L ET TE R F R O M TH E E DI TO R
Rising from the Ashes
O
VIVIDLY INSPIRED INTERIOR DESIGN New Construction Renovation & Remodeling Decorating Design Consultations Custom Window Treatments
n a balmy summer evening, as my Painkiller cocktail at The Crunkleton took hold, I ducked out of the West Franklin Street bar for some relief. I needed something sweet after dinner at Carolina Brewery, so I practically skipped a few doors down to Mediterranean Deli where I filled a box full of goodies: a slice of cheesecake, a lemon bar and my favorite, walnut baklava. My friends were posted up in the back of the bar when I returned; selfish me did not share the baklava. Four weeks later, a fire that started in Med Deli’s roof destroyed the restaurant and damaged adjoining businesses Simply Audrey, DB Sutton & Co., Moshi Moshi and Tropical Smoothie. Med Deli owner Jamil Kadoura has made philanthropy a core part of his business for years. “This community is just a beautiful community that believes in itself, and it believes in others, and it believes in outsiders,” he told Chapel Hill Magazine two years ago. Jamil raised $18,000 in one day for hurricane recovery in Haiti, held another fundraiser for flood relief in Pakistan and amassed $26,000 in 2 ½ hours for Syrian refugees, just to give you a few examples. “I called on the community, and the community came” during these efforts, he said. And when Jamil needed the community to show up, this time for his own restaurant and employees, they did – and then some. The GoFundMe set up to help pay wages to his affected employees had raised more than $210,000 from over 3,000 donors as of press time. You certainly can’t keep a good man down, and Jamil and his team were right back in the game a week later with catering orders. But I know I’m not alone in awaiting the reopening of this cherished restaurant, hopeful that it returns even bolder and better than ever. As we see within Med Deli’s story – and what we hope you’ll discover in these pages – local restaurants, bars and farms play a crucial role in our community’s vitality, and it’s with great joy that we shine a spotlight on them in our Food, Drink & Farms issue every year. So join us as we raise a toast to the heart and soul of our towns. CHM
Hunter Douglas Centurion Gallery (919) 806-3638 FOLLOW US @MaxHugoInteriors MAXHUGOINTERIORS.COM
6
chapelhillmagazine.com
jessica.stringer@chapelhillmagazine.com O N TH E COV E R P h o to g ra p hy by J o h n M i c h a e l S i m p s o n
September/October 2023
FOLLOW US
ORGANIZE THIS! Neat Freak Professional Organizing’s Perri Kersh shares behind-thescenes tidy tips from her own stunning home on page 90!
KIDFRIENDLY FAVES More than a dozen parents share their go-to restaurants for family meals.
OUR FULL FALL ARTS GUIDE ‘Tis the season for new exhibits, plays, live music and more.