A feast for the eyes and the senses, the crown jewel of Raleigh’s retail market is officially unearthing at East End via Giorgios Hospitality Group’s latest “GEM.”
Answering the call for an approachable and highly curated shopping and dining experience, the aptly dubbed Giorgios Epicurean Market is at once a European sojourn and one-stop shop for whatever you bloody well fancy—including even a bloody (or freshly squeezed OJ or coffee…).
From first entry, aromas, visuals (and for the samplers, scores of tastes) overcome the senses as you’re met with an abundance of lush flora and fauna—inviting you to check your real-world worries at the door and succumb to a Zen-induced haze of indulgence highlighted by a verdant design that’s “vibrant and alive with the fresh energy of a modern European market,” says Giorgios Bakatsias. Sommelier selects? Check. Olive oils, jams and spices? Yup. Plants and potables for the hostess, office or “oh-yeah-it’s-my-anniversary” gift? Count on it.
Playing on herbaceous hues, every detail is intentional—from the mod white, olive and rusty subway tile sections that merge with natural wood and concrete to the gentle botanical brushstrokes by artist Arianne Hemlein seamlessly blending the seasons across the length of the market to even the authentic “boulanger” sign Bakatsias procured from a flea market to add a little “spice.”
At the root of it all, a massive full-sight breakfast-lunch-dinner kitchen production helmed by Managing Partner/executive chef William D’Auvray promises to tempt the palate with fresh butcher cuts and made-in-house bakery selects, salads, grilled goodies and beyond—whether to grab a pastry, sandwich to savor on the piazza or steaks for tonight’s dinner.
Vinos for pairing are intentionally selected by sommelier Scott Hardiman to complement the cafe menu and prepared foods, says Bakatsias, “so guests can easily curate a gourmet meal to enjoy at home.” Essentially, they thought of everything so you don’t have to—the “simple things in life people want—executed at the highest level,” he adds.
And not to confuse elevated with unapproachable, this isn’t some stuffy, unaffordable pinkies-up place. Instead, at its very core is an MO of utter simplicity and approachability. “We’re not boxing somebody in to spend a certain amount to have this experience,” says Bakatsias. “You can come in and spend $10 for lunch or whatever you wish.”
Further delving into the Euro-ness of it all, docents are at the ready as you shop and savor to proffer wine, party platter or gift picks. And in line with that Old World vibe, no, they won’t pounce you like a SNL Sur La Table skit. But, so new age, they will provide a pay-where-you-are option sans the line.
Ambling past the abundant product—which D’Auvray, who also helms East End Bistrot, spotlights in the market menu—quaint alfresco-esque indoor seating gives way to a day-to-night indoor cafe and bar set off by rollup garage door. And, outside, a botanically-driven “relaxing playground for eating and drinking” awaits via covered terrace and lush piazza dotted with mixed seating—and primed for pop-up farmers markets.
Both masterful and masterpiece, it’s got Bakatsias’ fingerprints all over it. As the ultimate gardener (see flourishing East End Bistrot, Rosewater, etc.), the market extends that signature vibe. And like all gems, she’ll get better with age. … Stay tuned for catering, and wine and cooking classes—even visiting chefs—to come.
Until then, “I’m excited to start baking and cooking food Giorgios and I both love and live by,” muses D’Auvray. So are we. Tue.-Sat.,8am–9pm,gemraleigh.com
Severe weather warning… Summer Storm Moonshine thunders onto the scene.
Grab your raincoats because there’s a Summer Storm brewing—and it’s coming on strong. From the mind of Michaela Batten, Summer Storm Moonshine is hitting ABC store shelves after its July 4 launch. The new liquor venture will use the same distilling process as Blue Shark Vodka—Batten is in close cahoots with the vodka brand—so moonshiners can expect all the same buzz without the bite.
Michaela Batten
“There’s nothing like Summer Storm,” explains Batten. “It sits on the shelf alone in that aspect. The whole flavor profile is very different, really unique and something that anyone can enjoy.”
Beyond moonshine being the purest form of vodka, Summer Storm outshines the rest through its creation process. The secret: It’s distilled with white grapes (!).
“People think moonshine is gonna knock you off your feet,” shares the CEO. “This doesn’t do that. It has the same corn and same liquor process as Blue Shark—it just takes it up a notch.”
While all are welcome to give the hooch a try, Summer Storm typically sets its sights on a female market—but men love the moonshine just as much! … “We cater to someone who makes their own rules,” Batten elaborates. “We’re making our own moonshine and our own rules, just like people back in the day did. We’re taking moonshine back to its roots, all the way back to Prohibition.”
The bev makes a great base for a batch of moonshine-based cocktails, pairing well with coconut water, juice, club soda and whatever else you might want to throw in the mix. “You don’t have to fluff it up too much—it just tastes good by itself,” maintains Batten.
And keeping things spirited, storm chasers can find bottles in ABC stores around NC this summer, with more expected to pop up around the East Coast and beyond. Forget storm chasing—we’re Storm sipping.
The freezer ain’t just for food. … What’s the “weirdest” thing you keep in there?
The freezer is no doubt the unsung hero of the kitchen. In a recent pod and subsequent article, Bon Appetitunpacked the freezer’s many virtues—and got down to the real cool deets on what random things their editors keep in there. So that got us thinking—and asking—what’s the wildest thing you keep in your freezer? Here, our team spills the (frozen) tea—because we feel like we can really “open up” to you (had to).
“My will and vodka” —Gina Stephens, Publisher, @ginasdawgs
“Vodka—not only does it make the drink colder, but gives it a texture you just can’t not love. Clearly I’m part Russian.” —Melissa Howsam, Editor-in-Chief, @mahowsam
“Gua sha massage tool for facial massage or peanut butter cups (they taste better frozen)” —Liz Comella, Creative Director, @liz.comella.design
“Eye mask—not for depuffing my eyes, but for putting on my forehead when I have a hangover headache.” —Lauren Kruchten, Associate Editor, @laurenn_nicol
“I freeze my grapes—they taste better that way! And plastic bottles of water for my plantar fasciitis. 😂 —Anna Beth Adcock, Editorial Assistant, @_annabethadcock
“Tequila and gin—even more delicious from the freezer!” —Debby Serena, Account Executive
“This is more geek than freak, but we have a whiskey ice mold with Darth Vader’s face.” —Susan Holt, Contributing Photographer, Susan Holt Photography, @susanholtphoto
“Vodka—I did live in Moscow for 3 years and it has to be served cold.” —Tina Dahir, Account Executive, @tinalovesraleigh
“My freezer nails the whole ‘Tell me you have kids without telling me you have kids’ challenge.’ Just picture a small muffin tin stuffed with washcloths for teething, a few leftover bags of breast milk (even though my son weaned months ago) and enough of those multicolored freeze pops to feed a small summer camp. Essentially, chaos.” —Kelsie Barton, Contributing Writer, @kelsie_barton
“Chicken trimmings. I save them in my freezer until I’m ready to throw them out so I don’t stink up my garbage.” —Sean Junqueira, Contributing Photographer, @seanjunqueira
“Does a bag of grapes count? I’m a firm believer in enjoying them as a frozen snack! 😂” —Eric Ginsburg, Contributing Writer, @eric_ginsburg
“I don’t keep anything crazy in there—sometimes people think it’s weird I put bread in there. 😂” —Cameron Rhinehardt, Marketing Intern, @camrht
Bean into the espresso martini rage? Here are some local spots to grab a sip.
Affectionately dubbed “the adult vodka Red Bull,” an espresso martini is all the rage again—originally gaining steam a la ’90s… and now back in an era of popularity serving nostalgic sweetness (plus a shot of energy!). And there’s no signs of the trend tanking anytime soon. This caffeinated alcoholic beverage has the power to wake you up and mess you up at the same time, making it the perf pick-me-up for a night on the town. Here, a few of our fave intoxicating—and delish—iterations at local bars and restos. Cheers!
Getting your spirits from out of state? You’re likely breaking the law.
Fancy spirits you can’t find in NC delivered straight to your door? Whether it’s that ever-elusive bottle of Blanton’s or that Spicy Ranch Water you had on Broadway in Nashville—or even if you just wanted to send your out-of-state bestie a bottle of our local Conniption gin… turns out, you’d be breaking the law.
Perhaps you’ve seen the likes of websites such as Drizly, Frootbat and the like promising to have “the drinks come to you.” … Sounds simple enough? Well, things that sound too good to be true usually are.
According to the hundred-plus-page North Carolina ABC Laws spelled out in Chapter 18B of the NC General Statutes, shipping or receiving any malt beverages or liquor to residents without a valid wholesaler’s permit is illegal. (Vino lovers—don’t sweat that wine subscription though. Wine can legally be shipped from out of state to your in-state address in specified amounts.)
And before you go rolling your eyes and turning the page because you just drive a state over for those bottles and brews—well, our liquor mule friend, that makes you a criminal too above a certain quantity. Who knew?
We’re as shocked as you—which is why we thought it best to break it all down. The more you know…
WHAT CAN I DO?
It is legal to have wine shipped or delivered—both in state and out of state—in limited quantities.
A winery may ship no more than 2 cases per month to any person in NC. A case of wine constitutes 12 standard 750ml bottles—thus 24 standard bottles per month.
It is legal to transport liquor or malt beverages* over state lines by car, boat or plane in limited quantities. But a person may bring no more than 4 liters of spirituous liquor (a standard size bottle is 750ml) and 80 liters of malt beverages (aka 9 cases).
WHAT CAN’T I DO?
It is illegal to have any person or business out of state mail malt beverages or liquor to you in NC for any reason.
It is illegal to mail/ship any beer or liquor to anyone outside of NC for any reason.
The newest whiskey sensation, Smoke Wagon shows 10 states it cannot legally ship to—but despite our laws, NC is not listed as one of them.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WEBSITES…
Self-billed as “any bottle, anywhere,” Massachusetts-based Frootbat is an online purveyor for “the world’s finest whiskey, wine and liquor, all in one place.” Likewise, Liquor Bar Delivery out of California delivers “carefully crafted and exceptional liquors.” And the web is rampant with another dozen-plus sites just like them that will drop-ship any bottle you crave tomorrow. So what happens when you live in NC where it is both illegal to have that liquor shipped to you and illegal for you to receive it? Well, turns out, best we can tell, nothing.
We put on our investigative caps and talked to Raleigh residents who are using these sites to see what red tape or rejection they’ve encountered, if any. During the month of February, two bottles of ever-elusive Blanton’s and Buffalo Trace whiskeys were purchased via two separate orders from Frootbat. Upon remit, the customer was sent immediate receipt and tracking details with a simple note that someone 21 years of age or older needed to be home to sign for the package. In essence, it was as easy as Amazon Prime—signed, sealed, delivered. The order was easy; the shipment was fast; arriving from F-Bat Inc. Irokos.
Over on Liquor Bar Delivery, the same experience unfolded upon ordering a $60 bottle of Rabbit Hole Rye, a bottle impossible to find here (and it’s worth noting it was marked at the going price in every other state—compared to exorbitant prices on the black market). With the seemingly standard hefty $25 shipping fee, the bottle was delivered as promised in the one- to five-day timeframe.
So we wondered, are these sites an anomaly? Turns out, not so much. Distillers are shipping too. Relatively new Smoke Wagon whiskey is not yet available for purchase in NC. But while bellied up to the Dram & Draught bar recently, we were told by a bargoer sipping on the latest whiskey sensation—who was oblivious to our efforts on this story—that he liked the whiskey so much that he went to their website and ordered it to his residence with no problem.
Interestingly, Las Vegas-located Smoke Wagon seems to think they are doing their due diligence, as upon “add to cart,” you see a message stating “orders cannot be fulfilled” in the following states: “Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Vermont.” Thus, deeming NC one of the states the site is “legally” shipping to. So what gives?
Well, not all websites will mail you spirits all willy-nilly. Popular website Drizly, which promises to “let the drinks come to you,” asks you to select your location, and once you select Raleigh, liquor is off the table. Malt beverages can be purchased, but are brought from a proximal location and delivered to you within 60 minutes (um, score). So, given the product is being delivered within the state, this is legit.
But… Drizly does give you the option to send liquor as a gift. And since Drizly is based in California, you are arguably buying that liquor outside of NC and shipping it to a destination outside of NC (say from California to that bestie in New York).
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME?
If you violate these laws, you are guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. What will happen to you? Well, we’re not sure.
So we asked the NC Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) how this is happening and how it’s being enforced—and if it’s not, why the arguably outdated law in hypertech times remains on the books. As of press time, we haven’t gotten an answer, but we’ll let you know when we hear back. In the meantime, “drink responsibly.” abc.nc.gov
