Smoke from a faraway campfire. The ozone before an approaching storm. A passerby wearing a familiar fragrance. Scent has the power to open doorways to the past, evoking memories, even from long ago, with just a waft. Used with intent, perfume can mark golden moments and trap some of that joy in a bottle.
Local perfumer Carolyn Dunne Hassett has been captivated by fragrance since she was 9 years old, when her grandfather gifted her a vial of Chanel Cristalle eau de toilette. Several years ago, Hassett left her career in academic publishing and turned her olfactory fixation into a business, By Carolyn Dunne. In her small studio in downtown Cary, Hassett works with guests to create bespoke perfumes.
Hassett’s clients include graduating students on the cusp of launching their careers, young women celebrating Sweet Sixteens, brides and grooms who want to amber their wedding day with a custom fragrance.
Carolyn Dunne Hassett
“What I enjoy most is when we start talking about what matters to them, why they’re here making their perfume,” Hassett says.
Following several years spent studying perfume on her own, Hassett traveled to the south of France for a workshop at Parfumerie Galimard, a perfume house founded in 1747. She had studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, so the trip was a bit of a homecoming for her. She returned many times for one-on-one training with master perfumer Jacques Maurel, who was so impressed with her natural ability and her dedication that he made her an intriguing offer.
Maurel had recently developed a perfuming system, and wanted her to be one of the first to use it to build custom fragrances in the United States. But there was a hoop Hassett had to jump through first: As an audition for the perfume house, she was tasked with creating two perfumes over the course of a single day. She came up with Moonbeam, a soft veil of a women’s fragrance, and Monaco, a rich and sophisticated men’s scent.
After training with Maurel’s system, Hassett opened her studio in 2015.
Creating a perfume is often compared to composing a musical masterpiece. A perfume progresses like a symphony, with different accords, or groupings of notes, revealing themselves as the scent develops on the skin: head, heart, base. It’s fitting, then, that Hassett works at what is called a perfumer’s organ: a three-tiered, semicircular desk lined with cobalt blue glass bottles of scent.
So how does her process work?
One or two guests can book a private session; they spend up to two hours with Hassett at her organ, choose from 135 fragrance essences and leave with a 1.7-ounce bottle of perfume. Alternatively, clients can throw a party with up to 15 participants; they spend up to 90 minutes with Hassett, choose from 65 ingredients and leave with a .5-ounce bottle; hosts receive a discount based on the number of guests attending. Gift certificates are also available.
“They’re celebrating their birthday. They’re celebrating being in remission from cancer. They’re about to become a grandmother and want their scent to be what the child remembers … They are people who are going through a change in life,” Hassett says of her clients. “They’re getting divorced or going to be empty nesters or starting something new. They want to create something that’s about them that has nothing to do with their past. It’s all about the person and what they’re doing at that moment in time.”
Hassett’s studio is located in the Gather co-working space at 417 Kildaire Farm Road in Cary. To learn more, visit www.bycarolyndunne.com.
kō•än opens this month in the old ãn location in Cary
At owner Sean Degnan’s and chef Andrew Smith’s new Southeast Asian restaurant, kō•än, we’d encourage you not to sit at a cozy two-top off to the side. Instead, take a seat at one of the five long communal tables situated throughout the vast, 350-seat space.
At first they may seem intimidating, but the point of the tables is to bring people from all over the Triangle together while building a sense of community over great food and drink; nothing bonds a group of strangers better than a good meal. kō•än, which translates from Japanese to “public table,” will, in Smith’s words, “bring people back to the table” and create a dialogue among guests—and the restaurant’s staff—through an exceptional dining experience.
“I see the tables as ancient and contemporary, and hopefully, future intersections of time, space and people and their stories gathered around, filling in a beautiful space,” Degnan adds. “We as humans are drawn to public spaces because of a shared desire for good food and water, and sometimes wine, and even more so, the vital need for community.”
Cary’s ãn, which shuttered in 2017 after a decade in business, was seen by some as unapproachable for its ambitious menu in a food scene that wasn’t yet fully realized, and for its cavernous location in Cary’s outlying Arboretum shopping center off of I-40. But Smith and Degnan agree, ãn was a special space and an amazing restaurant.
The team behind so•ca in Cameron Village and downtown Raleigh’s now closed bu•ku paid tribute to ãn not only in the new restaurant’s name but also through the renovations they did to the building. Many of ãn’s tables will be reused to seat new diners. Original chairs were refurbished with gray and brown details to coordinate with the rest of the space and the “spirit” of the culture ãn celebrated is preserved in various decorations, including a wooden canoe from Vietnam hanging over the communal tables—themselves constructed by Raleigh-based Tactile Workshop—in the bar area. The bar also features an exquisite live plant wall from the local Atlantic Gardening Company. Past the bar, the expansive space is home to a main dining room and an omakase room. Though large, both spaces are enveloped in natural light from a fleet of windows lining the walls and ceiling and feel open and inviting. Fresh eucalyptus plants adorn each table; the communal table, a beacon in the center of the room, features three of the plants while glossy wooden walls envelop the entire interior.
As at other concepts the kō•än team has piloted over the years, Smith encourages diners to order several small plates to share, whether it’s with the people they came with or with those they’ve only just met at the communal table. The main dining menu is inspired by foods Smith experienced while living in Vietnam and Thailand, as well as by dishes from other Southeast Asian culinary traditions.
Guests can expect unique items like charred octopus, shoyu glazed pork cheek yakitori—a favorite at kō•än’s summer pop-up series at sister restaurant so•ca—and tonkatsu ramen, a dish that prompted Smith’s initial foray into cooking at bu•ku in 2011. “Some of the stuff is going to be weird,” Smith admits. “There’s certain things we’ll have that nobody else is doing around here.”
Meanwhile, in the omakase room—complete with its own communal table, soapstone bar top and comfortable booths—chef Jeremy Beck will experiment with more technically difficult dishes for a locally driven menu that changes weekly. A separate bartender will sling cocktails curated by kō•än’s beverage director Tolson Kenny.
Although ãn wasn’t well served by what was once seen as a remote location, Smith sees the burgeoning area now as an “ideal sweet spot” between Raleigh, Cary and Durham. He says he expects that kō•än’s communal, zen-like atmosphere and unique offerings will attract patrons from all over the Triangle.
“Cary is growing rapidly and Durham and Raleigh are becoming saturated with so many restaurants,” Smith says. “As the area continues to grow, I think we’ll find ourselves right in the middle of everything. If we are considered outlying, it won’t be for long.”
This summer, we’re opting to stick around and take a staycation in the City of Oaks’ own backyard. We’ve got some tips on six of the best places to stay all around Raleigh, plus suggestions of where to eat, drink and shop and how best to explore our home city. So ditch the travel time and the hefty price tag; join us for a trip through Raleigh’s most spectacular spots.
This new taproom located in downtown Cary in the old Pasmore House—a circa-1900 National Historic Site building—boasts comfy seating areas, antique light fixtures and original hardwood floors more than a century old. Cotton House’s beers are made with hops from the nearby Running Turtle Hops Farm, one of the only hops farms in North Carolina, that’s working with NC State and Virginia Tech agricultural departments to develop a new strain of hops that can thrive in our state’s soil. The brewery’s friendly, Southern, community-driven brand makes for a great spot to hang out after work or grab a drink with a group of friends on the weekend. cottonhousecraft.com
Hutchins Garage
Durham
Hutchins Garage feels like just that: a neighborhood garage that you might hang out in with a group of friends and a cooler of beers at the end of a long day. Among the vintage decor, friendly staff members serve up picture-perfect specialty pies, which are either circular (the traditional thin crust) or rectangular (a thicker crusted pizza), and include the Spinach and Ricotta, Spicy Vodka—made with a base of vodka sauce—and Mortadella—topped with Italian salami, roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh aged mozzarella cheese. A great selection of local and national beers are available on tap, ranging from IPAs to wits to ciders, to perfectly match to whichever pizza you choose. facebook.com/Hutchins-Garage-1791896040902139
Cat Tales Cat Cafe
Chapel Hill
Introducing the Triangle’s first Cat Café! At Cat Tales, you can play with 12 cute kitties in a two-story lounge, while sipping on coffee, tea, beer or wine and munching on light snacks. Guests can spend a fun day petting the cats and helping to socialize them, and you can even adopt one to take home from the café’s shelter partner, The Goathouse Refuge of Pittsboro, if you happen to fall in love. Additionally, the café hosts a variety of special events, including yoga with cats, ‘mewvie’ nights, wine tastings and more. Reserve a time for an hour-long visit online; walk-ins are welcome when space allows. cattalescatcafe.com
Fount Coffee + Kitchen
Morrisville
This unique coffee shop is as Instagram-worthy as it is delicious. Along with a full coffee and espresso menu served all day—try the “one + one,” an espresso split between a macchiato plus a single shot— Fount offers both breakfast and lunch, including smoothie bowls, salads, toasts and small plates like roasted broccoli and honey sea salt popcorn. The signature “come as you are” sign welcomes guests into the bright, naturally lit space, complete with modern furnishings and various plant life. fountcoffee.com
THRIVE 2019
Durham
3/15-3/16; $50-$125
Calling all creatives! THRIVE is a two day conference hosted by the AIGA Raleigh, a professional association of designers dedicated to empowering young designers while encouraging social change through design. On the first day, six conference speakers, including Amy and Jen Hood from Hoodzpah Branding Agency and Aaron Draplin of Draplin Design Co., will share their wisdom in hopes of inspiring attendees, complete with an after party in the evening. Day Two will consist of conference workshops in different time slots throughout the day, covering topics like branding, freelancing, hand-lettering, vectoring in Illustrator and other skills. raleigh.aiga.org/event/thrive-2019/
Soft lighting, starched linen tablecloths, glass vases coddling freshly picked zinnias—if these atmospheric elements are what you’re looking for, you probably won’t find them in the shops and restaurants that comprise Cary’s Chatham Square. For those who feel at home in upscale boutiques and eateries in downtown Raleigh or North Hills, the dreary, standard concrete strip mall on East Chatham Street isn’t exactly beguiling. But spend a little time there exploring its multicultural gift shops, markets and eateries, and you’ll find that the ostensibly unremarkable shopping center actually harbors a palpable ambient charm—and a lot of really good food. Here are some of our favorite spots.
Tibetan Himalayan Gift Shop
746 E. Chatham St., Suite-B
This little gift shop is filled to the brim with colorful Tibetan textiles and clothes, sheep’s wool hats and mittens, wall art, delicate handmade jewelry, meditation cushions and more. The gracious owners, Ngawang Choechen and Tenzin Dolma, source most of these items directly from Tibetan refugee women living in Himalayan countries who can’t find steady work or get an education. Choechen and Dolma help them earn a living by selling their creations, which makes the gift shop a perfect, local option to find meaningful gifts for loved ones.
Tacos Estilo Hidalgo
748 E. Chatham St.
“Soup of cow,” according to a server, is what regulars at this small Mexican-Salvadoran fast food joint order most often. Of course, there’s the usual fare: tacos, burritos, beans and rice. But if you drop in around lunchtime, you’ll find most people slurping down this vegetable and beef stew instead. It’s served with huge chunks of corn, zucchini, potato and beef (bone and all), piled high, swimming in a salty tomato broth. Try this place on Tuesdays for dollar tacos (order the chicken and don’t overlook the toppings bar), along with the soup and a bottle of Mexican Coke, made using cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup.
The Sea Depot
750 E. Chatham St.
The best thing about this family-run fish market is that, for just a buck or two extra, you can take your pick of the goods and have whatever’s fresh for sale fried, Calabash style, right there in front of you. The Sea Depot’s inventory is extensive, with offerings ranging from squid to mackerel, reflecting the diverse clientele that frequents the store. You can find you share of NC seafood, too, including shellfish and flounder. The owner, Li-Ping Hsu, uses one of the oldest, homegrown brands of breading—Atkinson’s fish meal—to fry the seafood; it comes out just crispy enough.
Baghdad Bakery
744 E. Chatham St.
If you approach this bakery with visions of Middle Eastern pastries and bread piled high, you’ll likely be disappointed; it’s more of a convenience store, selling snacks, olive oil and other everyday items. But follow the alluring smells emanating from the store’s small brick oven and you’ll find piping hot bread loves dusted with sesame seeds. Hasanain, the baker, bakes 300-400 of these loaves, an Iraqi bread known as sammoun, each day. He says they often sell out. Sammoun is traditionally stuffed with herbs, tomatoes, meats and cheese. It’s soft and slightly chewy on the inside, with a crispy flaky outside. And you can get your hands on them for a mere 60 cents apiece.
Tibetan Himalayan Gift Shop
