Recorded live at Helium locations and featuring clips of performances, stand-up specials and more, Helium Comedy Studios extends the family-owned entertainment provider’s reach into your comfort zone—literally—by bringing the live comedy club experience into your home… or wherever you want to stream.
“I’m telling you… Helium goes all out; they don’t spare anything,” says comedian Mat Alano Martin of the ambitious and crafty laugh house legends.
Marc Grossman, Helium co-owner, adds, “It was a clear opportunity for us to bolster great new talent as we already have the means to do so with our eight club facilities that are within the top 50 DMAs. The pandemic forced us to take a step back and consider how Helium could pivot and grow with the future of comedy by expanding our brand beyond live in-person performances.”
Helium COO and co-owner Brad Grossman—who flew into Raleigh for the sole purpose of chatting up Raleigh Magazine about the club’s future plans a few weeks ago—says that Helium Comedy Studios will only further the company’s goal by supporting and creating a platform for eclectic groups of up-and-coming talent. And in the Digital Age, this video and digital platform allows Helium to step into the streaming space—and reach a global audience.
Look out for Helium Comedy Studios’ upcoming content releases on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on YouTube, with a lineup to include Jeff Dye of Better Late Than Never, Jon Dore of Inside Amy Schumer, and Ben Gleib of Chelsea Lately, to name a few.
Transport your taste buds to Mexico sans passport via the latest authentic sup spot to land on the scene: La Buena Vida, a new resto by Salvador Alvarez (who also owns Chido Taco with Joel Ibarra and other partners, and is married to Sanford’s Fonda Lupita owner Biridiana Frausto—read more on the family legacy on p. 36). Translating to “the good life,” La Buena Vida features vibrant and veritable Mexican flavors that “bring us back to home in Jalisco with a nice family atmosphere and live Mexican music every Saturday and Sunday night.” So, in essence, a party for both your ears and your taste buds. And contrary to your typical Mexican-American or Tex-Mex eateries, La Buena Vida’s menu is composed of nips and sips you may have never even heard of—but once you try ’em, you won’t be able to get enough. Think costras—meaning crust—de ribeye (essentially a crispy cheese-encrusted ribeye on a corn tortilla); seafood molcajete, starring a myriad of seafood in a stone mortar bowl; and the Rosa De Guadalupe, a ’Gram-worthy cocktail made with coconut rum, lavender, grapefruit, lime and cotton candy—aka a drink and dessert in one (!). In addition, all of La Buena Vida’s margs and cocktails are made with fresh juices and unique presentations (obviously). We’ll take one of everything! Living the good life, indeed. @labuenavida_oficial
When I walk into the garden shop, it feels like entering the great dirt debate. The range of choices of potting soil can be overwhelming, and I’ve heard using the wrong potting soil could be killing my sweet babies. Is that true? And how do I know what kind of potting soil to choose for my houseplants?
Sincerely,
Talk Dirt to Me
Dear Talk Dirt to Me,
What a great question! Soils are designed to provide support for our roots, feed the plant and provide moisture to the roots for healthy growth. The good news is, if you keep in mind a few simple things, your plants will be happy as can be!
I’ll start with my only “rule” when it comes to houseplant soils: Avoid anything that says “moisture control.” In my opinion, this is a surefire way to kill your plants. As long as you do this, you can make any sort of soil work for you and your plants!
Most of our houseplants like well-draining soil. This means when you give your plants a drink, the water should slowly trickle out the bottom of your pot within a few seconds. My favorite houseplant soil mixes are loose, fluffy and kinda chunky. Most generic potting soils should have a healthy mix of organic material (food for the plants), perlite or vermiculite (these help with drainage), and an inert growing media like coco coir or peat (for water-retention).
If you buy a bag of soil you don’t love, you can always amend it! Say your soil is staying super-wet or isn’t draining freely—it may be filled with a lot of peat. Consider throwing in a few handfuls of perlite to help break it up. Maybe you’re watering your plants every other day because the soil is drying out super-quickly. This soil may have too much drainage in it. Add a little more coco coir or compost in. If that still doesn’t help, you may need to repot your plant in the next size up! (More on that in future columns!)
My go-to move when I need to repot a bunch of plants is buying a bag of potting soil and a bag of perlite, both of which I offer in my shop in Downtown Raleigh! I often mix the two together to create my own mix for my plants.
In this series, Copperline Plant Co. owner and founder Anna Grace FitzGerald offers tips on how to plant-parent like the pros. You can find Copperline Plant Co. in City Market downtown and online at copperlineplants.com
Breakfast is a meal. Brunch is a culture. But it hasn’t always been that way. We dig into why brunch’s star rose to such epic heights—plus the best bloodys & brunch patios in town.
Brunch is serious business. Literally. On any given Sunday (or Saturday) you see waitlists and rez lists long enough to make you think you’re waiting for a taste of the Last Supper.
But it hasn’t always been that way. Locally, a bloody and some scramble used to be as easy as posting up at Hibernian for their once-famous brunch buffet—and the toughest breakfast ticket in town was Waffle House at 2am after a night out (to ward off the hangover, natch).
Now, what used to be a simple excuse to day drink during its come-up has arguably propelled to one of the most booming and iconic pasttimes in cultural and dining history.
More than just a meal, it’s an experience. And while brunch is not new—and it’s not just a millennial movement (though no one’s denying that gen loves to get avocado toast-ed. Who doesn’t?), a deep dive into its history tells us the concept of mixing spirits and brekky are new-ish (relatively speaking).
“During the pandemic people started hunkering down at home more with early bedtimes. Brunch offers an early-to-bed option with all the fun of a dinner experience but without the formalities—and all before sundown.”
Coleen Speaks, chef/owner, Hummingbird
Expert Farha Ternikar breaks down our complicated relationship with the century-plus old repast in Brunch: A History. Originally a boy’s club—literally—brunch circa 1900s was designated as a meal for college men (at that time, women weren’t attending en masse) who woke up late. Then, enter Prohibition—clearly stifling the spirit of brunch, as people discreetly imbibed in their homes (hence the juices in mimosas and bloodys as cloaks for the alcohol). Pause for a nod to our great-grandparents for keeping the dream of morning ’tails alive.
Post-Prohibition, especially around the “fringe” ’60s & ’70s when protests were more popular than pancakes, brunch was more of a counterculture movement—not so trendy in restaurants as much as a way to entertain at home.
But IHOP changed all that. And Denny’s. And the like. In addition to giving us big hair and parachute pants, the ’80s brought pancakes to the masses—and moved the meal from metropolises like NYC into the suburbs, where IHOP became all the rage.
From the bowels of private dens and restaurant chains fueling a movement into the belly of established kitchens, we’ve since fed on brunch’s epic rise in popularity—and watched (and noshed) as it secured its spot in American mainstream culture. A shift from scramble and hash and buffets to thoughtful breakfast fare if you will.
But that shift wasn’t overnight. It was slow and steady—and then, arguably of late, all at once, thanks to a cultural shift bookended by a pandemic (read desperate return to society and out-of-home dining), church that became more flexible as it moved online, and updated liquor local laws that allow you to imbibe that bloody in the Bible Belt before noon—a cure for that eggsistential crisis if you will. As a result, our money is on both the business and the iconolatry of brunch soaring to new epic heights.
Says Hummingbird owner Coleen Speaks: “For Hummingbird, brunch has become the breadwinner! Brunch has always been solid, but over the last six to eight months it has doubled in volume.” She adds: “Many restaurants stopped doing lunch during COVID, and brunch offers people that fix that they can’t find during the week anymore.”
No doubt a luxury of time and money—as well as a social driver—from that first 1900s bite, today’s brunch is more than a stereotype. It’s a bonding ritual. It’s an impassioned pastime. And it’s been credited for reviving the art of conversation.
It’s not a fad. And it’s not just fodder for your Instagram feed (though double-tap on). And, yes, the stereotypes exist in all their hilarity, but our deep desire to press pause, gather with our people and decompress over drinks is real—and as bottomless as those mimosas. And it isn’t going anywhere.
Alfresco Affairs
THE TRIFECTA: Great cocktails, great food and great patios
Wye Hill
Go for the chef-driven brekky selects, stay for the skyline vistas (find a better view, we’ll wait). Resting brunch face commence. Reservations recommended, wyehill.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Shakshuka
Rosewater
Rosewater
Relationship status: it’s caffeinated (and spirited). And romance is def in the air on Rosewater’s enchanting garden patio with its lush greenery surrounds and climbing roses. But you won’t need that excuse… as your full attention will be on chef Brian Jenzer’s beautiful, mouthwatering (and healthy) brunch menu—think breakfast risotto, fine herb omelet and tartines. Do it for the ’Gram—and your belly, of course. Reservations recommended, rosewaterraleigh.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Steak & eggs
Plates Neighborhood Kitchen
If your love for brunch is bottomless, meet us on the patio at Plates—where head chef David Mitchell dishes up an ever-evolving cast of globally inspired locally produced brunch selects five days a week alongside a full-service coffee shop. Ah, the perfect blend. Reservations recommended, plateskitchen.com Served: Wed.–Sun. Our pick: Brunch quesadilla
Young Hearts Distilling
Turn down for brunch at Trophy Brewing Co.’s DTR distillery serving a full program of farm-to-table bites, which pair well with its program of perf potables. Used primarily for private events, the roof space overlooking Wilmington Street is fair game for brunch dining—making it a must-reserve Sunday seat. Reservations recommended, trophybrewing.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Biscuits & “sausage” gravy (VG)
Barcelona Wine Bar
Barcelona Wine Bar
Tapas for brunch? Brilliant. You’re gonna wanna squad up for the renowned regional juggernaut’s brunch tapas so that you can try everything—from the savory olive oil pancakes to the wild mushroom scramble to the gambas and grits. Best paired with the guava-lavender-lemon mimosa. Fizz the season! Reservations recommended, barcelonawinebar.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Potato tortilla
Clouds Brewing, Chorizo Benedict
Clouds Brewing
You’ll be on cloud nine after a leisurely brunch at Clouds thanks to its German-inspired eats + classic hearty brunch dishes (NTM brunch drinks and bloody bar!) Brunchin’ is a habit. Reservations recommended, cloudsbrewing.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Chorizo Benedict
Relish
Taters gonna tate—and tots are on order at this Northwest Raleigh brunch staple, paired with pretty much anything from the scrumptious Southern-inspired craft kitchen menu. First come, first served; join waitlist ahead, relishraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Mama’s chicken biscuit
Mandolin
Happy hollandaise indeed from this longtime local fave where sublime herb and flower box surrounds serve as a the perf serene backdrop for NC-style elevated brunch selects (think farm-fresh eggs sourced straight from chef Sean Fowler’s own Mandolin Farm (!) to scratch-made buttermilk biscuits, local Tepuy Donuts and more). Reservations recommended, mandolinraleigh.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Johnston Co. country ham Benedict
St. Roch
Mary Smokes When She Drinks—just one of the buzzy beguiling beverages (an aptly named bloody) that brings us back to St. Roch again and again. And don’t even get us started on that best-in-class Nawlins-inspired cuisine. But, the epitome? Those in-the-know request the hidden back patio—aka a primo secluded spot for noshing on 2022 James Beard Foundation semifinalist chef Sunny Gerhart’s bold Cajun brunch dishes. A sweet escape, if you will. Reservations recommended, strochraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Bolo ’n Grits
Humble Pie
No matter how you slice it, brunch on Humble Pie’s patio overlooking the ever-burgeoning Warehouse District has easily been one of the best seats in town since its humble beginnings in 1989. Period. Reservations recommended, humblepierestaurant.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Huevos Rancheros
Whiskey Kitchen
No Champagne, no gain. Grab your brunch buddies and head to WK for a “mimosa party”—aka a bottle of bubbles and orange juice—plus hearty brunch plates out on one of the best patios in town. And like mimosas, our love for it is bottomless. Reservations recommended, whiskey.kitchen Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Nash Square Breakfast Sandwich
Hummingbird (Chair8 Media)
Hummingbird
She’s got eggs and she knows how to use them. Chef/owner Coleen Speaks is easily serving up some of brunch’s best bites in town at Dock 1053 with a cocktail program that you’re gonna wanna mimosey on over for. Reservations recommended, hummingbirdraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Chicken & waffle
While the whole may be greater than the sum of its parts, it’s the little things that go into Tazza’s bloodys that make them oh-so-delicious. Think roasted cherry tomatoes, spicy pickles, Cholula and Worcestershire. @tazzakitchen
Bacon and bloodys—name a better duo, we’ll wait. The RTB Bloody Mary is the perf pre-brunchin’ drink/snack, thanks to its house-pickled green beans, pepperoncini and candied bacon toppings. @raleightimesbar
Clouds’ famous bloody mary bar is returning for your sipping pleasure May 1 (!)—and so to celebrate you’re gonna wanna go all out with your brunch bev toppings… bring on the toppers (pickles, celery, olives—oh, my!), mixers and allll the hot sauces. @cloudsbrewingraleigh
Sunday, bloody Sunday (and Saturday!). Venture to The Station every weekend for $6 bloody marys, made with a house bloody mix and garnished with bacon, olives, lemons and lime. @stationraleigh
With the perfect ratio of spice, tomato juice and vodka, Humble Pie’s bloody is the ideal way to ward off the Sunday Scaries or beat a hangover. Hair of the dog, anyone? @humblepieraleigh
St. Roch’s smoky spin on the classic bloody mary is just what you need to wake you up after a long night (or, er, early morning). Dubbed Mary Smokes When She Drinks, it’s made up of smoked tomato, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon and vodka. @strochraleigh
Retail therapy found. Pop into pOpshelf—think if Target met Five Below (short pause for finding the Promise Land)—which just popped on the scene in Pleasant Valley. If you need us we’ll be “pOpshelf run and done…” 6129 Glenwood Ave.
You glow, girl. Luxe clean beauty boutique AILLEA is helping you clean up your skincare act with Indie Lee’s nature-meets-science products—aka this super-clean high-performance cream serving up the benefits of retinol (Hey, firmness! Bye, wrinkles and fine lines!) sans the drawbacks. Better still: Catch owner Indie Lee in person May 19 to “Spring Clean Your Skincare Routine” (think DIY facials and sip and shop with Lee herself). Space is limited—grab your spot. 2032 Cameron St.
Not to be corny but we’re pretty pumped new independent film theater Lotus Cinemashas popped on the scene—featuring niche films by up-and-coming and award-winning foreign and domestic cinematographers via an unrivaled 360-degree sensory experience, plus concessions, natch. Um, pass the popcorn! 1140 Parkside Main St., Cary
We know. Mosquitos suck. But no need to get incensed about them… just get incense—and support local via Murphy’s Naturals natural, safe and DEET-free mosquito-repellent incense sticks. 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Ste. 115
Local is the new black. So swap Walmart for small-mart with eclectic-cool Keel & Company, where midcentury and postmodern design collide across a mix of art, heirloom furniture, decor and other unique finds. 111 Old Williamson Road
Who run the world?! … Woman-owned and family-operated Kenda Kist Jewelry artfully handforges the finest responsibly sourced gemstones and precious metals for a beautiful line that blends trending and timeless—and takes you from boardroom to bar without missing a beat. 901 N. West St.
