Durham Magazine Feb/March 2018

they saw durham's future Page 42 b Test your Bull City knowledge Page 54 b 37 organizations that have stood the test of time Page 64

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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 VOL 11 NO 1

durhammag.com

MANAGING PARTNER & SENIOR VP

Rory Kelly Gillis rory@durhammag.com

CHIEF VISUAL OFFICER & DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Briana Brough

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Amanda MacLaren amanda@durhammag.com

EDITORIAL

EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CHAPEL HILL MAGAZINE

Jessica Stringer

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Holly West

EVENTS & COMMUNITY EDITOR

Dana Lange

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Ashley Cruz, Amelia Hanks, Lindsay McConnell, Mattias Miller, Kristi Piechnik, Anna Pogarcic, Molly Weybright

CONTRIBUTORS

Julia Baker, Morgan Cartier Weston, Latisha Catchatoorian, Carl Kenney, Meredith Martindale, David Pisetsky, Amber Watson and Matt White

ART

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Kevin Brown

ART DIRECTOR

Jean Carlos Rosario-Montalvo

ART DIRECTOR

Jennifer Hill

Advertising

Melissa Crane melissa@durhammag.com

Chris Elkins chris@chathammagazinenc.com

Kem Johnson kem@durhammag.com

Leslie Land leslie@durhammag.com

Corporate PRESIDENT Dan Shannon danshannon@durhammag.com

COO

Ellen Shannon

VICE PRESIDENT/ADMINISTRATION

Amy Bell

ADMINISTRATIVE & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Caroline Kornegay

DISTRIBUTION

Elitegroup

Durham Magazine is published by Shannon Media Inc. Subscriptions, $38 for two years, are available at durhammag.com. To purchase copies, call 919.933.1551.

A Still Unfinished letter

DECADE AGO THIS MONTH, the first issue of Durham Magazine rolled off the presses with a promise on this same page, and with a distinctly younger picture of me:

“We are committed to making a positive contribution to our city, we will honestly tell the stories and concerns of our neighbors, we will become an integral, organic part of our diverse community. Further, we will stand with our community; our local writers, readers and artists will talk to one another, neighbor-to-neighbor, friend-to-friend.”

The headline to the first editorial was, without irony, “An Unfinished Magazine.”

Durham Magazine is still an evolving work in progress, but our promise? I wouldn’t change a word.

After more than 80 issues created by three outstanding editors over 10 years –and who knows how many stories and photographs? – each month our team goes out, discovers compelling local stories and tells them well. Our readers have been generous with both their favorable and critical comments, and we take them to heart. Our advertisers, too, have walked with us through a recession, a growing economy and everything in between. (See some of the businesses that were here when we started on page 64.)

It’s fun to take a moment and savor our magazine’s successes – and longevity in publishing is no small accomplishment – but great editors look ahead, trying to imagine what’s around the next corner, over the next hill, and that’s what we are doing. We’re a lot more excited about the next 80 issues than the last.

But we are grateful, and humbled, to still be a part of the greatest city in North Carolina.

I’ll end this essay the way I ended the one I wrote a long time ago: “Our fate is twined with our unfinished city’s future [but] enough from me: It’s time for Durham Magazine to speak for itself.”

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HOME, SWEET HOME

Our longtime staff photographer shares the details of her favorite rooms from the past 10 years

Originals 37 organizations that have stood the test of time

PictureDURM helps us showcase images curated by locals 12 Go. See. Do. Our top events for February and March

26 In Their Words

Duke’s Dr. David S. Pisetsky talks town-gown relations while author Carl W. Kenney II explains the draw of our city

30 Noted What we’ve heard around town …

36 Adopt A Pet

Energetic dog Dizzy and curious cat Will await their forever homes

118 Deal Estate

How far does your dollar go in the current housing market?

146 A Second Wind for the Food Scene Community staples spur spinoffs

148 Taste

Discover our city’s best restaurants

151 Sip

Clouds Brewing’s IPA is the J.A.M.

153 Savor

Piedmont changes course and its courses; this pasta dish is a prime example

159 Engagement & Wedding

Tying the knot, Bull City-style

PICS

16 Animal Protection Society of Durham’s Tails at Twilight gala

18 Campus Club member luncheon at Parizade

20 The Hill Center’s 40th anniversary with The Monti

22 Chefs for Change dessert gala at The Rickhouse

24 Hamilton Hill designer trunk show

The scene

SHOWCASING CURATED IMAGES BY LOCALS

Before Old Bull was built on this corner, John Ruffin Green had a small tobacco warehouse here. After the Confederate surrender at Bennitt* Farm, four miles west, Yankee troops emptied the warehouse of its inventory. Green and others thought they were through until letters from the north started arriving at Durham Station, offering to pay for more tobacco. Top two floors [were] removed around 1930. – @POSTCARDSFROMDURHAM

*the correct spelling of the family who lived at what we know now as Bennett Place

PictureDURM (@picturedurm on Instagram) is a collection of photos chosen by founder Meredith Martindale from users who share with the #picturedurm hashtag. Over the past two years, 14,500+ photos have been submitted.

BY POSTCARDS FROM DURHAM

On Bald Head Island, days begin and end with sunshine on the ocean and the pace slows to the rhythm of the tide. You’ll arrive here by ferry, then travel the island by golf cart, bicycle or on foot. No more lush natural environment for exploring can be found on the East Coast, complemented by a host of creature comforts. Just a few hours from the Triangle, what are you waiting for? Contact us today to learn more about our exceptional way of life, and start planning your retreat.

The Science of Wine

FEB. 22

Come taste and learn all about wine at the Museum of Life and Science. Local wine sellers, cheese makers and chocolatiers share samples with wine connoisseurs while researchers reveal how soil and sun affect the color and flavor of your favorite vintages and varieties. And don’t miss the VIP workshop with Wine Authorities’ Craig Heffley

Feed the Need 110 Gala

FEB. 24

This black tie-optional event, held at 21c Museum Hotel, will benefit Meals on Wheels Durham and is sponsored by Ellis Family Law and CQC Home. Bid during a live auction and enjoy food and drink provided by the hotel’s restaurant, Counting House. ABC11 Evening News Anchor Steve Daniels will host the night, and Mint Julep Jazz Band will perform.

Home Free

MARCH 28

Head to The Carolina Theatre to hear all-vocal country sensation Home Free perform Nashville country standards and country-dipped pop hits from their most recent full-length album, “Timeless.”

do see go

Stagville Under the Stars

FEB. 23

Folktales, stargazing and more! Bring your family out to Stagville State Historic Site for African folktales about the night sky and viewings through telescopes. A collaboration with Morehead Planetarium. „

CROP Hunger Walk

MARCH 25

Help neighbors in need at the 44th annual walk, the second largest in the U.S. Proceeds support Church World Service and Durham Congregations in Action to help Durhamites struggling with food insecurity.

OUR TOP EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY AND MARCH

Rutherford Hayes White House Plate

Hasselblad 903

$20 Gold Double Eagle Lalique Sculpture Original WWII D-Day Maps

Nevermore Horror and Gothic Film Festival

FEB. 23–25

This film festival, held at The Carolina Theatre, is sure to shock and horrify all fans of the genre. Founded in 1999, the event showcases films varying from narrative features to shorts across the spectrum of horror, science fiction, mystery, thriller and action adventure. If you’re looking to get scared, this is a weekend you won’t want to miss.

LandED:

My Hayti | Haiti | History

FEB. 23–24

Durham Independent Dance Artists presents Aya Shabu’s dance theater performance that tackles the the history, memory and myth of Durham’s storied African-American neighborhoods. Held at the Hayti Heritage Center, the performance is inspired by her experience giving performative walking tours in the neighborhood and historic sites of Black Durham and Hayti.

Alsarah & The Nubatones

MARCH 1

Double refugee Alsarah — an ethnomusicologist and singer – brings her velvety voice and socially conscious lyrics to Motorco Music Hall in a Duke Performances concert alongside The Nubatones, composed of percussionist Rami El-Aasser, bassist Mawuena Kodjovi, oud player Brandon Terzic and background vocalist Nahid.

Great Human Race

MARCH 24

A 5K run / walk and timed race hosted by The Triangle Nonprofit and Volunteer Leadership Center that benefits more than 100 nonprofit organizations, schools and faithbased groups. It has raised nearly $3 million since its start in 1996. This year’s location is the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Bull City Food and Beer Experience

FEB. 25

Sip on fine brews paired with tasty bites from restaurants around Durham. Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom and Sam’s Quik Shop’s sixth annual food festival features chefs and breweries on all three floors of the Durham Performing Arts Center. Proceeds benefit Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association

PAGE 12: Science of Wine photo by Courtney Cawley.

ABOVE, clockwise from top left: Alsarah photo courtesy of Duke Performances; Aya Shabu photo by Amanda Black; Great Human Race photo courtesy of The Triangle Nonprofit and Volunteer Leadership Center; Bull City Food and Beer Experience photo by Andrea Griffith Cash

city pics

Doggone Good Time

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA MACLAREN

More than $112,000 was raised at the Animal Protection Society (APS) of Durham’s annual Tails at Twilight gala, the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Held at the JB Duke Hotel, guests enjoyed a three-course dinner and silent and live auctions, followed by a fun evening of dancing. Proceeds benefit programs and services that help abused and neglected pets throughout the community receive the care they need to find loving homes.

1 Animal Protection Society of Durham’s Kelly Joy, Darlene Fiscus, Shelley Smith and Annika Hugosson. 2 Kari Linfors and Tim Deck. 3 Eric and Brandi Haase. 4 Jeff and Martha Traylor. 5 Phyllis Moore, Susan Teer and APS Executive Director Shafonda Davis.

Carolina Herrera

Zimmerman

BalenCiaga

rosie assoulin

lela rose

golden goose

deluxe Brand

VeroniCa Beard

ulla JoHnson

rag & Bone

ProenZa sCHouler

CHloe

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nili lotan

roksanda

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tHe woods Fine

Jewelry

sies marJan

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natalie martin

Wonder Women

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTI PIECHNIK

Campus Club, a social organization of Duke University-affiliated women, hosted its 104th annual member luncheon at Parizade, which featured an empowering speech by Dr. Kimberly Jenkins. The more than 100 women in attendance enjoyed Kimberly’s inspiring stories of success – and failure. Kimberly recounted her work history with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as well as her time as the program director of Duke in Silicon Valley and co-founder of SOAR, a Google-funded initiative to help Triangle women succeed in entrepreneurship.

1 Allison Haltom, keynote speaker Dr. Kimberly Jenkins and Jean Cox. 2 Regina Kronmiller, Elizabeth Gillis, Stephanie Moore, Katina Rogers and Jodi Preminger. 3 Ed Addison, Bill Carden, Karen Addison and Campus Club Centennial President Jean Carden. 4 New member Claudia Minoiu and Campus Club veteran Frances Rollins. 5 Past Campus Club presidents: Karen Childers, Anne Alexander, Ellen Adams, Pela Gereffi, Macey Colvin, Josefina Tiryakian, Joy Dunlap and Jo Ann Lutz. 6 Campus Club member Karen Palmer asks Kimberly a follow-up question.

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Celebrating 40 with Stories

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE HILL CENTER

The Hill Center paid homage to its four decades of impact on the community with The Monti and an evening of unscripted personal stories centered on the theme of courage. Along with The Monti founder, creator and emcee for the evening, Jeff Polish, the event featured stories told by educators and parents of Hill Center students, alumni and those dedicated to the field of learning differences and education, including Lee Hark, Sara Gray Horne, J.J. Johnson, Dawn McClendon and Dr. Ann Turnbull

1 Lee Hark. 2 George “Trig” Horton, Kirsten Kruhm, Rick Rosenberg and Alice Horton. 3 Dr. Ann Turnbull. 4 Linda Butler, Ele Ross and Jean Neville. 5 Leonard Norry and Hill Center Head of School Dr. Bryan Brander. 6 Brian Sickora, Kate Sickora, Michael Thomas, LoriAnn Thomas, Ellen Shannon and Dan Shannon. 7 Hill Center Executive Director Beth Anderson, Allison McClay, Dave McClay and Kathy McKee (seated). 1 7 4 5 2 3 6

“For three generations, Durham Tech has made a difference in our lives and our community. Someone will walk the halls of Durham Tech who raises the human condition.”

-TED GRIFFIN, former chair of the Durham Tech Foundation Board of Directors

THE GRIFFIN FAMILY | Ted and Susan Griffin, longtime community advocates, knew the value of Durham Tech as board members at the College and through the legacy of Dr. William Kimball “Chief” Griffin, who served as a Trustee for many years. But when their children attended Durham Tech and later excelled at UNC-Chapel Hill, the Griffins saw the real impact of great education.

Great communities start with great community colleges. Give today. durhamtech.edu/donate

Home Sweet Home

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY WEST

To close out 2017, Families Moving Forward held its Chefs for Change Dessert Gala at The Rickhouse, which included a tasting of local desserts, an auction, live entertainment and the unveiling of details for the 2018 Chefs for Change fundraising dinner series featuring distinguished chefs. This year’s chefs are Charlie Deal of Juju and Dos Perros in Durham and Jujube in Chapel Hill; Scott Howell of Nana’s, NanaTaco, NanaSteak and Bar Virgile; Phoebe Lawless of The Lakewood and Scratch; and Aaron Benjamin of Gocciolina. Proceeds totaled more than $10,000 for the night and $70,000 for the 2017 series. The funds raised benefit the nonprofit’s efforts to provide a temporary home to families who have children and are experiencing homelessness. 1 5 4

1 Steve Griffin and Families Moving Forward Executive Director

Ryan Fehrman. 2 Bridie McDonough, AmericaCorps Vista member at Families Moving Forward. 3 Families Moving Forward board members Tom Meyer and Tony Williams. 4 Jennings Brody of Parker & Otis, Chet Miller and Tiny; Larry Tilley of ACME Plumbing Co.; and Kelli Cotter of Toast and Dashi. 5 MaryAnne Gucciardi and Rick Waechter. 6 Durham School of the Arts seniors Surrell Brodie and Olivia Fernandez. 2 6 3

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1 Sarah Hill with designers Mark Johns from Bikakis & Johns; Marcel Roelofs; and Roc Majoral from Majoral. 2 Monica Lerina from Antonio Bernardo and Michael Hamilton. 3 Shelly Thompson and Tricia Weiner of Hamilton Hill. 4 Jim and Karen Dougherty.

FEBRUARY 2: OPENING OF THE BLACK HISTORY: ARTISTS' PERSPECTIVES EXHIBIT

FEBRUARY 11: DURHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH MAESTRO WILLIAM CURRY

MAESTRO CURRY AND THE DURHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENT A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF THE LEGENDARY ELLA FITZGERALD FEATURING VOCALIST YOLANDA RABUN, AND THE POETRY OF LANGSTON HUGHES WITH POET DASAN AHANU.

FEBRUARY 15-17: 2018 HERITAGE FILM FESTIVAL CURATED BY LANA GARLAND

SHOWCASES DIVERSE WORKS OF, BY AND ABOUT PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT THROUGH SHORT AND FULL-LENGTH FILMS, SUPPORTING THE TALENTS PRIMARILY OF SOUTHERN FILMMAKERS.

MARCH 10: RALEIGH LITTLE THEATRE PRODUCTION WITH MIKE WILEY

MARCH 24: WIMMIN@WORK PERFORMING ARTS CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S HISTORY

APRIL 20: JAMBALAYA SOUL SPOKEN WORD/POETRY SLAM PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

MAY (TBD) BENEFIT CONCERT

JUNE: ROBOTICS STEAM CAMP

SEPTEMBER 7-9: BLUES AND ROOTS FESTIVAL

CELEBRATING THE MUSIC AND EMBRACING THE HERITAGE OF BLUES, GOSPEL AND JAZZ, KICKING OFF WITH A NATIONAL TOURING GROUP OF LEGENDARY ARTISTS

DECEMBER 9 (TENT.): THE NC JAZZ ENSEMBLE HOLIDAY CONCERT

DECEMBER 26: KWANZAA CELEBRATION - AN ANNUAL CULTURAL COMMUNITY EVENT

FAYETTEVILLE ST., DURHAM, NC 27701 919.683.1709 INFO@HAYTI.ORG

APRIL: KIM ARRINGTON CONCERT

MAY: THE DURHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CELEBRATES NINA SIMONE

SEPTEMBER: BULL DURHAM BLUES FESTIVAL

DECEMBER: NC JAZZ ENSEMBLE HOLIDAY CONCERT; KWANZAA CELEBRATION

THE AUTHOR IS A DUKE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AND IMMUNOLOGY WHO HAS LIVED IN DURHAM SINCE THE LATE ’70 S .

Our Town and Gown Relations, Pt. 1

BY DAVID S. PISETSKY, M.D., PH.D.

EVER SINCE THE FIRST STUDENT traveled to learn from an eminent scholar, the relationship between universities and surrounding municipalities has been a source of tension that goes under the umbrella term “town-gown relationships.”

In this iconic dyad, the gown part dates from medieval times when scholars and students wore gowns; apparently, way back then, academics had minor clerical status and donned outfits similar to those of the clergy. Regardless of the academic roots, in olden times, town-gown relations could turn ugly. The St. Scholastica Day riot in 1355 started with a dispute by students in a tavern in Oxford, England, and led to violent clashes that left almost 100 dead. Thankfully, things aren’t that bad anymore, but the source of town-gown friction should come as no surprise. The make-up of a university often –always? – diverges from that of the community. At

elite institutions like Duke, students frequently come from wealth while the town in which the school is situated is often much poorer. But we’re talking perceptions here, and they are hard to shake. In fact, the majority of Duke students receive some form of financial aid to attend the school, and, while many students come from middle-class and upper-middleclass backgrounds, the reputation of Duke as a school for “rich kids” is not completely erased.

Many people might think the townspeople employed at the undergraduate campus work in service jobs. Actually, most of the Durham residents employed at Duke work in the hospital, clinics and medical school. They’re nurses, technicians and billing clerks. For their part, the faculty usually represents a different demographic from the town, with those arts and sciences ivory tower intellectuals espousing, but not necessarily living, liberal ideas.

Wondering about town-gown issues in Durham, I was dismayed to discover that, according to The Princeton Review, Duke has the 11th worst town-gown relationship in the United States. The decadeold, inaccurate and brief write-up characterizes Durham as “a pretty dangerous place” and noted that Durham “has a few quirky streets and squares,” (true) recommending that students journey to Raleigh and Chapel Hill for entertainment (wrong). In fact, Durham has become the mecca for students in the Triangle looking for the best in entertainment, and obviously Duke students spend a lot of time in Durham as the crowds and parking shortages downtown demonstrate.

Talk about out of date. I know that Durham has its issues with Duke. I would, too, if I lived adjacent to an off-campus student house and was battered by sonic detonations from a party during the wee hours of the night. Certainly, the lacrosse episode was a great misfortune – a perfect storm of misperception, misinformation and misattribution – causing lots of bad press, self-reflection and soul searching. Fortunately, that dismal period is behind us, and Duke and Durham have entered a new and better period, in no small part because of the cooperation between the university and city leaders.

In Durham, town and gown are not two separate entities and I, like thousands of other Durhamites, am both town and gown. Duke has bypassed Food Lion as the second largest private employer in the state of North Carolina (Walmart is No. 1) and has almost 40,000 employees. It is to Duke’s advantage to have Durham be a fine place to live just as it is to Durham’s advantage to have Duke be a fine place to work.

The leaders of both Duke and Durham have been very wise and have worked well to spur the city’s recent renaissance. On the Duke side, presidents Terry Sanford, Keith Brodie, Nannerl Keohane and Richard

Town-gown relations [can] turn ugly. The St. Scholastica Day riot in 1355 started with a dispute by students in a tavern in Oxford, England, and led to violent clashes that left almost 100 dead.

Brodhead have all been Durham boosters. Brodhead said that “Duke and Durham chose each other” and “had destinies that were entwined.” On the city side, Bill Bell, now retired as mayor after serving six terms since 2001, has been an astute and visionary civic leader. A special shout out to Mayor Bell and all the others who were key to the creation of such civic assets as the Durham Performing Arts Center and exciting innovations such as American Underground at American Tobacco Campus. Duke, too, was supportive of all those endeavors.

As this account indicates, town-gown relations in Durham have changed and are changing. In my next column, I will share my reflections as both a Dukie and a Durhamite.

The Draw of Durham

BY CARL W. KENNEY II

CARL W. KENNEY II WAS NAMED THE BEST SERIOUS COLUMNIST OF 2011 BY THE NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION. HE IS THE COPRODUCER OF “GOD OF THE OPPRESSED,” AN UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY FILM ON BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY AND IS THE AUTHOR OF “PREACHA’ MAN“ AND THE SEQUEL “BACKSLIDE.” HE HAS LED CONGREGATIONS IN MISSOURI AND NORTH CAROLINA.

Members of the City Council should vote to approve large billboards in areas where visitors enter the city. They should be large enough to catch the attention of people intent on a short stay.

“Warning,” should appear in bold letters. “Enter Durham at your own risk. Once you enter, you will not be able to leave.” Durham is America’s Bermuda Triangle.

A sign would have helped me when I arrived in 1988 to attend graduate school at Duke. My plan was to graduate from the divinity school and then apply for schools offering a Ph.D. in theology. I was prepared to move to Boston, New Jersey, Chicago or other places willing to give me a shot. I had an open mind.

I repeat: Warning. Don’t come if you have plans not to stay.

I first learned about Durham from an article written by W. E. B. Du Bois.

“There is in this small city a group of 5,000 or more colored people, whose social and economic development is perhaps more striking than that of any similar group in the nation,” Du Bois wrote in “The Upbuilding of Black Durham,” published in 1912.

I read about the nonviolent protest at the Royal Ice Cream Parlor on June 23, 1957. Douglas E. Moore, pastor at the Asbury Temple United Methodist Church, led the sit-in that sparked future protests including the Greensboro sit-ins. Moore, who studied theology with Martin Luther King Jr. at Boston University, wrote a letter to King on October 3, 1956, proposing that nonviolence could be used as part of a national movement.

Durham shaped the strategy of the Civil Rights movement. I read a story about Sam Cooke in Rolling Stone magazine. After a concert in Durham in 1963, Cooke spoke with demonstrators at a sit-in. He returned to the bus where he wrote the lyrics to the song, “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

Durham inspired the lyrics for one of America’s most recognizable songs.

I wanted to immerse my children in a culture of unlimited possibilities. I wanted my daughters to walk on the ground at North Carolina Central University where Zora Neale Hurston taught what inspired her to write “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” I wanted my three children to witness the brilliance of Dr. John Hope Franklin and reap the benefits of living in a city with no glass ceilings and room to embrace unlimited potential.

No one told me about the rest.

It takes more than a causal reading of comments from a magazine top 10 list to understand why Durham is a place no one wants to leave. How can you leave when few places offer the combination of comforts that sets Durham apart from other cities?

No one told me about Durham’s thirst for diversity. In Durham, we not only celebrate the blending of races and cultures, it’s the foundation of our being. It’s like what the Gospels are to the Church and what an engine is to a car. It’s what gives us life and makes us move. Other places seem bland when compared to the variety of tastes and sounds in Durham.

Sometimes Durham sounds like jazz. Sometimes it moves like salsa. Sometimes it’s classical music directed by a black conductor. In Durham, people move back and forth among cultures and perspectives. We learn from one another in rooms where we listen and grow together. I moved to Durham because of the history of the black community. I wanted more for my children. I stayed because of the lessons I learned

We not only celebrate the blending of races and cultures, it’s the foundation of our being. It’s like what the Gospels are to the Church and what an engine is to a car. It’s what gives us life and makes us move. Other places seem bland when compared to the variety of tastes and sounds in Durham.

from my friends. I stayed because of the food, the music, the art and locally owned businesses with customers who think like me. I stayed because of the magic that makes it hard to leave.

Now I’m stuck. It happened long before the boom downtown and the brewing of Durham’s foodie reputation. Durham has always been a place that’s hard to leave.

Ask your friends. When did they know they were stuck in America’s Bermuda Triangle?

noted.

WHAT AN HONOR

The Franklin and Brame houses, located on Vickers Avenue, were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Both constructed in 1901 as homes for tobacco factory workers, they were removed from their original spots on Yancey Street in the 1960s during construction of the Durham Freeway. In 2016, they were relocated to the Morehead Hill Historic District

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club was named among the winners of Smart Meetings magazine’s 2017 Platinum Choice Award, which celebrates excellence in service and amenities at meeting hotels and resorts in North America. Meanwhile, its sister property, JB Duke Hotel, was named one of ConventionSouth magazine’s 2018 Top New or Renovated Meeting Site Award recipients.

Fullsteam Brewery is now a certified Stormwater STAR business, a designation given by the city’s Stormwater and GIS Services Division to businesses that complete a year-long program and institute practices that protect local creeks, rivers and lakes. Fullsteam has taken steps to educate staff about proper spill prevention and cleanup practices and frequently cleans storm drains around the brewery.

Three Durhamites were named “Southerners of the Year 2017” by Southern Living Merge Records founders Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan were recognized for the impact of their business on the music industry and their community stewardship, while Leigh-Kathryn Bonner was noted for the positive impact her business, Bee Downtown, has on the local honeybee population.

A portion of Interstate 85 was renamed John Hope Franklin Highway in honor of the late Duke University and North Carolina Central University professor and author of the seminal

WHAT WE’VE HEARD AROUND TOWN …

work “From Slavery to Freedom,” which chronicled African-American history. Franklin, who died in 2009 at the age of 94, also helped NAACP lawyers, including Thurgood Marshall, develop the case that led to the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Congressman G. K. Butterfield paid tribute to former Durham mayor Bill Bell – who recently retired after 45 years of public service, including 16 as mayor -– on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in early December. The featured photograph was taken by Durham Magazine’s Briana Brough. The congressman also welcomed Durham’s new mayor, Steve Schewel

The Durham Performing Arts Center was ranked among the top five theaters of its size in America by Pollstar, Billboard Magazine and Venues Today. DPAC hosted 462,055 guests at 211 events during the 2017 calendar year and had 113 events sell out – a record number.

North Carolina Central University’s Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Instructor Eric Saliim is among 10 professors designated as a Teaching Innovator – one who constantly revises teaching practices and takes risks to develop innovative learning environments that develop special connections with students – by The Chronicle of Higher Education. He is the only professor from a historically black college and university (HBCU) to be named for the honor.

Durham’s Sylvan Esso was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album for “What Now.” 9th Wonder, a local hip-hop producer and scholar, helped produce Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.”, which was nominated for Best Rap Album and Album of Year and was named best album of 2017 by Rolling Stone

Durham was named one of “5 Cities That Are Great for Women” by Equities.com thanks to our city’s pay equity and plethora of job opportunities in health care, education and technology.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO … Lincoln Community Health Center was awarded a $15,000 grant to purchase a new retinal camera for patients, which will be used in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes. The grant was received from the center’s foundation by officials pictured below: Dr. Howard Eisenson, CMO; Philip Harewood, CEO; Claretta Foye, COO; and Carolyn E. Henderson, board chair.

The center was also awarded a three-year, $467,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for a project that will study how social determinants of health affect patients treated in the community health center environment. Reinvestment Partners and The Duke Center for Research on Personalized Health Care will assist on the project.

Duke University ranked No. 5 on Kiplinger’s recently released 2018 Best College Values list.

Durham Technical Community College student Mohamed Karoui was part of a team that won first place at the 2017 Robotics: Science and Systems Conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

WTVD ABC 11’s Tim Pulliam was named the North Carolina/ South Carolina TV News Reporter of the Year by the Associated Press and the Radio Television Digital News Association in a ceremony that took place in November at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. A Person County native, Tim and his family now call the Bull City home.

Durham Arts Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, City of Durham and the SmART Resource Team selected Olalekan Jeyifous as the artist to create the monumental Art Wrap for the Corcoran Street Garage, which is the first major public art work of the Durham SmART

Vision Plan. His selection follows a review of 107 artist applications from across the United States. Olalekan, known as “Lek,” is a Nigerian-born artist, architect and designer from Brooklyn, New York. Installation is expected to be complete by May or June.

The Durham Tech Foundation received $16,000 to provide scholarships for students of Mexican heritage by the General Consulate of Mexico in Raleigh. The grant will fund scholarships for the 2018 and 2019 academic terms.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Ninth Street staple Francesca’s Dessert Caffe closed after 30 years in business. Owner Jalil Belmouloud cited rising rent prices in the neighborhood.

Show your Durham pride with these foam Bull City Hands, available at bullcityhands.com.

USA Track & Field, the national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking, is now utilizing Durhambased Teamworks’ mobile collaboration and communication software. Its mobile technologies streamline communication between staff, athletes and coaches, and is already used by USA Baseball and other athletic institutions such as the NCAA and United Soccer League.

Bikeshare programs LimeBike, Spin and Ofo are up and spinning. Hundreds of dockless bikes are available for public use throughout the city. Most users pay and unlock the bikes using a smartphone app or credit card, but access cards are also available at City Hall

HeathLeaf, a new T-shirt and clothing business created by Durham native Alex Heath, launched last fall and sells locally inspired designs.

Lennar struck a deal to buy CalAtlantic for $5.7 billion. The combined company will be the largest home builder in the nation and one of the top three home builders in 24 of the top 30 U.S. markets.

IFB Solutions – a nonprofit organization aimed at providing employment, training and services for people with low vision – opened a new Community Low Vision Center across from the Duke Eye Center. The primary goal of the center is to help people with all levels of low vision retain or regain independence in their daily lives.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

RTP-based communications and commerce company Bell and Howell has been selected by robotics company Savioke to provide installation, maintenance and other advanced services for it’s hospitality robots, Relay. Relay is able to deliver items to hotel guests autonomously.

The former Macy’s building at Northgate Mall has been purchased by Durham Realty Inc. and will soon house Duke University medical clinics and administrative offices. The two-story, 183,840-square-foot building is projected to be used by more than 1,000 patients, staff and doctors each day.

Local real estate development firm East West Partners is building new luxury condominiums in the Brightleaf District. Named The Bartlett, the complex will feature 34 residences – ranging in size from 900 to 2,200 square feet with prices from the $300,000s to $1 million – and 6,000 square feet of retail in a seven-story building. It is expected to open in the summer of 2019. „

The Chesterfield held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and gave tours of its recently redesigned building in early December. Located in the Brightleaf District, the former cigarette manufacturing factory is now reimagined, slated to become a new center for Durham’s life science and technology ecosystem.

Development group 4 Line LLC unveiled its newconstruction townhome development located at the corner of Jackson and Gordon streets. It will be a mixed-use complex with live-work units meant to foster entrepreneurship, artistry and small business. The 62 three- and four-story residential units will range from 1,300 to 2,400 square feet and are slated to break ground in early spring.

Duke University’s 70,000-square-foot

Rubenstein Arts Center is now open, giving the arts a prominent new home in the center of campus. Named after Duke alumnus David M. Rubenstein, who funded the building with a $25 million gift, “The Ruby” houses two academic programs – dance and arts of the moving image – and is a venue for public arts programs and student rehearsals and events.

ON THE MOVE

Rhonda Johnson has joined StaffMasters/ Hire Dynamics as its account manager for the Durham/RTP area. The company is expanding into Raleigh in early 2019.

Hans Luther has been named general manager of Unscripted Durham. He has 15 years of experience, most recently having served as hotel task force consultant, strategy & operations for Ian Schrager’s Public Hotel in New York City, and was previously business planning manager for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Tommy T. McNeill, business development manager at Mid-South Medical, was appointed to the board of directors for the Triangle Healthcare Executives’ Forum of North Carolina.

Startup community American Underground’s former chief strategist Adam Klein is now director of strategy for Capitol Broadcasting Company’s real estate holdings in Durham and Rocky Mount.

Doug Speight, founder of equipment-leasing startup Cathedral Leasing and the 2016 CODE2040 entrepreneur-in-residence, is now the executive director of American Underground

United Way of the Greater Triangle announced two new board members and three new staff members. Jes Averhart and Michael Botzis are the new board members, and Caren Howley, Emily Page and Olivia Morris are the new staff members.

Rev. Michael Delano Page, former chairman of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, was appointed to serve Durham Technical Community College’s Board of Trustees.

MILESTONES

National Pawn celebrated its 30th anniversary last November. Started in Durham, the business now has 15 locations in eight North Carolina counties.

GIVING BACK

Dentists Carlos Medina, Silvia Umana and Marvin Umana (pictured above) are studying dental lab technology at Durham Tech after seeing a lack of qualified technicians – those responsible for designing and creating prostheses like dentures – in their home country of Honduras. After graduating in May 2019, the trio plans to open up a practice there that is both a clinic and dental lab.

at Immaculata

celebrated Giving Tuesday by making approximately 300 meals, 50 snacks and 150 hygiene kits. This is the third year the school has undertaken the project, which benefits Urban Ministries of Durham

National Pawn donated more than 100 musical instruments and $2,000 for instrument upkeep to Carrington Middle School. This donation is part of National Pawn’s ongoing commitment to support music programs in each county where stores are located, and this marks the seventh year in which National Pawn has donated instruments to schools in North Carolina. „

Students

Catholic School

PHOTO BY CARA GALATI

Habitat for Humanity of Durham was chosen as a 2017 Neighborhood Builder by Bank of America in recognition of its work to increase access to affordable housing. The bank provided $200,000, which Habitat plans to use to build a small homes village of between six and 10 500- to 800-square-foot residences, the first of its kind in Durham. The partnership includes Bank of America, Habitat home buyers, the City of Durham and Durham Technical Community College

VISIT. EAT. REPEAT.

The District at 410 @ The Art Institute

Maybelle’s Biscuits and Barbecue

WXYZ Bar @ Aloft Hotel The Bullpen Tyler’s Taproom

Mellow Mushroom

Moe’s Southwest Grill Cuban Revolution Tobacco Road Nana Steak Only Burger

Laurel Oaks Apartments became the first U.S. Housing and Urban Development ConnectHome community in Durham in December. The program provides residents with free Google Fiber internet access, ongoing digital literacy training by the Kramden Institute and Google Fiber, and refurbished computers from the Institute and Triangle Ecycling. ConnectHome is a public-private partnership aimed at narrowing the digital divide for families with school-age children who live in HUD-assisted housing.

The Durham Debutante Ball Society presented 27 young women at its 63rd Debutante Cotillion and Christmas Ball in December at the Durham Convention Center, including Caroline Rochelle, pictured below with her family. Leading up to the ball, the young ladies – freshmen college students from Durham and Chapel Hill – were mentored by Society members and participated in two service projects – a summer park clean up at Durham Central Park and assembling hygiene kits for Urban Ministries of Durham at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church

BOOKIN’ IT

Duke economics professor Lori Leachman’s memoir, “The King of Halloween & Miss Firecracker Queen: A Daughter’s Tale of Family and Football,” chronicles her childhood in the South, her family’s relationship with football and her father’s struggle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE. Lori is the daughter of the late Lamar Leachman, a football player and coach most well-known as a defensive line coach for the Giants in their victory at Super Bowl XXI.

Barnes & Noble – Southpoint customers purchased 3,413 new books for young children in Durham County during the Barnes & Noble Holiday Book Drive that ran from November 1-December 31. The books, along with an additional 250 books donated through other sources, benefit Durham’s Partnership for Children. This was the 12th year the Partnership has teamed up with Barnes & Noble to collect books for young children who might not otherwise have access to reading materials.

American Tobacco

Author Edward Gold’s newest book, “You Can Be a Writer!,” is out now. Edward uses his personal experiences to offer practical advice on overcoming everyday obstacles that can help writers and non-writers alike.

CHAPEL HILL

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, the practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates has been trusted to provide specialized care in the Chapel Hill, Durham, and Sanford communities. Our five board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons provide the highest quality of patient care with the latest diagnostic and treatment tools available to assure patient safety and comfort.

Drs. Frost, Sacco, Vandersea, Ruvo and Serlo practice a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery with expertise ranging from corrective jaw surgery to wisdom tooth removal.

DAVID E. FROST DDS, MS

DEBRA M. SACCO DMD, MD

BRIAN VANDERSEA DDS

ANDREW T. RUVO DMD, MD

ADAM D. SERLO DMD, MD

Dizzy

A friendly guy who loves people. Give him a few pets, and he’ll lean into you for more. He’s an energetic boy who loves to play, but settles down quickly when playtime is over. He’s looking for a home where he can have a good balance of exercise and snuggle time.

Will

A curious cat, and very playful. He enjoys playing with his feline friends at APS, but it’s the lap of a human that he’d love to curl up in more than anything. Come meet him!

Adoption fees for cats are $95 and $50 for the second cat when adopting two together. Dog adoption fees range from $100 to $175. Fees for other animals vary. The shelter, located at 2117 E. Club Blvd., is open Mon.-Tue. and Thu.Fri., 10:30am-5pm; Wed. 10:30am-6pm; and Sat. 10am-2pm. For more information, call 919-560-0640 or visit apsofdurham.org.

PHOTO BY JENNY WINSTON PHOTOGRAPHY

COVERINGDURHAM

we built

this city

The people and places that laid the foundation for the city we know and love PHOTOGRAPHY BY

BRIANA BROUGH

Rise Up

Michael Goodmon takes a moment to consider the question: How to sum up the transformation of downtown in the last decade, from empty storefronts in a crashing economy to today’s building boom and climbing skyscrapers?

“To be fair,” he begins with a slight sigh. “We only have one skyscraper. One. Everybody relax, it’s one tall builiding.”

At 27 stories, nearly the length of a full football field in the sky, One City Center stands taller than the rest of downtown, looming over the ’80s-era Durham Centre a few blocks away and 21c Museum Hotel in the renovated Hill Building next door. It is,

for now at least, the apparent top of the downtown building boom, both figuratively and vertically.

The downtown of today – with million-dollar condos and millions of square feet of office space under construction – is a far cry from the landscape that Michael, who runs Capitol Broadcasting Company’s real estate arm in Durham and who developed American Tobacco Campus, saw a decade ago.

“In 2007, you’re talking about the complete collapse of the lending market,” Michael says. “There was no money out there. We had five dead years when development just wasn’t on the list.”

Durham architect and developer John Warasila is amused by

The rapidly evolving Durham skyline.

the often-giddy coverage the city’s rebirth receives.

“Everyone looks back at American Tobacco now as obvious and a home run and, ‘What a great project,’” he says. “Well, that wasn’t necessarily the case 15 or 10 years ago. People forget what a leap of faith that was.”

“There’s this reaction that, ‘Oh, my gosh, all this stuff happened to downtown Durham,’” Michael says. “But American Tobacco was placed in service 13 years ago, and we’re just starting to see the exponential growth we were all betting on.”

John thinks of the rise of Durham, beginning in the mid-’90s, as akin to the rebirth of Baltimore he witnessed a decade before, when its manufacturing base was all but abandoned by industry and residents who could afford to move.

“American Tobacco [Campus] was placed in service 13 years ago, and we’re just starting to see the exponential growth we were all betting on,” says Michael Goodmon.

“I saw them rebuild the whole city in a period of 10 years,” John says. “When I came to Durham, I said, ‘This is like Baltimore was in 1980. The buildings are here, the sidewalks are here, but there’s no people.’”

But well into the early 2000s, developers, city officials and business owners all waited for Durham to take off. In the meantime, they set to creating the city they envisioned.

“The feeling was, ‘Look, no one else is coming,’” John says. “‘Whoever is here, we’re it.’”

John had just finished renovating a gutted downtown building into The Eleanor condominums as American Tobacco began to land tenants. Chief among them was McKinney, a major advertising agency bringing dozens of creative jobs to Durham. The firm hired Alliance Architecture, John’s firm, to design its space.

“I really wanted McKinney to be a statement,” John says. “Everyone was thinking in terms of, ‘Let’s do something great. This is what Durham can be.’”

When McKinney’s offices opened in 2007, Alliance’s design drew national attention for its blended use of restored warehouse space with modern glass-and-steel attributes. More notoriety arrived just a year later when Phil Szostak-designed DPAC opened, establishing a major arts center in downtown. Restaurants began to pop up in an expanding hub, from fine dining at Rue Cler within the Downtown Loop to a rollicking brewery and beer hall at Fullsteam in 2009 in the Central Park District

As the Great Recession ended and word of Durham’s success spread, the trickle of projects became a flood.

“Durham had proved it could support a large-scale commerical project, and there was a lot of good stuff on the horizon,” Michael remembers. “Certainly this growth we are seeing is broader than we thought it might be, but honestly, we didn’t know what the hell we were talking about in 2007. We were just, at some level, taking a deep breath and saying, ‘Gosh, we made it to here, and isn’t this awesome?’” – Matt White

Take Center Stage

Asell-out audience was midway through the show “On Your Feet!,” a musical based on the life and music of Gloria and Emilio Estefan, at DPAC in January. It was opening night for the show, one of eight touring Broadway productions that DPAC hosts a season.

And then something went wrong. A piece of scenery jammed, perhaps, or a fitting came loose. The music stopped. The cast headed backstage, stagehands rushed out, repairs were made and, within a few minutes, the show went on, to loud applause from the audience.

“It doesn’t happen often,” says DPAC General Manager Bob Klaus a few days later, smiling slightly at the story. “When it does happen, you’re reminded that this is live theater. When everything goes right, the magic is unbelievable, but once in 200 shows, something goes a little off.”

In 10 years, not much has been “off” at DPAC. The performing arts center has stood as something of a showpiece for our revitalized downtown. Lit brightly for more than 200 shows, it’s drawn in nearly half-a-million visitors each season in recent years. According to Pollstar magazine, DPAC had the fourth highest ticket sales in the country in 2017 among theaters of its size and type, trailing just behind The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, The Axis at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas and Radio City Music Hall in New York City. In the last five years, the theater has averaged about 475,000 tickets sold, Bob says, with a peak year over 500,000 in 2016, goosed by a long engagement of “The Lion King.” That’s a meteoric rise from a decade ago when, in its debut season of 2008-09, DPAC sold roughly 150,000 tickets.

PHOTO BY BEN CASEY

The turning point, Bob says, came in 2010, when the theater hosted “Wicked” for four weeks, selling out every single showing.

“The biggest cities in the country were hosting [for] four weeks, so for us to host and sell out, that was a benchmark,” he says.

The theater’s calendar has, since its opening, been built around an annual series of touring Broadway shows, mixing classics in revival, like “The Sound of Music” this season, with modern hits just months removed from their initial Broadway runs, like “On Your Feet!” last month and, of course, later in 2018, “Hamilton.”

Demand for “Hamilton” tickets, Bob says, will likely exceed “Lion King” or “Wicked.”

“Every five years, it seems, there’s a huge show,” Bob says.

The theater has grown its schedule with special events, from stars like Jason Isbell and Bob Dylan to comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock, along with touring magicians, dance shows and kids programs, like Paw Patrol Live!, which was the second most popular special event in 2017.

About half of all DPAC shows sell out, Bob says, with some of the quickest sales coming from a theater trend more recent than even DPAC’s short history: podcast and YouTube stars.

Today, DPAC’s Broadway series sells three times as many season ticket packages as it did a decade ago, to many customers who might rarely, if ever, come to Durham otherwise. About 40% of season ticket holders come from Wake County, Bob notes, while DPAC’s fastest growing market is ticket buyers who live more than 100 miles away. One couple, he says, comes from Virginia Beach.

“The

“And there’s a Broadway series in Virginia Beach!” Bob adds. “They came for ‘Wicked,’ and they so loved our theater that now they make it a weekend trip.”

That may be DPAC’s real legacy: introducing Durham’s growing downtown to visitors who might not have come otherwise.

“We’ve been the catalyst for a lot of first-time visitors,” Bob says.

As DPAC’s predictable crowds grew, so did Durham’s restaurant scene. Seth Gross opened Bull City Burger and Brewery just a few blocks away on Parrish Street in 2011, and he quickly began matching menu items to DPAC’s playbill.

“When they have a long-standing show, we have had some thematic burgers to go along with them,” Seth says. For “Wicked”’s return in

2012, Bull City Burger put out a Wicked Burger with green chimichurri sauce against Gruyere cheese and a cranberry gelatin sauce to match the show’s ruby slippers. “We served it on a gold plate with a cloche that was a witch’s hat,” Seth says. The entire cast came by to check it out, he says, and Bull City Burger has had similar themed dishes for “The Lion King” and other shows.

Since he opened Bull City Burger, the downtown food scene has mushroomed from a dozen or so places to, Seth estimates, around 50 options on a show night. He opened a second restaurant, Pompieri Pizza, around the corner from Bull City Burger in 2014. “The [Bulls] ballpark and DPAC are the two big sparks that started it,” he says.

Bob says it’s a two-way street. “Once they come and see the wonderful variety of restaurants and cafes to go to before and after the show, it gives them this desire to come back again and again.” – Matt White „

big [Broadway] shows, when they first go on tour out of New York, they want to go to the best cities,” says DPAC’s Bob Klaus. “There are over a hundred 3,000-seat theaters in America. Now, after 10 years, it’s not unusual for us to be on that first-year [tour].”

[My time at Magnolia Grill taught me] the value of a strong team [and the] importance of quality ingredients [and] taking the time to learn and use classic techniques.

PHOEBE LAWLESS

Scratch and The Lakewood

Assistant baker working dessert service and pastry chef, 1997-2005 (with a break or two)

SCOTT HOWELL

Nana’s, NanaTaco, NanaSteak, Bar Virgile

Setting the Food Scene

ACOUPLE YEARS AGO, WHEN WE asked how Durham became the foodiest city in the South, Kelli Cotter gave credit to “our largest stepping stone, Magnolia Grill, with Ben and Karen Barker.” ... “So many talented chefs have time with the Barkers under their belts,” Kelli, herself an alumna of Magnolia, added. “That’s no coincidence.”

There were many lessons that I took away from my time at Magnolia, but the most important was developing relationships with our local farmers and suppliers. Another lesson I’ve definitely carried with me was the importance of developing my palate in order to create complex dishes that our guests can enjoy and relate to.

MY MAGNOLIA MEMORY One year we did an event for the Durham Arts Council. We did a tuna tartare dish that was very popular but also very labor intensive, and our booth got a little behind. Lee Kepler, my good friend and the Magnolia sous chef, looked at Ben, Karen and me and said, “Next year, we’re serving haggis.”

JASON SMITH

18 Restaurant Group (Harvest 18) Line cook, 1996-1999 (came back for a second stint in 2001-2002)

And many of them chose to stay right here and build their own businesses and restaurants. But they won’t forget the lessons they learned at Magnolia, which closed in 2012, or the many memories they made with the Barkers. Here, a rundown of those chefs/ owners who stayed in the Bull City, and some of their reflections:

The most important lessons I took from the Barkers would be how to minimize waste and how to earn a dollar by being frugal.

MY MAGNOLIA MEMORY “The Missing Fig” story is, and will be, the greatest story that I remember during my short stint at the Grill. Ben was notorious on always knowing the exact amounts of everything in his inventory. One day, someone, who will always remain nameless, decided to eat a fig when she was in the [walkin-refrigerator]. Moments later, Ben made up a sign-off sheet saying, “I did not take and eat the missing fig,” and made everyone who was working that day sign off on it. Needless to say, a few minutes later we all knew who the swiper was. The moral of the story is to always know your inventory.

DAN FERGUSON

The Original Q-Shack Front production prep cook, 1994

SEAN LILLY WILSON

[I learned] how to taste food and identify flavors – huge lesson and not an easy thing to teach. Ben has an amazing palate.

MY MAGNOLIA MEMORY Ben was a huge Redskins fan, and I’m a Cowboys fan. The year after the Cowboys won the Super Bowl, [Cowboys running back] Emmitt Smith sat out the first couple of games in a contract dispute. Ben gave me hell, but when he signed I brought in an Emmitt poster and hung it downstairs. Emmitt went on to win MVP and Cowboys won the Super Bowl. It said a lot that Ben let the poster hang. He’s a great sport!

TOM FERGUSON

RISE Biscuits & Donuts Grill cook, 1993

we built this city

The Barkers both possess an attention to detail that is unique and difficult to maintain. Nearly three decades of consistency and growth are virtually impossible without their individual work ethic and consistency with systems. Ben had a respectful-yet-austere relationship with purveyors. Not one for a cold call, he knew what he wanted and didn’t have much time for flattery or BS. If you were a food or wine purveyor, you were held to a high standard. That level of accountability is contagious ... you just wanted to be a part of it.

As a member of their team, you were expected to internalize your relationship with guests. I had success there because I was truly excited for just about every guest who I took care of. I remember being able to recommend food and wine pairings with energy and passion because I was actually envious of the people I was serving. Ben saw that in me: He thanked me for it once, he’s not one for flattery. Both of their talents were a huge impact on my career. That’s where I fell in love with the restaurant business. Magnolia Grill is where I learned that this particular business is for me. They don’t call [Ben] the Jefe for nothing.

MY MAGNOLIA MEMORY

Once I had a large table of fancy businessmen. It was summer. The menu reflected summer flavors and lighter fare. They proceeded to order a $500 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. They also ordered delicate fish dishes. I was excited to show Ben that we had sold the big, fancy wine. He looked at me in the eye and said, “That wine is unavailable, sir.” I hung my head because I knew he was right ... that wine was completely inappropriate for their order. He said, “Those fellas aren’t leaving here thinking I don’t know how to cook.” I went back to the table and said, “The wine you ordered is unavailable.” They asked, “Are you out of it?” I replied, “No, it is simply unavailable.” They knew where we were coming from. I then directed them to a bottle of Riesling from Clare Valley, Australia. I went back to Ben with the new order. He replied something along the lines of, “Thanks for taking your head out of your butt.”

DANIEL SARTAIN,

Bar Virgile

Waiter and bartender, January 2007–January 2009

I have always been a friendly server; working at the Grill elevated my friendly customer service to one of a gracious host. I would keep notes on my regular guests so when they returned they felt as if they were being welcomed into our home. ... I practice this still today at Toast and Dashi, making everyone feel welcome, remembered, comfortable chatting about the menu, so they feel as if they’re visiting with family.

Billy developed his skills to balance and bring out flavors, to add acidity when a dish needs brightness, [and] the importance of list-making for an organized mind and kitchen.

MY MAGNOLIA MEMORY We were living in Atlanta and planning to move back to Durham. We both wanted to work at the Grill. Mid-2000, I sent my resume and cover letter explaining why they just needed me on their team. A month letter, Billy is wrapping up his cover letter; he had just written to Ben, “P.S. congratulations on your James Beard award,” when the phone rang. It was Ben. He was pretty sure he had a server position opening up right when we were planning to arrive, and he thought I might be a good fit. “But where is your husband planning to work?” He was calling for Billy, but swore he wasn’t! We always laughed about it. Billy never mailed his resume, we both interviewed when we got to town, and we both got jobs.

KELLI COTTER, Toast and Dashi

Server, November 2000–November 2007

BILLY COTTER, Toast and Dashi

Sous chef, November 2000–November 2003

Ben and Karen were pioneers in the local farm-to-table restaurant movement. Over 30 years they crafted their success in a very old-school way – out of passion, dogged hard work and a commitment to doing even the littlest thing in an exact and precise manner that felt honest and intrinsically appropriate to the two of them. At the Grill, that philosophy applied across the board: to menu ingredients sourced from longtime farmer friends; to exterior landscaping at the restaurant, which showcased favorite native NC perennials; to demanding the prettiest pieces of fish (and being willing to send back anything that was less than stellar); to a refusal to expand their business model to include a second property due to quality control concerns. The Barkers, they were hardcore, and they meant it. That is probably my single biggest takeaway from Magnolia Grill: To become a successful, independent, small business owner, you have to mean it, and you have to put in the serious work yourself. There is no outsourcing of your vision.

MY MAGNOLIA MEMORY I often get asked about the name of my catering company, which is called Soigné Events. Soigné is a French adjective, defined as “indicating an aura of sophistication in dress, manner or design; presented or

prepared with an elegance attained through care for the finer details.” My business’ name was chosen to pay tribute to my time spent as a young woman studying and traveling in France, as well as to a longstanding in-house reference at Magnolia Grill.

As a Duke undergrad, I studied abroad for a semester in Paris, and then lived there again a few years later while completing my master’s degree. In France, I learned to appreciate fine food and fine wine, which was quite helpful when I applied for a part-time hostess job at Magnolia Grill in 1997. However, upon starting to book reservations for the dining room, I quickly learned that “soigné” also meant VIP in Magnolia Grill parlance, indicating that you better find a table for Dr. Brodie, or that table 63 in the back left corner was where Joel Fleishman should always be seated. A big, handwritten [star] plus a name on the kitchen ticket meant pay extra attention, or Ben is gonna crush you!

LORA BROOKER, chef-owner and event designer, Soigné Events Host/Shift Manager, March 1997–March 2001; January 2002–March 2005; Restaurant Manager, April 2005–June 2008

State of the Art

As co-founder of indie label Merge Records and bassist for local rock band Superchunk, Laura Ballance has had a front-row seat to the city’s artistic and cultural evolution. Though the band and label were originally founded in Chapel Hill, Laura, alongside cofounder and bandmate Mac McCaughan, decided to move the label to Durham in 2001.

“A large part of our decision to move to Durham was monetary,” she says. Laura bought a house in Durham in 1998, and recalls how quiet it seemed then. “I had taken to riding my bike around Durham looking for a good place to move our offices,” she says. In those days, Laura says downtown felt like a ghost town. The upside? “There were many good deals to be had. When we bought our building, there was a burnt-out building two doors down the alley,” she recalls. (That building has since become The Eleanor condos).

Owning their own spot also felt vital to what Merge was working toward at the time. The team had been renting in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, which, while great location-wise, didn’t make them feel invested in the space. “They did not belong to us,” Laura says. “Buying this building in Durham has made us feel really settled.”

She says Durham’s development has been a big plus in terms of job perks, too. “We have a lot of options of places we can walk to for lunch or to get coffee.” But for Laura, the value of the city’s progression is that it has resulted in a place full of entertainment options for so many. “Durham is diverse and open-minded, and that is really a big part of why I moved here.” Her current go-tos for food, art and inspiration: Taqueria La Vaquita, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, The Regulator Bookshop, The Carolina Theatre and Gocciolina. That appreciation carries over into the arts and music venues and festivals she’s seen either open or grow in her time here, including The Carrack, The Pinhook, Motorco Music Hall, Moogfest, Bull Durham Blues Festival (now the Blues and Roots Festival) and the Art of Cool Festival. “I have loved seeing The Carolina Theatre carry on and flourish,” she says. “Things there have improved a lot, and it seems like it’s going to keep going.”

However, with openings come closings, and she fondly remembers several now-shuttered standbys, like Troika Music Festival, Poindexter Records and Starlite Drive-In. “It was my favorite way to see horror movies, because I could pace or chatter if I got nervous and not bother anyone,” she says. As for music venues, “I really miss Ringside,” which held its last show in 2008. “That place was four floors of crazy. Definitely not up to code. I was telling someone the other day that when I think back on it, it was like walking into ‘Blade Runner.’ Urban decay, danger, loud music and beauty.”

Though these places no longer exist, they are what paved the way for the kind of growth that Laura says remains true to Durham’s history. After all, we seem to have more festivals than ever before, retail continues to grow – including other downtown record stores like Carolina Soul and Schoolkids in Brightleaf, and cultural additions like Museum of Durham History, Letters Bookshop and galleries galore. Instead of the drive-in, we now watch movies in Durham Central Park thanks to Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Durham Cinematheque and the Durham’s Parks and Recreaction department. “Durham is evolving rapidly, but still has a gritty underbelly that I really appreciate,” Laura says. “I hope we don’t lose it. That grittiness and squalor allowed creative people to get their feet in the door here and do wonderful things.” – Morgan Cartier Weston

“Back in the old, old days, Time After Time Vintage [Thrift Shop] also had a warehouse in Durham and would have warehouse sales occasionally, which I loved,” Laura says. Now, downtowners can find unique clothes and wares at spots like Dolly’s Vintage.

The Age of a New Black Wall Street

Cars bustling down the street. The jingle of a bell as customers and business owners exchange greetings. The hum of activity. This is Black Wall Street circa 1908. It’s also Black Wall Street circa 2018.

Like many of your favorite TV shows, Durham’s Black Wall Street has gotten a reboot in recent years.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Parrish Street was the hub of African-American business during a time when black citizens nationwide were being disenfranchised. It set a precedent for the city and the state at large. Mechanics and Farmers Bank and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (NC Mutual) both called Parrish Street home.

Now it’s home for a new era of business owners and entrepreneurs in the 21st century, including Tobias Rose, principal and creative director of digital agency Kompleks Creative.

“When you start talking about Black Wall Street and legacy, that was something that was in my DNA,” Tobias says.

He attended high school in Kannapolis on a road named after his great-grandfather. His grandfather sold insurance for NC Mutual, and both Tobias and his father are North Carolina Central University alumni. But it wasn’t until college that Tobias delved deeper into the history of Black Wall Street and its gravitas.

“Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to a diverse range of people who looked like me doing professional things,” he says. “Going to NCCU gave me something that I really needed to see, [which was] perspective – seeing black people as attorneys, doctors, educators and chancellors.”

It’s a sentiment that Val Jackson, co-owner of Hairizon beauty shop in Northgate Mall, echos.

“We have so many mothers who have come into our store and say (to their daughters), ‘See, there are

“I feel like we’re creating a new Black Wall Street, and this Black Wall Street does not stretch from corner to corner,” says Tobias Rose of Kompleks Creative. “It is becoming a network and an ecosystem.”

business owners who look like you,’” she says. “It’s exciting to me and my daughter, [Joi], to be in the vicinity of where history was made.”

Carl Webb, a 30-year entrepreneur and Durham native, says the city has always been a place where black people have done things in the business community.

“It’s a source of pride to see how much downtown and the community has changed,” Carl says. “But, I struggle realizing that the black business community has not benefited [at the same level] as the general business community. I’m excited, but we still have work to do.”

Tobias’ unconventional entrepreneurial journey culminated with his team moving into an office space on Parrish Street in 2014, a milestone for which Black Wall Street’s history gave him a deeper appreciation.

“It was beautiful, but it was scary,” Tobias says of his first day in his new office. “Now you have historical perspective, now you know what (your ancestors) went through.”

It’s one of several reasons that Tobias dedicates much of his time to fostering the next generation of thinkers, tinkers and tycoons. In addition to being on the board of directors for the Durham Chamber of Commerce and serving as an advisor for the National Society of Black Engineers, he is also a co-founder of the nonprofit Black Wall Street, which continues the same mission this area held at the turn of the century – to build multicultural communities and wealth through business ownership.

“[Every year] we host an event called Black Wall Street Homecoming,” Tobias says. “I wanted to provide an alternative to the [typical] homecoming experience, which were parties and step shows. What if people were interested in business? Where could they go and network? We put all of our ideas together and I said, ‘Let’s call it Black Wall Street Homecoming. We’re here on Black Wall Street, let’s bring people home.’”

Black Wall Street Homecoming cataclysmically aims to bring more diverse entrepreneurial talent to Durham. Each year the gathering gets larger and larger. Last year the speaker lineup included more than 32 speakers ranging from business owners and engineers to venture capitalists and CEOs –all from varying industries.

“Durham is a city of innovators and entrepreneurs,” Carl adds. “[It] has a creative energy that is the core of who we are.”

The type of innovation that comes from a group of different people gathering in a room to solve a problem is what drives Tobias. “I feel like we’re creating a new Black Wall Street, and this Black Wall Street does not stretch from corner to corner,” he says. “It is becoming a network and an ecosystem.”

– Latisha Catchatoorian

Find 31 of Durham’s neighborhoods in this word search – words can be found forwards and diagonally. Add one point for finding 10,two points for finding 20,and three points if you find them all – add three bonus points to your total if you don’t have to Google Durham’s neighborhoods!

answers on page 62

how

There are a few Durham-specific words and phrases you’ll hear around town. Unscramble them below,and then use the letters in the shaded boxes to figure out the answer to the bonus clue.One point foreveryrightanswer. First clue is the title of this section!

MDRU

RCENMOA ICSZREA

A certain group of fans in a specific basketball arena

ETH UEBL GHTIL

A “quik stop” that is also known locally as this

KEPE URDAMH RIYTD

One of the most common bumper stickers around

WKAEUD

Play a round of golf or spend the night at this AAA hotel

PADC

See a Broadway play or famous comedian on this stage

TIYC FO CEDIMNEI

Our health care-related moniker

HNINT ETETRS

Long-standing shopping district located just off Duke’s East Campus

KCULY TEIKRS

Top-selling cigarette brand in the U.S. during the ’30s, its logo now adorns the water tower at American Tobacco Campus

LULB CYTI

We use this phrase interchangeably with “Durham”

A center of African-American-owned businesses located on Parrish Street in the early 1900s

BONUS CLUE answers on page 62

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how durham are you?

correct answer.

See what you know about the history of our city. One point for each

1 The architecture firm that built the Hill Building (which 21c Museum Hotel now occupies) also built what famous U.S. landmark?

2 Who is the city named after? Bonus point for what this person did to achieve the honor.

3 The first Durham city high school became city hall before housing this organization, which remains an occupant of the space to this day. (Add an extra point if you can name a second organization that also occupies the space.)

4 What year was North Carolina Central University founded?

5 Which Durham building was – at the time of its construction – the tallest in North Carolina, featuring Durham’s first elevator?

” team (Hint, it disbanded the same year. Bonus point if you can name the next time the “Durham Bulls” re-formed.)

7

One of the nation’s oldest and largest AfricanAmerican-owned insurance companies was founded in Durham. What is it, and what is the name of its founder? (Two points.)

8

In April 1865, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston and Union General William T. Sherman’s met at this North Carolina Historic Site where they signed surrender papers for southern armies in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

9 What was Duke University called prior to its name change in 1924?

10 What was the name of the business where the first sit-in of the Civil Rights Movement took place in Durham? (One more point if you can give the year, another if you can give the exact date.)

Thereareafewthingsyouneedtohavedonebeforeyoucancountyourself asatrueDurhamite.

aboxnexttowhatyou’veaccomplished,andgiveyourself apointforeach.

Spent a spring afternoon at Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Explored the various access points to the Eno River

Watched the entire two seasons of Stranger Things (created by The Duffer Brothers, who are from Durham) and picked out the Bull City references.

Had a locally brewed beer at Bull City Burger and Brewery, Ponysaurus Brewing Co., Fullsteam Brewery, Bull Durham Brewing Co., Clouds Brewing and/or Durty Bull Brewing Co. (six points total)

Caught an exhibition at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

Went to a Broadway show at the Durham Performing Arts Center

Put at least one Sylvan Esso song on your Spotify playlist.

Saw an American Dance Festival performance and/or Full Frame documentary and/or local art at Centerfest (three points total)

Taken a trip to Museum of Life and Science and/or Duke Lemur Center (two points total)

Strolled around Duke’s East and West campuses.

Saw a show at The Pinhook and/or Motorco Music Hall (two points total)

Played life-size chess at American Tobacco Campus

Picked up groceries at the Durham Farmers’ Market and/or South Durham Farmers’ Market and/or Durham Roots Market (three points total)

Attended at least three Durham Bulls games in a season.

Watched a movie at The Carolina Theatre

Father-Daughter Team David & Elizabeth Lindquist

Give yourself one point for every iconic Durham spot you can recognize from these photos!

ANSWERS

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Hope Valley

Brightleaf

City Center

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood

East Durham

Woodcroft

American Village

Walltown

Old West Durham

Old North Durham

Watts-Hillandale

Hope Valley Farms

Morehead Hill

Rockwood

Forest Hills

Duke Homestead

Audubon Park

Bragtown

Northgate Park

Cleveland-Holloway

Duke Forest

Duke Park

West End

Trinity Park

Southside

Lyon Park

Hayti

Burch Avenue

Parkwood

Treyburn

Croasdaile

Say It Like You’re From Here

1. DURM

2. CAMERON CRAZIES

3. THE BLUE LIGHT

4. KEEP DURHAM DIRTY

5. WADUKE

6. DPAC

7. CITY OF MEDICINE

8. NINTH STREET

9. LUCKY STRIKE

10. BULL CITY

11. BLACK WALL STREET

Pop Quiz

1. The Empire State Building in New York City

2. Dr. Bartlett S. Durham. Donated his land for a railway station that became the site of incorporation for Durham.

3. Durham Arts Council and Durham Arts Guild

4. 1910

5. The Trust Building

6. 1902 and 1913

7. N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company; John Merrick

It’s like you’re from here – and maybe you are! Join the rest of the natives for a victory lap on the American Tobacco Trail and a celebratory beer at a brewery or local pub. how

8. Bennett Place

9. Trinity College

10. Royal Ice Cream Parlor; June 23, 1957

Name that Landmark

A. Durham Bulls Athletic Park

B. Durham Civil Rights Mural

C. DPAC

D. Power Plant Building (American Tobacco Campus)

E. The Durham Hotel

F. [John Sprunt] Hill House

G. Duke Chapel

H. Lucky Strike water tower

I. Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

J. Old Bull Building

K. Ninth Street

L. Durham Centre [People’s Security Tower]

SCORE SHEET

0-23 Points

Newbie

You’ve still got a few things to learn about the Bull City, but don’t worry – we’re here to help with that! Keep shopping, dining and exploring local, and you’ll get there!

24-46 Points

Nearly a Local

You’re almost hiding the fact you’re a transplant, but you need to brush up on some of your Durham knowledge. Try taking a historic walking tour led by Preservation Durham, or visit the Museum of Durham History

47-71 Points

True Durhamite

A

THE EDITORIAL, MARKETING AND DESIGN TEAMS

responsible for Durham Magazine and its related print, online and digital publications have committed these past 80-plus issues to helping readers make the most of our great city. Our writers and photographers have published scores of articles highlighting local personalities; the evolution of the foodiest city in North Carolina; diverse cultural, arts and entertainment events; and community-based nonprofits. See pages 38-41 to view our covers from the past decade.

LEFT TO RIGHT Kevin Brown, Kem Johnson, Dan Shannon, Melissa Crane, Leslie Land, Amy Bell, Amanda MacLaren, Briana Brough, Ellen Shannon and Rory Gillis.

AMERICAN TOBACCO CAMPUS

For American Tobacco Campus (ATC), originality binds its storied past to its vibrant character today. A cornerstone of downtown for more than a century, ATC rediscovered and reoriented Durham’s history of innovation in 2004, becoming an international model for urban revitalization. Its first-class dining options, cutting-edge organizations and acclaimed venues for world-class performances attract local and distant visitors alike. ATC is still evolving with new restaurants, enhanced events and a planned expansion to what is presently the site of University Ford/ Kia. By cultivating both a sense of community and spirit of innovation, American Tobacco shows no signs of slowing down.

PHOTO BY SCOTT FABER PHOTOGRAPHY

JOHNSON LEXUS OF DURHAM

At Johnson Lexus of Durham, brand loyalty and the community’s trust is earned year after year by respecting each guest as an educated car buyer. Fostering a culture of excellence and service starts with our staff. By equipping them with the tools needed to excel in their roles, Johnson Lexus associates guide guests through the sales process in an informative, transparent and easygoing manner. State-of-the-art facilities and convenient amenities create a luxurious, relaxed environment in which guests can browse for their next vehicle.

As a local, family-owned business, Johnson Lexus prioritizes community involvement by means of sponsorships and partnerships with philanthropic organizations in Durham, such as Book Harvest and Durham Cares. Additionally, the dealership sponsors more than 170 miles of local freeways through the Adopt-A-Highway program, providing funding to keep the roads clean, therefore alleviating taxpayer burden.

Johnson Lexus maintains its commitment to the Durham community through an unmatched car purchase and ownership experience.

A long-standing tradition of value and trust—this is what Fink’s Jewelers provides customers, thanks to 87 years as a family-owned business. Currently run by the third and fourth generations—Marc and Matthew, respectively—, Fink’s began in 1930 and opened its Durham location in 2003. Boasting an impressive selection of the world’s finest jewelry and Swiss timepieces, Fink’s pairs a luxurious buying experience with the dependability of a local jeweler. As long as the Fink family name is on the door, their team will uphold the legacy of unsurpassed customer service and trust that prevails before, during and after the sale of a piece that celebrates life’s unforgettable moments.

Pictured (left to right): David Sensinger, Manager and Joey White, Assistant Manager.

ELLIS FAMILY LAW

Built on a reputation of integrity and responsiveness, Ellis Family Law provides legal support for people experiencing a transition in their family lives. Following an initial consultation, clients are paired with an attorney whose particular skill set and personality suits their legal goals. Each attorney then offers a realistic and meaningful approach to the client based upon their needs. What further distinguishes this law firm is the availability of a client liaison, an additional staff member that helps facilitate a close working relationship with each client. Ellis Family Law offers honest guidance in a place of uncertainty.

HOPE VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB

At the heart of a picturesque, historic community only five miles from downtown Durham, Hope Valley Country Club intertwines tradition with contemporary comforts. The 18-hole Donald Ross championship golf course uniquely features Ross’ original 1926 routing even while having undergone numerous updates. The sprawling, Tudor-style clubhouse pairs the classic design of its original construction with modern pleasures, such as the two swimming pools and recreation areas. A diversity of dining options and yearround calendar of Social events elicit the feeling that the club is an extension of home, and for generations of Durham-area families, that’s exactly what Hope Valley has provided.

AESTHETIC SOLUTIONS

Long before Botox was a household word, before the widespread use of lasers, dermal fillers and noninvasive fat reduction, Dr. Sue Ellen Cox and the team at Aesthetic Solutions were perfecting these treatments at a fledgling medical aesthetics practice on N. Duke St. Now a nationally-recognized expert in facial rejuvenation and body contouring, Dr. Cox credits her dedicated staff and loyal patients with the continued success of the practice. Advancing the state of the art through clinical research, educating the next generation of physicians, and providing exceptional experiences to every patient – Aesthetic Solutions takes a page from the playbook of this vibrant City of Medicine.

Jewelsmith has a team of metalsmiths, gemologists, and design associates. Pictured are the 10 who have been with the store for a decade or more—evidence of the value the store places on staff development and expertise.

Over the past 40 years, Jewelsmith has grown from a 500-square-foot store in an alley at Lakewood Shopping Center to a 4,000-square-foot gallery and design studio at Erwin Square on Main Street, just west of Ninth.

Some things haven’t changed at all: the client-driven focus on custom design; the use of finest-quality metals, diamonds, and colored stones; and the emphasis on jewelry as an art form—as if it were small-scale sculpture—and on centuries-old principles of craftsmanship.

In many other ways, Jewelsmith is constantly changing and innovating: using the most up-to-date technology to create intricate and surprising forms; investigating unusual and eye-catching materials, such as pure gold, meteorite, and gems in their rough, uncut state; and working with clients to turn staid, seldom-worn heirlooms into pieces that are ahead of trend.

An innovator in Durham before its rapid urbanization, Jewelsmith is one of the reasons for the city’s vibrancy today.

JEWELSMITH

TYLER’S RESTAURANT & TAPROOM

Established in Carrboro 20 years ago, Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom found its way to Durham 7 years later. When a friend told Tyler Huntington about the development of American Tobacco Campus, the owner of the eponymous restaurant decided to open a second location in the up-and-coming downtown district. As the first all-craft taproom in N.C., Tyler’s has remained a leader in the craft beer industry. For guests who had their first dates at the Carrboro location, Tyler’s in Durham is the familiar locale that matured with them. For Tyler’s, the Bull City is a second home in which to watch the popularity and quality of craft beer grow.

SANDERS FLORIST

In March 1950, Harper Kennedy Sanders Jr. opened Sanders Florist on Broad Street—the same place where it stands today. His young daughters—Jill, Lynn and Holly—soon started accompanying him to the store, beginning a legacy of providing premium-quality flowers to the community. After attending floral design school, the sisters returned to Sanders Florist to serve the same customers who had become like family as they grew up in the shop.

Today, Sanders Florist marks its customers’ milestones with flowers produced by local growers and farmers around the world. Housed in a beautifully renovated Pure Oil gas station, the family-owned business plans to offer service, quality and value for generations to come.

THE FOREST AT DUKE

Celebrating 25 years of community, The Forest at Duke is a vibrant continuing care retirement community located in the heart of Durham. Homes, cottages, apartments - each offer spacious, contemporary living with access to an impressive range of luxurious amenities coupled with world-class wellness. At The Forest at Duke, you’ll discover a redefined retirement that is as varied, engaging and multi-faceted as you. A leader in social responsibility and outreach, The Forest strives to strengthen the community and organizations that enrich the lives of Durham residents.

Not only is Nana’s known for its world-class cuisine and award-winning wine list – it’s also recognized as the launch pad for many other local restauranteurs. Since Nana’s opened in 1992, Chef Scott Howell has mentored many former employees who went on to create successful culinary ventures of their own. As he inspires those who work with him, Howell serves up dishes that exemplify his passion and attention to detail. These characteristics shine through Nana’s interior design, which features hardwood floor constructed of reclaimed pine from an old Durham warehouse. Owing to Howell’s precision both in and outside of the kitchen, Nana’s has become a trusted mainstay in Durham’s culinary scene.

NANA’S

ACTIVEDGE FITNESS & SPORTS PERFORMANCE

ActivEdge Fitness & Sports Performance opened in 2004 with one employee and one goal—to provide the best service in Durham. Since then, founder Brian Diaz has developed relationships with clients, coaches, medical personnel and fitness enthusiasts to gain a comprehensive perspective on patient care and personal training objectives. As the company evolved, Brian was able to step out of the do-everything role and now is the Director of Physical Therapy. Every client receives a physical therapy evaluation before embarking upon their personal training—a feature that sets ActivEdge apart as a leading studio gym. Director of Personal Training, Rutland Tyler, assists in the recruitment of a talented staff across several disciplines. With a devoted team, loyal client base and thriving fitness community, ActivEdge continues to be a fitness and wellness fixture in the Bull City.

Growing up, Danielle Martini-Rios understood food as the centerpiece of every family occasion. So, when she and her husband, Antonio, opened Blue Corn Café in 1997, they wanted to bring that same intimate experience to the community. While the original concept behind Blue Corn was to provide fresh food at an affordable price, its mission has evolved along with the capacity of our local food economy. Antonio and Danielle now source ingredients from the 3-state region of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. And while change is natural, you can expect one thing to remain the same: a menu composed of fresh Latin food, crafted with an eclectic fusion of flavors.

BLUE CORN CAFÉ

NINTH STREET FLOWERS

When Larry and Lea Wood moved to Durham in 2002, they quickly discovered the need for a full service, independent florist shop. They established Ninth Street Flowers a year later as a local purveyor providing personalized service to individual customers and business clients.

Ninth Street Flowers strives to make every customer’s flower buying experience memorable, offering the freshest flowers, artisanal designs and unsurpassed customer service at a fair price. Whether a customer is planning a wedding, commemorating a loved one’s life, celebrating a special occasion or saying “thank you”, the staff accommodates floral needs with attention to detail and sensitivity to the moment.

By building relationships within the community, Ninth Street Flowers has developed a reputation for providing beauty and enhancing memories with the freshest flowers. The business continues to grow, and in the very near future, will be launching a spiffy new website.

IMMACULATA CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Founded in 1909 by the Sisters of St. Dominic, Immaculata Catholic School has long served students from many backgrounds and of various faiths. The Sisters believed that a Catholic education that demands academic excellence should be available to any family who sought such a foundation. More than a century later, Immaculata continues this legacy by affordably educating children with the same focus and mission.

While rooted in time-honored values, Immaculata is dedicated to continuous improvement and advancement.  Notably, Immaculata’s Middle School program recently earned the distinction of being the first and only in North Carolina to become AdvancED STEM certified. Immaculata prepares students to tackle the challenges of our age and our future. They learn to approach the world with compassion, equity and thoughtful problem-solving skills.

Immaculata is a National Blue Ribbon School and a local treasure for Durham.

Supporting sustainability, providing a warm environment and giving back to the community—these are the three pillars on which Blu Seafood and Bar continues to draw in loyal and first-time guests. By sourcing their ingredients both locally and globally, the restaurant encourages sustainable fishing and aquaculture while serving up the freshest seafood. Valuing its long-time relationship with Duke, Blu offers a discount to the university’s faculty and staff. The restaurant serves up unmatched specials Monday through Thursdays, like $1 select oysters or tacos and sangria, with an ever-changing menu of taco features. A fine-dining experience in a casual atmosphere, Blu Seafood and Bar remains a fixture in Durham.

Uptown hair with down-home attention—this is what draws in clients new and returning to Wavelengths Salon. Boasting a 20-foot tin ceiling and large windows, the space feels open, yet intimate; contemporary, yet authentically Durham. Trained at the Aveda institutes in London, Minnesota and New York, the Wavelengths’ staff has been recognized for their hair color treatments, curly haircuts and wedding hairstyles and makeup for more than 23 years.

With an international, diverse and talented team of stylists, Wavelengths provides a warm, friendly atmosphere and haircare experience that the Durham community has come to trust and enjoy.

For more than 35 years, Dr. Brent L. Blaylock has served the Durham community as a cosmetic and restorative dentist. After earning his degree from the UNC School of Dentistry, he moved to Durham and began practicing in 1982. Dr. Blaylock provides care to patients of a wide range of ages—from adolescence to more than 100 years old. Additionally, he volunteers several times a year with other members of the Southwest Durham Rotary Club to treat Urban Ministries and TROSA residents. In taking time to identify and address each patient’s needs and desires, Dr. Blaylock has become one of Durham’s most trusted dentists.

BRENT L. BLAYLOCK, DDS

Comprised of two historic warehouses joined by a beautifully landscaped courtyard, Brightleaf Square was among the first of downtown Durham attractions to undergo revitalization in the early 1980’s. During this time, the buildings were converted into mixed-use spaces, which today are occupied by independent and locally owned retailers, a diverse group of restaurants, as well as professional offices. In the center of it all, the courtyard plays host to a myriad of local events including a summer concert series. Visitors to the Square can stroll through the courtyard as they discover uncommon finds, dine at one of a kind restaurants and delight in the ambience of Durham’s past and future.

BRIGHTLEAF SQUARE

In 1947, Duke School was established as a lab school for the benefit of students in the education and psychology departments at Duke University. 37 years later, Duke School became independent of the university, thanks to a group of parents who restructured it into a nonprofit organization.

After 70 years of excellence, Duke School has made an impressive contribution to the community by cultivating students who are independent learners, critical thinkers and decision makers. These outstanding students help create a better future for our city and beyond. Additionally, Duke School raises greater awareness of education in Durham and provides the expertise of its exceptional teachers to other local schools.

have more than 15 years of service

DUKE SCHOOL

Pictured are some of Duke School’s current and retired faculty and staff who

at Duke School.

CLEGG’S

In the early 1960’s, Reverend Ralph E. Clegg discovered a growing problem at his church: pesky and destructive termites. To get rid of them, Rev. Clegg consulted professional pest control companies. Unfortunately, the cost was too high for his small church. So, he took matters into his own hands.

With the help of a friend from North Carolina State University, Rev. Clegg learned all about termites. He gathered a few church members and began treating the church. Soon enough, the termites were gone. In fact, things worked so well, other church members soon started asking Rev. Clegg for help with their pest problems. And so, in 1964, Clegg’s Termite and Pest Control was officially born.

What started as a DIY project, turned into a hobby and then quickly developed into a full-time business with 3 employees working out of the Reverend’s home. Six years later, his son, Phil Clegg, joined the firm.

Fast forward more than 50 years and Clegg’s can only be described as thriving. With Phil Clegg now serving as President and Phil Jr. as Vice President, Clegg’s and its 300 employees continue to provide termite and pest control to customers from 13 locations across North Carolina.

DURHAM PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY & ORTHODONTICS

For the Christensens, pediatric dentistry runs in the family. Dr. John Christensen, the son of a pediatric dentist, opened Durham Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics in 1987. As a specialist of both pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, he provides both dental and orthodontic care to patients in the same office. His son, Dr. Rob Christensen, is a pediatric dentist and specializes in caring for infants and children through adolescence, including those with special needs. As a small, family-run practice, Drs. John and Rob Christensen cultivate a warm and compassionate environment where children learn good oral hygiene habits that will last a lifetime.

KANKI JAPANESE HOUSE OF STEAKS & SUSHI

For more than 15 years, Kanki has served up the best tasting show in Durham. Skilled chefs entertain as they expertly prepare made-to-order food on a teppanyaki grill, including entrees of steak, chicken, shrimp, scallops, salmon and even lobster. Kanki also serves award-winning sushi and great drink concoctions. For diners who prefer a more intimate atmosphere, there’s a quiet dining space without the Kanki chef’s show. Whether celebrating a birthday, anniversary, promotion or simply a day that deserves food, fun and a little fire, guests can expect delicious, freshlyprepared Japanese-style cuisine along with a fun performance by one of Kanki’s expert chefs.

Chef Ricky has been with Kanki for more than 17 years, and he’s now the Chief Chef at KankiDurham. Chef Ricky believes every Kanki experience should be filled with fun and energy.

KIEFER LANDSCAPING AND NURSERY

What began as a fascination with the diversity of plants in ninth grade is now a rewarding career for Mark Kiefer. In 1984, he began working in residential yards and quickly noticed the need for quality workmanship and creative landscape. Four years and many contacts later, Kiefer Landscaping was incorporated; a small retail nursery was later added in 1995. Through recruiting quality employees and maintaining a high level of service and workmanship, Kiefer has continued to grow in residential custom landscape design and installation. Mark Kiefer is just as enthusiastic today about landscaping plants as he was during his high school field botany class.

FOIL LAW OFFICE

Since 1976, Foil Law Offices has served the Durham community, specializing in family law. When N. Joanne Foil opened the office more than 40 years ago, she began developing relationships with key members of the community.  In that time, her reputation grew as a tireless advocate for her clients. She earned the respect of her peers and was elected to the State Bar Council for three consecutive terms. Now, boasting a staff that includes four attorneys and six additional staff members, Foil Law successfully represents clients through all stages of their cases, including at the appellate level, year after year.

For 50 years, Real Estate Associates has been providing Durham and beyond with commercial real estate and property management services. Today they remain a leader in the industry, and Joe Jernigan knows a thing or two about how Durham’s landscape has changed in the past decade. In fact, he’s watched it transform over the last 40 years. Joe has led Real Estate Associates (REA) almost since its inception and, in 2003, his son Seth joined the team. Built on two generations of cultivating long-term relationships with clients throughout Durham’s growth, the team at REA has maintained a reputation of integrity and professionalism. With a deep knowledge of the Durham market and its key players, Joe, Seth and the REA team stand out as advisors and advocates in Durham.

THE ORIGINAL Q SHACK

Since 2003, The Original Q Shack has attracted loyal customers by consistently serving up high-quality barbecue at a reasonable price; taking pride in maintaining a clean, welcoming restaurant; and providing friendly customer service. From its opening, owner Dan Ferguson has run The Original Q Shack like a family business. The current manager, Prentice Clayton, has been with the barbecue joint for ten years and three former managers stay involved in Dan’s kids’ lives. Grateful and humbled to be a part of the Durham community for the past 15 years, The Original Q Shack generously gives back to the same community in which it started.

RIVERBANK CUSTOM HOMES

David Parker’s roots run deep in Durham. Both he and his parents grew up here, and after finishing school, he moved back to the place that built him. In 2005, he started Riverbank with a truck and a tool belt. From completing small home repairs and renovations, his company evolved into a team of ten who designs and constructs new homes, renovations and additions ranging in style from Victorian to contemporary. Riverbank maintains its “relationshipfirst” approach to each project by partnering with clients to create spaces that are both functional and aesthetically suited to their tastes. With a thoughtful and creative building experience, Riverbank continues to earn the community’s trust.

Built in the late 1980s, Durham Convention Center stands as a landmark of our city’s revitalization. The versatile meeting and event space plays host to a wide range of occasions, from state-wide conventions and large corporate meetings to elegant weddings and special events. Spectra Venue Management, a professional event management team, takes away the stress of planning events with dedicated event planners, an executive culinary team, and on-site audio-visual and exhibitor services. By offering a premier space to accommodate both small and large events, Durham Convention Center attracts an increasing number of business and leisure travelers to the Downtown Durham area.

DURHAM CONVENTION CENTER

CROASDAILE DENTAL ARTS

Maintaining a successful business for more than 45 years requires just the right combination of elements. At Croasdaile Dental Arts, this formula consists of an experienced staff that builds lasting relationships with patients as they invest in the greater Durham community by supporting local charities. Now co-owners of the practice, Dr. William Turner and Dr. Jason Butler first joined Croasdaile as associates in 2002 and 2009, respectively. Dr. Eric Cole most recently joined the team in early 2017. By providing aesthetic, restorative and preventative dental care while incorporating patients into their extended family, the team at Croasdaile has become a fixture in the Durham community.

Desiring to bring their rich Indian culinary tradition and culture to Durham, the Sitar family opened Sitar Indian Cuisine in 1998. In addition to their regular clients, the restaurant caters to the large Indian and Bangladeshi community during festivities like Diwali, Dussehra, Onam, Rangoli, and Ramadan. Sitar also serves more than 800 students per day at Duke University’s Brodhead Center, where the restaurant is known as Tandoor. Chefs at each location specialize in regional varieties of Indian cuisine, preparing the most authentic dishes native to each state in India. With plans to serve the community for years to come, Ajith Anthony and Rohan Davis join their parents in striving for both excellence and elegance.

SITAR INDIAN CUISINE

HERSHEY & HEYMANN ORTHODONTICS

The experienced team at Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics strives to deliver excellent orthodontic results with the highest level of service to their patients.

With almost 90 years of collective experience, Dr. Barbara Hershey, Dr. Gavin Heymann and Dr. John Frick offer state of the art orthodontic treatment options including Invisalign-- a series of invisible, removable aligners that serve as an alternative to metal braces – to an increasing number of patients who can receive this method of orthodontic correction.

The doctors at Hershey & Heymann Orthodontics are committed to serving their communities and are participants in the Smile for a Lifetime Foundation, a nonprofit organization that identifies and provides orthodontic care to children of families who are otherwise unable to afford treatment.

BULLOCK’S BBQ

The longest running restaurant in Durham, Bullocks BBQ has been serving up homemade, Southern-style cooking for 66 years. Its story goes back to the early 1940s, when Tommy Bullock’s dad cooked his first pig, flavored it with his vinegar sauce and sold it door-to-door. After dabbling in the wholesale business, Tommy’s parents opened their own restaurant on August 1, 1952. Eighteen years later, they relocated Bullock’s to where it stands now.

In addition to their restaurant service, Bullock’s caters and ships to customers across the country—a show of appreciation for those who enjoy their barbecue. For 47 years, the restaurant has provided catering to the staff of locally televised sports at networks like ESPN, Raycom Sports, CBS and NBC Sports. Bullock’s has also served notable figures like Jimmy Buffet, former Vice President Joe Biden and six Academy Award winners—Richard Dreyfuss, Faye Dunaway, Colin Firth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Holly Hunter and Robin Williams.

Bullock’s is thankful for their committed staff who have helped serve customers with the same care and devotion with which Tommy’s parents established the eatery. With four generations of dedication poured into the restaurant—Tommy’s parents; he and his wife; his three children and their spouses; and his grandchildren—the Bullock family is grateful for its loyal customers who have dined in and ordered from the family restaurant for the past seven decades. They hope to continue the legacy of gratitude toward the Durham community for years to come.”

SMITH ORTHODONTICS

Dr. Dempsey Smith had his first taste of the Triangle during his time as an undergrad at UNC and later returned to the area for his Orthodontic residency at UNC School of Dentistry. After serving in the Navy for four years, he relocated to Durham with his wife – who had previously worked as a nurse at Duke University Hospital – and started practicing in the community that he came to appreciate years prior. Today, Smith Orthodontics uses the latest technology and techniques, including Invisalign and self-ligating and aesthetic braces, to provide patients with premier clinical treatment and customer service. While he has watched the Bull City rapidly transform over the past years, Dr. Smith has maintained the same attention to detail to offer patients the highest quality of care.

As a zoologist, Doug Lay landed a position with a mammal collection expedition to Iran in 1962. Over the next 14 years, he returned to Iran 18 times and developed an interest and knowledge of oriental rugs. In 1976, Doug and his wife, Nelda, opened The Persian Carpet, which became nationally recognized for its collection of Persian rugs.

As the oriental rug market grew over the next 40 years, The Persian Carpet began directly importing handmade rugs from a growing number of countries, in an everincreasing range of styles. They also started their own lines of specialty designs that they produce and wholesale across the country.

Today, Doug and Nelda’s daughter, Cynthia McLaren, continues in her parents’ footsteps bringing beautiful oriental rugs into Durham homes.

PERSIAN CARPET

Home sweet Home

BY BRIANA BROUGH

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FEATURES of Durham Magazine since we started in April 2008 has been our monthly “How We Live” feature – basically, a look inside the homes and lifestyles of people in the community. From couples with young kids to empty nesters and retirees, it’s always fascinating to see what ingenious elements of design Durhamites choose to incorporate into their living spaces. And of course, people love to see inside others’ homes - that’s probably why it’s one of my favorite things to shoot. Over 10 years of photographing these abodes, I’ve amassed a treasure trove of inspirations and ideas. What follows are some of my top rooms and ideas from a decade of photographing “How We Live.” When the time comes to build my dream home, I’ll definitely be ready! „

Open and airy – I was obsessed with the Butlers’ ranch renovation, partly because the end result was so awesome and partly because their “before” house was really similar to mine, so I was able to get a real sense of what’s possible. I love how they created this open, airy kitchen and living space from a pretty traditional brick ranch. My favorite part might be the little office nook at the back; I could totally see myself editing pictures there while my husband cooks and the kids play, and then just slide the barn door closed and cover up the work-y chaos!

File this under “great ideas I never would have thought of” – the Strang family built a little, lightfilled room just for reading and lounging around together. The wall-to-wall mattress makes it extra cozy and kid-friendly.

BOTTOM A screened-in porch with room for my entire family plus friends? And a fireplace? Sounds like the perfect way to enjoy a nice Carolina winter – and summer, fall and spring. „

Official jeweler of the Carolina Hurricaines

OK, technically this is cheating – it’s not a room, or a feature, it is it’s own little house. But what if I want to escape from my dream home sometime? A sweet little cabin like this one in the Sartors’ backyard could be a guest house, artist studio or just a place to escape with a cup of tea and a good book. Now that I think of it, that does sound pretty great – let’s move this one to the top of the wishlist! „

This whole home is amazing, from the floorto-ceiling bookshelves in the library to the spiral staircase leading up to a rooftop deck overlooking downtown, but my favorite element has to be the swing in the kitchen. Definitely a great way to make sure the cook always has company!

BOTTOM OK, so I’m not the biggest sports fan, but with a family full of devout Wolfpack watchers (I know, I know – I married in!) we end up watching a fair amount of college sports. Add in the bar and in-home movie theater through that door in the back, and this room is a definite must-have on my theoretical dream-home bucket list.

WHAT YOU GET FOR $250,000 TO

How far will your home-buying dollar go?

$250,000

• 2,364 square feet

• 6 bedrooms

• 2 full/1 half bathrooms

• 0.52-acre lot

• Year built: 1938

• $106 per square foot

• Schools: Eastway ES; Lucas MS; Northern HS

• 2,455 square feet

• 3 bedrooms

• 2 full/1 half bathrooms

• 5,576-square-foot lot

• Year built: 2017

• $224 per square foot

• Schools: Spaulding ES; Githens MS; Jordan HS

$873,000

$350,000

• 2,923 square feet

• 4 bedrooms

• 2 full/1 half bathrooms

• 0.53-acre lot

• Year built: 1983

• $120 per square foot

• Schools: Southwest ES; Githens MS; Jordan HS

• 1,330 square feet

• 2 bedrooms

• 2 bathrooms

• Year built: Under construction

• $489 per square foot

• Schools: Spaulding ES; Githens MS; Jordan HS

DUKE FOREST

$421,900

• 4,769 square feet

• 4 bedrooms

• 2 full/1 half bathrooms

• 0.36-acre lot

• Year built: 1962

• $88 per square foot

• Schools: Lakewood ES; Githens MS; Jordan HS

• 3,229 square feet

• 3 bedrooms

• 2 full/1 half bathrooms

• 2.39-acres lot

• Year built: 2003

• $270 per square foot

• Schools: Forest View ES; Githens MS; Jordan HS

DUKE PARK

WOODCROFT

We are in a “seller’s market” for well-located land and commercial real estate. Now is a good time to consider selling. Commercial Broker Ron Perkins worked with 21 owners and heirs to assemble and sell this 2+ acre prime retail tract on North Roxboro Street in north Durham. The buyer is now under construction for a self-storage facility. Our experienced brokers are well-versed in zoning, entitlements and other land issues. If you’re looking to buy or sell land or any other commercial property, call us to discuss your needs.

Potential,

Realized

A teacher, alumnus and the family of a current student reflect on the impact of educational nonprofit The Hill Center

BY HOLLY WEST PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIANA BROUGH

APROGRAM THAT STARTED IN A LITTLE YELLOW house 40 years ago is now the go-to resource for Triangle families whose children struggle academically.

When it opened in 1977, The Hill Center was a facet of Durham Academy (DA). In 1980, the center was dedicated to founder George Watts Hill and changed its name from the Hill Learning Development Center to The Hill Center.

The center now operates as a nonprofit with its own board of directors, but is still affiliated with DA. Its students in grades kindergarten through 12 come from a variety of public and private “base schools” – the schools students attend when they’re not at the center. Many are also homeschooled.

In addition to the regular school year program, in which students spend either the morning or the afternoon at the center, it offers summer programs, tutoring and teacher training.

Recipe for success

Lifelong Durham resident Louise Rollins is a proud member of the Little Yellow House Club – a small group of educators at the center who taught in the original building. „

Veteran Hill Center teacher Louise Rollins, who serves as the middle school coordinator, teaches her students about syllables.

She started as a substitute teacher in 1986 after graduating from Guilford College, then taught in the lower school for a couple of years before leaving to raise her family. She returned as a middle school teacher 13 years ago and now serves as the middle school coordinator and assistant director for the summer program in addition to teaching reading and writing.

A DA graduate herself, she’s known about The Hill Center since eighth grade, when a couple of her friends received help from the program. Her three children – Will, 27; Carlton, 24; and Sarah, 20 – attended Durham Academy, too, and Will spent a year with the center. Her husband, Steed, is a Realtor with Peak Swirles & Cavallito Properties.

Louise says the center’s tried-and-true formula is what makes it so successful. “We do something by repetition until it’s mastered,” she says. “It’s very routine, it’s very predictable and it’s very differentiated.”

Most classes have just four students. Some high school math classes have only two. The individualized attention assists students whether they struggle with ADHD, dyslexia, autism or simple problems with reading comprehension. It also helps keep distractions at bay.

“I can see when the kids just slide a piece of paper in their notebook instead of putting its three holes in the binder,” Louise says. “They don’t get away with that. It’s our vigilance in keeping them organized and holding them accountable, giving them those skills to be independent and self-advocates.”

Educators focus instruction for each student based on his or her particular learning differences. Louise says a recent lesson centered on the novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain. The class listened to the story together as an audiobook, but they didn’t complete the same assignments.

“I had two pretty low-functioning eighth-graders, and I wanted to expose them to Mark Twain. It wasn’t that they were going to take away a lot, but just to know the story and be exposed to it,” she says. “The other two kids in that class who were very high functioning, I just differentiated how I assessed them.”

Educators teach students practical strategies like crossing off the words in a word bank as they use them. “It seems obvious to you, probably, but it’s not always obvious to them,” Louise says.

The middle school has a money management program, MoneyWorks, that teaches students important life skills. Each

John Holdsclaw tutors his son, Braden, a fifth-grader who attends The Hill Center.

the hill center

student receives a mock checkbook, debit card and a salary and must pay monthly bills and encounter unexpected expenses. They also must be prepared for class, or they face financial consequences. There are rewards for doing the right thing, too. Students can use “money” they have at the end of the year to buy real gift cards.

Seeing kids who have struggled “get it” is one of the most rewarding parts of Louise’s job. The other, she says, is the gratitude of parents. “For some people, they’ve tried so many things, this is kind of the last resort,” she says.

Louise, whose son attended The Hill Center for a year, says she understands that it is a commitment for families, and one for which parents often aren’t prepared.

“You plan for college, you put money aside for college, but all of a sudden your child gets to fourth grade and they aren’t reading, and you can’t figure it out and you need a lot of help,” she says. “You don’t plan on [spending thousands] for three hours a day, and you’ve got to figure out transportation.”

The Hill Center does its best to help families make it work, providing more than $250,000 in aid each year to students with demonstrated financial need. Additionally, parents may be able to earn tax deductions for tuition and fees, and some students qualify for North Carolina’s Special Education Scholarship Grants for Children with Disabilities program, which gives up to $8,000 a year for specific educational expenses.

The Hill Center is an investment. But for the families of the more than 170 students who attend, it’s one they know will pay dividends in the future.

A student’s perspective

Braden Holdsclaw is competitive.

The fifth-grader says his favorite activity at The Hill Center is playing Word Attack. “They have words on the iPad, and you have to read them out,” he says. “There’s a time test where you have to read as many words as you can in a minute, and I like those kind of challenges.”

His natural drive – combined with The Hill Center’s methods – are working. Since he started at the center two years ago, his spelling has improved from a second-grade to a fourth-grade level. His reading progress is also impressive, advancing from a first-grade level to a sixth-grade level – a year ahead.

To say that Braden’s parents, John and Marcene Holdsclaw, are pleased with the 11-year-old’s progress would be an understatement. “We’re ecstatic. We can’t say it enough,” John says. “He wrote something one day, and I was like, ‘Who wrote this?’ He said, ‘I did.’” „

John, a senior vice president for D.C.-based National Cooperative Bank, and Marcene, who works with North Carolina Head Start, live in Chatham County’s Governors Park neighborhood. They decided to put their son in The Hill Center’s morning program after testing revealed there were some areas where a gap needed to be filled. John says among all the educational options in the Triangle, there was one obvious choice.

“The Hill Center just has such an amazing track record,” he says. “We’ve seen so many students who have gone on to base schools and have excelled because of the foundation they received at The Hill Center.”

Braden, who previously attended Emerson Waldorf School, is currently homeschooled in the afternoons. He will likely transition back to a base school in the next couple years. For now, both he and his parents are happy with the community The Hill Center provides.

“They just had a service day the other day, they’ve been bowling, they raise money through the Hill 5K race every year,” he says. “We consider ourselves to be purpose-driven people and – not that most schools don’t – we really feel that Hill has that.”

The Hill Center creates a typical, full school day atmosphere by providing recess and reward systems like students would partake in at a base school. Students earn raffle tickets and Hero Bucks for doing good work. John says Braden can often be found counting out his Hero Bucks at the kitchen counter after school, recounting to his parents how he earned them.

“One time I earned five Hero Bucks in one day because we came back from our break and all my homework, [my teacher] said, was super-duper good,” Braden says.

When he earns those rewards, he feels especially confident – a continuation of the positive feelings he has every day at The

Hill Center. John says his son hops out of the car in the mornings, excited to go to school. “I’m super-duper happy,” Braden says.

Continuing the legacy

When Chapel Hill resident Scott Morris was a sophomore at Chapel Hill High School, he had trouble paying attention and was falling behind. Today, he’s the

vice president of real estate firm Morris Commercial. For him, it all turned around at The Hill Center.

His parents heard encouraging stories about the center from family friend Jean Neville, but Scott was unsure. “I was very reluctant to try any model other than what I was used to, even though it didn’t fit me,” he says. However, upon his first visit to the center, the welcoming and encouraging

The Crystal Garden

The largest selection of crystals and gemstones in the Triangle area. Plus a wide array of beautiful jewelry.

attitudes of everyone he met changed his mind.

At his base school, Scott was easily distracted and struggled to follow the teacher and understand the lessons. He needed individual attention – and that’s just what he received at The Hill Center.

“With a smaller class size and the help of the amazing teachers at Hill, I went from almost failing math to making A’s and loving geometry and calculus,” he says.

He attended until he graduated high school in 2001. Over the years, he and his family remained involved with the center to help other students receive the same life-changing assistance he found there.

This school year, the Morris family and their business, Morris Commercial, are sponsors of The Hill Center’s Community Educational Series. It educates community members about topics related to the science of learning and learning styles and provides teachers and parents resources to more effectively help students.

Scott’s mother, Waynell Morris, also established an endowment fund at the center this year in honor of mothers who advocate for their children. The fund will help ensure the school remains on the forefront of teaching by providing funding for priority investments.

Scott’s wife, Elizabeth Broyhill Morris, serves on the center’s board of directors. She is also the founder of the inspirational website, thisislivinghope. com. Scott and Elizabeth live in the Arbor Lea neighborhood with their children, Woodson, 4, and Nora Anne, 5 months.

Scott says what makes The Hill Center stand out from other educational resources is its dedicated team of educators. “The teachers and the executive staff are all so passionate in their work toward helping children better prepare themselves with the unique tools that will help them succeed in life,” he says. “It is truly remarkable.”

Summer CAMP GUIDE

DON’T LET YOUR CHILDREN SIT ON THE COUCH ALL SUMMER. FROM LEGO ENGINEERING TO GYMNASTICS TO FARMING, THERE’S A CAMP IN THE TRIANGLE FOR EVERY KIND OF KID

1870 FARM SUMMER CAMP

1224 Old Lystra Rd., Chapel Hill 919-590-4120; 1870Farm.com

Award-winning program set on 17 acres that incorporates animal care, outdoor games and play, fishing, crafts and farm entrepreneurship in addition to chicken races, gem mining, gardening, hay rides, cooking, fort making, outdoor survival and more.

Ages Half-day: 3.5–5; Full-day: 5–13; CIT Program: 14–15

Dates Weekly June 11–Aug. 24

Price Call or visit website.

AMERICAN DANCE FESTIVAL

721 Broad St., Durham 919-684-6402; americandancefestival.org

Six weeklong camp options include Pilobolus camp, summer dance intensives and a preprofessional dance intensive.

Ages 9–18

Dates Weekly June 11–July 27

Price Varies by camp. Visit website.

ARTSCAMP AT THE ARTSCENTER

300-G E. Main St., Carrboro 919-929-2787; artscenterlive.org

Small classes, taught by professional artists with a focus on skill building and creative expression, are the hallmarks of our camps. Offers both visual and performing art camps every week of summer vacation, including Hiphop Dance, Drawing Techniques, Beat Making Basics, Improv Acting and more.

Ages Rising grades K–12

Dates June 11–Aug. 24, 9am–noon, 1–4pm or 9am–4pm; extended care 7:30am–5:30pm

Price $165 weeklong half-day camps, $330 weeklong full-day camps. Member discounts available.

BALLET SCHOOL OF CHAPEL HILL

1603 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill 919-942-1339; balletschoolofchapelhill.com

Offers a variety of dance camps and workshops in creative arts, ballet, contemporary jazz, rhythm tap, hip-hop, musical theater and fencing.

Ages 3–17

Dates June 11–Aug. 18, frequency and times vary

Price Varies. Call or visit website.

BARRISKILL DANCE THEATRE SCHOOL

3642 Shannon Rd., Durham 919-489-5100; barriskilldance.com

Classes and dance camps/intensives in creative movement, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, conditioning, musical theater and more.

Ages 3–18

Dates June 11–Aug. 17; half-day, ¾ day and fullday camps available Price Call or visit website.

BOUNCING BULLDOGS JUMP ROPE CAMP

101 South White Oak Dr., Chapel Hill 919-493-7992; bouncingbulldogs.org

Jump rope basics and skills, designed for beginners to advanced participants, with the 7-time National Champions and 10-time World Champions.

Ages 5–17

Dates Visit website; 8am–noon Price $45/day; $225/week

CAMELOT ACADEMY EDU-VENTURES

809 Proctor St., Durham 919-688-3040; camelotacademy.org

Daily academic sessions focused on math and language arts, plus adventure-themed field trips.

Ages 6–12

Dates June 11–Aug. 3, full or half days

Price Call or visit website.

CAMELOT ACADEMY SUMMER EXPLORATIONS

809 Proctor St., Durham 919-688-3040; camelotacademy.org

Hands-on experiential learning activities like “Design & Build,” agriscience, language immersion, the arts, personal development and more. Opportunity to earn high school credit.

Ages 5–18

Dates Weekly June 11–Aug. 13; full or half days

Price Call or visit website.

CAMELOT ACADEMY SUMMER SCHOOL

809 Proctor St., Durham 919-688-3040; camelotacademy.org

Two-week sessions offering remediation or enrichment in math and/or language arts.

Ages Grades 4–12

Dates Two-week sessions June 11–Aug. 3; full or half days

Price Call or visit website.

CAMP RIVERLEA

8302 S. Lowell Rd., Bahama 770-633-7698 (winter); 919-477-8739 (summer); campriverlea.com

Provides high-quality outdoors and arts programs that emphasize personal growth, learning new skills, positive interpersonal relationships and appreciation for the natural world.

Ages 5–12

Dates Session 1: June 11–June 29, Session 2: July 2–July 13, Session 3: July 16–Aug. 3.

Open house June 9, 1–4:30pm

Price Sessions 1 and 3: $1,035; Session 2: $690

CAROLINA FRIENDS SUMMER PROGRAMS

4809 Friends School Rd., Durham 919-384-9089; cfsnc.org/summer

Weekly courses in subject areas such as 3-D animation, theater, fort-building, cooking, forensic science, sewing, sports, LEGOs, comic design, video production, game design, Harry Potter, Star Wars, environmental science and more.

Ages 4–18

Dates June 18–Aug. 17; 9am–3pm; extended care available from 8am–5:45pm

Price $270–$295/week

CARRBORO RECREATION AND PARKS DEPARTMENT

100 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro 919-918-7364; carrbororec.org

Individual sports, arts, outdoor adventure and theme camps such as water fun, science, fishing camps, mountain biking, LEGO engineering and much more.

Ages 3–16, depending on the camp

Dates June 11–Aug. 17. Length/frequency varies.

Price Varies for each camp.

CHAPEL HILL GYMNASTICS

7405 Rex Rd., Ste. 207, Chapel Hill 919-942-3655; chapelhillgymnastics.com

Quality instruction and lots of fun in an energetic learning environment.

Ages 3–14

Dates June 4–Aug 24. Full-day camp 9am–4pm, half-day camp 9am–noon or 1pm–4pm; extended care available

Price $180/half-day/week; $240/full-day/week u

PHOTO BY TAMARA LACKEY PHOTOGRAPHY

CHAPEL HILL PARKS AND RECREATION

200 Plant Rd., Chapel Hill 919-968-2784; chapelhillparks.org

Options include Outdoor Adventure, Social Café, Play-Well TEKnology, Ceramic Arts and Jumpstart Sports theme camps such as lacrosse, cheerleading, Olympics, ultimate frisbee and much more. Some inclusion support is available for campers with disabilities.

Ages 5–16

Dates June 11–Aug. 17

Price Varies for each camp.

CHAPEL HILL TENNIS CLUB

403 Westbrook Dr., Carrboro 919-929-5248; chapelhilltennisclub.com

Tennis instruction for beginners to advanced along with swimming and other sports in a fun and positive environment; advanced tennis camp available for tournament players.

Ages 5–15

Dates Call or visit website. Price Call or visit website.

CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO YMCA & YMCA AT MEADOWMONT

980 MLK Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill / 301 Old Barn Ln., Chapel Hill / 1720 Clearwater Lake Rd., Chapel Hill 919-442-9622; ymcatriangle.org

Camps with activities including cooking, science, sports, outdoor, and teen leadership.

Ages 3–17

Dates June 11–Aug. 24, except July 4

Price Call or visit website.

THE CLUBHOUSE @ BRIGHT HORIZONS

2500 Highstone Rd., Cary 919-380-2003; trackoutraleigh.com

A unique camp experience where children will experience many summer adventures through various activities and field trips. Our facility has a state-of-the-art gym facility, art studio, computer lab with 3-D printer, several playgrounds and a splash pad for children to enjoy. Our experienced counselors plan and provide wonderful adventures and activities that speak to all children from the sports enthusiast to the scientist at heart.

Ages 5–14

Dates June 11–Aug. 24

Price Call for pricing.

CRESSET CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

3707 Garrett Road, Durham 919-354-8000; cressetchristian.org

A high-energy, fun, engaging elementary and middle school all-day camp. Our theme is Passport to Adventure centered on a study of cultures around the world. Activities include indoor/outdoor games, crafts, creative thinking exercises and

academic enrichment. Weekly field trips, swimming, lunch and daily snack included.

Ages Rising grades 1–5 for elementary program; rising grades 6–9 for middle school leadership program

Dates June 4–June 29; July 9–Aug. 3 (eightweek session); 7:30am–5:30pm

Price Weekly: $200, summer package: $1,600

DUKE SCHOOL

3716 Erwin Rd., Durham 919-493-2642; dukeschool.org

More than 60 choices, including technology, coding, outdoor adventures, creative writing, art, music, sports, crafts, community service, day camps for preschool and more.

Ages 4–15

Dates June 18–Aug. 3, 8am–4pm; Aftercare available until 6pm

Price $250–$410/week

DUKE YOUTH PROGRAMS SUMMER CAMPS

Campus Box 90700, Bishop's House, Durham 919-684-6259; learnmore.duke.edu/youth Program options include science, writing, engineering, math and leadership.

Ages Grades 5–11

Dates June 17–June 29, July 1–13, July 15–27; 8:30am–4pm

Price $1,600/day campers; $3,000–$3,400/ residential campers; $2,000/extended-day campers (Duke Young Writers participants only) u

Summer is a great time to build academic skills and confidence.

Our summer programs feature:

• Options for students Kindergarten — Rising 9th

• Durham and Raleigh locations

• Five weeks of research-based instruction in reading, writing, math, and executive function

• Low student-teacher ratio

Discover how The Hill Center can make summertime your child’s time to thrive.

3200 Picket Road Durham, NC 27705

Choose from full-day, half-day, sports and traditional day camps for all ages throughout the Triangle. Weekly themes add variety to activities. Registration begins January 1 online or at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA.

The Hill Center transforms students with learning differences into confident, independent learners. Our Summer Programs do not require an LD/ADHD diagnosis

DURHAM ARTS COUNCIL

SUMMER ARTS CAMP

120 Morris St., Durham 919-560-2726; durhamarts.org

Themes vary. One-and two-week Cultural Camp themes include Swinging Swaziland, Captivating Cabaret and Groovy Guyana. Flexible Mini-Camp with the theme Durham, Past, Present and Future also available. Campers have the opportunity to participate in clay, drawing/painting, mixed media, dance, theater and chorus classes. Aftercare includes guest artists and field trips. Also offers teen intensives for ages 13–17 (call for details).

Ages Rising K–age 13

Dates June 8–Aug. 24; day camp, 9am–3pm; afternoon session, 3–5:30pm

Price Morning session, $170/week; afternoon session, $70/week. Scholarships available based on need.

DURHAM PARKS AND RECREATION SUMMER CAMP

400 Cleveland St., Durham 919-560-4355; dprplaymore.org; dprcareprograms.org

DPR offers a safe and inclusive environment where all children and teens are encouraged to participate. Committed to the development of campers’ life skills through group activities and exposure to diverse athletic and educational experiences, it also offers a variety of specialty camps for teens with disabilities as well as environmentally friendly and teen camps.

Ages 5–21 (Child must have completed kindergarten)

Dates June 18–Aug. 17, 7:30am–6pm

Price Call or visit website.

Registration starts March 12.

EMERSON

WALDORF SCHOOL

6211 New Jericho Rd., Chapel Hill 919-967-1858, ext. 143; emersonwaldorf.org

Activities include fort-making, art, music, drama, outdoor explorations, woodworking, fiber arts, skateboarding and more. CIT program also available.

Ages 4–18

Dates June 18–Aug. 3; 8:30am–3pm; extended care available

Price $170–$225/week

GIGI’S PLAYHOUSE

2887 Jones Franklin Rd., Raleigh 919-307-3952; gigisplayhouse.org/raleigh Weeklong summer programs for teens and adults with Down syndrome. Participants explore their independence while experiencing exciting activities across the Triangle. Traveling with one-to-one volunteers, the program builds lifelong friendships, lasting memories and essential skills for independence.

Ages 13+, including adults

Dates Visit website.

Price Visit website.

THE HILL CENTER –LOWER SCHOOL

3200 Pickett Rd., Durham or Ravenscroft School, 7409 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh 919-489-7464; hillcenter.org

Summer program offers individualized instruction with a 4:1 student/teacher ratio in reading, writing and math for children with learning differences.

Ages Grades K–6

Dates June 25–July 27 (five-week session); 8:30–11:30am daily, except July 4

Price $2,850

THE HILL CENTER –MIDDLE SCHOOL

3200 Pickett Rd., Durham 919-489-7464; hillcenter.org

The Hill Middle School program offers a thematic study of reading, writing, math and executive function study skills in a small group setting.

Ages Rising grades 7–9

Dates June 25–July 27 (five-week session), 1–4pm daily, except July 4

Price $2,400

IMMACULATA CATHOLIC SCHOOL

721 Burch Ave., Durham 919-682-5847; immaculataschool.org/camps

Offering a variety of camps in academics, arts & crafts, language & culture, music, religion, sports, STEM and more. Visit website for details.

Ages PreK–8th grade

Dates Weekly June–August

Price Varies by camp.

INTERNATIONAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL

3001 Academy Rd., Bldg. 300, Durham 919-401-4343; imsnc.org

Summer camps for young children in a safe, nurturing environment, tucked away in Durham amongst the trees. Enthusiastic summer camp counselors delight in engaging your young child's creativity and imagination through music, movement, stories and exciting, hands-on activities with others in a multi-age setting.

Ages 3–5

Dates June 18–Aug. 3 with partialand full-day options

Price Half-day camps (8:30am–12:30pm), $225/week; full-day camps (8:30am–3pm), $295/week; early drop-off and late pick-up available for an additional fee.

KIDZU CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

201 S. Estes Dr., Chapel Hill 919-933-1455; kidzuchildrensmuseum.org

Camp favorites include weekly themes of Kids in the Kitchen, Lights! Camera! Action!, Tiny Tinkerers and more! See website for weekly themes and descriptions. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis, and we close registration at 15 campers per week.

Ages 3–5; expansion for ages 6–9 to be announced

Dates Weekly camps June 5–Aug. 3; 9am–noon, optional aftercare until 1pm

Price $170 members, $185 nonmembers; aftercare $30. Available Feb. 1. Early registration available for members and past participants.

MID-SOUTH FENCERS CLUB

125 N. Gregson St., Durham 919-286-3100; midsouthfencersclub.org

Half- and full-day camp options from beginner to advanced.

Ages 8-17, varies by camp.

Dates Five-day camps, June 11Aug. 17

Price $195-$425

MONTESSORI CHILDREN'S HOUSE OF DURHAM

2800 Pickett Rd., Durham 919-489-9045; mchdurham.org

Weekly themed camps include athletics, music, visual & performing arts, cooking, nature exploration, gardening and science.

Ages 3–14

Dates June 11–Aug. 17 (closed week of July 4); full- and half-day camps Price Visit website. Registration began Jan. 29. u

MONTESSORI COMMUNITY SCHOOL

4512 Pope Rd., Durham 919-493-8541; mcsdurham.org

Exciting summer camp programs offered in partnership with the Museum of Life & Science conveniently located on our campus.

Ages Grades K–8

Dates Call or visit website. Price Call or visit website.

MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM

SUMMER SCIENCE CAMPS

250 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill 919-962-1236;

care 1–4pm). Camp for rising 6–8 grades, July 30–August 3, 9am–1pm.

Price $200 weekly; $170 for each additional week or sibling; extended care: $100/week.

OUR PLAYHOUSE SUMMER CAMPS

3501 Hwy. 54 W., Chapel Hill and 2400 University Dr., Durham 919-967-2700 (Chapel Hill), 919-967-2700 (Durham); ourplayhousepreschool.com

Hands-on learning with the support of skilled teachers who use a Reggio-inspired philosophy. Indoor and outdoor classrooms foster children’s growth across social, emotional, academic and cognitive domains. Projects include sensory, art, building and movement activities along with plenty of

June 18–Aug. 13; three- and five-day schedules available; 8:30am–12:30pm with $185 for 5 days; $135 for 3 days

PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY

Joan H Gillings Center for Dramatic Art – UNC, 120 Country Club Rd., Chapel Hill 919-962-7935; playmakersrep.org

Middle school theater camps in acting, musical theater, improv and more.

Ages Rising grades 6–9

Dates Weekly June 11–July 20

Price $325/week

PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY THEATRE INTENSIVE

Joan H Gillings Center for Dramatic Art – UNC, 120 Country Club Rd., Chapel Hill 919-962-7935; playmakersrep.org

High school actors rehearse and train alongside professional theater artists and perform on PlayMakers’ main stage.

Ages Rising 9th graders through recent high school graduates

Dates June 18–July 29

Price $1,500; scholarships available.

PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY THEATRETECH

Joan H Gillings Center for Dramatic Art – UNC, 120 Country Club Rd., Chapel Hill 919-962-7935; playmakersrep.org

High school theater tech students work alongside professional theater artists and apprentice behind the scenes in stage management, costumes, scenic, props, lighting and sound.

Ages Grades 11–12 and recent high school graduates

Dates June 18–Aug. 1

Price $750; scholarships available. u

www.DukeSchool.org

PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF CHAPEL HILL AT BRIAR CHAPEL

81 Falling Springs Dr., Chapel Hill 919-441-0441; primrosechapelhill.com

This summer, imaginations take flight through different weekly themes that engage school-aged children in creative and critical thinking while doing fun, STEAM-based projects and field trip experiences.

Ages Grades K–5

Dates Weekly June 11–Aug. 23, 8am–5pm

Price $295/week includes full lunch and two snacks.

ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC SCHOOL DAY CAMPS

920 Carmichael St., Chapel Hill 919-929-1546; stmcsnc.org

Various themes including cooking, art, music and rhythmic gymnastics.

Ages Grades K–8

Dates June and July

Price Varies based on camp. Details released online in March.

SCHOOLHOUSE OF WONDER SCHOOL BREAK AND SUMMER CAMPS

West Point on the Eno, 5101 N. Roxboro St., Durham 919-477-2116; schoolhouseofwonder.org

Whether they participate in a single Discovery

Day or several weeks of camp at Schoolhouse of Wonder, your child will be engaged in a variety of outdoor activities — fort building, nature art, discovering plants and animals in the forest and creeks, listening to storytellers and more. Leadership development and training available for 13- to 17-year-olds through counselor-in-training opportunities and paid junior counselor positions.

Ages 5–7; 8–12; 13–17

Dates March 19–Aug. 24

Price $69–$309; multi-camp and sibling discounts, limited financial assistance available.

SOUTHERN SEASON: KIDS IN THE KITCHEN CAMPS

201 South Estes Dr., Chapel Hill 919-929-7133; southernseason.com

Each day and week will have unique themes.

Ages 8–12

Dates June 18–21, July 16–19; 11am–1pm

Price $40 per day/$150 per week. Registration begins early March.

SOUTHERN SEASON: TEEN BOOT CAMP

201 South Estes Dr., Chapel Hill 919-929-7133; southernseason.com

Two-day sessions that include Cooking 101 and Basic Knife Skills give teens a base of culinary knowledge.

Dates July 9–10, Aug. 1–2; 5–7pm

Ages 13–17

Price $40 per day/$75 both days. Registration begins early March.

STROUDS CREEK FARM SUMMER CAMP

1600 Friendship Ln., Hillsborough 919-406-4552 ; stroudscreekfarm.com

Summer camp programs designed to offer a unique summer experience for your child. Our program is a down-to-earth opportunity for a nature-based experience. The time spent at Strouds Creek Farm is child-centered and focuses on a routine of activities, but is not an inflexible, super-scheduled day. We calmly approach the day and allow for flexibility and following the child's interest.

Ages 4–12

Dates Weekly, June 11–August 17

Price Call or visit our website.

THE STUDIO SCHOOL OF DURHAM 1201 W. Woodcroft Pkwy., Durham 919-967-2700; studioschoolofdurham.org

Hands-on learning in art, STEM, entrepreneurship and a variety of other topics.

Ages 6–12

Dates June 26–Aug. 11; closed week of July 4

Price $200 for 8:30am–noon, $300 for 8:30am–3pm u

SUMMER@SAINT MARY’S

900 Hillsborough St., Raleigh 919-424-4028; sms.edu

Summer@Saint Mary’s gives participants the opportunity to explore new interests, build fundamental skills, pursue artistic dreams and expand academic horizons.

Ages Rising grades K–12

Dates June 18–July 27, one-week sessions. Early morning drop-off and after-camp care. Full- and half-day, all-girl and co-ed offerings.

Price Holiday special rate through Jan. 1, 2018; early bird pricing Jan. 2–Feb. 1. Regular price $165–$325 per session, $995 for residential Innovators Hub program

CAMP

STARFISH

6901 Turkey Farm Rd., Chapel Hill 919-967-0915; sssrc.org

Nine weeks of themed fun. Activities include swimming lessons and tennis instruction, arts/ crafts, various outdoor games and free swim. All staff is CPR certified, and the camper/ counselor ratio is 6:1. The Scrap Exchange, High Touch High Tech and Bricks 4 Kidz join the programs weekly. Extended Care, lunches and sibling discounts available.

Ages 5–11

Dates June 11–August 13

Price $240, members; $260, non-members

TRIANGLE DAY SCHOOL

4911 Neal Rd., Durham 919-383-8800; triangledayschool.org

Students will have the opportunity to learn a new craft or hobby, enhance and develop existing skills, travel to local places and make new friends. Our staff consists of experts, artists and educators from TDS and other local schools and programs. Our ultimate goal when your child leaves TDS feeling happy and full of great memories.

Ages 3–15

Dates June 18–Aug. 10, 9am–3pm; extended care available

Price Before Feb. 1, $270/session; after Feb. 1, $285/session

TRINITY SCHOOL OF DURHAM AND CHAPEL HILL

4011 Pickett Rd., Durham 919-402-8262; trinityschoolnc.org

Camp topics include writing, math, basketball, soccer, volleyball, drama, dance, pottery, LEGO robotics, art, sewing, cooking and much more.

Ages 5–18, grades K–12

Dates Weekly June 4–Aug. 17; morning and afternoon sessions available; schedule available online in January

Price $125–$250/week

USA NINJA CHALLENGE

1810 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy., Ste. A., Durham 984-219-2559; usaninjachallenge.com/durham-nc

Turning kids into ninjas one obstacle at a time.

Ages 6–15

Dates Call or check website.

Price Call or check website.

YMCA CAMP CHEERIO

1430 Camp Cheerio Rd., Glade Valley 336–869-0195 (fall, winter, spring); 336-363-2604; campcheerio.org

YMCA residential camp in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Activities offered include aquatics, sports, field games, creative arts and nature study.

Ages 7–15

Dates June 10–Aug. 17

Price $1,060–$2,540

A Second Wind for the Food Scene

BY AMBER WATSON

IT’S EVIDENT BY THE NUMBER OF CRANES dotting Durham’s landscape that our city is in the middle of a major growth spurt, and it’s not just builders and investors who view this as prime time for new opportunity. The fact that we have seen several well-known restaurants expand and open up a second (sometimes third!) location in recent months shows that now is the time for many in the local food industry to catch their second wind.

Ten years since opening Scratch Bakery downtown, award-winning pastry chef Phoebe Lawless opened her first full-scale restaurant, The Lakewood, last spring in the expanding neighborhood of the same name (which also recently welcomed the third Cocoa Cinnamon location and a new thrift store component of The Scrap Exchange). As Phoebe planned out the new space, she knew it would make an ideal spot to include a second version of the bakery, and so, “Baby Scratch” was born.

In that same vicinity, Wendy Woods, longtime resident of the city’s West End and owner of Nosh, made good on a dream to open a fun and friendly eatery in her neighborhood, renovating an old gas station across from the Durham Co-Op Market and turning it into a modern diner called GRUB

AMBER WATSON IS THE CREATOR AND WRITER OF THE LOCAL DURHAM FOOD AND RESTAURANT NEWS BLOG,  BITES OF BULL CITY (BITESOFBULLCITY.COM).

After five years of operating out of his popular seafood shack on Mangum Street, Chef Ricky Moore also opened a second Saltbox Seafood Joint location in December, inside the former Shrimp Boats restaurant on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard As popularity for his lightly battered and fried, fresh North Carolina fish grew, so did the line and the wait times. By taking the opportunity to open an additional location –a more traditional restaurant complete with inside seating – Ricky expanded his service to a growing base of customers.

Gray Brooks and the team behind Pizzeria Toro also continue to weave culinary roots across the city, this December opening up Jack Tar and The Colonel’s Daughter. In addition to Littler, which opened in 2016, this is their third restaurant downtown.

Durham has become a very desirable spot for expanding food and drink businesses based in other parts of the Triangle as well. Take, for instance, Neomonde, a popular Mediterranean restaurant and bakery, with locations in Raleigh and Morrisville. This crowd-pleasing eatery makes its Durham debut this winter in the lower level of the Unscripted Durham, also home to Jack Tar and Pour Taproom, an Asheville-based, pouryour-own-brew concept that now has seven locations in the South and California and continues to expand.

Raleigh-based wine shop, bar and lounge

The Wine Feed’s owners could not wait to explore options in the Bull City as they looked at opening a second place. “We have enjoyed the food and beverage scene in Durham for many years,” says co-owner Philip Rubin. “Being Raleigh natives, going to some of Durham’s great restaurants always felt like a mini vacation and special treat. We were drawn to that location [on South Roxboro Street, next to Bull City Ciderworks] because there is a tremendous amount of development on that side of Durham with apartments, offices and other retail filling up the lots across the street from us.”

Chapel Hill’s Beer Study had the same idea, searching for a couple of years for the perfect spot to expand in the Bull City before it all finally came together at their current location in the Rockwood Shopping Center on University Drive

When construction caused Finch’s Family Restaurant – a long-standing Raleigh staple –to pack up and move, they too pioneered into Durham and converted an old plant nursery, retail shop and greenhouse on Old Chapel Hill Road into their new diner.

The quick growth of the area, while boosting the restaurant economy, also comes with some drawbacks, the cost of leasing a building downtown being one of them. This is what promoted Beyù Caffè to move a couple doors down into a building they now own, and the popular Old Havana Sandwich Shop to decide to recently purchase and make plans to move into the former Revolution

restaurant space. “Through our journey at Old Havana, we made a commitment to be part of the farm-to-table movement and knew we wanted to focus more on cultivating relationships from the soil to the table while showcasing the diversity of forgotten flavors from 19th-century Cuba,” says owner Roberto Copa Matos. “As we searched for an adequate space, we found many difficulties in the leasing market and decided to pursue the route of owning our own restaurant space. When we found out that –with the help

of an SBA loan and the generous gifts from family and friends – we could purchase the old Revolution space, we knew we had found our perfect match.” COPA, located at 107 W. Main St., will focus on tapas and cocktails of old Cuba. One of the most satisfying aspects of this wave of new spots in the food scene is knowing that it is driven by local restaurateurs and chefs – people from the community we love, cooking the food we love, sticking around to share it with us.

sewfine2.com

taste

NORTHERN DURHAM / NEAR INTERSTATE 85

GUESS ROAD

Northgate Mall1058 W. Club Blvd.

• A & D Buffalo’s

• Baja Shack

• Cajun Café

• Carolina BBQ & Chicken

• Chef’s House

• Chopsticks

• Cinnamonster

• The Cookie Store

• Esmeralda’s Cafe

• Greek Cuisine

• Haagen-Dazs/Planet Smoothie

• Pretzel Twister

• Salcedo’s Pizza

• Subway

• Tomo Japan

Full Service

C&H Cafeteria

919-286-7303

Green Paradise (919) 286-4009

Pan Pan Diner

919-416-1950

Randy’s Pizza 919-286-7272

Ruby Tuesday 919-286-5100

El Corral Mexican Restaurant Authentic Mexican faijitas, tacos, enchiladas and a great chorizo queso dip. 1821 Hillandale Rd., Ste. 8; 919-309-4543; elcorralnc.com

Melo Trattoria & Tapas Classic Italian - think spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmigiana - meets tapas. 1821 Hillandale Rd., Ste. 3; 919-384-9080; melotrattoria.com

Pomodoro Italian Kitchen Homemade sauces on fresh-made pizzas, pastas and other Italian favorites. 1811 Hillandale Rd.; 919-382-2915; pomodoroitaliankitchen.info

NORTH POINTE DRIVE

The French Corner Bakery Artisan breads, beautifully crafted tarts and pastries, plus lunch. Baking classes taught by French-trained master baker chef Benjamin Messaoui. 2005 North Pointe Dr., Ste. B.; 919-698-9836

MORE NORTHERN DURHAM DINING

ERWIN ROAD

Gocciolina Upscale Italian fare in a cozy atmosphere. This wildly popular restaurant has graced our Best Of list again and again. 3314 Guess Rd.; 919-973-4089; gocciolina.com

Hog Heaven Bar-B-Q Homestyle Eastern barbecue, fried chicken & seafood. Enjoy with a giant glass of iced tea. 2419 Guess Rd.; 919-286-7447; hogheavenbarbecue.com

Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs Old-fashioned burgers, fries and a mean Carolina-style dog. 2728 Guess Rd.; 919-471-0005; jimmysfamoushotdogs.com

La Cacerola Cafe & Restaurant Honduran specialties such as pupusas and chorizo asado. 2016 Guess Rd.; 919-294-6578

Thai Spoon All the trappings for a delicious experience: pad thai, drunken noodles and curries. 3808 Guess Rd.; 919-908-7539; thaispoonrestaurant.com

HILLSBOROUGH ROAD

Bennett Pointe Grill & Bar There’s something to please all palates on the large menu of this multiregional American restaurant. 4625 Hillsborough Rd.; 919-382-9431; bpgrill.com

Shanghai Restaurant Established in the 1980s, this Catonese restaurant offers both Americanized and authentic dishes. 3433 Hillsborough Rd.; 919-3837581; shanghaidurham.com

Wimpy’s Grill Specializing in old-fashioned burgers and hot dogs. Open till 2 p.m. weekdays, cash only. 617 Hicks St.; 919-286-4380; wimpysgrillnc.com

HILLANDALE ROAD

Bleu Olive

High-quality comfort food incorporating local ingredients and Mediterranean flair. Family operated & chef-driven. 1821 Hillandale Rd.; 919 383-8502; bleuolivebistro. com BR

Alpaca Peruvian rotisserie chicken. Need we say more? 302 Davidson Ave.; 919-220-9028; alpacachicken.com

Bullock’s Bar-B-Que

A staple in the community since 1952, serving up soul in Eastern-style barbecue, Brunswick stew and fried chicken. 3330 Quebec Dr.; 919-383-3211; bullocks-bbq.com

Picnic Order the pulled pork, of course, but also the fried chicken, mac & cheese and hushpuppies. 1647 Cole Mill Rd.; 919-908-9128; picnicdurham.com BR

Silver Spoon Restaurant favorites like strawberry waffles and omelettes, plus sandwiches, pastas, salads and kids plates. 5230 N. Roxboro Rd.; 919-479-7172; silverspoonnc.com

NEAR DOWNTOWN

BROAD STREET

Joe Van Gogh this local coffee shop sources quality beans for a superior coffee. 1104-B Broad St.; 919-286-4800; joevangogh.com.

The Palace International curry goat, dovi chicken and samosas. 1104-A Broad St.; 919-416-4922; thepalaceinternational.com

Watts Grocery artfully develops Southern-inspired dishes with seasonal, local ingredients. 1116 Broad St.; 919-416-5040; wattsgrocery.com

Another Broken Egg Cafe Unique breakfast and lunch menu including cinnamon roll french toast and a scrambled skillet. 2608 Erwin Rd., Ste. 120; 919-381-5172; anotherbrokenegg.com BR

Black Twig Cider House Cider-and-sausage focused restaurant with more than 80 ciders on draft and in bottles. Try the “Northern Spy” and join in a Txotx! 2812 Erwin Rd., Ste. 104; 919-321-0203; blacktwigciderhouse.com

Early Bird Donuts Donuts, biscuits, croissant breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Try the cinnamon sugar donut. 2816 Erwin Rd., Ste. 101; 984-888-0417

MediTerra Grill Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine, offering gyros, kabobs and curry. 2608 Erwin Rd., Ste. 136; 919-383-0066; mediterranc.com

Nosh “Eclectic foodstuffs” like “Mike’s Breakfast Pizza,” “Coach’s Queso” sandwich and the brown derby chopper salad. 2812 Erwin Rd., Ste. 101; 919-383-4747; noshfood.com

Saladelia Cafe

Espresso and organic smoothie bar, scratch made pastries, gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups. Open for dine-in or carry-out. 2424 Erwin Rd.; 919-416-1400; saladelia.com BR

Wellspring Cafe Foods Market, plus sandwiches, pizza and sushi. 621 Broad St.; 919-286-2290

Smashburger Unique burgers smashed on the grill, chicken and salads. 2608 Erwin Rd., Ste. 116; 919-237-1070; smashburger.com

Sushi Love Specialty sushi rolls such as the “Honey Love” roll topped with mango and kiwi, as well as other Asian cuisine favorites. 2812 Erwin Rd., Ste. 204; 919-309-2401; sushilove.org

ERWIN SQUARE

Guasaca Arepas, salads and rice bowls with South American flavor. 2200 W. Main St., Ste. A100; 919-294-8939; guasaca.com

Local 22 Kitchen & Bar Upscale Southern-inspired cuisine, with emphasis on food sourced within a 30mile radius and local brews. 2200 W. Main St.; 919-286-9755; local22durham.com BR

Parizade Sophisticated Mediterranean food like grilled bronzino, Australian lamb chops and pan-fried Roman dumplings. 2200 W. Main St.; 919-286-9712; parizadedurham.com

Shuckin’ Shack Seafood restaurant serving up shrimp, oysters, fish-n-chips, surf-n-turf dinners and more. 2200 W. Main St.; 984-219-7337; theshuckinshack.com

NEAR DUKE

Fairview Dining Room

Seasonally inspired contemporary cuisine with selections like coffeerubbed duck breast and seared NC flounder. Located inside the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. 3001 Cameron Blvd.; 919-493-6699; washingtondukeinn.com

MarketPlace

Elmo’s Diner Homemade Southern classics with breakfast favorites like cinnamon apple waffles and biscuits and gravy served all day in a casual, family friendly setting. 776 Ninth St.; 919-416 3823; elmosdiner.com BR

Happy + Hale Healthy salads, bowls, breakfast, smoothies, cocktails and cold-pressed juice. 703B Ninth St.; 984-439-1790; happyandhale.com BR

NEWS BITES

RIGHT ON, ‘CUE!

Triangle Coffee House Coffee and pastries with selections like vegan blueberry muffins. 714 Ninth St.; 919-748-3634

Mike D’s BBQ entered all four of its products in the 2017 World Hot Sauce Awards and won three awards, including being named the world champion in the “dry rub – fowl” category for its All-Purpose Dry Rub. Its Sweet and Spicy Rub placed third in the “dry rub – pork” category and its Spicy BBQ Sauce placed second in the hot barbecue sauce category.

JB Duke Hotel’s main restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 230 Science Dr.; 919-660-6400; jbdukehotel.com

NINTH STREET DISTRICT

Heavenly Buffaloes Chicken wings (bone-in and boneless) as well as vegan wings in more than 25 rubs and sauces, including peri peri and Jamaican jerk. Plus waffle fries! 1807 W. Markham Ave.; 919-237-2358; heavenlybuffaloes.com

NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK

Piedmont has shifted away from its fine dining roots to transform into a more casual, neighborhood restaurant. The new menu stays local and seasonal, but with more small plates and shareable dishes at lower price points.

Alpaca Peruvian rotisserie chicken. Need we say more? 703-A Ninth St.; 919-908-1597; alpacachicken.com

Banh’s Cuisine Vietnamese and Chinese dishes with great vegetarian specials. Cash only! 750 Ninth St.; 919-286-5073

blu seafood and bar

Upscale seafood restaurant featuring innovative regional classics and a complete oyster menu. Try the crab mac and cheese! 2002 Hillsborough Rd.; 919-286-9777; bluseafoodandbar.com

Blue Corn Cafe Authentic Latin-American fare with fresh, organic ingredients. 716 Ninth St.; 919-286-9600; bluecorncafedurham.com

Juju Asian fusion tapas including selections like steamed barbecue Kurobuta pork belly and chicken fried oysters. Try the crispy Brussels sprouts! 737 Ninth St., Ste. 210; 919-2863555; jujudurham.com BR

Locopops Gourmet frozen pops in a variety of rotating flavors like lavender cream, strawberry lemonade and malted milk ball. 2618 Hillsborough Rd.; 919-286-3500; ilovelocopops.com

Metro 8 Steakhouse

Classic American steakhouse with an Argentinean flair. Pair empanadas with a filet mignon or crab-stuffed shrimp with a churrasco steak. 746 Ninth St.; 919-416-1700; metro8steakhouse.com

Vin Rouge dinner with regular oyster specials and Sunday brunch. Get the hanger steak and frites! 2010 Hillsborough Rd.; 919-416-0466; vinrougerestaurant.com

The Mad Hatter’s Cafe & Bakeshop

FLOWN THE COOP

Heavenly Buffaloes wings are no longer sold out of The Bullpen. The restaurant’s original Markham Avenue spot is still open and has expanded its hours to include lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays. Delivery will still be available to the American Tobacco Campus The Bullpen’s new kitchen menu will feature veggie melts, grain bowl salads and beer-infused chicken chili verde.

DRINK UP!

Scratch-made pastries, organic salads, sandwiches and wraps, with breakfast all day and delicious brunch every weekend Award-winning cakes. 1802 W. Main St.; 919-286-1987; madhatterbakeshop.com BR

DURHAM, NC • 919-286-1987 MADHATTERBAKESHOP.COM

DOWNTOWN BRIGHTLEAF DISTRICT

Burger Bach Signature New Zealand grass-fed burgers and fresh-cut fries. 737 Ninth St., Ste. 220; 919-973-4416; burgerbach.com

Cocoa Cinnamon Signature hand-brewed coffees and lattes such as the “Dr. Durham” with maca root powder and black lava salt. 2627 Hillsborough Rd.; cocoacinnamon.com

Cosmic Cantina Authentic Mexican cuisine with vegan options. House-made mole and corn tortillas. Pair with a margarita pitcher. 1920 Perry St.; 919-286-1875; cosmiccantina.com

Dain’s Place Pub fare centered around award-winning “thick and juicy and juicy and thick burgers.” 754 Ninth St.; 919-416-8800

Dales Indian Cuisine Traditional Indian food like garlic naan, chicken tikka masala and matter paneer. 811 Ninth St., Ste. 150; 919-286-1760; dalesindiancuisine. net BR

Del Rancho Mexican Grill Authentic Mexican lunch and dinner menu with a full-service bar. 730 Ninth St.

Monuts Donuts Scratch-made, locally sourced doughnuts, pastries, English muffins, bagels and breakfast sandwiches. Try the bagel and lox. 1002 Ninth St.; 919-286-2642; monutsdonuts.com BR

The Pie Hole Made-from-scratch sweet and savory pies and specialty coffee drinks. 810 Ninth Street, Ste. 130; thepieholela.com/durham

South Roxboro Street will soon be home to the second location of The Wine Feed, a Raleigh-based wine bar and shop. Located in a renovated warehouse next to Bull City Ciderworks, The Wine Feed will feature an indoor and outdoor wine bar and lounge area that offers wines by the glass, tasting flights and snacks as well as an expanded retail wine section. An adjoining event space, Pine & Poplar, will accommodate up to 125 people for wedding receptions, corporate functions or private gatherings. As of press time, it is slated to open by mid-February.

NORTHGATE NEWS

The Northgate Mall food court’s newest addition is Carolina BBQ & Chicken, a family-owned restaurant bringing Southern favorites found at its buffet restaurant in Creedmoor to Durham shoppers.

Also at Northgate, Green Paradise serves up 100% vegan/ vegetarian, hand-crafted comfort food in the spot formerly occupied by Earth To Us

Pincho Loco Latin-flavored ice cream, milkshakes, popsicles and more, featuring flavors like tequila, Tiger Tail (vanilla, mexican Vanilla and chocolate), guava, tamarind and more. 1918 Perry St.; 919-286-5111

Clouds Brewing American favorites with a German flair. Try the “Clouds Burger” with a half bratwurst, half-ground chuck patty or the BBQ pork belly burger. 905 W. Main St.; 919-251 8096; cloudsbrewing.com BR

El Rodeo Mexican Restaurant

Authentic Mexican cuisine like quesadillas, tacos and huevos con chorizo. 905 W. Main St.; 919-683-2417; elrodeonc.com

The Federal Pub fare with bistro panache. Try the “Fed Burger au Poivre.” 914 W. Main St.; 919-680-8611; thefederal.net BR

Goorsha Ethiopian restaurant featuring dishes like shiro chickpea stew and tibs (sauteed meat in spices). 910 W. Main St.; 919-588-4660; goorshadurham.com

It’s a Southern Thing Kitchen and bar that serves up traditional Southern dishes with a twist, like jalapeno-brined fried chicken; a half-beef, half-bacon meatloaf; and both traditional and vegan barbecue. 605 W. Main St.; 919-294-9632; itsasouthernthingdurham.com BR

James Joyce Irish Pub and Restaurant Traditional pub food and snacks like brisket cheese steak and Reuben sandwiches. 912 W. Main St.; 919-683-3022; jamesjoyceirishpub.com BR

Kaffeinate Coffee shop featuring locally roasted beans and made-to-order Belgian waffles. 115-A N. Duke St.; 919-237-2856; kaffeinatenc.com BR

Lilly’s Pizza Stone-hearth-baked pizzas with fresh, organic and local ingredients. 810 W. Peabody St.; 919-797-2554; lillyspizza.com

The Little Dipper Fondue, salads and entrees with selections like cheddar ale fondue, seasonal spinach salad and filet mignon with mushrooms. 905 W. Main St.; 919-908-1023; littledipperfondue.com BR

Maverick’s Smokehouse and Taproom Range of barbecue and smokehouse fare as well as Chef Brian Stinnett’s signature fried chicken and Memphis barbecue spaghetti. 900 W. Main St.; 919-682-8978; maverickssmokehouse.com

Mount Fuji Asian Bistro Sushi & Bar Thai, Japanese, Chinese and sushi. Try the duck wrap. 905 W. Main St.; 919-680-4968; mtfujinc.com

Parker and Otis A gift shop, coffee shop and restaurant all in one. First-timers should dedicate a good chunk of time to this delight. Try the No. 26. 112 S. Duke St.; 919-683-3200; parkerandotis.com BR

Pine Cone Maple View ice cream, shakes, Joe Van Gogh coffee and baked goods galore. 905 W. Main St., Ste. 20-H; 919-416-6128; pineconenc.com

Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings & Sweets Sandwiches, pastries - rhubarb galette, anyone? - and daily dinner specials. 121 N. Gregson St.; 919-797-2233; rosesdurham.com BR

Saint James Raw bar featuring daily selection of oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp and more; seafood towers, Lobster Newberg, shrimp and grits, and Calabash platters. 806 W. Main St.; 984-219-7900; saintjamesseafood.com

Fullsteam In addition to their well-known “plow-to-pint” beers, Fullsteam now serves bar snacks, sandwiches, small plates and kombucha. Try the Eastern Carolina-Style Pork Meatballs and the Spicy Carolina Dip Chicken with a side of deviled eggs. 726 Rigsbee Ave.; 919-682-2337; fullsteam.ag

Geer Street Garden Simple, down-home fare in a cozy atmosphere. They make a mean “Dark and Stormy,” and be sure to order “The Pile” to split with friends! 644 Foster St.; 919-688 2900; geerstreetgarden.com

Rise Biscuits & Donuts Dailychanging menu of doughnuts and biscuits. For vegetarians, the “Fried Eggplant ‘Bacon’” biscuit is hard to beat. 401 Foster St.; 984-439-2220; risebiscuitsdonuts.com BR

Parts & Labor Dishes meeting many dietary needs, including veggie samosas, “Hipster Poutine” and falafel. 723 Rigsbee Ave.; motorcomusic. com/eats BR

NEWS BITES

CHICKEN RUN

Dame’s Chicken & Waffles has moved from its Main Street location to the ground floor of Liberty Warehouse Apartments, 530 Foster St.

MY HEART IS IN HAVANA

Old Havana Sandwich Shop owners Roberto Copa Matos and Elizabeth Turnbull plan to open COPA, a Cuban-inspired tapas and cocktails restaurant, at 107 W. Main St. – formerly occupied by Revolution – by mid-February. Old Havana is closing after seven years so the couple can focus on their new, larger venture.

BUTTER ME UP

Big Spoon Roasters collaborated with Jacobsen Salt Co. and Bee Local on two limitedbatch, fresh-roasted nut butters. The peanut and peanut hazelnut butters are available in a special two-pack via Big Spoon Roasters, Jacobsen Salt Co. and select retailers while supplies last.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Nana’s Chef Scott Howell recounts the incredible tale of how he recovered from a very serious accident – a massive grill fell off a truck and broke his leg in several places in November 2013 – and the surgeries and depression that followed in Men’s Health magazine’s January/February 2018 issue.

DINER IS READY

Bagel Bar Homemade bagel varieties, lunch and breakfast sandwiches. 104 City Hall Plaza, Ste. 101; 919-294-6661; bagelbarbagels.com

Bar Brunello Featuring 25 wines by the glass and 60 by the bottle, as well as draft beers and ciders, the bar’s food menu includes charcuterie and cheese boards. 117 E. Main St.; 919-294-4825; barbrunello.com

Bar Virgile

The Accordion Club Late-night bar serving beer, hot dogs and green chile stew. 316 W. Geer St.

Satisfaction Restaurant & Bar Pub fare including selections like fried pickles, “Kitchen Sink Pizza” and footlong hotdogs. 905 W. Main St., Ste. 37; 919-682-7397; satisfactiondurham.net

Torero’s Mexican Restaurant Authentic Mexican cuisine. Try the ceviche de camaron. 800 W. Main St.; 919-682-4197; torerosmexicanrestaurants.com

CENTRAL PARK & WAREHOUSE DISTRICTS

The Blue Note Grill Fantastic barbecue, ribs and live music. 709 Washington St.; 919-401-1979; thebluenotegrill.com

Cocoa Cinnamon Signature hand-brewed coffees and lattes such as the “Tower of Babel” with honey and date sugar. 420 W. Geer St.; cocoacinnamon.com

Dame’s Chicken & Waffles Chicken, waffles, shmears. ’Nuff said. 530 Foster St.; 919-682-9235; dameschickenwaffles.com BR

The Pit Fried pimiento cheese, whole-hog Eastern barbecue and Lexington-style barbecue. 321 W. Geer St.; 919-282-3748; thepit-durham.com

Piedmont Seasonal cooking inspired by local ingredients. Broccoli beignet, pickled shrimp and peach or Mills Farm’s beef coulotte. 401 Foster St.; 919-683-1213; piedmontrestaurant.com BR

CITY CENTER DISTRICT

Alley Twenty Six Originally a craft cocktail bar, the addition of a kitchen and dining room now offers plates like pan-seared duck breast, cornmeal-crusted fried oysters and pimiento cheese. 320 E. Chapel Hill St.; 984-439-2278; alleytwentysix.com

Jack Tar & the Colonel’s Daughter is now open at 202 Corcoran St., on the ground floor of the Unscripted Hotel It’s open from 7am-midnight. The upscale, diner-style establishment combines American food and local ingredients with a focus on craftsmanship.

COFFEE TOFFEE

Chapel Hill Toffee has added a new flavor, Griff’s Coffee Toffee, and rebranded its Chapel Hill Toffee as Griff’s Pecan Toffee for retailers outside the region.

AW, SHUCKS

The Shuckin’ Shack opened its second location in the Triangle at Erwin Square in October.

ORIENTAL EATS

Geer Street Garden presents a special Chinese food menu the week of February 12-16, which will include a variety of dim sum and stir fry options, in addition to desserts like ginger crème brûlée with almond cookies.

Artfully crafted beverages paired with an everchanging dinner and small plates menu including selections like tandoori chicken, flat iron steak and garganelli. 105 S. Magnum St.; 919-973-3000; barvirgile.com

Beyù Caffè Coffee shop, restaurant, bar and live jazz club. Beignets, buffalo wings and mushroom burgers. 341 W. Main St.; 919-683-1058; beyucaffe.com BR

Bull City Burger & Brewery Local beef burgers with all components from bun to barbecue sauce made in-house. 107 E. Parrish St.; 919-680-2333; bullcityburgerandbrewery.com

Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub Pub food and bar snacks like nachos, burgers and wings. 427 W. Main St.; 919-682-3061; bullmccabesirishpub.com

COPA

Cuban-inspired tapas and cocktails restaurant. Try the Butifaras a lo cubano, Cuban-style sausages and the Paella del verano, “summer rice,” with a mojito or daiquiri. 107 W. Main St.

Counting House Upscale restaurant featuring locally sourced entrees, as well as small plates featuring oysters, shellfish, and meats and cheeses. 111 N. Corcoran St.; 919-956-6760; countinghousenc.com BR

sip

Hop J.A.M.

Pardon the pun, but this IPA is our jam! And apparently, it is for a lot of other folks, too. “This is the first and only IPA we’ve done – we had so many people ask for an IPA – and it’s the No. 1 seller as far as the brewery goes,” says Clouds Brewing General Manager Ali Kisiel. The J.A.M. is actually an acronym for the combination of hops used to create the fruity flavor and aroma – Jarrylo, Amarillo and Mosaic. It’s dry-hopped twice and actually has very little bitterness for an IPA. “It’s a good year-round beer,” Ali says. Come in to watch your fave basketball team play, and pair it with the pork belly burger or platter (both come with a hoppy IPA barbecue sauce!), or try it out as a part of a flight.

Clouds Brewing

$6

BY BRIANA

PHOTO

BROUGH

Dashi Traditional ramen shop and izakaya with sake options. 415 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-251-9335; dashiramen.com

Dos Perros Sophisticated Mexican cuisine; plates include carnitas, flautas veganas and pollo relleno. Don’t skip on the guac! 200 N. Mangum St.; 919-956-2750; dosperrosrestaurant.com

Jack Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter Diner fare with a twist. It’s divided into two distinct sides – the restaurant, Jack Tar, and the Colonel’s Daughter, the bar – and a classic diner menu is served all day long in both sections, plus a smaller dinner menu is available in the evening. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings. 202 N. Corcoran St. BR

Littler Look for latkes Benedict, pan-roasted striped bass with sungold tomato and elderflower panna cotta at this small restaurant with big tastes. 110 E. Parrish St.; 919-374-1118; littlerdurham.com

Loaf Oven breads and pastries. Counter Culture Coffee, pain au chocolat and cumin gruyere loaf. 111 W. Parrish St.; 919-797-1254

Lucky’s Delicatessen Deli crafted by chef Matthew Kelly and headed by chef Drew Brown serves seasonal soups and sandwiches like the garbanzo with chickpea fritters and the super Reuben. 105 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-864-8841; luckysdelinc.com

Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas South American cuisine meets the American South. Wood-fired rotisserie meats, Andean-inspired braises, empanadas. 112 W. Main St.; 984-439-8702; lunarotisserie.com

M Kokko Casual chicken entrees including the fried chicken sandwich, ramen and “KFC” wings. 311 Holland St., Ste. B; 919-908-9322

M Sushi Quality sushi from seasonal seafood, daily menu changes and creative rolls like “Unagi Maki” with barbecue eel and fried garlic. 311 Holland St.; 919-908-9266; msushidurham.com

Mateo Acclaimed menu of tapas and small plates by chef Matthew Kelly. Great for date night or night out with friends. Order a pitcher of “Cheerwine Sangria,” pollo frito, gambas and queso frito y huevo. 109 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-530-8700; mateotapas.com

Mothers & Sons Trattoria Italian restaurant by partners Matthew Kelly and chef Josh “Skinny” DeCarolis. Handmade pasta, bruschetta and antipasti dishes. 107 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-294-8247; mothersandsonsnc.com

Ninth Street Bakery Organic breads, pastries and lunch. Grab a “Wheel of Steel” (peanut butter, raisins and oats). 136 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-688-5606; ninthstbakery.com BR

The Parlour Handmade ice cream in rotating flavors like cookies and cream, salted butter caramel & sweet potato. 117 Market St.; 919-564-7999; theparlour.co

The Patio Unscripted Hotel’s poolside bar featuring a range of cocktails and gourmet bites including sushi cones, salads and burgers. 202 N. Corcoran St.; 984-329-9500; unscriptedhotels.com BR

Pizzeria Toro Wood-fired pizza with selections like spicy lamb meatball with kale, fried eggplant ricotta and soft eggs on white pizza. Also, ricotta dumplings! 105 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-908-6936; pizzeriatoro.com

Pie Pushers Grab a slice of staples like the cheese or pepperoni, or try out one of the specials, like the Pace Car. 117A W. Main St.; 919-294-8408; piepushers.com BR

Pompieri Pizza Neapolitan pizza joint with a familyfriendly approach. Try the “Drunken Horse” pizza with beer crust dough and house-made sausage. 102 City Hall Plaza; 919-973-1589; pompieripizza.com

Mellow Mushroom Pizza, hoagies, calzones and salads made using fresh ingredients. 410 Blackwell St.; 919-680-8500; mellowmushroom.com/store/durham

Pour Taproom Pay-by-the-ounce beer, wine and cider taps, plus tasting board, sandwich and kids’ options, and specials from Littler and Pizzeria Toro. 202 N. Corcoran St., Ste. 200; 919-251-8985; durham.pourtaproom.com

The Restaurant at The Durham Locally sourced Southern cuisine crafted by chef Andrea Reusing. Selections include beef tartare and spring pie with asparagus and mushrooms. The Roof focuses on shared plates. 315 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-768-8831; thedurham.com/dining

NanaSteak

Offers various cuts of beef and steaks, plus other meats like salmon and tuna steaks and pastas like beef short rib ravioli. 345 Blackwell St.; 919-282-1183; nanasteak.com BR

Rue Cler French bistro-style cuisine with lunch, brunch and dinner showcasing fresh ingredients. 401 E. Chapel Hill St.; 919-682-8844; ruecler-durham.com

Saltbox Seafood Joint Local seafood that is delivered fresh from the Carolina coast and served griddled or fried in a straightforward manner. 608 N. Mangum St.; saltboxseafoodjoint.com

Scratch Bakery

rotating lunch menu with offerings like meatball subs and pickle plates. 111 Orange St.; 919-956-5200; piefantasy.com

Taberna Tapas dates, gambas. 325 W. Main St.; 919-797-1457; tabernatapas.com

Table South Kitchen and Bar dinner, located in the Durham Marriott City Center. 201 Foster St.; 919-768-6000

OnlyBurger Build-your-own burger options and sides like bacon-wrapped mac and cheese squares. 359 Blackwell St.; 919-237-2431; onlyburger.com

Saladelia Cafe Espresso and organic smoothie bar, scratch-made pastries, gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups. Dine-in or carry-out. 406 Blackwell St.; 919-687 4600; saladelia.com

Toast Italian paninis and soups. The warm goat cheese with honey and peppercorn crostini is our favorite. 345 W. Main St.; 919-683-2183; toast-fivepoints.com

Viceroy British-Indian gastropub featuring dishes like jeera wings as well as traditional fish & chips. 335 W. Main St.; 919-797-0413; viceroydurham.com

AMERICAN TOBACCO DISTRICT

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe American dishes like “Country Frizzled & Drizzled Chicken” made with local ingredients; overlooks the Bulls’ stadium. 280 S. Mangum St.; 919-937-9909; tobaccoroadsportscafe.com

Tyler’s Restaurant & Taproom Hearty fare and huge beer selection. An order of garlic fries is a must! 324 Blackwell St.; 919-433-0345; tylerstaproom.com

PHOENIX SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER

DURHAM, NC • 919-286-1987 MADHATTERBAKESHOP.COM

Basan A wide variety of fresh, specialty sushi rolls, modern Japanese appetizers and entrees, and an extensive sake selection. 359 Blackwell St., Ste. 220; 919-797-9728; basanrestaurant.com

The Bullpen Bull Durham Beer Co.’s beer garden with live music provided by the Music Maker Relief Foundation plus veggie melts, grain bowl salads and beer-infused chicken chili verde. 359 Blackwell St.; 919-744-3630; bullpenatc.com

Cuban Revolution Restaurant & Bar Cuban tapas served amid ’60s-style decor, plus bolsitas, sandwiches and Havana pork. 318 Blackwell St.; 919-687-4300; thecubanrevolution.com

The District at 410 Lunch served Thursday and Friday by The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham. 410 Blackwell St.; 919-317-3200; artinstitutes.edu/raleigh-durham/ about/restaurant

Maybelle’s A barbecue and biscuit restaurant featuring Eastern N.C. pulled pork, ribs, brisket – don’t miss out on the adult milkshakes and Southern-style pies. 406 Blackwell St.; 984-219-6345; maybellesbbq.com

Royal Cheesecake & Varieties Cupcakes, cheesecakes and specialty cakes in flavors like sweet potato, fresh peach and white chocolate peppermint. 902 Old Fayetteville St.; 919-670-8766; rcvcakes.com

EAST DURHAM

East Durham Bake Shop Handcrafted sweet and savory pies, baked goods, salads, coffee and more – all made with local ingredients. 406 S. Driver St.; 919-949-9848; eastdurhambakeshop.com

WEST-CENTRAL DURHAM

DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL BOULEVARD (15-501)

Foster’s Market Brought to you by acclaimed cookbook author Sara Foster, fresh breakfast selections, sandwiches and salads. Also pick up specialty food items. 2694 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-489-3944; fostersmarket.com

Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe and Restaurant

inspired cuisine and artisanal bakery. Restaurant dishes include house-cut noodles, weiner schnitzel and pan-roasted duck. 2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-401-2600; guglhupf.com

Kanki Steak, chicken and seafood cooked on hibachi grills, plus an extensive sushi menu. Come for a show! 3504 Mt. Moriah Rd.; 919-401-6908; kanki.com

SALADELIA.COM

savor

Robiola-Stuffed Agnolotti

Piedmont overhauled its menu in January, an endeavor to create a more casual, fun, neighborhood restaurant vibe. “We’ve got the Brannan, we’ve got Liberty Warehouse, there are other apartments that are going to be right behind us, and I live in West Village,” says chef John May. “[It’s those people who] I’m totally encouraging to – if you’re just leaving work and you have a little bit of stuff still left to do, come sit at our bar, get a burger and a beer, wrap up your work. You don’t have to feel the need to come in here and have a multi-course meal.” Piedmont will maintain its seasonal, locally raised, made-from-scratch focus, but with less of a fine dining approach – nearly everything on the menu, apart from entrees for the table, is $15 or less. This dish features Boxcarr Handmade Cheese’s robiola as well as sunchoke cream, crispy sunchokes and crispy herbs including sage and parsley, and pea shoots. “It’s very rich,” John says, “very warming; it’s got a lot of baking spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove – it’s a really good cold weather dish.” John recommends pairing it with a light red wine, or try something off the restaurant’s revamped bottled beer list, like Haw River’s Snow Hands, a Belgian-style dark strong ale brewed with Maine maple syrup and foraged spicebush berries.

Piedmont Restaurant

$13

PHOTO BY BRIANA BROUGH

Namu Restaurant and Coffee Bar Bulkogi Truck and Bo’s Kitchen food trucks combine to bring casual Korean eats, local beer, wine and specialty coffee. 5420 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-251-9794

The Refectory Cafe Dal, chili, salads and soups. 2726 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-908-6798; therefectorycafe.com BR

Saltbox Seafood Joint

A new, second location for the popular local seafood place. Fish delivered fresh from the Carolina coast and served griddled or fried in a straightforward manner. 2637 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-908-8970; saltboxseafoodjoint.com

Sitar Indian Cuisine Homemade Indian dishes at affordable prices, with daily lunch buffets and a weekend dinner buffet.

3630 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 919-490-1326; sitar-indiancuisine.com

Souly Vegan Cafe Vegan takes on favorites like mac ‘n’ cheese and jerk chicken, along with sides like candied yams, plantains and lentils and spinach soup. 4125 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.; 984-219-6050

UNIVERSITY DRIVE

The Boot A neighborhood Italian American Restaurant serving soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and traditional Italian entrees, plus a full bar. 2501 University Dr.; 919-294-8383; thebootdurham.com

The Original Q Shack “BBQ tender as a mother’s love,” includes signature chile-rubbed beef brisket and Carolina pork shoulder. 2510 University Dr.; 919-402-4227; theqshackoriginal.com

Sake Bomb Asian Bistro Asian bistro and sake bar; specialty rolls like the “Green Monster” with spicy yellow tail and tuna. 4215 University Dr.; 919-401-4488; sakebombdurham.com

porkchop sandwiches and collard greens. Raw seafood

Saladelia Cafe Delicious, healthy, homemade food with an espresso and organic smoothie bar, scratch-made pastries, gourmet sandwiches, salads and soups. Open for dine-in or carry-out. 4201 University Dr.; 919-489-5776; saladelia.com

BR

Tacos Nacos Tacos, pupusas, tortas and horchata. 3411 University Dr.; 919-267-8226

Thai Cafe Authentic Thai cuisine: drunken noodles, curries and stir-fries. Don’t miss the coconut cake for dessert! 2501 University Dr.; 919-493-9794; thaicafenc.com

WEST END & LAKEWOOD

Cocoa Cinnamon Local coffee shop with signature hand-brewed coffees and lattes, hot chocolate and churros. 2013 Chapel Hill Rd.; cocoacinnamon.com

GRUB Durham Serves up comfort food favorites with a twist like brioche donuts and beer-battered mushroom sandwiches. 1200 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-973-3636; grubdurham.com

The Lakewood Phoebe Lawless’s craft cookery featuring local fare like pickled North Carolina top neck clam dip, grilled okra and peach melba sundaes. 2022 Chapel Hill Rd.; 919-402-8059; thelakewooddurham.com BR

Local Yogurt Frozen yogurt treats. 1114 W. Chapel Hill St.; 919-489-5900

MORE WEST-CENTRAL DURHAM

Bull Street Gourmet & Market Fresh salads, breakfast and sandwiches like pulled pork-loaded hashbrowns and the turkey and Brie sandwich. 3710 Shannon Rd.; 919-237-2398; bullstreetdurham.com BR

East Durham Pie Company Serving coffee, tea and espresso beverages, pastries, a simple seasonal menu of lunch and breakfast items, plus sweet and savory pies. 406 S. Driver St.; eastdurhampie.com

Finch’s Restaurant Breakfast foods like pancakes and omelets, plus healthy options, dinner service, outdoor seating. 3211 Old Chapel Hill Rd. BR

Hope Valley Diner Diner food and breakfast all day with selections like chicken and dumplings, fried pickle chips, biscuits and gravy. 3710 Shannon Rd.; 919-419-0907; hopevalleydiner.com BR

OnlyBurger The food truck’s brick-and-mortar offers all the same build-your-own burger options and sides. 3710 Shannon Rd., Ste. 118; 919-937-9377; onlyburger.com

Pop’s Backdoor South Fresh pizza and Italian cuisine, including calzones with homemade ricotta-mozzarella filling. 3710 Shannon Rd.; 919-493-0169; popsbackdoorsouth.com BR

Pulcinella’s Italian Restaurant Southern Italian dishes. Antipasto classico, baked ziti and tortellini alla panna. 4711 Hope Valley Rd.; 919-490-1172; pulcinellasitalianrestaurant.com

Randy’s Pizza Pizzas, garlic knots and stromboli. 4810 Hope Valley Rd., Ste. 112; 919-403-6850; randys-pizza.com

Smallcakes Twelve signature cupcake flavors, as well as seasonal specials. 4711 Hope Valley Rd.; 919-937-2922; smallcakesnc.com

West 94th St. Pub

Traditional pub fare: loaded fries, chili cheese tots and fish & chips. 4711 Hope Valley Rd.; 919-403-0025; west94thstpub.com

Yamazushi Japanese fine dining, kaiseki-style, with seasonal menu changes and a multi-course menu, as well as sake. 4711 Hope Valley Rd., Ste. 6-A; 919-493-7748; yamazushirestaurant.com

GOOD EATS

Alley Twenty Six hosts the Cocktail Bandits, aka South Carolina’s Johnny Caldwell and Taneka Reaves, on Feb. 26 as part of its “Dinner With Friends” charity event series. The event features a five-course meal and cocktail tasting menu, and proceeds benefit famous chef José Andrés’ foundation, World Central Kitchen.

POP ON OVER Locopops has moved to 2618 Hillsborough Rd., just a few doors down from its previous location. The larger space has a cafe area where patrons can enjoy expanded menu options including a variety of desserts, teas, coffees, milkshakes, housemade aguas frescas and more.

SUTTON STATION

Bocci Trattoria & Pizzeria

Traditional Italian pastas, pizzas, crostinis and salads. 5850 Fayetteville Rd.; 919-206-4067; bocciitalian.com

Bua Thai Cuisine Thai classics: Pad Thai, hot and sour soup, curries, Krapow lamb. Get your meal “Thai hot,” if you’re up to it! 5850 Fayetteville Rd., Ste. 101; 984-219-7357; buathaidurham.com

Dulce Cafe Espresso, gelato and sandwiches. Smoked salmon bagel, dulce Reuben and the “B-L-A-T.” 5826 Fayetteville Rd.; 919-797-0497; dulcecafedurham.com BR

Nantucket Grill & Bar

New England-style cuisine known for their desserts like the “Unbirthday” and coconut cake. 5826 Fayetteville Rd.; 919-484-8162; nantucketgrill.com

LINCOLN PARK WEST

Danny’s Bar-B-Que Hickorysmoked barbecue, ribs, fried catfish. 2945 S. Miami Blvd., Ste. 118; 919-806-1965; dannysbarbque.com

Piper’s Deli Deli sandwiches and burgers like pimiento grilled cheese and French dip sandwich. 3219 Old Chapel Hill Rd.; 919-489-2481; pipersdeli.com

Randy’s Pizza Pizzas, garlic knots and stromboli. 1813 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy.; 919-490-6850; randys-pizza.com

Tonali Restaurant Inventive Mexican cuisine such as chicken con mole, Mexican chocolate torte and adobo pork. 3642 Shannon Rd.; 919-489-8000; tonalirestaurant.com

SOUTHERN DURHAM / NEAR I-40

WOODCROFT SHOPPING CENTER

Hope Valley Bar and Grill Brew pub fare like cheesy buffalo dip and crispy Brussels sprouts. 4810 Hope Valley Rd.; 919-294-4955; hopevalleybrewingcompany.com BR

Guacamaya (Chubby’s Tacos) Fresh Mexican favorites like burritos, nachos and salads, as well as the “Chubbychanga.” 4711 Hope Valley Rd.; 919-489-4636

Joe Van Gogh Cozy and full of natural light, this local coffee shop sources quality beans for a superior coffee. 4711-5A Hope Valley Rd.; 919-973-3950; joevangogh.com

Gussy’s Place Greek street food like gyro pita, Greek fries and baklava. 2945 S. Miami Blvd.; 984-439-8455; gussys.com

Piper’s In The Park Soups, salads, hoagies and burgers with selections like curried couscous and “South of Here” turkey sandwich. 2945 S. Miami Blvd.; 919-572-9767; pipersinthepark.com

Spicy Green Gourmet Cafe & Catering Sandwiches, soups, salads with specialities like Cuban flatbread. 2945 S. Miami Blvd., Ste. 126; 919-220-6040; spicygreengourmet.net

HOPE VALLEY COMMONS

Mattie B’s Public House Housemade burgers, N.Y.style pizza, wings and potato chips. 1125 W. N.C. 54, Ste. 301; 919-401-8600; mattiebs.com

NEAR SOUTHPOINT

HOMESTEAD MARKET

Bean Traders Coffee Coffee specialties and local pastries. 105 W. N.C. 54, Ste. 249; 919-484-2499; beantraderscoffee.com

The Mad Popper A gourmet popcorn shop with flavors both sweet and savory. 105 W. N.C. 54, Ste. 259; 919-484-7677; themadpopper.com

City Barbeque Smoked meats, peach cobbler and hushpuppies. 208 W. N.C. 54; 919-237-9509; citybbq.com

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream Hand-crafted ice creams, sorbets & sherbets in ever-changing flavors. 8200 Renaissance Pwy., Ste. 1002; 919-237-3537; brusters.com

Porchetta Slow-roasted Italian-style pork sandwiches and sides. Southpoint; 919-607-7419; porchettardu.com

Harvest 18 Local, seasonal eats. Try the pimento cheese dip and a Bloody Mary for brunch. 8128 Renaissance Pkwy., Ste. 114; 919-316-1818; 18restaurantgroup.com/harvest-18 BR

Shiki Sushi Sushi and pan-Asian choices like “Bang Bang Shrimp,” gyoza dumplings and beef pho soup. 207 W. N.C. 54; 919-484-4108; shikitasu.com

Rise Biscuits & Donuts Daily-changing menu of doughnuts and biscuits. For vegetarians, the “Fried Eggplant ‘Bacon’” biscuit is hard to beat. 8200 Renaissance Pkwy.; 919-248-2992; risebiscuitsdonuts.com BR

Denny’s Diner fare serving breakfast anytime, lunch and dinner. 7021 N.C. 751, Ste. 901; 919-908-1006; dennys.com BR

Makus Empanadas A variety of meat, veggie and cheese empanadas, with vegetarian and vegan options. 1125 W. N.C. 54, Ste. 304; 919-390-7525; makusempanadas.com

Treforni Wood-fired pizza and sandwiches including traditional options like Margherita, as well as more inspired options like the prosciutto arugula pizza. 1125 W. N.C. 54; 919-973-0922; treforni.com

SOUTHPOINT CROSSING

Primal Food & Spirits Gluten-free options featuring wood-fired local meat dishes with seasonal sides, craft cocktails. 202 W. N.C. 54; 919-248-3000; primalfoodandspirits.com

THE STREETS AT SOUTHPOINT AREA American Meltdown Gourmet melts, sides and desserts. Southpoint; 919-473-6358; americanmeltdown.org

Town Hall Burger and Beer Offerings like the “Carolina Burger” with pork belly and pimiento cheese, barbecue salmon burger and fries poutine. 7830 N.C. 751; 919-973-0506; townhallburgerandbeer.com

N.C. 54

Akashi Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar Hibachi, sushi and noodle dishes like bento boxes, yakisoba and spicy scallop roll. 2223 N.C. 54, Ste. RS; 919-572-9444; akashisushi54.com

Na’Mean Asian fusion, Korean barbecue sandwich shop. A KoKyu joint. 4823 Meadow Dr., Ste. 108; 919-699-4667; kokyubbq.com/nmean

Spice & Curry Traditional Indian, buffet-style or off the menu. 2105 N.C. 54; 919-544-7555; spiceandcurry.com

RTP

N.C. 55

Backyard BBQ Pit Barbecue and other Southern comfort foods: mac ‘n’ cheese, Brunswick Stew and pit-cooked barbecue. 5122 N.C. 55; 919-544-9911; sweetribs.com

Basera Modern, fine dining Indian restaurant featuring a lunch buffet, tandoor grill options and signature Biryanis. 4818 N.C. 55; 919-205-5050; basera-rtp.com

Big C Waffles Specializes in gourmet waffle varieties such as The Bacon, Egg ‘n’ Cheese Waffle, Thin Mint Waffle, Pecan Waffle, Blueberry Waffle and Donut Waffle, just to name a few. 2110 Allendown Dr.; 919-797-7576 BR

Brigs at the Park Breakfast selections like “Pineapple Bread Pina Colada French Toast” and sandwiches. 4900 N.C. 55; 919-544-7473; brigs.com BR

Cafe Meridian Made-to-order salads and sandwiches. 2500 Meridian Pkwy., Ste. 130; 919-361-9333; cafemeridian.com

Jamaica Jamaica Carribean food favorites like jerk chicken, yellow rice and brown stew chicken. 4857 N.C. 55; 919-544-1532

Sansui Sushi Bar & Grill Hibachi dishes and sushi rolls like “Spider Man” with crab and crawfish. 4325 N.C. 55; 919-361-8078; sansuisushi.com

Vit Goal Tofu Restaurant Korean dishes like fried dumplings and tofu soups. 2107 Allendown Dr.; 919-361-9100; vitgoal.com

GREENWOOD COMMONS

Benetis Restaurant Classic breakfast with a Mediterranean lunch buffet. 5410 N.C. 55; 919-806-0313; benetisrtp.com BR

Sarah’s Empanadas Homemade empanadas. 5410 N.C. 55; 919-544-2441

Tandoor Indian Restaurant Traditional Indian like veggie samosas, kababs and naan. 5410 N.C. 55; 919-484-2102; tandoorinrtp.com BR

Thai Lanna Restaurant Authentic Thai cuisine like red curry, pad thai and larb. 5410 N.C. 55; 919-484-0808; thailannarestaurant.com

True Flavors Diner Upscale Southern diner. Try the “Howling Moon” French toast made with Howling Moon moonshine sauce. 5410 N.C. 55; 919-316-7978; trueflavorsnc.com BR

IMPERIAL CENTER

MEZ Contemporary Mexican Creative Mexican dishes, based on traditional recipes with a fresh, healthy twist. 5410 Page Rd.; 919-941-1630; mezdurham.com

Page Road Grill

Traditional American dishes, from house-made soup and bread to burgers to vegetarian options. 5416 Page Rd.; 919-908 8900; pageroadgrill.com

ALSO CHECK OUT THESE AREA RESTAURANTS …

501 Pharmacy Scoops of Maple View Farm ice cream, plus malts and shakes. 98 Chapelton Ct., Ste. 300, Chapel Hill; 984-999-0501; 501rx.com

411 West Fresh pasta, seafood and pizzas inspired by Italian and Mediterranean avors, with a Californian twist. 411 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-967-2782; 411west.com

Acme Soups, salads, seafood and entrees with a Southern touch. 110 E. Main St., Carrboro; 919-9292263; acmecarrboro.com

Alberello Café & Market Florentine sandwiches, housemade pastas, from scratch desserts and more. 72 Chapelton Ct., Chapel Hill; 984-234-3017; alberellonc.com

Breadmen’s A variety of sandwiches, burgers and salads. Breakfast served all day. 324 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill; 919-967- 7110; breadmens.com

Breakaway Cafe Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and small plates, Counter Culture coffee, beer, wine and Maple View ice cream. 58 Chapelton Ct., Ste. 100, Chapel Hill; 984-234-3010; breakawaync.co

B-Side Lounge Small plates like flatbread, baconwrapped dates and fondue. Inspired cocktails. 200 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro; 919-904-7160; b-sidelounge.com

Buns Serves gourmet burgers, fries and shakes made from fresh ingredients. 107 N. Columbia St., Chapel Hill; 919-240-4746; bunsofchapelhill.com

Capp’s Pizzeria Artisan, hand-crafted and woodfired pizzas utilizing local ingredients. 79 Falling Springs Dr., Ste. 140, Chapel Hill; 919-240-4104; cappspizzeria.com

Chronic Tacos Authentic Mexican grill. 504 Meadowmont Village Circle, Chapel Hill; 984-999-4803; chronictacos.com

Crook’s Corner Southern classics like shrimp and grits, and jalapeno-cheddar hushpuppies. 610 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-929-7643; crookscorner.com

Crossroads Chapel Hill at The Carolina Inn New American cuisine and seasonal specialties. 211 Pittsboro St., Chapel Hill; 919-918-2777; crossroadscuisine.com

CrossTies BBQ A variety of barbecue, sides and made-from-scratch desserts. 201 E. Main St., Carrboro; 919-904-7160; crosstiesbbq.com

Elaine’s on Franklin Fine regional American cuisine, made with fresh, local ingredients. 454 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-960-2770; elainesonfranklin.com

Elements Classical and modern Asian and European cooking techniques; check out the wine bar with full menu next door. 2110 Environ Way, Chapel Hill; 919-537-8780; elementsofchapelhill.com

The Fearrington Granary Small plates, salads and burgers. Fearrington Village Center; 919-542-2121; fearrington.com/granary

The Fearrington House Restaurant Contemporary fine-dining. Fearrington Village Center; 919-542-2121; fearrington.com/house

Four Corners American fare, nachos, wings, pasta. 175 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-537-8230; fourcornersgrille.com

Glasshalfull Mediterranean-inspired food and wine; outdoor dining; all ABC permits. 106 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro; 919-967-9784; glasshalfull.com

The Goat Salads, sandwiches and pastries. Fearrington Village Center; 919-545-5717; fearrington.com/the-goat

Italian Pizzeria III Pizza, calzones, subs. The “place to be” in Chapel Hill for 35+ years. 508 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-968-4671; italianpizzeria3.com

Kitchen Bistro-style dining with a seasonal menu. 764 MLK Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill; 919-537-8167; kitchenchapelhill.com

La Residence French-inspired cuisine made from fresh ingredients. 202 Rosemary St., Chapel Hill; 919-967-2506; laresdiencedining.com

Mama Dip’s Kitchen Traditional Southern specialties. 408 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill; 919-942-5837; mamadips.com

Maple View Farm Country Store Homemade ice cream and milk. 6900 Rocky Ridge Rd., Hillsborough; 919-960-5535; mapleviewfarm.com

Maple View Mobile Ice cream outpost of the Hillsborough dairy farm. 919-244-1949; mapleviewmobile.com

The Mod Wood-fired pizza, salads, small plates, full bar. 46 Sanford Rd.; 919-533-6883; themodernlifedeli.com

Moon Asian Bistro An Asian-fusion restaurant offering sushi, Chinese dishes like sweet-and-sour chicken, Thai curry dishes, rice and noodles. 111 Knox Way, Ste. 110, Pittsboro; 919-869-7894

Pittsboro Roadhouse Hearty American entrees, burgers and salads; 39 West St., Pittsboro; 919-542-2432; pittsbororoadhouse.com

Radius Wood-fired pizzas, housemade pastas, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Outdoor dining, all ABC permits. 112 N. Churton St., Hillsborough; 919-245-0601; radiuspizzeria.net

Roost Beer Garden Wood-fired pizza, local brews and live music; 2000 Fearrington Village Center; 919-545-5717; fearrington.com/roost

The Root Cellar Sandwiches, prepared salads, desserts and more. Beer and wine; outdoor dining. 750 MLK Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill; 919-967-3663; rootcellarchapelhill.com

Spanky’s Serving hamburgers, ribs, garden fresh salads and barbecue. 101 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-967-2678; spankysrestaurant.com

Squid’s Seafood options includes wood-grilled llets, live Maine lobster, fried oysters. 1201 N. Fordham Blvd., Chapel Hill; 919-942-8757; squidsrestaurant.com

Starrlight Mead Tastings of honey wines and honey. 480 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro; 919-533-6314; starrlightmead.com

Trilogy American cafe featuring innovative twists on classic dishes. Silverspot Cinema, Chapel Hill; 919-357-9888; trilogyrestaurant.com

Venable Rotisserie Bistro Upscale comfort food with a heavy emphasis on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients; all ABC permits. 200 N. Greensboro St., Carrboro; 919-904-7160; venablebistro.com

Weathervane Shrimp and grits, sweet potato fries and other gourmet takes on classic flavors. University Place, Chapel Hill; 919-929-9466; southernseason.com

Yogurt Pump Frozen yogurt treats and shakes. 106 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill; 919-942-7867; yogurtpump.com

wedding

SAMATHA BROWN & MARK SALETNIK

Perfectly Aligned

BY LINDSAY MCCONNELL | PHOTOGRAPHY

BY

ARIEL PERRY, ARIELPERRY.COM

Date June 3, 2017

Neighborhood Morrisville

Occupations Samatha works in the biopharmaceuticals research field as a clinical trial lead. Mark, the former owner of chiropractic practices in Raleigh and Fayetteville, is a locum tenens chiropractor and entrepreneur. Crossed Paths Samatha hails from Long Island, New York. Mark is originally from Chicopee, Massachusetts. The couple met on eHarmony in 2011 and moved to the Triangle for its research opportunities, proximity to the mountains and coast and Samatha’s family ties to Durham. Popping the Question Mark proposed in a small cabin in Wilmington on Sam’s birthday.

The Big Day The couple said, “I do” at JC Raulston Arboretum in a ceremony officiated by Samatha’s uncle, Rev. Dr. Murray Edwards Another uncle, Still Preston Perry, served as ceremony singer. Samatha’s brother, John Brown IV, and Mark’s sister, Linda Bell, gave readings. A reception followed at Caffe Luna.

Key Players Samatha’s parents, John Brown III and Stilwyn Perry-Brown, and Mark’s parents, Theodore and Wanda Saletnik. Samatha’s younger sister, Dr. Millicent Brown, and Samatha’s best friend, Syreeta SkeltonWilson, served as the “best women,” while Mark’s close friends from chiropractic school, Rob Portillo and Mark Quinn, were his best men. His Favorite Detail The wedding photos. “The pictures are so vivid ... we can relive the intensity of the moment.”

The Moment She’ll Remember Forever Their first dance to John Legend’s “Love Me Now.” “It was all about us … our moment, our rhythm, our story, our love for [each other], in the moment, right there on the dance floor.”

Do you live in Durham and want your wedding or engagement featured in our magazine? Email weddings@durhammag.com

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When you’re a member of Duke Integrative Primary Care attention for all of you– body, mind and spirit. Our focused approach includes:

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Call 919-660-6826 to learn more, or register for an information session at DukeIntegrativeMedicine.org/PrimaryCare.

Call 919-660-6826 to learn more, or register for an information session at DukeIntegrativeMedicine.org/PrimaryCare.