Unwine at downtown Cary’s first Champagne and wine bar.
There’s no need to hide your resting b*tch face at the new RBF, Your Authentic Champagne Bar in Cary. … It’s in the name after all. Created to crush the patriarchy (!) and remind women they don’t always have to smile (IYKYK), RBF touts authenticity, sharing truth, and showing up for yourself and for others—over wine and cheese, natch. #GirlPower!
The wine bar—which will be opening in the Williams House in downtown Cary below a&bé Bridal and Bull City Ciderworks in the fall—begs you to celebrate your perfect authentic self with bubbles, wine, nonalcoholic libations and snacks with fun names (see: Having a Meltdown, aka grilled cheese bites; and I’m So Baked Right Now, a wine or Champagne flight paired with a customized cupcake flight). NTM the bruschetta named after influential women in owner Tiffany Welton’s life, or the monthly rotating charcuterie boards named after her ex-boyfriends (!). “Sometimes, we just need a cry, a laugh, maybe one more solid cry, and then a toast to the memories… the good and the bad ones,” says Welton. And, bonus, you can nominate one of your exes too!
Additionally, at RBF, Welton promotes a zero-tolerance policy on hate, and emphasizes inclusivity for everyone—regardless of gender identity, race, ethnicity, disability, age or sexuality. Plus, RBF will have a no-tipping model with menu pricing that reflects a living wage for employees. We’ll toast to all that.
So embrace the RBF (and that can mean resting b*tch face, resting beautiful face, resting bold face—whatever you want!)—then plan a night with your gal pals to share your stories… and cheers to a bright future of equality. rbf.wine
You didn’t think we forgot about our burbs foodie faves, did you? While we Raleighites are blessed with scads of spectacular sup spots in the City of Oaks (see our inaugural Top 25 Restaurants), sometimes a night out out of the city is well worth the gas. Here, Raleigh Magazine’s top five restaurants in the burbs.
The Provincial • Apex “There is one inexhaustible aspect of life that never dulls—namely, the simple pleasure of eating and drinking.” Enter The Provincial. Not at all provincial in the “unsophisticated” sense, but purposefully provincial in the “small town” sense, this family-owned intimate Apex eatery effortlessly embodies the above words of famed journalist Andre Dominé. But don’t let its “family-owned intimate” status fool you. While these fine folks will no doubt get to know your name and what you like, the quaint atmosphere is anything but quiet. Rollicking restaurantgoers fill the space that stays busy enough to house two bars (one upstairs)—which churn out ’tails tasty enough to rival any big-city cocktail bar sip for sip. And the fare, in a word: transcendent. A daily changing menu’ll keep you coming back, but the fish always has us on the line (find a more delicious cast, we’ll wait). Simply put, “it’s hands down one of the top five dining experiences I’ve had this year across the country—period,” says RM Publisher Gina Stephens—high praise from an industry veteran whose job, in part, is to eat her way through cities for intel. But the real standout? The service. Elevated fare can oft be associated with aloof or stuffy service. Not here. Perhaps that’s the purposeful play on “unsophisticated” after all—where provincial means personable. theprovincialapex.com
a’Verde Cocina + Tequila Library • Cary Two words: Katsuji Tanabe. The star chef splashed on the Raleigh scene to much fanfare when he opened High Horse in 2019 for an unexpected short run (thanks, pandemic). But these things have a way of working themselves out. And a’Verde is no doubt a triumph. From his perch in Cary—and in partnership with LM Restaurants (think Vidrio, Taverna Agora, Carolina Ale House and more)—the top toque transports you to his hometown via elevated-yet-approachable spins on dishes he grew up eating at the family table, merged with the emotional, energized, creative cooking heating up America’s top kitchens. You won’t find the typical rice, beans and cheese galore. You will find an authentic reliance on the kinds of dishes you’d see in the best restos in Mexico City (think adobo fried rice with crispy pork belly, topped with a cracked egg like his dad used to make). For added flair… literal flares you carry to the patio-positioned bell where you take a shot and try to “ring” the bell by hauling a made-of-ice shot glass (so, a shot for a shot). It’s a restaurant that could open in NYC or LA or Chicago today. Lucky for us, it’s in Cary. And it’s damn good. averdecary.com
Pimiento Tea Room • Holly Springs Breaking the stereotype that tea is only for ladies in fancy hats, Pimiento Tea Room in Holly Springs hosts teatime with a modern spin, complete with teas (natch), tea-infused cocktails (you’ll wanna try the G+Tea), wine, beer, and rotating loaded sandwiches that’ll require a fork and knife (!)—plus scones, sweets and other snacks like pimiento cheese (hence the name—and a must-try), black-eyed pea hummus, and sausage balls. The tea room’s setting in a refurbished 1840-built Brown-Holloway House effortlessly balances traditional (think antique furnishings and vintage touches) with hip (we see you, bold, colorful decor!), making for a morning, afternoon or evening worthy of royalty. pimientotearoom.com
Crawford Cookshop • Clayton You already know star chef Scott Crawford’s Raleigh resto staples Crawford and Son, and Jolie (both RM Top 25 Restaurants, see p. 78), but allow us to tout their hip little sister, Crawford Cookshop. Situated just a quick drive from the City of Oaks in downtown Clayton, this casual eatery was born out of Crawford’s foray into takeout/delivery at Crawford and Son, during which he rediscovered several nostalgic dishes that he loved cooking and eating, but were simpler than anything he’d offer at his other restaurants. Located in a restored building circa the 1900s, Crawford Cookshop transports diners to the Americana-style eateries of yesteryear via high-end classics from a wood grill—think grilled hanger steak, smoked wings served with Alabama sauce, and a spicy fried chicken sando (pro tip: The mac and cheese is also to die for!). All in all, it’s a chic suburban addition to chef Crawford’s restaurant résumé that’s not only worth the drive, but might even give its Raleigh siblings a run for their money (!). crawfordcookshop.com
Bodega Tapas, Wine & Rum • Wake Forest An intimate, sophisticated space with warm wood, exposed brick, and accents of pressed tin and Prussian blue sets the stage for downtown Wake Forest’s Bodega, nee 2019, where an eclectic range of small plates are best shared with a large group (the more people, the more you can try!) and one (or two or three…) of the resto’s signature rum cocktails. The worldly tapas menu includes Parisienne gnocchi, Peruvian chicken, lamb meatballs, and an NC goat cheese dip that’ll have you licking the bowl. So, yeah, trust us when we tell you to bring your friends—because you’re going to want to try one of everything. bodegawakeforest.com
We’ve got one more thing to add to our list of what makes Cary cool—the Raleigh burb (so-dubbed the “Concentrated Area for Relocated Yankees,” among other not-so-flattering acronyms…) is getting a new park (!). Slated to open in the spring of 2023, Downtown Cary Park—a project 19 years in the making!—will be a 7-acre gathering space for the Cary community and visitors alike (plus doggos, of course) with a dog park, a children’s play area, a market, a bar, walking trails and more.
And while the park will certainly provide plenty of green space for social events, programming walks, and the like, it’s also designed to serve as a catalyst for future development of and investment in downtown Cary, says Downtown Cary Park General Manager Joy Ennis. “The park is set to energize the heart of downtown Cary and unify the Cary community,” she adds.
But wait—there’s more. Downtown Cary Park will also feature the Bark Bar, a hub near the dog play areas that will serve coffee, juice and pastries in the morning, and transition to a traditional bar with beer and wine at night. When hunger strikes, you can hit up the Marketplace, which will offer a broad range of items—from pastries to wine and Champagne—or if you’re planning a picnic, the Support Kitchen will offer grab-and-go items and picnic essentials, while also providing catering and storage for the park.
The ultimate place to just park it, the essential goal of Downtown Cary Park is to “create a space that feels like home and represents Cary in the most unique and interactive way possible,” says Ennis. “Through workshops, board committees, discussion and focus groups, and surveys, an iconic public space was conceived. Downtown Cary Park is a world-class park in the making with incredible attention placed on community engagement designed to develop a park that citizens feel is truly their park.” Don’t worry, Raleighites… it can certainly be your park too. Sharing is caring.
Where to sip, sup and shop outside Raleigh this month.
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TapStation APEX Tap into this recently opened family-friendly brewery and resto from the team behind Scratch Kitchen and Taproom, The Mason Jar Tavern, and Mason Jar Lager Company. Located in the historic Holt & Sons building (the team retained most of the original structure while rebuilding and enhancing the rest—allowing them to remain a part of the historic registry), TapStation features two stories from which to enjoy a brew made on-site, including a rooftop patio with a second full bar and curated bourbon menu (!). And there’s no shortage of comforting eats—from shareable apps to elevated burgers and chicken sandwiches to hot dogs and beer brats. Don’t mind if we do! tapstationapex.com
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Der Nachbar Bottleshop & Taps DURHAM Prost! Northwest Durham’s newest German-inspired bottle shop—which translates to “the neighbor” in German—offers both brews to go and 20 beers to enjoy on tap (plus wine and cider), either posted up at the bar or out on the patio. The casual sip spot was born of two neighbors’ (hence the name) dream of opening a local bottle shop during the pandemic—and now that dream is a reality. We couldn’t be hoppier. @dernachbar_durham
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Heritage Donuts WAKE FOREST You donut wanna pass up the opp to visit this mom-and-pop doughnut shop specializing in a variety of yeast-raised, cake and old-fashioned dunkers. The hole-y pastries are prepped fresh every morning starting around 2am (really) and served from 6am until they’re sold out (aka usually by the early afternoon—so set your alarms!). Fave holes include the maple bacon doughnut and crumb cake doughnut… and those with a sweet tooth are also gonna wanna try the pinecones, cinnamon rolls and apple fritters. Aw, we love this a hole lot… facebook.com/heritagedonuts
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Meeple’s Brew MORRISVILLE, CARY You’ll never get board at Morrisville’s first board game cafe, which just opened a second location in Cary. Between the two outposts, there’s over 850 board games from which to choose (!)—NTM a killer food and drink menu of coffee, smoothies, milkshakes, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and almost-famous waffles (try the sugar-loaded Troublemaker Waffle with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, whipped cream, caramel and chocolate sauce) that’ll fuel your competitive edge all day long. And be sure to keep an eye out on Meeple’s cal for gaming events. Game on. meeplesbrew.com
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Rustic Phoenix ZEBULON This “local mercantile with a cool vibe” was born of founders Frank and Elizabeth Carbone’s love of visiting out-of-town “local” gift shops. Enter the farmhouse-style shop—their way of bringing that same “small town store in a small town” vibe to downtown Zebulon while supporting NC businesses and artisans. Goods ranging from gifts and home decor to candles and soaps to pet products and jewelry rotate constantly—so there’s always something new to discover. Not to mention grab-and-go flowers by Preston Flowers & Gifts in Cary and… putting the cute in charcuterie: its ready-to-go charcuterie boards. Um, date night—check! rusticphoenixshop.com
Cary filmmaker brings age-old Hindu character to modern-day therapy in her new short film.
Photography by Rob Underhill
They say not to wear too many hats in any one project—or in life—but that didn’t stop Cary-based first-time filmmaker Joya Joseph from writing, producing, directing and acting (!) in her new 10-minute short film, Blaming and Shaming.
An Indian-American with a flair for unpacking ancient Hindu legend, Joseph began the writing process for her short back in November 2021 with the idea of introducing a modern perspective on a very old story. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are two cornerstone texts of Hinduism, both written many centuries ago and both immensely long and complicated (think 10 times longer than the Iliad and Odyssey combined!). To understand the cultural context would be a feat all its own, and yet Joseph leaps a step further into reimagining the characters in the present day.
While the Ramayana follows closely the narrative of Prince Rama, Joseph was interested in the perspective of his wife, Sita, a victim of abduction. In the film—in which the major scenes took place at a cast members’ home in Cary and in the surrounding neighborhood—a modern-day Sita (played by Joseph) sits with her therapist, confusedly grappling with the trauma that left her lonely and ashamed, even upon her purported jubilant return home. While writing, Joseph wondered, “Even though she was kidnapped, Sita was never treated like a victim and a survivor in the story. What would have been her perspective?”
Joseph ventures that Blaming and Shaming could be controversial in her Hindu community, but with a quiet confidence she is also adamant that “flipping the script” of an age-old narrative is essential to uplifting the marginalized. Even for those unfamiliar with Hindu teachings, the film is deeply relatable, offering credence to an earnest and admonished woman.
Joseph insists that Indie filmmaking is completely accessible, and in her experience, it’s not so much about competition as it is collaboration. “We all want to create. We all want to make art. We all want to support each other…” she says. “I would say to anyone who is looking to make their own film: Do it!” She describes it as a fairly straightforward step-by-step process where things happen because “you just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
She is excited by the vast reach of the Southeast film and television market, anchored by Atlanta, and hopes some of that business will continue to trickle, or better yet, flood into North Carolina. For now, she is encouraged that the Triangle has seen so much growth in the arts sector and hopes the upward trajectory will keep rolling (pun intended).
To showcase her film, Joseph plans to enter festivals, particularly those focused on women-led productions. Even as she’s working to circulate Blaming and Shaming, she is already eager to begin all over again with a new production. “It originally felt really daunting to sit down and try it, but now I want to do it again!” says Joseph.
And now that she’s accomplished making her first film, Joseph is certain that with her growing network of like-minded creatives and a better sense for budgeting and logistics, the second go-round will be that much easier. “It’s nerve-wracking to see your finished work,” says Joseph. “But I was relieved to see that the final product matched my original vision.”
