February SouthPark 2024 by SouthParkMag

S TA R B U R S T

AVA I L A B L E AT

v KITCHEN & BATH v FULL SERVICE DESIGN v CUSTOM HOMES v REMODELING v INTERIOR DECORATING v HARDSCAPES & POOLS v OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES

342 Circle Avenue in Myers Park JohnMorgan@UBGCharlotte.com 704.307.4606 See Our Portfolio @ UrbanBuildingGroup.com

FROM THE EDITOR

veryone loves to reminisce about the beloved restaurants and bars that are no longer with us. When I first moved to Charlotte in the ’90s, much of the food here wasn’t fancy — certainly not by the “world-class city” standards our town aspired to at that time. Oh, but there were some memorable meals. Does anyone remember that theatrical flaming cheese dish — the saganaki flambe — at Dikadee’s on Independence? An Instagramworthy dish ahead of its time! How about those melt-in-your-mouth honey croissants at Manzetti’s Tavern, where Paco’s Tacos is now? When I was expecting my first child — and my body vehemently rejected the vegetarian diet I’d adopted a year earlier — juicy burgers from The Press Box on Montford Drive helped get me through. Then there was Chelsea’s, the tiny Italian restaurant in a little strip center on Sharon Amity. It was no bigger than a shoebox, and while I don’t recall much about the food, I do remember it as a perfectly cozy little date-night spot. For my kids who grew up here, memories of fried chicken from 6 | SOUTHPARK

Haberdish, noodles from The Dumpling Lady, Harper’s chicken supremes and the vanilla bean torte they used to have at Red Rocks Café — one of their grandmother’s favorite restaurants — are sure to evoke nostalgia for years to come. Since I’ve lived here, I’ve seen plenty of restaurants come and go. It’s hard to stay in the spotlight when there’s a shiny new place — or sometimes two or three — opening each week. And we’ve lost so many mainstays over the last few years. What local spots will succeed at capturing the hearts of the next generation? Only time will tell. SP

3 IN THIS ISSUE: 1 - Charlotte artist Kenny Nguyen (page 42) 2 - Raffaele and Madison Patrizi of Mano Bella Artisan Foods (page 70) 3 - The beet appetizer at Customshop (page 65)

I asked our SouthPark team: Which old Charlotte restaurant(s) do you miss the most? Scott Leonard, audience development specialist: Foskoskies on Shamrock — small neighborhood spot with the best menu and great desserts; Mr. K’s for cheeseburgers and shakes; and Malabar in uptown — the best martinis and a cozy vibe. Sarah Fligel, marketing specialist: La Paz — there was a terrific waitress named Laura who knew our order as soon as we walked in, which always started with the crispy tortilla chips and queso. Loved everything about it — the old house, the neighborhood, the staff and the enchiladas! I also miss East Blvd Bar & Grill — the Philly cheesesteak eggrolls and the circle French fries with honey mustard on the side (I ate that meal before every Panthers game the year they went to the Super Bowl!). Cindy Poovey, account executive: Price’s Chicken Coop — one-of-a-kind fried chicken! Publisher Ben Kinney: Manzetti’s — it was a great lunch spot. Outstanding salads, and the rolls were top-notch.

CATHY MARTIN EDITOR

editor@southparkmagazine.com

Sharon Smith, assistant editor: The original La Paz in Myers Park. It was dark and cozy inside (and carpeted?). I always ordered a burrito and ate my fill of chips and salsa. And can we bring back Barclay’s Cafeteria inside Belk? I loved the squash casserole. I think it even had white tablecloths.

C H A R LO T T E C H A R L E S TO N World Class Living

The Mark of Distinction in World Class Home Building™ Charlotte (704) 889.1600 Charleston (843) 801.1600 www.kingswoodhomes.com

Michael Baker 704.526.9510

Katy Bradfield 704.965.5968

Mark Brown 704.975.7386

Suzanne Cowden 704.301.1012

Kathy Davis 704.363.8450

Tom Fisher 704.213.1556

Harper Fox 704.804.0101

Dana Galli 843.655.4023

Bridget Graves 704.560.2311

Sher yl Hallow 704.907.1144

Patty Hendrix 704.577.2066

Christy Howey 704.996.0484

Jennifer Jackson 704.622.5721

Jen & Jamie Team 704.904.1212

Jessica Jenkins 704.607.9389

David Kennedy 704.201.0039

Tina & David Kostelnik 704.770.7133

Beth Livingston 704.778.6831

Susan May 704.650.7432

Liz & Greg McIntosh 704.488.6224

Valerie Mitchener 704.577.8200

Rivers Moon Team 704.619.9693

Alan Parker 415.269.0240

Dena Parr y 803.287.9105

Peggy Peterson Team 704.904.6279

Judy Raghavan 704.807.9970

Jimmy Randle 704.651.1955

Jocelyn Rose 704.975.9900

Sarah & Lynn Salton 704.315.9515

Dayna Sheehan 203.993.0535

Helen St. Angelo 704.839.1809

Kelly Stimart 704.607.1060

Stacey Stolar 704.400.1539

Kate Terrigno 631.903.3021

Peter J. Thevaos 704.576.5673

Meredith Tomascak 704.806.7650

Catherine Cauthen Turner 704.578.5551

Meg Wilkinson 704.906.5747

Margaret Wood 704.904.6022

Sharon Yoxsimer 704.819.2567

©2024 Corcoran HM Properties. All rights reserved. Corcoran® and the Corcoran Logo are registered service marks owned by Corcoran Group LLC. Corcoran HM Properties fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

February

BLVD. 20 | food + drink Tale of the plate: Amanda Cranford’s Cajun meatloaf and Buttermilk Smashed Potatoes

24 | interiors Dipped Interiors designs a spa-like bathroom for a south Charlotte family.

28 | people Ruth Ava Lyons needed a new kidney to live — and she found one right across the street.

34 | givers All-In to Fight Cancer’s Texas Hold ’em events support local families impacted by the disease.

36 | happenings February calendar of events

DEPARTMENTS 42 | art of the state Kenny Nguyen’s paint-soaked silk sculptures weave tradition with ingenuity.

47 | gardening Sublime pairings add drama, balance and excitement in the garden.

51 | bookshelf Notable new releases

53 | history A new book tells the story of Hannah Crafts, an N.C. native who authored the first known novel by an African American woman.

57 | simple life Winter dad, summer son

87 | swirl Parties, fundraisers and events around Charlotte

96 | gallery Painter Bailey Schmidt’s mood-lifting canvases

ABOUT THE COVER: A trio of cocktails at Humbug. Photograph by Justin Driscoll.

10 | SOUTHPARK

signature homes renovations additions

Charlotte Asheville Boone

making it home since 1950

G E N E R A L C O N T R AC TO R

andrewroby.com 704.334.5477

FEATURES 62 | How we eat From grab-and-go to prix-fixe tasting menus, dining in Charlotte can mean many different things.

63 Tasting menus by Michael J. Solender L’Ostrica’s intimate multicourse dining experience

65 Neighborhood hot spots by Michael J. Solender Customshop dials in a comforting vibe

68 Beautiful boards by Angela Williams A charcuterie love affair

70 | From Italy, with love by Kathleen Purvis | photographs by Richard Israel First, a whirlwind romance, then a move to Charlotte. Now Mano Bella Artisan Foods brings its authentic Italian fare to SouthPark.

74 | Raise a glass by Kayleigh Ruller | photographs by Justin Driscoll We asked the experts — here’s what to expect on Charlotte’s cocktail scene in 2024.

78 | Fresh take by Cathy Martin | photographs by Dustin and Susie Peck With downsizing plans dashed by the pandemic, a Quail Hollow couple embarked on an extensive renovation led by Pheasant Hill Designs — and couldn’t be happier.

12 | SOUTHPARK

#LoveYourLips

NATUR AL LIP CONTOURING WITH JUVÉDERM & REST YL ANE ®

Before

After Real Patient Results

Book Online

Keep Up On Social Media

RANKED #1 FACIAL PLASTIC SURGERY PRACTICE

6817 Fairview Rd. Charlotte, NC 28210 CarolinaFacialPlastics.com

704.325.8062 @CarolinaFacialPlastics

LEAP INTO A NEW SEASON

1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208 704-523-6987 southparkmagazine.com _______________ Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com Cathy Martin Editor editor@southparkmagazine.com Sharon Smith Assistant Editor sharon@southparkmagazine.com Andie Rose Creative Director Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com Miranda Glyder Graphic Designer Whitley Adkins Style Editor Contributing Editors David Mildenberg, Michael J. Solender Contributing Writers Michelle Boudin, Jim Dodson, Asha Ellison, Page Leggett, Jason Miller, Kathleen Purvis, Liza Roberts, Kayleigh Ruller, Jay Sifford, Angela Williams Contributing Photographers Daniel Coston, Justin Driscoll, Richard Israel, Dustin and Susie Peck Contributing Illustrator Gerry O’Neill _______________ ADVERTISING Jane Rodewald Sales Manager 704-621-9198 jane@southparkmagazine.com Cindy Poovey Account Executive 704-497-2220 cindy@southparkmagazine.com

NG DAILY I V I R R A G N NEW SPRI

Scott Leonard Audience Development Specialist 704-996-6426 Sarah Fligel Marketing Specialist sarah@southparkmagazine.com Brad Beard Graphic Designer _______________ Letters to the editorial staff: editor@southparkmagazine.com Instagram: southparkmagazine Facebook: southparkmagazine X: SouthParkMag

1013 Union Rd. | Gastonia

www.tallyhoclothier.com

704.861.1990 Monday-Friday 10-4 Saturday 10-3

14 | SOUTHPARK

Owners Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff in memoriam Frank Daniels Jr. David Woronoff President david@thepilot.com Published by Old North State Magazines LLC. ©Copyright 2023. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Volume 28, Issue 2

READY TO ELEVATE YOUR LIFESTYLE?

Look No Further

1350 Richland Drive, Charlotte, NC $1,500,000. Exclusively offered by Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

BROKERAGE | RELOCATION | NEW DEVELOPMENT MORTGAGE | INSURANCE | FINE ART CONSIGNMENT Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

PremierSIR.com | 704.248.0243

Discover the

T R U E F L AV O R S O F I TA LY Enjoy the freshest flavors of Italy, right here in Myers Park. Join us for date nights, holidays and just because!

Boulangerie, Pâtisserie, and Provisions

Serving breakfast and lunch @c o pa i n_ba k e ry

I N TH E ATRI U M B E H I N D ROOSTE R'S SOUTH PARK

blvd. RENDERING COURTESY DISCOVERY PLACE NATURE

people, places, things

GREEN SCENE

At the end of January, Discovery Place Nature on Sterling Road closed its doors — but big things are on the horizon. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring on a new building that will replace the circa-1951 structure adjacent to Freedom Park, known for years as Charlotte Nature Museum. When completed, the new museum will include a river otter habitat, a naturalist lab, animals native to the Piedmont and a treetop canopy walk on the 13-acre site. An estimated timeline for completion of the $62.3 million project has not been announced. SP southparkmagazine.com | 19

blvd. | food + drink

TALE OF THE PLATE:

Cajun Meatloaf WITH BUTTERMILK SMASHED POTATOES BY CHEF AMANDA CRANFORD

by Asha Ellison | photographs by Justin Driscoll

hen was the last time you had a warm meal at Grandma’s house? Situated near the corner of Thomas and Central avenues in Plaza Midwood, you’ll find that kind of comfort at Dish. Since opening in 2002, it’s become one of the longest-running restaurants in the Central Avenue corridor. Here, chef-owner Amanda Cranford and her team greet you with the soulfully familiar sounds, smells and hospitality of home. Cranford credits her Louisiana grandmother with molding her into a self-taught chef. Since purchasing the business in 2022, she worked to maintain the restaurant’s time-honored traditions while adding her own flair. And it’s true; there’s a beautiful freshness in the air. Here, nostalgia meets you tableside, but she’s wearing shiny new shoes. Cranford’s main goal at Dish is to continue nurturing the restaurant’s connection to the community. As someone who perceives sustenance as a means to human connection and happiness, Cranford wants to create food that makes guests feel good to their very soul. 20 | SOUTHPARK

It’s the reason she pursued a career in hospitality in the first place. “I’m driven by community,” Cranford says. “And by cooking for someone, I [can contribute to that]. It’s the best part of my entire day when I get to have an experience with another person — give them some coffee, give them something to eat, and just have a positive exchange.” When it comes to soul food, there’s one item on the menu that stands above the rest: the Cajun Meatloaf. At Dish, it’s simple yet savory. It’s also a childhood favorite of Cranford’s. “There’s nothing alienating about a meatloaf,” she says. “The most beautiful thing about it is that the simplicity of the dish is what makes it good. You don’t need 17 million ingredients to create something amazing.” For Cranford, it’s the time and intention behind the dish that make it special. “My mom was a working mom, and she didn’t have a lot of time,” she says. “There were a lot of Kid Cuisine meals, but one thing she

New Year. New Move. M OT I VAT E D B Y C L I E N TS . D R I V E N B Y FA M I LY. W E LC O M I N G YO U H O M E .

F O R T M I L L , S C | C O L U M B I A , S C | C H A R L O T T E , N C | 7 0 4 - 9 1 9 - 0 0 7 3 | W W W. M A C K E Y R E A LT Y. C O M

blvd. | food + drink

Cajun Meatloaf serves 4-6

Ingredients: 5 pounds ground beef 3 eggs 1/2 cup milk 3/4 cup ketchup 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 2 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper and spices. Work ground beef into the mixture. Once blended together, shape the large meatball into a loaf. Place in a baking dish and top with ketchup. Place the baking dish in the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes.

Buttermilk Smashed Potatoes serves 4-6

knew how to make was meatloaf. I always valued that because it was her investment of time that made it so special for me.” And while a made-with-love meatloaf is strong enough to stand on its own, Cranford is moved by the memory of the dish paired with her favorite thing in the world: her grandmother’s mashed potatoes. “I can close my eyes and smell my grandmother if I eat those mashed potatoes,” she says. There’s a beautiful thing that happens when two worlds come together — the blending of old and new. Cranford and the team at Dish continue to honor the past while offering guests the choice to “funk up” some menu items to experience them in a contemporary way. For today at least, she shares what’s good and true: meatloaf and her grandma’s smashed potatoes — family-style recipes to hold you over until you can get to Dish (or grandma’s house) for yourself. 22 | SOUTHPARK

Ingredients: 5 pounds potatoes 1 quart heavy cream 2 cups buttermilk 1/4 cup salt 1/2 pound of butter Directions: Peel and cut potatoes, then place them in a pot. Cover the potatoes with the heavy cream and buttermilk, then add salt. If the potatoes are not covered fully, add water until the potatoes are submerged. Cook on medium-low heat until potatoes are tender. You should be able to break them with a fork. Strain the potatoes, reserving 1 quart of the cooking liquid. Use a ricer or a potato masher to slowly mash potatoes. Incorporate cooking liquid and butter into cooked potatoes. Salt to taste, and enjoy. SP

Here When You Need Us. At TowneBank, we know we make a genuine difference in people’s lives. That’s really the essence of our job and that’s why we love what we do. We are here for you when you need us.

2024

B ALLANTYNE | M YERS P ARK | S OUTH P ARK

Nerissa Smith • 704-644-4035

TowneBank.com/Charlotte | Member FDIC

VP, Relationship Specialist Manager

blvd. | interiors

THIS PRIMARY BATH BY DIPPED INTERIORS IS A SOOTHING SANCTUARY THAT REFLECTS THE HOMEOWNERS’ FONDNESS FOR THE COAST.

hen this busy young family of five set out to renovate the entire first floor of their McAlpine Forest home, first up was the primary bathroom. The home had been a rental before the current owners bought it in 2016. The bathroom was straight from the ’90s, according to Vicky Little, co-founder and principal designer at Dipped Interiors. “Blah, boring and beige on so many levels,” Little says. She and her partner Lynn Kayne started their residential interior design firm, Dipped Interiors, a decade ago after working in commercial retail and hospitality design. 24 | SOUTHPARK

“The overall layout was great, but the shower felt tight, and the vanity was low,” Little says. The homeowners’ top priority was replacing a garden tub they never used with a large freestanding tub. Removing the massive tub not only created space to expand the shower; it also improved the balance and overall symmetry in the room, Little says. “It was supposed to be a place for mom to unwind, but even the little ones enjoy a nice soak after a long Saturday of soccer tournaments. What was once a never-used-tub is now the center of making memories.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY VICTORIA MOON

Beachy keen

Removing a large garden tub created space to add a freestanding tub and enlarge the shower. A low vanity was replaced with new custom cabinets by Fabuwood painted in a soothing blue with champagne bronze hardware.

Only 4 Estates Remaining

Your Estate Awaits Enjoy the luxury of low maintenance living in the HEART of EASTOVER. A Collection of 32 Residences Starting from the Low $2M

TOUR THE COMPLETED RESIDENCES TODAY SALES GALLERY 130 Cherokee Road 704.327.0822 | TheRegentatEastover.com

Home and community information, including pricing, included features, terms, availability and amenities, are subject to change, prior sale or withdrawal at any time without notice or obligation. Drawings, photographs, renderings, video, scale models, square footages, ﬂoor plans, elevations, features, colors and sizes are approximate for presentation purposes only and may vary from the homes as built. Home prices refer to the base price of the house and do not include options or premiums, unless otherwise indicated for a speciﬁc home. Nothing on our website should be construed as legal, accounting or tax advice. Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.

blvd. | interiors The accent wallpaper in the storage nook, left, is by Charlotte artist Megan Daisy Milner. The addition of a freestanding tub, right, was the top priority in the renovation. The handmade chandelier is made of resincoated banana bark.

THE DETAILS Designer: Dipped Interiors

Builder: F2 Construction

Floating shelves and wallpaper installation: P.S. Carpentry Cabinets: Fabuwood through Advanced Kitchen & Bath Design

PHOTOGRAPHS BY VICTORIA MOON

Spa-like amenities, a coastal aesthetic and colorful art were also on the punch list. “Our clients love the beach and have a deep appreciation for original colorful abstract artwork, so we knew we needed to incorporate those elements in some way,” Little says. The custom vanity in a soft blue and champagne bronze hardware give a light and airy feel. A grasscloth wallcovering designed by Charlotte artist Megan Daisy Milner brings a pop of color to the storage nook. SP – Cathy Martin

Embrace the Season

Snow Tubing • Ice Skating • Snowboarding Skiing • Alpine Coaster • Grandfather Mountain 26 | SOUTHPARK

BannerElk.com

MAKE ROOM FO R A L L O F YO U

CALL , V IS IT A S H OW RO OM, O R FI N D U S O N L I N E TO SCHE D ULE YOUR C OMP LIM E N TA RY D ES IGN CO N SU LTATI O N

Charlotte

224 East Blvd

CA L I FO R N I AC LO S E TS . C O M

704.527.5579

blvd. | people

An angel across the street A NEW KIDNEY MAY HAVE SAVED ARTIST AND NODA COFOUNDER RUTH AVA LYONS’ LIFE. HER DONOR, KRYSTLE BALLER, SAYS LYONS DID THE SAME FOR HER. by Page Leggett

“R

uth rolled up to Smelly Cat like a bada** — on a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket,” recalls Krystle Baller of her first encounter with Ruth Ava Lyons. “She took her helmet off and had this amazing, flowing, red hair. And I’m like: Who is this mystical unicorn?” It was 2016 or thereabouts when Baller, a musician with a studio in NoDa, met the artist who, along with her husband, Paul Sires, are the de facto founders of NoDa, home to Smelly Cat Coffeehouse and other bars, restaurants, tattoo shops and music venues. Baller (who uses they/she pronouns) is creative director at We Rock Charlotte (formerly Girls Rock Charlotte), an organization that provides youth music camps and lessons. They were planning a workshop and had enlisted Lyons to teach the young musicians how to hula hoop. Lyons, 67, is a Renaissance woman (and mystical unicorn) who paints, scuba dives and seeks adventure all over the globe. She hula hoops (often with hoops set ablaze!) and zips around town on her motorcycle, a Suzuki Savage. But living that large was partly a coping mechanism. Since 2010, Lyons has known she has the same hereditary disease that took her mother, Sally, and sister, Nadine. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) causes fluid-filled cysts to form and expand in both kidneys, eventually leading to kidney failure. At that point, the only options are dialysis and/or a transplant. Nadine’s illness prompted her then-asymptomatic sister to see a nephrologist 15 years ago. Lyons was warned she needed to de-stress or risk “ending up on a machine.” The news led to Lyons and Sires closing Center of the Earth, the fine art gallery they’d run for 22 years, and the seed that started NoDa. 28 | SOUTHPARK

blvd. | people Last year, Lyons found herself in the position she’d long sought to avoid — and avoid discussing. She’d never seen a reason to talk about PKD, since she’d convinced herself she was too healthy and active to get sick. But after her kidneys began to fail, and after her husband and son were ruled out as donors, she revealed on Facebook that finding a kidney had become imperative. “My kids (Orion Sires of Charlotte and Eden Sires of Manhattan Beach, Calif.) thought it would help me find a donor,” she says. Finding a match isn’t easy. Her sister died waiting for one. It’s not that Lyons didn’t understand the gravity of her disease. Early-stage PKD is easy to ignore when there are few, if any, symptoms. As it progresses, high blood pressure, urinary tract infections and kidney stones become common. Lyons had them all. On bad days, she had unrelenting muscle cramps, nausea, fatigue. Doctors told her to stay healthy to prepare for the transplant she hoped for, but fatigue made that hard. She gave up her membership at the JCC near her south Charlotte home, quit doing yoga and cut back on roller skating, hooping and cycling.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LORA DENTON

“There have been so many angels,” Lyons says. “The people who’ve shown up for me blow my mind. It’s really beautiful to see how many people care.” THE SEARCH IS ON Someone with PKD has a 50% chance of passing it on to their children. Lyons begged her kids to get tested, and Orion learned he may have it, though tests so far are inconclusive. “I wouldn’t have taken an organ from my own child,” she says. “But I wanted them to know if they’ve got this thing. Orion was devastated … that he couldn’t be my donor. He was planning to donate anonymously.” With coaxing from her family, Lyons went public. “I want to hang out some more with my inspiring grown kids and my sweet granddaughter,” she wrote on Facebook,

“and continue to make contributions with art, community and the world.” (That granddaughter is Aspen, Orion’s 2-year-old.) Once testing confirmed Lyons was healthy enough for a transplant, she got on waiting lists for living and deceased donors. But she preferred a living donor because they’re more carefully vetted. Lyons has connections all over the world. She’s been to the Arctic, the Amazon, Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands and Nevada’s Black Rock Desert (for Burning Man). Her life-saving kidney could’ve come from anywhere.

HELP WAS HERE ALL ALONG But Lyons’ match turned out to be someone she knew — someone literally across the street. We Rock Charlotte is across from Starlight on 22nd, the NoDa-adjacent bar/open mic/poetry lounge Lyons, Sires and Orion opened in 2021. Lyons was amazed that her donor was, as she put it, “right in my own backyard — just like in The Wizard of Oz.” After seeing Lyons’ Facebook post, Baller and their wife, artist Elizabeth Palmisano, decided they’d both apply to be her donor. But the ibuprofen Palmisano takes regularly for back pain eliminated her. Baller, 38, kept passing every test — kidney function tests, a mental health evaluation, blood tests. Their blood type, O negative, makes them a universal donor. All the testing, the surgery, the hospital stay, cost Baller nothing. Lyons’ insurance covered it all. They were happy to be healthy enough to donate. A year ago, their BMI might’ve disqualified them. But they started walking — and later hiking — for their mental health. And lost weight in the process. Then, they quit smoking. They’re also pescatarian and watch their sodium intake. Almost inadvertently, they’d become the ideal donor. Baller was assigned a donor advocate — a surgeon who’s performed kidney transplants — who helped prepare them. “I asked a bunch of questions, including, ‘Does anybody ever regret donating a kidney?’ And he said the entire time he’s been doing this — over 20 years — he’s never talked to anyone who regrets it. And that’s true even if the operation wasn’t a success.” The evaluation process was emotionally fraught for Baller. They’d get a call with news they hadn’t passed a test. Then, they’d hear it was a false negative. But they remained determined. “I told Ruth and Paul in June, ‘Look, I’m doing this.’ They said I could change my mind any time. They kept reiterating that, but I kept saying, ‘I’m stubborn.’”

‘SO MANY ANGELS’ In the months leading up to the November transplant, Lyons wasn’t worried about whether or not the transplant would be successful. Her doctors were optimistic and southparkmagazine.com | 29

blvd. | people

hadn’t given her any cause for concern. Still, she updated her living will and organized her jewelry for daughter Eden. “I wanted to be ready for anything,” she says. While Baller’s 10-year-old daughter, Cadence, was nervous about her mom’s surgery, she ultimately said she’s proud of her mom for sharing a part of herself with a friend who desperately needed it. Baller didn’t have time to be nervous. In June, they learned they had 30 days to vacate the rental house they loved. The family moved to another rental, a Dilworth duplex, in July. In September, they found their dream house, bought it and moved in. That was two weeks before surgery, but friends helped paint and get the family settled. Friends helped keep Lyons’ spirits buoyed during her wait for a match. “There’ve been so many angels,” she says. “The people who’ve shown up for me blow my mind. It’s really beautiful to see how many people care.”

‘HAPPY TEARS’ On transplant day, Lyons and Baller chatted in the surgical prep area of Atrium’s main hospital. Each was behind privacy curtains, but they gabbed as they waited to be wheeled into the OR. Baller told Lyons about the last time she was in a hospital; it had been a decade since Cadence’s birth. Two surgeons were involved — one to laparoscopically remove Baller’s healthy kidney and another to transplant it into Lyons’ abdomen. The donor goes into surgery first; the recipient goes about an hour later. 30 | SOUTHPARK

“The first thing I asked the nurse when I woke up was: ‘Is Ruth OK?’” Baller says. “She was still in surgery. The next time I woke up, I asked again. This time, the nurse said, ‘It worked!’... I started crying, and the nurse thought it was from pain. I told her they were happy tears.” There was pain, but it was tolerable. “I’m a woman,” Baller says. “I may use they pronouns, but I’m a woman and can therefore handle pain.” The day after the transplant, Lyons walked to Baller’s hospital room. “When I saw her, I think I said, ‘D*mmit, you beat me,’” Baller says. “I had hoped to walk to her room first.” Both donor and recipient were discharged Nov. 22 with instructions to take it easy for eight weeks. Lyons, now off dialysis, was thrilled to send the equipment back. She doesn’t think of her new kidney, which she’s named “K” for Krystle, as hers. “I’ve heard of recipients who go back to old, unhealthy habits,” she says. “I’m honoring Krystle’s sacrifice by taking care of [their] kidney.” Lyons didn’t ask for anything for herself after surgery but told friends who wanted to help that they could send a meal to Baller’s family. They’re like one family now. A part of one now lives inside the other. “Ruth and I are kindred spirits, for sure,” Baller says. Giving away a part of her has been beneficial for her health, she adds. “Donating my kidney is a great motivator for me to continue living a healthy lifestyle. That means less processed foods, more walks in the woods and lots of water. Ruth is saving my life, too.” SP

PHOTOGRAPH BY LORA DENTON

Ruth Ava Lyons, left, and her kidney donor, Krystle Baller, right

Dr. Daniel Aquino

Dr. Amit Aravapalli

Dr. Anne Barnard

Dr. Francisco Bautista Vitiello

Dr. Oscar Brann

Dr. Allen Brantley

Dr. Kerry Briones

Dr. Jason Carnes

Dr. Alicia Cole

Dr. Jacob Coleman

Dr. Peter Copsis

Dr. Meredith Dasher

Dr. Christopher Ferris

Dr. David Framm

Dr. Kym Furney

Dr. Diane George

Personalized care is our Top priority. Tryon Medical Partners is proud to have been recognized by our peers among North Carolina’s Top Doctors again this year. We appreciate the trust of our colleagues and patients, and consider our ability to build stronger relationships to be the ultimate measure of success.

Dr. Jennie Hauschka

Dr. Eric Hilgenfeldt

Dr. Erin Hodges

Dr. Kent Holtzmuller

Dr. Alison Johnson

Dr. Tina Kennelly

Dr. Eric Landis

Dr. Adam Ligler

Dr. Michael McCartney

Dr. Justin Miller

Dr. Dale Owen, Jr.

Dr. Martie Jewell Price

Dr. Alicia Reams

Dr. Patricia Roddey

Dr. Gary Rolband

Dr. Ryan Shelton

Dr. Scott Smith

Dr. Erin Stone

Dr. Ehrlich Tan

Dr. John Tenini

Dr. Charles Upchurch

Dr. Hala Webster

Dr. Julianne Weidner

Dr. Caroline Wilds

Dr. Jill Zouzoulas

tryonmed.com

UNRIVALED luxury E X P E R I E N C E T H E N E X T L E V E L I N L U X U RY R E A L E S TAT E W H E N Y O U PA R T N E R W I T H U S

Anne Barnett 704.277.0933

Jean Benham 704.363.2938

Anne-Marie Bullock 704.472.1979

Lauren Campbell 704.579.8333

Jamie Craft 704.507.9623

Bryan Criminger 704.578.2016

Tiffani Dallas 732.492.0113

Kemp Dunaway Jr. 704.458.6997

Bailee Eurey 704.530.4630

Holly Evans 704.589.1466

Kim Ewert 704.491.2765

Anthony Frantilla 704.629.8669

Glenda Gravatt 704.421.2302

Sharon Hammitt 704.287.6639

Nick Hill 704.292.8722

Rebecca Hunter 704.650.4039

A HOWARD HANNA PARTNER

A L L E N TAT E R E A LT O R S ® S O U T H PA R K #1 pri vately owned real estate company in the country and founding member of L e a d i n g R e a l E s t a t e C o m p a n i e s o f t h e Wo r l d ® a n d L u x u r y P o r t f o l i o I n t e r n a t i o n a l ®

Shelley Spencer 704.907.3800

David Huss 704.634.9682

Team Jamison 704.363.4432

Team Kachellek 704.517.2764

Katie Koppelmann 980.228.1470

Emily Koski 336.391.3737

Martina Linford 980.307.3211

Tony Nicastro 704.615.5553

Helen Penter 704.578.1370

Lee Reynolds 704.996.1351

SasserFritz Team 704.975.9577

Suzanne and Tim Severs 704.564.7345

Patty Smith 704.591.9019

Frank Turner 704.516.9628

James Webb 336.830.9062

Hayes Willett 704.965.3967

Sloan Young 336.402.6667

blvd. | givers

Raising the stakes ALL-IN TO FIGHT CANCER’S TEXAS HOLD’EM EVENTS SUPPORT LOCAL PATIENTS, SURVIVORS AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE DISEASE.

ory Eubank can’t believe her husband’s “little brainchild,” All-in to Fight Cancer, is still going, let alone going strong. “When it started it was definitely just an idea — he and his friend and business partner just wanted to do something where everyone could participate, something fun with music,” she says. “That was important to him. What it is now, he never would have imagined.” Kory’s husband Rob started the Texas Hold ’em poker tournament and fundraiser in 2010 not long after he was diagnosed with colon cancer. About 100 people attended the first event, mostly family and friends gathering to support Rob and raise money. He passed away at 41 in 2011, but his business partner and co-founder Steve Amedio and friends kept things going. Now, the annual fundraiser hosts 56 tables, each with nine players. The nonprofit has raised more than $2.5 million for cancer survivors and families affected by the disease. Proceeds go to Charlottebased charities doing work in those areas. “We try to impact local nonprofits doing good work and helping all different kinds of people — colon, breast, lung cancer... I know that would make him really happy,” Eubank says. “We honor him by doing good work. That feels really good, and my kids are really proud.” Go Jen Go supports women battling breast cancer and has been a beneficiary of AITFC since the beginning. Executive Director Susan Sears says the nonprofit is grateful for the generosity. “Our 34 | SOUTHPARK

longtime partnership has had a significant impact on breast cancer patients in the Charlotte area. Funding provided by AITFC quite literally has helped more than 100 families facing the financial burden of breast cancer.” Two years ago, AITFC brought in Executive Director Clifton Castelloe to help grow the charity, which has since added annual poker tournaments in Winston-Salem and Raleigh. Winston-Salem is especially meaningful to the family — Rob was a Wake Forest University graduate, and all three of his kids are either current students there or recent graduates. “Rob’s wish [was] that the event be an upbeat celebration and bring people together to relieve some of the fundraising burden on local organizations that are assisting survivors and their families day in and day out,” Castelloe says. Guests don’t have to know how to play poker to attend, he adds. “We have beginners who win the whole thing. It’s just a really fun night, and it always sells out.” Kory Eubank says she and their kids love being at the tournament every year and know Rob would be thrilled at how much it’s grown. “He’d be incredibly grateful that people still think of him and honor him in this way,” she says. “It’s humbling. Thirteen years later, it’s still relevant and impactful. … We raise money to give it away, and that would make him really happy.” SP All-In to Fight Cancer’s Texas Hold ’em event with live music is March 7 at The Fillmore. Learn more at allintofightcancer.org.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEAH CUSTER PHOTOGRAPHY

by Michele Boudin

A modern steakhouse from celebrity Chef David Burke. Featuring an elevated menu with steaks from land and sea. DINNE R ~ BRUNCH ~ B AR B I T E S ~ PRI VAT E E VEN T S 4905 Ashley Park Lane, Charlotte, NC 28210 thefoxandfalconnc.com ~ @thefoxandfalconbydb_nc

blvd. | calendar

February HAPPENINGS Orchids from the McMillan Greenhouse at UNCC

Rail Trail Lights Feb. 2 - 18 Stroll South End amid one-of-a-kind, Instagram-worthy light installations created by local artists. southendclt.org

Dogs! A Science Tail Feb. 3 - May 5 Explore the bond between humans and dogs with exhibits that invite guests of all ages to see, hear, think and smell like a dog at Discovery Place Science. discoveryplace.org Chatham Rabbits Feb. 9 After a national tour, Sarah and Austin McCombie are back home in North Carolina, sharing old favorites and new songs true to their Americana, folk and bluegrass roots. TIckets start at $22.50; Neighborhood Theatre. neighborhoodtheatre.com Annual Orchid Sale Feb. 10, 12 and 14 The annual sale at UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens typically features orchids, succulents and other houseplants. Shop at McMillan Greenhouse on Feb. 10 and 12 and at Popp Martin Student Union Feb. 14. gardens.charlotte.edu 36 | SOUTHPARK

Queen City Brewers Festival Feb. 10 | 1 - 4 p.m. More than 40 regional brewers come together for an afternoon of beer tastings and bites at the Innovation Barn at 932 Seigle Ave. Tickets are $75; proceeds benefit Envision Charlotte. qcbrewfest.com Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience Feb. 15 This Grammy Award winner will get you in the mood for Mardis Gras. Simien’s blend of world-funk-reggae-blues-American zydeco music is inspired by his Cajun roots. Tickets start at $20; Gambrell Center at Queens University of Charlotte. calendar.queens.edu Dog Days of Winter Feb. 17 | 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Celebrate winter with your pup at the Whitewater Center. Activities include a 5K trail race, adoptions, clinics, ice rink access and doggy vendors (including portraits). Free, but daily parking is $12. center.whitewater.org African American Heritage Festival Feb. 22 - 24 | 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Celebrate the arrival of Siloam School to the museum campus at this cultural event with performances, speakers and more. charlottemuseum.org

Big Head Todd and the Monsters Feb. 23 This Colorado-based quartet has become an American institution. The crowd will surely be singing along to their bestknown ’90s hit, “Bittersweet,” and others. Tickets start at $39.50; Knight Theater blumenthalarts.org Charlotte FC Home Opener Feb. 24 I 7:30 p.m. Here we go, CLT FC fans. The team takes on NYC FC to kick off their third season at home. Tickets start at $15. charlottefootballclub.com The String Queens Candlelight Concert Feb. 24 Known for their soulful orchestral sound, this trio performs everything from baroque to Billboard’s Hot 100. Notable performances include Carnegie Hall and the 2021 Presidential Inaugural Concert. Tickets start at $39.50; Booth Playhouse. blumenthalarts.org SP

Scan the QR code on your mobile device to view our online events calendar — updated weekly — at southparkmagazine.com.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER TAYLOR

EVENTS + ACTIVITIES

CREATING IN THE KITCHEN Reach new culinary heights with KitchenAid Appliances at Queen City. Plus, with the KitchenAid Customize Your Kitchen rebate, save up to $3,000! *Rebate good through June 30, 2024

QueenCityOnline.com 10 Convenient Locations Monday - Saturday 9am-7pm | Sunday Noon-6pm

THE PASSION OF MARY CARDWELL DAWSON Opera Carolina presents a musical tale of the North Carolina-born founder of one of America’s first Black opera companies.

This month, Charlotte hosts acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves performing with Opera Carolina in the title role of the contemporary play with music, The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson. The performance makes its North Carolina debut and showcases the backstory of the founder of the National Negro Opera Company — one of the first and the most successful Black opera companies in the U.S. Cardwell Dawson, born in the town of Madison, just north of Greensboro, experienced the transformative power of music as a child and made it her life’s work to musically educate and train Black youth. She saw opera as an inspirational vehicle with appeal far beyond elite urbanites. For more than two decades, beginning with her company’s found-

ing in 1941, Cardwell Dawson brought opera to integrated and economically diverse rural and urban audiences alike. “There are two threads going through the story that exhibit Cardwell Dawson’s passion for developing artists of color,” says James Meena, general director at Opera Carolina. “These artists had few opportunities, and the biases of the era created obstacles to success. These are among the many challenges Madame Dawson worked to overcome for her company.” The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson was first performed at the Glimmerglass Festival in New York in 2021. Emmy and Grammy winner Graves, through her Denyce Graves Foundation, is working to amplify the voice of Cardwell Dawson and other historic classical Black performers whose stories have been untold. She’s recreating the lead role she played in her 2023 performance at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center. The performance is in collaboration with

The Charlotte Museum of History, whose forthcoming exhibit, Open Wide the Door – The story of Mary Cardwell Dawson and the National Negro Opera Company, opens in March. — Michael J. Solender Performances are Feb. 15-17 at Central Piedmont Community College’s New Theater, 1201 Elizabeth Ave. Tickets start at $50. operacarolina.org

Heritage Gold ~ Samuelsohn Corneliani ~ Jack Victor ~ Paul Betenly Rentals by Jim’s Formal Wear

The Village at SouthPark ~ 4310 Sharon Road ~ 704.366.4523 ~ www.PaulSimonCo.com

2401-PS Formal SP MagAd.indd 1

38 | SOUTHPARK

1/16/24 3:06 PM

PHOTOGRAPH BY PKARLI CADEL

blvd. | calendar

CRAFTSMANSHIP. REFINED. Exquisite custom luxury homes for the discerning client.

gerrardbuilders.com

THIS WAY TO NEVERLAND

A MUSICAL BASED ON THE PLAY BY SIR JAMES M. BARRIE LYRICS BY CAROLYN LEIGH MUSIC BY MORRIS (MOOSE) CHARLAP ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY BETTY COMDEN, ADOLPH GREEN & AMANDA GREEN ADDITIONAL MUSIC BY JULE STYNE ORIGINALLY DIRECTED, CHOREOGRAPHED, AND ADAPTED BY JEROME ROBBINS ADDITIONAL BOOK BY LARISSA FASTHORSE CHOREOGRAPHY BY LORIN LATARRO

DIRECTED BY LONNY PRICE

MARCH 5-10 • BELK THEATER BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

BlumenthalArts.org • 704.372.1000 • Group Sales: 704.348.5752

72 HOMES CLOSED

$1,937,441 AV E R AG E S A L E S P R I C E

33 AV E R AG E DAYS O N M A R K E T

$455.54 AV E R AG E S A L E S P R I C E / S Q . F T.

100% LIST TO CLOSED PRICE

|art of the state

Sculpture in silk KENNY NGUYEN’S UNIQUE MEDIUM WEAVES TRADITION WITH INGENUITY. by Liza Roberts

“E

very time I start a piece, I imagine there’s a body underneath it,” says Quoctrung Kenny Nguyen, a former fashion designer who makes rippling, three-dimensional sculptures out of paint-soaked silk. “Instead, there’s this absence of a body, in sculptural form. I think it’s beautiful like that.” Torn into strips, dredged in paint and affixed to unstretched canvas, Nguyen’s silk segments fuse to become a malleable but sturdy material that he molds with his hands and pins in place. Every time he hangs a piece, he changes the pin placement — and with it the object’s shape, shadow and energy. Some have a “more architectural feel,” according to Nguyen; others are more organic. These works explore and illustrate Nguyen’s experience with reinvention, cultural displacement, isolation and identity. His chosen material — with its direct ties to the cultural history of his native Vietnam, where the fabric is revered and traditional “silk villages” keep ancient production techniques alive — is a key component. “Identity is changing all the time,” he says, “and the work keeps evolving, in a continuous transformation.” It all begins with the fabric in his hands. “Silk is already a transformation: from the silkworm, to the silk thread, to a piece of silk. So it’s holding a metaphor.” More than one: “People see silk as a very delicate thing,” he says, “but actually it’s one of the strongest fibers on earth.” Nguyen’s work has earned him solo exhibitions and dozens of awards, residencies, grants and fellowships all over the world. It began to take off commercially in a big way during the pandemic, when he started using Instagram to share images of his pieces, and after Los Angeles-based Saatchi Art named him a Rising Star of 2020, one of the 35 “best young artists to collect” under the age of 35 from around the world. He now has art consultants and galleries representing his work all over the country and in Europe, and has had to move his studio out of the garage of his family home and into a former textile mill to keep up with

42 | SOUTHPARK

demand. He no longer works alone, with three assistants (all art students from UNC Charlotte) helping him with prep work, photography and studio management. His biggest challenge is no longer finding an audience; it’s managing the business. Nguyen couldn’t have imagined this kind of success when he immigrated here in 2010 from Ho Chi Minh City with his family. He was 19 and had a BFA in fashion design from the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City. But he couldn’t find a job and spoke no English. “It was just a culture shock. You can’t communicate with anybody. You feel so isolated. Homeless, in a way. I was struggling,” he says. Art called him. Nguyen enrolled at UNC Charlotte to study painting — Davidson artist Elizabeth Bradford was one of his teachers — and found himself yearning for a way to incorporate his own culture and passions into the work. In the end, the way those came together was a happy accident. During the summer of 2018, three years out of UNCC, Nguyen had just arrived at an artist’s residency in rural Vermont, where he planned to

|art of the state Encounter Series No.4, 2023, Hand-cut silk fabric, acrylic paint, canvas, mounted on wall, 84 x 65 in.

Encounter Series No.12, 2023, Hand cut silk, acrylic, canvas mounted on wall, (Approx.) 75 x 60 x 5 in.

continue painting the “very flat, very traditional” types of canvases he’d been creating until that point. He realized that in his rush to get out the door, he’d left a container with most of his colorful paints and brushes behind. In fact, he realized that he’d managed to bring only three materials with him: a bucket of white paint, skeins of silk, and some canvas. “What can you do with that?” he wondered. He began ripping pieces of silk, dredging them in paint, affixing them to canvas, “and you know, it just happened.” Quickly, he decided he was on to something: “The material was speaking for itself.” Bits of transparent silk dripped off his canvases, letting light shine through. “I decided I didn’t want the frame anymore. I decided: let’s sculpt it.” To get there, though, he knew he’d have to manipulate his silk in new ways. “Silk has such a value in the Vietnamese culture,” he says. “For me, to destroy a piece of silk, to cut it into pieces… that’s a big deal for me. I pushed myself to do that.” He hasn’t stopped. “The work is evolving in such an amazing way,” he said in late December. “I’ve just been in the studio nonstop, producing work.” Nguyen says that kind of work ethic has been crucial to his success. Some of it is rooted in his early years working in fashion while in school, some of it is hard-wired, and a lot of it is simply about his love of the work. “The more that I work with the materials, the more I realize how it works and the more capacity I have,” he says. He’s experimenting with large-scale work, which can be challenging to mold

Encounter Series No.5, 2023, Hand-cut silk fabric, acrylic paint, canvas, mounted on wall,72 x 120 in.

southparkmagazine.com | 43

|art of the state

in lasting sculptural forms, but not impossible. His largest works are now up to 40 feet long, and he makes them in five or six different segments which he then sews together. “It’s not evolving in a straight line,” he says. “There are a lot of tests, and a lot of failures. Little accidents happen, unexpected things happen, and I pick up on that.” When he’s not working on commissions for collectors with requests for particular dimensions or colors, Nguyen often goes right back to where he started, letting colors and shapes come to him intuitively, sometimes reworking old pieces that didn’t originally come together, pulling out paints he hasn’t used in a while, relying on instinct. His materials never stop inspiring his creativity. “It amazes me,” he says, “that the material, this silk, can hold a sculptural form.” SP This is an excerpt from Art of the State: Celebrating the Art of North Carolina, published by UNC Press.

Cham (Encounter No.9), 2023, Hand cut silk, acrylic, canvas mounted on wall, 84 x 120 in.

southparkmagazine.com | 45

ALLEN TATE SOUTHPARK

CHARLOTTE | $1,500,000 2739 Beverwyck Road Kemp Dunaway Jr. | 704.458.6997

FORT MILL | $645,000 5217 Sweet Fig Way Tiffani Dallas | 732.492.0113

INDIAN TRAIL | $500,000 1602 Belmont Stakes Avenue SasserFritz Team | 704.975.9577

CHARLOTTE | $1,450,000 14416 William Davie Lane Team Severs | 704.564.7345

A HOWARD HANNA PARTNER

|gardening

‘Purple Flame’ iris adds drama to the spring garden.

Sublime pairings

A weeping Ryusen Japanese maple pairs well with an upright Thunderhead pine

EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT PLANT COMBINATIONS CAN ADD DRAMA, EXCITEMENT AND BALANCE TO THE GARDEN. by Jay Sifford

ebruary is all about pairing. Valentine’s Day celebrates the pairing of couples, whether they are complete opposites or very similar soul mates. We pair wine with food, deciding upon a non-oaky chardonnay with delicate fish or a hearty cabernet with a nicely marbled rib-eye. The proper pairing of plants in your garden is just as important. Moving beyond the basic-but-essential gardening advice of pairing plants based upon similar light, soil and water requirements, certain plant combinations can propel your garden to the next level. Others will sidetrack its potential. Many of the most successful pairings move beyond specific plant recommendations. They instead focus on combinations that complement and contrast plants based on color, texture, size and shape. Here are some successful pairings and the reasoning behind them.

add some sultry drama. When at a party, it’s hard to miss the woman with that proverbial little black dress, perfectly complemented with bespoke jewelry and shoes. A bit of positive drama livens up a lackluster party. Similarly, a dramatic plant, properly sited, can add excitement to a mundane garden vignette. Consider adding some dark foliage to a bed filled with pastel flowers and foliage. While there are no true black flowers or leaves found in nature, dark purples or deep browns can fit the bill. Many ninebarks, Japanese maples, ajuga cultivars, heucheras and dahlias have dark foliage that bring drama to the garden. Because of the purple undertones of these plants, they work

especially well paired with blues, purples and pinks. Companion plants could be blue ornamental grasses, purple salvias, and pink dianthus and echinaceas. One of my favorite plants filled with seasonal drama is Iris versicolor ‘Purple Flame.’ When the leaves emerge in spring, the bottom half of the foliage is a brilliant purple, while the top half is a beautiful spring green. As hot weather arrives, the purple subsides, but seeing the new spring foliage is a seasonal highlight. consider punctuation. Just as punctuation brings order and emotion to a paragraph, employing certain plants can add rhythm and excitement to your garden. I’m guilty of planting large masses of ornamental grasses. The way they respond to wind in a kinetic way is mesmerizing and sensual. Peppering some companion plants into the mix can keep the vignette interesting. I particularly enjoy introducing blazing star (Liatris) and tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) into these grassy masses. They act as exclamation marks, adding excitement and splashes of color while moving the eye through the space. contrast spiky and mounding. Introduce some yin and yang into your garden bed by considering these shapes. Spiky is a happy shape — think of someone throwing their hands up in excitement. This shape contrasts a soft, tranquil mounding shape. Consider adding yucca, agave or variegated iris into a bed of mounding dianthus or sedums. Properly done, the result is sublime. southparkmagazine.com | 47

Charlotte/Pineville, NC • Hickory, NC goodshomefurnishings.com

Sultry combination: ‘Black Scallop’ ajuga with blue atlas cedar

Introducing spiky foliage in a bed with softer, mounding plants creates interest and excitement.

|gardening think directionally. Up is not the only way. Consider planting a weeping tree such as a ‘Ryusen’ Japanese maple or ‘Cascade Falls’ bald cypress with a vertically growing conifer. The resulting juxtaposition will add excitement and animation to the garden bed. This result can also be attained by planting vertical ornamental grasses such as feather reed grasses (Calamagrostis) and some switchgrasses (Panicum) with very sculptural conifers such as weeping Norway spruces. pair different sizes. Add another layer to your garden by juxtaposing foliage or overall plant sizes. Consider pairing delicate or dainty plants such as maidenhair fern, woodland phlox, club mosses or miniature hostas with plants sporting large foliage such as bigger hostas, Chinese mayapples or acanthus. Doing so will add instant yinyang to the garden. Give yourself permission to play with different combinations. Your garden is, after all, a stylized reflection of your personality. Much of gardening involves experimentation and trial and error. The end result can be a sublime pairing, much like that perfect cabernet with a well marbled steak. SP

2 3 L U X U RY H O M E S I T E S A sprawling 43-acre gated community, nestled in the heart of coveted Marvin, North Carolina. This prestigious development, presented by Peters Custom Homes in partnership with Compass, promises an exclusive lifestyle surrounded by serene landscapes and architecturally exquisite contemporary homes. Visit sageatmarvin.com for details or give us a call at 704.312.5153.

Exclusively represented by

Gina Lorenzo

Deb White

Denise Gordon

Your Property People is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker under the name “Compass Carolinas, LLC" in South Carolina and under the name “Compass” in North Carolina and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

southparkmagazine.com | 49

A SADLER’S WELLS AND UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK PRODUCTION WITH ZOONATION: THE KATE PRINCE COMPANY

FEATURING THE HITS

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE ROXANNE WALKING ON THE MOON AND MANY MORE

APRIL 2-7 KNIGHT THEATER AT LEVINE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

|bookshelf

February books NOTABLE NEW RELEASES compiled by Sally Brewster

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes If, like Kane, you’re a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again — by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide — and when to shoot. But some places don’t play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place — a place where violence is the only way to survive. Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West — but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart. The Women by Kristin Hannah Women can be heroes, too. When 20-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. The Book of Love by Kelly Link Late one night, Laura, Daniel and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from the small seaside community of Lovesend, Mass., having long been presumed dead — which, in fact, they are. With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearance — and what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends. In the end, there will be winners and losers. But their resurrection has at-

tracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster. End of Story by A.J. Finn “I’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.” So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story… while living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life “detective-fever.” Twenty years earlier, on New Year’s Eve 1999, Sebastian’s first wife and teenage son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past? When a corpse appears in the family’s koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn’t gone — it’s just waiting. Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation. Communication is a superpower, and the best communicators understand that whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical, emotional or social. If you don’t know what kind of conversation you’re having, you’re unlikely to connect. Duhigg shows readers how to recognize these three conversations — and teaches us the tips and skills we need to navigate them more successfully. SP Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books. 4139 Park Rd., parkroadbooks.com. southparkmagazine.com | 51

Non-Invasive Fat Reduction

Lose Fat and gain muscle with Emsculpt NEO at Shape Med Centers. Strengthen & shape your core, love handles, buttocks, arms, & legs. Call 1-980-495-0909 for a free Consult or visit www.ShapeMedCenters.com

With purchase of 4 Emsculpt NEO Treatments S IMUL A TES 11, 200 K E GE L S S TRENG TH ENS THE PE LVIC FL OOR RE DUC E S B L ADD ER L E AKS F EW ER TR IP S TO TH E BA THRO OM RE DUC E S N O CTU RIA MUL TI P L E S EX UAL WE LL NESS BE N EF I TS

www.staydrycenters.com

Located by StoneCrest Shopping Center | Ballantyne Commons Parkway

1-980-495-0909

|history

The search for Hannah Crafts PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY GREGG HECIMOVICH

A NEW BOOK TELLS THE STORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA NATIVE WHO AUTHORED THE FIRST KNOWN NOVEL BY AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN. | by Jason Miller

disheveled manuscript titled The Bondwoman’s Narrative was listed only as “Lot 30: Unpublished Original Manuscript” when it appeared in a Swann Auction Galleries catalog in 2001. Written between 1853-1859, few people knew the hand-sewn pages pressed between two boards even existed. Barely meeting its retainer, the manuscript received only one bid. But the novel became a bestseller when it was published in 2002, after being quietly purchased and then authenticated by esteemed historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. Soon after, news began to spread that this was the first known novel written by an African American woman. Amid the speculation entered Gregg Hecimovich, an English professor at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., who is currently serving as Hutchins Family Fellow at Harvard University. Skeptical at first, Hecimovich devoted two decades of work to solving that mystery — and his book The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, published in October, reveals more about the writer’s identity and true marvel of her work.

“She became a New York Times bestselling author because of the sheer genius of the work,” Hecimovich says. “The novel itself is profound, artistic and funny. It’s a page-turner.” There’s only one handwritten copy in existence, written solely by the author herself on paper secreted away from her captors, with letters scripted using a goose quill lifted from an inkwell. Revisions were made by pasting slips of paper in place with a thimble — you can see the dimple marks it left behind on the manuscript. The completed pages were sewn together between twin boards that serve as its makeshift covers. In his book, Hecimovich allows us to see Crafts at the very moment she chooses to name her captors. John Hill Wheeler was a lawyer, politician and planter from Murfreesboro, in northeastern North Carolina. After risking a hard-won freedom via the Underground Railroad in 1857, Crafts finally had her first chance to write his name without fear. Where her original manuscript read “Wh—r,” Crafts now found the courage to add the letters “eele” above that dash to spell “Wheeler.” Uncovering Crafts’ identity required locating overlooked propsouthparkmagazine.com | 53

EEA A E A E

CCH

With 11 waterfront communities and 85 miles of beaches, finding your own slice of paradise shouldn’t be too hard. Plan your summer getaway at CrystalCoastNC.org.

|history

Right: Slave records that include Hannah and her relatives.

erty records, conducting extensive forensic paper analysis, and even studying handwritten notes made on the backs of ignored calendars. These combined to form “a series of Chinese lanterns that lit a path,” Hecimovich says. Many of the documents are more than 170 years old. Hecimovich gently turned every one. When Hecimovich began his quest in 2002, many experts were highly skeptical that an enslaved woman could have written such a remarkable novel. In going through the archival records, he had a realization. “There was a moment happening in the margins of the enslavers’ papers and journal entries that earlier generations of scholars weren’t really paying attention to.” Crafts’ identity was most often represented as an “X” on ledgers, but Hecimovich noticed the entries located on the backs of day calendars at the Library of Congress, where John Wheeler wrote down the actual names of his captives. This was the clue Hecimovich needed. With a new purpose, he found himself repeatedly drawn to Bertie County, N.C., to listen and learn from the descendent communities.

In her novel, Crafts prominently included a famous grouping of trees near the plantation where she was born in Bertie County known as “The Gospel Oaks.” The final one of these trees fell in November of 2011. While standing there, Hecimovich received a phone call. Divinely, he learned that a letter had been found linking the author to a farm where she found her freedom in New York State. It allowed Hecimovich to definitively confirm Crafts’ identity as the author of The Bondwoman’s Narrative. Standing by that fallen tree, the land seemed to have one last story to tell. Such literacy has been “overlooked by scholars who turned their back on it,” says longtime preservationist and Bertie County historian Benjamin Speller. “It means a lot that the academic communication channels and the gatekeepers are finally paying attention,” he says. “Something of this kind of historical importance should have been picked up a long time ago — and [there are] more stories like this still out there.” SP

southparkmagazine.com | 55

S T R ETC H

your body & your experiences

On any given day, you’ll find a range of options to fuel your passions, meet new friends and enjoy a lifestyle rich with interesting and exciting educational and engaging programs. Learn more about our rental senior living community at TheBarclayatSouthPark.com or schedule a visit at 980.825.4211. I NDE P E NDE NT LI VI NG | ASSI STED LI V I NG | MEMORY S UPPORT S KIL LE D NURSI N G | R EHABI LI TATI O N A Life Plan Community offered by Liberty Senior Living

4801 Barclay Downs Drive Charlotte, NC 28210

|simple life

Winter dad, summer son HOW’S THE WEATHER? DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.

by Jim Dodson

So, I switched to our usual topic — the weather. “How’s the weather there?” I asked. “Great. Hot and sunny. Just the way I like it. How about there?” “Cold and clear. Maybe some snow on the weekend. Just the way I like it.” Jack laughed. “I always forget that. How much you love winter.” My only son is a journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Lima, Peru, where, as you read this, it’s late summer. Before that, he spent nearly four years living and working in Israel, enjoying the heat and people of that ancient, violently contested land. Fortunately, he left a short time before the latest unspeakably horrible war between Israel and the Hamas terrorists erupted, an event straight from the pages of the Old Testament. I knew he was worried about friends back in Israel and Gaza and wished he was back there helping cover the war, where dozens of journalists have been killed. His mother, old man and big sister, however, were grateful that he wasn’t one of them. In a world that forever seems to be coming apart at the seams, for the moment at least, I was glad that he was in sunny and warm Peru, a place I almost cannot imagine but must be quite beautiful. Jack is fluent in Spanish and Arabic, a true traveler of the world. Though I speak only English and enough French to get me in trouble whenever I visit France, he and I have many things in common — with one notable exception. Jack was born on a warm August morning in Maine. He thrives in the heat and is an authentic son of summer, a northern New Englander who digs tropical heat and desert landscapes. I was born on a cold, snowy morning in Washington, D.C., where my dad worked for a newspaper, a true-blue son of winter who thrives in early evening darkness, bone-chilling winds and lots of snow, a Southerner who could happily

ILLUSTRATION BY GERRY O�NEILL

y son, Jack, phoned the other afternoon as I was enjoying an ounce of something superbly aged and watching from my favorite wooden chair under the trees as winter birds fed. It was a clear but cold afternoon, the kind I like. This day was special in another way as well. “Hey dad,” he said. “How’s it going?” “Pretty well,” I said. “I finished the book today.” “Congratulations,” he said. “I know that’s a big relief. Can’t wait to read it.” “At this point, you might be the only one,” I joked, pointing out that my editor at Simon & Schuster has probably given up on the book and forgotten my name. “Oh no,” he said. “It’ll be just fine. You always say that.” He was right about this. I’m naturally superstitious about completing books. They’re a little like children you spend years rearing, hoping you got things right only to send them off into the wide world with gratitude and not a little worry. This was my 18th literary child, one I’d grown unusually close to over the years. Now this special child was about to leave me. The book, a true labor of love, is about a pilgrimage I took along the Great Wagon Road, which my Scottish, German and English ancestors took to North Carolina. Foolishly, I thought I’d travel the historic Colonial road from Philadelphia to Georgia in roughly three weeks and take a couple more years to write about the interesting people I met along with whatever I learned about America, or myself. In fact, it took nearly six years to complete the project, counting the two years off the road due to Covid. Even so, I was pleased to have finished the book, though — as is almost always the case — I felt a bit sad that the experience was over. Its fate was almost out of my hands.

southparkmagazine.com | 57

Hey Charlotte!

! e v i L s t Ticke

TEXAS HOLD'EM

BENEFITING:

Fundraiser

MARCH, 7TH 2024

VENUE: THE FILLMORE

WWW.ALLINTOFIGHTCANCER.ORG

MUSIC - FOOD - DRINKS - RAFFLES

|simple life reside in Lapland, wherever that is. (I just Googled it. Lapland is in Northern Finland. One of its largest towns is Santa Claus Village. Count me in!) How upside down is that? On the other hand, perhaps we’re simply fated to be this way. The ancient Greeks claimed unborn souls choose the time and place of their birth. Jack clearly picked the hottest part of summer to make his appearance, like his mama, a mid-July baby. My mom was born in late January, traditionally the coldest part of winter. My birthday in February follows hers by just five days. She loved winter almost as much as I do. Jack’s big sister, Maggie, was born during a January blizzard. The morning we brought her home from the hospital, I had to slide down a steep, snowy hill with her in my arms in order to reach our cozy cottage on the coast, as the unplowed roads were impassable due to the heavy snow. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Though she resides in Los Angeles today, I think she loves good, snowy winters almost as much as her old man. Not surprisingly, we winter people are a relatively tiny tribe. A recent study of people in Britain determined that only 7% of its citizens claimed to be “winter people.” Then again, summer in Britain can sometimes feel like an endlessly cold and soggy winter day, one reason you find so many sunburned Brits residing on the Costa de Sol and the Mediterranean at large.

Psychologist and author Seth Gillihan studies the effect of weather on people’s moods. In his book, A Mindful Year, he notes that there is a positive link between someone’s birth and preferred season. “People who are born in the winter, their internal clock seems to be set to the length of days in the winter,” he told metro.co.uk. The internal clock of so-called winter people, he adds, “is not as affected as someone who’s born in the summer, whose circadian rhythm (the body’s 24-hour ‘internal clock’) is expecting a longer light period.” Among other things, he aims to debunk popular misconceptions about the so-called “winter blues,” pointing out that seasonal affective disorder affects only a small percentage of the population, less than 3% in the UK. The idea that people who live in warm, sunny places are naturally happier than folks who reside in cold climates is challenged, he adds, by data that indicates Europe’s northernmost countries with the longest winters — Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden — rank among the continent’s seven happiest countries. In a few weeks, North Carolina winter will begin to slip away. The welcome winter snows of my childhood here seem fewer than ever. The good news is that by February’s end, my garden will be springing back to life, heralding my second-favorite time of year. Winter will be coming on in Peru. I’m hoping my summer-loving son will decide to come home to share its glorious return with me. SP Jim Dodson is a New York Times bestselling author in Greensboro.

southparkmagazine.com | 59

A gourmet takeaway boutique in Cotswold Village

Offering casseroles, fresh entrees and sides, layer cakes, pies, cookies, fresh baked breads, ice cream, sorbet, and appetizers – all made in-house, along with beer and wine. We have indoor and year-round outdoor seating for guests to enjoy an appetizer and a bottle of wine.

Call today to reserve your Valentine’s dinner and don’t forget the wine!

Butler’s Salad - Spinach and Romaine, with roasted buttered pecans, dried cherries, goat cheese, Parmesan, red onion, and our homemade honey Dijon Poppyseed vinaigrette Lobster Thermador And Beef Wellington with Red Wine Sauce Sided by Creamed Spinach and Potato Gratin Chocolate Ganache Torte or Lemon Cake

VALENTINE’S DAY APPETIZERS

FRESH ENTREES

$179.95 per couple, not including tax. FROZEN ENTREES

BAKERY

SIDES

Cotswold Shopping Center (next to Y2 Yoga) | 274 S. Sharon Amity Road Open seven days a week Mon-Sat from 10 am-7 pm; Sunday from 11 am-5 pm

980-298-6608 | cltbutlerspantry.com | @thebutlerspantryclt

BECKY MCGRATH TEAM

LUCY BUTLER GROUP

LAURIE HALT TEAM

CHRISTIE HANSEN

LINDA HENLEY

JOE HUNEYCUTT

CHIP JETTON

KALIE KOIVISTO

CAY CRAIG

MARY HOLLAND

JOE HUNEYCUTT TEAM

CINDI HASTINGS TEAM

HEATHER MONTGOMERY

TREY SULLIVAN

LISA WARREN TEAM

TUCK TEAM

HEATHER WOLKING

LINDSAY REDFERN

LEIGH C. CORSO

SARA ROCHE TEAM

LISA RUPP

Cottingham Chalk sets the standard for real estate excellence in Charlotte. When you hire a Cottingham Chalk broker, you have the entire company in your corner.

704.364.170 0 | COT T I N G H AM C H ALK .COM

62 | SOUTHPARK

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEMI MABRY, COURTESY L’OSTRICA AND CUSTOMSHOP

rom multicourse tasting menus to casual grab-and-go fare, dining in Charlotte can mean a multitude of things. The population boom drawing newcomers to the city has led to a spate of restaurant openings that’s nearly impossible to keep track of, and the culinary scene is always changing. Counter-service dining, or fast-casual, continues to grow. Allday cafes and markets — where you can pop in for coffee in the morning, grab lunch at midday, then meet friends or co-workers at happy hour — seem to be popping up all over. Mid-range restaurants — full-service, family-friendly places serving casual fare — are growing scarcer and scarcer. Now more than ever, going out to eat is often much more than a meal — it’s an experience. In this section, we highlight just a few examples of the latest trends around Charlotte. Prix-fixe tasting menus are finding a niche at smaller venues like Counter- and Omakase Experience, while other restaurants regularly promote themed multicourse menus, often with wine and cocktail pairings, in addition to their a la carte offerings. On the next page, we take you inside L’Ostrica, one of the newest tasting-menu restaurants in Montford. Then there are those tucked-away, neighborhood spots with sneaky good food — the ones that sometimes fly under the radar but consistently punch above their weight (looking at you Bar Marcel, Volo, New South Kitchen… the list goes on). On page 65, Contributing Editor Michael Solender shares his take on Customshop in Elizabeth, a community mainstay that’s undergone a quiet transformation under chef-owner Andres Kaifer. And who would have ever thought charcuterie — a term that barely passed our lips five years ago — would have such staying power? On page 68, contributor Angela Williams writes about her personal passion for the grazing craze that’s become a regular part of our entertaining repertoire.

tasting menus:

CHEF’S CHOICE

CAT CARTER AND ERIC FERGUSON BRING AN INTIMATE, MULTICOURSE DINING EXPERIENCE TO MONTFORD AT L’OSTRICA. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY L’OSTRICA

by Michael J. Solender

t was inevitable that Cat Carter and Eric Ferguson’s paths would cross along Charlotte’s expanding culinary pathways. She’s a gardener, food researcher, food writer and home chef. He’s a classically trained chef, restaurateur and food traveler. They are both storytellers, using innovative dining as a platform for sharing the history, processes and intricate techniques behind the dishes they create. The couple met in 2017 at a surprise birthday party Carter’s friends had thrown for her. Ferguson, then a chef working with local restaurateur Bruce Moffett, helped with the menu for the event and

a friendship took hold. “I was aware of his reputation and was intrigued when we met,” Carter says. “We talked about food constantly for the next two years and then finally went out on a date.” The relationship, with its roots firmly based in the kitchen, blossomed and ultimately led the pair to create private in-home dining experiences for friends and a growing (mostly by word-of-mouth) client roster across Charlotte. This past October, the couple extended their creative vision with L’Ostrica, a 38-seat restaurant where guests, chefs and staff connect over a curated “signature” tasting menu with 10-plus courses ($175 per person). For guests with smaller southparkmagazine.com | 63

Cat Carter and Eric Ferguson

appetites, a five-course option ($110) was introduced this winter. “We do everything from scratch,” Carter says. “We find ingredients at their peak flavor, and it makes a tremendous difference.” This meticulous sourcing and preparation is a reason their private-dining experiences became so popular, she says. Then there’s the storytelling aspect. “Guests get to interact with both of us and hear what we are thinking — why our winter squash soup is different and explosive in flavor with such a simple set of ingredients,” Carter says. “To take that knowledge and then to share it, it’s a tremendous gift.” Though some ingredients and dishes may seem unfamiliar, Ferguson and his team walk guests through the menu. “You know exactly what you’re eating,” Ferguson says. “We’re not hiding it, but we’re also showing you an extra technique or we’re showing you something familiar to help you through that process of eating something new.” One example is found in the chef’s fondness for chicory, a wild green with a woodsy, slightly bitter back note. Ferguson uses chicory, several varieties of radicchio, and lime juice instead of lemon to create a twist on the classic Caesar Aviator salad. “It creates an entirely different dynamic, and it’s a fun historic story to tell about the brothers who initially created the recipe,” Ferguson says. The couple delights in introducing unique ingredients in unexpected preparations to create “wow” experiences for their guests. Take the smoked tomato and cucumber salad: Ferguson cures a thick slice of fresh tomato with salt, sugar, herbs and spices, and slowly smokes it as if it were beef. “It looks like a tomato, but if you close your eyes and take a bite, it tastes like brisket.” Dinner may start with a beet chicharron. Here, Ferguson employs a five-step process that concentrates the flavor of local beets and yields a puffy, crispy chip topped with a dollop of house-made crème fraiche and Tsar Nicoulai caviar. Seafood lovers will swoon at Ferguson’s smoky-spicy lobster brioche, which combines French technique with Korean flair. Smoked and butter-poached lobster crowns a house-made brioche round 64 | SOUTHPARK

lined with salted, pickled cucumbers (for acid and crunch) and resting atop a gochugaru (Korean chili powder) aioli. It is a beautifully composed plate that is to be savored. “Conceptually what intrigues Cat and me about a tasting menu is that guests get an opportunity to really have an experience that touches on all the things that a lot of chefs try and put all onto one plate.” Diners can expect a progression of vegetable-focused dishes early in the tasting, with a variety of proteins (the emphasis is on seafood) to follow. There’s always a pasta dish, though it might not be Italian — dumplings or Asian noodles are often on the menu. The meal, of course, concludes with something sweet. Look for playfulness here — for example, baby ginger gelato surprises with candy cap mushrooms incorporated into the dish. When dehydrated, the mushrooms smell and taste like maple syrup. Wine and spirit-free pairings are available (for an additional fee) to complement your meal, as are craft cocktails and wines by the bottle or glass. Just don’t look for a menu online or expect a “themed” dining experience that fits neatly into a specific culinary style. There is a trust and rapport Carter and Ferguson want to establish with their guests as the experience unfolds before them. Sundays are more casual at L’Ostrica with a themed, multicourse “Sunday Supper” ($75 per person). A chef’s market is open Wed.Sat. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with house-made pastas, sauces, salads, sandwiches and other specialty items to go, such as Feguson’s fabled chicken salad. And guests are welcome to stop by the bar for cocktails and snacks evenings Wed.-Sat. Ferguson sums up the concept as an extension of L’Ostrica’s inhome dining experiences. “People go out to eat all the time and may never get to talk to the [the managers] unless it might be negative,” he says. “What we’re trying to do is create connections with those people so that they know us, and they feel good about what we’re [creating here]. That’s been the biggest power for us when we’ve been in people’s homes. And that is exactly what we’re trying to do here.” SP

PHOTOGRAPH BY KENTY CHUNG

neighborhood hot spots:

GOOD NEIGHBORS CUSTOMSHOP DIALS IN A COMFORTING VIBE WITH POLISHED PLATES THAT CELEBRATE THE REGION’S BOUNTY. by Michael J. Solender | photographs by Kenty Chung and Justin Driscoll

ustomshop in Elizabeth has been a neighborhood stalwart since it opened in 2007. But changes have been quietly underway over the last year and a half since chef-owner Andres Kaifer bought the restaurant from founder Trey Wilson. My wife and I decided it was time to check it out. What we experienced was much more than a simple succession of dishes (and a break from our own kitchen duties). On the menu, there’s familiarity with an international flair. Yet, there’s more on tap here than an uber-talented chef preparing dishes with heart and soul, attentive service from a staff of career restaurant professionals, and a knockout bar. Underlying each component is a rare hospitality factor — a genuine emphasis on relationships. Kaifer and partner and general manager Alex Bridges, southparkmagazine.com | 65

66 | SOUTHPARK

attachment and had forged strong relationships in the neighborhood,” Kaifer says. Kaifer saw so much promise in building upon the brand Wilson had developed, he decided to maintain the concept, menu and staff when he acquired the restaurant in summer 2022. While Kaifer’s culinary point of view diverged from Wilson’s, his due diligence convinced him to keep the Customshop brand. “They survived the [Gold Line trolley] construction. That basically derailed this entire street for many months. The restaurant held up during Covid and was there for the neighborhood with takeout. I knew there was something special.” The long, rectangular restaurant fronting Elizabeth Avenue, just north of Novant’s Presbyterian Medical Center, sports a warm, polished industrial look, yet even with a full house, noise levels remain in check. Menu changes came slowly. Kaifer fostered relationships with Carolina-based farmers and providers (Stone Seafood, Boy & Girl Farm, Seven Sisters Farm, Chapel Hill Creamery and others). Over the first few months, the former Italian-influenced “neighborhood

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JUSTIN DRISCOLL

longtime friends and colleagues, know the magic of deep connections. The bonds they’ve forged with their associates, local farmers and food purveyors, industry professionals, and the community ultimately translate to the guest experience. Kaifer was born and grew up in Miami, where his Cuba-born mother (who was raised in Spain) commanded the home kitchen. She was so meticulous, she wrote menus for every meal she served. When Kaifer began his first restaurant job at 15, his future career was set. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he worked in Miami, Raleigh/Durham (where he first connected with Bridges at The Durham Hotel) and ultimately Charlotte, where he was culinary director for Mac’s Hospitality Group. Before long, he crossed culinary paths with Charlotte chef and Customshop founder Trey Wilson. “I met Trey through a mutual friend, and we ended up developing a friendship,” Kaifer says. Wilson wanted to focus on his other concepts (Flour Shop and Pizza Baby), so he approached Kaifer about taking over the restaurant. “He didn’t want to sell to just anybody, as he had a sentimental

Opposite page: Chef-owner Andres Kaifer puts the finishing touch on Customshop’s beet appetizer. Kaifer and partner-general manager Alex Bridges, left, met while working in Durham. Below: The flan is a variation of Kaifer’s mother’s recipe.

trattoria” evolved into a Latin-leaning contemporary-casual bistro with a seasonal menu reflecting regional crops and ingredients. Each plate shares a story, and everyone from the hostess and servers to the GM and chefs take care to make patrons feel welcome. “Guests come for a shared experience and to relax and connect,” Bridges says. “You don’t see our menu categorized into appetizers and entrees. Our dishes are designed to share and are meant to engage our guests in conversation.” Our first dish came for the “Small” category on the menu and paired sweet-as-candy red and yellow beets atop a whipped fromage with a smoky vinaigrette and walnut crumble. The interplay of sweet, creamy, slightly sour, crunchy and salty was a fun start to the meal and piqued our taste buds for what was to follow. Next up was a Hamachi Crudo — slices of pristine raw Japanese amberjack bathed in a Parmesan leche de tigre with red onion, scallions and crispy corn. The dish shows off Kaifer’s approach of allowing the freshness and quality of his ingredients speak for themselves. Customshop’s pasta is a standout and for good reason. Kaifer is a fanatic when it comes to the joys found in these satisfying carbs. The Blue Crab Ravioli showcased pillowy crab- and mascarpone-stuffed pockets in a miso broth flecked with pinkeye purple peas and topped with salty ricotta salata and a bright gremolata. My wife and I fought over every bite of Kaifer’s Ricotta Cavatelli, twisty pasta curls in a garlic and shallot cream sauce punched up with house-made pork and fennel sausage. “We have fun with our pasta,” Kaifer says. It’s always going to be featured on the menu.”

From the “Grill” category of the menu came another Customshop signature dish — Rohan Duck Breast. This hybrid heritage breed of duck is cold-smoked then grilled to order. On my visit, the duck was served over a sweet potato and miso puree surrounded by a sour cherry demi-glace and walnut crumble. The umami bomb of the smoky and savory duck balanced with the sweet and acidic sauce. No dish says more about Kaifer’s thoughtful approach to plate construction: satisfying, nuanced, yet basic and elemental. He knows flavor, texture and what resonates with his guests. Dessert was a variation of Kaifer’s mother’s flan. Here, the homey dish is amped up with cream cheese, lending a velvety richness to the Latin custard. A perfect end to a delightful meal. During the evening, I couldn’t help noticing frequent cross-table conversations and banter between guests, Bridges and Kaifer when he occasionally stepped out of his kitchen on this busy night. There’s a circular energy flow here. And while the love certainly starts in Customshop’s kitchen, there’s plenty coming back at the team here from a community who loves them just as much in return. SP southparkmagazine.com | 67

A CHARCUTERIE LOVE AFFAIR by Angela Williams

68 | SOUTHPARK

here’s always a charcuterie board meet-cute — the moment you set eyes on a grand wood or stone slab overflowing with rivers of all things cheese, cured meats, fruit and the appropriate accompaniments. Charcuterie boards impress. They are never one-andthe-same, and we find them intoxicating. A few summers ago, it happened to me. One late afternoon, I breezed naively through the iron gate of my friend Meggie’s back courtyard. I came upon the largest display of cheese, meats and fruit I had ever seen. As someone who considers cheese a meal when given the chance, Meggie Sullivan, owner and founder of Queen Brie CLT, had suddenly changed everything. I had fallen hard, and the tiny wand floating in the honey symbolically set the spell. Years later, the love remains. Now considered part of our modern-day entertaining repertoire, the charcuterie board has continued

PHOTOGRAPH BY DEMI MABRY

T BEAUTIFUL BOARDS charcuterie boards & grazing tables:

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DEMI MABRY AND ANNIE SPENCE

Meggie Sullivan, above, started Queen Brie CLT in 2019.

to evolve and is as desirable than ever. Charlotte’s own charcuterie scene has expanded — into brunch, dessert, butter boards and more — and circled back around to its fundamental roots: good-looking, quality ingredients. Charlotte is charmed to have quite a few charcuterie experts styling boards for us. Whether for date nights on the patio, girls’ nights in, or what has become the modern-day dinner party — informal gatherings around the kitchen island — the charcuterie board offers a little something for everyone (and no dishes). A smaller board, including three or four star cheeses and meats, still makes for the best combination, Sullivan shares as we catch up over a glass of prosecco. Clients’ tastes have evolved, which inspires her. Delice de Bourgogne, a soft cow’s milk cheese from Burgundy, and marcona almonds appear on most boards she assembles. “Fig jam continues to reign supreme,” she declares authoritatively (after all, she is the Queen). Though Sullivan asks for preferences and no-gos when fielding requests, she enjoys the opportunity to take creative freedom, and her boards are works of art. Blue cheese remains an unpopular board choice, though she lightheartedly disagrees with the common aversion to Roqueforts, Gorgonzolas and the like. If you think you don’t

like blue cheese, she says, you simply haven’t tried the right one yet. As a frequent consumer of Mere’s famous pimento cheese, I decided I was long overdue in getting to know Meredith Mullins. The owner of Mere’s in Dilworth invited me to chat about what makes her space so special. While the pimento-cheese recipe is top secret, Mullins shared a little about the methodology for her fromagerie-esque spot. In addition to selling cheese and charcuterie, Mere’s is also a wine shop, allowing guests to explore a board filled with tastes suited to their vino. Or vice versa — you might allow the cheese and charcuterie to lead the way to your wine selection. Either way, Mere’s gets it. No matter the destination, Mullins prides herself on creating boards that are completely edible. “Only the good stuff” is offered — no processed foods, additives or mass-produced items. I left with a generous amount of award-winning, buttery Prufrock from The Grey Barn & Farm on Martha’s Vineyard. Only the best. And, well, Charlotte hosts expect nothing less. Charcuterie boards had us from the start. Being able to give guests an exquisite, thoughtful experience is all part of the continued allure. I’ll be waiting for my next invite, to enjoy it all again. SP southparkmagazine.com | 69

70 | SOUTHPARK

From Italy, with love FIRST, A WHIRLWIND ROMANCE, THEN A MOVE TO CHARLOTTE. NOW MANO BELLA ARTISAN FOODS BRINGS ITS AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FARE TO SOUTHPARK. by Kathleen Purvis photographs by Richard Israel

or Raffaele and Madison Patrizi, it’s all about the hands. Their artisan pastas are made by hand. Their new market and casual café on Governor Morrison Street in SouthPark was built by hand (with a little help from Madison’s dad, thoracic surgeon Jeff Hagen, a handy man with a saw). And their business is named Mano Bella — “beautiful hand.” When they met in Italy in 2013, Madison couldn’t speak Italian and Raffaele couldn’t speak much English. So when they would walk together, he would tell her, “Dammi la tua bella mano” — give me your beautiful hand. It was a whirlwind romance: Madison was only in Rome for a week. A student at Notre Dame University, she was there to study

for her master’s thesis in church architecture. But her roommate lured her out to a disco one night, she met Raffaele and that was it: Love at first sight. When she went back to America, they kept up the relationship long distance, using Google Translate as they learned each other’s language. The next year, Raffaele came to visit her family in Los Angeles — and particularly, to meet her father so he could ask for her hand. They married in Rome the next year and joined her family in Los Angeles. Raffaele was already working in restaurants, so he stayed in food while Madison started on her architectural career. But they had to make a decision: Where to settle? Los Angeles southparkmagazine.com | 71

is expensive, and so is Rome. Madison’s father, though, had been offered a spot as a surgeon in Charlotte. In 2018, they decided to join her family here. First, though, they spent six months in Italy, touring and eating. At one small spot in Sicily, there was no menu. You took a seat and were brought course after course of pasta. When the bill came, it was all of $20 each. That’s when Raffaele got what he called an “under the brain” idea: Why not bring an authentic Italian experience, including handmade pasta, to Charlotte? With Rafaelle working nights at restaurants, including Terrace Café in Ballantyne and Mama Ricotta’s, while Madison worked days as an architect, they hardly got to see each other. So, in their small apartment in Charlotte, they started developing recipes. At first, they did gift baskets for family and friends. 72 | SOUTHPARK

They made so many taralli — small savory snacks that are boiled like bagels and then baked — the humidity started making the lights in their kitchen flicker. They decided that food would be their future: Madison quit her job in architecture to develop the designs and packaging, while Raffaele made their products, including 12 kinds of fresh and dried pastas, sauces, biscotti and taralli. They rented space at City Kitch, a commissary kitchen in University City, and started selling their wares at farmers markets around town, including the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, Cotswold and Camp North End. When Rachel Klebaur of Orrman’s Cheese Shop moved to a bigger spot in uptown’s Market at 7th Street, they took her small space, selling their products and doing a daily pasta special that involves putting hot pasta into a wheel of cheese and dishing it up.

Using what they believe is the largest pasta maker in North Carolina, with a bronze extruder for better gluten development and starch formation (they offer at least two gluten-free pastas as well), they started sourcing ingredients from local farms and doing some wholesale distribution around North Carolina and into Virginia. Now the business is growing again. In a space with a big kitchen in SouthPark, they’re beginning to expand. They’ll keep a couple of the farmers markets and the booth in uptown, but the bigger kitchen will also allow them to grow their wholesale business. The new space — which was expected to open in January — is a market, with lots of grab-and-go things,

Italian products and wine. It’s also a fast-casual café with seating for 70 inside (plus 10 more seats outside when the weather warms up), where you can order a plate of pasta or an entrée and a glass of wine or an Italian cocktail. They also plan to feature Italian-style beers made by several local breweries and host pasta-making demonstrations. In a location surrounded by small businesses and apartments, they hope people will make their shop and café a handy place to eat or grab dinner. Raffaele Patrizi’s aim is “to give people a real, authentic Italian feel,” he says. “We can lean into that family feel we’re trying to create,” Madison adds. “And have fun.” SP southparkmagazine.com | 73

COCKTAIL TRENDS:

BELLY UP TO THE BAR, AND YOU’LL LIKELY FIND COCKTAILS INFUSED WITH TEA, ESPRESSO, CBD AND MORE. ALONG WITH THE VAST ARRAY OF LIBATIONS, MIXOLOGISTS ARE ALSO WORKING TO MAKE MENUS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. WE ASKED THE EXPERTS — HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT ON CHARLOTTE’S COCKTAIL SCENE IN 2024. by Kayleigh Ruller photographs by Justin Driscoll

Vince Chirico, owner of Idlewild and The Ugly 74 | SOUTHPARK

s Charlotte grows, shifting preferences among diners are altering the mosaic of what’s cool each year in the Queen City’s food and beverage industry. If there’s one constant, it is this: Charlotteans like to drink. With insight from three local bartender extraordinaires — Vince Chirico, owner of The Ugly and Idlewild; Colleen Hughes, beverage director at Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group; and Andrew Schools, co-owner of Humbug in Plaza Midwood — it’s clear that 2024’s overarching drinking trend is approachable experimentation. Here are six ways, from tea-based cocktails to savory sips, Charlotte bartenders are staying on trend — even spearheading 2024’s bold-yet-accessible movement.

THE TWO-FOR-ONE COCKTAIL

This year, cocktails that promise more than just booze are expected to rise to new cross-functional heights. Colleen Hughes, the creative force behind the whimsical drinks at Haberdish and Supperland, says these “functional cocktails” incorporate supplemental, often wellness-leaning, ingredients, like CBD or adaptogens — herbs and botanicals thought to have medicinal qualities. While there’s no evidence proving these drinks are health-boosting, there are claims around certain ingredients being energizing, mood-enhancing or relaxation-inducing. “There are ingredients we can put in your drink that can actually lift your mood,” says Hughes, referencing bitters in a negroni and aperitivo-style drinks. Caffeine cocktails, led by the ubiquitous espresso martini, are cult leaders of this dual-purpose-drink trend. This coffee craze won’t cease in 2024, according to Vince Chirico and Andrew Schools. “People really want a pick-me-up to start the night,” says Schools, who crafts a campari, cold brew and pineapple drink at Humbug. Chirico predicts that the carajillo — a Mexican drink with espresso and vanilla-leaning Licor 43 — will be an in vogue, two-forone libation this year.

Expect more tea-andliquor cocktails in the year ahead, like Humbug’s bestselling Thundercat (reposado tequila, Fernet Branca, Thai tea, egg white and cinnamon).

IT’S TEA TIME

This year will introduce dazzling combinations of teas and liquor, like Earl Grey and gin, green tea and rum, or drinks like Humbug’s bestselling Thundercat cocktail, a blend of Thai tea, tequila and Fernet with an enchantingly frothy texture. When it comes to tea’s varied uses, “that’s a whole world that people haven’t explored,” Schools says. Well, except Hughes, who, after visiting a tea shop in New York, crafted the Tea and Spice Menu at the Supperland Speakeasy, embracing tea as a subtle, layering flavor that adds complexity to cocktails.

DRINKING THOUGHTFULLY

Mindfulness is no longer exclusive to yoga studios and meditation apps — it’s making its way into the drinking world, ushering in an era of less binge-drinking and more thoughtful consumption, says Hughes. The popularization of sober-curiosity, like Dry January or Sober October, and the expansion of tasteful no- and low-ABV drinks —

Vince Chirico’s carajillo, left, is made with Licor 43, espresso, sea salt and grated cinnamon. Right: an espresso martini made with aged rum, espresso, espresso liqueur, lemon oil and cinnamon. southparkmagazine.com | 75

Colleen Hughes, beverage director at Supperland, says patrons are becoming less label-driven and are more interested in the stories behind the spirits. Out: binge drinking. In: thoughtful consumption.

predicted to grow in volume by 25% over the next two years — represent this pivot toward intentional drinking habits. Though the hangover will be cut, the price will likely not, as specialty nonalcoholic liquors hover around $20 to $50 a bottle. Additionally, diners that do choose to keep the booze are now “less label-driven, and more interested in the story and the quality behind the spirit,” Hughes says. This increased intentionality exists for both the consumer and the bartender, as Hughes and Schools both feel strongly about avoiding additives in their recipes. “We don’t want to give people a bunch of sugary stuff… We want to use better ingredients, but make it fun,” says Schools, who, alongside co-owner Larry Suggs, makes peach cordial from scratch for a green tea shooter and pares down the cocktails to three or four high-quality ingredients.

TEQUILA OUT, RUM IN

Increased demand for tequila — up 30% from 2015 to 2020, and still growing — coupled with the geographic constraints and time requirements for agave plant growth has created a troubling supply-and-demand issue. The result is higher prices and poorer quality, with 70% of tequilas on the market containing undisclosed additives.

Expect more rum cocktails in the year ahead, according to local mixologists. Andy Schools makes a Rum Old-Fashioned, left, with Zacapa 23 rum, demerara syrup, Tiki bitters and orange bitters. 76 | SOUTHPARK

Given this, Hughes and Schools both predict that rum — alcohol made from sugarcane juice or molasses that can be grown worldwide — will thrive. Schools foresees the return of Tiki-style drinks, and Hughes plans to experiment with rum in spunky renditions on a manhattan or negroni.

EXTRA SAVORY, PLEASE

Vegetables and mushrooms aren’t just on plates — they very well may be in cocktails this year. “On Instagram now [and on the] World’s 50 Best Bars lists, there are a lot of food cocktails,” Chirico says. While social media may have drawn newer drinkers into the savory martini world, experienced drinkers are flocking to these ultra-umami, briny and vegetal concoctions at top bars. Global hot spot Double Chicken Please on New York’s Lower East Side serves food-inspired cocktails, like the Japanese Cold Noodle or the Red Eye Gravy. Timeless drinks that swap sweet for savory are, in a way, trend-transcending, like Hughes’ popular off-menu dirty martini. Schools has even experimented with a clarified bloody mary martini. Alongside the savory sips, Chirico actually expects these clarified cocktails — clear drinks reduced of impurities with a smooth mouthfeel — to surge quickly and intensely in Charlotte.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BREAD & BUTTER

THE INCLUSIVE COOL FACTOR

Making way for improved inclusivity and affordability, Chirico opened The Ugly, an unfussy beer-and-shot bar, in November 2023 next door to his more highbrow cocktail concept Idlewild in NoDa. The Ugly serves traditional well drinks and simple, easy-drinking cocktails along with a few rotating specials. “It sounded like the right thing to do, and honestly… there’s kind of a kitschy coolness factor to it,” says Chirico, who has seen The Ugly become a magnet for eclectic groups coming together for a beer. While a straightforward menu and a stripped-back atmosphere are ways to embrace approachability, another way is to curate fun, themed community events that nudge elitism into accessibility, like Supperland Speakeasy’s Star Wars or Ugly Sweater themed nights, which booked out in nearly 24 hours. Humbug, too, leans into the unpretentiousness of a neighborhood bar by prioritizing a conversational yet intimate drinking environment, leaving TVs out of the main seating area and keeping a pool table in the back. “You got to talk to each other,” says Schools. “That’s something that’s lost in a lot of bars.”

Two-for-one cocktails continue to gain momentum, like the Rye’d or Chai (rye whiskey, chai tea, cold brew, whole egg and nutmeg) at Humbug.

In 2024, guests and bartenders alike want fewer superfluous additives (in the drinks and the design), and more engagement with fun ingredients — and importantly, with each other. SP The Ugly, a new bar adjacent to Idlewild in NoDa, serves traditional well drinks and simple, easy-drinking cocktails priced from $10-$12 in a come-as-you-are atmosphere. southparkmagazine.com | 77

Fresh take

WITH DOWNSIZING PLANS DASHED BY THE PANDEMIC, A QUAIL HOLLOW COUPLE EMBARKED ON AN EXTENSIVE RENOVATION LED BY PHEASANT HILL DESIGNS — AND THEY COULDN’T BE HAPPIER. by Cathy Martin photographs by Dustin and Susie Peck

78 | SOUTHPARK

The formal living room was reimagined as a home office and also a spot for morning coffee. The painting over the fireplace is a commissioned work by Judith Judy, a landscape artist represented by Anne Nielson Fine Art. The fabric for the custom draperies is from James Hare, and the lighting is from Visual Comfort. southparkmagazine.com | 79

The diptych by Marcy Gregg, represented by Anne Nielson Fine Art, was commissioned specifically for the dining room. The wallpaper is Phillip Jeffries.

80 | SOUTHPARK

n 2020, empty nesters Robin and Chuck de Krafft were seriously considering downsizing from their Quail Hollow home, where they’d lived for more than a decade. In preparing to list the home for sale, they called on Urban Building Group to update a wooden deck, having worked with the Charlotte homebuilder on an earlier project. Then the pandemic hit — and the plan suddenly changed. “We expanded the original design of an updated deck to an outdoor room to incorporate features we could enjoy longer term instead of a quick fix to sell the house,” says Chuck de Krafft. With a cozy brick fireplace, durable Brazilian hardwood floors, a large curved sectional sofa and a dining area, the space evolved into one that can be used nine months out of the year.

As the porch neared completion, the de Kraffts began reevaluating their long-term plans for downsizing. Built in the 1990s, the home’s original design was consistent with that era — warm woods, granite countertops and dark paint colors. Over the years, the couple had consulted with several designers to update various rooms with paint, carpet and furniture. After deciding to stay put, the couple decided it was time for a more extensive redesign that would create a more cohesive aesthetic. A mutual friend recommended interior designer Kendra White of Pheasant Hill Designs. “But our actual introduction didn’t occur until after a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation event we attended in 2021,” de Krafft says. White attended the southparkmagazine.com | 81

82 | SOUTHPARK

Designer Kendra White blended new and existing cabinets in the kitchen design — new doors and hardware and fresh paint create a cohesive look. Since removing the enormous range hood installed by the home’s previous owner would have been costly, White instead replaced the façade with a smooth stucco. The countertops are Perla Venato quartzite.

event, too, and had donated a piece of art for the silent auction. The de Kraffts purchased it, not realizing White was the donor. Once the couple learned White had donated the art, they reached out to learn more about her design services — and also learned White had bid against them on the auction’s premier item, which the de Kraffts won and donated to a local hospital. “It is an ironic story, and one could say we have similar artistic appreciation,” de Krafft says.

“T

he footprint worked really well for them, it just needed updating,” says White, who established her residential design firm 23 years ago. Like many home renovations, the kitchen was a top priority. The cabinets and built-in hutch were originally finished in a distressed, Old World glaze prevalent in the ’90s, and the ceiling was adorned with rustic wooden beams. The home’s previous owner, an avid cook, added industrial southparkmagazine.com | 83

The sunroom is a space for reading and relaxing and an informal dining area.

flourishes including a commercial-quality stove with an oversized hood, stainless-steel countertops and modern cable lighting. “It was a bit disjointed,” White says. The designer brought in new appliances and cabinets and devised a new lighting plan while keeping some of the existing cabinetry, including the large island and hutch. New cabinet doors and hardware and a fresh coat of paint unified the design. The dining room was updated with a decidedly more contemporary aesthetic. Previously dark brown walls were brightened with a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth wallcovering. Wainscoting was added, along with French doors and new lighting. A diptych by Charlotte artist Marcy Gregg was commissioned through Anne Nielson Fine Art. “We 84 | SOUTHPARK

Urban Building Group designed the covered outdoor porch, which the couple uses nine months out of the year. The sofa is from Lane Ventures.

actually went to her studio when she was halfway done with the paintings to tweak the colors and the direction of the pieces,” White says. “They are truly made specifically for the client.” A formal living room is now a home office designed to serve double duty — it’s also a bright, welcoming spot for the couple to enjoy morning coffee. New paneling, custom draperies by James Hare and a commissioned landscape painting by Judith Judy contribute to a soothing, refined aesthetic. It’s a functional space, too — tucked inside identical cabinets on either side of the fireplace are a printer and lateral files. The sunroom, designed to be a pet-friendly space for the couple’s dog and cats, also serves as an informal dining area. It’s also a quiet room — there is intentionally no TV — for reading and relaxing.

hat once was a choppy series of rooms lacking cohesion is now a seamless layout that’s open and inviting, according to the homeowners. “Kendra’s design created better utilization of the entire first floor for us,” de Krafft says. “Everything flows so well.” The new design affirms the couple’s decision to remain in their home for a bit longer, and White is currently working on a redesign of the second floor. “We now have a renewed desire and enjoyment of staying in the home we lived in for so many years,” de Krafft says. “Even though it may have more space than we need, our grown kids come home often, and we now have the perfect setting for entertaining friends and extended family who live locally. The thought of downsizing has not entered our minds.” SP southparkmagazine.com | 85

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Bill and Linda Farthing

New Year’s Eve Gala for Mental Health Mint Museum Uptown December 31

It’s a new tradition for the new year. Novant Health hosted this inaugural gala for mental health with entertainment from members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Opera Carolina, plus a fashion show led by designer Luis Machicao. photographs by Daniel Coston

Mary Turk Meena and James Meena

Hillary and Fairfax Cooper

Luis Machicao, Midge and Jerry Barron

Todd Herman and David Fisk

Francene Marie, Sherrard Georgius and Wesley Mancini

southparkmagazine.com | 87

PHOTOS ONLINE

swirl

Novant Health Foundation

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Double Door Inn Anniversary Concert Neighborhood Theatre December

The music plays on. On what would have been the Double Door Inn’s 50th anniversary, local bands and performers played tribute to the legendary music hall to the delight of a sold-out crowd. photographs by Daniel Coston

Gregg McCraw and Jean Prewitt

Lee and Sandy Kemmerling

The Spongetones

Gillian Albinski and Douglas Young Tom Hanchett and Carol Sawyer

Ziad Rabie and Shana Blake

88 | SOUTHPARK

Nick Karres

Lenny Federal Band

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Beyond the Red Carpet Mint Museum Uptown December 2

Perfect for awards season: This night celebrated The Mint’s new exhibition, Beyond the Red Carpet, showcasing some of the best-known awards from Society Awards, the Charlotte-based company that makes them. photographs by Moving Mountains Photography Vicky Fotopoulou

Ming Lam and Shaun Pazel

Alicia Moritz and Heather Thomas

Rebecca and Avery Rogers

Kristin and Eric Thompson

Simona and Todd Moore

Natalie and Alan Papier

Are you ready to embark on a journey to your ideal living space? Look no further! Our new construction executive homes, located in our Wesley Glen neighborhood, are more than just buildings; they are the canvas for your dreams, meticulously crafted to redefine modern living. Only 8 homesites are available, so act now to become part of our vibrant community where neighbors become friends.

(704) 774-4044 | 3800 Shamrock Drive • Charlotte, NC 28215 | AldersgateLiving.org southparkmagazine.com | 89

Bobby Wildermuth, robertbobbyart.com

For 25 years Window & Door Pros has been serving Charlotte builders and homeowners with the finest selection of windows, doors, and architectural products.

Established 1996 Visit Our Showroom at 1141 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28205 704.344.1875 | Mike@WindowAndDoorPros.com WindowAndDoorPros.com

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Gray Holiday Party Fillmore Charlotte December 16

Damian Johnson, Yvonne Dixon, Jermaine Johnson

This annual party hosted by Herb and Felicia Gray was another soldout evening full of music and dancing. Proceeds benefit Care Ring, a local nonprofit that provides health services to those in need. photographs by Daniel Coston

Herb and Felicia Gray

Jeff and Danielle Witherspoon

Tchernavia Montgomery

Rob Hillman and Dr. Monique May

southparkmagazine.com | 91

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Gather & Give Luncheon

Good Friends Charlotte Charlotte Convention Center December 14

Alice Folger and Patty Norman

This year’s gathering brought in $650,000 for local families in need. More than a thousand women across Charlotte shared their time and talents to make it another memorable event. photographs by Daniel Coston

Katie Cornwell, Rod Banks, Molly Spearman

Suzanne Cowden, Beth Bell, Lauren Benson

Alicia Morris-Rudd and Yolanda Johnson

Katherine Kerr and Bev Lassiter

WOLF KAHN Remembering Wolf On View Through March 2

625 South Sharon Amity Road Charlotte, NC 28211 704-365-3000 gallery@jeraldmelberg.com www.jeraldmelberg.com M-F 10-6 Sat 10-4 BIG GRAY BARN WITH A SHADOW, 2007 Pastel on Paper, 30 x 27 inches

southparkmagazine.com | 93

swirl

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

SOS Gala

benefiting The Foundation For Tomorrow Collector’s Room November 18

Stephanie and Jim Bryant

Jeff, Samantha and Karen Filcik

The South of the Sahara Gala returned for its 17th year with a black-tie evening to further the foundation’s work to support education programs in classrooms across Tanzania. photographs by Daniel Coston

Meghann Gunderman Sehorn and Jason Sehorn

Jenna Johnson and Nicole Woodley

Harrison and Hannah Bowne

Phillip and Amanda McLamb

WE MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY, ETHICS, AND EXPERTISE . . .

and help our clients make decisions that impact their lives and businesses. CONTACT ONE OF OUR OFFICES – LAWFIRMCAROLINAS.COM

94 | SOUTHPARK

swirl

Salton Team

A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Christmas Luncheon

Good Fellows Club Charlotte Convention Center December 13

Sarah & Lynn Salton

For more than 100 years, this group of men closes out the year by raising big dollars for local charities. This year’s luncheon was packed with friends, old and new.

Top producers since 1995

photographs by Daniel Coston

Jubal Harris and Marcus Smith

We would love to help with your next move! Brokers | Realtors ® 704.315.9515 sarah@hmproperties.com hmproperties.com Richard “Stick” Williams, Claire and Peter Pappas

Smoky and Margaret Bissell

Say “I do” to SouthPark! Don’t miss the opportunity to be a part of Weddings by SouthPark this spring. Reach brides- and grooms-to-be in this targeted, beautiful issue of wedding inspiration and resources.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW Charlotte Providence Rotary Club

21ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISER BENEFITING:

LIVE MUSIC BY THE WATER’S EDGE BAND

OYSTER ROAST, BBQ, and SILENT AUCTION Saturday, March 9, 2024 5:00-8:00PM William R. Davie Park 4623 Pineville - Matthews

ADULTS $60 (In Advance) CHILDREN Under 10 FREE Tickets Available Online: www.charlotteprovidencerotary.org

Payments by cash, check (payable to Charlotte Providence Rotary Club) or square at QR code

Contact Jane Rodewald at 704-621-9198 or Cindy Poovey at 704-497-2220 to learn more. Visit us online at southparkmagazine.com/advertise.

Publication date: Spring 2024 Space deadline: March 1

STEAMED OYSTERS | CLAM CHOWDER + HUSHPUPPIES NOBLE SMOKE BBQ | HOMEMADE DESSERTS | OMB BEER + WINE southparkmagazine.com | 95

| gallery

COLOR WONDERFUL

Sunday Morning Crossword by Bailey Schmidt

t’s hard to look at Bailey Schmidt’s paintings and not walk away feeling a little brighter, maybe a little happier. They are vivid and modern, yet there’s a warmth and familiarity that might encourage the viewer to see their own everyday vignettes through a sunnier lens. I was particularly drawn to her New York Times Crossword painting. Every Sunday, my husband checks the driveway hoping for the latest newspaper drop with the crossword inside. The thin, greige newsprint is nothing to look at. But on Bailey’s canvas, electric pinks, reds and yellows amplify the sweet simplicity of a lazy morning. “I remember painting ‘Sunday Morning Crossword’ just based off of the idea that I’d like to slow down my Sundays with simple things like finishing a crossword, pouring a tea and eating some freshly-baked scones. I wish I could say that scene is a habit of mine but it’s more of what I aspire to,” Bailey says. Bailey grew up mostly in Charlotte, moved around in her 20s and landed back here two years ago. Her artistic journey started with

96 | SOUTHPARK

printmaking and digital art, which led to doing craft markets and getting some of her work licensed. “I loved the work that got me here, but once I picked up a paintbrush I knew that was my path. Graphic design and printmaking are a huge influence in the way I paint, and I still begin every piece digitally before it makes its way to canvas.” Her camera roll is full of random snapshots with interesting color combinations — food packaging, gardens, graffiti. “I once did a sushi tablescape just because I wanted to paint a soy sauce bottle,” Bailey says. She’s unabashedly obsessed with color, from tablescapes to floral arrangements to bar carts. “Sometimes the subject matter and layout happen quickly, and the thing that takes the most time is manipulating the colors until I land on something that just works.” SP See more of Bailey’s work at southparkmagazine. com, scan the QR code or visit her on Instagram @baileyschmidtart.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY BAILEY SCHMIDT

FOR ARTIST BAILEY SCHMIDT, EVEN A BLACK-AND-WHITE CROSSWORD PUZZLE PRESENTS A COLOR OPPORTUNITY. | by Sharon Smith

4521 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211

(704) 532-9041

Ofﬁcial Jeweler of the Carolina Panthers