Class Notes 2000 The Class of 2000 celebrated our 15th Class Reunion on April 25, 2015. View photos online. The Class of 2000 offers our deepest condolences to our classmate, Brett Gray, for the passing of his father, Bob Gray, in March.
Adrienne Plyler and Matthew Johnson were married on September 20, 2014, in Savannah, Georgia. Her sister, Megan Plyler Huntley ’04, served as her maid of honor. Classmates Margaret Brown, Megan Carr Henry, Holly Walker Hunter, and Meghan Clancey Murphy were in attendance. Adrienne works as a senior art director, broadcast for Belk, and Matthew is a Realtor with Helen Adams Realty. They live in Charlotte with their son, Stone.
Michelle Goryn Thomas and her husband, Caleb, live in Raleigh with their daughter, Ella (4), and son, Noah (1). Michelle is an independent consultant and strategist in the public policy field.
1999
Anne and Alex McLawhorn welcomed a son, Bobby, to their family in August 2014. Laura Wolf and Karl Schelhammer were married on May 16, 2015, at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina.
2001 REUNION TIME - The Class of 2001 will celebrate our 15th Class Reunion during Alumni Reunion Weekend, April 8–9, 2016. Stay tuned for more details.
2002 Sarah and Ben Dobson, along with big sister, Ellie (4), welcomed Kathryn (“Kate”) Grace Dobson on December 21, 2014.
Sarah James married Matt Barone on May 3, 2014. Anna Rainey Dickson, Emily Alphin Farinholt, and Leah Brown Wood were bridesmaids.
Q & A with Chef Nathaniel Felder ’98
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athaniel “Natty” Felder ’98 is the executive chef and general manager at The Astor Room at the historic Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Natty graduated with honors from New York City’s French Culinary Institute in 2002 and has worked in award-winning restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas, and his hometown of Charlotte. He has apprenticed under noted restaurant-scene names Anthony Amoroso, a 2009 Iron Chef victor, and Matthew Accarino, named a 2014 “Best New Chef” by Food & Wine magazine and winner of a Michelin Star. Natty continues to hone his craft and create delicious food that draws in locals and visitors with a twist on the traditional. Q: How do you describe your cooking style? A: My style is American with Italian and French influences. I like to develop flavor combinations that people aren’t used to, but I also incorporate classic ideas that are too good to change. I’ve been lucky to work for some very well-known and influential chefs. Each one had a different style and philosophy, which gave me something unique to take away from my experiences with them. Q: What’s your most memorable cooking experience to date? A: My most memorable experiences come from different extremes. Many are injuries that happen in the kitchen, like being stabbed by somebody next to you not paying attention to what they are doing and waving a knife around, or pouring hot oil down my arm and getting second degree burns. These tend to stick in my head a little more, for obvious reasons. The good ones are around the camaraderie in the kitchen. Of course, it’s always nice when you cook for a celebrity and they come back to the kitchen to thank you and take a photo with you.
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PERSPECTIVES
Q: What are your biggest challenges? A: Challenges in this industry are plentiful. Burnout is a big one. I average 80+ hours of work each week with little time off. There is no such thing as a sick day, and I don’t remember the last time I was not working on a weekend. There is also the stress of maintaining perfection and trying to have grace in a fast-paced environment when things aren’t going the way they should. Q: Where do you find inspiration? A: I get inspiration from people and chefs around me, and I read as many cookbooks as possible. I enjoy trying dishes that other people are making and incorporating their ideas into my cooking. Q: Do you have a favorite cookbook? A: Yes, two. The French Laundry, by Thomas Keller, and White Heat, by Marco Pierre White. Q: Do you have an all-time favorite dish? A: My all-time favorite dish is one of the most simple. If I am eating alone or just get in a rut with things that don’t seem appealing, I always opt for spaghetti with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil or macaroni with butter and parmesan cheese. Gets me every time.