeed. twistedpodcast.com
Carolina Calling
“In my mind, I’m going to Carolina…” Stay tuned to this “bluegrass situation” as host, writer and longtime NC’er David Menconi explores the history of music in NC and the scores of talent—from Blind Boy Fuller to the Steep Canyon Rangers to Sweet Baby James himself. @comehearnc
Courage on the Pitch
The season is in full swing and soccer fans’ll get a kick outta this pod devoted to the “best soccer players in the world,” aka NC Courage, natch—from Olympians and World Cuppers to ACC phenoms. We promise it’s a keeper. nccourage.com
ACC NOW podcast
Can State hold that Tiger? Will Mack Brown bring the Heels back to glory? Will ACC divisions dissolve? Tune in as the N&O’s squad of seasoned sports reporters covers the field from transfer portals and football forecasts to NIL impact and more. Game on. @accnownando
Want some more suggestions on podcasts while you travel? Click here.
On June 11, students, survivors and activists fed up with fearing for their (and their families’) lives descended on Downtown Raleigh, DC and cities across the country to March for Our Lives in protest of the onslaught of national gun violence. 2022 has seen 250+ mass shootings already. In light of the impending election and the barrage of national school shootings and local lockdowns, planned attacks and scares, we asked our three current Wake County sheriff candidates what they plan to do to protect the 160,000 kids in Wake County’s school system.
Question: If elected, what are you planning to do to help protect the 160,000 kids in Wake County’s school system? What is your plan on keeping our students safe?
“Under my administration, we have enhanced our School Resource Officer Training. We currently have a School Resource Officer (SRO) in every middle school in Wake County. However, a majority of Wake County elementary schools are without an armed officer, and I believe it is time for there to be a SRO in every school in Wake County. I have said that for several years, and I will continue to work with the public school system, as well as local municipalities, toward achieving that goal. I will ensure this agency and its members are prepared to protect and serve the 160,000 children in Wake County.
As sheriff, I have implemented an operative Community Relations and Crime Prevention Division that is now active throughout the entire county with bold, new leadership aimed at deterring our young people away from lives of trouble and crime. These units offer and sponsor various programs that help foster these relationships that did not exist prior to 2018. I reestablished the D.A.R.E. program back to many elementary schools in Wake County. D.A.R.E envisions a world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance use and other dangerous behaviors.
Being more present in schools at different capacities while reaching these children at a young age, before they are at risk, is another way I will continue to keep children safe within Wake County.”
“The protection and safety of our children, especially while they are in school, should not involve a political stance, but is rather a very real concern and priority for me and every enforcement agency in Wake County. As the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, demonstrated, preparation and coordination are vital, and the lack thereof can be catastrophic. If I am elected to serve as sheriff in November, I will work diligently with our Board of Education and County Commissioners to make sure the School Resource Officers (SROs) provided by the sheriff’s office are fully coordinated in safety procedures and protocols relating to school violence.
In addition, I will advocate for the best possible training available to assure our SROs are fully prepared to handle any type of emergency situation that may arise in our public schools. I will develop a comprehensive screening process to determine the very best candidates for the position of SRO. I will not just depend on internal training, but also explore the best SRO training nationwide.
I have long advocated for a special police department exclusively for the Wake County Public School system and will continue to do so. This would allow those officers to be totally engaged and specifically trained in public safety measures and protection for our schools. Many school systems all across our country—and some within our own state—have developed such departments, and they have proven to be successful.
All the schools in Wake County fall within 13 different police jurisdictions. As we saw in the heartbreaking Uvalde situation, when multiple agencies respond, there can be breakdowns in the chain of command resulting in tragic consequences. If a school police force was established, there would be no question as to who is in charge when other agencies respond to assist, not to mention the very specialized training such a police department would receive. I sincerely believe this idea is a good policy, and I will continue to advance it if I am elected sheriff.”
Willie Rowe (D) Retired Major from the Wake County Sheriff’s Office
“I have a passion for public safety because I believe people live life to the fullest when they feel safe. Reducing crime and enhancing public safety is a primary duty of the sheriff’s office. To address violent crimes, additional resources must be committed to prevent and deter crime through increased officers’ presence and community engagement. In addition to patrolling, officers will interact directly with the community as partners to educate, build positive relationships and create opportunities for successful outcomes.
To build safer communities, schools, businesses and workplaces, we must increase funding and staffing in order to physically position officers in place to maintain controlled access—patrolling parking lots and live monitoring security cameras to ensure any potential threat is readily identified, intercepted and eradicated before escalating to an act of violence.
Also: continuous and relevant ongoing training for officers and the general public; information sharing among public safety officials and all agencies regarding individuals who may pose a threat; and coordination with mental health providers for timely crisis intervention to ensure needed resources are available and deployed are paramount to prevention, de-escalation and containment to prevent further harm.
If elected sheriff, I am committed to partnering with all stakeholders to develop sound and innovative approaches to reduce crime; improve overall quality of life; and make Wake County the safest place to live, work, play and visit.”
Editor’s note: All sheriff responses are printed in their entirety. The runoff race is July 26, the winner of which will face Harrison in the general election Nov. 8.
Aunty Betty’s gin-spert Greg Ewan revisits a classic gin to give us his take—and works up three boozy blends to boot.
We love gin, ginny gin gin. And it doesn’t hurt when Ryan Reynolds’ foxy face is repping it. With so many new gins infiltrating the market (stay tuned to our September issue!), we pondered what it is about a tried-and-true that makes it a mainstay go-to—and in what boozy libations does it best blend? So we called upon local gin guru Greg Ewan of gin-focused Aunty Betty’s Gin & Absinthe Bar to give us his take on the staple and work up some concoctions. “This was a fun one to dive into because Aviation American Gin has been on the scene for so long and there are new gins popping up every day that I had forgotten to revisit and properly judge it,” says the managing partner after his deep dive. “This was probably the first of Aviation I’ve poured for myself since opening Betty’s, and I was truly surprised how much I enjoyed it. I’m a sucker for anything with lavender, but am even more impressed when a product has lavender in balance in a way that won’t rile up the ‘tastes like soap’ crowd, and I was very impressed with the balanced application. Being an absinthe junkie, the clean star anise on the finish sealed the deal for me.” Here, Ewan’s Aviation-crafted cocktails. @spillonpurpose; @auntybettysbar
Boosty Collins
Bootsy Collins
When I took my first sip and got that star anise note, I immediately reached for my bottle of absinthe. One of my favorite classic drink modifications is split-basing the Tom Collins into (nearly) equal parts between gin and absinthe. It’s clean, vibrant and refreshing—and highlights the features of both spirits without them stepping on each other’s toes.
1 oz. Aviation American Gin
3/4 oz. Lucid absinthe
3/4 oz. Alley 26 raspberry syrup (too lazy to make my own, and if there’s anyone you can trust, it’s them)
1/2 oz. lemon juice
Shake and strain into a Collins glass; pack with ice; and top with Topo Chico (or sparkling water of your choice). Express a lemon twist over the drink and you’re in business.
Negroni
The real test of a gin is: How does it ’groni? The answer with Aviation is well. Very well. Being a bit quieter in terms of juniper, the classic 1:1:1 structure, while still delicious, didn’t quite stand out. But at a 1.5:.75:.75, we found ourselves with an absolute crusher.
3/4 oz. Punt e Mes (not quite an amaro, not quite a vermouth, but damn if it doesn’t make a good ’groni)
This drink is great up, stirred and strained over fresh ice, YOLO dumped into a bucket full of hotel ice—no wrong answers. For garnish, either twist if you just want the aromatics and rounding effect of the oil, or a wedge if you prefer the way the juice tames the Campari. I always like to leave a bit of room for people to feel comfortable having the drink the way they like it. I’ve got all the time in the world for standards—but none for strict rules.
4:1 Blanco Martini
The drink I probably drink more often than any other. In pop culture, martinis tend to be either bone-dry booze bombs or overbrined salt bombs. While I enjoy both, my true love will always be a martini with a Bianco/Blanco/Blanc (Italian/Spanish/French) vermouth at a ratio in the 2:1–4:1 range (gin:vermouth) with a harmonious bitter pairing. Aviation absolutely shined in the format, and I selected a bitters that would highlight the light lavender of the gin.
2 oz. Aviation American Gin
1/2 oz. Yzaguirre Blanco Reserva Vermouth
2 dashes Scrappy’s lavender bitters
Stir and strain into a chilled martini glass. Express and discard lemon twist.
It’s bubbly season. And in honor of National Prosecco Day Aug. 13, we tapped renowned chef and wine connoisseur Doreen Colondres of Vitis House to uncork her top three prosecco picks. “All the best proseccos come from the Cartizze area,” she says. Situated in the highest hills of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region, Cartizze is devoted to the cultivation of vines—and especially the Glera grape (aka a longstanding synonym for Northern Italy’s prosecco grape). Here, her trio of the region’s best bubbly selects at varying price points. Available through BottleMixx; Seaboard Wine; Taylor’s Wine Shop
