Closing out 2020: Triangle Downtowner Magazine, Issue 158

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HILLSBOROUGH STREET

The holidays are upon us. And while things certainly aren’t looking as they normally do, we’re ready to welcome you safely to Hillsborough Street! Whether you’re looking for a spot to safely grab dinner or a drink, a way to shop for unique gift items or new ways to get into the holiday spirit, our merchants are ready to welcome you back!

HillsboroughStreet.org

Glenwood South restaurants are open for business. Whether you want to dine inside

#strongertogether

or outside, get carry-out or have your food delivered, we are here to serve you.

We support and promote other small business owners, connecting them to each other while also being a bridge to other business resources and consumers.

RALEIGH, N.C.

www.blackdollarnc.com gsncraleigh.com

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| THE TRIANGLE’S LONGEST RUNNING MONTHLY | ISSUE 158

TRIANGLEDOWNTOWNERMAGAZINE — ISSUE 158 since 2005 office Address: 402 Glenwood Ave • Raleigh, NC 27603 Mailing Address: PO Box 27603 • Raleigh, NC 27611

www.TriangleDowntowner.com Please call to schedule an office appointment

919.828.8000

Advertising and General office inquiries:

www.triangledowntowner.com/pages/contact press releases:

press@welovedowntown.com

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internships/apprenticeships:

Publisher & Co-founder

Co-Founders

Randall Gregg, Sig Hutchinson

Food Editor

Brian Adornetto

Lead Designer

Triangle Dining – Ragazzi’s Munjo Munjo Crossword Puzzle

Crash S. Gregg Did you spot our Downtowner mascot Truman on the cover?

He’s hiding on every cover, so if you spot him, let us know where and you’ll be entered in our monthly drawing to win one of our new vintage Raleigh T-shirts! (Read about our new shirts on page 10).

Cyndi Harris

PhotographerS Darryl Morrow, Crash S. Gregg, Randy Bryant (in memoriam)

Writers

From the Publisher

On the cover: Our amazing cover photo of downtown Raleigh comes from Travis at Flyboy Media, NC’s premiere real estate photography and videography provider. In addition to real estate, they also specialize in photography for weddings, family portraits, and architecture. 919.720.2449 • www.flyboync.com

office@welovedowntown.com

The New Local Music We’re Gifting (and Listening To) This Holiday Season

You can also follow Truman’s exploits on Facebook at www.facebook.com/trumandowntown and Instagram at www.instagram.com/trumandowntown. Enter Truman’s contest here: www.triangledowntowner.com/truman

Brian Adornetto, Christy Griffith, Peter Eichenberger (in memoriam)

social media & Madison Callahan print support

Follow us on our social media pages for photos and more news between print issues.

The Triangle Downtowner Magazine is a locally-owned monthly print magazine dedicated to positive, honest, and hyper-local coverage of the Triangle area. Current and archived issues of the Downtowner are available at

www.TriangleDowntowner.com

© Copyright 2005-2020, Triangle Downtowner Magazine/Raleigh Downtown Publishing, LLC. The name, logo, and any logo iterations of the Triangle Downtowner, Triangle Downtowner Magazine and the Downtowner D graphic are a

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trademark of Triangle Downtowner Magazine/Raleigh Downtown Publishing, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission.

Please recycle or give to a friend after you’re done reading

This magazine is proudly printed on recycled paper and uses toxin-free, environmentally-friendly, soy ink.

The Downtowner is a proud member of the following organizations

ISSUE 158

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Jack the Radio performing at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

The New Local Music We’re Gifting (and Listening To) This Holiday Season

By David Menconi

[For easy clickable hyperlinks to all the websites listed below, visit our online e-issue at www.triangledowntowner.com and click on this issue.]

Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, it’s safe to say the live music scene in Raleigh, N.C., was thriving. Major festivals dotted the 2020 calendar, outdoor venues were just getting ready to announce their summer schedules and Rolling Stone had just named Raleigh “one of eight cities where live music has exploded” thanks college radio stations, collaborative artists and clubs that rock (http://bit.ly/rollingstone-raleigh-hotbed).

If you’re a music fan who wants to support local musicians (and in a year that saw almost no live shows, it would certainly help), keep them in mind as you do your shopping this holiday season. Even during a pandemic, 2020 has been a bumper-crop year for great local tunes. Here are some of the year’s more notable albums that came from the Raleigh area – all of them suitable for gift-giving and happy listening.

Boulevards, “Brother!”

Raleigh native Jamil “Boulevards” Rashad is an incredible funk musician whose music offers hooks as well as grooves. After recently signing with major independent record company New West, his debut

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TRIANGLE DOWNTOWNER MAGAZINE

American Aquarium

American Aquarium, “Lamentations” Boulevards

release for the label is this very tasty four-track EP due out Dec. 18.

Meet Boulevards via video, here: http://bit.ly/youtube-boulevards.

Buy: http://bit.ly/buy-boulevards-brother Insta: @imboulevards

| THE TRIANGLE’S LONGEST RUNNING MONTHLY | ISSUE 158

BJ Barham and company have amassed an impressive 11-album discography over the past 15 years, becoming one of the top Americana acts in the country.

Their best effort yet, “Lamentations” made national chart inroads early this year, including a No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Album chart.

Buy: http://bit.ly/buy-aa-lamentations Insta: @americanaquarium

Chatham County Line

Kenny Roby

Kenny Roby, “The Reservoir” The longtime 6 String Drag frontman’s latest solo album is another fine work, made in tribute to and memory of his late friend and sometime producer Neal Casal (who died last year before work on “The Reservoir” could begin).

[Editor’s note: David Menconi recently wrote about the career and legacy of Neal Casal for roots music outlet No Depression here: http://bit.ly/nealcasal.]

Buy: http://bit.ly/buy-kennyroby-theresevoir Insta: @kennyroby

Chatham County Line, “Strange Fascination” Down to a trio after the departure of banjo player Chandler Holt, Chatham County Line is less a bluegrass group than an Americana pop band on “Strange Fascination.” A really good one, too. Holt’s departure was amicable, by the way, as his old Chatham County Line bandmates all played on his new holiday-season solo single “Winter’s Night Waltz”: http://bit.ly/wintersnightwaltz.

Buy: http://bit.ly/buy-ccl-sf Insta: @chathamcoline

Jack the Radio, “Creatures” Between his work as a noted visual artist and designer as well as rock guitarist/bandleader, Jack the Radio’s George Hage is Raleigh’s renaissance man. His

ISSUE 158

Jack the Radio

group’s fifth release, “Creatures” isn’t just an album but also a multi-media project involving videos and even a comic book: http://bit.ly/visitraleigh-jtr.

Buy: www.jacktheradio.com/store Insta: @jacktheradio

Lydia Loveless, “Daughter” Americana siren Lydia Loveless’ first new album in four years (as well as her first since moving to the Raleigh area from Ohio) is an impressive breakthrough that picked up admiring attention from all over, including a very good review in the notoriously picky > > >

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Lydia Loveless

hipster-bastion Pitchfork: http://bit.ly/pitchfork-lld.

Buy: http://bit.ly/buy-lydialoveless-daughter Insta: @lydialovelesss

Christina Munsey, “for me, or for you” Raleigh teenager Christina Munsey is going places, so it’s worth getting in on the ground floor with her debut mini-album “for me, or for you.” Atmospheric and catchy pop with room to grow, it shows she has a bright future.

Buy: http://bit.ly/buy-christinamunsey-forme Insta: @christinamunsey

Charlie Smarts, “We Had a Good Thing Going” Charlie Smarts has been one of the main voices of Raleigh hip-hop troupe Kooley High for well over a decade, but it wasn’t until this year that he finally released his first solo album. It was worth the wait, too – mel-

Christina Munsey

lower than the mother group with a fine sense of flow.

Buy: https://charliesmarts.bandcamp.com/ Insta: @charlie_smarts 2019 Piedmont Laureate David Menconi was music critic at Raleigh’s The News & Observer for 28 years and has also written for publications including Billboard, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, SPIN, salon.com, Our State, The Bluegrass Situation and No Depression.

Want to read about even more NC music history?

Check out David’s fourth and latest book, now on Amazon in both hardcover and Kindle formats: Step It Up and Go, The Story of North Carolina Popular Music (from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk): http://bit.ly/menconi-stepupgo

SEX. I ROCK AND ROLL. (THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!)

UArrYs

COFFEE. 100% ORGANIC, FAIR AND SHADE GROWN

SOURCED & ROASTED AT 1507 GAVIN ST. RALEIGH

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| THE TRIANGLE’S LONGEST RUNNING MONTHLY | ISSUE 158

Charlie Smarts

Through a collaborative partnership with Visit Raleigh, the Downtowner is proud to help promote Raleigh and the entire Wake County area. The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh) is the official and accredited destination marketing organization for all of Wake County. For more things to do in the Raleigh area, check out www.visitRaleigh.com, where this article originally appeared, in collaboration with Raleigh Arts, https://raleighnc.gov/raleigh-arts.

if dining , wine charit o ou t s , s l t n e a s o n c e y i i r t h s i e s u s t a b n n f e i , d , s f t trucks ics o h l g l i e h w p t s h o a t g odFrom i . e l m r the Publisher l h e e g g h h n i t t a h o i d r d T rs. We the T n u l o r , a e v e s i s d t e s a e s acro m uniti s posi n by rea busy com features writte loca he magazine article otos by ur ent with s and ph contal author loc The end of 2020 is here, and what a year it’s been.

Worldwide, we’ve dealt with COVID, George Floyd and other tragic unnecessary deaths, a crazy presidential election with a politically divided country, murder hornets, sandstorms, and devastating fires in Australia and California. Here in the Triangle, we’ve felt the ravages of COVID, stay-at-home orders, boarded up windows in downtown for months from multiple riots, no social events to speak of, work-from-home isolation, and the disheartening losses of so many locally-owned businesses. It’s been a challenging year for a lot of folks.

the music industry will start to recover, and we can all join our family and friends at dinners, events, gatherings, and greet each other face to face. It will be a while before all this happens, but it will. Slowly but surely.

We sent an email to a few hundred of our readers and asked them to share any positives from this year.

Some of the responses we received: spending more time with family at home, no traffic on 40 during peak hours, it’s easy to find a parking space in downtown, more local online shopping available, Triangle-based companies are involved in creating the Corona vaccine, family-owned drive-in movies saw a comeback, real estate sales continue to increase with more people choosing the Triangle as their new home, and residents have ordered record amounts of take-out, gift cards, and delivery from local restaurants to help them rally and survive.

My recommendations for the next few months?

Stay positive, help those who need a hand, be kind, buy local, wear your mask, smile even people can’t see it, and look to the future. Better days are coming.

We’re all hopeful 2021 will be an easier, less stressful year. We can try to be confident in the fact that COVID vaccines will help make everyone safer, employees will return to work, restaurants, retail, small business, and

We’re thankful to still be here with you, bringing stories of people, businesses, restaurants, retail, and all the things that make the Triangle a wonderful place to live, work, shop, dine, and play. We’re thankful for our advertisers who have made it with us, and we’re honored to have helped those who couldn’t afford to pay for their ads, as it was the least we could do after years of working together.

Thanks for joining us in 2020, and cheers to 2021, hopefully a much better year for everyone.

P.S. We still have some of our great vintage Raleigh T-shirts available. They come in both men’s and women’s styles in a dark heather gray with a vintage distressed Raleigh design on the front. $5 of each shirt we sell will be donated to one of three worthwhile local charities you can choose from: • The Women’s Center of Wake County, helping women and families who are homeless get back on their feet (www.wcwc.org);

• Inter-faith Food Shuttle, pioneering solutions to end hunger in our community (); and • Note in the Pocket, providing children in poverty stylish, good quality clothing they can be proud to wear (www.noteinthepocket.org).

We’re honored to donate to these great local organizations that do so much for our community. Visit their websites to learn more, and please consider donating or volunteering, as they need our help more than ever. Order your T-shirt today at www.triangledowntowner.com!

Cheers,

Publisher, Triangle Downtowner Magazine • 919.828.8000 Residential & Commercial Real Estate Broker, 919.828.8888

Vintage Raleigh T-Shirts!

Order your vintage Raleigh charity T-shirt today at www.triangledowntowner.com!

ISSUE 158

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triangle Dining

The minds behind Burny Wild’s Adventure Sauce: sauce-wrangler Chef Bobby McFarland and creative guru Mike Rosado of MRC Design.

By Crash Gregg • Photos by Nancy Thomas

F

or those who have enjoyed our restaurant articles over the last 15 years, you’ll know we only profile locally-owned restaurants. Every so often, we might stray outside that norm for long-running establishments that have played a big part in the growth of downtown, like Sullivan’s Steakhouse on Glenwood.

For this month’s restaurant profile, we visited Ragazzi’s in Garner, just on the southern tip of Raleigh. You might associate their name with being part of a chain, and it once was, but is no longer a chain. Founded in 1991, Ragazzi’s was a corporate brand with 30 or so locations scattered throughout the southeast. After a quarter-century, the parent company dissipated the brand, sold some of the restaurants to local managers, and closed the rest.

The lone-remaining Ragazzi’s is now owned by Tyler Gilman and his wife, Julie, who bought it five years ago. They own the rights to Ragazzi’s recipes, and their Garner location is now a locally-owned, independent restaurant. They kept the most popular dishes on the menu, adding their own signature features and desserts.

Ty began working at Ragazzi’s as a server in 1994 to help pay for college, where he was earning an Art degree.

He remained there until 2000 when he left to pursue his art career. After a few years painting murals and sets for

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Raggazi’s owners Tyler and Julie Gilman

an opera company in Durham, Ty missed working in the hospitality industry. He rejoined the restaurant life, first at the Angus Barn, then working his way up to general manager at Mura in North Hills and later was the operations director for Mura’s parent company.

When Ty left Ragazzi’s, he stayed in contact with his former boss, who had purchased the Garner location during the corporate closing. Eventually, Ty approached him about buying the restaurant, and

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five years ago, that offer became a reality. Many of the original kitchen and wait staff remained, with some working there for 15 years or longer.

One such employee is Executive Chef Mark Thompson, who has been with the restaurant since 1997. Mark is a self-taught chef hailing from Britain, with dual citizenship in both the US and UK. He cites culinary influences of Asian, Spanish, Indian, and Italian cuisines and enjoys a non-stop parade of recipe experimentation. Bobby Stafford and Matt Lowery round out their kitchen staff, and collectively, they bring experience from Vinnie’s Steakhouse, Lucky 32, the Angus Barn, Mura, Simple Twist, and plenty of years at Ragazzi’s.

Chef Thompson is adamant about making sure all dishes are made in-house and cooked to order, with much of their produce locally sourced and the bread baked fresh daily. Along with the traditional Italian classics that Ragazzi’s was known for, Thompson adds one or two special off-menu features each week. These delicious dishes are NOT what you would expect at any fast-casual restaurant and instead find in a higher-end gourmet setting. More on this later. Many of the dishes can be ordered as a half or full portion, although the name is misleading since the half is

Executive Chef Mark Thompson

about 2/3 of the full plate and is more than plenty for a filling meal size. Dishes with two prices are for the Half and Full options.

clam, and the bacon had a nice crunchy-chewy texture.

Plenty of mozz and drizzles of oil and herbs paired well with the clam sauce and bacon. Honestly, this was one of the better pizzas I’ve had in a while, especially at this price. I’d like to try the Greek and Margherita pizzas next time we visit.

Next, we headed into the Ragazzi’s All-Stars section of the menu, which are the tried-and-true recipes from the last 25 years that had sold the best, plus some of the more complex dishes from Ragazzi’s past that were taken off the menu when corporate tried to save time and

The Crispy Calamari appetizer

Our meal started with the Ragazzi’s Famous Creamy Pesto with shrimp and alfredo sauce Cheesesticks ($5.95 @2, $8 @3), quarter-pound Meat Lover’s Lasagna, a fifteen-layer creation with Italian sausage money. First up was the towering Meat Lover’s Lasagna monsters full of cheese and fried golden brown. If crumbles, pepperoni, and plenty of cheese ($15), a fifteen-layer creation with Italian sausage crumyou love cheesesticks but hate eating all bread, these bles, pepperoni, and plenty of cheese. babies are made for you. Rumor has it Under Traditional Favorites, The Chicken they used to offer a hamburger here with Parmesan ($11.50/$15.75) consisted of herbvarious toppings, including a cheesestick. fried chicken breast topped with a creamy Another rumor is they might be bringing marsala wine gravy and mushrooms and a back gourmet burgers to the menu, someside of fettuccini alfredo. Next was the Chickthing we’re surely interested in trying. Our en Marsala ($12/$16), a tender sauteed chicknext appetizer up was the Crispy Calamari en breast with a rich marsala wine gravy and ($7/$10), a full plate of tender calamari with mushrooms, served with fettuccini alfredo. cherry peppers and chunky marinara sauce Following was the Creamy Pesto ($12/$16) for dipping. Working down the menu, we made with alfredo sauce and tossed with jumped right into Pizzas with the Clams penne. We ordered ours with shrimp and the Casino ($10.50 for 10”, add $2 for GF) with gluten-free pasta (+$1), and it also can come a white clam sauce, fresh garlic, bacon, and with chicken. This was the best dish we had topped with mozzarella and mixed herbs. so far in our dinner and was perfectly cooked The pizza dough was light and had nicely One of their changing Special Features, the Risotto Capesante é Gamberi with diver scallops, and seasoned. The pesto taste was fresh > > > toasted edges. They didn’t scrimp on the Champagne shrimp, and panko-crusted fried risotto medallions

You’ll find monster quarter-pound Cheesesticks at Ragazzi’s.

eggplant parmesan, steamed vegetables, alfredo dipping sauce, and some of the best toasted polenta you’ve ever had.

They make it in-house with butter, heavy cream, cooked down If you’re a non-traditional pizza fan, we highly recommended the Clams Casino Pizza. until thick, cooled in a and paired perfectly with the shrimp. pan, then sliced into rectangles, cooked in a 500-deUnder Steak + Seafood, we chose the NY Strip gree oven until it’s crispy, and served with a balsamic ($19), a 10 oz. NY steak served with grilled asparaand brown sugar reduction. Creamy, crispy, and super gus and roasted red potatoes, red onions, and green rich in flavor. peppers. Our asparagus and potatoes were the stars We didn’t sample any of the Entrée Salads, but dinof this dish and stole the show. I’d like to go back and ers can enjoy either the Spinach Salad or Greek Salad try several other items under this category, including for $8 and add a variety of proteins: grilled salmon the Classic Shrimp Scampi ($19, linguini with fresh (+7$), grilled chicken (+$4), six jumbo shrimp (+$5) garlic, topped with grated cheese, parsley, and rustic or homemade soup of the day (+$3). The Soups! They garlic toast). have two regular soups on the menu, the traditional Under Combination Platters, we chose the Vegehomemade Italian pasta fagioli (pasta and beans) tarian Combo ($15), and rightly so. It comes with and Italian Sausage potato soup, plus a Soup of the

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Day that frequently sells out. Some of Chef Thompson’s favorite soups specials include the Salmon Chowder, Chicken Cacciatore, Creamy Basil with Orzo, Barley, and Italian Style Gumbo. We’re definitely heading back to try the soup of the day soon.

Now, we get to the really good stuff. The Special Features are where Chef Thompson can truly showcase his talents and let me emphasize, he does indeed.

The features alone are worth driving in from downtown or North Raleigh or wherever you live. I’m still in awe of the two features we had and still can’t believe they came from Ragazzi’s (no shade, just surprising!).

They’re what I would expect from fine dining restaurants and honestly better than many dishes I’ve had at much higher prices. First to arrive was the deceptively simple-looking Greek Chicken Pasta ($10/$15). Bowtie pasta arrives smothered in a feta Chablis cream, tender-roasted chicken, lots of artichoke hearts, asparagus, olives, roasted Roma tomatoes, and generously topped with feta. I could eat this dish at least twice a week. The next Feature we enjoyed was certainly

taken up baking as a hobby 15 years prior, discovering she had a natural talent and began cooking and selling desserts to friends and co-workers.

When Ty bought the restaurant, it was a no-brainer to up their dessert game with her sweet concoctions. Incidentally, when Ragazzi’s began entering the Tammy Lynn Center’s Toast to the Triangle fundraiser and restaurant competition, Julie also entered her desserts. She won Best Dessert in 2017 The Tiramisu is a don’t-miss dessert if you’re lucky enough to catch a square before it runs out! with her English Toffee Cheesecake and again in 2018 for her Red Velvet Cheesecake topped with handmade crispy chocolate not simple and looked just like it tasted, which was candy. This was up against some very well-known local remarkable. The Risotto Capesante Ê Gamberi ($23) restaurants! On our visit to Ragazzi’s, we tried Julie’s consisted of panko-crusted fried risotto medallions Red Velvet Cheesecake ($7) with chocolate ganache, topped with pan-seared diver scallops and champagne English Toffee Cheesecake with Salted Caramel shrimp, served with cherrywood bacon crème fraÎche Drizzle ($7) topped with strawberries or chocolate and pearl onion agrodulcÊ. Yes. This. In Garner. At syrup, Belgian Chocolate Torte (GF, $6), Peanut ButRagazzi’s. It simply blew my mind. It looked and tastter Chocolate Explosion ($7), and Tiramisu (GF, $6). ed like a 5-star dish, but at that price, I felt like I owed They were all deliciously decadent, but the tiramisu was them money after enjoying it. beyond compare. Ty told us a story of one regular who Okay, dessert fans, they’ve got something special for had just returned from Italy – home of the best tirayou. When Ty bought the restaurant, he realized one misu in the world – and he had commented that Julie’s of the missing menu items were made-from-scratch version was just as good, if not better than what he had desserts. Ty’s wife Julie is a cardiothoracic nurse, but on his trip. It was one of the best we’ve enjoyed in years. she also happens to be a master pastry chef. Julie had

CYNTHIA GREGG MD

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1514 US Hwy 70 West Garner, NC 27529 919.772.9772 www.ragazzisitalian.com Sun-Thur: 11a-9p, Fri & Sat 11a-10p $$$$

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Our Expertise

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Providing state-of-the-art surgical and non-surgical options for the face, breast and body.

Julie’s tiramisu was light, moist, and not too sweet, with that fantastic espresso finish at the end of every bite.

Next time you’re in the mood for something different, check out the menu at Ragazzi’s online (which is the process of being updated, so it might be best to call), or better yet, ask about their weekly features, which are not on the menu. They’re less than five miles from downtown, so you can drive there and be seated in less time than it takes to find a parking space elsewhere. They also have lunch specials from 11am to 4pm Monday through Saturday, with smaller-than-dinner portions at friendly prices. You can also order delivery through GrubHub, snag to-go inside, or opt for curbside pickup. They offer catering from 10 to 1000 people, with an endless variety of options, including entirely customizable off-menu dishes. Just chat with Chef Thompson about what you like, and he’ll create a special catering menu from scratch.

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MUNJO

MUNJO

A new shop proves the resilience of Raleigh’s creative spirit

By Antino Art

E

veryone had to get creative this year. And often, creativity calls for fearlessness. Case in point: a pint-sized Pomeranian barks at a dog more than twice its size while walking the mural-lined streets of downtown Raleigh. The dog’s name is Munjo, who doubles as the face and namesake of the area’s newest retail offering, Munjo Munjo – an emporium of creative artwork that opened downtown in late October as if defying a business climate of shutting down or bordering up as the new norm.

businesses could possibly be facing closure. Staying open is a dogfight.

Bet on the Underdog

Art Show Meets Things You Can (Afford to) Buy

The inside of the shop is a canvas in and of itself.

Doodles of bow-tie wearing bears leap off the shelves and hang from the clothing racks. Mural-worthy illustrations grace the front of pizza boxes and notebook covers. There are jars of cotton candy called Munjo Floof, made to resemble the dog’s trademark afro.

There are even T-shirt pins in the shape of T-shirts (think about that). You’re surrounded by a potluck of quirky merchandise made by local artists, much of which are original works by the owners themselves.

Everything you see, from dress socks and fridge magnets to fanny packs and stationery, is a vehicle for self-expression.

Munjo is the brainchild of owners Amber Echevarria and Jaime Radar, two Raleigh-based and Chica

go-bred artists whose suite of creative talents span design, screenprinting, illustration, muraling, animation, photography, and more. Their collective background in marketing and branding, along with their active involvement in Raleigh’s art scene, has helped bring their visionary retail concept to life.

“Munjo wasn’t something we planned,” said Jaime.

“We just knew we wanted to make gifts that people would enjoy.”

However, 2020 was a year when things got destroyed, not made. A recent informal study from Shop Local Raleigh found that nearly 60 percent of small ISSUE 158

Munjo began as a web-only store in 2016. From there, it evolved into a pop-up stall in the ex-Downtown Raleigh Alliance office space on Wilmington Street that was more of an unfinished commercial space than a storefront. While just half a block away from their current downtown footprint, the duo peddled their gems in a pedestrian no man’s land, flanked by a parking deck, Centro Restaurant, and Met-Tech, a local billiards shop. If you ever walked through downtown Raleigh, chances are you didn’t walk by there.

“We didn’t even have running water,” said Amber, who was juggling three jobs at the time just to clear rent. “It was hard to create when you couldn’t wash the paint off your hands.” Their saving grace was the foot-traffic from downtown events. As the advance of the pandemic and social unrest threw the small business community into survival mode, Amber and Jaime knew that they had two options: move out or go under.

In Dogged Pursuit of Daydreams

While working as a barista at The Morning Times, Amber set her sights on the lime green retail space next door as the ideal candidate for the next incarnation of Munjo. It sat on a coveted corner lot, perennially vacant on the intersection of Wilmington and Hargett > > >

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Streets – a thoroughfare that sees the second-highest foot traffic downtown according to data from the Downtown Raleigh Alliance. The space had long been the retail operation for the iconic Holly Aiken vinyl handbags and accessories. (DRA link – https://downtownraleigh.org/sod-2020/shopping-dining) The two artists took their brave vision (and humble budget) to Greg Hatem – the owner of Empire Eats (which runs Morning Times, Raleigh Times, and many local eateries) and one of the largest real estate owners on the campus of downtown. Their plan was for Munjo to not just become another shop to buy artwork. It represented a stronghold for local creators and a bridge between the community and its art. After striking a chord (and a deal) with Greg, they set their idea in motion.

Art is Everywhere

“Some people think they don’t like art, but art is everywhere,” said Amber. “Munjo is a store for people who want more in art than just paintings.”

At Munjo, coloring outside the lines is encouraged. Paint finds its way onto practical items that people use. Mugs, socks, and T-shirts are among their best-sellers. Jaime described their brand strategy as a question. “We’d look at an ordinary object and ask, ‘how can we make it into something fun?’”

color and have a pizza party,’” said Jaime, reliving the a-ha moment when the idea for Munjo was born.

Now, the fingerprints of these two artists can be found all over downtown — whether it’s the colorful “Am-bear” mural that still hugs the underground entrance to the now-closed Imurj or the stickers of Munjo’s winking face making cameos on bike racks and street poles.

Keeping it Fun

When Munjo Eats, Everyone Eats (Pizza)

The word Munjo itself means “silly” in Croatian.

One of the go-to designs you’ll see in their shop is a slice of pizza with a face, whose pepperoni-eyed glare seems to question the self-seriousness of adulthood.

“One day, we made pizza shirts and said, ‘Let’s

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While creativity may be the force that guides them, it’s the community’s success that drives them.

The shop is built to support and spotlight multi-disciplinary creatives from all over the Triangle and beyond. From renowned muralist Chris Pyrate and

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homegrown painter Molly Raleigh to anyone with a creative vision, Munjo’s doors are like downtown Raleigh itself: open to all.

And there is no formal application process for those looking to make their mark. If you cross paths with Amber or Jaime, and they like your artwork, you’re in.

Case in point: I wandered into their shop one day to show them copies of my new chapbook, “Raleigh for Ronin,” a walking guide to downtown written in vignettes with a feudal Japan motif. They loved the concept. Now, my work is available on Munjo’s ‘zine rack. (See more at http://raleighisforronin.com.)

“It’s community over competition,” said Jaime.

“That’s what I love about Raleigh compared to bigger cities like Chicago. Everyone supports each other here.”

Printing, studio equipment, production, marketing, and distribution are a few of the resources that Munjo offers. Their ultimate goal is to “empower the community of local creators” as a haven where brilliant ideas become real. Part of the mission statement on their website reads: “Where you find a creative will, we help find a creative way.” The altruistic bent is what separates Munjo from the regular pack of commercial establishments and puts them in the class of a cultural movement.

In the early weeks of COVID, Amber and Jaime designed and produced the Support Local Makers T-shirts, which helped raise funds for struggling businesses in collaboration with the Visual Art Exchange.

Both frequently lend their talents to non-profit causes like Girls Rock NC, a grassroots initiative focused on empowering girls, women, and people of marginalized genders through creative expression. (https://www.girlsrocknc.org)

Raleigh’s New Spirit Animal

If you had to put a face to the name of downtown’s creative spirit, let it be the underdog that barks above its weight. “Munjo is our boss,” Amber jokes. “This is his shop.”

The fact that Munjo’s doors are open is a reminder to be like the titular canine: fearlessly creating and never too serious. When you combine those things, even the worst of times can become a pizza party.

Shop at Munjo this holiday season and beyond. You’ll

not only up your gifting game but also join a celebration of things made in a year when things broke.

They’ll even give you free stickers like you just voted to make Raleigh a place where creativity reigns.

Antino Art is a contributing writer for the Downtowner, content writer for VisionPoint Marketing, and the producer of RaleighisforRonin.com, a creative writing project that celebrates the downtown Raleigh experience during interesting times.

Munjo

Munjo

20 E Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601 Th & Fri: 12-5p • Sat 11-5p • Sun 11-4p Please wear a mask.

Price Range: $$$$ In-store shopping, Curbside pickup, Delivery Web Store: https://www.munjomunjo.com Instagram: @munjomunjo

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• Personal Chef Services • Intimate Dinners • Personal Cooking Classes • Private Parties

www.LoveAtFirstBite.net 919.999.7590

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Fine Dining with a French Quarter Flare Just 15 minutes from downtown Raleigh

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82. Woman in a Beatles song 83. ___ Paulo, Brazil ACROSS 84. Circus performer 1. Communication stunts regulator Want to win a Downtowner T-shirt? Email us a photo of your completed puzzle to 4. One who handles a 85. 80s hit xword@welovedowntown.com. We’ll pick a random winner each month. Need a hint? For nuisance 91. Domingo, for one 92. Lulu answer key, visit www.triangledowntowner.com/crossword for answer keys. No cheating! 10. Put in stitches 14. Some investments, 93. Cap’n’s mate 97. Dressing for success for short 99. ___ minimum 15. Obsolescence 102. IV units 16. Tertiary period 105. Bivouac 19. 90s hit 107. Corp. exec.

24. Chainsmokers hit 108. O’Hare postings 25. Sounds of woe 109. Lac contents 26. Cleaning bar 110. 80s hit 27. “Cool!” in the 90s 111. 2000s hit 28. Bread maker 116. What’s left behind 29. Rodent 30. Subj. for immigrants 117. Remove a dress 118. Organs with 31. Teemed drums 35. Approves 119. Musher’s transport 36. Vaccinations 120. Currency 37. Infuriate replaced by the euro 38. 90s hit 121. “Don’t give up!”

50. PC 51. Massachusetts has 4 DOWN 52. ‘All My Children’ 1. Norse love goddess vixen 53. Bedroom furniture 2. Are able, biblically 3. Evidence collectors 54. Holding 4. “Bye” 57. Rampart part 5. Twofold 59. Highland toppers 60. Sweet abbreviation 6. Hurry-up letters 61. Ristorante offering 7. Large open vessel for liquids 62. 2000s hit 8. Spanish bear 67. Adjustable 9. __Admiral 71. Building parcels 10. Breaks away 72. Up for it 11. 1970 Kinks hit 76. Invalid reasoning 12. Some kind of a nut 77. Warning signs, 13. Like some questions when red 79. Like an ice-cream 14. Stravinsky or Sikorsky holder © 2020 Crossword Myles Mellor

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All the Hits

17. Impecuniosity 18. Flubs 20. Compass point 21. Part of a board 22. Office computer link 23. Current types 31. Tuna type 32. ___ choy 33. Native suffix 34. It can follow west or east 36. Kind of camera, abbr.

38. Short-billed rail 39. “Tasty!”

40. Tour de France downfall substances 41. Him, to Henri 42. Paper size 43. Understand 44. Comparative suffix 45. Grave danger 46. Farsi-speaking land 47. Host of “Live! With Kelly” 48. Bakery worker 49. Goodbye from a Brit.

50. Felix, e.g.

54. Surprise!

55. Shed tears 56. La __ (Milan opera house) 57. ____ gow poker 58. Flightboard abbr.

60. French key 61. British sports cars 62. Duvall role in “The Godfather” 63. Kimono part 64. Corporation type 65. Differential 66. Gold units, abbr.

67. Señor’s emphatic yes 68. Scratch 69. Hawkeye player on “MASH” 70. Pork cut 72. Mock, jeer 73. Berry touted as medicinal 74. Welcome pieces 75. Overhead trains 77. ___ Schwarz 78. Uncultivated 79. Half of D 80. Palmas de ___ (journalist award) 81. Fall month 83. Weightlifting maneuver 84. ‘Boston Legal’ fig.

86. Changed 87. Gear 88. Chinese dynasty 89. Harrison Ford’s Solo 90. Summer month 93. Fashionable clothing store 94. Not fives or tens 95. Skedaddles 96. Area of South Africa 98. OJ judge 99. Really bothered 100. Florida seaport 101. Do-do connector 102. Moth repellent 103. Toyota 104. Petitions 106. Small amount 108. Shore soarer 112. Informal affirmative 113. Buck 114. Navy ship intro 115. Butterfly catcher

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| THE TRIANGLE’S LONGEST RUNNING MONTHLY | TRIANGLE DOWNTOWNER MAGAZINE

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