Midtown Magazine

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PETS in the

City

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2017

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A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Publisher Ronny Stephens Advertising Sales Charis Painter | Ashley Carter | Mark Holmes Creative Director Lori Lay Graphic Design Jennifer Heinser Social Media & Marketing Coordinator Brittany Murdock Contributing Writers Steven Major | Dave Droschak | Julie Johnson Ruhama Wolle | Bryan C. Reed | Kurt Dusterberg Carla Turchetti | Jenni Hart | Frank Harmon Valerie Troupe | Carol Wills | Corbie Hill Cheryl Capaldo Traylor | Jane Porter David Fellerath | Michael Gallo | Sean Lennard Latisha Catchitoorian

M

idtown launched over a decade ago, and I have enjoyed my role behind the scenes as the Raleigh area – and our publication – have grown and evolved. As we search for our next editor, I want to take the opportunity to thank our readers and advertisers. We appreciate that you point us to the local stories that need to be told, retailers and businesses that have earned your loyalty, and the many events and attractions that make living here so fun and fulfilling.

Our annual City Guide offers insight into the character and innovation that keep Raleigh in the running for its many awards and accolades. You’ll want to keep the Fall Guide handy over the coming weeks, as Hopscotch Music Festival, SPARKcon, Wide Open Bluegrass, the North Carolina State Fair and Triangle Oktoberfest showcase a variety of cultural experiences and performances you won’t want to miss. We’ve also listed live theater performances, film screenings, and art and craft markets to keep you connected to the creative side of life.

Sustainability is more than a buzzword for local planners, engineers and organizations. In Green Initiatives, we look at efforts to manage stormwater, encourage pollinators, and make buildings more environmentally sound through LEED compliance. And speaking of buildings, Raleigh Repurposed proves

Photography Davies Photography | Joe Reale F8 Photo Studios | Raleigh Food Pics

that good bones and an appreciation for architectural history can be an unbeatable combination.

After another steamy North Carolina summer, it’s time to take advantage of the cooler weather with a dose of outdoor therapy. Our article titled Feeling Stressed explains the difference between mindfulness and meditation, and offers simple tips for reducing stress and improving your health without a big time commitment. Chances are, you’re just minutes away from one of the quiet, leafy sanctuaries we recommend.

Pets are also proven stress relievers, and our article on Retrieving Hearts of Raleigh shines a light on the remarkable work of founder Catherine Guy, whose animal-assisted therapy services bring comfort to children, seniors and health care patients throughout the Triangle.

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, so please send us your comments and suggestions.

Ronny

Wishing you the best of early fall,

Distribution Manager Joe Lizana Midtown Magazine is published six times annually. Any reproduction in part or in whole of any part of this publication is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.

Midtown Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or art. Unsolicited material is welcome and is considered intended for publication. Such material will become the property of the magazine and will be subject to editing. Material will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Midtown Magazine will not knowingly accept any real estate advertising in violation of US equal opportunity law.

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RONNY STEPHENS Publisher

Your opinions matter to us. Let us know what you think of this issue of Midtown Magazine.

Please email info@midtownmag.com with your comments. www.midtownmag.com

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S EPTEM BER/ OCTOBER

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features 80 RALEIGH: BEHIND THE ACCOLADES We know how great Raleigh is, but what makes it so?

84 SUMMER IN THE PARK

Catch a glimpse of what’s in store for the 308-acre Dorothea Dix Park.

89 TOP 10 EVENTS UNIQUE TO RALEIGH SPARKcon, Kirby Derby, the Annual Capitol Oyster Roast – just a few highlights of what not to miss!

94 FALL ARTS PREVIEW

Pop-up markets, Festivals, theater, dance, live music, film and more!

100 RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER

A favorite destination for folks who aren’t shy about sharing their interests and talents.

104 RALEIGH GOES GREEN

From the sunflower field off the Neuse River trail to solar powered cell phone chargers, Raleigh is doing some cool things to be green.

112 CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS

Feeling stressed? Take five and go outside. Here are some peaceful places to clear your mind.

20 | midtownmag.com

116

PETS IN THE CITY Read all about Gerti (pictured) at Raleigh Vintage and other pets we find at local businesses!

PHOTO BY JOE REALE

contents

contents S EPTEM BER/ OCTOBER

20 17

PHOTO BY JOE REALE

departments 26 ON THE SCENE 36 BEER & BARREL 38 CLOSE TO HOME 40 FINANCIAL FOCUS 44 GIVING BACK 46 THE INTERVIEW 50 RAISING THE BAR 52 SUNDAY SUPPER 56 FOODIE FOCUS 58 UNCORKED 60 STYLE LINE 64 HOMESTYLER 68 MINDING YOUR BUSINESS 70 TASTES OF THE CITY 72 HEALTHY YOU 134 DINING GUIDE 142 MIDTOWN DOWNTOWN 151 OUT & ABOUT

2017

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162 EVERYDAY PLACES

STYLE LINE FALL FASHION

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PETS in the

City

SPECIAL THANKS TO DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL COVER PHOTO. FEATURING CATHERINE GUY OF RETREIVING HEARTS.

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WHAT’S UP? In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been busy getting social.

You may have even seen Brittany out and about!

Did you SEE her photo of the Fresh Berry Tall Cake from The Cowfish in North Hills?

Reposted by @Raleighfoodpics, @thecowfishbb and @visitnorthhills

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The scene

on

TASTE

More Than Just a Pretty Face VIDRIO’S AMORTENTIA PLEASES THE EYES AND TASTEBUDS ALIKE

By Steven Major | Photo by Davies Photography COCKTAILS IN THE AMERICAN BAR scene are not what they were ten years ago.

Bright green Appletinis and fluorescent pink Cosmos are a thing of the past; as out of place now as shoulder pads were at the start of the millennium. In their place, craft cocktails have found growing popularity, so much so that it is hard to find a new restaurant that doesn’t have a collection of signature drinks that are as carefully constructed as the entrees. As with all things that are newly pervasive in culture, there is much for the uninitiated to roll their eyes at. Suspender-clad bartenders filling glasses with oversized pieces of ice chipped from a glacial mass from behind the bar can seem like a bit much. Does the ice shape really matter?

The answer is yes, sometimes, but

26 | midtownmag.com

even if it’s just for the sake of appearance, aesthetics also matter; your Negroni won’t taste any better if you leave the orange rind in after squeezing the oils into the drink, but the orange with the bright red are pleasing to the eye, and you don’t need to be Oscar Wilde to appreciate art for the sake of art. But while the speakeasies of the 1920s were the inspiration for many of the establishments that pioneered the transformation of the American bar scene, signature drinks in a more modern setting are also available. A stunning example is the Amortentia, one of Ahmed Hasan’s creations for downtown Raleigh’s new upscale eatery, Vidrio.

Named for a love potion, the Amortentia combines a stunningly beautiful and color-changing aesthetic

with a delicious combination of flavors that leaves one torn between staring at it and drinking it. Hasan, Vidrio’s Beverage Director, infuses gin with butterfly pea blossom tea, giving it an earthy flavor and also a naturally vibrant blue coloration. To this, he adds Chartreuse for a little bit of spice and a lemon-elderflower foam. The result is a uniquely delectable beverage.

The visual effect of the cocktail is even more stunning. The tea is halochromic, meaning that it changes color with changes in acidity. As a result, the cocktail slowly fades from blue to fuchsia as the lemon in the foam reacts with the gin. The effect is remarkable and happens slowly, so you’ll have to drink it slowly to appreciate the full effect – easier said than done.

The scene

on

MUA & STYLIST: @RU_HAMA PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICE + OLIVIA

STYLE

Art Instills

ENGAGING WITH A GOOD WORK OF ART

By Ruhama Wolle FOR MANY, ART IS UNDEFINABLE. Leaving the answer to the beholder.

But for certainty, art instills. It generates a myriad of emotions that connect one’s senses, body, and mind. For some the feelings are rather quick, while others’ responses are more elaborate. Holistically this felt 28 | midtownmag.com

felling may spur further thinking, engagement and even action.

This year, a floor-skimming skirt has the fashion world in awe. The Alice + Olivia A-line skirt from the 2017 resort collection stole the show.

With its vivid colors and graffiti-esque painting, the silk skirt carries itself like

a piece of art. The secret? Jean-Michel Basquiat. Alice + Olivia’s founder Stacey Bendet took the term “art” to new levels as she collaborated with none other than the late American artist Jean-Michael Basquiat. The collection is characterized by expressive textural pieces, epitomizing any woman who’s lucky enough to be enveloped in the whimsical craftsmanship.

Jean-Michel Basquiat was a force as he earned his recognition in the art world before the age of 27. His array of work is reflective of Roman history, Greek mythology, and African culture. Elements of his iconic works can be seen throughout the collection of apparel and accessories, which range in price from $150-$1,295, each reflective of a different piece of Basquiat’s works. Not only does the Alice + Olivia brand pay homage to artists such as Basquiat, but also helps to reconnect the arts with a concern for social equality, individual expression, and participatory democracy. Bendet and her team give 50% of the proceeds to the Council of Fashion Designers of America in an effort to promote young talent. In a world that’s filled with information overload, Bendet’s collaboration seeks to encourage artists to cherish intuition, uncertainty, and creativity; in order to break rules and approach contemporary issues in an unorthodox fashion.

And if you’re on the hunt to get a hold of this limited edition piece, dress is your pot of gold. Raleigh’s upscale boutique with two locations (Wade Avenue and Six Forks Road), offers designer resale at a fraction of the retail cost. Currently the skirt is priced at $850, an ultimate ensemble for any upcoming fall and winter festivities. So be sure to stop by and browse their inventory of luxury brands and maybe you’ll be the lucky patron of the “In Italian” Basquiat skirt.

At the end of the day, art does not show people what to do, yet engaging with a good work of art can connect us.

Most of us know the feeling of being moved by a work of art, whether it is a song, a play, a poem, a novel, or even a painting. By doing this, art can mitigate and motivate people to turn thinking into doing. Alice + Olivia does just that by working with artists, to strengthen the success of future leaders. Next year she’ll team up with another artist, but it will be tough to beat Basquiat.

The scene

on

THE MAHLER FINE ART | 228 FAYETTEVILLE STREET 919.896.7503 | THEMAHLERFINEART.COM

ARTS

The Mahler BRINGING LOCAL ARTISTS AND THE RALEIGH COMMUNITY TOGETHER

By Brittany Murdock | Photos courtesy of The Mahler Fine Art FOR 33 YEARS, THE MAHLER HAS become part of the neighborhood in downtown Raleigh, bringing some of the finest local and regional art to the city.

Now in its fourth location, they bring a high level of commitment to Raleigh.

Long before construction began to make Raleigh what it is today, The Mahler found downtown Raleigh to be home, and they don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Over the years, The Mahler has come to wear many hats. It’s an exhibition space, a commercial gallery, and a host for charitable work and political events. You can find mostly regional artists in their gallery, with a majority of the artists from North Carolina and several of them local to the Triangle area.

“Local has been our focus, and it’s 30 | midtownmag.com

worked for us,” says Shawn Brewster, Associate Director and Curator. “When we work with corporate clients, they like to look at North Carolina talent and we like to support that.”

The Mahler has completed several projects throughout the years, including the North Carolina State Bar and the new North Carolina Heart & Vascular Hospital. Artwork for the hospital was funded from donors across the state, and The Mahler was in charge of filling the public spaces with original artwork and sculptures.

“You’ll find there is a great amount of generosity in this state,” says Brewster. “It’s so fulfilling to work on a project like that. To have donors from all over the state who felt as though it was important to have good art in the hospital is incredible.”

As each project begins and ends, The Mahler continues to stay busy.

Their next big opening is in September and will feature Marvin Saltzman. A former faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 29 years, he has taught and mentored so many wonderful students, many going on to have successful artistic careers themselves.

Marvin’s show, “Places”, will open Thursday, September 7th and run through October 7th. He will also hold a talk on September 13th starting at 6:30pm. His show will consist of 14 colorful and abstract paintings as well as numerous drawings.

With The Mahler supporting so many local artists and their artwork, downtown Raleigh is truly lucky to have it as part of the neighborhood for 33 years.

The scene

on

RALEIGH’S DEMON EYE DEMONEYEOFFICIAL.COM

Keep On Moving THE HEAVY METAL TRADITIONALISTS IN RALEIGH’S DEMON EYE TAKE A NEW APPROACH IN CRAFTING THEIR THIRD AND FINEST ALBUM

By Bryan C. Reed | Photo courtesy of Demon Eye/Soulseller Records THE THIRD ALBUM IS ALWAYS A tricky one. It’s often when artists start pushing against the confines of the molds they’ve created for themselves, trying to stretch their sound without abandoning it.

For Raleigh’s Demon Eye, that was at the forefront in crafting their third album, the driving Prophecies and Lies. “I feel like we tried some new things, but not to the point where people are going to think, ‘Oh, this is their progressive album, or they’re doing their arty psychedelic album,’” says frontman Erik Sugg. “It was all about finding that balance.”

Part of the new album’s sound came from changing the process. Where songs on previous Demon Eye albums, 2014’s Leave the Light and 2015’s Tempora Infernalia, had been written largely by individual members, Prophecies and Lies took a more collaborative approach.

Sugg recalls an evening on tour between North Carolina and New England when he and guitarist Larry Burlison and bassist Paul Walz crowded into a hotel room and started jamming on acoustic guitars. “That ended up being the seminal songwriting moment of the album,” Sugg says.

The chemistry and spontaneity of 32 | midtownmag.com

the jam session is palpable on the record.

Balancing the band’s strength of big riffs and bigger hooks with psychedelic flourishes and occasional flashes of thrash metal intensity, Prophecies and Lies becomes the band’s most dynamic and engaging outing to date.

It’s the next step in a steady evolution for the traditionalist hard rock band.

Demon Eye has never denied its reverence for the classic bands that inspired it.

Sugg, Burlison, Walz, and drummer Bill Eagen started playing together as Corvette Summer, a cover band specializing in ‘70s hard rock and proto-metal. That band offered the quartet of lifelong musicians, all in their early 40s with careers and families to consider, a reprieve from the major-label ambitions and constant touring of past efforts.

When they began incorporating original songs into the mix, the band took its new name from a Deep Purple song.

The nascent Demon Eye gained early acclaim for its succinct and thorough integration of influences, something that went well beyond mere mimicry and focused instead on the riff-forward songcraft that made the music immortal.

Built from heavy, ominous riffing, deep grooves and big hooks, Demon Eye mined a fertile middle ground between Black Sabbath doom and Blue Cheer hard rock.

The band’s success has been modest, but steady. They’re regularly invited to play mid-sized festivals and have spent much of 2016 touring the country.

European label Soulseller Records signed the band to release Tempora Infernalia and Prophecies and Lies. “Each record has given us a little bit more of a signal boost,” Sugg says. “For a band in this day and age, you can’t really ask for much more than that.”

That, too, Sugg says, is largely a product of balance. “It may not be the most rock ‘n’ roll answer, but in all honestly, I think it’s easier for us now,” Sugg says. “The fact that we kind of built up these situations in our personal lives where we have significant others, we have wives at home and lives at home, and jobs that grant us a certain amount of comfort that we may not have had when we were younger. That kind of makes it easier to be in a band. It’s not cool to say your librarian job helps you afford your rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, but it kinda does.”

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The scene

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NCFC PLAYER MATT FONDY HANDS OUT DONATED SPIKES TO REFUGEES (TOP) AND TRANSPORTS DONATED FOOD AND WATER (BELOW) TO RECENT CLINIC.

SPORTS

Lending a Helping Hand – or Foot NCFC SOCCER PLAYER EMBRACES LOCAL REFUGEES Story and Photos By Dave Droschak NORTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL CLUB forward Matt Fondy considers himself blessed to have been raised in an upper middle class family south of San Francisco. And his soccer journeys have included a United Soccer League MVP award – even a brief stint in Major League Soccer.

It seems as if the 28-year-old Fondy has led a charmed life. So, why is Fondy spending some valuable offtime on Sundays this fall to organize a series of clinics for young refugees, a group of somewhat lost souls who have settled in the Triangle area from countries such as Peru, The Congo, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq?

“It is 100 percent rewarding,” Fondy said. “I was raised to show how fortunate I was. I wouldn’t say it was 34 | midtownmag.com

hammered into my head, but I would say my parents and my family had empathy for others and were interested in other cultures, so growing up I wasn’t as sheltered as some people.

“I want to put my position as an athlete to good use,” he added.

“Soccer and sports in general are somewhat international, so I can reach people in these communities, and I’m grateful for that.”

Fondy contacted the Raleigh branch of the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants last season in an effort to launch the clinics, but the effort fizzed.

Not discouraged, Fondy was able to begin a series of camps in North Raleigh for kids ages seven to sixteen this summer.

He uses NCFC equipment manager Youssef Dahouz, who from Morocco and

speaks four languages, to help facilitate conversation, and some of his NCFC teammates as hosts. The first clinic was held in a rain storm, and more than 20 kids showed up to kick balls and run through drills – and, as Fondy says, just smile with each other.

Scott Phillips, the local Field Office Director for the USCRI, said Fondy and his Raleigh staff have been fortunate as several companies have donated food, water and soccer equipment for the clinics. One child of a volunteer even helped get jerseys, shorts, cleats and gloves donated for about 50 kids.

“I’m a native North Carolinian and it really warms my soul when I see people, corporations, and organizations coming out of the woodwork to say ‘We want to make sure this is a welcoming

2017

community,’” Phillips said. “This is really a concrete example of that.

The refugee kids see the media, they see what’s in the news, they hear what people are saying, and this is a good opportunity for them to know that somebody has their back.”

The USCRI helps the refugees get settled and acclimated to the area, and the kids begin taking English classes. But Fondy says a lot of the time their immediate community is made up of people from their country, or other refugees.

“So the language barrier can be extremely high, and they end up just having their own lives in that community and don’t really know much about North Carolina or the United States in general,” he said.

“It’s important to integrate them into the community, and I think this is a good way to do it. Soccer kind of transcends all languages.

“I’ve been trying to put myself in their shoes,” Fondy added. “I am a pretty avid reader, and I started reading about these countries and kind of what they go through. Some of their plights are pretty amazing.”

The clinics are scheduled through late October. Anyone who wants to donate food and beverages or products, can reach out to Fondy at matt.fondy@gmail.com.

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beer& barrel

The Triumph and Confusion of India Pale Ale

BY JULIE JOHNSON

MANY MYTHS HAVE ATTACHED TO INDIA PALE ALE, THE BEER style credited with refreshing British troops in colonial India. But the undisputed triumph of India pale ale has been here in the United States; IPA passed its smaller sibling, pale ale, as the most popular craft beer style several years ago, and is well on its way to comprising one-third of craft sales.

36 | midtownmag.com

In the hands of American brewers, IPAs are characterized by higher alcohol levels than the pale lagers they supplanted, as well as pronounced hop character. As craft beer grew in popularity, American fans seemed to have an unquenchable thirst for rising levels of strength and bitterness (the quality most associated with hops).

The beers grew bigger and, frankly, more out of whack for the traditional style parameters, until the first IPA “spin-off” was born in the mid-nineties: imperial or double IPA (DIPA). Many North Carolina brewers offer their take on these huge beers, the best of which are rich sippers that share qualities with barleywine. Seeing Double IPA from Foothills in Winston-Salem is a great example that balances assertive bitterness with deep citrus flavors and intense pine.

The infatuation with ever-stronger beer led to the logical reaction: low alcohol, or “session beer,” meant to be consumed in greater quantity

over a long evening. But isn’t a session IPA just a good old fashioned pale ale with a marketing makeover? Not, it seems, if the hop qualities retain IPA-like intensity. At under 5% alcohol, Highland’s Daycation is an exercise in pale ale-like balance; while Aviator’s Chop Shop Session IPA delivers a whole flower shop of hop aroma.

Sometime in the past 10 years, the restless inventiveness of American craft brewers encountered the marketing allure of India pale ale, and suddenly, the style had birthed a dozen crazy offspring.

If a beer could be tagged “Something-IPA,” the reasoning went, sales would get a boost.

As long as the beer retained a loose association with hops and their myriad flavors, it could be an IPA.

Many of the spin-offs are hybrids, including a number that should be called the oxymoronic IPAs. Ignoring the fact that the “P” stands for “pale,” brewers now present us with black IPA, an opaque, roasty style that evokes porter or stout (look for Black Hop Down from Gizmo in Raleigh, or Deep River’s Back Country Black IPA). There’s red IPA, resembling a malty amber, but – you guessed it – bitter (Dead Red IPA, Southern Pines).

Finally, there’s white IPA, often a winter seasonal, that marries IPA to a Belgian witbier, a counterintuitive match, given that witbier itself has almost no hop nature.

The infatuation with traditional Belgian styles has touched US beer culture, as well, and cross-fertilization was inevitable. Belgian beer is diverse, but one typical quality can be a spiciness from the yeast strains.

Both Belgian and American brewers have experimented with Belgian IPA. When well done, the spice complements qualities present in some hop varieties. Haw River’s Cottonblossom Farmhouse IPA successfully throws in the kitchen sink: this beer is

imperial strength at 8.5%, and it is aged in huge wooden barrels known as foeders.

Other Belgian-inspired IPAs go to the funky side, incorporating the wild yeast strain Brettanomyces to produce earthy flavors politely called “barnyard.” Brett IPA from Durham’s Durty Bull manages this balancing act.

The inspiration when hybridizing beer styles or brewing with unusual ingredients often lies in identifying a flavor already present in a traditional style, then accentuating it with new elements. Along with bitterness or pineyness, hops can add fruity qualities. Hints of grapefruit, apricot, or pineapple have been boosted with additions of the real thing to fruit IPAs. One of the most harmonious additions is orange: blood orange, specifically, features in Big Boss’ High Roller IPA.

Rye can accent the dry finish (check Tarboro’s First Ryed Rye IPA); oatmeal can contribute silkiness to the mouthfeel (as in Oatmeal IPA from Mother Earth).

Finally, the regional darling that has craft beer folk divided.

With few exceptions, a finished beer should be sparkling clear in the glass; it “drops bright,” as a brewer friend proudly called it. Not so the New England IPA, which is as murky as an Orange Julius. Most often, the flavor is described as “juicy,” referring to the tropical hints of passion fruit, melon, and tangerine from the hops.

The hazy appearance can be the result of heavy dry-hopping (late addition of hops), or suspended protein and yeast, which give a creamier texture.

Burial’s Surf Wax NE-Style IPA is one North Carolina example.

Style names should give consumers a reasonable idea of what to expect when they select a beer. The anything-goes trend in IPAs has made that process less predictable; it also may deliver some memorable flavors for the adventurous. midtownmag.com | 37

close tohome

The Future is Now IT’S HAPPENING QUIETLY INSIDE A BRICK BUILDING ON SIX FORKS ROAD.

BY CARLA TURCHETTI | PHOTO BY DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

A dedicated team of educators and administrators is hard at work building innovators who will change the world. Learning for the 21st century and beyond is happening right now inside Carroll Middle School.

38 | midtownmag.com

IT WAS BACK IN THE 1960s THAT THE FIRST STUDENTS entered the doors at Carroll, then a junior high school. Those students might be surprised to return today and find out what goes on inside a modern magnet school with a curriculum theme based around Leadership in Technology. Students here are in sixth, seventh and eighth grades, and each one has a school-issued iPad. There’s an Innovation Lab and a gaming room. 3-d printers, laser cutters, and Dash and Dot Robots that kids learn to code while they play. Carroll Middle School is a place where technology isn’t a separate part of education, it’s in every part of education.

“It’s just authentically integrated, and it’s a vehicle to enhance learning and teaching,” says Elizabeth MacWilliams, Principal and Lead Learner at Carroll Middle

School, and one of five finalists for 2017-18 Principal of the Year in the Wake County Public Schools. “It’s not something that is necessarily taught in isolation to our kids who were born in the digital age, and they are coming to us with skills that appear to be inherent because it’s something they have been exposed to their entire lives.”

Any parent who has ever had to ask a child to change the setting on a smartphone knows how much at-home the current generation is with devices and connections. Carroll’s Leadership in Technology magnet theme builds on the concept of STEM, emphasizing the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, while building leaders who can make a difference in a constantly changing world.

“Beyond the technology, which is important, we want to use that as a vehicle to ensure our children are problem solvers and that they are able to function in a digital world,” MacWilliams says.

Carroll students study the leadership and character development in Dr.

Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The school was the first in Wake County to embrace The Positivity Project, a school-wide initiative that teaches students how to understand, appreciate and exemplify 24 character strengths in themselves and in others. Teachers at Carroll created the curriculum for other middle schools to implement to teach about these character strengths. This is not a place where teachers stand at the front of the room lecturing and students take notes to memorize before tests.

“Our challenge-based learning work is incredible, all very relevant and real-world friendly,” MacWilliams says. “We have great community partnerships. Our students are working on community service projects and sustainability projects and thinking about their futures and how they can be focused on global sustainability.”

And since Carroll is a magnet school option for families who live beyond its base assignment neighborhoods, MacWilliams encourages parents to

take a close look at this Leadership in Technology school as an education option.

“This is transformational work – and it’s important work, and I would encourage every family to visit our school and spend time in our classrooms or contact me directly,” MacWilliams says.

“What we are doing here is incredible and doesn’t happen overnight. But 100 percent I believe this middle school is going to be the best middle school in Wake County and beyond because of the incredible work that is happening.”

MacWilliams, who has graced the pages of People Magazine with her visits to her students’ homes, is quick to praise the faculty for their work on behalf of Carroll’s student population.

“They are committed and dedicated to a vision of excellence, and I look forward to moving mountains and achieving great things and celebrating with our community in Midtown.”

And as a mother, how does MacWilliams believe her school is doing?

“The test is, would I want my child here? And the answer is yes.”

midtownmag.com | 39

financial focus

SPONSORED CONTENT

Financial Priorities HEY, I GET IT. WE’RE ALL BUSY; AND WE ALL HAVE PRIORITIES.

BY JUSTIN RUSSO, RUSSO DDS RALEIGH

That impending dental appointment is too easily out of sight, out of mind and many times down on the list of our financial priorities.

It shouldn’t be; and here’s why.

Putting off your dental appointment could mean bigger, more expensive problems down the road. What may be a painless cavity now, could turn into a root canal later. Your health is important and should never be neglected; and dental health is a big part of that. At Russo DDS, I complete thousands of cases a year from annual cleanings to full smile makeovers with porcelain veneers. During each visit I have the same conversation about how to craft a play that achieves dental health and a confident smile, while fitting within their budget.

DENTAL INSURANCE. If you have dental benefits – use 40 | midtownmag.com

them! Dental insurance companies count on making millions of dollars off of patients who never use their benefits. By actively using your dental benefits, you can help defray the costs of dental treatment.

DENTAL MEMBERSHIP. Close to 60% of the American population doesn’t have dental insurance. You may be one of them.

That should not keep you from maintaining your dental (or overall!) health. At Russo DDS, we’ve crafted dental membership plans designed to keep your health a priority, while allowing you to use the best BPA free, biocompatible, and aesthetic dental materials available.

YOUR PROVIDER MATTERS. When budgeting for the year, sometimes low cost options seem like the better route. However, the cheaper option isn’t always the best solution.

In dentistry, high-quality materials and world-class dental laboratories cost more than cheaper alternatives. This is the nature of the business world we live in. So, if you’re paying less for a product, service or procedure, it’s highly likely you’re receiving a cheap alternative or lesser quality product; or receiving product from a dental lab that outsources their work to China.

Like clockwork, I remove dozens of crowns per week from patients that were treated with a cheaper alternative ultimately leading to chronic tooth or gum infection. When thinking through your finances, put your health (& yourself!) first. Don’t neglect what matters most, your well-being. My suggestion is to educate yourself with before and after procedure photos, choose your provider wisely and weigh out all options (benefits, membership plans, financing…) before making any decisions.

financial focus

SPONSORED CONTENT

Is Your Business Ready for a 4th Quarter Win? // BY ANN CLOSE, CLOSE HR CONNECTIONS

AS WE CELEBRATE THE START OF FOOTBALL SEASON, WE know one indication we’re in the 4th quarter of a game is when coaches and players alike hold up four fingers to signify it’s the 4th quarter. It’s a reminder that it’s time to finish strong and win the game.

As we head into the 4th quarter of 2017, tackle team talent acquisition, engagement, and management responsibilities head on. Invest the time, effort, and money into building a successful team. Doing so will result in transforming a good company into a winning company.

As Bear Bryant used to say, “Tough teams win the 4th quarter.”

Is your team/business ready to win the 4th quarter of 2017?

THE 4TH QUARTER ASSESSMENT

As a business leader, your 4th quarter also means it’s time to finish strong and accomplish what you set out to accomplish. So, like a football coach, you need to take a quick assessment of the first three quarters of 2017 – both the wins and losses – and decide what game plan adjustments you need to make to your team/employees in order to finish successfully. These adjustments may also include changes to the company budget, cost reductions, profit margins, and focusing your team on the clients who truly fit your core business.

As any coach finds from season to season, team strategies change and with that some players no longer fit within the team framework. It’s important to consider the direct and indirect costs that a poor performer can have on your team and your customers: • Strain on valuable company resources – people, time, and money.

• Hardship on other team members as they attempt to pick up the slack from the under-performer.

• Turnover of valuable team members who become frustrated and burned-out, keeping in mind that replacement costs can be between 30-50% of the base salary of the open position.

• Loss of customers and/or costs related to fixing customer dissatisfaction issues.

• Legal expenses surrounding complex employee relations issues.

42 | midtownmag.com

TEAM EVALUATION So, what does team management look like for your business?

It’s taking a solid look at: • Skill gaps that might require the addition of team members.

• Nagging concerns ranging from attendance to productivity and team work to customer service issues.

• Addressing poor performers.

• Rewarding key team members.

4TH QUARTER GAME PLAN • • • • • • •

Address the issue(s).

Make necessary adjustments.

Develop/revise goals.

Communicate/document expectations.

Provide regular feedback.

Document progress.

Make the tough calls that are in the company’s best interest.

giving back

InterAct

PROVIDING SAFETY AND REBUILDING LIVES

BY CAROL WILLS | PHOTOS COURTESY OF INTERACT OF WAKE COUNTY

DOMESTIC ABUSE IS SOMETHING WE don’t like to think about. We don’t want to even imagine such a thing happening to someone we love – much less, to us. But it’s a fact that domestic abuse is a problem that isn’t going away. It is estimated that one in three women living in Wake County will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Since the opening of InterAct’s Family Safety and Empowerment Center in 2009, the demand for its services has tripled.

InterAct is a private, non-profit agency whose mission is dedicated to ending the cycle of domestic and sexual violence in Wake County. InterAct saves lives, rebuilds lives, and secures safer futures for victims and their families.

In 2009, Interact opened a Family Safety & Empowerment Center where families struggling with abuse can come and receive InterAct’s crisis intervention services. Last year, InterAct served nearly 62,000 men, women and children – 8,800 of whom

44 | midtownmag.com

were direct victims of domestic and/or sexual violence.

Christina Brewer, who is the Associate Director of Communications, focuses on fundraising and marketing/ communications. She serves as a liaison for donors, the media and the community at large.

“Nearly 13 years ago, I had the privilege of becoming involved with InterAct,” says Brewer. “Growing up in a small town and having been somewhat sheltered, I quickly realized that violence against women thrives in an environment of fear and isolation. I learned that this sort of violence was far more common than I had realized.”

“No one knew what happened in our home behind closed doors,” said one recent InterAct client. “No one knew how our two little boys hid under their beds when Daddy started yelling.

I knew I had to leave for their sake.

I called InterAct and got out. I know that with InterAct’s help, I changed the

future for my boys.”

How does InterAct save lives? By maintaining three 24-hour crisis lines and an emergency shelter for victims and survivors of violence who need immediate access to safety. Along with crisis counseling by phone, victims are assisted in planning for their immediate safety and are introduced to InterAct’s seamless continuum of care. InterAct’s eight-week residential program allows each individual to develop a safety plan.

Nationally, approximately 60 percent of all shelter residents return to their abusers; however, more than 90% of InterAct’s residents do not return.

InterAct has a full-time presence in each of Wake County’s two domestic violence courtrooms. Court advocates guide victims through the complicated legal process, providing safety planning.

Also at InterAct, victims can complete and electronically file an order of protection, have the case heard before a judge via video conference and receive a

temporary order of protection.

In addition, InterAct maintains a Solace Center, North Carolina’s first community-based sexual assault forensic examination center, which provides victims with specialized nursing care, forensic evidence collection and InterAct’s continuum of services – all under one roof.

Brewer says, “My hope is that someday domestic violence and sexual assault will no longer be dark, shameful secrets. I believe all victims should have the ability to break free from fear and isolation and get the help they need. All victims deserve protection and justice, because protecting our families, friends, neighbors and strangers – regardless of their race, immigration status or sexuality – is the right thing to do.”

InterAct’s services are not just a nicety. They are a necessity. And you can help by either volunteering your time or donating to the cause.

Anna, a crisis line volunteer, says what she finds most meaningful about volunteering with InterAct is being there for someone during an urgent time of need. “Sometimes the simplest things – a reassuring voice, an expression of empathy, or an open ear – can make a life-saving difference for someone in crisis.

I’m honored to be a part of such an impactful organization,” she says.

InterAct offers many program and special project volunteer opportunities. All interested volunteers must attend one of the information sessions for more information and to receive an application. You can find out more about this process on InterAct’s website: interactofwake.org.

If you are not able to volunteer, you can still support InterAct’s much-needed programs by donating funds to help them continue to offer comprehensive services that can make a life-or-death difference for families fleeing violence. Ensuring the sustainability of those services is a critical safety priority for our entire community.

Please help families rebuild violence-free home – and survive and thrive. You may donate through the website (interactofwake.org) or by calling 919.828.7501.

midtownmag.com | 45

the interview

9 Questions With:

Greg Hatem OF EMPIRE PROPERTIES

BY KURT DUSTERBERG PHOTO BY DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

Greg Hatem introduces himself on the phone and immediately asks, “How’s our connection?” He is calling from Beijing, China, where he is visiting four generations of extended family, including a 99-year-old aunt. The Raleigh developer behind more than 40 downtown properties says this trip is just to renew family ties, but he admits he is “looking at a couple of business opportunities.” For more than two decades, Hatem has led the redevelopment of downtown Raleigh with an eye toward historic preservation with office, retail and restaurant space.

He never imagined such a life when he was younger, but he now has plenty of conviction about the places and spaces that define his city.

46 | midtownmag.com

Midtown Magazine: You have spoken about how you gained your sense of family and community while growing up in Roanoke Rapids.

What was your childhood like?

Greg Hatem: It was wonderful growing up in a small town. It’s something that is lost now. Even in small towns, there is so much information coming at you.

It was a place where you could spread your wings a little bit and make some mistakes and have a village around you. Our family is Lebanese, so having that culture layered on top of the basic Southern culture was a wonderful experience. It’s something we wish for our children, and we’re trying to figure how to do that in Raleigh, albeit 40 years later.

MM: You liked photography when you were in college at NC State. Did you imagine yourself becoming a professional photographer?

GH: I thought I might be a photojournalist. That was the goal.

My father passed away before my senior year in college. I finished my degree, then I worked to try and settle some family issues because we had a family store. I worked to settle that and shut down the store.

I tried to keep everyone moving forward. That was kind of a detour, but it taught me a lot about business.

Trying to figure out how to settle debt was hard. While I didn’t understand it at the time, it prepared me well for the real estate industry.

MM: When you started Empire Properties, what were your hopes?

Did you ever imagine having so many properties one day?

GH: It was a hobby. We had an old building in Roanoke Rapids that our store was in; it was the old Imperial Theater. That’s where we got the name Empire Properties from. We figured we would buy a building or two, or restore a historic building. It seemed like a lot of fun. Back in 1995, I assumed if you bought a building and did okay with it, you would buy a second building.

Then if you did okay, everyone would notice and jump in, and you would be forced out of the market, so to speak.

It just didn’t happen. People weren’t interested in being in downtown Raleigh. People would bring us buildings because they knew nobody else wanted to buy them.

MM: What do these old buildings represent to you?

GH: They are the character of Raleigh. You can’t create that; that’s the authenticity. Every building we have has a story. It has a history behind it, how it changed from the Central Hotel to a Fresh Market to a furniture store to Sitti Restaurant.

These things have a life of their own.

It’s fascinating to work with these old buildings and respect their past. I almost feel like a building whisperer, trying to see what it is they want to be in the future. Buildings don’t know what they were built for; you have to figure out what they can be within the confines of the building. midtownmag.com | 47

UP NEXT @ THEATRE IN THE PARK MM: What do you look for in a property that has potential for renovation? Are there some essential bones or structure or feelings?

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MM: Why the love for restaurants?

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THEATREINTHEPARK.com | 919.831.6058 48 | midtownmag.com

GH: Well, I’m 300 pounds, so that’s part of it. I do love to eat. We are developers, but really we act like preservationists and urban planners.

We can renovate buildings all day long and put offices in there, and you’re not going to revitalize the community. You do that by creating active uses of the first floors. We were dedicating them to some kind of active use – restaurants, retail – but we couldn’t find anyone else to do it, so we started doing it ourselves. Our goal wasn’t to be in the restaurant business, it was to revitalize downtown Raleigh.

MM: What do you love about the restaurant industry, now that you are immersed in it?

Featuring Jesse R. Gephart

by David Sedaris, Adapted for stage by Joe Mantello for mature audiences

12/15 - 12/24

GH: It’s kind of just the opposite.

In the Raleigh Times building, we looked at the archives and researched it. At that point, we knew we had to buy it because of the history of that building. That was the first edition of history for the city of Raleigh from 1906 to 1925 (as home to The Evening Times and The Raleigh Times newspapers). It had that story, but the bones were a mess. When we bought it, we had to peel all that back, layers of sheet rock, layers of dropped ceiling, layers of roof. Fortunately it wasn’t that big of a building or it would have bankrupted us, because it was so expensive per foot. We put the Raleigh Times Bar in there, which fortunately became what people think is an iconic restaurant/bar in downtown Raleigh. That helped carry it to the next level. Just as a real estate project, it never would have worked.

GH: I love the impact that it has.

There is no other thing in the community that attacks all the senses. You look at it, you smell it, you taste it. You feel it. It’s that creation of a vibe in the community that has made Raleigh what it has

become. We have five distinct restaurants: Italian, Lebanese, a coffee shop, a bar with pub food, and there’s authentic Eastern North Carolina barbecue, the way they used to make it in Halifax County.

They all draw people in. You have a great time at the restaurant, then you attach that great time to downtown. But we need other restaurateurs and developers to come in, because there is so much more to be done.

MM: In the past, you have taken issue with other establishments in downtown, questioning the noise and the clientele, as well as their place in Raleigh’s culture. Is this still an issue for you?

GH: I always have concerns. I think things are certainly better. The intention of why you do something is just as important as what you do. For us, preservation and authenticity of the community are the goals. Some people do things that give back to the community, and some people do things that pull from the community. We saw people trying to pull from the success of the community rather than enhance the success, but I feel like we’ve turned the corner. That type of behavior typically happens at the beginning of the cycle, and we allowed it come in at the end of the revitalization.

You’re so desperate for people to come downtown that you fill it full of bars. We had evolved into million-dollar condos and wonderful restaurants and great offices, then we started introducing bars. The problem is they are only open from 8pm until 2am, and they’re really only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. They’re not really giving back to the community; they’re not really adding to the vitality of the community. The city did a great job of coming in and tweaking the regulations. Downtown Raleigh has gotten so much better for that.

MM: You’re married and have two young kids, George and Salma Kate. How is family life?

GH: I’m almost 57 years old. Being an older dad is different. I’m not 25 trying to figure out where the next meal is coming from. At this age, I believe you enjoy it so much more. I’m a lot more exhausted, but it’s so much more fun being around these young kids (George, eight, and Salma Kate, six). You see life in a whole different way. I’m seeing China through their eyes, when I’ve been here probably 30 different times. It does keep me young. You see life a whole different way.

Have a suggestion for next issue’s The Interview? Send it to us: info@midtownmag.com. midtownmag.com | 49

raising thebar

Spousal Support ANSWERS TO YOUR LEGAL QUESTIONS

Q

M

What is “spousal support?”

There are two types of spousal support: post-separation support and alimony. Post-separation support is temporary support that is usually paid to a “dependent spouse” by a “supporting spouse” for a specified term. Alimony is ongoing financial support paid from one spouse to the other for a term and amount agreed upon by the spouses or ordered by the court.

Have a question?

Let us hear it: info@midtownmag.com

MeettheCounsel

Justin Mauney Wake Family Law Group wakefamilylawgroup.com This is paid legal advertisement. The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. No attorney client relationship is created by the publication and reading of this article. All domestic matters are different and all specific questions should be directed to an attorney who can answer those questions and provide legal advice based on your unique circumstances.

50 | midtownmag.com

How do I know if I am entitled to alimony or required to pay alimony?

How do I figure out how much alimony I will need?

There are several steps in the analysis of determining whether you are a candidate to receive alimony or a candidate to pay alimony: (i) a determination of whether one spouse is the financially “dependent spouse” and whether one spouse is the financially “supporting spouse” (terms which are specifically defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-16.1); (ii) a determination of the dependent spouse’s net shortfall in meeting his/her reasonable needs after applying his/her own income; (iii) a determination of the supporting spouse’s ability to pay alimony after comparing his/her reasonable needs to his/her own income; and (iv) a consideration of other relevant factors in the judge’s discretion, including (among others that are listed in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-16.3A) age, relative earning capacities, length of the marriage, the marital standard of living, and any marital misconduct committed by either spouse. The decision to award alimony, the amount of alimony awarded, and the length of time that alimony is awarded is determined on case-bycase basis. Additionally, the spouses may agree on the amount and term of alimony in lieu of going to court.

A qualified family lawyer and a qualified financial planner can be invaluable in helping you to determine how to properly budget for your future. Often, a form called a Financial Affidavit will be utilized to help you formulate a monthly budget, determine your reasonable monthly needs, and therefore calculate your monthly shortfall/ need for alimony. This Financial Affidavit is often different in each county in North Carolina, but the concept is the same – it assists in organizing your expenses and calculating your need for alimony (or, conversely, calculating your ability to pay alimony).

Will I pay taxes on alimony? May I deduct any alimony that I pay?

Absent a notarized agreement between the spouses to the contrary, the recipient spouse must pay taxes on the alimony he/she receives, and the paying spouse may deduct the alimony that he/she pays.

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sunday supper

Saint Jacques MASTERING THE HEART OF FRENCH CUISINE

BY JENNI HART PHOTOS BY DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

FRENCH FARE IS KNOWN FOR ITS rich, savory, wine- and cream-based sauces; rustic cuts of beef, rabbit and duck; and regional wines perfectly suited to the dish. Serge Falcoz-Vigne, chef at Raleigh’s Saint Jacques French Cuisine, believes the true essence of French cooking isn’t found in its ingredients or technique. “The most important quality in a chef is to be generous,” he says. “You want to share the good thing you made with others; you want them to be happy.”

Falcoz-Vigne first indulged his people-pleasing sensibility as a boy growing up in Grenoble, France.

52 | midtownmag.com

Inspired by two grandmothers whose kitchens nourished generations, he learned what he could from them before serving two years as a cook’s apprentice beginning at age 16. He eventually found his way to Paris, where he spent 13 years running his own restaurant, Au Passe Retrouve, before relocating to North Carolina in 2007 with his wife – a Raleigh native – and their young son.

Falcoz-Vigne worked in a few of the Triangle’s best-known restaurants before taking the helm at Saint Jacques in spring 2016. The authentic French fine dining restaurant has been a steady presence on the Raleigh food scene

since opening in North Raleigh in 2004, yet in spite of the restaurant’s history and reputation, Falcoz-Vigne doesn’t rest on 5-star reviews. “Of course I enjoy hearing that a customer had a wonderful experience, but that was yesterday,” he says. “I want to make this day’s customers happy.”

Francophiles appreciate Saint Jacques’ fidelity to the traditional French offerings, including escargots, braised duck with orange sauce, and filet mignon with foie gras and black truffle sauce. Falcoz-Vigne is especially committed to local sources for as many ingredients as possible, ensuring the

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2017

Honesty, integrity and a philosophical approach to food’s ability to inspire lifelong memories and happy associations are as important to Falcoz-Vigne as his mastery of the culinary art.

When cooking for his own family, he relies on simple recipes with the same local ingredients used in his restaurant. One favorite is grilled sausages, sautéed potatoes with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, and a salad. For this Sunday Supper feature, Falcoz-Vigne chose crepes, a traditional French creation. With a short list of ingredients, crepes are easy to prepare, offer an endless choice of fillings, and seem the perfect antidote to the Sunday evening slump. “No one likes to see the end of family time together,” he says. “But everyone can be happy with the filling they like the most.” Favorites for him, his wife and 11-year-old son, Jack, include ham, Gruyere, coarse-ground mustard, marmalade, chocolate and Nutella. Even ice cream and whipped cream get the thumbs up from the chef. “Whatever you like,” he says. “But only real whipped cream!”

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freshest flavors – including rabbit and duck from Blue Whistler Farm near Durham, and goat and cow cheeses from Prodigal Farm in Rougemont.

Even the truffles are grown in North Carolina soil by a producer in Southern Pines.

Falcoz-Vigne has arranged for his restaurant staff to meet with farmers, believing the foundation of trust and connection is sure to result in a better experience for his customers. And, although Saint Jacques servers are expertly trained and knowledgeable about the menu, the chef is known for engaging with customers, sharing interesting tidbits about ingredients or preparation, or entertaining them with memories of his early life in France. “Some customers enjoy a conversation with the chef; others want quiet time by themselves,” he says. “I only want them to be happy.”

The hospitality aspect of being a chef developed over time, he says, noting that his early years were focused on kitchen activity. “I still love being in the kitchen,” he says. “I like making the soup, the terrine, the foie gras.”

Venturing out to visit tables, however, reminds him that the connection between food and love runs deep.

“When you are new in the kitchen and all of your time is spent making the food, you have to remember that you aren’t working for the boss – you’re working for the customer.”

DIAMOND

AWARD BEST MEN’S BOUTIQUE

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sunday supper

SAINT JACQUES FRENCH CUISINE

Crêpes

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Batter Ingredients: 2 cups flour 2 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs 2 cups half & half 2 cups water

Instructions: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.

Make a well in the center of flour mixture, add eggs and just a little bit of the half and half.

Whisk. When batter starts to come together, add more half and half, whisk.

Alternate small additions of half and half, whisking between each addition.

Whisk well to eliminate clumps (batter will be thick).

Add water, one cup at a time, whisking in between.

Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.

Take the flattest nonstick pan you have, medium heat, spray some oil all around and delicately pour 2 oz. (about Âź cup) of batter in the pan, using your wrist to move the batter around and create one thin layer. Cook until it starts to curl around the edges and the crepe takes color. Use a spatula to turn it, or take your chance and flip it like a professional.

(The world record for crepe flipping is 28.5 feet high - feel free to try to beat it!)

Stack crepes on a plate, place at the center of the table. Surround the plate with all kinds of pleasurable treats and just do the crepe you want, the flavor you like and the quantity of topping you dream of. Everyone makes their own crepe, all together sharing the love around the table.

Fillings/Toppings: Ham Gruyere, grated SautĂŠed mushrooms Creamy Spinach Whole grain mustard Strawberry or blueberry jam Fresh fruits Chocolate Nutella Whipped cream If you ever feel sad on Sunday night, thinking of Monday, just have a crepe party. The whole family will love it, and more importantly, they will love Sunday night now! midtownmag.com | 55

foodie focus

Loosen Your Belts RALEIGH TRIANGLE RESTAURANT NEWS

BY SEAN LENNARD, TRIANGLE FOOD GUY, TRIANGLEFOODBLOG.COM

Heirloom Brewshop, a specialty coffee shop, premium tea house and sake bar, will be opening their first location at The Dillon in downtown Raleigh. The Dillon is located in the Warehouse District at 223 S. West Street. Look for Heirloom to open in the summer of 2018.

Pickled Onion Restaurant & Bar will closed its current location on Falls of Neuse Road on August 27th and relocate to 10750 Wakefield Commons in Wakefield. Look for them to open in the new location mid-September.

Raleigh Downtown Living Advocates reported that a new BBQ joint called Southern Charred is coming to a spot at 510 Glenwood South. They will offer a NC-style ’que blended with Memphis and Texas influences. This is from the same folks behind Anchor Raleigh, The Milk Bar and Mofu Shoppe. No word yet on an opening date.

DON’T MISS RELISH CRAFT KITCHEN & BOURBON BAR’S 2ND ANNUAL MAC & CHEESE THROWDOWN FOR HOPE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH. PHOTO BY @RALEIGHFOODPICS

Sean Lennard runs his own online corporate catering business, Triangle Food Guy, serving the entire Triangle for any size event. Tapping into local restaurant partners, he is your one-stop order for any type of food or foods you want. Read and subscribe at TriangleFoodBlog.com for full weekly reports with links.

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We got a little more detail this week on the opening of Morehead City’s HappyCakes Cupcakery in Cary. Reader and Morehead City native Monica Williams tells me that the Cary location will be at the Shoppes at Weston Corners off Chapel Hill Road.

Thanks to the sharp eyes of Barbara Calise we now know that PokeGo. Poke & Noodles is going into the former Yogurt Mountain location on Creedmoor Road (8107 Creedmoor Road) in Raleigh. No other details are available at this time.

The News & Observer brought it to our attention that tickets for Beericana Craft Beer and Music Festival are on sale now.

Beericana will take place again in Holly Springs on September 9th and will feature 70 breweries and 16 food trucks, and is expected to draw thousands of beer lovers.

On Sunday, September 10th from 2-5pm Raleigh’s Mandolin Restaurant will hold their second annual BBQ Fundraiser to benefit the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.

It will be held across the street from Mandolin at the corner of Fairview and Oberlin Road. They will have live music and lots of great food and drink prepared by chef Sean Fowler; the food has graciously been donated by Cheney Bros. food distributors, Topo distillery, Locals Seafood, Videri Chocolate, Neuse River Brewing, Lynnwood Brewing, and Mandolin Sauces.

Also on September 10th, the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund will host their 4th Annual Dinner in the Meadow benefit hosted

by WUNC’s Frank Stasio, featuring dishes prepared by Triangle area and regional chefs. Held in Franklin County, the dinner is $100 per person. Visit their website to see the amazing list of chefs and menus.

Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar will host their 2nd Annual Mac & Cheese Throwdown for Hope on Sunday, September 17th from 6-9pm. Benefiting the Hope Center at Pullen, the event features chefs from around the Triangle showing off their “mac and cheese” talent. They will have a bartender competition as well. Tickets in advance are $25.

Mix 101.5 will host their Savor the Triangle event on Wednesday, September 20th to benefit the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. It will be held from 6-9pm at the Kerr Scott Building at the NC State Fairgrounds. Over 20 restaurants (so far) are participating.

Pittsboro’s annual PepperFest will be held on Sunday, September 24th this year at The Great Meadow Park at Briar Chapel. PepperFest is a celebration of local food made by local chefs and food artisans, featuring 40 different kinds of locallygrown peppers prepared in hundreds of creative ways.

And on October 12th, the local chapter of the March of Dimes will bring back their Signature Chefs Auction. The gathering of talented chefs from around the Triangle will be held at The Garden on Millbrook beginning at 6:30pm. A full list of chefs will be released soon.

AWARD

BEST SALON FOR A HAIRCUT

2017

2017

DIAMOND

DIAMOND

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un corked

Rediscover Pinot Noir This Fall

BY MICHAEL GALLO, CSW STORE MANAGER, TOTAL WINE & MORE

PINOT NOIR IS THE PRIMARY RED grape in France’s Burgundy region, and it makes some of the world’s most sought-after and age-worthy wines – particularly those from the limestone soils of the Cote d’Or. Each village there claims to produce wines with unique characteristics related to its particular terroir.

But great Pinot Noir wine is made in many locations. There are excellent examples from California’s Carneros and Russian River Valley regions, as well as Oregon’s Willamette Valley and New Zealand.

The best Pinot Noir boasts delicate, sometimes sour, cherry and strawberry flavors with some spice, with medium to low acidity and relatively light tannins. Oaked versions may also have smoke, vanilla and toast flavors, which develop with age.

Winemakers rarely blend it, though Pinot Noir grapes are a key component in Champagne and other sparkling wines, where they add body and flavor, as well as color for rosé versions.

Pinot Noir, vulnerable to extreme cold, extreme heat, rot and vineyard pests, is relatively difficult to grow.

The grape’s thin skin demands exceptionally gentle handling to prevent damage to the final wine.

However, farmers and winemakers take on these challenges because the final result, as you will experience, is often wonderfully delicious.

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Michael’s Pinot Picks Domaine A. Machard de Gramont Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru, 2015 “Aux Guettes” | Burgundy, France

Peter Paul Wines 2013, Russian River Valley, “Mill Station Road” | Sonoma, CA

Peter Paul Wines 2013, Russian River Valley, “Gravenstein Highway” | Sonoma, CA

Coelho Winery 2013, “Paciencia” Coelho Estate Vineyard | Willamette Valley, OR

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Style Line

Sheer Nostalgia

WITH THE COMING OF THE AUTUMN BREEZE

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BY RUHAMA WOLLE MUA & STYLIST: @RU_HAMA RU-WOLLE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE REALE @JOEY_OH_ JAREALE.COM

DRESS // JBAT BOUTIQUE CLUTCH // LORI + LULU

THE AUTUMN BREEZE MIGHT bring a sense of mourning as summer passes and we are no longer able to wear swimwear and sundresses, but we can also look with delight to all the cozy and stylish trends fall has to offer. Everyone’s favorite fashion season is here, and I don’t blame them for loving the cooler weather and changing leaves.

Fall brings about a whole slew of style options that we put away during the sweltering summer heat. For everything there’s a season, and even fashion divides.

Which means that we can officially start breaking out our faux fur, leather, and velvet from deep within our closets.

So this fall, add a splash of color to your look with a pair of mauve velvet boots. Velvet is a popular fabric this season as it’s on nearly all the runways including those of Dior, Jason Wu and many more. Transition an offthe-shoulder chiffon dress into cooler weather by styling it over a turtleneck and adding a pair of knee-high boots. Pair a long fur jacket with a mini leather skirt for the perfect textural contrast.

And don’t be shy of Pantone’s greenery as you can never go wrong in a classic wool coat that screams Kelly green. Whether you are out shopping for back-toschool clothes, work clothes, or just for some new outfits, keep these top trends in mind to be a trendsetter before everyone else jumps onboard.

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DRESS, NECKLACE, COAT, HANDBAG // MARTA’S SHOES // LORI + LULU

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SPECIAL THANKS TO MODEL: KATIE COBLE DIRECTIONS USA HAIR: BRANDON DAVID MAKEUP: BETTY MEKENNON DOUGLAS CARROLL SALON PHOTOS TAKEN AT THE NEWLY RENOVATED RENAISSANCE RALEIGH NORTH HILLS HOTEL AND 41HUNDRED RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

TOP, LEGGIN​​G, JEWELRY, SHOES, CLUTCH // LORI + LULU midtownmag.com | 63

home styler

Outdoor Rooms, Furniture and Accessories

Inspired

BY Nature STYLED BY VALERIE TROUPE VALERIETROUPE.COM

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PHOTOS BY F8 PHOTO STUDIOS F8PHOTOSTUDIOS.COM

Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy nature. The crisp air allows you to linger outside and take in the beautiful fall colors. Outdoor rooms are wonderful to have. Elegant and elaborate or simple and cozy…they will be the perfect place for a respite after a long day.

If you don’t have an outdoor space, you can pay homage to nature’s beautiful creations by using elements found in nature in your décor. Choose knobs with a leaf or twig motif, or go a little wild and use animal print rugs and fabrics.

Natural materials, such as teak tables or seashells, add warmth and create texture in your home.

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Add bits of nature around the house with tiny air plants in glass globes, or create a container fairy garden with moss and succulents. Place tiny bird figurines on a rough hewn mantle or use actual feathers in a wreath or as an accent in a flower arrangement.

There are so many ways to show your love for nature in your decorating. Enjoy this beautiful time of year whether you are inside or out!

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2641-104 NOBLIN RD; EATMANSINC.COM (2)

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PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN SHELL LIVING

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(4) Sonoma Media Cabinet with sliding doors, $4,308; French Wing Low Back 2 Seat Couch; $1225; STEVEN SHELL LIVING 2030 CLARK AVE; Charleston Knob Company, $15 per pair; BIRD DECORATIVE HARDWARE & BATH 1505 CAPITAL BLVD; BIRDDECORATIVEHARDWARE.COM (6) Sitting Rabbits with 24k gold accents, $295; HUNT AND GATHER SEABOARD STATION, 10 W. FRANKLIN ST, SUITE 100; HUNTANDGATHERRALEIGH.COM

STEVENSHELLLIVING.COM (5)

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DEVILISH EGG

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minding yourbusiness

The Flourish Market SPREADING DIGNITY ACROSS THE GLOBE

Flourish (‘fler ish) v. To grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as a result of favorable circumstances.

Market (‘mark et) n. An open space or covered building where vendors convene to sell their goods.

BY CARLA TURCHETTI | PHOTOS BY JOE REALE

THE FLOURISH MARKET IN DOWNTOWN Raleigh is a special kind of retail space that is not only flourishing itself, it is helping artisans around the world in vulnerable communities flourish as well.

Founder Emily Sexton says her carefully curated inventory is helping to spread dignity across the globe.

“I want to help equip women artisans to help other women in their community to flourish while they challenge me to do the same in my community,” Sexton says. “Market is really a nod to the international piece that is our store. When you travel to third world countries the market is the central pace of a town, and that is where

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you can go and see things made out of unique fabrics and things locally.”

Sexton co-owns The Flourish Market with her husband, Chris. Together they partner with 40 brands that work around the world providing dignified jobs and fair wages for artisans. When you buy clothing or jewelry or gifts, you learn where the artisan lives. It could be somewhere in North Carolina, or somewhere in India or Nepal or beyond.

By selecting a fashion-forward item from this boutique, you are using your purchasing power for good. And Sexton wants to be clear: The items in her store are contemporary looks, styles and designs that are manufactured with real

women in mind and do not carry designer price tags.

“We can make it affordable, and I can also highly curate items from all different brands and make it so when you walk in my boutique it looks like any other boutique you’d walk in for women.

But when you start reading the tags on the items you start to see that everything is super purposeful,” Sexton says.

Sexton’s extensive travels that shaped her global view began when she was a student at Elon University. After college she had a successful career as the vice president of communications at an investment banking firm while immersing herself in volunteer work

with non-profits during her vacations. The pull to do more was strong, and after she spied a fashion truck while browsing Pinterest, the idea for The Flourish Market was born. Sexton announced to her friends on her thirtieth birthday she was going to open a mobile market, and in 2015 the Flourish sales van hit the streets of Raleigh. The concept transitioned into a brick-and-mortar location on Tucker Street in downtown Raleigh where Sexton’s friends, Alison Briggs and Bea DePaz, brought the feel of the truck inside with a space that that is elegant, energetic and eclectic at the same time.

Before Flourish moved in, Sexton had her friends come in and write on the dressing room walls many of the lies women tell themselves about their bodies and their lives.

For the finished shop she flipped the narrative and had artisan partners send words of encouragement to the customers and those thoughts now hang on the dressing room walls. That includes a message from Rojina, a team lead in Nepal for a clothing brand.

She was rescued from sex trafficking in Nepal after being captured as a young girl. Her family disowned her. But after a year-long counseling program, she found dignified work in apparel that includes being a support system for other women rescued from sex trafficking.

“When new girls who have been rescued come in,

she actually works with them to overcome the emotional obstacles. To see her flourish is huge, and that’s why I do what I do,” Sexton says.

The sky is the limit for the vivacious Sexton, who is leading customers on a trip to Rwanda in January and is launching her own subscription box service that allows customers to wear the items they receive and then purchase them or send them back.

“We think this is a great way for so many more people to have access to wear the stories of our artisans and get compliments,” Sexton says.

“They will tell people about The Flourish Market and what we’re doing. It also allows us to place huge orders with our artisan partners.”

Several times a week The Flourish Market hosts private parties where groups come to shop together, and the store donates 10 percent of sales back to the charity of the hostess’ choice. But the bottom line of every sale is really making a difference in the lives of women in vulnerable situations, no matter where they live.

“We have clothing made by sex trafficking survivors in Nepal. We have jewelry made by deaf artisans in Kenya. We have beautiful leather products from Ethiopia. Our best-selling gift line is made by firstgeneration college students in the US. We don’t just believe in just having a global impact, we believe in having a local impact as well.”

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tastes of the city 1

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BY ASHLEY AND ANDREW OF RALEIGH FOOD PICS

@RALEIGHFOODPICS 2

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1 HAKO JAPANESE RESTAURANT We like to think of Hako as our hidden gem. Located in Glenwood Village, this is our go-to sushi spot. We recommend: Scary Jerry and Freedom Roll. One way to our co-founder, Andrew’s heart: Tamago Sushi.

2 RALEIGH RAW A poke bowl almost too pretty to eat! You can find our co-founder, Ashley, here almost every Friday afternoon. Ashley’s favorite bowl pictured here: The Hustle with rice and greens topped with tuna. Grab a Morning Glory or Kale Me Maybe Juice and you’re eating like @Raleighfoodpics.

3 GONZA TACOS Y TEQUILA Chicken Quesadilla with a view. This picture beat out all the others on our feed coming in with over 2,000 likes.

It’s hard not to when you look this good.

4 IRREGARDLESS CAFE Nothing puts you in a food coma quite like an Irregardless brunch. We love the farm-totable menu + the jazz music.

We’ve been going here for years, and it’s a must when we have guests come in from out of town.

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5 SOLA COFFEE CAFE Avocado toast with chili flakes. This is the way we like to start a Monday. Don’t forget to grab some mini donuts while you’re there!

6 TASTE Martinis, tapas, and good times! One of our favorite spots for dinner with friends.

Pictured here: Bruschetta with Feta. We can’t dine here without it. Some of our other faves: Seared Pistachio Crusted Ahi Tuna and the Beltline Sliders.

Contact Raleigh Food Pics to be featured on their Instagram feed: Raleighfoodpics@gmail.com

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SPONSORED CONTENT

healthy you

Once a diVa, Always a diVa!

BY ANNA CHURCHILL SYNERGY SPA & AESTHETICS

BY NOW YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD that laser treatments can do everything from brightening your complexion to removing unwanted hair. What most women won’t even talk about, however, is how laser treatments, specifically Sciton’s diVa treatment, can dramatically improve vaginal health.

When I first heard about diVa, I decided that I wanted to experience the treatment for myself. I’ve always been an advocate for Sciton lasers, and I know firsthand that their technology is superior. Therefore, I was excited when they launched a hybrid laser for vaginal rejuvenation.

Along with all the other perks of aging, vaginal health naturally declines (especially after life events

like childbirth or menopause). Because it’s so closely linked with femininity, sensuality and confidence, experiencing completely normal issues “down there” can sometimes cause women to feel embarrassed and afraid to seek help.

I know for me personally, I’m always seeking treatments to help me feel the best I can about myself as I age, and this is just an extension of me taking care of my overall health.

The diVa treatment is a short 3-to-5 minute in-office laser procedure that only requires a little topical numbing.The procedure uses Sciton’s Hybrid Fractional Laser, which is able to deliver two different wavelengths with just one device, and works by resurfacing the layers of the

vaginal wall while simultaneously heating the vaginal tissue to stimulate collagen.

Not only is the procedure quick and painless, but there is minimal downtime after a diVa treatment. This means that you can be back to your regular daily activities immediately: I finished out my day at work and then went out with some girlfriends for a drink.

It’s also one of very few topics that has a 100% “Worth It” rating on RealSelf.

So if you’re experiencing concerns with vaginal laxity, dryness, incontinence or functionality, don’t keep your issues with your downstairs on the down low.

Schedule your consultation with a trusted diVa provider today, so that you, too, can feel like the diVa you are!

The information on this page is provided by the advertiser mentioned above to the public.

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2017

DIAMOND

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SPONSORED CONTENT

healthy you

Boost Your Knowledge, Boost Your Smile, Boost Your Confidence With Cosmetic Dentistry // BY DR. MIKE S. DESROSIERS, DDS LVIF,

LANE & ASSOCIATES FAMILY DENTISTRY DID YOU KNOW THE AMERICAN DENTAL association does not recognize “Cosmetic Dentistry” as a formal specialty of dentistry?

PHOTO BY LYANDBOBBYPHOTOGRAPHY

Not all dentists who perform cosmetic procedures have advanced training, since there is no specialty actually known as cosmetic dentistry. It is important to pick an experienced dentist who has been certified in advanced cosmetic dental treatment. I tell my patients that if they want to see a significant improvement in their overall self-confidence, cosmetic dentistry is the easiest change they can possibly make – but to be wary of dentists who claim they ‘specialize’ in cosmetic dentistry. To find truly qualified dental professionals, meaningful credentials include accreditation by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) or extensive training at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI), the Pankey Institute, the Dawson Academy, or the Spear Education Center.

Why should you choose cosmetic dental procedures?

We all have those days where confidence is severely lacking, but for those of us who are self-conscious about our teeth, it’s even more difficult. Not being able to smile in that graduation photo even though we are bursting with excitement or holding back a laugh during that first date becomes second nature.

We don’t even realize we are resisting the urge to be ourselves. That’s where cosmetic dentistry comes into place.

The Importance of looking at the big picture.

When considering cosmetic treatment, it is vital not only to understand what we wish to achieve, but also to have a clear picture of why the cosmetic treatment is necessary. The qualified dentist will be able to identify and treat underlying causes of worn, broken, discolored, and malpositioned teeth. Considering and treating these underlying causes will allow for beautiful, comfortable, and natural-looking results that patients can confidently enjoy for a long time.

Improving your smile scientifically improves your self-esteem.

Cosmetic dentistry ranges from veneers to braces and implants, and everything in-between. Did you know, however, that these changes have been known to scientifically improve your self-esteem? A study in the Journal of Dentistry concluded that “aesthetic restorative dental treatment, using the porcelain laminate veneer, has a positive effect on the self-esteem of a patient.”

Smiling never felt so good.

Boosting your smile can truly boost your life. Do your research when finding a dentist certified in cosmetic dental procedures, and then start doing your happy dance! So long, self-esteem issues!

The information on this page is provided by the advertiser mentioned above to the public.

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Facing family law issues?

These faces can help.

From our office in the heart of North Hills, Wake Family Law Group has been helping clients with divorce and family law issues since 2005. Our team includes experienced mediators, courtroom litigators, negotiators, and financial strategists who focus solely on North Carolina family law.

Whatever you’re facing, we’ll help you move forward.

4350 Lassiter at North Hills Ave, Suite 360 Raleigh, North Carolina 27609

(919) 787-4040 | wakefamilylawgroup.com

Marc W. Sokol | Michael F. Schilawski | Helen M. O’Shaughnessy | Nancy L. Grace | Katie Hardersen King | Justin L. Mauney | Julianne B. Rothert | Rebecca A. Edwards | Kelley W. Cash | Melanie C. Phillips Sokol Schilawski O’Shaughnessy Grace King & Mauney, PLLC

One Team. One Practice. Complete Care.

Your road to recovery doesn’t have to include multiple stops. From injury assessment to recovery, Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic provides you with personalized, high-quality care for all your orthopaedic needs under one roof.

919.863.6808 | raleighortho.com midtownmag.com | 75

BEST FURNITURE SHOP

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RALEIGH

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GUIDE RALEIGH: BEHIND THE ACCOLADES

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SUMMER IN THE PARK: DOROTHEA DIX

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TOP 10 EVENTS UNIQUE TO RALEIGH

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FALL ARTS PREVIEW

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RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER

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RALEIGH GOES GREEN

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PETS IN THE CITY

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RALEIGH BEHIND THE ACCOLADES // By Corbie Hill Accolades, accolades, accolades. Raleigh’s got accolades like Batman’s got gadgets, yet what’s behind them? What kind of numbers do you crunch to find out it has the best airport, say? What goes into these glowing superlatives that inevitably start with the word “best?”

It would be cruel to tease that and not provide a few answers. We looked into a handful of City of Oaks “best of...” items by speaking to folks with experience in those arenas. Here’s what we found.

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Best Big City in the Southeast Money Magazine, September 2016

(Related: US News and World Report, #7 best place to live in the US, Feb 2017; Southern Living, #8 of South’s Best Cities 2017)

“I did not expect to stay in Raleigh when I moved here,” admits Marie Schacht, director of Hopscotch Design Fest. She’d grown up in Virginia and went to college in Charlottesville, and spent five years there after graduation. She wanted to move somewhere bigger, and she would visit friends in Austin, San Francisco, Seattle and other really happening US cities with that in the back of her mind. Yet it didn’t really seem feasible to achieve her professional dreams in any of those settings. In 2013, Schacht landed in Raleigh, where she found fantastic creative momentum, all in a very livable city.

“I have traveled extensively, so I have seen

a lot of different cities and places, both nationally and internationally,” she says. “I think Raleigh’s unique.”

One thing that stands out is the focus on collaboration: people are motivated and professional, Schacht notes, but not competitive. There’s a common bottom line, too, that Raleigh professionals want to excel at their careers, she observes, but also enjoy their lives. It’s a city with several world-class museums, proximity to major universities, and a wealth of live music venues – not to mention easy access to the outdoors via the greenway system or a short drive out of town.

People here work, Schacht continues, but then they go home at a reasonable hour

to spend time with family or friends. This certainly resonates with her. “I want to be at the top of my field and I want to achieve a lot,” she says, “but I also like going out to dinner and I also really enjoy hanging out with friends, and that’s important.”

If Schacht loves life and work in Raleigh, she also loves the ease of leaving town for a few days. The city’s about equidistant from the

mountains or beach – take your pick – and it’s also easy to catch a flight up to New York for a few days. Raleigh is a hub, Schacht says, and it’s remarkably well-connected compared to other cities she’s seen.

“There’s not some looming expectation of what it means to live here,” Schacht says. “You really are kind of shaping what you want out of your life.”

PHOTO TAKEN AT WILLIAM B. UMSTEAD STATE PARK BY DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

#3 Best Cities for Young Families ValuePenguin, February 2016 “Usually on Sunday afternoons, my wife, son Salem, and myself will walk to Chuck’s Burgers and have dinner in the early afternoon,” says Sam Ratto. “Then, we walk to Treat and have an ice cream cone. They serve Mapleview Farms ice cream, and they have cones for your dogs!” For Ratto, head chocolate maker at Videri Chocolate Factory and machine dreamer at chocolate grinder company Rottar.com, Raleigh is perfect indeed for his young family. There are great parks, he says, as well as spectacular museums. He lists Marbles Kids Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, CAM Raleigh, and the NC Museum of History – all of which he can reach on foot.

“I think a lot of people move here from more expensive places because the lower cost of living allows them to work less and have more time to spend with their family,” realtor Ellen Pitts of Harmony Realty offers. “You can especially see that with companies like SAS and their family-friendly policies, which is definitely a trend I have noticed in the Triangle.” Municipalities have responded to the influx of families with remarkable parks and rec facilities, she continues, including BMX and skateboarding parks, parks with equipment designed for special needs children, and parks with canoes, sailboats, and SUP boards. Plus, Pitts says, there are several youth symphonies in the area, not to midtownmag.com | 81

mention the North Carolina Symphony’s Instrument Zoo and Young People’s Concerts series. Parents like Ratto are pretty smitten with the city. “I love living downtown!” he says.

If the city draws young families, it draws fresh grads and twenty-somethings, too.

“Lots of places have affordable housing and jobs, so that can’t be the only thing that draws people,” says Pitts.

“I think it’s the culture that makes young people love it here.” In the 17 years Pitts has lived here, she’s seen Raleigh (and the Triangle, in general) blossom into a

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funky, hip area – the kind of walkable, artsy, foodie scene that draws Millennials like tattooed moths to a flame.

“If you’re into locally roasted artisan coffee, we’ve got it,” Pitts says. “Want to ride your bike to work on an extensive greenway system? You can do it here.”

Pitts’ own specialty is urban farming, and she notes that Raleigh is a hot spot for that as well. On a recent Multiple Listings Service search, she found 2,546 Triangle properties for sale with urban farming-specific keywords in their ads.

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“Among the medium-sized airports out there, Raleigh came up #1 as we updated the study about three months ago,” says William Swelbar, research engineer at MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation. Swelbar and co-author Michael D. Wittman used an equation that takes into account an airport’s number of daily scheduled flights per destination, nonstop destinations and connected destinations. They added a weighted factor, too, to account for the quality of an airport’s destinations, meaning destinations

like London or Atlanta give an airport a higher score than small regional airports.

When they ran the numbers, RDU came out on top among medium-sized airports, beating previous champion Saint Louis.

“It really does speak to the underlying strength of the Raleigh market, the economic and demographic strengths,” says Swelbar. “As a result ... airlines continue to add service to Raleigh and, lo and behold, you became the bestconnected airport among the mediumsized airports in the country.”

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Summer in the park

BY JANE PORTER // PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CITY OF RALEIGH/NICOLE STEELE

T

he thunder and rain showers cleared up by late afternoon on a Sunday in mid-July. A promised cold front brought relief from the sweltering air. Dozens of Raleigh residents, intent on enjoying the waning hours of their weekends (not to mention the fleeting eighty-degree weather) packed up blankets and lawn chairs, coolers and picnic baskets. They descended on Harvey Hill for Big Band music courtesy of the Raleigh Jazz

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Orchestra, the penultimate Summer in the Park concert at Dorothea Dix Park.

Stepping in as host for Pullen Park while it was under construction this year, the 308-acre Dix property – and an alternating companion space, Fred Fletcher Park – drew hundreds to its rolling green hills over the summer months to hear some of Raleigh’s most compelling performers. Food trucks kept the hunger at bay, B-Y-O-beer-andwine kept the spirits high. Music, nature,

and fellowship all played their parts in capping off the warm hours well-spent.

For Dix Park, the Summer in the Park concert series – a Raleigh tradition more than a decade old – was one piece of a prelude to programs and events that will parallel the city’s two-year-long master planning process for the park, which kicked off in July. And now, with Raleigh’s balmy fall season ahead, fun, free events will be the norm most days and evenings, rather than the exception.

EVENTS AT 308-ACRE DOROTHEA DIX PARK

“Our whole philosophy is, let’s just get people to the park, let them experience this special place for themselves,” explains Kate Pearce, a planner with the City of Raleigh who’s charged with helping to chart the property’s course from obsolete mental health hospital campus to a worldclass civic space. Pearce says art, preservation of the natural environment, and telling the story of the property’s past are the city’s priorities for Dix Park going forward.

“But we’re also inviting people out to have a good time, and we’ll ask them about what they want for the future of Dix park,” she says.

To this end, in September, the city will host invasive

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species removal days for volunteers and two-mile, guided walking tours on the property. It will also hold a screening of Going Sane, a documentary on the state of mental health care in the US, produced by North Carolina filmmakers, as well as a talk on “bold ideas” for the park from architect and environmental designer A. Ghigo-DiTommaso at the City of Raleigh Museum, in partnership with the city’s Urban Design Center.

In October, the park will host the NC Recovery Fest, a celebration for people in recovery from addiction, and the Sir Walter Smoke-Off for competitive chefs and barbecue lovers, to raise money for the forthcoming, new Oak City Outreach Center facility for Raleigh’s homeless population. Also in October, the Dalai Llama will travel from Tibet to Raleigh to make a highprofile visit and bless the park.

Sprinkled in between all of these events will be movie nights and fitness classes, stargazing and sunrise yoga, portrait painting and urban sketching, and anything else Raleigh residents can dream up and request a time and space for. A pop-up dog park is in the works, Pearce says, as is a parkour course, the winning idea from a recent competition, iDEARaleigh, where participants suggested ways to activate Dix Park.

Best of all, all of these events are free to attend, thanks to funding from the city’s non-profit partner, the Dix Park Conservancy.

Pearce is upfront about the property’s current limitations. There aren’t always port-a-potties available, and there’s no running water and electricity. And, with limited parking –

and connective greenway access and an iconic aerial transit system still on the horizon – the property isn’t quite as accessible yet as it will be two to seven years from now.

Still, as all the plans for the park, both long- and short-term, demonstrate, Dix Park is already becoming something extraordinary for Raleigh’s residents and visitors. And Pearce, who says she receives around 10 emails a week from citizens with ideas for how to use the property – from building a model yacht racing lake, to an ultimate frisbee stadium, to a tennis center – says there’s no shortage of excitement and creativity in the community.

“Dix Park is not going to be your traditional neighborhood park,” says Pearce. “We believe it has so much more potential to bring something new, undiscovered, and inspirational to this community.”

To find out about upcoming events, follow Dix Park on Facebook, or search “Dix Park” events at eventbrite.com.

IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSES, EVENTS, OR OTHER PROGRAMMING, EMAIL KATE PEARCE AT KATE.PEARCE@RALEIGHNC.GOV.

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TOP EVENTS 10 UNIQUE

by JANE PORTER and DAVID FELLERATH

TO RALEIGH

1 PHOTO BY DAN HACKER

SPARKcon Dubbed a “four-day creative festival for all things weird, fun, and free,� SPARKCon has something for you no matter your creative outlet of choice. Watch as Fayetteville Street is covered with bright chalk drawings, or catch a fire dance, a fashion show, or a film festival.

Sample creative cuisine, attend a writing workshop, or take a salsa class. Learn about architecture, city planning and urban design, or enter a competition to build creative homes for dogs and cats. With more than 2,000 artists and 200 different events, the options for engagement, entertainment, and education are endless. Just head downtown. SPARKCon happens September 14th-17th. Learn more at sparkcon.com.

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2

2017 Symphony Gala Chandeliers that appear to hang from the sky. Tables that run the length of Fayetteville Street. A meal from award-winning, Kinston-based chef Vivian Howard, with assistance from Raleigh’s Dean Ogan of Rocky Top Hospitality and Jason Smith of 18 Seaboard. In the first magical event of its kind, the North Carolina Symphony is hosting a black-tie gala in downtown’s City Plaza. Guests and symphony supporters are invited to enjoy cocktails, a farm-to-table dinner of Southern cuisine prepared by Howard, and a late-night dessert reception. The event supports the North Carolina Symphony, which brings classical music performances and music education to the entire state. Catch this one-of-a-kind event on October 7th, and find out more at ncsymphony.org.

3

Groove in the Garden There’s likely no lovelier backdrop in Raleigh for a day of live music and an outdoor festival than the stone amphitheater next to the city’s downtown rose garden. For its third year, Groove in the Garden has moved from August to October, and has lined up acts such as American Aquarium, Asheville’s Toubab Krewe, and Raleigh’s own bluegrass ensemble Hank, Pattie & The Current.

There will be food trucks, beer and wine, artists, makers and other vendors, and kid-friendly activities. And, of course, there will be the more than sixty varieties of roses that, for this year at least, won’t be in bloom for very much longer – so enjoy them while you can. Groove in the Garden happens October 21st at 301 Pogue Street; tickets are available in advance at grooveinthegarden.com.

4

Annual Capitol Oyster Roast Last year, more than 100,000 people from all over the world visited North Carolina’s State Capitol in downtown Raleigh. They took their children to the Capitol’s history programs, enjoyed concerts, lectures, and docent tours, or just marveled at one of the best-preserved examples of Greek Revival architecture in the US. All of the Capitol’s programs are free and open to the

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public, and the State Capitol Foundation ensures the ongoing restoration of the 177-year-old building. They couldn’t do all this without fundraising events such as the annual oyster roast, where the public is invited to come eat oysters and shrimp, drink beer and wine, and enjoy live music from The Embers.

Bring your appetite; the Oyster Roast happens October 6th from 7-11pm on the Capitol grounds, and all proceeds benefit Capitol education and preservation programs.

PHOTOS OF KIRBY DERBY COURTESY OF BETH KHALIFA

5

Kirby Derby It started out as a neighborhood parade at Pullen Park Terrace, on Kirby Street, in 2002. This August, Kirby Derby marked its “Not So Sweet” themed, 16th anniversary at nearby Dix Park’s Harvey Hill to accommodate the racers, spectators, and fans whose ranks have outgrown the event’s humble Kirby Street namesake. Kirby Derby’s most exciting feature? The annual, highly competitive soapbox derby. To enter, drivers build their own gravity-powered racers (no motors! no pedals!) and vie to travel downhill, around curves and bends, the fastest. Volunteers work for six months to organize the free event, which also includes a kids pinebox car competition, a drag race, and a parade. Kirby Derby is, in essence, a celebration of creative expression and community building – souped-up soapboxes, silly costumes, and city spirit are staples.

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PAPERHAND PUPPET INTERVENTION PHOTO BY LEE CAPPS

PHOTO BY INGRID CHRISTIE

6

David Sedaris It’s been decades since David Sedaris said goodbye to his extended bohemian youth in Raleigh and set off for Chicago, then New York, then evenutally to international renown. Now, after years of savoring 92 | midtownmag.com

his wit in issues of The New Yorker and his frequent live tours, it’s something of a shock to realize that the one-time Santaland elf celebrated his 60th birthday last year. Sedaris himself seems to be in a backward-looking mood: Earlier this year, he published selections from his diaries written between 1977 and 2002.

From the early formative impressions as a young man in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and out on the highways of America, to his rise to celebrity in the early 1990s and the disillusionments, the pressures that followed, Sedaris’ private writing is compulsively fascinating. On October 23rd, he holds forth at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com.

7

Wake County Speedway If you read the sports business pages, you may know that times are bad for NASCAR. Once America’s hottest emerging sport (hey, even Will Ferrell made a movie about it), its prospects have soured in recent years as crowds have dwindled

and sponsors have fled. The reasons for NASCAR’s retreat are complex, but one consistent refrain is that the sport strayed too far from its Southern roots, specifically the North Carolina moonshiners who formed the core of the sport’s origin myth . Stock car racing may be a dying sport on television, but in Raleigh, you can check out the original, brewed-in-the-bathtub variety by going to Wake County Speedway.

On September 15th, saddle up and head down Fayetteville Road toward Lake Wheeler for the final event of the season, with six races scheduled. wcspeedway.com/ schedule/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WCSPEEDWAY.COM

a 501(c)(3) non-profit) at Boxcar Bar + Arcade. carolinarollerderby.com.

Paperhand Puppet Intervention

8

Carolina Rollergirls

9

The beauty of flat-track roller derby is that its practitioners have carved out a unique spectator sport that is both fiercely and skillfully competitive and, in a welcome departure from most sports, good-humored.

The Carolina Rollergirls have been barreling around on their skates for more than a decade and show no sign of stopping.

They will, however, pause for the season after the year’s final bout on October 28th, starting at 5pm at the Raleigh Convention Center. Can’t wait that long to rub elbows with these bruisers? Consider attending the October 11th fundraiser (the group is

The masters of giant puppets are an annual late-summer ritual for Raleigh, and this Labor Day weekend, they return once more to the North Carolina Museum of Art for a series of shows. Paperhand is renowned for its massive, crowd-pleasing creations, which they marry to original stories that tend to have a hard-hitting, ecological and even anarchistic edge. They’re coming up on two decades of subversion. Catch them September 8th-10th at the North Carolina Museum of Art. ncartmuseum.org.

viewing as a child. Somehow, it turned into an obsession, and he became one of America’s foremost curators of the often goofy genre of film that yields titles like What to Do on a Date, and Epileptic Seizure Patterns. What may seem to newcomers as a camp joke taken to extremes is, in fact, a serious, lifelong work of curation and scholarship. You can tell a lot about a culture by its instructional films.

Join A/V Geeks at Kings on September 17th for a night of “Women Make Educational Movies.” Pick hit: The Fur Coat Club, by Joan Micklin Silver, who would later make such acclaimed films as Crossing Delancey and Hester Street.

10

A/V Geeks There’s no geek like A/V Geeks. Years ago, Skip Elsheimer discovered that he loved the instructional videos that he remembered

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fall

ARTS preview

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Markets and Fairs and Food For reasons no one knew, we used to call them flea markets and trunk shows, but today’s popup markets represent something much livelier, more charming, and much craftier. In fact, these days in Raleigh, it’s hard to go anywhere without having a market pop up near you. Such are the numbers of crafters, and the demand for their wares. Here are several you should keep an eye out for during the clear, cool days of the fall:

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The Handmade Market

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PHOTO BY BRITTANY MURDOCK SOLA POP-UP MARKET

POP-UP RALEIGH AT TROPHY ON MAYWOOD // PHOTO BY KRISTEN RANDALL

Festivals and Spectacles See Top Ten Events Unique To Raleigh on page 89 for the reasons you need to check out SPARKcon again this year. (Sept. 1417, sparkcon.org, various prices)

You don’t need to throw down for the VIP wristband to have fun this weekend.

Feast on bluegrass with your ears at Wide Open Bluegrass. (Sept. 29-30, Red Hat Amphitheater and other downtown locations, various prices, including $470 VIP)

Football season started a few weeks ago, but this is the night that we find out if the NC State Wolfpack are good enough to beat preseason-ranked University of Louisville on national television. (Oct. 5, Carter-Finley Stadium, probably sold out, watch on ESPN)

Summer’s passed, but it’s not too late to pass the glass at Triangle Oktoberfest. (Oct. 6-7, Koka Booth Amphitheater, $15-$20)

Yes, Virginia, Raleigh has a professional hockey team, and unlike the past eight years, they might make the

playoffs this year. Or they might not! The Carolina Hurricanes, possibly for the last season under the old ownership, play their season opener tonight. (Oct. 7, PNC Arena, $52-$265)

At press time, the North Carolina State Fair hadn’t announced the musical acts, but we hope they’ll continue the new policy of booking lots of Tar Heel bands.

(Oct. 12-22, NC State Fairgrounds, pricing varies)

Theater and Dance Regina Taylor’s Crowns explores the complex uses and symbolism of hats among African-American women. It receives a late-summer mounting, which you’ll want to catch. (Raleigh Little Theatre, Aug. 25-Sept. 10, $15-$28)

Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s latest is called Of Wings and Feet, but the words “paper” + “hand” + “intervention” are all we need to know. (NC Museum of Art, Sept. 8-10, $8.50-$17)

Somewhere in the world, it’s 1987 and the manufacturers of hairspray think the

good times will never end. Theatre Raleigh keeps that dream alive with Rock of Ages, the hair-metal musical satire that keeps on and on and on. (Koka Booth Amphitheatre, through Sept. 10, $22.50-$35)

We all know what happened to The Ugly Duckling when she (he?) grew up, but do your children know? The Carolina Ballet wants to deliver an important life lesson, along with an introduction to dance. (Sept. 14-Oct. 1, Fletcher Opera Theater, $32-$72)

Wait, we thought Garrison Keillor retired? Ah, so he could spend more time with us, via Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home “Love and Comedy” Tour. (Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Sept. 15, $45-$65)

Young comedians have to get their start somewhere, so why not at The Dangling Loafer: Standup Comedy, a monthly comedy showcase? (Kings, Sept.

15, $5)

Frankenstein and his monster hash out their differences in Playing With Fire.

(Theater in the Park, Sept. 22-Oct. 8; $18-$24)

Before there was beatniks, jazz, and

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rap, there was Ring Lardner, whose stories of wise guys and dames were turned into the enduring musical Guys and Dolls.

(Cary Arts Center, Sept. 29-Oct. 8, $18-$20)

A favorite annual guest at NC State, Aquila Theatre returns to give its unique artistic spin to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. (Stewart Theatre, Oct. 3, $26-$31)

We’ve all got our Pink Floyd side, don’t we? Even if we haven’t played “Dark Side of the Moon” in years, we’ll be ready for our heads to explode with the forebodings of Darkside, Tom Stoppard’s imaginative riff on the album, which gets a regional premiere from Burning Coal.

(Murphey School Auditorium, Oct. 12-29, $5-$25)

The Carolina Ballet gets Halloween fever – wonder how the headless horseman will translate in its take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

(Fletcher Opera Theater, Oct. 12-29, $32-$72)

Parents, make sure your

children know that anyone can become president. Anyone! Here, Raleigh Little Theatre presents the children’s inspirational piece Grace for President. (North Carolina Museum of History, Oct. 14-22, $10-$15)

Hip urban dance comes to the NC State campus courtesy of Philadanco! and Rennie Harris Puremovement. It’s called Straight Outta’ Philly. (Stewart Theatre, Oct. 18, $28-$33)

It’s Halloween, and here she comes, Ms. 40 Whacks! She’s also known as Lizzie Borden of Fall River. (Cary Arts Center, Oct. 20-22, $5-$10)

BELOW AND TOP RIGHT // PHOTOS OF RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT COURTESY OF NC STATE LIVE

Live Music In a Mondays-in-September residency, Atomic Rhythm AllStars keep the spirit of early jazz flying. (Neptunes Parlour, Mondays in September, $5) The Hopscotch Music Festival needs no introduction, but be sure to put down the dates. City Plaza headliners

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include Big Boi and Future Islands, with local openers including Skylar Gudasz and Birds of Avalon. (City Plaza, Red Hat Amphitheater, various other clubs and theaters, Sept. 7-10, $199-$349)

He’s going to be with us for the rest of our lives, in one form or another, including the concert hall: Three chances to catch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert with the NC Symphony. (Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Sept. 15-17, $45-$86)

He’s just got a bit part in The Big Lebowski, but it’s hilarious because he’s Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Tell him how much you love him at the 5th Annual The Dude Abides party with Special Guest Jimmie Dale Gilmore. And ask him to play Dallas. (NC

Museum of Art, Sept. 16, $10-$15)

Veteran rocker Boz Scaggs takes the stage.

(Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Sept. 18, $37-$178)

Lauryn Hill’s reputation has suffered since 1998, the rapturous year of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but she’s sharing a bill with Nas to prove that her only album to date was no fluke.

(Red Hat Amphitheater, Sept.

20, $71-$424)

Bluegrass is coming to town. Kick it off with an Evening with Alison Krauss & David Gray. (Sept. 24, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, $49.50-$75)

Never mind the bluegrass, bluesman Buddy Guy brings his axe to Raleigh.

(Sept. 25, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, $37-$78)

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Hosted by Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, the IBMA Awards launch the weekend of bluegrass. (Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Sept. 28, $45-$110)

Jack Johnson fans the flames for those who want to stay outside downtown this weekend. (Sept. 29, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, $35-$89) Canadian guitar virtuoso Jesse Cook takes the stage. (Fletcher Opera Theater, Sept. 29, $40-$50)

Kesha Sebert’s had a rough few years since she arrived on the scene as the badder but smarter Britney. But after just one release in four years, Kesha is back from the wilderness.

(The Ritz, Oct. 2, $90-$125)

After you see the film (see below), you’ll want to catch the Nigerien whiz Mdou Moctar in person. (Kings, Oct. 3, $10-$12)

Ethiopian virtuoso Hailu Mergia takes the stage. (Kings, Oct. 27, $12-$15)

Films

TOP: JANE AUSTEN’S SENSE AND SENSIBILITY PHOTO COURTESY OF NC STATE LIVE AQUILA THEATRE (STEWART THEATRE, OCT. 3, $26-$31) MIDDLE: FUTURE ISLANDS PHOTO BY TOM HINES BOTTOM: MOUNT MORIAH PHOTO BY LISSA GOTWALS (BOTH BANDS ARE PART OF THIS YEAR’S HOPSCOTCH LINEUP. SEPTEMBER 7-10, $199-$349)

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Skip Elsheimer’s at it again (see Top Ten Events Unique To Raleigh) with Women Make Educational Films.

(Sept. 17, Kings, donation)

The title “Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai” translates as “Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red In iIt.” It’s about a purple-clad musician on a motorcycle. Do you get where this is going? Come check out this Nigerien curiosity tonight, then come back for the real thing when Mdou Moctar plays the club.

(Sept. 21, Kings, donation)

The North Carolina Museum of Art’s film program, long curated

by Laura Boyes, is trying out a new wrinkle called NCMA Arthouse, in which John Munson, owner and programmer of the venerable Rialto, introduces recent arthouse gems.

Tonight it’s Kedi, a Turkish film about alley cats. Seven special Turkish alley cats, using drones and catcams. (Sept. 29, NC Museum of Art, $14-$17)

Also at NCMA, live music accompanies the German Expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, music courtesy of the Mallarmé Chamber Players. (Oct. 13, NC Museum of Art, $14-$17)

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With its government offices and growing corporate tenancy, downtown Raleigh can appear rather buttoned-up to the uninitiated. Stick around long enough, however, and you’ll be treated to a Kylo Ren or Tinkerbell sighting when Supercon turns city sidewalks into a Cosplay wonderland.

A few months later, you’ll see more banjos than bowties when the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) returns for its weeklong World of Bluegrass event. If online reviews and multi-year contracts are any indication, the Raleigh Convention Center has emerged as a favorite destination for folks who aren’t shy about sharing their interests and talents. Behind the scenes, however, other groups gather by the thousands and are scarcely noticed by the casual observer.

In the nine years since it opened, the Raleigh Convention Center has welcomed millions of national and international visitors to the city, many of them first-timers to the area. And while locals may take such things for granted, visitors seem genuinely impressed by the center’s modern esthetic, generous accommodations and proximity to restaurants, museums and entertainment venues.

Doug Grissom, director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, says the changes to downtown in the past decade due in part to the 2006 return of vehicle access to Fayetteville Street – have elevated the city’s profile as a prime destination for corporate events, professional association meetings, conferences and festivals. “We often hear about return visits to Raleigh or folks who eventually relocate to the area as a result of their experience at a Convention Center event,” Grissom says.

He once received a letter from a Boston woman who wrote to thank him for the way her visit to Raleigh had changed her life. While attending an athletic event at the center, the woman said she was struck by the friendliness of the parking garage attendant and the warm greetings from strangers on the street.

“She said she went home to Boston, where she was used to people just going about their business without much interaction, and decided she would be the friendly one who took time to say ‘hi’ to strangers,” he says.

Convention Center visitors return the favor of the friendly welcome by spending their money in downtown and nearby

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hotels, as well as with local restaurants and retailers.

Hosting an average of 250 to 350 events each year, the 500,000-square-foot facility infuses outside dollars into the local economy while also showcasing the city’s considerable cultural and entertainment assets, innovative business environment and renowned academic institutions. “This would never have been possible even a decade ago,” says Grissom, noting that going from a handful of downtown restaurants to nearly 150 is just one of many tangible results of the city’s evolution.

Grissom describes the World of Bluegrass Event as likely bringing the highest hotel room occupancy ever to Wake County. Attendance at last year’s event was estimated in excess of 208,000 - a significant increase over the 140,000 attendees in 2013, IBMA’s first year in Raleigh. April’s Deep South Basketball Classic,

another blockbuster event for Raleigh, brought in 7,000 visitors, with nearly 500 teams playing on 20 courts. Over the four-day event, 9,000 hotel room nights infused the travel and tourism coffers with hard-won revenue. “We’re really competing for that business,” says Grissom.

“We don’t take any of that for granted.” That some contracts are signed three to five years in advance – and, in some cases, as much as 10 – is evidence that the Convention Center setting and amenities are in big demand.

“Our only constraint is that the demand is so high,” Grissom says, noting recent discussion of plans to eventually add meeting space and hotel rooms.

In the meantime, he says that his job, and that of Convention Center staff, is to continue the good work of welcoming visitors – and locals – to a downtown centerpiece that we can all be proud of.

4401 Glenwood Ave. | Raleigh, NC 27612

In the past few years, visiting the sunflower field along the Neuse River Trail has become something of a summer tradition in Raleigh. The sunflowers in bloom in June and July are upwards of five feet tall and stand bright yellow against the blue summer sky, a perfect visual depiction of the hottest days of the year.

RALEIGH GOES

GREEN // BY JANE PORTER // PHOTOS BY DAVID BLOUNT

The flowers, you may think, are the aesthetic antithesis to Raleigh’s big city buses. But, explains Megan Anderson, manager of the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability, the sunflowers were initially planted with a symbiotic relationship between them and the city’s buses (and other vehicles in its fleet) in mind.

It works like this: biosolids are

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collected from the nearby Neuse River Resource Recovery Facility, a wastewater treatment plant. These biosolids are then used to fertilize the soil that’s used to grow the sunflowers. Once the sunflowers grow, their seeds are collected and processed in a 46-foot-long tractor trailer, to be converted to biodiesel to power city vehicles.

“It’s a closed-loop system, it’s really cool,” Anderson says.

The hundreds of gallons of biofuel that the sunflowers have produced so far have been used primarily to power farming equipment on-site. The biofuel tractor trailer is mobile and provides educational opportunities all over the city and state.

Overall, the initiative is just one piece in the city’s efforts to study the costs and benefits of producing biofuel on city property, and the sunflowers serve the additional purpose of preventing polluting, nitrogen-rich soil from washing into the adjacent waterways.

Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability was established in 2008, and Anderson, its second manager, has been at the helm for two years. Since the office’s outset, the city has secured several grants for sustainability projects that span numerous public departments. Written in to the City Council’s mission statement, and woven throughout the city’s short-

term strategic plan, are ways to incorporate sustainable practices into every facet of city government.

“With such explosive population growth, it’s a big deal to us to pay attention to sustainability,” Anderson says. “I have to give credit to our citizens. They want this. We wouldn’t be doing these things if we didn’t have their support.”

Below are a just a few of the ways that Raleigh has “gone green.”

An Anaerobic Digester on the Horizon In furthering city efforts to study the benefits of biofuel, North Carolina’s state environmental agency last summer awarded Raleigh a $50 million grant to build an anaerobic digester at the Neuse River wastewater facility. The Public Utilities Department’s project, expected to be complete in about four years, will work by creating methane from the wastewater treatment process. Utilities staffers

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can then, it’s hoped, find a way to convert that methane to compressed natural gas that could be used to power city vehicles, including buses. This process would be much more efficient than the aerobic process currently used at the site, which, using big fans, consumes a lot of energy in order to create biosolids that are in turn used as fertilizer and soil amendments.

Positive Steps for Pollinators This June, Raleigh earned its designation as a Bee City USA, alongside more than forty other cities in the country. The designation means Raleigh has made a long-term commitment to creating sustainable habitats for pollinators citywide, and, since we can thank a pollinator for one in every three bites of food we eat, it’s a pretty big deal.

“We’ve been doing things in this realm for a long time,” Anderson says, “and this is our chance to tell the public about the projects and partnerships we have going on.”

The Public Utilities Department’s Neuse River sunflower field is one such project, providing a significant habitat for bees and other pollinators.

In addition to the three acres already planted, another 55 acres were planted in 2017. The field’s buffer zone is planted with more than sixty acres of clover, and five city-owned acres of land along the Wrenn Road wastewater facility are also planted with white clover. Clover is a low-maintenance plant pollinator species.

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Raleigh’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department supports pollinator habitats in several ways. In the city’s many parks, you’ll find native, non-invasive plantings, pollinator and butterfly gardens, and pollinator outreach and education programs that teach citizens how to be pollinator-friendly. Check out Wilkerson Preserve Park, Durant Nature Preserve, Anderson Point Park, Walnut Creek Wetland Center, and Fred Fletcher Park to learn more.

Raleigh has partnered with NC State University, which maintains pollinator habitats all over the city, and the State of North Carolina’s Wildlife Resource Commission to determine the best pollinator species to plant in various locations. For instance, the city is studying the best species of plants that would be able to thrive in the shade under solar panels, requiring minimal maintenance, yet providing a habitat for pollinators at the same time.

Finally, the Department of Transportation, in partnership with

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Raleigh’s Urban Design Center, has big plans for pollinators at the soon-tobe-open Union Station in downtown’s Warehouse District. With funding in part from a grant from Durham-based Burt’s Bees, city staffers will build a mound of infill dirt from the old rail lines and plant it with pollinator species.

“It’s going to be a beautiful, artistic sculpture, right near the public walkway so people can see it,” Anderson says of the project. “But it will also be a pollinator garden and it will clean up all that soil.”

Solar-Powered Cell Phone Chargers If you’ve been to downtown’s Exchange or Market Plaza recently, you’ve likely noticed them: big, red Soofa benches with solar panels that can charge your cell phone while you’re on the go, using energy captured from the sun. A partnership between the city’s 108 | midtownmag.com

Department of Transportation and the Office of Sustainability and NC State University brought a third station to a bus stop at the intersection of Cates Avenue and Morrill Drive, a location that sees heavy student foot traffic.

The transportation department has selected other locations citywide to install cellphone charging stations, and these three mobile Soofa chargers are collecting data in the first phase of the department’s pilot project. Look for the Soofas in other pilot locations soon!

Green Buildings LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a US Green Building Council-proscribed certification system that evaluates how resourceefficient and environmentally sustainable new commercial and civic buildings are.

In general, new buildings are scored along a LEED certification program metric system. Building designs earn

points on a scale that designates them LEED Certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold, or, at best, LEED Platinum for their overall sustainability.

Since 2008, city-owned buildings and additions of more than 10,000 square feet in scale must meet the LEED Silver standard, at a minimum.

(For reference, the total area of the Raleigh Convention center is roughly 500,000 square feet).

According to city data, there are eighteen LEED Certified buildings in Raleigh, and of those, the city owns three: downtown’s Convention Center on Salisbury Street (LEED Silver), the Transit Operations Facility on Poole Road (LEED Platinum), and the Wilders Grove Solid Waste Services Building on Beacon Lake Drive (LEED Platinum).

Features of these buildings include LED lighting, geothermal heat pumps and radiant floor heating, reflective white roofs and rooftop solar panels, water-saving plumbing fixtures and rainwater collection cisterns, durable, recycled, local materials such as woolblend carpeting and bamboo carpentry, landfill diversion methods, and more.

“We’re really proud of our Platinum buildings, because that’s not easy to achieve,” Anderson says. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of grants.”

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Cashing In on Stormwater Did you know you can petition the City of Raleigh for free money to help manage storm water on your own property?

Since 2009, the city has sponsored a stormwater quality cost sharing program that helps homeowners and commercial property owners recoup the cost of stormwater quality management projects on private property. Eligible projects under the program include harvesting rainwater in a cistern to use for watering your garden, installing rainwater retention devices and rain gardens on your property, installing a green roof, and installing permeable pavers and pavement surfaces. Depending on whether you live in a designated Priority Water Quality Target Area or not, the city will reimburse you between 75 and 90 percent of the cost of the project.

“It’s an opportunity for citizens to make their property more sustainable with a huge help from the city,” says Anderson. “If you help with city stormwater issues, it really helps us all.”

To learn more, check out https://www.raleighnc.gov/services/ content/PWksStormwater/Articles/ StormwaterQualityCostShareProgram. html for more information on the Stormwater Quality Cost Sharing Program.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure In 2009, along with Portland, Oregon and Indianapolis, the Rocky Mountain Institute invited Raleigh to participate in Project Get Ready, an initiative designed to help pave the way for electric vehicles on the nation’s roads.

As an EV guinea pig, the city installed 18 charging stations for personal vehicles all over the city, and another 11 for vehicles in the city’s fleet using $300,000 in grants and matching city funds. The city collects data from the stations using Periscope and, through 2012, use of the EV charging stations increased each quarter.

“The experts say Raleigh shows that, if you don’t have the infrastructure, people don’t buy the vehicles because they don’t 110 | midtownmag.com

The 32nd Annual

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feel comfortable,” Anderson says of Project Get Ready. “We do have a pocket for electric vehicles now because we were an early adopter, and we’ve seen electric vehicle use spread from Raleigh out to all over the Triangle. We’re such a good network here because we’ve got people commuting all over the area.”

Making Raleigh A Smart City Last September, the City of Raleigh signed an agreement with NC State that formalizes a joint commitment to exploring opportunities for engagement, partnership, and collaboration related to making Raleigh a “smart city.” Currently, work on smart, new ways to tackle ongoing issues is underway in three different areas: assessing the condition of city pavements and road maintenance, climate control in city buildings, and looking at better ways to address heavy rain, sleet and snow, from a societal and infrastructure-based perspective.

“We’re looking at opportunities to solve big and small problems in the city and matching them up with NC State where we can, kind of like speed dating with different groups on campus,” Anderson says. “We want to find ways to be innovative, pool our resources together, share partners we’re already working with, and work together to go after grants.”

In the age of fossil fuel depletion, climate change, and the rising costs of energy and water, it’s become vitally important to governments and the private sector alike to ensure that, to the best of their abilities, they’re operating sustainably. Compared to other US cities, Raleigh is faring pretty well.

We’re rated four out of five stars on the S.T.A.R. system (Sustainability Tools for Assessing and Rating communities), a benchmarking technique that compares cities across the nation based on the same comprehensive set of 500-plus evaluation measures.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– “We’re really happy about that,” Anderson says. But she acknowledges that there’s more to be done and says that, luckily – with knowledgable advocates on the City Council and on staff, with a volunteer Environmental Advisory Board, and with thousands of engaged citizens – we have the political will in Raleigh to do it.

“We really can make a difference with more investment upfront, and we’re beginning to see the payoffs over time,” Anderson says. “Sustainability is change, and change is not easy, but there’s an opportunity and a challenge at the same time. Even if you have to have a hard conversation, it’s important to feel like we’re all on the same team.”

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Feeling Stressed?

TAKE FIVE AND GO OUTSIDE

// By Cheryl Capaldo Traylor // Photos By Davies Photography

Melody Hunter-Pillion is no stranger to intense situations. The former television news reporter/ producer describes herself as “still very much living a deadline-driven lifestyle, all completely self-imposed.”

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A motivated individual, Hunter-Pillion actually enjoys a good challenge. But recently, something felt different. She began a new communications job in State Human Resources for the North Carolina Governor’s Office and was accepted into NC State’s public history doctoral program. It was an exciting time, but added to the everyday responsibilities of family, pets and home. Something had to give, and as so often happens, the self-care and leisure activities she enjoyed went on the backburner – until she received an important message from her body.

She woke up during the night with a racing mind and rapidly beating heart; she couldn’t slow either down.

The next day at work, several big projects were due. She managed to not only accomplish them, but also assisted with unexpected media requests. She was finishing up paperwork when the printer jammed.

Her stomach tightened and heart rate accelerated. Remembering the uncomfortable feeling from the night before, she realized stress was affecting her physically. “I felt exasperated over a jammed printer,”

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she said. “I laughed it off with my boss and kept moving, but I realized I had to somehow gain control over this. It wasn’t the job or the people stressing me out; it was how I was reacting to situations in my life that was creating the extra stress.”

Hunter-Pillion is not alone.

A January stress survey conducted by the American Psychological Association showed a significant increase in stress in US adults for the first time since 2007. Many Triangle residents are familiar with the stress and anxiety that come with leading busy professional lives and juggling the demands of active families. But, regardless of lifestyle, no one is immune to the negative effects of stress. Retired seniors and teenagers are also experiencing higher stress

2017

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levels. There are many conventional medications available to treat anxiety and stress in all ages. However, Americans are increasingly turning to complementary health therapies including yoga and acupuncture.

According to the National Institutes of Health, in 2012, 18 million US adults and 927,000 children were incorporating meditation into their healthcare routines. This route appealed to Hunter-Pillion, and she decided to give it a try. “I heard about the benefits of mindfulness, but I didn’t know exactly where to start,” she says.

With all of the talk of mindfulness these days, it’s important to understand what it is and isn’t.

Mindfulness and meditation are often used interchangeably, but there is a distinction. Mindfulness is a way of living; it is turning off autopilot and choosing to engage in life with awareness and intention. Meditation is a tool that helps to achieve a mindful life. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, developer of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program used in hospitals around the world, describes mindfulness as paying attention on purpose in the present moment, nonjudgmentally.

People are reluctant to try meditation for various reasons. They may believe it is too difficult and time consuming. There is also the erroneous belief that there is only one correct way to meditate, which is to clear the mind of all thought while sitting cross-legged on the floor.

In reality, the only requirement is that time is scheduled to maintain a consistent practice. The best part is that practicing for even a few minutes

a day can be tremendously beneficial.

Hunter-Pillion started out practicing less than five minutes a day. That’s what worked for her busy schedule. Within a week, she could see a difference in her ability to be more patient. Her disrupted sleep pattern also improved.

Other well-known benefits of a regular practice include increased concentration, decreased stress and anxiety, and improved overall wellbeing. Athletes meditate to enhance sports performance and many employers offer on-site mindfulness training to increase productivity and creativity at work. Mindfulness is also used in medical settings to treat a variety of health conditions including high blood pressure, chronic pain and insomnia.

New research continues to add to the list of benefits; however, it does take effort to see results. That’s why it’s called a practice. Like any practice, the more mindfulness is cultivated, the easier it will become. Soon it becomes habit and mindfulness becomes a way of life.

It is important to find the technique that works for you. One way to begin is to find a quiet place to sit and pay attention. Focus on the breath; notice each inhale and exhale.

The mind will cycle through its loops of suffering, fear and pain. Thoughts will come. Simply observe them and let them pass without judgment. Thoughts are neutral until they are charged with a personal narrative.

When Hunter-Pillion catches frustration creeping in, she goes into her office, sits down and gets quiet. “I just stop and notice,” she says. “I slow down

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and come back to my breath. I check in with myself for several minutes, and then I am ready to move on.”

But sitting is not the only way to find calm. Some people find moving meditation more suited to their bodies. Walking a labyrinth is a classic example of this style. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere, and the added benefit of practicing outdoors is noted in the recent book The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. Studies find time spent in nature yields significant improvements in the areas of creativity, attention span, short-term memory and cognitive functioning.

Raleigh residents are fortunate to have many beautiful outdoor spaces in which to cultivate mindfulness, including state and county parks. Some neighborhoods have their own quiet places and greenways. There are also several labyrinths nearby. Now that the weather is getting nicer, it is the perfect time to find a spot outdoors and enjoy being mindful in nature.

Hunter-Pillion plans not only to stick with her mindfulness routine, but also to add to it. “I’m going to do more things I enjoy outside, like walking and sitting on my porch listening to the birds,” she says with a smile. “Mindfully, of course.” midtownmag.com | 115

Working Class D CANINE AND FEATHERED FRIENDS THAT SPEND THEIR DAYS AT THE OFFICE.

BY CARLA TURCHETTI | PHOTOS BY JOE REALE

CAR

LA AND ALEX

AN

DR

A

B

LE

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wardrobe that includes a reversible pink raincoat, sweaters, scarves, hoodies, Halloween costumes and yes, even soft cotton pajamas with flowers on them, she arrived here ready to be the perfect office partner. She pretends to be interested when I read copy aloud and naps peacefully through the quiet times when I struggle for just the right word or to make subjects and predicates agree. And exactly when I need a break, she needs a walk. As it turns out she has plenty of company when it comes to furry friends who may not punch a clock, but they are on the job.

EL

As I sit here at my keyboard, my most important office accessory isn’t on top of my desk – it is beneath it. That’s where you’ll find the pink floral bed occupied by my assistant, an eight-pound white maltipoo named Alexandra Belle.

Yes, that is the world’s longest name for the littlest dog. When I tell her in the morning it is time for us to “work, work”, she dutifully heads to her bed beneath my feet, curls up there, and proceeds to rest for hours. In full disclosure, she is the first dog I have been fortunate enough to care for in my entire life. And in addition to a

s Dogs

Pickle

PBX Pilates Barre Extreme

11211 Galleria Avenue, #106, Raleigh A seven-pound Maltipoo named Pickle is the fluffy white ball of fur that greets clients at PBX Pilates Barre Extreme in Raleigh.

“She is not a dog person at all, she is a complete people person,” says Libby Burton, owner and instructor at PBX Pilates Barre Extreme. “She feels like every person who walks in the door is there to see her. I love having her there – I feel like it brings the mood of the day to a different level of relaxed and happy.”

Burton says two-year-old Pickle is a great choice for a dog that comes

to work because Maltipoos, a cross between a maltese and a poodle, shed minimally and have silky hair that doesn’t catch much dander, which is good for allergy sufferers. Maltipoos are also easy to train, and Burton says Pickle knows what to do in the studio.

“I’ve told the clients when we’re in the session don’t even acknowledge her. But before the class they say hey and once the class gets started she kind of knows things are getting serious and the real work is happening; she’ll kind of chill on the couch and ottoman in the entryway.” midtownmag.com | 117

Paisley

Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming Wakefield 13600 Falls of Neuse Road, #102, Raleigh

118 | midtownmag.com

It is hard to miss Paisley when you step inside Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming Wakefield in Raleigh. There among the pink walls and the crystal chandelier, sits a princess on her throne behind the cash register. Paisley is a very regal sevenyear-old Blue Great Dane that weighs 115 pounds. And she is tolerant all day long of the parade of dogs in all shapes and sizes who visit the shop owned by her human mom, Sara Griuzzi. Not only tolerant, she is almost indifferent, like any good princess might be.

“She is pretty lazy, so besides getting up for a pet or two and potty breaks she sleeps most of the time,” Giruzzi says.

The tables at Woof Gang are filled with all kinds of delectable doggie treats, and Paisley knows her favorites.

“She is our chief taste tester as well,” Giruzzi says.

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Not every pet at work is a dog.

Jolene, the 20-year-old Sulphurcrested cockatoo who spends her days at the Oxford Green gift shop in Raleigh, really gets around.

“She is a bird of the world,” says Shawna Sowder, owner of Oxford Green. “She travels home with me, I take her canoeing. I have a nine-yearold, and she rides on the handlebars of my daughter’s scooter. She even goes to carpool with us.”

Jolene is very social and loves to interact with customers, even remembering some of their names.

“I don’t know that she knows she’s not a person,” Sowder says.

Jolene has a beautiful birdcage in the store, but she also likes to be wherever Sowder and the customers are.

“If she’s not with us she is very vocal about letting us know she wants to be included. They are flock animals and she wants to be where her flock is, where her people are.”

And she’s smart enough to know what her people are saying.

“Her intellect is amazing,” Sowder says. “She gets sarcasm and laughs appropriately. If you come in and we’re cutting up, she knows when to laugh. She amazes me daily.” midtownmag.com | 119

2017

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Don’t mind the three-year-old French Bulldog hanging out on the chair in the Voda Boutique in downtown Raleigh. It’s just Hank.

“He has a chair in the store that is meant for customers to sit in to try their shoes on, but he has taken over that chair; it is his throne,” says Kayla Brewer, who owns both Hank and Voda.

When he’s not in his chair, Hank watches the parade of neighborhood pups out for walks from the door of the store, and he has also been known to play a little hide and seek beneath the clothing. He also has friends who stop by, because Voda is a pet-friendly shop and the signboard outside welcomes shoppers and their furry companions to come on in.

“It’s nice to be able to go on a stroll and pop in and be able to shop with your pup, and of course we have refreshing water if they are tired and need to take a break,” Brewer says. “We have nice, cool, concrete floors that dogs like to hang out on and take a break from their walk, and of course we also have dog treats.”

Molly Waffles Woofinwaggle

8471 Garvey Drive, #115, Raleigh 120 | midtownmag.com

Hank

Voda Boutique

725 Tucker Street, Raleigh

While many dogs at work only interact with people during the day, Molly Waffles is in a workplace that caters to dogs. This five-year-old Goldendoodle belongs to Carol Frasso, the owner of Woofinwaggle in Raleigh.

Woofinwaggle is a canine-centric business that offers fitness class for dogs and their owners, as well as dog bathing services, dog painting services, dog massage, and boutiques with the latest dog products.

While Molly Waffles has a few furry friends she plays with inside Woofinwaggle, she is also a working class dog.

“She has full career – she is our robe model, our bandana model, she poses for pictures for our customer bags made by an artist, and she poses for collar pictures. She works for her food; I make her earn her living,” Frasso laughs.

Fitness classes are the centerpiece of the business, and Molly Waffles gets her workout in on the special equipment before other clients arrive.

“I owe it to my customers to be focused on them and their dogs as opposed to being focused on mine,” Frasso says.

Frasso says she and Molly are part of a very unique business with its concept of being a fitness and fun spot for dogs and their people.

“I view this as a place where we are introducing healthy things for you and your dog to do together,” Frasso says. “If you don’t know something, come here. We have lots of solutions, lots of contacts, and lots of activities.” midtownmag.com | 121

Gerti

Raleigh Vintage

18 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh

Dog-Friendly Patios What do you do when you’re ready for a bite to eat but you don’t want to leave your best fourlegged friend home alone? Head to one of Raleigh’s pet-friendly restaurant patios. The state of North Carolina has a few rules about Fido dining al fresco. Your dog must be outside the restaurant on a patio and not inside the dining room. Your dog should be leashed and can’t come into contact with employees preparing food or service items. (So don’t put your plate on the ground and let Spot lick the final few morsels of peanut butter pie that the server will clear and take into the kitchen.) The rules are different for breweries with inside and outside areas. Dogs can wander in or out as long as all of the food and snacks that are being served are sealed in disposable wrappers.

HERE ARE SOME OF RALEIGH’S OPTIONS FOR DINING WITH YOUR DOG: TUPELO HONEY CAFE

BEDFORD BISTRO

PLATES NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHEN

MIDTOWN GRILLE

LYNNWOOD GRILL AND BREWING CONCERN

428 Daniels Street

425 Oberlin Road

301 Glenwood Avenue, #100

4821 Grove Barton Road

HIGH PARK BAR AND GRILL 625 E. Whitaker Mill Road

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3607 Falls River Avenue

4421 Six Forks Road

VILLAGE DRAFT HOUSE

RALEIGH BREWING COMPANY 3709 Neil Street

If you step into Raleigh Vintage on a hunt for rare clothing and accessories, you are likely to be greeted at the door by a tiny bundle of energy named Gerti with a very distinctive bark that sounds more like “roorooroo”.

According to Raleigh Vintage’s owner, Andi Shelton, this three-yearold miniature dachshund loves to meet each and every client and customer who visits the shop. And she uses her workplace as her own personal gym.

“She likes to run the entire length of the studio over and over, using the clothing racks like an obstacle course

by running around them and under them,” says Shelton.

In her downtime Gerti appreciates the coziness and retro vibe of her favorite 1960s MOD Ball Chair, and can also be found lounging on a faux-fur rug while Shelton takes photographs of the merchandise for the store’s website. But it’s the people who make her the happiest.

“She will sneak underneath the curtains of the dressing room to see if customers need any help or to offer her advice,” says Shelton, with a smile.

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PETS

City in the

910.494.7013 retrievinghearts.com

ON THE

COVER!

To spend time with a pet is to know unconditional love in its purest form.

Pets don’t judge their people; they accept them with all their strengths and weaknesses just as they are, and that’s why animal-assisted therapy can be such a positive experience for young and old alike.

Retrieving Hearts in Raleigh provides animal-assisted therapy services through volunteers working alongside specially trained dogs to improve the physical and psychological well-being of others.

“Animal-assisted therapy is such a powerful tool because it provides comfort during the most stressful times,” says

+

the 2017 EDUC ATION

GUIDE

Catherine Guy, who founded Retrieving Hearts in 2015. “A therapy dog brings enjoyment and smiles during their visit.

They know how to reduce stress and anxiety, and even improve social skills.”

Some of the places Retrieving Hearts volunteer humans and canines visit include the Ronald McDonald House of Durham; Camp Grace which is a camp for autistic children; nursing homes; and even North Carolina State University during exam week.

The team of therapy dogs at Retrieving Hearts is made up of all golden retriever rescues right now, but Guy is open to adding other breeds to the team. midtownmag.com | 123

Wake County has the largest public school system in North Carolina. Its 857 square miles of county lines cover Raleigh, Cary and Apex and serve roughly 177,127 public and private school students.

With Forbes ranking Raleigh as the number one US city to raise a family – citing Wake County Public Schools as a principal reason – it’s no wonder why teachers and families flock here.

Every fall and spring we ask schools to share their unique programs, features and benefits for maximum student achievement. Parents and educators understand that each child’s learning experience should be as unique as they are.

Understanding the needs of each child is paramount to a child’s learning success and some schools are a better fit than others for individual learners. A smaller school, a Montessori school, or simply a different school can make all the difference for a student.

When your child has the best match for optimal learning, the future is bright and a lifetime of doors are opened wide. Call for a tour of a school that might be right for your child!

INTRO BY LATISHA CATCHITOORIAN

2017

EDUCATION

GUIDE

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

RAVENSCROFT Equipping today’s students to succeed in tomorrow’s world.

At Ravenscroft, we wondered – why wait to teach leadership skills to children? Why not integrate leadership learning into everyday classroom education for all children? In fact, why not teach children to use those leadership skills to be better students, artists, athletes and community members?

Can those skills really be taught – to children of all ages?

YES they can!

Ravenscroft has joined forces with the Center for Creative Leadership – one of the world’s top-ranked providers of executive education – to teach the citizen leadership skills that hundreds of business, government, nonprofit and education leaders have identified as crucial, but frustratingly rare, in today’s workforce.

Together, we have created an innovative curriculum combining the best citizen leadership learning into the excellent academic program for which Ravenscroft is known. And we are teaching it to all of our students, in age-appropriate ways, PreK-12th grade.

We call it Lead From Here.

As early as pre-kindergarten, our Lead From Here trained faculty introduces students to a set of fundamental skills that they can apply to their academic, social, creative and athletic challenges.

These citizen leadership skills include being accountable, resilient, growth-minded, empathetic, inclusive, communicative, strategic, resourceful, adaptive and more.

The result? High-achieving students with a leg up on academics and the real-world leadership skills they need to succeed in the future.

Our Ravens are prepared to soar to great heights. How do we do it? The best way to understand how we teach it is to experience it yourself. We invite you to join us for a visit to learn more!

7409 Falls of Neuse Road Raleigh, NC 27615 919.847.0900 admissions@ravenscroft.org ravenscroft.org/admissions

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SAINT MARY’S SCHOOL Saint Mary’s School is an independent, Episcopal, collegepreparatory, boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12.

Established in 1842, the school is celebrating 175 years of academic excellence and personal achievement for girls.

The school’s integrated, hands-on academic program challenges girls to embrace the habits of a lifelong learner and guides them in building a foundation for college and life. With college-prep, honors, and AP level courses, three languages, 11 sports, a renowned arts program, college counseling, service learning, travel opportunities and more, girls are able to shape their high school experience as they explore new ideas, discover new interests, and learn beside girls from around the state, the country, and the world. Leadership curriculum and real-life experiences empower girls to serve and shape their world with courage and purpose, and Saint Mary’s rich Episcopal heritage informs values and inspires girls to act with honor and to respect the worth and dignity of all. The school’s historic, 23-acre campus, located in downtown Raleigh and within close proximity to the Research Triangle, offers a uniquely vibrant 24/7 learning and living community and opportunities for partnerships with area businesses, like Cisco and HQ Raleigh, to enhance learning in and out of the classroom.

For 175 years, Saint Mary’s School has known that an educated woman makes a difference. Today Saint Mary’s continues to fulfill its mission by giving every girl what she needs to grow as a young woman of intelligence, integrity, and purpose.

Day Student Shadow Days October 6, 2017 December 1, 2017 Admission Overnight and Visitation Days November 9-10, 2017 January 15-16, 2018

900 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27603 919.424.4100 admission@sms.edu sms.edu midtownmag.com | 127

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SCIENCE & MATH INTERACTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE SMILE is a true STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) facility where the emphasis is on real hands-on experiences.

SMILE began eight years ago in the NCSU Materials Science and Engineering Department as a hands-on opportunity for WCPSS AIG students. We now have our own facility where campers ages seven to 18 actively learn by experimenting and creating in a collaborative, highly interactive laboratory environment.

Science: We offer sessions spanning the continuum of STEM fields with experiments to explore the world and underlying principles of engineering, physics, chemistry, biology and beyond.

Math: By using numbers, structures, and equations to describe our experiments, math takes on meaning. Campers develop a sense of scale as we observe phenomena from the Mega down to the Micro and Nano.

Interactive: Small groups of four campers per instructor create a safe and highly engaging environment. The campers carry out the experiments while interacting with engineers, scientists, mentors, and fellow campers like themselves.

Learning: Campers learn by doing and perform varied experiments not available in a regular school or camp setting. We expose our campers to what happens beyond the classroom, encouraging them not only to have greater interest in the curriculum that they receive at school, but also to go above and beyond.

Experiences: We do super cool stuff! Campers will be creating, designing, building, growing, and bringing home what they create. Participants are mentored by highly knowledgeable and engaging instructors. With fun, exciting hands-on experiments differentiated to meet the needs of different ages and stages, we open up each camper’s mind to exciting real-world STEAM applications that they may not see elsewhere.

SMILE offers week-long track-out and summer camps, before and after school, half-day, weekend sessions, teacher workdays, homeschool classes, scouting programs, specialty workshops, and custom tutoring in math and sciences. Give your child the opportunity to reach their full potential and experience the best of STEAM.

6301 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, NC 27606 919.307.STEM (7836) info@smilecamp.org smilecamp.org

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2017

THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF RALEIGH Your child was born ready – to contribute, to experience, to explore, to learn, to know, and to understand the world and how it works.

School, as most of us think of it, is meant to help students get ready, to prepare them in many different ways for each advancing step toward success in college and, ultimately, life. For students, school years are much more than just preparation for “real life”; they are real life. The ways in which our students learn and live today shape the people they will become tomorrow.

At MSR, through our vigorous and encompassing toddlerthrough-grade 12 program, our mission is to ensure that our students are ever more ready to live their lives to the fullest – intellectually, interpersonally, and with independence – not only in the future, but now and at every age and stage of their development. Each level of our curriculum has been specifically designed around the needs and characteristics of students to provide the optimal learning environment.

MSR is growing! Schedule a visit today at msr.org or call 919-848-1545 to learn more about the exciting things happening at The Montessori School of Raleigh!

7005 Lead Mine Road Raleigh, NC 27615 919.848.1545 m s r. o r g

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TRINITY ACADEMY Trinity Academy embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ and integrates authentic Christianity with superior academics.

Our highly skilled faculty is excellent in their craft but also truly invested in the lives of students. We focus on the classical arts and sciences and offer a full array of high-quality, competitive athletics and award-winning fine arts. Trinity rivals the best schools in the region, boasting 100% college acceptance and generous per-student college scholarship offers.

At Trinity, we begin with the end in view, asking “what skills, what knowledge, what virtues, what experiences must our graduates possess?” We then craft a “top-down, 12 to TK” curriculum. You’ll find that, we are innovative in our teaching technique; however, we don’t always use the latest or most popular instructional materials and methods. Instead, we use methods and materials that have stood the test of time. Our approach to education doesn’t work because it is classical. It is classical because it works.

As important as our approach to academics is our approach to student spiritual formation. Alarming statistics indicate that the vast majority of young people leave the faith when they leave home for college. At Trinity, we believe this happens because students are not given the opportunity to wrestle, test and even doubt their faith in ways that ultimately prove their faith. It is hard to defend a faith that is not your own, but only borrowed from parents, pastors or a youth minister.

College should not be the first time our students hear a salient challenge to their childhood beliefs. Therefore, we offer students a safe place to work through their questions, doubts and fears, while surrounded by godly mentors who care about them and their relationship with Christ. Our approach is this: “We don’t tell our students what to think. We teach them how to think.”

10224 Baileywick Road Raleigh, NC 27613 919.786.0114 a d m i s s i o n s @ t r i n i t y a c a d e m y. c o m t r i n i t y a c a d e m y. c o m 130 | midtownmag.com

E D U C AT I O N G U I D E SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2017

CARDINAL GIBBONS

Visit our campus and you are welcomed by a loving school community, dedicated to sharing our mission of faith, service, and leadership with families.

• We offer a joyful high school experience with unparalleled college-preparatory academics, campus life activities, faith and service formation programs, and award-winning athletics and arts.

• We provide opportunities for students to learn, lead, and explore through challenging educational experiences guided by passionate educators.

• We embrace families and invite them to engage in our vibrant community and fully enjoy the Gibbons journey.

We look forward to seeing you at our Open House for Prospective Students on November 5th, 2017 from 1 - 4 pm.

1401 Edwards Mill Road Raleigh, NC 27606 919.834.1625 Established 1909 cghsnc.org

LA PETITE ACADEMY What a great place to start. Our schools offer nurturing care and creative learning experiences. Exceptionally strong, sound social and educational foundations are formed here. At La Petite Academy®, your child will discover respect, collaboration, and the joy of learning. Our exclusive School Readiness Pathway charts each child’s unique course to elementary school, with specialized curriculum and developmentally appropriate programs for infants and beyond. Plus, our Grow Fit™ initiative ensures the complete well-being of your growing child through a focus on healthy living, nutritious eating and physical fitness.

Connect with us 877.861.5078 LaPetite.com midtownmag.com | 131

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NORTH RALEIGH SCHOOL OF MUSIC The North Raleigh School of Music has one mission: to cultivate confidence and beauty through music. Founded by a family of music teachers in 2012, the school is a place where musicians of all ages and skill levels can get personalized instruction in a friendly, communal atmosphere.

The teaching staff includes experienced music educators with advanced music degrees who offer instrumental and vocal training. Not only do the teachers provide top-notch lessons, but they also connect students to local performance opportunities. Motivated by their love of music, the instructors are passionate about sharing their expertise with others so their creativity and talent can shine.

5501 Six Forks Road Raleigh, NC 27609 919.612.1554 northraleighschoolofmusic.com

NORTH RALEIGH SCHOOL OF

MUSIC

Cultivating Confidence & Beauty Through Music

ST. DAVID’S SCHOOL St. David’s School is a purposeful blend of a small educational setting, coupled with superior academics, athletics and fine arts programs. We are committed to academic excellence, small class size, and individualized attention. We respect the pervasive influence of tradition and are courageous in our efforts to build upon it. Our students are exposed to a challenging, college preparatory curriculum; they are encouraged to explore the depths of the Christian faith, and are challenged to better understand the concept of virtue as they grow, mature, and progress through school. Faith, Virtue, Knowledge – these are the hallmarks of a St. David’s education. Discover St. David’s at an upcoming Admissions Group Tour!

3400 White Oak Road Raleigh, NC 27609 919.782.3331 admissions@sdsw.org sdsw.org

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E D U C AT I O N G U I D E SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 1 Ravenscroft

7409 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh ravenscroft.org/admissions 919.847.0900 2 SMILE Camp

6301 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh smilecamp.org 919.307.7836 3 Saint Mary’s School

900 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh sms.edu 919.424.4100

2017

6 Cardinal Gibbons High School

1401 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh cghsnc.org 919.834.1625

5

7 La Petite Academy

7601 Six Forks Road, Raleigh lapetite.com 877.861.5078 8 North Raleigh School of Music

8

5501 Six Forks Road, Raleigh northraleighschoolofmusic.com 919.612.1554 9

4 The Montessori School of Raleigh 9 St. David’s School

7005 Lead Mine Road, Raleigh msr.org 919.848.1545 5 Trinity Academy of Raleigh

3400 White Oak Road, Raleigh sdsw.org 919.782.3331

1

7 4

6 2

3

10224 Baileywick Road, Raleigh trinityacademy.com 919.786.0114

beauty

COMING UP IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF MIDTOWN...

EXPERTS

from Spas to Cosmetics

TREAT YOURSELF TO

THE BEST ADVERTISE WITH US

919.782.4710

midtownmag.com midtownmag.com | 133

M Dining Guide Our directory of where to eat in Raleigh.

AFRICAN Abyssinia Ethopian Restaurant 2109-146 Avent Ferry Rd. 919.664.8151 abyssiniarestaurant.net

AMERICAN 18 Seaboard 18 Seaboard Ave. 919.861.4318 18restaurantgroup.com 510 Tavern 510 Glenwood Ave. 919.307.4778 510tavern.com b. good Park at North Hills St. 919.916.5410 555 Fayetteville St. 919.803.3233 bgood.com

Carroll’s Kitchen 19 E. Martin St. 919.670.3622 carrollskitchen.org Clockwork 519 W. North St. 919.307.3215 clockworkraleigh.com Crawford & Son 618 N. Person St. 919.307.4647 crawfordandsonrestaurant.com Death & Taxes 105 W. Hargett St. 984.242.0218 ac-restaurants.com/ death-taxes Edwards Mill Bar & Grill 3201 Edwards Mill Rd. 919.783.5447 edwardsmillbarandgrill.com

Ba-Da Wings 2161 Avent Ferry Rd. 919.832.3902 badawings.com Glenwood Grill 2603 Glenwood Ave. #151 919.782.3102 glenwoodgrill.com

Bloomsbury Bistro 509-101 W. Whitaker Mill Rd. 919.834.9011 bloomsburybistro.com

Hayes Barton Cafe 2000 Fairview Rd. 919.856.8551 imaginarystudioonline.com/ hayes

Cameron Bar and Grill 2018 Clark Ave. 919.755.2231 cameronbarandgrill.com Capital Club 16 6 W. Martin St. 919.747.9345 capitalclub16.com 134 | midtownmag.com

Midtown Grille 4421 Six Forks Rd. 919.782.9463 themidtowngrille.com

North Ridge North Ridge Pub 6010 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.790.9125 northridgepub.com The Oak City Meatball Shoppe 180 E. Davie St. 919.714.9014 oakcitymeatball.com Seasons 52 4325 Glenwood Ave. 919.787.3052 seasons52.com

Berkeley Cafe 217 W. Martin St. 919.322.0127 berkeleycafe.net

Trophy Tap + Table 225 S. Wilmington St. 919.424.7817 trophybrewing.com

Lynnwood Grill & Brewing Concern 4821 Grove Barton Rd. 919.785.0043 lynnwoodgrill.com

Iris Restaurant 2110 Blue Ridge Rd. 919.664.6838 ncartmuseum.org/visit/dining

Kings 141 Park at North Hills St. 919.600.5700 kingsbowlamerica.com

Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern 330 Hillsborough St. 919.829.3663 second-empire.com Stanbury 938 N. Blount St. 919.977.4321 stanburyrestaurant.com Standard Foods 205 E. Franklin St. 919.307.4652 standard-foods.com Taste 3048 Medlin Dr. 919.322.0568

1912 Bernard St. 919.948.7815 jmrkitchens.com/taste Tazza Kitchen 432 Woodburn Rd. 919.835.9463 tazzakitchen.com

Zest Cafe & Home Art 8831 Six Forks Rd. 919.848.4792 zestcafehomeart.com

ASIAN

the Oak 4035 Lake Boone Tr. 919.787.9100 jmrkitchens.com/oak

Bida Manda 222 S. Blount St. 919.829.9999 bidamanda.com

The Players’ Retreat 105 Oberlin Rd. 919.755.9589 playersretreat.net

Brewery Bhavana 218 S. Blount St. 919.829.9998 brewerybhavana.com

The Raleigh Times Bar 14 E. Hargett St. 919.833.0999 raleightimesbar.com

bu•ku 110 E. Davie St. 919.834.6963 bukuraleigh.com

The Rockford 320 ½ Glenwood Ave. 919.821.9020 therockfordrestaurant.com The Station 701 N. Person St. 919.977.1567 stationraleigh.com

The Twisted Fork 3751 Sumner Blvd.

919.792.2535 thetwistedfork.com Tribeca Tavern 6004 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.790.9992 tribecatavernnc.com Village Grill 8470 Honeycut Rd. 919.890.5340 villagegrillraleigh.com Winston’s Grille 6401 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.790.0700 winstonsgrille.com

Chai’s Asian Bistro 8347 Creedmoor Rd. 919.848.8500 chaisasianbistro.com Champa Thai & Sushi 8521 Brier Creek Pkwy.

919.806.0078 champathaisushi.com Chopstix 5607 Creedmoor Rd. 919.781.6268 raleighchopstix.com David’s Dumpling & Noodle Bar 1900 Hillsborough St. 919.239.4536 ddandnb.com Five Star Restaurant 511 W. Hargett St. 919.833.3311 fivestarraleigh.com Hako Sushi 2603-155 Glenwood Ave. 919.235.0589 hakosushinc.com

Imperial Garden 7713 Lead Mine Rd. 919.846.1988 imperialgardenrestaurant.com Kimbap Cafe 111 Seaboard Ave. #118 919.900.8053 kimbapcafe.com Lemongrass Thai Restaurant 8320 Litchford Rd. #142 919.954.0377 lemongrassthairestaurant.net Mura 4121 Main St. 919.781.7887 muranorthhills.com Neo-Asia 6602 Glenwood Ave. 919.783.8383 neo-china.com Ni Asian Kitchen 8817 Six Forks Rd. 919.916.5106 niasiankitchen.com

Orchid Japanese Restaurant 7432 Creedmoor Rd. 919.890.5345 orchidjapanesebuffet.com Pho Pho Pho 510 Glenwood Ave. #103 phophophonc.com

Seoul Garden 4701 Atlantic Ave. 919.850.9984 raleighseoulgarden.com

Waraji Japanese Restaurant 5910 Duraleigh Rd. 919.783.1883 warajijapaneserestaurant.com

ShabaShabu 3080 Wake Forest Rd. 919.501.7755 shabashabu.net

BAKERY & DESSERTS Anisette Sweet Shop 209 Bickett Blvd.

919.758.3565 sweetanisette.com

Pho Far East 4011 Capital Blvd. #133 919.876.8621

Sono 319 Fayetteville St. 919.521.5328 sonoraleigh.com

Pearl Chinese Restaurant 3215 Avent Ferry Rd. 919.233.8776 pearlchinesenc.com

Sushi Blues Cafe 301 Glenwood Ave. 919.664.8061 sushibluescafe.com

Red Dragon Chinese Restaurant 2513 Fairview Rd. 919.782.1102 reddragonraleigh.com

Sushi O Bistro & Sushi Bar 4361 Lassiter at North Hills 919.783.8180 springrollsrestaurant.com

Bittersweet 16 E. Martin St. 919.977.3829 bittersweetraleigh.com

Thaiphoon Bistro 301 Glenwood Ave. #190 919.720.4034 thaiphoonbistro.com

Boulted Bread 614 W. South St. 919.999.3984 boultedbread.com

Red Pepper Asian 4121-109 New Bern Ave. 919.594.1006 redpepperasiannc.com

Annelore’s German Bakery 1249 Farmers Market Dr. 919.294.8040 facebook.com/ anneloresgermanbakery

Duck Donuts 8323 Creedmoor Rd. 919.847.3800 duckdonuts.com

Edible Art Bakery & Dessert Café 4351-115 The Circle at North Hills 919.856.0604 edibleartnc.com Escazú Artisan Chocolates 936 N. Blount St. 919.832.3433 escazuchocolates.com Goodberry’s Frozen Custard 2421 Spring Forest Rd. 919.878.8159 9700 Strickland Rd. 919.676.8580 2042 Clark Ave. 919.833.9998 goodberrys.com

creative cuisine, superior service catering from Irregardless Café AT THE GLENWOOD

renowned reputation

PHOTO: KATE POPE

Catering 919.610.0872 TheGlenwoodVenue.com Irregardless.com

919 850.2340 ROCKYTOPCATERING.COM midtownmag.com | 135

Groovy Duck Bakery 3434 Edwards Mill Rd. 919.787.9233 groovyduckbakeryllc.com Hayes Barton Cafe 2000 Fairview Rd. 919.856.8551 https://goo.gl/2aXSqM lucettegrace 235 S. Salisbury St. 919.307.4950 lucettegrace.com Premier Cakes 6617 Falls of Neuse Rd. #105 919.703.0095 premier-cakes.com Sugarland 2031 Cameron St. 919.835.2100 facebook.com/ sugarlandraleigh Yellow Dog Bread Company 219 E. Franklin St. 984.232.0291 facebook.com/ yellowdogbread Videri Chocolate Factory 327 W Davie St. 919.755.5053 viderichocolatefactory.com

BBQ Big Al’s BBQ 2920 Forestville Rd. 919.217.0653 bigalsbbqandcatering.com Clyde Cooper’s BBQ 327 S. Wilmington St. 919.832.7614 clydecoopersbbq.com Ole Time Barbecue 6309 Hillsborough St. 919.859.2544 oletimebarbecue.com The Pit Authentic Barbecue 328 W. Davie St. 919.890.4500 thepit-raleigh.com

The Q Shack 4120 Main at North Hills St. 919.786.4381 theqshack.com 136 | midtownmag.com

BREAKFAST SPECIALTY Another Broken Egg Cafe 160 Park at North Hills St. 919.307.8195 anotherbrokenegg.com Brigs Restaurant 8111 Creedmoor Rd. 919.870.0994 brigs.com First Watch 6320 Capital Blvd.

919.900.8355 firstwatch.com Jubala Coffee 8450 Honeycutt Rd. 919.758.8330 jubalacoffee.com The Morning Times 10 E Hargett St. 919.836.1204 morningtimes-raleigh.com New World Cafe 4112 Pleasant Valley Rd. 919.786.0091 newworldcoffeehouse.com

BURGER & HOT DOG Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar 111 Seaboard Ave. 919.747.9163 baddaddysburgerbar.com

MoJoe’s Burger Joint 620 Glenwood Ave. 919.832.6799 mojoesburgerjoint.com Pharaoh’s Grill at North Hills 4421 Six Forks Rd. 919.420.0840 Snoopy’s Hot Dogs 600 Hillsborough St. 919.839.2176 snoopys.com

CAFÉ Acro Café 11 W. Jones St. 919.707.8057 https://goo.gl/34145J Benelux Coffee 402 Oberlin Rd. 919.900.8294 beneluxcoffee.com Cafe Carolina and Bakery 150 Fayetteville St. 919.834.9117 401 Daniels Street 919.821.7117 cafecarolina.com Despina’s Café 8369 Creedmoor Rd. 919.848.5007 despinascafe.com Manhattan Cafe 320 S. Wilmington St. 919.833.6105 manhattancafenc.com

Chow Pizza & Burgers 8311 Creedmoor Rd. 919.841.4995 chowraleigh.com Chuck’s 237 S. Wilmington St. 919.322.0126 ac-restaurants.com/chucks Cloos’ Coney Island 2233 Avent Ferry Rd. 919.834.3354 Jerry’s Grill 813 E. Whitaker Mill Rd. 919.832.7561 JoCa’s Gourmet Dawgs N’ Shakes 8450 Honeycutt Rd. #112 919.322.1590 jocasgourmet.com

Oakwood Cafe 300 E. Edenton St. 919.828.5994 oakwoodcaferaleigh.com Seaboard Cafe 707 Semart Dr. 919.821.7553 seaboardcafe.com Sola Coffee 7705 Lead Mine Rd. 919.803.8983 solacoffee.com Sosta Cafe 130 E. Davie St. 919.833.1006 sostacafe.com

The Daily Planet Cafe 121 W. Jones St. 919.707.8060 thedailyplanetcafe.com

Rocky Top Catering 1705 E. Millbrook Rd. 919.850.2340 rockytopcatering.com

Devolve Moto 304 Glenwood Ave. 919.803.3257 devolvemoto.com The Pharmacy Cafe 702 N. Person St. 919.832.6432 personstreetrx.com

The Glenwood 3300 Woman’s Club Dr. 919.610.0872 theglenwoodvenue.com

Sunflowers Cafe 8 W. Peace St. 919.833.4676 sunflowersraleigh.com

DELI/SANDWHICHES

CARIBBEAN Caribbean Café 2645 E. Millbrook Rd. 919.872.4858 caribbeancafenc.com Jamaican Grille 5500 Atlantic Springs Rd. 919.873.0200 Lee’s Kitchen 4638 Capital Blvd.

919.872.7422 leeskitchenjamaican.com Mum’s Jamaican Restaurant 3901 Capital Blvd.

919.615.2332 mumsjamaicanfood.com Tropical Picken Chicken 404 E. Six Forks Rd. 919.703.0661

CATERING Catering Works 2319 Laurelbrook St. 919.828.5932 cateringworks.com

Donovan’s Dish 800 W. Williams St. #112 Apex | 919.651.8309 10251 Little Brier Creek Ln. #107 | Raleigh donovansdish.com

The Community Deli 901 Oberlin Rd. 919.896.6810 thecommunitydeli.com Groucho’s Deli 10 Horne St. 919.977.7747 grouchos.com Linus & Pepper’s 126 S. Salisbury St. 919.833.3866 Lunch Box Deli 2816 Trawick Rd. 919.872.7882 McAlister’s Deli 4361 Lassiter at North Hills Ave. 919.787.9543 mcalistersdeli.com Poppyseed Market 8801 Lead Mine Rd. 919.870.4997 poppyseedmkt.com Village Deli & Grill 500 Daniels St. 919.828.1428 villagedeli.net

INDIAN

ECLECTIC 41Hundred 4100 Main at North Hills St. 919.278.1478 41hundredrestaurant.com Flights Restaurant & Lounge 4100 Main at North Hills St. 919.571.8773 flightsnorthhills.com ORO Restaurant & Lounge 18 E. Martin St. 919.239.4010 ororaleigh.com Plates Neighborhood Kitchen 301 Glenwood Ave. 919.828.0018 plateskitchen.com

FRENCH Crepe Traditions 141 Park at North Hills St. 919.977.3425 crepetraditions.com

Coquette Brasserie 4531 The Circle at North Hills 919.789.0606 coquetteraleigh.com Royale 200 E. Martin St. 919.977.3043 Saint Jacques 6112 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.862.2770 saintjacquesfrench cuisine.com Simply Crêpes 8470 Honeycutt Rd. 919.322.2327 simplycrepes.com

GERMAN J. Betski’s 10 W. Franklin St. 919.833.7999 jbetskis.com

Azitra 8411 Brier Creek Pkwy.

919.484.3939 azitra.com Garland 14 W. Martin St. 919.833.6886 garlandraleigh.com Godavari 9650 Strickland Rd. 919.847.1984 godavarius.com Indio Restaurant & Lounge 222 Glenwood Ave. 919.322.2760 indioraleigh.com

Royal India 3901 Capital Blvd.

919.981.0849 royalindiannc.com

919.803.0290 hibernianpub.com

Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine 6611 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.848.2262 tajmahalindianraleigh.com

Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant 3905 Western Blvd.

919.851.0473 amedeosrestaurant.com

The Wild Cook’s Indian Grill 3212 Hillsborough St. 984.232.8530 wildcooksgrill.com

Assaggio Italian Restuarant 3501 W. Millbrook Rd. 919.785.2088 assaggios-nc.com

Zayka Indian Cuisine 10410 Moncreiffe Rd. Ste 103 919.361.5370 zaykaraleigh.com

Bella Monica 3121 Edwards Mill Rd. 919.881.9778 bellamonica.com

IRISH

Bruno Seafood & Steaks 11211 Galleria Ave. 919.435.6640 brunoraleigh.com

Kabab and Curry 2418 Hillsborough St. 919.977.6974 kababcurryraleigh.com

Saints & Scholars Irish Pub 909 Spring Forest Rd. 919.878.8828 saintsandscholarspub.com

Kadhai the Indian Wok 6260-112 Glenwood Ave. 919.785.2864 theindianexpresskadhai.com

The Hibernian 311 Glenwood Ave. 919.833.2258 8021 Falls Of Neuse Rd.

ITALIAN

Cafe Tiramisu Cafe Tiramisu 6008 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.790.1006 cafetiramisu.net

southern charm

modern elegance

PHOTO: F8 STUDIOS

LET US HOST YOUR NEXT EVENT! 919 850.2340 // 1705PRIME.COM

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Caffé Luna 136 E. Hargett St. 919.832.6090 cafeluna.com

Tuscan Blu 327 W. Davie St. 919.834.5707 tuscanblu.com

Capri Restaurant 6325 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.878.4424 caprirest.com

Vic’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria 331 Blake St. 919.829.7090

Casa Carbone Ristorante Italiano 6019 Glenwood Ave. 919.781.8750 casacarbone.com Farina Neighborhood Italian 8450 Honeycutt Rd. 919.890.0143 farinaraleigh.com

4035 Lake Boone Tr. 984.200.9292 vicsitalianrestaurant.com

Vivace 4209 Lassiter Mill Rd. 919.787.7747 vivaceraleigh.com

Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar 309 N. Dawson St. 919.838.8595 mulinoraleigh.com

MEDITERRANEAN / MIDDLE EASTERN

Piccola Italia 423 Woodburn Rd. 919.833.6888 piccolaitalianc.com

Aladdin’s Eatery 8201 Brier Creek Pkwy.

919.806.5700 aladdinseatery.com

Gravy 135 S. Wilmington St. 919.896.8513 gravyraleigh.com

Fresh Levant Bistro 8450 Honeycutt Rd. 984.200.3999 freshlevant.com

Jimmy V’s Osteria + Bar 420 Fayetteville St. 919.256.1451 jimmyvsraleigh.com

Jasmin Mediterranean Bistro 424 E. Six Forks Rd. 919.743.3336 jasminbistro.com

Mia Francesca 4100 Main at North Hills St. 919.278.1525 miafrancescaraleigh.com Nina’s Ristorante 8801 Lead Mine Rd. 919.845.1122 ninasrestaurant.com Pulcinella’s Italian Restaurant 4711 Hope Valley Rd. 919.490.1172 pulcinellasitalianrestaurant.com Roma Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant 3805 Brentwood Rd. 919.876.2818

Mona Pita Mediterranean Grill 5260 Capital Blvd.

919.431.6500 monapita.com Neomonde 3817 Beryl Rd. 919.828.1628 neomonde.com Nur Mediterranean Deli & Market 2233 Avent Ferry Rd. 919.828.1523 nurdeli.com Petra Grill 6091 Capital Blvd.

919.599.4959

10511 Shadowlawn Dr. 919.846.7044

Sassool 9650 Strickland Rd. 919.847.2700 sassool.com Sitti 137 S. Wilmington St. 919.239.4070 sitti-raleigh.com Tarbouch 5645 Creedmoor Rd. 919.239.4408 tarbouch-nc.com Taverna Agora 326 Hillsborough St. 919.881.8333 tavernaagora.com Taza Grill 6325 Falls of Neuse Rd. 919.872.7161 tazagrill.com Vidrio 500 Glenwood Ave. #100 919.803.6033 vidrioraleigh.com

MEXICAN Baja Burrito 2109 Avent Ferry Rd. #108 919.834.3431 bajaburrito.net Cafe Capistrano 8471 Garvey Dr. 919.872.1127 cafecapistrano.com Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar 444 S. Blount St. 919.617.1661 calaveraempanadas.com Cantina 18 433 Daniels St. 919.835.9911 18restaurantgroup.com Centro 106 S. Wilmington St. 919.835.3593 centroraleigh.com Chubby’s Tacos 2444 Wycliff Rd. 919.781.4480

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Chuy’s 4020 Market at North Hills St. 919.571.2489 chuys.com Dos Taquitos 410 Glenwood Ave. 919.835.9010 dostaquitosnorth.com El Dorado 2811 Brentwood Rd. 919.872.8440 eldoradomexicanrestaurant.com El Rodeo 4112 Pleasant Valley Rd. 919.571.1188 elrodeoraleigh.com El Tapatio Restaurante 4511 New Bern Ave. 919.255.9161

Los Tres Magueyes 10410 Moncreiffe Rd. 919.484.9258 lostresnc.com San Jose Mexican Restaurant 5811 Poyner Village Pkwy.

919.790.1919 The Original Flying Burrito 4800 Grove Barton Rd. 919.785.2734 originalflyingburrito.com Torero’s 4721 Atlantic Ave. 919.873.9116 torerosmexicanrestaurants.com Virgil’s Original Taqueria 126 S. Salisbury St. 919.833.3866 facebook.com/virgilstacos

PIZZERIA

Gallo Pelón Mezcaleria 106 S. Wilmington St. 919.835.3593 gallopelon.com

Cristo’s NY Style Pizza 1302 E. Milbrook Rd. 919.872.6797 cristospizza.com

Gonza Tacos Y Tequila 7713 Lead Mine Rd. 919.846.5478

DeMo’s Pizzeria & Deli 222 Glenwood Ave. 919.754.1050 demospizzeriadeli.com

2100 Hillsborough St. 919.268.8965 gonzatacosytequila.com Gringo A Go Go 100 N. Person St. 919.977.1438 gringoraleigh.com Jose and Sons 327 W. Davie St. 919.755.0556 joseandsons.com La Carreta 1028 Oberlin Rd. 919.977.3271 lacarretaavl.com

Donatos 111 Seaboard Ave. 919.828.5111 donatos.com Frank’s Pizza 2030 New Bern Ave. 919.231.8990 frankspizzainraleigh.com Gino’s Pizza 6260 Glenwood Ave. 919.783.7555 ginospizzaraleigh.com

La Rancherita 2400 Hillsborough St. 919.755.9697 rancheritamex.com Los Cuates 4524 Old Wake Forest Rd. 919.872.6012 goo.gl/KHvrQe

Lilly’s Pizza 1813 Glenwood Ave. 919.833.0226 lillyspizza.com

Moonlight Pizza Company 615 W. Morgan St. 919.755.9133 moonlightpizza.com Pieology Pizzeria 4158 Main at North Hills St. 919.803.5860 3001 Hillsborough St. 919.839.6300 pieology.com

SEAFOOD 42nd Street Oyster Bar 508 W. Jones St. 919.831.2811 42ndstoysterbar.com Captain Stanley’s Seafood 3333 S. Wilmington St. 919.779.7878 facebook.com/captainstanleys

Pizza La Stella 219 Fayetteville St. pizzalastella.com Stromboli’s Express 2900 Spring Forest Rd. 919.876.4222 strombolisexpress.com

Trophy Brewing & Pizza 827 W. Morgan St. 919.803.4849 trophybrewing.com

The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar 4208 Six Forks Rd. 919.784.0400 thecowfish.com

SOUTH AMERICAN Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken 4614 Capital Blvd.

919.713.0000 alpacachicken.com Guasaca Arepa & Salsa Grill 4025 Lake Boone Tr. 919.322.4928 guasaca.com

Dean’s Kitchen + Bar 1080 Darrington Dr., Cary 919.459.5875 deanskitchenandbar.com Margaux’s Restaurant 8111 Creedmoor Rd. 919.846.9846 margauxsrestaurant.com Saltwater Seafood Market and Fry Shack 4 Fenton St. | 919.834.1813 saltwaterseafoodnc.com

Mami Nora’s 2401 Wake Forest Rd. 919.834.8572 maminoras.com Vinos Finos Tapas and Wine Bar 8450 Honeycutt Rd. 919.747.9233 vinosfinosypicadas.com

SOUTHERN Bare Bones 301-120 Fayetteville St. 919.825.0995 Beasley’s Chicken + Honey 237 S. Wilmington St. 919.322.0127 ac-restaurants.com/beasleys Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant 220 Wolfe St. 919.836.9909 bigedscitymarket.com Driftwood Southern Kitchen 8460 Honeycutt Rd. 919.977.8360 driftwoodraleigh.com Humble Pie 317 S. Harrington St. 919.829.9222 humblepierestaurant.com Mandolin 2519 Fairview Rd. 919.322.0365 mandolinraleigh.com

NOFO @ the Pig 2014 Fairview Rd. 919.821.1240 nofo.com Pam’s Farmhouse 5111 Western Blvd.

919.859.9990 facebook.com/pamsfarmhouse Poole’s Diner 426 S. McDowell St. 919.832.4477 ac-restaurants.com/pooles Provenance 120 E. Martin St. 984.269.5211 provenanceraleigh.com Relish Café & Bar 5625 Creedmoor Rd. 919.787.1855 relishraleigh.com

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Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen 500 Fayetteville St. 919.227.3370 ryeraleigh.com

The Remedy Diner 137 E. Hargett St. 919.835.3553 theremedydiner.com

State Farmers’ Market Restaurant 1240 Farmers Market Dr. 919.755.1550 realbiscuits.com

SPANISH

Tupelo Honey Cafe 425 Oberlin Rd. 919.723.9353 tupelohoneycafe.com Flying Biscuit Café 2016 Clark Ave. 919.833.6924 flyingbiscuit.com The Mecca Restaurant 13 E. Martin St. 919.832.5714 mecca-restaurant.com

Latin Quarters 7335 Six Forks Rd. 919.900.8333 new.latinquartersnc.com Tasca Brava 607 Glenwood Ave. 919.828.0840 tascabrava.com

STEAKHOUSE Angus Barn 9401 Glenwood Ave. 919.791.2444 angusbarn.com

Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse 8551 Brier Creek Pkwy.

919.544.3344 brasasteakhouse.com Sullivan’s Steakhouse 414 Glenwood Ave. 919.833.2888 sullivansteakhouse.com The Capital Grille 4242 Six Forks Rd. 919.787.3901 thecapitalgrille.com

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN Fiction Kitchen 428 S. Dawson St. 919.831.4177 thefictionkitchen.com Happy + Hale 443 Fayetteville St. 919.307.4148 happyandhale.com

Grabbagreen 4421 Six Forks Rd. #103 919.326.7799 Vinnie’s Steak House and Tavern 7440 Six Forks Rd. 919.847.7319 vinniessteakhouse.com

Raleigh Raw 7 W. Hargett St. 919.400.0944 raleighraw.com

Irregardless Cafe & Catering 901 W. Morgan St. 919.833.8898 irregardless.com

Living Kitchen 555 Fayetteville St. 919.324.3515 livingkitchen.com

PHOTO OF DIM SUM AT BREWERY BHAVANA BY DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

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midtowndowntown

R

LOCAL ARCHITECTS BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO SOME OF THE CITY’S MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS

ALEIGH EP URPOSED

Form and Function 1700 GLENWOOD AVENUE

REPURPOSED BY: TONIC DESIGN AND RILEY-LEWIS IN 2016

PHOTO BY TZU CHEN PHOTOGRAPHY

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The T-shaped, modernist building next to the Rite Aid pharmacy in Five Points has served many purposes since it was built in 1965. Old Raleighites will remember it as Roy’s Dry Cleaners, before it tuned into electronics shop, Audio Buys. Now, the space belongs to interior designer Carol Marcotte, who operates her vintage furniture and decorative goods store, Form and Function, on the 5,800 square foot building’s second floor. After Marcotte purchased the building for $1.35 million, nearly

BEFORE RENOVATIONS

twice what it was originally valued at, Tonic Design and contractors from Riley-Lewis totally repurposed what had become a Glenwood Avenue eyesore in just eight months. They installed new electrical and HVAC systems, added an elevator, replaced concrete walls with glass windows, and added a rooftop garden for events and entertaining. The space doubles as an office for Marcotte’s interior design services company, with a clothing shop and furniture boutique located on the ground floor.

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CAM PHOTO BY JOHN EDWARD LINDEN PHOTOGRAPHY

CAM Raleigh CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM 409 WEST MARTIN STREET REPURPOSED BY: CLEARSCAPES AND BROOKS + SCARPA IN 2011

What once was an old produce warehouse located on polluted soil is now the proud anchor of downtown’s burgeoning Warehouse District.

Envisioned as a replacement facility for Raleigh’s City Gallery of Contemporary Art – which closed in Moore Square in the nineties and became the now-closed Irish pub, Tir Na Nog – CAM took quite some time to get off the ground. A group of dedicated stakeholders, including NC State’s College of Design, local artists and creatives, architect Steve Schuster and his firm, Clearscapes, as well as a private foundation, persisted for nearly two decades, emerging triumphant in the waning of the Great

The Dillon 223 SOUTH WEST STREET

REPURPOSED BY: KANE REALTY CORPORATION EXPECTED TO OPEN IN 2018

PHOTOS OF THE DILLON COURESTY OF KANE REALTY

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CAM BEFORE RENOVATIONS, PHOTO BY CLEARSCAPES

Recession, in 2011. The result is a sustainably built, wideopen lobby and gallery space that spans three connected floors, is flooded with natural light, topped with an impervious blue metal roof, and restored according to state and federal guidelines for historic renovation. Like the produce that constantly moved in and out of the warehouse in its earliest days, the contemporary art exhibitions at CAM are curated with the same principles: they’re fresh, their creators are living, and they’re always in flux.

Non-denominational Church • Community Involved • Casual Biblically based • Family & Singles • Multicultural

crossroads.org @crossroadsfellowship Crossroads Fellowship NC 2721 E. Millbrook Road, Raleigh • 13029 Keith Store Road, Wake Forest

Dillon Supply, a centuryold industrial supplies distributor and steel services center located in what is now downtown’s Warehouse District will soon complete its transformation into The Dillon, a mixeduse project that includes an 18-story office tower with ground-floor retail space and two six-story apartment buildings with an adjoining parking deck. Located adjacent to the new Union Station, a joint project from the state’s Department of Transportation, the City of Raleigh, and GoTriangle, the site will be accessible in all directions on foot, by

car, by bus, and by train.

An Urban Outfitters will anchor 40,000 square feet of street-level retail and restaurant space. Developer John Kane expects the The Dillon, which will cover an entire 2.5-acre city block, to meet the LEED Gold certification.Though the red brick warehouse had been utilized for supplies storage until recently, folks who are used to seeing the iconic Dillon Supply mural need not worry: the sign will be preserved as a symbol of a historic neighborhood, repurposed to meet the demands of a modern, growing city. midtownmag.com | 145

Dr. Pepper Warehouse

416 SOUTH DAWSON STREET RESTORED BY: EMPIRE PROPERTIES

For years, commuters heading south out of downtown Raleigh wondered about the yellow iron-spotted brick building with the large plate glass windows and the sign that read “Tires ’N’ Parts,” located on S. Dawson Street.

Surrounded by vibrant spaces such as the Convention Center, Red Hat Amphitheater, City Plaza, and bustling bars and restaurants, it seemed a matter of time before someone would breathe new life into the erstwhile Dr. Pepper bottling warehouse.

Now, the warehouse with the Art Moderne facade, built in 1935, serves as the corporate headquarters for Personify, a fast-growing executive recruiting firm that started

DR PEPPER PLANT, 1949 // PHOTO FROM THE STATE ARCHIVES

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BOTTOM TWO PHOTOS: THE WORK SPACE OF BALDWIN&, CURRENT TENANTS. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMPIRE PROPERTIES.

PHOTOS OF PERSONIFY BY LEICHT PHOTOGRAPHY

in Cary. Empire Properties bought the building that bottled sodas for forty years in 2008, and fully restored it to feature 1,400 square feet of retail or office space on two stories with an additional 11,000 square-feet of warehouse space and a twenty-foot tall vaulted ceiling that can be opened for a dramatic effect. A new mezzanine structure connects the building’s entry level to the second floor.

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Stone’s Warehouse 500 EAST DAVIE STREET

REPURPOSED BY: TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, LLC AND C.T. WILSON, EXPECTED TO OPEN SUMMER 2018

In the summer of 2015, the City of Raleigh agreed to sell the sprawling Stone’s warehouse, a former bus repair facility once known as the Carolina Coach Garage and Shop in southeast Raleigh, to a hyper-local group of developers for $2.02 million. It took nearly two more years for the deal to close, but the developers – Jason Queen of Monarch Property Co., Will Jeffers, Matt Flynn, and Steve Schuster of Clearscapes – began transforming the 85-year-old warehouse that sits on .83 acres into a downtown food hall, market, and townhouses that will be constructed along Chavis Way this winter. Headed by Queen, the developers envision more than 43,000 square feet of space dedicated to “food producers, makers, vendors, restaurateurs, their guests, and the local community.” Local staples such as Videri Chocolate Factory, Centro, Che Empanadas, Gallo Paleon, Boulted Bread, Jubala Coffee, Person Street Bar, Locals Seafood, and Saxapahaw General Store have already signed on.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MONARCH PROPERTY CO.

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The Nehi Bottling Company PHOTO BY DAVIES PHOTOGRAPHY

3210 HILLSBOROUGH STREET RESTORED BY: JAMES A. GOODNIGHT AND MAURER ARCHITECTURE IN 2014

William Henry Deitrik, one of Raleigh’s most prolific and eclectic architects (see Broughton High School, Meredith College’s Jones Hall, and Dorton Arena) designed the minimalist factory building. It was completed in 1938 and, in 2010, the building was designated a city landmark. In 2013, James Goodnight – son of billionaire SASfounder Jim Goodnight – purchased the 10,000 square foot building, which had been vacant for some time, for $590,000. In restoring the building, architect David Maurer replaced the building’s second floor and installed pyramid skylights as well as imported black Carrera glass around the building’s entrance.

Goodnight commissioned Raleigh artist Luke Buchanan to recreate the original RC Cola mural on the side of the building and in 2015, software company KnowledgeTree signed a five-year lease to locate its office in the space.

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PHOTO BY JOE REALE

FIRST FRIDAY

September 1st and October 6th, Held on the First Friday of every month Produced by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, this free, self-guided tour provides a view into Downtown’s cutting-edge cultural hot spots. Local art galleries, art studios, alternative art venues, and museums stay open late the first Friday of every month to welcome thousands of art-seeking enthusiasts.

Downtown, Raleigh https://goo.gl/U43wfQ

OUT& ABOUT

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS | MIDTOWN MINGLES | NEW AROUND TOWN midtownmag.com| 151

calendar ofevents PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH HILLS

PUMPKIN PALOOZA October 21 at North Hills Join us for a Chili Cook-Off, Scavenger Hunt, Canine Costume Contest, KidZone and more! midtownraleighalliance.org

PINTS & POSES YOGA AT RALEIGH BREWING Every Sunday in September 10:30am-noon 3709 Neil St, Raleigh Bring your mat and a friend for some yoga and brews! Dogs are welcome to join; beer starts pouring at noon! visitraleigh.com FRIDAY NIGHT TRIBUTE SERIES Every Friday (last event being October 13), 7-9pm Midtown Park in North Hills Join North Hills for the fifth season of the Friday Night Tribute Series. The block party style set up, complete with food trucks, specialty cocktails and a kidfriendly atmosphere, is an ideal place for friends, family and co-workers to gather in celebration of the weekend to come. visitnorthhills.com/events TREASURES OF THE EARTH: GEM, MINERAL, AND JEWELRY SHOW September 1-4 1025 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh This show has something for everyone!

Vendors from across the United States bring their items which include fashion and handmade jewelry, 14k and sterling silver, pearls and art jewelry, rocks, fossils, and so much more to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. visitraleigh.com

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AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL OF RALEIGH AND WAKE COUNTY September 2-3 400 Fayetteville St, Raleigh The African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is an annual celebration of African American culture as expressed through art, music, food, and community. aacfestival.org NORTH RALEIGH SCHOOL OF MUSIC’S 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION September 5, 6-8pm 5501 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh It is our 5-year anniversary as a music school! Come celebrate with us. There will be a band, games, raffles, and a cake! You will also get to learn about our many music lessons and classes.

(There is something for newborns all the way up to 102 years old!) Please check out the event at: https://www.facebook. com/events/1427933720594420/ and www.northraleighschoolofmusic.com.

SHAKESBEER WITH BARE THEATRE September 6, 8-8:45 300 S McDowell St, Raleigh Bare Theatre and Imurj present ShakesBeer, which combines two great things: beer and Shakespeare! The show runs 45 minutes, and beer-drinking and food-eating are encouraged! visitraleigh.com

NC STATE ENTREPALOOZA September 7, 5:30-8 1070 Partners Way, Raleigh A celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation! Features include an interactive showcase from NC State Alumni, students, and partners along with the “Minute to Pitch It” competition, with 15 students pitching their business venture for a chance to win $1,000. Come out and vote for your favorite! The event is free and open to the public! visitraleigh.com HOPSCOTCH DESIGN FESTIVAL September 7-8 Downtown Raleigh Hopscotch Design Festival gathers thinkers, makers and storytellers to share ideas and foster conversations about how design is shaping the future.

Hopscotch Design will feature more than 40 interactive sessions, workshops and parties at multiple venues in downtown Raleigh. hopscotchdesignfest.com HOPSCOTCH MUSIC FESTIVAL September 7-10 Downtown Raleigh Featuring more than 140 bands over three days, Hopscotch is known for adventurous lineups, memorable performances and a fan-friendly atmosphere. hopscotchmusicfest.com

GREEK FESTIVAL 2017 September 8-10 1025 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh The 36th Annual Greek Festival will be held at the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds.

Taste handmade, authentic Greek Food, enjoy live Greek music and see traditional folk dances. raleighgreekfestival.com CANES 5K September 10, 9am 1400 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh The fifth annual Canes 5k will include a 5k race, 100- and 200yard kid dashes, multiple inflatables, and appearances by the Carolina Hurricanes, team staff, alumni, Stormy, and the Pepsi Storm Squad all taking place at the PNC Arena. www.nhl.com/hurricanes MANDOLIN’S BBQ FUNDRAISER September 10, 2-5pm 2519 Fairview Rd, Raleigh Mandolin Sauces BBQ will be hosting its 2nd Annual BBQ fundraiser to benefit the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.

The event includes live music and lots of great food including smoked chicken, pork bbq, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, fried okra and so much more! foodshuttle.org/events TRIANGLE TOWN CENTER’S CREEKSIDE WINED DOWN September 14 & 28, 6:30-9:30pm 5959 Triangle Town Blvd, Raleigh Every other Thursday from 6:309:30pm, the community will enjoy live music, delicious treats and lawn games – all with their favorite brew in hand! visitraleigh.com SPARKCON 2017 September 14-17 Downtown Raleigh For four days, Raleigh’s Fayetteville Street, public spaces, clubs and stages will be filled with art, music, dance, film, fashion, design and more! SPARKcon showcases local cultural richness through open-source collaboration and cross pollination. sparkcon.com BUGFEST September 16, 9am-7pm North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences 11 W Jones St, Raleigh Each year over 35,000 visitors come to BugFest to experience over 100 exhibits, crafts, games and activities.

Also featured is Café Insecta, where the brave can sample buggy dishes prepared by local chefs. naturalsciences.org OKTOBERFEST September 16, 11am-3pm Lafayette Village Over 20+ fall brews, german inspired foods, live music, shopping and fun throughout the Village! Don’t forget to enter your dachshund in our annual Wiener Dog Race! lafayettevillageraleigh.com 12TH ANNUAL FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL September 16, 11am-3pm 4620 Lake Wheeler Rd, Raleigh This family-oriented event includes corn grinding demos and costumed tours, a fun scavenger hunt activity, live music and dance, storytellers, handcraft demonstrations and sales, antique vehicles, food vendors and more! visitraleigh.com 18TH ANNUAL CANIAC CARNIVAL September 17, 10am 1400 Edwards Mill Rd, Raleigh The Caniac Carnival takes place each year before the start of the season.

The Carnival takes over the outside and inside of PNC Arena and typically includes a free Hurricanes Red-White scrimmage, an autograph session with Canes players, food trucks, 20-plus inflatable rides, live music and so much more! thepncarena.com SECOND ANNUAL MAC AND CHEESE THROWDOWN AND BARTENDER SHOWDOWN FOR HOPE September 17, 6-9pm Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar 214 Martin St, Raleigh Here’s your chance to taste and judge the best MACs and the best cocktails in a beautiful setting downtown – with all proceeds to benefit the Hope Center at Pullen. A variety of chefs, restaurants, and food trucks will be featured. Advance price: $25 relishraleigh.com/throwdown-for-hope OKTOBERFEST PARTY AT RBC September 22, 5-11:59pm 3709 Neil St, Raleigh Get ready to party! Raleigh Brewing’s Annual Oktoberfest Party will feature live music from The Little German Band, food trucks, glass mug giveaways, swag giveaways and more! visitraleigh.com midtownmag.com| 153

calendar ofevents 13TH ANNUAL RAY PRICE CAPITAL CITY BIKEFEST September 22-24 1126 S Saunders St, Raleigh The Ray Price Capital City Bikefest and Motorsports Expo is a three-day annual event that takes place in downtown Raleigh, at the Raleigh Convention Center, and at the Ray Price Harley-Davidson and Triumph Dealership. From incredible musical performances to amazing stunt shows, there will be entertainment for both the young and the young at heart. capitalcitybikefest.com PADDLE THE POND September 23, 9-10am & 10-11am Historic Yates Mill County Park 4620 Lake Wheeler Rd, Raleigh Learn basic canoeing skills and a bit about the millpond’s history, then head out to explore the pond’s many features as seen only from the water. Canoes, paddles and life jackets are provided. visitraleigh.com MARBLES MAKERS MASH UP September 10, 10am-4pm 201 E Hargett St, Raleigh

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Bring your inventions to life alongside some of Raleigh’s most playful makers, designers and artist. Tackle design challenges, explore new materials and mix, mash and make your own creation! marbleskidsmuseum.org PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT: THE FABRIC OF RALEIGH AND PEOPLE WITH PURPOSE Recurring daily through October 1st Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts 2 E South St, Raleigh Award-winning photographer Christer Berg will be exhibiting two large portrait series. The Fabric of Raleigh series is in the exhibit represented by more than 20 large-size portraits, from firefighters and pastors to ballet dancers to construction workers. People with Purpose is a series of environment portraits of people across NC who in their own way contribute positively to our community. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com ANNUAL OYSTER ROAST October 6, 7-11pm 1 E Edenton St, Raleigh The State Capitol Foundation invites

you to participate in their annual Oyster Roast on the grounds of the State Capitol.

Proceeds from this event, which will feature oysters and shrimp, side dishes, beer and wine, as well as music by The Embers, will benefit the ongoing education and preservation programs at the Capitol. ncstatecapitol.org/oyster-roast DOWNTOWN RALEIGH FOOD TRUCK RODEO October 8, 12-7pm Fayetteville Street, Raleigh downtownraleighfoodtruckrodeo.com CAROLINA BALLET: SLEEPY HOLLOW October 12-29 Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts 2 E South St, Raleigh Artistic Director Robert Weiss and Choreographer in Residence Zalman Raffael bring an evening of haunted stories to the stage just in time for Halloween! This collection of the macabre, including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, will bring just the right amount of fright to an evening of tales from the bewitched and beyond. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com

2017 NC STATE FAIR October 12-22 North Carolina State Fairgrounds 1025 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh Head on out to the State Fair to enjoy 117 different concerts, livestock shows, handicraft and art competitions, fair rides, and all the delicious fair food that makes North Carolina so great! ncstatefair.org NC WINE, CHEESE, & CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL October 14, 11am-6pm Lafayette Village Register to taste local and regional chocolates and cheeses. Wines will be showcased from different regions across Italy, Spain, France, and the US, with a focus on NC Wineries.

Enjoy tastings of your choice while browsing vendors and the beautiful shops and restaurants of Lafayette Village. lafayettevillageraleigh.com JAKE SHIMABUKURO October 20, 8pm Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts 2 E South St, Raleigh Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jake Shimabukuro is known for his energetic strumming on the ukulele.

Jake’s performance incorporates elements of thoughtful, sophisticated arrangements to spontaneous, improved passages. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com 32ND INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF RALEIGH October 20-22 Raleigh Convention Center More than 62 cultural groups will be represented at the 32nd Annual International Festival of Raleigh, which will include food from around the world, non-stop stage performances,

bands, kids’ activities, coffee from around the world, art, cultural booths and more! visitraleigh.com 3RD ANNUAL N.C. WINE FESTIVAL October 28, 11am-6pm 4011 Cardinal at North Hills St Guests and sponsors will have the opportunity to mingle with winemakers and local artisans while enjoying wine tastings, food pairings and live music and entertainment throughout the day. ncwinefestival.com/raleigh CAROLINA ARTISAN CRAFT MARKET November 10-12 Raleigh Convention Center 500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh Exhibit Hall C Carolinaartisancraft.com RALEIGH DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKET Every Wednesday, 9am-2pm 443 Fayetteville Street godowntownraleigh.com/ farmers-market

SHOW SOME

LOCAL LOVE.

sm

Shop Local Raleigh is about promoting and supporting locally-owned, independent businesses. It’s about fueling the local economy, and helping to preserve the unique character of Raleigh.

Make a difference.

SHOP LOCAL! www.ShopLocalRaleigh.org

MIDTOWN FARMERS MARKET Every Saturday, 8am-noon The Commons at North Hills Featuring vendors with locally produced breads, desserts, vegetables, produce, nuts, dairy, meats, crafts and more! midtownfarmers.com ITALIAN COMFORT BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC Every Saturday & Sunday, 10am-3pm 219 Fayetteville Street Raleigh’s only wood-fired brunch! 900°F savory breakfast skillets, features such as chicken and waffles pizza, and the exclusive home to Smash Waffles. Custom breakfast cocktail menu and amazing Bloody Mary selection is also available. visitraleigh.com

Have an Important Event?

We would love to hear about it. Log on to our website and send us the details. We may feature it in our next issue. midtownmag.com| 155

midtownmingles PHOTOS BY ASHELY SHERROW, ASSORTED POPPIES PHOTO

SUMMER SOLSTICE BAZAAR

Charlotte Smith, owner of Union Camp Collective, Lauren Watson, owner and lead planner of The Lion House, and Brian Nyland and Anna Passarelli of Meristem Florals joined forces to throw a free admission rockin’ community party. The Summer Solstice Bazaar brought together our community during the light of summer, showcased Union Camp Collective’s unique event space, and humbly promoted local artisans, foodies, and their crafts! From flower crown making, tarot card reading, and craft cocktails to vendors, a braid bar, live music, a BBQ food truck, yoga and meditation, and paper flower craft, all had an amazing time celebrating the longest day of summer!

PHOTOS BY JOE REALE

HENRY WINKLER AT THE CARDINAL

On Tuesday, July 25th at 2pm, Henry Winkler discussed his diverse career, which extends far beyond his most well-known role as “The Fonz” on Happy Days. Winkler has also been involved either as an actor, director, producer, or all three in dozens of TV and film productions, including his role as a co-star in the NBC reality series which premiered last year, “Better Late Than Never.” Thus far, he has won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards and three Emmy nominations.

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STUFF THE BUS HOSTED BY UNC REX HEALTHCARE

On Friday, August 11th, UNC REX Healthcare in Raleigh hosted a “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive to support children and teachers in our communities, and UNC Medical Center hosted a second drive in Chapel Hill. The supplies collected will help students in the WCPSS and Orange County School System when the traditional school year starts. These drives are part of UNC REX and UNC Medical Center’s commitment to helping co-workers make a positive impact in the communities where they live and work. More than 7,000 school supplies were collected including: 100+ backpacks, 1,400 notebooks, 850 boxes of pencils (not individual pencils!), and 815 folders, just to name a few.

SUNDAY, OCT. 8 WALKFORHOPE.COM • 919.781.9255 |

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SHOWCASE SALE AT DIAMONDS DIRECT

Diamonds Direct hosted a weekend-long showcase sale, July 21st-23rd, featuring top designers in bridal and fine fashion jewelry.

During the event, Diamonds Direct offered shoppers 20% savings as well as complimentary treats from local wedding industry vendors!

The highlight of the weekend happened Saturday when Diamonds Direct teamed up with Jess Ekstrom and Headbands of Hope. For every purchase made during the afternoon hours, Diamonds Direct donated a headband to both a customer and a child with cancer.

The entire Diamonds Direct staff wore headbands throughout the day and got everyone excited about giving back to children in need!

PHOTOS BY KATHLEEN NOLIS

PHOTOS BY JOE REALE

DAVIS & PYLE, SKIN RALEIGH EVENT

FIRST FRIDAY DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

Davis & Pyle Plastic Surgery and Skin Raleigh partnered with Raleigh based global Aesthetics brand Merz North America, creators of Ultherapy and Cellfina, for an informative and memorable evening at Raleigh’s beautiful event loft, The Bridge Club.

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On the first friday of every month, Downtown Raleigh’s local art and music scene is off the charts!

new aroundtown

THE DEVILISH EGG GRAND OPENING The Devilish Egg Studio and Makerspace will open its doors for crafting enthusiasts on September 19th. The Five Points studio offers craft and sip classes in a fun and laid-back art studio environment. The designs are innovative (something you’d actually want to keep or give as a gift!) but classes are specifically tailored to be easy to understand and create so you can relax and enjoy a fun night out with friends. Check out thedevilishegg.com for details.

BEEF-AU-POIVRE

DONOVAN’S DISH OPENS TAKE OUT MARKET IN BRIER CREEK This September Donovan’s Dish is bringing delicious to Raleigh featuring locally sourced Chef prepared meals to go, hors d’oeuvres, soups and sides – you’ll literally Never Cook Again. Visit us at 10251 Little Brier Creek Lane #107 (near Pei Wei).

1310A Fairview Rd, Five Points Raleigh, NC 27608 919.377.9577 | thedevilishegg.com

41HUNDRED OPENS AT RENAISSANCE HOTEL Discover 41Hundred – the new concept inside of the Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel! Located at 4100 Main at North Hills Street in Raleigh, 41Hundred offers simply sophisticated, international cuisine crafted by Executive Chef Dean Thompson and team. The menu features shareable plates like oxtail poutine, Korean BBQ wings and tuna poke. In addition, enjoy six local draft beers and 10 – 12 additional local bottled and canned offerings. Complete your experience with locally sourced ice cream or the Chef’s famous Hot Cheesecake!

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new aroundtown

GRAND OPENING OF VODA BOUTIQUE

MAMI NORA’S TO OPEN NEW LOCATION ON GLENWOOD Charcoal-roasted chicken with Peruvian seasonings, yuca fries and more from a colorful counter serve. Mami Nora’s new location at 6711 Glenwood Avenue is sure to be a hit.

Voda Boutique held its grand opening on Saturday, August 12th. The event featured a PepperTrain Jewelry Trunk Show, Braid Bar by Parlor Blow Dry, hourly giveaways, a photo booth and more! Owned by 26-year-old Kayla Brewer, Voda strives to be more than just a retail space, but a state of mind. Read more about Voda Boutique, Kayla and Hank (adorable French bulldog) on page 120.

Voda Boutique 725 Tucker St Raleigh, NC 27603 shopvoda.com

THE CODER SCHOOL OPENS SECOND LOCATION TheCoderSchool, which teaches coding skills to kids ages seven to 18, opened a second Triangle location this August.

Kids learn a variety of coding languages including HTML, CSS, Python, Javascript and more. Both the Raleigh and Cary locations offer after-school programs and camps. TheCoderSchool is founded in Silicon Valley.

RALEIGH PROVISIONS GIFTS Kim Hammer is at it again – she is now opening a small NC gourmet food gift shop named Raleigh Provisions. The store will offer seasonal jams, local honey, natural soaps, gourmet chocolate, and amazing craft beer selection, and will specialize in beautiful, personalized gift baskets made for all of the local-food lovers in your life. Come get some local flavor!

Raleigh Provisions 107 E Davie St (corner of Wilmington St) Raleigh, NC 27601 984.233.5600 160 | midtownmag.com

everydayplaces

WHAT BUILDINGS SAY Watercolor and Text by Frank Harmon, FAIA Have you noticed the six peanuts in a foil bag that you get in lieu of a meal on airplanes these days?

ABOUT Everyday Places takes a close look at Raleigh’s urban fabric and its under-appreciated areas that are essential to a healthy city.

and columned courthouses live in the shadows of skyscraping banks and insurance headquarters. What does that tell us?

Delta is sending you a message.

Buildings send messages, too, although we may not be aware of them. When we look at a church with a steeple we read a direction marker to heaven.

Synagogues have no heavenly spires, reflecting more concern for life in the present than the hereafter. Many courthouses feature Classical Greek and Roman columns, to remind us that our democratic laws are descended from those ancient nations. Ancient nations who also owned slaves.

Today, many of our steepled churches

Meanwhile, some of the most striking public buildings in many American cities are sports stadiums and jails. As the Reverend Jesse Jackson observed once, the big players in both structures are black.

Think about it: we build huge prisons that are predominantly populated by black men while we idolize young black athletes and build vast sports arenas for them to entertain us in.

Now there’s a message, and it’s not peanuts.

Online: Visit the archive at NativePlaces.org

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