Dilworth Facial Plastic Surgery, led by Dr. Andrea Garcia and Dr. Josh Surowitz, is the only practice in the greater Charlotte area to use a two-surgeon approach. This unique, teamoriented model ensures collaborative care at every step—from your initial consultation to your surgical procedure. The doctors specialize in surgical treatments like facelift, necklift, and rhinoplasty, delivering beautiful and natural results.
In addition to surgery, we offer a full suite of non-surgical options. Our skilled injectors, Morgan Nelson, NP and Cassie Smith, RN, provide personalized and natural results with injectables and fillers. For the foundation of a youthful look, our licensed medical esthetician, Allie Harris, offers a full range of skincare and laser treatments.
Where Craft Meets Community
Discover a chef-driven menu created with locally sourced ingredients— no artificial dyes, no added sugars, just pure flavor. Pair your meal with our housebrewed beers, sip from our full espresso bar, or indulge in handcrafted cocktails. Perfect for baby showers, corporate events, weddings, holidays, and birthdays— celebrate every occasion with us.
| (704) 397-3904 | 4400 Sharon Road
A Seat at the Table
Lately, when our third child settles at the table for a meal, she samples what’s been served and announces with delight, “This is the best day ever!” Isn’t that the magic of a good meal? Something about good food makes you feel like things are going your way.
When my husband and I traded the hustle of Washington, D.C. for Charlotte in 2013, we discovered a handful of spots we loved. Those soon became our regular rotation: Soul Gastrolounge (looking forward to trying their new location), Barrington’s (still my forever No. 1), 300 East, BrickTop’s and others.
In the decade since, it’s been remarkable to watch Charlotte’s culinary landscape evolve into the elevated food scene we’re lucky to enjoy today. Our neighbors, Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, are the husband-and-wife team behind the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group, founders of Supperland, and more recently, Leluia Hall. I remember running into Jeff in Latta Park during the pandemic, curious how they would navigate such an uncertain season. I simply marvel at how they manage to run so many thriving restaurants while also raising three children—a true balancing act of passion, perseverance and dedication. Those in the food industry deserve our respect!
In our October Food & Drink Issue, we spotlight a newbie in town: Kudzu Bakery, the beloved South Carolina market that recently opened doors in Dilworth. We’re also sharing the inside scoop on a standout dish at the newly opened Spaghett. Be sure to catch local foodie Allie Papajohn’s curated picks for Charlotte’s best brunch spots that are guaranteed to spark your appetite. Finally, food writer Kayleigh Ruller finds out what’s made Charlotte’s own Gleezy gourmet hotdogs all the rage.
Consider this the appetizer. There’s plenty to feast on inside the pages of our newest issue.
Bon Appétit!
October 2025
PUBLISHER
Liz Brown | liz.brown@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Carroll Walton | carroll.walton@citylifestyle.com
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Jennifer Fenner | jennifer.fenner@citylifestyle.com
Whether reconfiguring existing spaces, adding new rooms, or changing floor plans, our design and build process elevates your remodeling experience while transforming your house into a place you lovingly call home.
city scene
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN
The Inaugural Designing Connections event at Anne Neilson Fine Art Gallery. | 1: Flower arrangement and catering by Spruce and Co. 2: (From left to right) Claudia Ivascu, Cheri Thompson, Anne Buresh, Wanda Link, Courtney Scott, Anne Neilson, Jennifer Farres 3: Abigail Murdoch, Cheri Thompson, Bella Arcoria 4: Nikki Bourgeault, Trish Havala, Anne Buresh 5: Anne Buresh, Patty Hendrix, Anne Neilson, Ashley Hotham Cox 6: Terri Jeffries, Barry Hall 7: Guenn (Peterson) Schneider, Krista Stout
BOUTIQUE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR
Giste partners with top builders, interior designers and homeowners to bring luxury spaces to life — from bespoke lighting plans to whole home electrical solutions. Actively expanding partnerships and welcoming new projects, Giste Electrical Services is committed to growing relationships and collaborating with Charlotte’s top building and design professionals.
ARTICLE BY ALLIE PAPAJOHN
Cappuccino, mimosa, Grand Panier du Boulanger at La Belle Helene
Photo by SRW Digital
La Belle Helene
Uptown
For an elevated approach to brunch, choose this beautiful French brasserie in Uptown. Enjoy sweet or savory crêpes, oeufs mimosa (that’s deviled eggs and caviar), or a steak burger with caramelized onions and cantal fondue. The “La Pâtisserie” section of the menu boasts French crullers, a croissant filled with crème frangipane, and an option to order the weekly selection of pastries. If you’re going all-in, add a bowl of the French Onion Soup—that cheese pull is epic—and a carafe of mimosas made with orange, grapefruit, cranberry, or pineapple juice. LaBelleHeleneRestaurant.com | @labellehelenecharlotte
Mal Pan
SouthPark
Modern Mexican cuisine inspires a unique brunch menu at this SouthPark restaurant located in Piedmont Town Center. Sure, you’ve had your share of pancakes, but what about blue corn buttermilk pancakes with honey butter and blueberry compote? Or a burrito stuffed with housemade chips, salsa, eggs, beans and queso fresco? Every bite keeps you coming back for more at Mal Pan, known for its housemade tortillas and bold flavors. Need a midday caffeine kick? The Mexican Coffee with tequila, Kahlúa, café de olla and atole whipped cream is a must too. EatMalPan.com | @eatmalpan
Ever Andalo
Take a trip to Europe without leaving the city thanks to this Italianinspired brunch spread, created by Executive Chef Sam Sheehan. Fill the table with dishes like focaccia toasts, wagyu steak and eggs, Carbonara pasta and ricotta pancakes with strawberry syrup. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to order the pastry board, which offers a taste of housemade biscotti, ricotta zeppole with blackberry compote and cannolis filled with vanilla cream. Feeling thirsty? Don’t forget the Bloody Mary garnished with mozzarella or a cappuccino made with freshly-pulled espresso. EverAndalo.com | @ever_andalo
Various crêpes at La Belle Helene
Photo by Kyle Duncan
Pozole Tacos, Blue Corn Buttermilk Pancakes and Chilaquiles at Mal Pan
Photo by Curtis Groll
Berries & Mascarpone, Pastry Board, Zucchini Frittata, Focaccia Toasts and Calabrian Chili Crab Cakes at Ever Andalo
Photo by Shrimp & Grisettes
Café Monte French Bakery and Bistro
Easy Like Sunday
Montford
Create the brunch spread of your dreams at this allday breakfast café, tucked in the bottom level of ParkTowne Village shopping center. From morning to mid-afternoon, Easy Like Sunday offers classic brunch and breakfast items with a little twist. Think pancakes but with ube or red velvet batter, stuffed French toast, a fried chicken benedict and even a brunch burger. The mimosa flight accompanied by a bottle of bubbles and three juice varieties, is always a table pleaser, too. Keep an eye on their Instagram to see what fun seasonal dishes they’re offering each week. EasyLikeSundayCLT.com | @easylikesundayclt
Since 2007, Café Monte has served as a beloved staple with its classic French-style dishes in a casual gourmet setting. Early risers may opt for a hot café au lait, flaky almond croissant, or a croissant breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese, bacon, or sausage. For the later brunch crowd, there’s the Chicken Salade on Croissant, Croque Monsieur or Florentine Quiche. A plate of hot, freshly fried beignets is never a bad way to start or end the meal, either. Grab some extra napkins because that powdered sugar is no joke! CafeMonte.net | @cafemontebistro
Ube Pancakes
Photo courtesy of Easy Like Sunday
Hot Beignets at Café Monte
Photo by Curahee Photography
Traditional Benedict
Photo courtesy of Eddie’s Place
Croque Monsieur with Mornay Pommes Frites at Coquette
Photo by Adaptive Social
Bloody Mary Snack Platter at Chapter 6
Photo courtesy of The Plaid Penguin
Last Call: Final limited-run bottles of doc porter’s Bourbon, Rye & Malt Whiskey— available now at select ABC Stores & Great Wagon Road Distilling in NoDa. learn our story
FROM DANISH POTTERY TO CHARLESTON-STYLE COURTYARDS, NEW CENTER TRANSFORMS SHOPPING FOR PLANTS INTO AN EXPERIENCE
Gardens on Green
ARTICLE BY CARROLL WALTON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARISSA ROGERS
As some of Charlotte’s traditional nurseries closed up shop and the largest ones moved to the outskirts of town, luxury landscape designer and Charlotte native Hugh Crump noticed a void.
He had to travel to Atlanta looking for pots, containers and garden accents for a client, who even enlisted a professional shopper to source pieces as far away as Texas and California.
“Charlotte loves gardens,” Crump says. “But we just don’t have all the resources that you would expect. I complained about it enough times, and my wife said, ‘You can do something better if you want to.’”
In April, he opened Gardens on Green at 123 Green Street. It’s a high-end gardening center that not only sells Bergs pottery designed in Denmark and made in Italy, bistro tables and chairs from the French company Fermob, or handmade Italian terracotta from Tuscan Imports, but an entire experience.
The retail space features a series of 10 vignettes, displaying pots, plants and furniture. One is set up like a Charleston garden, another has an elaborate cast stone round dining table.
“Instead of seeing a big lot full of pots and plants, we’ve got it set where people can envision that being in their own backyard,” Crump says. “They can use their imagination to say, ‘Hey, that could go right outside our French doors coming off our dining room onto the terrace.’ We want people to leave inspired.”
Crump knows the power of visualization. He started in landscaping, mowing lawns as a teenager to make extra cash. One small project led to another, “planting azaleas for Mrs. Jones,” as Crump describes. That led to a gig each winter helping the full-time gardener for Rick and Dee Ray, owners of Raycom Sports and the last single-family tenant of the Duke Mansion. When they decided to renovate and restore the historic home and convert it into an inn and conference center, they asked the construction company to hire Crump for the landscaping.
Crump planted the oak trees that still surround the fountain in the front.
“I tell my kids I planted those trees,” he says, laughing. “They say, ‘How old are you?’”
As president of his own company, Greenline Design, Crump went on to do landscape design for NFL and NBA players, racecar drivers and bank CEOs. Lately, he’s focused on Gardens on Green, which has become a hotspot for local homeowners, design professionals, event planners and stylists.
More than just a retail space, Gardens on Green has become a destination. Crump said they were approached about hosting private events in their gardens and picturesque greenhouse space.
“I jokingly say ‘It’s for show, not for grow,’ but it’s super attractive,” Crump says.
Starting in September, they’ll begin hosting events open to the public, as well as a series of gardening workshops.
CONTINUED >
Hugh Crump, owner of Gardens on Green
ARTICLE BY KAYLEIGH RULLER PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GLEEZY
THE HOTTEST DOG
Where brisket meets branding: why Charlotte startup Gleezy is outpacing the big dogs
Hot dogs are not what they used to be. They’re no longer a baseball pastime or a boring birthday party staple. This year fancy caviar hot dogs, weenie and martini parties, and mini hot dog towers have slowly changed the cultural perception of the dog.
There’s a new hot dog brand based in Charlotte, rewriting hot dog rules. Gleezy, the cheeky-named year-old company, has transformed the humble frank into a gourmet, sophisticated staple, outselling legacy brands like Oscar Mayer and Nathan’s.
CHARLOTTE’S CHICEST HOT DOG STARTUP
Gleezy set out to turn a played-out American food into a craveable premium product. Just weeks after hitting Harris Teeter shelves in July, Gleezy became the grocery chain’s most successful meat product launch in 15 years. Gleezy is outpacing the big dogs in more than 250 stores in seven states.
I first met Gleezy at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, where franks were served from a custom-built Gleezy cart. I noticed patrons there donning Gleezy-branded vintage Charlotte Hornets hats. Later, I saw Gleezy again on an Instagram reel, where
Bryce Rech, CEO and Founder of Gleezy Dog
Chapel Hill football players ate decked-out dogs while riding a golf cart.
A hot dog brand with sleek merch and athlete collabs felt contradictory; I was hooked on the novelty of it. Gleezy taps into aesthetic allure, too, with mustard yellow and tomato red accents blending nostalgia with stylishness. Apparently, that’s the whole point.
“It keeps people guessing,” founder Bryce Rech says. “We’re doing it a little differently than what everybody’s expecting a hot dog company to do.”
From apparel collaborations to concert activations, Gleezy’s growth has been exponential. The brand hit grocery shelves years ahead of schedule and quickly outgrew its origin as “the official hot dog of golf.”
Rech believes Gleezy’s national clout arose from combining a quality frank with its distinct brand-building approach. Gleezy is shaping modern-day hot dog culture.
“Hot dogs are hot right now,” Rech says.
SOLVING THE MID-TIER HOT DOG PROBLEM
But, they weren’t always. Rech started Gleezy because he was “sick of eating average hot dogs at sports and entertainment facilities,” he says. A longtime entrepreneur and investor, he believed there was a market for premium brisket hot dogs, especially at golf courses.
His team developed a double-smoked beef brisket link, which launched in October 2024. One bite of the dog’s savory, smoky snap nods to Carolina barbecue and finishes with Gleezy’s own vinegar-based Carolina Dog Sauce.
WHY GLEEZY IS BREAKING RECORDS IN THE QUEEN CITY AND BEYOND
Unlike most consumer packaged goods, Gleezy didn’t start by emphasizing in-store sales. Instead, it built buzz through activations: partnerships with local golf courses, like Cedarwood and Carmel Country Club, then sports arenas and high-profile athletic events. In addition to the 2025 PGA, Gleezy dogs have been sold at the Ryder Cup, the Masters, Kenan Stadium at the University of North Carolina and even New York City’s NBA 2K launch party. It made a splash by crafting a dynamic, playful brand identity.
“We want to make sure we don’t fall back into what hot dogs have been for the last 25 years,” Rech says. “We want to change the perception of hot dogs.”
Originally branded as golf’s hot dog, demand quickly pushed Gleezy into baseball, hockey, football, and soon ski and snow events. Rech envisions it as the official hot dog of “sport, leisure and fun.”
Gleezy plans to expand its line of sauces to introduce flavors beyond the Carolinas, but one thing remains: its Charlotte DNA.
“I’ve never seen a community adopt Gleezy as seamlessly as Charlotte,” Rech says.
From selling out at Harris Teeter to lining up at Mac’s Speed Shop and the Sporting Gent, locals have embraced Gleezy. The Harris Teeter rollout in Charlotte took 60 days—a process that typically takes other vendors anywhere from six months to a year.
“The love and the homage will always circle back to Charlotte,” Rech says.
Gleezy’s tie to golf, entrepreneurial spirit and obsession with sports stadiums—it all undeniably shares a distinctly Charlotte ethos. Plus, when establishing sports team partnerships, Rech promised to prioritize Charlotte-based teams over any others in the U.S.
“There’s always going to be your first retailers and your first NFL team placement,” he says.
“Gleezy set out to turn a played-out American food into a craveable premium product. Just weeks after hitting Harris Teeter shelves in July, Gleezy became the grocery chain’s most successful meat product launch in 15 years.”
THE RECIPE
With local retail secured, Gleezy’s now in reach for the home cook. Rech recommends a Gleezy on the grill with Carolina Dog Sauce and shredded cheddar. In true Gleezy style, he also recommends a way to polish the culinary experience by teaming up with Chef Sam Diminich of Restaurant Constance to create dinner-party-worthy hot dog recipes.
Yes—hot dogs at a dinner party. And with Gleezy, it’s all the rage.
Greensboro Dawg
INGREDIENTS
• 2 Gleezy dogs
• 6 ounces Gleezy sauce
• 2 potato buns
• 6 ounces raw peanuts, in shell
• 10 ounces Cheerwine
• 1 quart water
• 2 ounces salt
• 4 ounces barbecue brisket ends, diced and glazed with barbecue
• 2 ounces crushed NC BBQ Potato Chips
DIRECTIONS
1. For peanuts, in a medium-sized sauce pot, add Cheerwine, water and salt, and let it simmer for 3 hours on very low heat. Cook until tender, then allow it cool in cooking liquid
2. For hot dog: cook over an open flame grill to add color and develop flavor
3. For brisket, simply warm it in a small pan
4. For peanuts, remove from shells, reduce liquid to glaze, add peanuts to glaze, and set aside
5. To assemble: warm hot dog buns in a 350°F oven until warm, add Gleezy sauce on the bottom of the bun. Next, add hot dogs, peanuts, brisket, BBQ chips and finish with more Gleezy sauce. Enjoy!
Colorado Dawg
INGREDIENTS
• 2 Gleezy dogs
• 2 brioche buns
• 4 ounces potato salad
• Yukon golds
• ½ cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 cup sauerkraut—store bought
• 1 cup Gleezy sauce
DIRECTIONS
1. Grill the hot dogs
2. For potato salad: dice Yukon golds, boil until tender, drain, add mayo, mustard, vinegar, parsley and shallots. Season with salt and pepper and set aside
3. For kraut, warm in a small pan
4. To assemble, add hot dogs to buns, top with potato salad and then sauerkraut
5. Serve up with Gleezy sauce on the side
Georgia Dawg
Can be made with Serrano chili peppers and peach relish or pimento cheese, peach jam and pickled jalapeño.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 Gleezy dogs
• 2 brioche buns
• 1 cup pimento and cheese
• 4 ounces white cheddar
• 2 ounces mayo
• 2 tablespoons roasted red pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced scallions
• 1 tablespoon chipotle Tabasco
• 6 ounces shredded iceberg lettuce
• 2 peaches
PEACH RELISH
• ½ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon chili flake
• 1 cup pickled jalapeño
DIRECTIONS
1. For peach relish, add vinegar, sugar and spices to a small pot, bring to a boil. Reduce by half—add peaches, simmer 10 minutes or until tender—set aside
2. For pimento and cheese: mix cheese, mayo, red pepper, Tabasco, scallions and a pinch of salt. Taste for flavor, set aside
3. For hot dogs: grill over open flame. Add color and build flavor. Warm bun, add hot dog, Gleezy sauce, peach relish, pimento and cheese
4. Next, add lettuce, nice and neat. Then add shaved raw peaches and jalapeños. Finish with more Gleezy sauce. Enjoy!
Recipes by Chef Sam Diminich
last call DOC PORTER’S
Former Charlotte distillery celebrates its last hoorah with final whiskey release
ARTICLE BY CARROLL WALTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARISSA ROGERS
When the pandemic, legal red tape and triple the rent forced Andrew and Liz Porter to close their Doc Porter’s distillery in 2020, there was one last order of business to iron out: the whiskey. They still had barrels of perfectly good bourbon, rye and malt whiskey. All it needed was time and a place to age.
Five years proved the right amount of time, and Great Wagon Road Distillery became the perfect place to package nearly 18,000 bottles of the best whiskey they’ve ever made. The Porters are calling it “Last Call” and celebrating it as a tribute to a joint passion project for a couple that met and fell in love in Charlotte.
The whiskey is available at select ABC Stores in Mecklenburg County and at Great Wagon Road Distillery.
“Once they’re gone, it’ll be like a beautiful thing we did back when,” Liz Porter says.
Andrew Porter, a native of New Jersey, took up craft beer making as a hobby with his father. While pursuing a chemical engineering degree at Clemson, he took a class on distilling. When he came to Charlotte in 2009 it was the beginning of the craft beer boom; that’s the year Olde Mecklenburg Brewing opened, followed by Birdsong the next year. He decided to forge a different path.
“Great Wagon Road Distillery became the perfect place to package nearly 18,000 bottles of the best whiskey they’ve ever made.”
His soon-to-be wife, Liz, a graduate of Virginia Tech, was a marketing executive. Andrew was working as a consultant for what’s now Ramboll Engineering.
They married, and while continuing full-time careers, founded a side hustle in 2014 they called Doc Porter’s for Andrew’s grandfather. They sold their first bottle of bourbon in October 2015. For the next five years, while also having two daughters, they made spirits.
“There were times when I was pregnant or had an infant, and Andrew would be at the distillery,” Liz says. “He would go to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. He would go straight to the distillery, be there until 2 a.m., come home, sleep, rinse, repeat. It was a blur. But it was still fun.”
Liz and Andrew Porter
Bob Peters pours a Doc’s Fall Remedy drink available now at Chief’s in NoDa
Andrew Porter
“And a little crazy,” Andrew says. He was the distiller. She was the marketer, and together they carved out a corner of the North Carolina market.
“We have incredible agriculture, and telling that story was a huge part of the fabric of our brand,” says Liz. “Because we used no processed ethanol—grain-neutral spirits—we were completely grain to glass.”
They built relationships with a corn and wheat farmer in Marshville, a rye grain farmer in Eagle Springs and worked with two malt houses in the Asheville area. They came to understand what educated local bourbon enthusiasts knew already, that North Carolina used to outproduce Kentucky before Prohibition because of the climate and agriculture here.
North Carolina had more than 400 distilleries, which was more than any other state, in the early 1900s. But in 1909, it became the first state to outlaw alcohol sales, 11 years before the nationwide ban. It would take 70 years before North Carolina legalized liquor production again and almost 100 before North Carolina opened another distillery, Piedmont Distillers, in 2005.
In a state where NASCAR originated from moonshine bootleggers trying to outrun police, and each other, liquor’s legal history is complicated. The Porters found that even in the 2010s, local laws prohibited distillery tour guests from buying more than one bottle of liquor per person, per year.
Just when legal restrictions began to loosen then came COVID, a new landlord and a rent hike.
“We couldn’t continue,” Liz says. “Family had to come first, so we decided to sunset it.”
The “Last Call” release has given them a chance to celebrate people they’ve embraced in the Charlotte community and feel some love in return.
“We hadn’t done anything in almost five years, and we had an event in March,” Liz says. “We had a guy come up and say he drove from three hours away and got a hotel room to come. We had people showing us pictures of their wedding, where they had set up Doc Porter’s blind tastings and had barrels. It was incredible.”
The Last Call is now a part of their legacy.
“We’re closing the chapter in a way that we feel so proud of,” Liz says. “No regrets, we had the best time. This is a great ending, going out on products for Last Call. They’re the best we’ve ever made.”
Last Call is available at Great Wagon Road Distilling NoDa and select Mecklenburg ABC Stores. For more information, go to DocPorters.com
Doc’s Fall Remedy
This special cocktail, created by Bob Peters, is available at Chief’s Modern Cocktail Parlor in NoDa.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 ounces Doc Porter’s bourbon
• 3/4 ounces of Cappelletti
• 1 ounce of cardamom brown sugar syrup
DIRECTIONS
1. Stir
2. Garnish with fresh pear
Doc’s Fall Remedy
INTENTIONAL DESIGN
The original plan to paint the shutters was scrapped in favor of naked wood, without paint or stain, which reminded the homeowners of their love for the mountains. The planters are from Eastover Collection, and the bed swing is from Southern Komfort.
ARTICLE BY CARROLL WALTON
PHOTOGRAPHY
STYLED BY
BY
DUSTIN PECK
ASHLEY HOTHAM COX
A Sedgefield renovation blends personal touches with timeless elegance and modern function
The kitchen features a quartzite countertop, custommade plaster hood, brass dome lighting from Currey & Company and jute-wrapped Palecek counter stools
For one Charlotte couple renovating their Sedgefield home, it made perfect sense to have the kitchen as a focal point of the design. In 2010, the homeowner baked brownies and a pumpkin loaf for the next-door neighbor, hoping a sweet gesture might persuade her to sell the lot where their future house would stand.
When they decided to renovate it to become their forever home 13 years later, designer Brooke Adler knew the build had been intentional from the start. The original plans accounted for keeping a Japanese maple tree a short distance from the back porch to honor the wishes of the next-door neighbor.
When Adler laid out the design in collaboration with builder Montgomery Homes in 2023, she knew the kitchen needed special attention. What she created was a space as functional as it is beautiful, down to the smallest details, for a family of four with two teenage boys.
The scullery has a beverage fridge for grab-and-go wine, storage for glassware and counter space to prepare and serve drinks
The dining room is color-drenched in SherwinWilliams Stardew blue and features a Marjorie Chandelier in resin-coated banana bark from Made Goods. The painting is by Libby Smart.
“Her style is very intentional,” Adler says of the homeowner. “She does not like a lot of color. She gravitated to blues and greens, but I was able to get more color in certain areas. But she really likes things to be organized, clean and pretty, but not frilly— somewhat traditional, but not in a dated way, just more of an updated traditional.”
Adler, architect Karen Barton and the homeowner worked hand in hand to customize the kitchen down to the spice pullout and drawer dividers for pots and pans. The homeowner asked to have all electrical outlets hidden from view, and even a paper towel holder hidden with the double trash bins in a drawer.
“She was hugely involved in this process, which I loved, because she was good at giving me the information I needed,” Adler says. “We got intentional with all of her cabinets, everything that’s behind them and inside of them, and how she wanted them divided.”
Adler suggested using smart technology to control the lighting throughout the house, as well as some window treatments.
“It’s nice when you have such a big open space and a room with layered lighting,” Adler says. “If you’ve been in spaces where you wonder where the switch is to this or the switch to that, at some point, you max out; there are too many switches. They thought it was cool and nice to have that extra functionality.”
The design includes a scullery between the kitchen and dining room, where a coffee station was built into a cabinet with drawers underneath for coffee mugs and condiments.
When it came to creating a breakfast nook, making a custom design for the homeowners meant making it personal. After removing a bay window, they created a gallery wall in its place, featuring an array of artwork tracing their family story.
“She loved things to be personalized,” Adler says. “Every piece of artwork was in some way customized, whether we reframed it or re-matted something older that was sentimental to her. We had four or five different commissions painted.”
Christine Dryden painted an interpretation of a photo at sunset at their mountain home. Anna Jarrell painted their family portrait. And Candace Greer painted a
“When it came to creating a breakfast nook, making a custom design for the homeowners meant making it personal. After removing a bay window, they created a gallery wall in its place, featuring an array of artwork tracing their family story.”
watercolor of the logo for Cosmic Cantina, a Mexican restaurant the homeowner used to frequent while at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While Adler says incorporating a painting of a neon sign had its challenges, it turned out to be the perfect complement to the framed print of a Tabasco Sauce bottle his wife had in the kitchen where she grew up.
Highland House table is paired with Redford House chairs and a custom corner bench. The gallery wall, with artwork framed by Campania Fine Molding, combines childhood items and original art.
Extended pantry space allows storage and functionality. The drawer under the coffee station contains mugs and condiments. The geometric vertical tile backsplash is by Walker Zanger.
Harkey fabricated the custom floating vanity with decorative splash and integrated sink. Floral wallpaper by Lewis & Wood.
To help create flow from the living room to the covered porch, architect Karen Barton incorporated ceiling beams as well as sliding doors that recess into the walls on either side and have a flush track for a smooth transition between the spaces
A covered porch featuring a stacked stone fireplace extends to the outdoor patio, creating ideal space for indoor/outdoor entertaining. The patio features a louvered pivot door for both access and privacy.
Adler credits the team at Campania Fine Molding, which helped with framing, matting and balancing the look of the artwork.
“We spent hours and hours on that,” Adler says. “We figured out how to use matting and different frames to make it feel curated and not cookie-cutter, like you bought this in a kit. Although some pieces were new, they all have some nostalgic feel, and they’re put together as one story.”
The room in the house that combined functionality, entertainment and wow factor was the wine room. The homeowners had the idea to convert a buffet under the stairs and a utility closet behind it into a wine room. Adler’s design helped make it a showstopper. She incorporated the stairs into the design and used cutting-edge technology to log their wine library.
“They have this app that tells you where every single bottle of wine is, who gave it to them,” Adler says. “You can see exactly how many bottles of wine you have and if you’re getting low.”
The wine room is framed by an arched glass wall shared with the living room, making it a part of the primary entertaining space. Its wood trim complements natural touches throughout the home Adler added to remind the family of their vacation home in the mountains.
“It’s such a beautiful backdrop,” Adler says. “On the other side [of the living room], they have big sliders opening up to a beautiful porch. On this side, they have this eye candy, which is really cool.”
Architect Karen Barton converted the utility closet and buffet under the living room stairs into a showstopping wine room. It is temperature-controlled with all wood floors and shelving. It is equipped with an iPad to keep an itemized wine inventory.
Feminine touches create softness in the primary suite, including a tufted headboard from Vanguard, skirting detail of the chair and the curved arms of the ottoman bench
Styled by Brooke Adler
Primary bathroom chandelier by Currey & Co. The shower was squared off, and the knee wall was added to hide the niche and products.
Decorative splash accents a marble slab from Walker Zanger that was fabricated by Harkey. Cabinetry is lit from the bottom and features pullouts for hot tools.
BREAD, PIE AND SOUTHERN PRIDE
ARTICLE BY ALLIE PAPAJOHN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY HADLEY HENRY
Kudzu
Bakery & Market makes its Charlotte debut
Andrew and Shelley Verhagen’s journey to opening Kudzu Bakery & Market in Charlotte technically started three years ago. But if you look a little deeper, the journey began much further back.
“I quite literally grew up on Kudzu,” says Shelley. “It opened two years after I was born.”
Shelley, originally from Georgetown, S.C., has lifelong memories of the concept created by Joey and Stacy Rabon, who opened the first Kudzu in downtown Georgetown in 1989. Andrew, too, remembers his first Kudzu experience: biting into a Kudzu Bakery muffin from a gift basket when he was around 12 years old.
Kudzu has since relocated to Litchfield Beach (just 30 minutes from its former home in Georgetown) and opened in Mt. Pleasant and Columbia, S.C. as well. Now, thanks to the Verhagens, Charlotte has the first one in North Carolina.
LOCATION
The Verhagens approached the Rabons about opening a location in the Queen City three years ago. After signing the agreement as licensees of the brand, they searched for the perfect location.
“It took us over a year to find the right space because it was important to us that we got it in the right spot,” says Shelley.
Shelley and Andrew Verhagen
That spot is in the Park Square Shopping Center in the Dilworth neighborhood, where part of Tuesday Morning used to reside.
THE GOODS
For those new to Kudzu, think of it as a “dinner party one-stop shop,” Andrew says. Hand-crafted wooden shelves are lined with market items like jams, jellies, pickles, rice, grits and jarred sauces. The freezers are stocked with take-and-bake comfort foods, from chicken pot pie to half-baked cheese biscuits, plus appetizers and sides. Inside the refrigerators, you’ll find shrimp salad, chicken salad, canned drinks and white wine. Kitchen essentials like Smithey cast iron, wooden bowls and drinkware, plus grab-and-go gifts are also plentiful.
“The whole concept for Kudzu is to make it easy [to enjoy] meals at home,” says Andrew. “You can come in and get a frozen meal for take-and-bake, but also wine to go with it, cookware, bread for sandwiches and dessert.”
While the kitchen recipes come straight from the Kudzu brand book, the couple is keen on making sure the market feels local, too. They keep products on the shelves from Charlotte-based companies like Piedmont Pennies, Queen City Crunch, Sweets Elderberry Syrup and Crown Town Frosé.
“That was important for us—to support the local community,” says Shelley.
The convenience of Kudzu continues for the lunch crowd. Simple sandwiches made with Boar’s Head Deli meats and house recipe cold salads (on freshly baked bread, of course) fill a section of the refrigerator. Customers can grab a sandwich, chips, cookie and drink for only $10, available every day.
MADE FRESH DAILY
When it comes to sweets and doughy delights, Kudzu means business. The pastry case is full of cakes, cookies, pies and breakfast baked goods, all made fresh daily. Loyal Kudzu shoppers will tell you the key lime pie is a staple, and the bread—whether it’s buttermilk white, honey whole wheat, or French bread—is an absolute must-have. The bread often sells out before midday. Some sweet treats and breads rotate by season, as Kudzu aims to offer only the freshest products.
“The Kudzu way is to sell out every day,” says Andrew.
The Verhagens aim to impress first-time Kudzu visitors and seasoned shoppers alike.
“We’re trying to stay as [similar to the location in] Litchfield as possible,” says Shelley. “We want people to come in here and think, ‘This tastes and feels like the original.’”
Cookies
Key lime pie
Comfort Food
How Chef Sam Diminich is nourishing Charlotte’s mental health community, one meal at a time
ARTICLE BY CARROLL WALTON
Chef Sam Diminich
Photo by Amanda Anderson
When people in the health and wellness industry talk about “food as medicine,” they are often referring to healthy choices at the table: eating fruits and vegetables to prevent diabetes, cutting out red dye to control ADHD, or limiting cholesterol to promote heart health. But for Chef Sam Diminich, preparing and serving healthy farm-totable meals means even more.
Yes, he is one of Charlotte’s hottest chefs, thriving at his Restaurant Constance in Wesley Heights and his catering business, Your Farms Your Table. Yes, he’s appeared on Food Network twice and “Beat Bobby Flay” with his lobster risotto. And yes, he used to fuel former Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey as his personal chef.
But it’s in Diminich’s work serving meals to patients and staff at HopeWay, a nonprofit behavioral and mental health treatment facility in South Charlotte, that Diminich believes his most meaningful cooking is done.
“It’s essentially a restaurant where we serve our most important meals,” Diminich says.
Three meals per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, Diminich and his staff serve HopeWay patients, who suffer from anxiety to depression, bipolar disorder to schizophrenia, eating disorders to addiction. He does it with a knowing compassion. Diminich spent 30 years battling alcohol and drug addiction. He was in and out of rehabilitation centers.
“I knew if I poured my heart and soul into this food, I could make an impact on people,” Diminich says.
Photo courtesy of HopeWay
Photo courtesy of HopeWay
He remembers being in places where it felt like food was an afterthought, something out of the freezer or a can. He remembers how different it felt to be served freshly-prepared meals.
“Being in treatment centers, you feel so isolated and so alone, like the walls are completely closing in,” Diminich says. “When I was at Hope Valley in Dobson, it would be time for supper, and it was the best food. It was all country cooking. I remember looking down and knowing that whoever made this cared, and I didn’t feel alone. I didn’t feel isolated. I didn’t feel like the walls were closing in anymore. For that 30 or 45 minutes, I had reprieve from all the pain and suffering I was feeling.”
Dr. Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei, founding CEO and Chief Medical Officer of HopeWay, said while looking to improve their meal service, a HopeWay team member thought of Diminich. She knew of his restaurant and his appearance on Bobby Flay. She e-mailed him.
“It was a Hail Mary,” Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei says. “She didn’t even think he would respond, and he responded immediately and said he was interested. We met and shared our vision for what food as medicine would look like in our organization. It’s been a no-brainer ever since.”
HopeWay went from using a national food vendor to a third-generation chef from Myrtle Beach, who started washing dishes and bussing tables as a kid in his grandfather’s Italian restaurant called Roma.
“I knew if I poured my heart and soul into this food, I could make an impact on people,” Diminich says.
He does it with humility and understanding. He’s been through highs and lows. He went from winning a scholarship to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York and working at some of the top restaurants in town to being homeless and living on the streets in West Charlotte, not far from the Restaurant Constance.
Entertain
Confidence
He knows what it feels like to be at a crossroads of what he calls “desperation and willingness” and how hard it can be to accept help.
“He and his staff know the clients by their first name,” Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei says. “They know who has dietary issues and allergies. And it’s a social time where people can let down their guards and enjoy being in a healthy space and eating together. And the food is so good that now the staff is eating here. They’re in the dining hall with our clients.”
For clients at HopeWay, treatment is voluntary, and Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei said one told her the only reason he stayed when he first arrived last winter was the food.
“Being in treatment is hard,” she says. “He told me the only reason he stayed that weekend when we started was because of the food. Then he actually stayed the entire time and got well.”
Diminich prepares nearly 100 meals per day for those in all levels of care. And in October he will begin making specialized meals for patients with eating disorders.
“He has empathy,” Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei says. “He understands the needs of the patients. He doesn’t get upset when there are 18 different dietary requests. He understands these folks are sick, and they need anything we can do to help them in their recovery process. Healthy nutrition is a huge pillar of what we do here.”
Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei is leading a panel discussion at HopeWay’s annual educational event on Oct. 16. This year’s theme is “Food as Medicine.” The panel will include former President of the American Psychiatric Association Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan, Registered Dietitian Ellen Jones and Diminich, or “Chef Sam,” as he’s affectionately known around HopeWay.
“Having this compassion behind Chef Sam’s cooking really does help build trust as we’re building the therapeutic process with our patients,” Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei says.
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A SELECTION OF UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
THROUGH OCTOBER 26TH
Wicked
The Broadway sensation and threetime Tony Award-winning “Wicked” is at Blumenthal Performing Arts’ Belk Theater through October 26. “Wicked” is the untold story of the witches of Oz, long before Dorothy enters the picture. The story traces the remarkable odyssey of how two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
OCTOBER 2ND – 5TH
Disney On Ice 2025
Bojangles Coliseum
The latest Disney on Ice show features more than 50 Disney characters, including new ones from Moana 2 and Anxiety from Inside Out 2 Sing along to Disney hits like “Let It Go” from Frozen, “Try Everything” from Zootopia, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto, and “Get Lost” from Moana 2. Watch world-class skaters bring Disney magic to life.
OCTOBER 4TH, 5TH, 11TH, 12TH, 18TH, 19TH, 25TH, 26TH AND NOVEMBER 1ST, 2ND, 8TH, 9TH, 15TH, 16TH, 22ND, 23RD Carolina
Renaissance Festival 16445 Poplar Tent Road. Huntersville
The Carolina Renaissance Festival returns to Huntersville each Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 23. It is a medieval amusement park complete with rides, outdoor stages for comedy, theater, circus entertainments, music and more, and 120 vendors, selling craft jewelry, costumes, soaps, essential oils and more. It’s rain or shine from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Parking is free.
We welcome Dr. Euphemia Mu, a board-certified, fellowship-trained Mohs Surgeon, to our incredible dermatology team. Dr. Mu has extensive experience in minimally-invasive, tissue-sparing surgical removal of skin cancers and facial reconstructions.
Euphemia Mu, MD
Serena Weidner NP-C
Natalie Vincent, MD
Heather Caley-Dyer Licensed Aesthetician
Jennifer Nguyen, MD
Laura Smith, PA
Fall Dream Home Into Your
CONTINUED
OCTOBER 4TH
Phillips Place Fall Market & Shopping Stroll
6800 Phillips Place Court | 10:00 AM
Celebrate fall at Phillips Place on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy exclusive shopping promotions, in-store experiences, and local artisan vendors alongside a festive pumpkin patch. Stroll the sidewalks, savor food and drink tastings, and listen to live acoustic music. Family fun includes a children’s craft corner, seasonal activations, and more.
OCTOBER 17TH – 19TH
Carolina BalloonFest
260 Hangar Drive, Statesville | 3:00 PM
This is the 50th year of Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville. It’s the second oldest hot air balloon festival in the country behind the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which is three years older. The festival features breathtaking balloon competitions, mass ascensions, and evening glows along with live entertainment, a kids’ zone, marketplace and artisan village, and wine and craft beer garden. events
OCTOBER 23RD
Carolina Charm: “Reality
TV Meets Real Impact”
701 Keswick Ave. No. 110 | 7:00 PM
Hosted by Southern Charm’s Shep Rose and Austen Kroll, this girls’ night out blends celebrity, cocktails, and purpose, benefiting fertility preservation for kids with rare cancers. VIP and General Admission options available. Tables and tickets are limited. Secure your spot at Carolina-charm.com.
Nicole L. Bolick, MD, MPH, MS
Heal Joint Pain Without Surgery
ARTICLE BY ALLIE PAPAJOHN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARMATAUN PRODUCTIONS
IF YOU EAT ONE THING
Named after the three-ingredient cocktail, Spaghett is finally open in the historic Young Morrison House, serving hand-crafted pasta and thoughtful drinks. The concept is part of Chef Sam Hart’s Irreverently Refined Hospitality restaurant group. Chef Kendall Moore leads the kitchen and Executive Bar Director Amanda Britton curates the cocktail menu. One of many highlights on their opening menu is the potato gnocchi arrabbiata, a dish featuring fluffy ricotta gnocchi doused in a classic Italian tomato-based sauce with a kick.
THE INSPIRATION
“The inspiration behind this dish, and our food at large, is our produce,” says Moore. “We serve it through the lens of Italian food and the way your grandmother would cook for you.”
THE INGREDIENTS
What makes this gnocchi dish, Moore says, are fresh ingredients like tomatoes and potatoes from FreshList, farm-fresh eggs and flour from South Carolina. The little slivers of jalapeño topping the sauce add a fresh and spicy bite, while the basil leaves help cool it down. A side order of focaccia bread is recommended to help sop up the sauce.
THE EVOLUTION
Love a dish at Spaghett? Don’t get too attached; the team’s emphasis on local ingredients means dishes are subject to change with the season. “I’m looking ahead to the red kuri squash that will be available soon to see how the dish will change,” says Moore. No doubt the next variation of gnocchi at Spaghett will be one not to miss.
HANDMADE GNOCCHI SHINES AT NEWLY OPENED SPAGHETT
potato gnocchi arrabbiata
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