Raleigh Magazine, Author at Raleigh Magazine

Foodies on the Hunt

by Raleigh Magazine | Dec 31, 2018 | December 2018 / January 2019, Eat

Mark your calendars, set an alarm and tie a string around your finger for the event of the season: On March 30th, a select number of teams will have the opportunity to compete in the first ever CurEat Raleigh Scavenger Hunt! CurEat has partnered with several organizations to help you explore Raleigh’s bustling food and beverage scene. In an event that’s best described as The Amazing Race meets local dining, all proceeds will benefit the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Agriculture Education Program.

21C Hotels, Transfer Co. Food Hall, The Assembly, S. Pellegrino and other organizations will all play a role in making this a fun, exciting afternoon. The day’s events will culminate with a team and donor party at Transfer Co. Food Hall.

Teams will be capped at four people and a maximum of 12 teams may participate, so spaces will be limited. Each team must commit to raising $2,500, with some added clues provided for teams that reach higher fundraising thresholds. The grand prize is a trip for four to Nashville, Tennessee for three days, a two-night stay at the award-winning 21C hotel, and an opportunity to enjoy the city’s sights, sounds and, of course, delicious food.

To be among the first to receive event updates and instructions for team registration, download and create a CurEat account and check out Raleigh Magazine’s February issue. Event announcements will appear in upcoming CurEat newsletters and clues will pop up in places you may least expect.

Get ready to scavenge the city and party for a cause!

Take a Trip, Lend a Hand

by Raleigh Magazine | Dec 24, 2018 | December 2018 / January 2019, Eat

Here in Raleigh, in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, life has largely returned to normal. Our power has long been back on, the floodwaters have receded, we’re happy to have hurricane season behind us and we’re busy prepping for the holidays.

It’s a different story down at the coast, and especially in Wilmington. Many stores and businesses are still closed and thousands of people are out of their homes—there’s a long way to go in terms of rebuilding.

If you’re wondering how to help our neighbors on the coast, the best way is, as always, to make a donation to a reputable aid organization. But you can also support the coastal community by taking a day trip to Wilmington and visiting some of the city’s superb locally owned cafés, restaurants, bars and breweries.

It’s only a two-hour drive to Wilmington from Raleigh, and a getaway makes for a wonderful way to spend some holiday free time. Here are a few locally owned places to eat and drink we recommend you visit and support.

Love, Lydia Bakery & Café
1502 S 3rd St, Wilmington

The small corner café hasn’t even been open a year yet but it is rave worthy. The old fashioned charm of the front porch rocking chairs and chef-made pastries makes Love, Lydia a daily stop for locals. Chef/owner Lydia Clopton’s menu features focaccia bread, sticky buns, cookies and pastries. The breads and sweets are good but, if possible, the coffee and tea selection is even better.

Catch
6623 Market St, Wilmington; catchwilmington.com

Catch’s menu is described as “modern seafood cuisine served alongside vibrant, organic produce and herbs—a feast for the senses.” A James Beard Finalist for best Southeast Chef and featured on Bravo TV’s Top Chef (Season 9), Keith Rhodes favors wild-caught or sustainably raised seafood.

Our fave: Dirty South Oysters on the half shell, with bacon, spinach, pimento cheese and butter crunch.

Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria
206 Greenfield St, Wilmington
vivianhoward.com/bennysbigtime

The name says it all—it’s big, tasty and fun. Founded and owned by Chef Vivian Howard and her team, Benny’s is all-Italian, from its wood-fired pizza and ravioli to bucatini and spiedini. This is a family spot, and fun for everyone.

Our fave: Guilty Pleasure pizza with pineapple, chili braised pork, red pepper salsa and cilantro or the Southern Fried Chicken Parm with sage, stracciatella, Italian hot honey and pickled peppers.

New Anthem Beer Project
116 Dock St, Wilmington
newanthembeer.com

Located in historic downtown, New Anthem is inspired by the classic styles of European Farmhouse beers but with an added, unique American spin. The brewery opened in 2016 and offers a fresh take on innovative Belgian beers.

Winnie’s Tavern
1895 Burnett Blvd, Wilmington

Ask any local and they will tell you, Winnie’s has the best burger in Wilmington, hands down. The menu is filled with great burgers, but also includes the Impossible Burger an all-plant based burger.

Our fave: Trailer Park Burger with Cajun fried green tomatoes, homemade jalapeño pimento cheese, bacon, pickles, lettuce and onion.

PinPoint Restaurant
114 Market St, Wilmington; pinpointrestaurant.com

PinPoint is located just one block from the Cape Fear River, in the heart of downtown Wilmington. Chef Dean Neff’s menu changes daily to highlight the best produce and seafood from Wilmington’s farmers and fishermen. In 2016, the restaurant was named among the best new restaurants in the South by Southern Living Magazine and was featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate in 2018.

Our fave: Local Soft Shell Crab Bucatini alla Puttanesa with shrimp, local tomatoes, local herbs and parmesan.

Cocktail Dresses: Well Dressed

by Raleigh Magazine | Dec 17, 2018 | December 2018 / January 2019, Polish, Stuff

This holiday season, we advise going all out in fanciful cocktail dresses, embellished with ruffles, lace and fringe in bold colors that’ll make you the center of attention at every party you walk into. These elaborate styles will give you the confidence you need to stand out from the crowd as you ring in 2019!

Color Crave: The Gray Way

by Raleigh Magazine | Dec 17, 2018 | December 2018 / January 2019, Polish, Stuff

Benjamin Moore is setting a neutral tone for 2019 with its Paint Color of the Year, a cool gray called Metropolitan AF-690. Ellen O’Neill, the company’s director of strategic design intelligence, asserts that the shade “emanates nuance, harmony and extravagant ease,” with an easy adaptability to any room. The color sets a relaxed vibe, with the ability to mix and match with a variety of furnishings within any space, to create the unique, versatile kind of atmosphere you desire.

Gray has been around for a while, mainly because most gray colors, especially when used in a semi-gloss or high gloss finish, can provide unlimited design potential in creating extraordinary spaces. I love to pair Metropolitan AF-690 with BM Chalk White 2126-70. It is a gray scaled white, which looks amazing with most light gray hues.

—Tula Summerford, Design by Tula, designbytula.com

I do love the color Metropolitan! It gives off such a warm and inviting feel. Using Metropolitan on kitchen cabinets is a stunning look to me. Another light gray that is top in my books is BM classic gray 1548. I love this shade for a simple, clean and crisp wall color. It would be amazing on the walls of a kitchen paired with Metropolitan on cabinets. Swooning now.

—Carole Marcotte, Form & Function, formandfunctionraleigh.com

I prefer Stonington Gray HC 170 by Benjamin Moore. It’s a slightly lighter gray color and I like it as an allover wall color for a neutral backdrop. It’s such an easy breezy color to live with!

—Stephanie Tidwell, Stephanie Tidwell Interiors, stephanietidwell.com

Prosecco Passion

by Raleigh Magazine | Dec 1, 2018 | December 2018 / January 2019, Eat

For those who love a bubbly beverage, Prosecco is well on its way to overtaking Champagne as the most popular imbiber’s choice. A variation on sparkling wine, made from Glera grapes and hailing from Veneto, Italy, Prosecco has left the once dominant Champagne region of France shaking in its boots.

So what is it that has made this bubbly so well loved? A few things:

1. The price: Prosecco is cheaper than Champagne, which of course plays a role in its popularity. Its fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, making it less expensive to produce than Champagne, which is produced and aged via a complex, time consuming and highly regulated traditional method.

2. Easy drinking: Prosecco has a light and fruity taste, making it very easy to sip on, and refreshing in its simplicity. It doesn’t have the nutty or bready characteristics of Champagne as it isn’t aged as long, and its bubbles are typically bigger and more spritzy.

3. Great for newcomers: Its lower price tag and light flavor make Prosecco an ideal choice for newcomers to sparkling wine, or the younger drinker who often has fewer pre-conceived notions of what bubbly should be like. It’s also very easy to find at bars and restaurants.

4. Just as festive: As Prosecco has become more popular, it’s started to replace Champagne as a standard celebratory drink. It has also become a wine of choice to accompany everyday occasions, too.

5. Not overly fancy: Prosecco is associated less with opulence and glamour and has more of the down to earth feel of a drink that can be enjoyed whenever the mood strikes—but its delightful bubbly-ness does, at the same time, lend a touch of luxury to any situation.