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The Village At SouthPark 4310 Sharon Road X21, Charlotte, NC 28211 704-333-6139

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

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FROM THE EDITOR

rowing up, my go-to comfort food was an ooey-gooey grilled-cheese sandwich — white bread and American cheese cooked, usually by my mom, in a cast-iron skillet. Now, when I need a pick-me-up, I often crave a zesty Tex-Mex-style chicken tortilla soup: green chiles, tomatoes, black beans, lime and cilantro in a spicy broth. The flavors are probably etched in my psyche from the two years I Iived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as a recent college grad. There may be a science-based logic to our cravings, too. “Comfort foods remind us of our social ties, which means they may help us feel less lonesome when we feel isolated,” Time magazine wrote, referencing a 2015 psychological study. Whatever the reason, homestyle foods have never been more popular. Yelp labeled “grandmacore dining,” aka “nonna-stalgia,” a top restaurant trend in 2026. For some Charlotte chefs, memories of home-cooked meals serve as the basis for their menus, or at least certain dishes. While some chefs chase trends, these kitchen pros have built their brands by tapping into their most formative years for inspiration. When they put their personal stamp on the dishes via new techniques and ingredients, the result is culinary gold. From Chris Coleman’s short-rib pot roast (page 80) to Tina Tedla’s shiro (an Ethiopian chickpea stew, page 46), we share the stories behind the dishes that take these chefs back to a place of pure comfort and nostalgia. As the holiday season commences, I hope you all find a familiar favorite — surrounded by familiar faces — at EDITOR the table. Cheers! SP editor@southparkmagazine.com

CATHY MARTIN

8 | SOUTHPARK

5 IN THIS ISSUE: 1–PostScript, Plaza Shamrock’s new under-the-radar restaurant (page 144) 2–Justin Maness, founder of Buddha Bee Apiary (page 84) 3–The Uptown Cab Margarita at Guard and Grace (page 38) 4–Will travel for food: Three Waters Resort & Marina (page 102) 5–Weddings: Eight dreamy celebrations (page 109)

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY POSTSCRIPT, BY PETER TAYLOR, RICO MARCELO PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY GUARD AND GRACE, COURTESY THREE WATERS RESORT, BY KRISTIN BYRUM PHOTOGRAPHY

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©2026 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.

November BLVD. 20 | people SouthPark sit-down: Valerie Mitchener

26 | style Closet crush: Stylist Krissy Ortale

34 | arts A new Mint Museum exhibition explores the whimsical world of Judith Leiber’s clutches.

38 | cuisine Troy Guard’s celebrated steakhouse, Guard and Grace, lives up to the hype.

42 | food + drink There’s big buzz in NoDa around Olivelli Deli, a little walk-up window serving sandwiches and ice cream.

46 | tale of the plate Recipe: Tina Tedla’s Shiro is rooted in tradition

50 | explore Glamping in Haywood County, where the Earth meets the sky New and newsworthy in Charlotte

56 | happenings November calendar of events

DEPARTMENTS 61 | bookshelf November’s new releases

63 | state of mind The storms that bring us together

67 | simple life Something old, something to renew

71 | well + wise How to protect your peace without losing the holiday spirit

140 | swirl Charlotte scene: parties, events and fundraisers

144 | crowning moments PostScript pulled off the softest restaurant launch the city has seen in years. That was exactly the point.

ABOUT THE COVER: Thoughtful Baking Co.’s chicken pot pie photographed by Peter Taylor

12 | SOUTHPARK

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICHARD ISRAEL, AMY KOLO, COURTESY THE GLAMPING COLLECTIVE

54 | around town

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FEATURES 74 | Staying the course by Taylor Bowler | photographs by Dustin and Susie Peck Brooke Adler turns a Myers Park ranch into a home that reflects a couple’s love of golf, art and the lowcountry.

80 | Comfort zone by Vanessa Infanzon | photographs by Peter Taylor Charlotte chefs reinvent nostalgic foods with local ingredients, new techniques and unexpected flavors.

84 | Hive mentality by Kay West | photographs by Peter Taylor Buddha Bee Apiary founder Justin Maness is a passionate advocate for the well-being of the honeybee.

88 | Life on the river words and photographs by Richard Israel Well-worn: The many joys of fly-fishing

94 | Rock steady by Taylor Bowler | photographs by Richard Israel The Bad Daddies have played countless weddings, graduations and celebrations. Twenty-five years later, these longtime friends and bandmates are throwing themselves a very big birthday party.

TRAVEL 98 | From Tokyo, with love by Andrea Cooper A writer’s journey to Japan, inspired by letters written by her father, a U.S. Army veteran stationed near Hiroshima in the 1950s. by Cathy Martin A reimagined Florida Keys resort taps renowned regional chefs for an annual culinary event highlighting the ocean’s bounty.

WEDDINGS 109 | Weddings by SouthPark by Sarah Fligel Eight Charlotte couples share their big day.

SPECIAL SECTION 126 | Guide to Giving 14 | SOUTHPARK

PHOTOGRAPH BY RICHARD ISRAEL

102 | Coastal cravings

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1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208 704-523-6987 southparkmagazine.com _______________ Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com Cathy Martin Editor cathy@southparkmagazine.com Sharon Smith Assistant Editor sharon@southparkmagazine.com Andie Rose Creative Director Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com Whitley Adkins Style Editor Sarah Fligel Proofreader Contributing Editors David Mildenberg, Michael J. Solender Contributing Writers Taylor Bowler, Andrea Cooper, Natalie Dick, Jim Dodson, Asha Ellison, Sarah Fligel, Vanessa Infanzon, Richard Israel, Juliet Lam Kuehnle, Page Leggett, Tommy Tomlinson, Kay West Contributing Photographers Jonathan Cooper, Daniel Coston, Richard Israel, Amy Kolodziej, Dustin and Susie Peck, Peter Taylor

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blvd. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE ARTIST AND SOCO GALLERY; PHOTO BY JASON KRUPPA

people, places, things

Sophie Treppendahl, Dinner with Ada and the Birds, 2026, acrylic on panel, 40 x 30 inches, ST_003

THE ART OF LINGERING There’s no harm in a little spilled wine, a few crumbs and some charming clutter. To artist Sophie Treppendahl, those are the telltale signs of time well spent hosting friends and loved ones. As November ushers in the season of gathering, SOCO Gallery introduces After the Dinner Party, a solo exhibition by the New Orleans-based artist. After recently becoming a mother, Treppendahl found maintaining social connections and friendships even more important. Hosting people quickly became her solution. Each work depicts a real-life collection of objects in Treppendahl’s home, the bits and pieces of a chaotic household that feels comfortable, inviting and full of memories. The exhibition runs Nov. 4 – Dec. 31, with a reception with Treppendahl on the evening of Nov. 4. SP

southparkmagazine.com | 19

blvd. | people

SOUTHPARK SIT-DOWN

VALERIE MITCHENER

The Corcoran HM Properties founder on grit, reinvention and why retirement’s off the menu. by Natalie Dick | photographs by Richard Israel

f you’re hoping to catch Valerie Mitchener off guard, good luck. “It’s hard to rattle me,” she tells me as we slide into a corner table at Superica, the Tex-Mex spot at Strawberry Hill, a couple of minutes from her office. She says it the way other people mention they take their coffee black. A simple fact, no fuss. Superica is James Beard-nominated chef Ford Fry’s tribute to the Tex-Mex cuisine he grew up with. The space channels Texas dance halls, tortillas are handmade, and the queso has its own loyal following. Mitchener doesn’t bother with the menu. She orders her go-to, chicken fajitas with a side of fresh guacamole, and gets down to business. Two decades into running one of the region’s top-selling residential brokerages, the famously driven founder has earned the right to sound that sure. Corcoran HM Properties now counts 150 agents, offices stretching from SouthPark to both Carolina coasts, a growing presence in Asheville and the High Country, and $1.4 billion in sales last year. Five years ago, she affiliated the firm with The Corcoran Group, setting it up for a bigger national stage. And the woman behind all of it? “I’m in the best place I’ve been in a very long time,” she says. “I’m happy.”

FROM DROP-DOWN MENUS TO FLIPPING HOUSES Mitchener was born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey. In 1986, fresh out of high school, she followed her family south when her father was transferred to Charlotte with Royal Insurance. “Charlotte was very different then than it is now,” she recalls, “and certainly a change from where I was raised.” Rather than going straight to college, she took a gap year to help her parents care for her 2-year-old niece. After enrolling at UNC Chapel Hill the next fall, she drove home most weekends to help. “There was no time to join a sorority or any of that,” she says, without complaint. “I never saw it as a chore. My experience was simply different from other people’s.” After graduation, she launched TextWorks, a small company

20 | SOUTHPARK

writing documentation and training materials for the financial industry. (Picture step-by-step instructions for banking software.) She laughs at the memory. “Talk about boring!” Real estate found her almost by accident. Married with two young sons, she and her then-husband, a builder, began flipping houses on the side. He suggested she get her license so they could sell their own renovations. “Once I did, that was it,” she says. “I loved looking at houses. I loved design work, and I really liked helping people.” She sold TextWorks, went into real estate full time, and quickly became a top producer at Dickens Mitchener. Eight years later, she was ready to reinvent herself again.

BUILDING SOMETHING FROM A HARD SEASON

Ask her how she came to start a brokerage, and she admits she’s not entirely sure what she was thinking.

blvd. | people Blackened Redfish Tacos with salsa verde, red chile mayo, cabbage and cilantro

Superica

Classic queso with roasted chiles and guacamole with cilantro, onion, serrano chile and lime

The idea took shape during one of the most difficult periods of her life. Within two years, she lost both parents, who were in their 60s, went through a divorce, and began raising two young sons on her own. “I wasn’t happy,” she says. “I told myself, ‘You’ve got to figure this out.’ Then I woke up one day and said, ‘Let’s do this.’” She brought the idea to her friend and colleague Patti Hendrix, and in 2006 HM Properties opened its doors with six agents and an assistant. Then the recession arrived. Sales were slashed in half almost overnight, and suitors started calling with offers to buy the company. Mitchener is candid about those meetings. “Quite honestly, everything they said to me was right,” she says. “They were more experienced than I was. I’m sure when I walked out of those meetings they were like, ‘That girl is an idiot.’ And maybe I was. But I absolutely refused to quit.” She put everything on the line — borrowing against her house,

spending her savings and riding out the downturn. In 2009, she bought out her partner; the two remain close friends. “I do better under pressure,” she says, as if that weren’t already clear. So, when Covid hit, she didn’t flinch. “We didn’t miss a beat,” she says. “I told everyone, there is no scenario where we get through a recession and this thing’s going to take us down.”

FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER

Walk into Mitchener’s office and you’ll see her fingerprints everywhere: the lobby, the logo, the signage, the colors. I call it intentionality. “You call it intentionality, my husband calls it controlling,” she quips. That would be Joe Pellegrini, a managing director at Baird and a former NFL player, who knows a thing or two about discipline himself. She concedes she’s getting better at letting some things go. Just southparkmagazine.com | 21

blvd. | people not the things people see first. “First impressions matter,” she says. “We have a side staircase, and I tell people, if you’re not dressed appropriately, don’t come in the front door. Go up the side staircase, go to your office and shut the door.” That attention to detail is exactly why affiliating with Corcoran in 2021 was such a tough call. She maintained ownership, but the partnership with the New York–based brand meant handing over some of that control. “That was really hard,” she says. “But I was so impressed with their branding and marketing that I thought, I’ll let someone else do that for a bit.” The logic was practical. “Everyone in Charlotte knew who we were,” she explains. “Our agents are top in the city and the state. But outside of here, that wasn’t the case.” Her agents had been referring clients to other firms in places like Charleston and Wilmington. Today, the firm has its own offices in both. It didn’t hurt that Corcoran was founded by Barbara Corcoran and is still largely led by women. “I think women are smarter,” she says with a grin. Then she turns thoughtful. “I’m not a feminist of any kind, but I do think a lot of times women are discounted and ignored until they become successful, and we have to work harder to get the same recognition.” She loves mentoring young women in business, in large part because she remembers how hard it was raising children while building a career. Women lead differently, she believes, because they have to. “A mother often starts the day figuring out her kids, her job and everything after, while many men only have to figure out their job.” (She’s quick to add there are exceptions, including stay-athome dads among her own agents.) That commitment to lifting up women is part of a broader belief in giving back to the community. She is one of 11 women executives in the Empower HER Fund, which invests in the Carolina Ascent women’s professional soccer team. Beyond that work, she supports local organizations and lends her leadership in a range of ways: Her firm has been the official Realtor of the Charlotte Hornets since 2010 and is deeply involved with Mission 34, the mental-health nonprofit co-founded by longtime HM Properties broker Heather Bonner. Mitchener also serves on the TowneBank Charlotte board and co-founded the Yes I Can Play Foundation, which helps children participate in youth sports.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE

“What makes a really good agent is your knowledge and your expertise,” Mitchener says. HM Properties doesn’t actively recruit. In Charlotte, new agents join the firm through referrals, and Mitchener looks for people who will show up, get involved and stay engaged — even when business is slow. Mention the young agents, though, and her face softens. “The best part of this job is the people we hire who are new, who come in young and are just getting started and are so excited,”

22 | SOUTHPARK

TAKE FIVE Favorite Charlotte neighborhood: Foxcroft, where I live. Mountains or beach: I love both, but if I had to choose, it would be the beach. I have to be warm!

Favorite room in your house: My bedroom. It’s quiet and tucked away.

Guilty pleasure: Milk chocolate Hershey’s Kisses dipped in almond butter. I have one every night after dinner. Perfect Saturday: It’s embarrassing to admit, but if I can go into the office by myself and get things done, that’s wonderful! I’m also a shopper. I love shopping for clothes and furniture.

blvd. | people

Chicken “Tejano” Fajitas

she says. “A lot of them don’t make it. But watching the ones that do is amazing.” She traces that instinct back to caring for her niece and, later, her parents. “I’m a caregiver,” she says. “That’s why I love what I do.” In her view, a company’s culture is defined in tough times, and she’s seen plenty. “Everybody says they have really good people,” she says. “I mean it.” She has opinions on industry trends, too, and doesn’t mind sharing them. Take the word “luxury.” “I don’t think luxury is a price point, and we try not to use it,” she says. “It’s a buzzword that’s overused.” Once known as a boutique firm, HM Properties has broadened its offerings without losing its integrity or its standard of service. A $400,000 house gets the same brochure as a $15 million estate. And you won’t catch Mitchener starring in her own listing videos. “I’m not that girl,” she says. “The video is about the house, and I think my clients prefer it that way.”

BECOMING A CHARLOTTEAN

When Mitchener arrived, Charlotte had few Northeast transplants and even fewer restaurants and cultural options. As a young mom, she worried her boys would miss out on the museums and experiences she’d grown up with. Those worries are long gone. “People come and never leave, including the athletes I work with who’ve retired from the Hornets and Panthers,” she says. “People love living here.” She’s clear-eyed about the growing pains, though: crowded public schools, limited private-school options, five-year waiting lists for country clubs. And affordability has become a real hurdle for first-time buyers. “When I bought my first house in Charlotte, it was $89,000, in Elizabeth, and we loved it,” she says. “Now my kids are that age, and a lot of their friends can’t afford to buy. If they do, they have to go far away.”

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After years of a frenzied market, she welcomes the return to a more balanced pace. “Real estate moves in cycles,” she says. “The past few years were much harder than they may have looked. People assumed agents were thriving, but the reality was incredibly stressful. A house would hit the market, and suddenly 15 buyers were competing for it — often paying more than they wanted to. Now, the market feels more balanced and, thankfully, a lot more normal.”

RETIRE? NEVER.

Last year, Mitchener fell ill and spent some time in the hospital. Friends and colleagues predicted the experience would change her outlook. It didn’t, at least not the way her husband hoped. “I was just anxious to get out of the hospital so I could go back to work,” she says. She’s more selective about her own clients these days but still works hard to bring business to her agents. Vacations remain a challenge. At a Mexican resort that banned phones at the pool, she told her husband she wasn’t sure she’d last the week. She thrives on packed days. “I’m a little intense, for sure,” she says. And she’s refreshingly honest about it. “I have an incredible amount of self-awareness. I know I’m a difficult person, and I know I have zero patience. Could I try to change? Yeah. I’m just not going to. I’m too old to change.” If she has any regrets, it’s about timing. She wishes she’d been able to do more for her parents sooner, taking them on trips and to sporting events the way she now does with her sons and niece, who all work at the firm with her. “Sure, I’ve worked really hard, but I’m also really lucky,” she says. “My kids are healthy and happy. What more could I want?” A beat later, she grins. “I could use some sweet daughters-in-law at some point.” SP The best advice Mitchener ever received came from her father, and she says it still holds true today. Scan the QR code to watch.

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blvd. | style CLOSET CRUSH

KRISSY ORTALE by Whitley Adkins | photographs by Amy Kolo

s a high-school student growing up in the Greensboro suburb of Summerfield, Krissy Ortale’s senior superlative was Most Fashionable. “I always wanted to just find the deal,” Ortale says. “My parents would treat me to things, yes, but I also wanted to work.” To finance her shopping habit, Ortale worked at her father’s Chick-fil-A franchise. When she wasn’t wearing her mom’s vintage clothes, she’d peruse the racks at Design Archives for dresses. “It was the vintage store in Greensboro. I was always into old stuff, but it was also the thrill of the hunt.” After earning degrees in nutrition and physical therapy at UNC Chapel Hill, Ortale moved to Charlotte in 2016 and married her husband, Michael. Following the birth of their first daughter, Belle, in 2019, Ortale suffered from a previously undiagnosed autoimmune condition. “We tried to have another child in 2022. I was in and out of the hospital for about six months. I got out of the hospital and tried to find something that would bring me the most joy — I needed a creative outlet.” That’s when she became reacquainted with her love for getting dressed, and in 2022 she started an Instagram account called Krissy’s OOTD. After her account was hacked, she launched a new one, @krissyortalestyling. “An acquaintance reached out to ask if I could help her with outfits for a trip. … It grew from there, word of mouth. That’s when I realized, ‘Oh wait, I can actually make this a business.’” She offers closet clean-outs, resale assistance, styling and more. “I want people to know that styling can be very approachable and not standoffish. It is not just for the prestigious elite,” says Ortale, who welcomed a second daughter, June, in the spring. She also encourages her clients to shop resale and vintage. “You can find beauty in all the things,” she says, even older items you may already have. “It is so fun to shop your own closet. Sometimes you just need a new set of eyes.” Comments have been lightly edited. 26 | SOUTHPARK

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blvd. | style

PERSONAL STYLE What are your earliest fashion memories? Probably from age 4. Always a white T-shirt, black biker shorts and cowgirl boots. I had a pair of boys’ FILAs probably around the age of 8 — I had to have them. My dad’s mom always had tons of accessories. I would go into her room and dress up. My aunt and my cousins were into clothes, so I had a number of influences. I started a club in high school called Fashion with a Purpose — we would make necklaces and style them, and we would do charity work centered around fashion. How do you describe your personal style? Ultimately it is based on my mood. I would describe my style as traditional, boho with a touch of whimsy. Do you have a favorite way to accessorize? Obviously, jewelry. I start with the neck mess and I just keep adding. Then I started adding to my wrist stack, and now I do it with my rings. My friend, [the founder of] Mary Liz Designs, makes really fun jewelry.

SHOPPING + STYLE INSPO Who are your style icons and favorite fashion designers? Lately I’ve been loving Bode and Rosie Assoulin. I love TWP for classics. I hate mentioning brands, because I also like Walmart. Chemena Kamali is the current head designer at Chloe — she makes me think of Sienna Miller, whose style I love. The gal who is styling Kate Hudson now, Sophie Lopez. The vibe I strive for is Penny Lane in Almost Famous. Also, I love Jane Birkin. Favorite places to shop? Stashpad and East 8th Vintage. Chosen, Five One Five and Poole Shop. If you want designer vintage, and want to make a girls’ trip out of it, there is a great shop in Scottsdale,

28 | SOUTHPARK

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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.

blvd. | style

THIS OR THAT Necklaces, bracelets or rings: I only can do one? That would never be reality. Denim or sequins: Denim Animal print or plaid: I love a plaid, but animal print. Chloe shoes or vintage cocktail dress: I’ll always choose the Chloe, then I could enjoy it and sell it and still

Arizona, called Vintage by Misty. Basically give me any vintage store … I don’t discriminate — I obviously appreciate high fashion, but also take me to a Goodwill and I will get to work! Who do you love to follow on social media? Lori Hirshleifer, Olympia Gayot, Larissa Mills, Caroline Baudino. I also really love following young Lisbon influencers like @vicmontanari or England-based @sarah.corbettwinder. I get inspo from everywhere and from anyone.

THE CLOSET Tell me about your closet layout. Currently, I have the front half, and my husband has the back half. I like to have everything on a linear plane, like a boutique. It’s all on one wall. 30 | SOUTHPARK

buy the vintage cocktail dress and have money leftover for something else. Your mom’s vintage denim jacket or your Michael Stars white tee? Even though I really like that tee, my mom’s denim jacket all day long. Summer or fall: Fall. Summer is always sort of a letdown for me, because it’s so hot.

blvd. | style Favorite wardrobe items: I have a short black polka-dot cocktail dress from the early ’80s that I wore to homecoming in high school. Now I wear it for Christmas parties. I have a gingerbread-man pouch bag that belonged to my husband’s grandmother. Right now, my No. 1 thing on repeat is my Michael Stars white cropped tee. It is the MVP of my closet, along with my Phillip Lim denim bag and a pair of denim Chloe clogs I got at J.T. Posh, and my mom’s 1970s Levi’s denim jacket. Dressing-room design advice: I like to help my clients “boutiqueify” it. First, I clear it all out, then I like to sort it by the item, then color coordinate it. How do you feel about matching hangers? Who has time for that? My preferred hanger is the dry-cleaner hanger with paper and felt. SP

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blvd. | arts

CARRY ON

A new Mint Museum exhibition explores the whimsical world of Judith Leiber’s clutches. by Page Leggett

he average American woman owns 11 handbags. Based on that data point, I am way, way above average. I feel naked without a purse. They’re so much more than a catchall for your wallet, keys and phone. Given all that this workhorse does for women, it seems unfair to call it an “accessory” — it’s an essential. But just because they’re utilitarian doesn’t mean these ubiquitous carryalls can’t be beautiful. A handbag can be a work of art. And no one did more to elevate the practical purse to an art form Judith Leiber, Inc. (United than Judith Leiber. States, 1963-). Fish Minaudiere, 2007, silver-plated brass, Mint Museum Randolph Swarovski crystals, leather. is celebrating her artistry Gift of the family of Vicki and with Brilliant by Design: Jim Mills. 2025.34.12 The Handbags of Judith Leiber, an exhibition on view through July 3, 2027. The show features more than 100 handbags and accessories from a single collector. Leiber is best known for her evening bags, but “she did it all,” says Bridget Kerr, Fashion Fellow at the Mint and the exhibition curator. “She wanted to give consumers something for every time of day.” Leiber didn’t consider herself an artist. “She would remind people that she was an artisan, making products for customers to use,” Kerr says. But the painstaking work Leiber put into her designs elevates them. Consider her hand-beaded purse shaped like a swan. That design was iconic even before “Mr. Big” gave one to Carrie Bradshaw in a 1999 “Sex and the City” episode. (And, if you could even find one today, it might cost $6,000.)

‘ANY LEATHER THAT WAS LEGAL’

Leiber was a pioneer. Handbags were made almost exclusively of leather and fabric until 1967, when Leiber began using metal and the hard plastic now known as plexiglass. In the 1970s, she started making purses out of real seashells, which was a meticulous process, according to Kerr.

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“They each had to be individually lined, and a different closure had to be built for each one because every seashell is a different shape.” She was fearless in her design choices, Kerr adds. “She would experiment with any material. Any leather that was legal to sell that she could get her hands on, she would try.” Those include stingray, elephant, toad, alligator. And she cared as much about quality as she did about innovation. “She only used the finest materials possible.” Owning her own company gave her freedom to try new things, says Kerr. “Her design mind knew no bounds.”

A LEGACY OF LUXURY

Leiber is a singular figure in fashion history, but her whimsical designs led the way for others. “We see a lot of Leiber’s influence in the accessories industry today,” Kerr says. Novelty clutches are now seen on runways, red carpets and in real life. For example, the cheeky humor and playful pop-culture references in Kate Spade bags can be viewed as homages to Leiber. Certainly, Kate Spade’s poodle-shaped purse owes a debt of gratitude to Leiber’s swan. But while the Kate Spade brand is considered “affordable” luxury, Leiber catered to a more high-end customer. “Everything she ever made was a luxury product,” Kerr says. “Her prices were always high, and she readily admitted that.” One purse Kerr considers a showstopper in the Mint’s exhibition is the Tiffany mosaic ceiling minaudiere, which retailed for $2,700 in 1991. It was a limited-edition purse that celebrated the renovation of the former Marshall Field’s store on State Street in Chicago. The building’s mosaic ceiling was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1907. Leiber translated that into her own crystal-encrusted design. The benefactor who amassed this collection of Leiber purses —

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE MINT

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blvd. | arts Judith Leiber (American, 1921–2018). Tiffany Mosaic Ceiling Minaudiere, November 1991, gold-plated brass, leather, Swarovski crystals, semiprecious cabochon stones. Gift of the family of Vicki and Jim Mills. 2025.34.50a-d

Vicki Mills — lived in the Chicago area, and several specimens on view are Chicago-themed. Mills had ties to Charlotte, and after her 2023 death, her family gifted her entire collection to the Mint. If purses and accessories seem frivolous, consider Leiber’s personal history. “She was brilliant,” Kerr says. “She spoke six languages by the time she was 18.” Born in Hungary in 1921, Leiber was an aspiring chemist until World War II derailed her dreams. Antisemitic restrictions limited opportunities for Jewish students, so she entered Hungary’s handbag guild to learn a skill that would help the war effort. When the Nazis invaded Hungary in 1947, Leiber fled to America, where she worked for handbag companies until 1963. That’s when she launched her company, which she led until her retirement in 1998. “For her to have gone out on her own [then] was a big step,” Kerr says. “She had very few contemporaries.”

‘FIRST’ IN FASHION

Beginning with Mamie Eisenhower in 1953, almost every first lady carried a Judith Leiber bag on Inauguration Day. She designed Eisenhower’s pale pink silk evening bag while working for another fashion label. Under her own brand, she designed purses for Pat Nixon and Nancy Reagan, Kerr says, and was friends with both Mrs. Bushes. “There’s a great picture of Hillary Clinton holding a little catshaped purse that was designed after [the Clintons’] cat, Socks.” First ladies’ inaugural ballgowns and accessories are housed at The Smithsonian, but there are photos of some of these purses in the Mint show.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY THE MINT MUSEUM

WAR AND PEACE PURSE

blvd. | arts Leiber’s bags don’t just show up in politics; they’re part of pop culture, too. Beyoncé and Katy Perry are fans. From Lady Bird Johnson to Lady Gaga, women in the public eye have depended on Leiber bags to complete a look and make a statement.

Jana Matheson, Judith Leiber Couture (United States, 1963-). Pink Ringaling Rotary Phone Minaudiere, c. 2013, silver-plated brass, Swarovski crystals, leather, semiprecious cabochon stones. Gift of the family of Vicki and Jim Mills. 2025.34.102

CALLING ALL HISTORY BUFFS

Purse aficionados like me wouldn’t miss this exhibition. But we’re not the only audience the Mint intends to reach. The exhibition has broad appeal, Kerr says. History buffs, particularly those intrigued by WWII, may find it fascinating, as will anyone who appreciates the fine craftsmanship of the bags. For Kerr, Leiber’s most enduring legacy is “the whimsy in her design and her commitment to quality.” You know a Leiber bag when you see one — and that’s not because her name is emblazoned across it. “She consciously avoided that sort of logo mania,” Kerr says. “She felt that it wasn’t about her name. She wanted it to be about the quality of the handbag. She was basically saying: You’ll know it’s a Judith Leiber because the quality will be so exceptional — not because my name is plastered all over it.”

Brilliant by Design: The Handbags of Judith Leiber is on view through July 3, 2027 at Mint Museum Randolph. For more information, visit mintmuseum.org.

southparkmagazine.com | 37

blvd. | cuisine

WELL DONE, CHEF

by Page Leggett

s Troy Guard gives me a tour of Guard and Grace before the Oct. 1 grand opening, I catch a whiff of something sweet: a batch of triple-chocolate-chip cookies, fresh from the oven, getting sprinkled with coarse sea salt. The pillowy, soft clouds that look like muffin tops are Guard’s take on his late mother’s recipe. She was known as “Grandma Cookie” to her 12 grandchildren. Guard, founder and executive chef of TAG Restaurant Group, uses butter instead of margarine and dark and white chocolate chips in addition to Mom’s milk chocolate. Those dreamy puffs — served by the half-dozen with a vanilla milkshake for dessert — may conjure childhood memories of milk and cookies, but they’re a significant improvement on the original. Guard calls the cookies “familiar, but elevated,” which is an apt description for much of Guard and Grace, the new modern steakhouse between uptown and South End.

A STEAKHOUSE WITH A SOUTHERN ACCENT

Guard’s version of deviled eggs is a far cry from what you recall from Fourth of July potlucks. These are local, cage-free eggs stuffed with either country ham and salsa macha or Hawaiian tuna tartare. (Guard was raised in Hawaii, and you’ll see other nods to his home state in the restaurant.)

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Most of the menu is the same across the three Guard and Grace restaurants — the original in Denver and a second in Houston — but certain items are only available in Charlotte, including: • Charbroiled North Carolina oysters, made with collards instead of spinach for a Southern spin on oysters Rockefeller • Roasted Carolina Gold rice with slow-braised mustard greens, heirloom field peas, smoked peanuts and green-apple relish • “Country Ham Tasting” featuring ham from Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina farms • Sea trout with charred cabbage, crispy potato and smoked-tomato butter • Oak-grilled swordfish chop with roasted garlic-nori butter Executive Chef Adam Vero’s love of seafood is evident in those last two dishes. But Guard says his steakhouses have become known as much for seafood as for beef. You can grab a seat at the raw bar and watch, via an overhead mirror, as king crab, shrimp, oysters and sashimi are prepared. Or try Guard’s version of hush puppies, a more refined version of the fish-camp staple made with Carolina blue corn and smoked fish.

RIGHT-SIZED STEAKS

Meats at Guard and Grace come from Creekstone Farms, which

PHOTOGRAPH BY JASON SINN PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY GUARD AND GRACE

Troy Guard’s celebrated steakhouse, Guard and Grace, lives up to the hype.

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A Z A L E A

blvd. | cuisine

Triple-chocolate-chip cookies

G&G Steak

WET YOUR WHISTLE

Guard gets you thinking about drinks right away. The 750-bottle wine room is the first thing you see as you enter. Round the corner, and you’re at the oversized bar. Guard devoted more space to it than in his other two restaurants for a reason. “I think a lot of people will come here, not just for dinner, but for drinks, appetizers and this view,” Guard says. He’s referring to the stunning 2,000-square-foot outdoor terrace and skyline beyond. The restaurant is located on the 10th floor of the Vivian apartment complex at Queensbridge Collective, where uptown meets South End. Cocktails are as inventive as the rest of the menu. The Cosmonaut, the most popular cocktail at the Denver location, is a play on a Cosmo. White cranberry juice, elderflower liqueur, lime and vodka arrive in a carafe — your server pours the concoction into a glass with a single, round ice cube and an orchid. It’s quite a presentation. Two Charlotte specials are the Queen City Orchard (Tito’s, apple brandy, bubbly, cane sugar, lemon and an apple chip) and a dessert cocktail honoring a big North Carolina crop — a sweet potato espresso martini.

UNCHAINED STEAKHOUSE

Each Guard and Grace restaurant is designed to reflect the culture of the city it’s in. The gold-hued walls are an homage to the region. (Did you know America’s first gold rush took place in Cabarrus County?) And you’ll recognize the monarch in the relief portrait in the lobby as Queen Charlotte. For Guard, no detail was too small. The oversized ladies’ room? That was his idea. If you choose to hopscotch your way to the restrooms, thank Guard — that was his idea, too. You may not realize that the backdrop for the lounge, a giant denim tapestry created by Victor Lytvinenko of Raleigh Denim Workshop, honors North Carolina’s textile industry. And that’s OK. “We think it creates a feeling of comfort and familiarity when you walk in,” Guard says. “We’ve tried to be thoughtful in every detail.” SP

750-bottle wine room and booth seating

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A rare steakhouse that caters to everyone. Guard and Grace

is located at 111 E. Carson Blvd. For the first few months, the restaurant will serve dinner only. Lunch service will be added in early 2027. For more information or to make a reservation, visit guardandgrace.com/charlotte or OpenTable.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICO MARCELO PHOTOGRAPHY, JASON SINN PHOTOGRAPHY, TAG RESTAURANT GROUP COURTESY GUARD AND GRACE

hand-selects its Black Angus cattle and raises them humanely. Steaks are cooked over an oak-fired grill, but first they’re rubbed with Guard’s own seasoning blend. If you think a steak is a steak is a steak, you haven’t had one cooked the Guard and Grace way. A fun way for a group to sample several offerings is the “Filet Flight” — 4-ounce cuts of prime, wagyu and grass-fed beef. Notice the 4-ounce cut? That’s something you won’t see at every steakhouse. But Guard doesn’t like food waste. His teenage daughter, Grace (for whom the restaurant is named), prefers a 4-ounce filet mignon, and many adults feel the same way. Guard doesn’t force big portions on guests, although if you’re really hungry, you can dive into the 22-ounce dry-aged, bone-in ribeye.

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blvd. | food + drink

SMALL TALK

There’s big buzz in NoDa around Olivelli Deli, a little walk-up window serving sandwiches and ice cream. by Kay West

here is no front door — just a walk-up window — at Olivelli Deli, NoDa’s newest eatery on E. 35th Street, but you’ll know it when you’re close. About a half-block in from the corner at N. Davidson Street straddled by Growlers Pourhouse, the utility boxes attached to the building’s gritty red brick are painted a deep hunter green and whimsically adorned with Irishcream-hued olive-tree flowers and leaves. On Tuesday through Sunday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., you’ll likely encounter a line at the window below the brick arch, above which block letters spelling out Olivelli Deli mark the spot. On the left open wood shutter is the succinct menu of sandwiches — four for breakfast, six for lunch; on the right, soft-serve ice cream and beverages. Place your order, step to the left and wait to be called to the pickup window. Two tree-shaded picnic tables set in gravel between the street and sidewalk invite al fresco dining. Or, take the tightly wrapped, brown-bagged sandwiches to-go. Waffle cones and cups filled with a tall twirl of chocolate, vanilla or swirl soft serve are the perfect take-along for a neighborhood stroll. Olivelli Deli is the latest delivery from the Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group, joining siblings Growlers, Haberdish, Supperland, Ever Andalo and Leluia Hall. While the “baby” of the family in age and size — opened July 1 and just 82 square feet — Olivelli Deli inherits all the creative and entrepreneurial DNA of owners Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown. No crazy idea is too big: move a historic, four-story brick building 750 feet from South End to Dilworth, where it will soon (ish) become the couple’s lucky seventh project? They can do that. No detail is too small: spend a few hours in peak summer heat handpainting Olivelli’s operating hours on a wooden ledge, dotting the centers of the olive-tree flowers because it looks better? Brown did that. Olivelli took over the twee space that was the popular Reigning Doughnuts shop from 2018 through February 2026; prior to that, it was a closet in the back of Growlers begging to be freed of its storage duties. “We wanted to bring some light to that part of the street,” Brown recalls. “We’re big believers that more activity builds neighborhoods.”

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OLIVELLI DELI

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Reigning Doughnuts was successful, but early this year Brown and Tonidandel decided it was time for a change. Because they had so many elements in place at their three other NoDa restaurants to make sandwiches — who doesn’t love a good sandwich? — they focused on cross-utilization. Kaiser rolls are baked fresh at Supperland and Leluia Hall. The Italian meat slicer at Ever Andalo is used to portion meats and cheeses each morning. The other restaurants’ pantries are raided for peach-jalapeno jam, Calabrian chili crisp, house-made burrata cream, pistachio pesto, olive tapenade and bathed red onion. “Jeff has a thing about red onions,” Brown explains with a laugh. “If you just slice and use them, they are very pungent with a strong bite. But if you soak the sliced onion in water for about 20 minutes, it removes that bite and you just get the beautiful flavor notes.” Soft-serve excellence was a long process of R&D. “Soft serve is a beast to make, and a lot of places use a mix and add water,” Brown explains. “We don’t want those chemicals and additives, so we hit the science books to figure it out. We use fresh cream and egg yolk, vanilla-bean paste and Valrhona chocolate. We are still perfecting it, but we’re getting there.” The couple’s next project — turning the rehomed 1903 Leeper & Wyatt building into Wyatt’s Superfine — is another huge endeavor, but for Brown and Tonidandel, size really doesn’t matter. “Olivelli Deli is just a little window with sandwiches and ice cream,” she says. “But we want people to feel it’s something special every time they walk up.” SP

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blvd. | food + drink

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blvd. | tale of the plate

A MOTHER’S LEGACY Tina Tedla’s Shiro — an Ethiopian comfort dish — is rooted in tradition by Asha Ellison | photographs by Jonathan Cooper

he did just as her mother told her: She built something — a restaurant — they both would be proud of. And Tina Tedla certainly is. She is proud to carry her mother Beke Alemu’s legacy in her hands, a legacy planted firmly in the recipes she left behind. Those recipes became the foundation of Enat Ethiopian, a Charlotte restaurant whose very name means “mother” in Amharic. But Alemu’s recipes have become much more than a collection of dishes. They are a guidebook to family, culture and tradition, keeping her mother’s presence close. Among them is Shiro, a simple Ethiopian staple steeped in comfort and nostalgia. For Tedla, it is both a taste of home and a reminder of the woman who taught her how to cook and encouraged her to build something of her own.

FINDING PROMISE IN THE PIVOT

Tedla’s journey to Enat began after college, when a difficult job market left her wondering what was next. She earned a degree in healthcare management and returned to school for a master’s

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degree, but her mother saw another possibility. “She was the one who actually motivated me to start the restaurant business,” Tedla recalls. “She said, ‘You’ll build something for yourself, and everything else will come later.’” Alemu, known for making injera — a sour, spongy fermented flatbread customary in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine — and for her catering, offered to help her daughter take the leap. Tedla was terrified, but she found courage in the entrepreneurial spirit that had shaped her family. “My parents worked so hard to make a living when they came to America,” she says. “And I watched my siblings work hard in their businesses, too. It’s just something we do.” In 2017, Tedla opened the flagship Enat Ethiopian in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood. A second location followed at Optimist Hall in 2022.

RESILIENCE IS A VERB

Five years at her first location taught Tedla that Ethiopian food could sometimes feel unfamiliar to first-time diners. At Optimist Hall,

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blvd. | tale of the plate SHIRO

Serves 4-6 | Prep time: 10 minutes; total time: 30 minutes INGREDIENTS: 2 cups shiro powder (chickpea flour) 1/2 cup of vegetable oil or olive oil 1 large red onion, finely chopped 3–4 cloves garlic, minced 6 cups water 2 teaspoons salt, to taste 1 small tomato, finely chopped (optional) 1–2 tablespoons jalapeño or green chili, sliced (optional) Niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter, optional)

DIRECTIONS:

she adapted the menu without abandoning its roots, offering smaller portions and milder options to make the cuisine more approachable. “And you have to,” Tedla says of learning to adapt. That resilience became even more personal during Covid, when Tedla lost her father. Rather than stopping, Tedla renovated the restaurant and found new ways to keep the business moving. She had already endured the long process of finding a location and securing capital, at one point going an entire year without paying herself to keep the restaurant afloat. The work came with sacrifices, including friendships, relationships and even the space to fully grieve. Still, Tedla kept returning to the kitchen. “I just enjoy being there,” she says. “It’s a place where I can think

1. Put the chopped onions in a pot over medium heat with oil. Cook for about 5–7 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add a splash of water if they start sticking. 2. Add tomatoes and garlic, and stir. Cook for another 2–3 minutes. 3. Slowly add 4 cups of water, stirring as you pour. Bring to a gentle boil. 4. Lower the heat, and slowly sprinkle in the shiro powder while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until smooth. 5. Cover partially and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it’s too thick, add a little water. If it’s too thin, simmer uncovered a few more minutes. 6. Taste and adjust salt. Add sliced jalapeño or green chili during the last few minutes if preferred. Top with niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced butter) if desired.

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blvd. | cuisine

deeply and execute a dish with precision.” She also kept returning to her mother’s recipes. Tedla now sees herself as the keeper of something larger than the restaurant. Her nieces and nephews have grown up knowing their grandmother’s food, and she wants those recipes and traditions to remain alive for another generation. “I’m gonna protect this,” she says. That philosophy is especially evident through Shiro. The everyday, affordable dish is simple to prepare. It can be made vegan, making it especially important during periods of fasting. Served with injera, it also embodies the Ethiopian tradition of hospitality: sharing what you have with the people gathered around your table. At Enat’s Plaza Midwood restaurant, diners can find the dish in two forms: Shiro, a chickpea stew, and Bozena Shiro, savory beef cubes simmered in a special sauce made from chickpea powder, herbs and spiced butter. For home cooks, Tedla says the dish is surprisingly accessible. Shiro powder and injera can be found at Ethiopian markets, while tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt and oil are easy to find at traditional grocery stores. It can be made with olive oil or Ethiopian butter, with beef or without, and jalapeños can be added for heat. Ultimately, she hopes people will simply give it a try. “I want you to enjoy this food so much,” Tedla says. “I just want to share it.” And perhaps that is the most fitting legacy of all. A recipe leaves one kitchen and finds its way into another, carrying with it the hands, stories and love of the person who first made it. SP

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Your Classical Companion. southparkmagazine.com | 49

blvd. | explore

MOUNTAIN HIGH Glamping in Haywood County, where the Earth meets the sky by Cathy Martin

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE GLAMPING COLLECTIVE

n my last morning at The Glamping Collective, overnight showers cleared, giving way to a slow-moving blanket of fog drifting silently across the valley below. It was a peaceful scene topping off a brief escape to nature, about a 2.5-hour drive from Charlotte. The 160-acre campground in Haywood County debuted in 2022, founded by Charleston couple Matt and Christina Bare. The couple opened a second location in Chattanooga, Tennessee, earlier this year. Once considered a passing fad, glamping — essentially “comfortable” camping — has gone mainstream, with sites across western N.C. Few offer such breathtaking views as The Glamping Collective.

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Experience the spirit of the season at Specialty Shops SouthPark — a beautiful outdoor destination for shopping, dining, and unwinding. Shop new arrivals in charming boutiques, explore must-have styles from distinctive brands, and grab a bite at any of our restaurants. Discover something for everyone on your list at Specialty Shops SouthPark.

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blvd. | explore CAN-DO CANTON

NESTLED IN NATURE

With 5 miles of on-site trails, you don’t need to leave the property to get a healthy dose of nature. The Sunset Trail is a must — follow the wide grassy path up a steep incline and you’ll be rewarded with near-360-degree views. The out-and-back trail takes about an hour round-trip, but you may want to bring a picnic or bottle of wine and linger at the summit before heading down the mountain. The nearest access point to the Blue Ridge Parkway is about a half-hour away; from the parkway you can enjoy scenic overlooks or explore rugged areas like Graveyard Fields. The site of a former spruce-fir forest, destroyed by fire a century ago, is a popular hiking area with waterfalls and wildflowers. The hike to Lower Falls is short but steep and drops you at the base of a splendid waterfall, with a swimming hole for splashing about and plenty of boulders to perch and take in the scenery.

A few miles from Glamping Collective is the town of Canton, where you’ll find a grocery store, restaurants, a wine bar and a charming used bookstore. The small town was recently hit with a double-whammy of Hurricane Helene and the closing of a paper mill, its largest employer. The shuttered mill, which is being dismantled to make way for new development, still looms over the town but there is a budding hospitality scene. The Grateful Table, a gourmet market and café, serves breakfast and lunch (the biscuit sandwiches are a must-order). There’s also a pastry case and grab-and-go cooler stocked with drinks, sandwiches and takeaway meals. The charming market sells everything from local honey to handmade jewelry, linens, candles and puzzles, many from regional makers. A few doors down is Blue Moon Books, a used bookseller with a cozy vibe and well-kept displays to encourage browsing. Mosey upstairs and you’ll find one of Canton’s newest watering holes, The Mail Room. The wine and beer lounge is housed in — you guessed it — Canton’s original post office and serves natural wines, local and regional craft beers, and nonalcoholic beverages. Accessed via a picturesque brick alley, the bar feels like a comfortable living room with vintage furnishings — including Haywood County’s first piano — plus a gallery wall with local art and plenty of nooks and crannies for settling in. Next door, in the former Imperial Hotel, the Southern Porch serves down-home classics like deviled eggs and shrimp and grits, along with salads, sandwiches and burgers. Mack’s Shack BBQ punches above its weight for its tiny storefront, with hickory-smoked brisket, pulled pork, chicken, wings and nachos. Don’t skip the sides — the “Mack” and cheese, baked beans and potato salad are just as tasty as the meats. Current Tavern serves sports-bar fare

with a breezy deck overlooking the Pigeon River. Refuel for the drive home at Papertown Coffee, a diminutive coffee shop that’s equal parts cozy and cool. GETTING THERE: The Glampling Collective is a 2.5-hour drive from Charlotte. Beginning Nov. 29, accommodations are decked with Christmas trees, lights and holiday decor, with a nightly snowfall, hot-chocolate bombs and more. Learn more at theglampingcollective.com. SP 52 | SOUTHPARK

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY THE GLAMPING COLLECTIVE

The campground’s 23 domes and cabins are accessed via a steep gravel road a short drive past the gated entry. There’s no front desk — access codes are provided ahead of your arrival. I stayed in an Ultra Luxe dome perched atop a wooden deck on the side of a mountain with sweeping views. Outside, a pair of Adirondack chairs and a fire table offered a comfortable spot to wind down, with a hot tub for soaking. Inside the 400-square-foot dome are wood floors, a semi-private bathroom with a slate-tiled shower, robes and slippers, and a compact kitchenette. Decor is minimal — a small table and chairs, king bed and bedside tables — but the views are the real draw here. There’s a small camp store — run by honor system — with snacks, s’mores kits and beverages, and a communal firepit and grills.

DECEMBER 11 - 13, 2026

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shop A trio of new stores is coming to SouthPark Mall: Faherty, Princess Polly and Nespresso.  Jones Road Beauty will open a store at Phillips Place.

W Charlotte is coming to uptown as part of the revamping of 400 South Tryon, a 1970s-era office building. The hotel’s 200 rooms and suites will span floors 1-9; a rooftop bar is planned for the 34th floor. Other floors will house nearly 400 residences. W Hotels’ signature Living Room lounge, a restaurant and a coffee bar will be located on the ground floor. The design by Rockwell Group is inspired by Charlotte’s music and arts heritage, with warm woods, stone and brass, and a palette of earth and jewel tones.

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eat + drink Postino opened its second Charlotte location at the Bridal gowns by esteemed Milan designer Peter Langner are now available at Ladies of Lineage. “I have always called Peter Langner a mad bridal scientist,” says Natasha DuffCole, founder and owner of the Phillips Place bridal boutique. “He wears a white coat when designing, and his precision for pattern cutting, construction, proportion and architecture is unlike anything else in bridal and, quite frankly, unlike much of what I see in fashion.” Ladies of Lineage will host a trunk show with the designer Nov. 20–28; Langner will be in town Nov. 20-21 to meet with brides and present his collection.

54 | SOUTHPARK

Commonwealth Development in Plaza Midwood. The wine bar and restaurant was designed with nods to the local community, including trolley-inspired decor and a camera art wall. The 1957 Hospitality Group (The Crunkleton, Rosemont, Puerta) opened Daybreaker, a healthy sandwich pop-up concept, at Cheat’s South End. Daybreaker is located at 2137 Hawkins St. and serves breakfast and lunch sandwiches, coffee, and matcha Friday–Sunday from 8 a.m.–2 p.m.  Yama SouthPark reopened after a renovation. SP

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| calendar

November HAPPENINGS

For more arts events, view our Fall Arts Preview at southparkmagazine.com. Día de Muertos Festival Nov. 1 Celebrate the Mexican holiday that honors the dead and celebrates their lives through vibrant traditions, including music, art and costumes. New this year: An expanded kids’ zone, and the Catrina Parade is open to anyone who wants to participate. Camp North End, noon – 6 p.m. An Evening with David Sedaris Nov. 1 The bestselling humorist and satirist returns following the release of his new book of essays, The Land and Its People. Ovens Auditorium.

Dirty Dancing: The Musical Nov. 3–8 Relive the dancing, the music and the forbidden romance that made the ’80s film a generational hit. Belk Theater. Little Big Town: For the Art of It Tour Nov. 7 Expect to hear hits like “Girl Crush” and “Boondocks” when the Grammy Awardwinning country group known for four-part harmonies comes to Ovens Auditorium. Ally Tipoff Nov. 8 Elite women’s college basketball comes to Spectrum Center for this annual matchup. Watch Kentucky take on N.C. State and the UNC Tar Heels versus the South Carolina Gamecocks. 56 | SOUTHPARK

Southern Christmas Show Nov. 12-22 Enjoy the “Sounds of Christmas” and get into the holiday spirit at this Charlotte tradition celebrating 59 years. Shop for gourmet goodies, festive decor and gifts from 400+ vendors at the Park Expo. Leonardo versus Michaelangelo: The Epic Battle of Genius Nov. 12 – March 27 This immersive experience at Blume Studios plays on the historic rivalry of two of the world’s greatest artists. Explore their creative process and the streets they walked, and see their masterpieces up close in virtual reality. Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Nov. 14 Runners start in uptown and wind their way through some of Charlotte’s most scenic neighborhoods. This annual fundraiser for Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital has marathon, half marathon and 5K options. Second Saturdays Market in SouthPark Nov. 14 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. It’s the last of this pop-up market series as we head into gifting season. Shop Local QC brings vendors selling jewelry, clothing, accessories, baked goods and more to the green beside Legion Brewing. NEEDTOBREATHE Nov. 20 This benefit concert for OneWorld

Novant Health Charlotte Marathon

Health brings the Grammy-nominated band with South Carolina roots to Carolina Theatre for an evening of music and a catered reception. Tickets start at $275. The Stray Cats Nov. 20 The Rockabilly ’80s hitmakers (“Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town”) led by Brian Setzer bring their sound to Bojangles Coliseum with special guest, The Chin Chins. Harvest Afternoon Tea at The Ballantyne Nov. 21-22, 28-29 This Thanksgiving-inspired tea includes finger sandwiches and fall-inspired treats, sweet and savory. Tickets are $70 for adults, $35 for children, plus taxes and service charge. Dick Vitale Invitational Nov. 27 l 7 p.m. Watch top-tier college hoops as the North Carolina Tar Heels take on the West Virginia Mountaineers at Spectrum Center. Christmas Together: Amy Grant, CeCe Winans and Michael W. Smith Nov. 29 Celebrate the season with moments of worship and holiday music, plus some nostalgic, career-defining hits. Bojangles Coliseum. SP

Scan the QR code on your mobile device to stay updated on events at southparkmagazine.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY DIA DE MUERTOS FESTIVAL, BY JOSEPH WATT PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CSF

Día de Muertos Festival

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|bookshelf

NOVEMBER BOOKS Notable new releases

compiled by Sally Brewster

Peregrine Hill by Nina de Gramont At the dawn of the 20th century, Isabelle Bishop still believes in love — but she knows only money can save her. After losing her husband and three of her children in a shipwreck, she has one chance to rescue what remains of her family: her daughter Mariah and her elderly mother. When Isabelle captures the attention of John Whitten, one of New York’s wealthiest men, she dares to hope that fortune might finally favor her. But Whitten’s interest is in 18-year-old Mariah, still reeling from a romantic but disastrous scandal. When Whitten discovers the secret mother and daughter have tried to keep buried, he uses it to his advantage, threatening to expose them unless Mariah accepts his proposal. Mariah quickly realizes her new husband’s home is a gilded cage, but she finds an unexpected ally in her ambitious maid, Hetty. Together, they risk everything to claim a measure of power and self-determination in a world that attempts to deny them both. Castles: A Fortified History of the World by Dan Jones Castles have been built to defend humanity for millennia — from the walls of Troy in the Bronze Age and the desert bastion of Krak des Chevaliers in Syria; to Windsor Castle and the Tower of London; to Himeji in Japan and Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. They have inspired terror and passion, foiled conquering forces, and been deployed as the ultimate expression of wealth, status and supremacy. In Castles, Jones leads readers on a journey through the many eras of castle-building and across continents as each stronghold tells a unique story of power, politics and survival, revealing the shifting tides of warfare, the rise and fall of empires, the resilience of people under siege and the flourishing of new ideas. Stations by Louise Kennedy In 1980s Ireland, Róisín and Red bond as only two precocious and disaffected teenagers can. Soon, Red is privy to the secret source of Róisín’s shame and anger: the father who abandoned her and her mother to their damp house and never-ending strife. But what does Róisín know about why Red avoids going home to his own posh parents and house — the house he soon flees forever? When a Christmas

visit to her father reveals the devastating truth of his new life in London, Róisín tracks down Red and moves into his Pimlico squat. But the path he is now on is a disturbing one, and gradually they drift apart. And yet the great, never-consummated passion of her youth remains. Will Róisín ever stop longing for Red? Will she ever learn to let someone else love her — or learn to love herself? Ocean of Bones: The Hunt for the Pirate Slave Ship Guerrero by David Kushner In 1827, the brig Guerrero was racing across the Florida Straits with 561 kidnapped Africans in its hold. Though Britain and the United States had banned the Atlantic slave trade, outlaw captains like José Gomez attempted to get around their Navy patrols and make for Cuba, where markets remained open. Gomez was particularly ruthless as a pirate who stole captives from other vessels. When a Black diver and Vietnam veteran named Ken Stewart learned in 2004 that the Guerrero might still be in American waters, he marshalled a group he called Diving with a Purpose to go looking for the lost shipwreck. In partnership with marine biologist Corey Malcom, the group began to recover the buried tale of the Guerrero and its survivors. The Man Who Read Books by Rachid Benzine A young French photographer travels to Palestine to report on the bombings in the Gaza Strip. One morning, during a ceasefire, he wanders far from his hotel and stumbles across a bookseller, an old man, sitting on the doorstop of his shop. As the photographer raises his camera, the bookseller calls out to him and asks him to listen to his story, not simply take his picture. The story that unfolds is one that encompasses exile and imprisonment, activism and political disillusionment, the joys of love and art and watching your children grow up and thrive, and the tragedies that tear your loved ones from you. Each event is tied to the book that helped him understand and it, from Milan Kundera to Frantz Fanon to Umberto Eco to Ernest Hemingway, among many others. SP Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road, parkroadbooks.com. southparkmagazine.com | 61

Brilliant by Design: The Handbags of Judith Leiber is generously presented by the Mint Museum Auxiliary with additional support from Wells Fargo and HB Wealth. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Posey and Mark Mealy, and Staci and Jeff Mills. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Arts Council. IMAGE: Jana Matheson, Judith Leiber Couture (United States, 1963–). Pink Ringaling Rotary Phone Minaudiere, c. 2013, silver-plated brass, Swarovski crystals, leather, semiprecious cabochon stones. Gift of the family of Vicki and Jim Mills. 2025.34.102 Mint Museum Randolph | 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC 28207 | 704.337.2000 | mintmuseum.org | @themintmuseum

|state of mind

HURRICANE WATCH The storms that bring us together by Tommy Tomlinson

ILLUSTRATION BY GARY PALMER

here’s always a moment late in the fall when I wake up groggy and wonder if my hurricane bag is packed. I don’t have a hurricane bag anymore. But I did have one for years. Part of my job when I was at the Charlotte Observer was to head out to the coast when a hurricane was coming in. It is such a strange feeling to be the only car heading down one side of the highway when thousands are fleeing in the opposite direction. The contents of the hurricane bag: toilet paper, of course; a portable radio; extra batteries; bottled water; food with a shelf life (peanut butter, soda crackers, canned peaches, Chef Boyardee); maps; Swiss Army knife; raincoat; bug spray; first-aid kit. We had a guide that we printed out and took with us. Get to a safe place and stay there until the hurricane moves through. Don’t drive into a puddle if you don’t know how deep it is. (A colleague of ours once drowned a rental car.) Look out for critters — hurricanes cause floods, and floods flush all sorts of animals out into the open. I discovered that was true when I covered Hurricane Floyd back in 1999. I was somewhere outside of New Bern, driving through a neighborhood. I saw a family cleaning up their flooded

house and pulled over to talk to them. Their yard was knee-deep in water. I started wading across and noticed a clump of debris floating by. As it got closer, I could see it wasn’t debris. It was a flotilla of fire ants. I backpedaled pretty fast, considering how deep the water was. The water is often the biggest problem when a hurricane comes through, more than the wind. One time — I think it was Hurricane Bonnie in 1998 — I checked into a hotel in Havelock as the storm rolled in from the coast. It was a mom-and-pop place, two stories tall. They gave me a second-floor room and I grumbled about it as I hauled my luggage and gear up the steps. The storm came through during the night. The next morning I went downstairs to find that every room on the first floor had flooded. Another time — Hurricane Fran in 1996, maybe — I stayed in a room with a sliding-glass door that led out onto a balcony. When the hurricane hit, that door warped and wobbled like a rubber sheet. I crouched on the far side of the bed for hours, expecting the glass to shatter. It never did. I always wondered if the folks who made those doors prepared them for something like that. southparkmagazine.com | 63

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|state of mind Every time a hurricane strikes, it leaves shattered lives behind. Floyd alone led to the deaths of 52 people in North Carolina and caused more than $3 billion in damage. My job as a reporter covering those storms was to tell the stories of the people who lived through them the best I could. I always tried to remember that I was one of the lucky ones. In a few days, I’d be going back to my warm, dry home. The folks I was talking to may have just lost theirs. What struck me the most about covering hurricanes is how people look out for one another. “Look for the helpers,” Mister Rogers said, and that’s never truer than after a storm. When roads are flooded, folks with canoes and johnboats get stranded people out and supplies in. When power lines are down, people empty their freezers and fire up their grills to feed the neighborhood. A storm tends to flatten the fences that separate us. When we’re wet and hungry, we’re all the same. I have been far away and covered even bigger storms. I spent a week south of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and most days I would prefer not to think about that. And of course, the storms keep coming. Hurricane Helene was two years ago, but Asheville and the surrounding mountain towns are still recovering.

Not three months after I came to work for the Observer in 1989, Hurricane Hugo came right up I-77 and slammed into Charlotte in the middle of the night. I was living just south of the border in Lancaster, South Carolina. Nobody expected the hurricane to make it that far inland. I fell asleep not sure if it was coming. I woke up to the sound of my front door being blown open. I lived in an old duplex, and the door was not quite square in the frame. I’d slam it shut and the wind would blast it open again. At some point, I realized I needed something heavy to brace against it. I grabbed the old Royal typewriter my mom and dad gave me when I was 12. I jammed it against the bottom of the door and it held. I was grateful for my mom and dad, and grateful for being a writer. For the next several hours I watched the pecan tree outside my bedroom window being bent to its limits. The wind was like a claw hammer trying to pry loose a stubborn nail. Finally, it let go. I stepped into my front yard and saw my neighbors stumbling out of their houses. None of us said anything for a while. That’s the thing, the quiet just on the other side of a hurricane. Assessing the damage, helping the needy: That comes later. But first, you’re just stunned by nature’s power, your world forever changed. SP

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|simple life

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING TO RENEW Third time was the charm by Jim Dodson

had a dinner reservation in Ithaca, but thanked them and wished them well. On the way to the restaurant, we passed an old-fashioned roadhouse called Glenwood Pines, set charmingly in the woods above the lake, and decided to stop for a cold longneck beer. We had such fun talking to the owners and playing shuffleboard bowling that we decided to skip the restaurant in favor of a cozy Glenwood Pines supper for two. At one point, Wendy wiped away a tear, and I asked her if all was well. “I’ve never felt so happy,” she simply replied. A full harvest moon was shining and the owners told us about a great spot by the lake in Ithaca where they courted once upon a time. An hour or so later, we were sitting in the car by a beautiful lake under a full moon when a cop tapped gently on the window with a flashlight. “Are you OK, ma’am?” he politely asked Wendy. “I’m fine, officer,” she replied. “We’re just talking about our children and what a lovely November day it’s been.” “She’s in danger of being proposed to very soon,” I chipped in. “In that case,” he said with a smile, “you folks have a nice evening — and great life together.” A few weeks later, we met once again at a historic inn in Williamstown, Massachusetts, for our official third date. I read Wendy a poem I’d written inspired by our wonderful day in wine country. I also formally proposed to her. She kissed me and accepted. *** Three years later, on what would have been my parents’ 58th wedding anniversary, we got

ILLUSTRATION BY GERRY O’NEILL

ot long ago, with family and close friends in attendance, my wife, Wendy, and I celebrated 25 years of marriage by renewing our wedding vows in our garden. Our original wedding took place in late June 2001, but we decided a day this past September was more appropriate for renewing our vows because ours was an autumn romance that led to a summer wedding three years later. As I noted back in July, the way we met and fell in love was something out of a madcap romantic comedy. Briefly, it involved three blind dates during an October fundraiser weekend, two of which were comic dating disasters followed by a third that transformed my life in the most unexpected and wonderful way. Her name was Wendy Anne Buynak, a gifted baker and beautiful mother of two small boys who was in the process of divorcing her husband. After a quiet afternoon first date to a local park, we decided to take our budding romance out of town and motored along New York’s Cayuga Lake on a beautiful November morning and lunched at a winery, where we met a minibus full of five young, married couples who invited us to join them on a tour of the Finger Lakes wine country. On a lark, trailing their bus, we joined them for three wineries in a row. At each stop, the couples toasted us and demanded to know more about our romance and my intentions. “I have a great idea! You guys should get married today,” one of the young wives blurted out, prompting cheers from her tipsy companions. “We’ll even find a minister!” We politely demurred, pointing out that we

southparkmagazine.com | 67

|simple life married on a rainy June afternoon in Maine, with only Wendy’s parents, my widowed mom, and two dear friends from Georgia in attendance, Susie and Rick Berta. Susie, who sang with an Atlanta chorale, did a beautiful version of John Lennon’s “Grow Old with Me,” with its perfect lyric: Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be. We postponed our reception until early September 2001 — a lobster roast under the stars with an Irish fiddle band for 100 friends and family. I was buying flowers for the party that clear, blue Tuesday morning, however, when the World Trade Center’s towers fell and America stood still in grief and disbelief. Since air travel was canceled nationwide, we canceled our lobster roast. Besides, the American Red Cross had reserved a thousand lobsters for a major fundraiser in New York. All the available local lobsters were spoken for. Two days later, however, something wonderful happened. Susie and Rick phoned to say they planned to drive all the way to Maine, wanting just to be with us at such a sad time for America. Their call opened a cosmic floodgate. The phone never stopped ringing with friends far and wide who wanted to do the same, including the lobster guy, who called to say the Red Cross fundraiser was postponed and he had several hundred lobsters on his hands that were already paid for. We could get them for a dollar apiece. The lobster bake was suddenly back on. Locals in town who’d planned to go away for the week also called

to ask if they might come and bring friends and children. Naturally, we said yes. Instead of 100 guests, we had almost 200, including kids and dogs. Wendy’s amazing wedding cake vanished before I could even get a taste. Because none of our guests except Rick and Susie had been at our wedding, we did a brief repeat of our wedding vows plus a blessing for the victims and families of 9/11. The music, the dancing and the tears went on until midnight. *** This past September, as our grown children, new granddaughter, and a dozen or so close friends gathered in our front garden, I marveled how quickly time had passed. Susie was there, despite having lost Rick last January after 46 years of an extraordinary marriage. When I told her she wouldn’t have to sing “Grow Old with Me,” she laughed and said, “I’m not sure I could!” Her simple presence was the perfect gift. I surprised my bride of Irish heritage with a small, gold necklace featuring the Celtic symbol of eternity, and she surprised me by appearing in a gorgeous new wedding dress — an upgrade from the one that was ruined in the rain at our first wedding ceremony. Before Rev. Ginny Inman conducted her short but beautiful renewal of our vows, I told our gathered friends about our first three dates 26 years ago and read the poem I proposed with. Maybe the third time really is the charm. This time, I finally got to taste Wendy’s marvelous wedding cake SP

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|well + wise

BOUNDARY SEASON

How to protect your peace without losing the holiday spirit by Juliet Lam Kuehnle

PHOTOGRAPH BY CORRIE HUGGINS

hroughout the holiday season, a lot of us are running on fumes from all the times we’ve said yes: to a third party in one weekend, to hosting again (even though last year wiped us out), to the relative who always brings up the topic we don’t want to discuss, to buying one more thing even though we’re over budget. Sometimes we dread this season, and it’s not necessarily about the events themselves, but about what saying “yes” keeps costing us. Holidays make saying no or setting boundaries harder for a few reasons. Traditions matter to us, even if they stopped serving us years ago. There’s often a cultural script that says family time is sacred and skipping it makes you selfish, so we feel obligated to do what we’ve always done. And there’s often grief mixed in, too, because we wish things were easier than they are. All of this pressure hits amid an already packed calendar, so it makes sense that many of us get through the holidays feeling like we need a vacation from our “vacation.” Part of what makes this so complicated is that many of us were raised, directly or indirectly, to believe that keeping others comfortable is our job. Maybe you learned that being agreeable keeps the peace, or that having needs makes you difficult. Therapists call this the fawn response. Alongside fight, flight and freeze, fawning is what happens when a nervous system decides the safest way through conflict or discomfort is to appease. That strategy might have kept you safe previously, but it doesn’t mean you can’t change that pattern, even during the holiday season. A boundary is a limit that protects your time, energy and well-being. It’s not a wall designed just to keep people out, and it’s not a punishment for the other person. It’s actually information: here’s what I can offer, and here’s what I can’t. Boundaries are also about your own actions more than someone else’s. For example, you can’t control whether a certain topic comes up at dinner, but you can control whether you stay in that conversation. When you say yes when you really don’t want to, your nervous system responds. Chronic over-giving and overcommitting

keeps you in a low-grade version of fight, flight, freeze or fawn. So boundary work is actually a nervous-system skill. Every time you honor your limits instead of overriding them, you’re teaching your body that it’s safe to trust its own signals. Here’s where to start this season: Get clear on your capacity before the invites start. How many gatherings can you actually attend without running yourself into the ground? Decide your number before the calendar fills up and know that you can always shift this. Practice a pause. You don’t have to answer on the spot. “Let me check and get back to you” buys time to check in with yourself instead of defaulting to an automatic yes. You’re allowed to decline without a full explanation. “We won’t be able to make it this year” is a complete sentence. Overexplaining often invites negotiation, and you don’t need permission to protect your time. Set boundaries around time, not just attendance. You can go to the party and leave early if you want to. I’m even a fan of an Irish goodbye :) Set boundaries around topics, too. Decide ahead of time what’s off the table for you this year. Have a simple redirect ready: “I’d rather not get into that today.” Expect the discomfort, and let it be there without acting on it. The emotion we often label as guilt tends to show up when

we do something unfamiliar, even if it’s healthy. Feeling “guilty” doesn’t mean you did something wrong or not aligned with your values. It usually just means you’re doing something new and uncomfortable because it’s a new pattern. All of this is about deciding, on purpose, what you actually want to give this season instead of handing it over by default. The people who matter will adjust to your limits and boundaries. And if they don’t, that’s useful information, too. Protecting your peace is a nonnegotiable part of maintaining holiday spirit. SP southparkmagazine.com | 71

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STAYING THE COURSE

Brooke Adler turns a Myers Park ranch into a home that reflects a couple’s love of golf, art and the lowcountry. by Taylor Bowler photographs by Dustin and Susie Peck

or this young Myers Park couple, their house had almost everything they were looking for: a coveted location overlooking the 18th hole of Myers Park Country Club, a manageable 3,000-square-foot footprint and interiors that had been thoughtfully updated. Built in 1955, the ranch had good bones and a kitchen and bathrooms that didn’t need renovating. It simply didn’t feel like theirs yet. Enter interior designer Brooke Adler, founder of Brooke Adler Interiors, who made the house feel personal without overhauling what already worked. “This was mostly cosmetic,” Adler says. “It was a furnishing job with lighting, trim work and paint.” Adler and her team furnished the dining room, breakfast nook, living room, family room and sunroom, adding picture-frame molding, wallpaper,

new lighting and custom window treatments along the way. But perhaps the most meaningful part of the project was building the clients’ art collection. The homeowner gave Adler a list of artists she loved and trusted her to make the selections. Adler commissioned pieces from five artists, sending each one fabric swatches, paint colors and finishes she planned to use. “I always send the artist physical samples so it feels more personal,” she says. “They both love the lowcountry, so I wanted to choose pieces that resonated with them personally.” In the living room, a Mary Benson painting above a burlwood console depicts a Charleston marsh, inspired by one of the couple’s favorite places. On another wall, antique plates from Chairish add another layer of character. In the dining room, Adler replaced the existing wallpaper southparkmagazine.com | 75

Top left: In the living room, a painting by Mary Benson was inspired by the clients’ favorite Charleston marsh view. Above: Tucked into a corner of the living room is a mahjong table from Coley Home. Antique dishes on the wall are from Chairish.

with a delicate Thibaut botanical featuring blue, green and lavender tones that appear throughout the room. “We wanted to make a statement in the dining room with pieces that felt antique and curated,” Adler says. Rather than replace the existing light fixture, Adler simply removed its shades, giving it a more contemporary feel. A Highland House table and chairs, accented with mauve Samuel & Sons trim, sit atop a Stanton rug. In the sunroom, Adler took a different approach: Instead of fighting the room’s peach grasscloth wallpaper, she embraced it and built around it. A UV-stabilized Stanton rug withstands 76 | SOUTHPARK

A custom-painted Visual Comfort chandelier and a table and chairs from Four Hands anchor the sunny breakfast room.

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In the sunroom, Adler updated vintage Italian bamboo furniture with custom cushions and pillows. Potted plants by City Stems bring the outdoors in.

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The patterned ottoman was designed to withstand wear and tear; the commissioned painting by Charlotte artist Megan Welsh depicts a lowcountry scene.

harsh sunlight and the couple’s two dogs, while Italian-made bamboo furniture adds a relaxed, resort-like feel. She outfitted the adjoining breakfast nook with a Four Hands table and chairs, a blue drum-style chandelier from Visual Comfort, and the homeowner’s existing artwork in a new frame. The lounge presented a particular challenge, thanks to its limited wall space. Adler solved it with a performance-fabric chaise sectional, a grass-cloth coffee table from Vanguard and a custom Taylor King ottoman. “The ottoman takes wear and tear with feet and dogs, so that color and pattern are very forgiving,” she says. “It’s the showstopper of the room.” In the living room, Adler faced another challenge:

convincing the homeowner not to paint over the existing green walls. Instead, they added custom trim, which gave the walls architectural interest and made the color feel more intentional. The space came together with a Highland House sofa and accent chairs, a Coley Home mahjong table, and a Made Goods burlwood console. The result is a collected home that reflects the couple’s love of golf, art and the lowcountry. “It feels like a new family making their home, having different rooms for different purposes,” Adler says. “They wanted to live their life in it and have spaces they felt proud to share.” For the homeowners, that was the ultimate goal: a beautiful place to settle in, entertain and make memories. SP southparkmagazine.com | 79

C OMFORT ZONE Charlotte chefs reinvent nostalgic foods of childhood with local ingredients, new techniques and unexpected flavors. by Vanessa Infanzon | photographs by Peter Taylor

emories of Sunday dinner around grandma’s kitchen table return at the first forkful of short-rib pot roast at The Goodyear House in NoDa. The recipe from chef Chris Coleman is a nod to the Sunday suppers he remembers from his childhood. His mom threw a beef chuck shoulder with carrots, potatoes and a gravy packet in a Dutch oven before the family left for church, ensuring dinner would be ready when they returned. “The idea of a soft, tender piece of meat with root vegetables is about as classic Americana as it gets,” says Coleman, a co-owner of Built on Hospitality. The restaurant group’s outlets include Folia in South End and Old Town Kitchen & Cocktails in Rock Hill. “If I can take comfort food and add a little bit of exploration with it, that’s my sweet spot.” This fall, the seasonal farm-to-table restaurant will once again feature a French-braised short rib served with red wine jus, chives, braised root vegetables and brown-butter cauliflower or celery root puree to mimic mashed potatoes. Coleman’s “gravy” is a measured blend of veal stock and red wine, providing the aromatics associated with the pot roast of yesteryear. “We like to say at The Goodyear House, ‘We cook the food your grandmother would have cooked had she gone to culinary school,’” he says. “We take the things we grew up with and add a technique or ingredient that wasn’t originally part of the dish but it makes sense to add that in there.” Coleman thrives on creating the familiar sensation of a nostalgic dish while bridging the gap to other cultures with spices and texture. He also follows the Escoffier method, the classic blueprint for French cooking. But the way Coleman sees it, the nostalgia-dining trend goes beyond techniques and ingredients. “We like to go back to times where we felt a little bit more secure,” he says. “We have this rapidly changing world, and if I can … have something that reminds me of my mom’s cooking, it just feels a little bit more certain.”

CLASSIC WITH A TWIST Chef Greg Collier and his wife, Subrina, have built an almost 15-year reputation on flipping traditional dishes into immersive experiences. The couple infuses culinary knowledge and their Tennessee roots into everything they serve. Uptown Yolk, their breakfast and brunch restaurant in South End, relies on local ingredients for menu mainstays and seasonal specials. “Comfort food takes you back to a special time that makes 80 | SOUTHPARK

you happy, puts you in a space of warmth,” says Greg, a four-time James Beard Foundation-recognized chef. “Everybody’s special time is different. [My sister] Leah’s Cabbage is the dish I am most known for,” Collier says, referring to the slow-roasted dish that helped put Leah & Louise, the couple’s former restaurant at Camp North End, on the map. “It takes me back to one of the last things my sister cooked before she passed.” At Uptown Yolk, There’s Fire — Collier’s version of biscuits and gravy — turns a classic Southern dish into a culinary masterpiece: a smoked chicken gravy made with gumbo roux with sweet-potato biscuits. Like other staples on the menu, it’s available year-round. In another break from tradition, Collier’s shrimp-and-grits dish weaves together Caribbean and West African flavors with housemade jerk sauce and smoked Gouda. Pesto, made with green onions and pecans, tops the plate. “I wanted to do something that spoke to us, that also spoke to the diaspora,” he says, “African Americans, Caribbean people, West Africans — I wanted to figure out how to do that without getting too crazy.” After bursting onto the local culinary scene in 2012 with The Yolk in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the Colliers tweaked the concept several times before landing in South End in 2019. Eggs, meats and produce from Freshlist, a food hub connecting chefs to farms, and Deep Roots Farm, a 7-acre, family-run urban farm in west Charlotte, provide many of the ingredients for Uptown Yolk. Following a short stint leading the kitchen at Canopy by Hilton’s Fine & Fettle restaurant in SouthPark, Collier recently shifted his focus back to Uptown Yolk. “We’re doing a lot more specials,” he says. “(We’re) going to the farm, farmers markets and building specials from what’s local, what’s feasible.”

CRAVING CONNECTION Mary Jayne Wilson, a classically trained pastry chef, opened Thoughtful Baking Co.’s brick-and-mortar location on Monroe Road in May 2026. But the business isn’t a new venture for Wilson, who has been selling quintessential comfort food such as pot pies, quiches and desserts at local farmers markets since 2021. “It doesn’t have to be picture-perfect, as long as it’s delicious,” she says. “The comfort of the food is the thing that makes it beautiful.” Wilson originally crafted her recipe for chicken pot pie —

Thoughtful Baking Co.’s chicken pot pie and miso banana upside-down cake southparkmagazine.com | 81

Uptown Yolk’s shrimp and grits

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chicken, carrots, celery, peas, potatoes, onions, rosemary and thyme inside a galette-style pastry — for her family’s dinners. Now she sells 80 to 100 pies a week in individual and familysized portions. “If [the dish] brings you back to how it felt to be with your family sitting around a table, enjoying food together,” she says, “that’s the connection people are looking for in comfort food.” Wilson sources eggs, pork and produce from Harmony Ridge Farms in Tobaccoville, chicken from Joyce Farms in Winston-Salem, dairy products from Riverbend Creamery in Lincolnton and berries from Cody Strawberry Farm in Richfield, her hometown. “The beauty of using seasonal and local is that the ingredients speak for themselves,” Wilson says. The best dishes, such as her tomato pimento pie, marry the technical aspects of pastry-making with the flavor profiles of savory fare, says Wilson, a graduate of Johnson & Wales University. Her favorite is the miso banana upside-down cake. With fresh-cut bananas, fluffy batter and a defining ingredient — miso, a savory paste she sources from Miso Master in Asheville — the dish offers a salty-caramel, umami-rich bite. “We make a brown sugar-miso butter mixture in the pan,” she explains. “Think of it as an elevated banana bread, and I’m in love with it.” SP

“Comfort food takes you back to a special time that makes you happy, puts you in a space of warmth.” — Greg Collier

Chef Chris Coleman, co-owner of Built on Hospitality restaurant group

Short-rib pot roast at The Goodyear House southparkmagazine.com | 83

HIVE mentality Buddha Bee Apiary founder Justin Maness is a passionate advocate for the well-being of the honeybee. by Kay West | photographs by Peter Taylor

“M

ove like water, soft and slow.” This is the gentle advice that Justin Maness — beekeeper, bee enthusiast, bee educator and bee whisperer — offers a group of beecurious observers as he leads them to the hives he tends. Maness founded Buddha Bee Apiary in North Carolina’s Triangle area in 2019. The business and its mission are rooted in the scientifically proven theory that bees are vital to the health of the planet. “[Bees and other pollinators] are responsible for pollinating 75% of the food we eat on a daily basis,” Maness says. He moved to Charlotte in 2025 to expand Buddha Bee’s footprint. The colony collapse disorder — a phenomenon where adult bees seemingly vanish — brought him to bees. After graduating from N.C. State University, unsure of exactly what he wanted to do

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with his degree in horticulture, he accepted a research job with an international company investigating the link between a particular class of pesticide and how it impacted honeybees. “Beekeepers were going to their hives, and their bees would be dead, or disappeared. We were trying to identify the cause and how to address it.” While on that project, he learned the trade of beekeeping and found his calling. “It was this crazy thing, when you’re at that age — you’re not sure of your direction or purpose, then you feel a spark inside you, and a fire is lit. That was it for me. I wanted to do something for the bees.” Maness continued his day job while joining local beekeeping clubs and delving into bee education. He took a position with a nonprofit and then a startup before dedicating himself to the two things he loved most: working with bees and working with people.

Beekeeper Justin Maness at The Hunter Farm in Weddington

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CREATING A BUZZ Maness’ apiary began with three hives in his Durham backyard, with swarms he caught himself. When they were viable, he launched the program that became the main focus of Buddha Bee: Host-a-Hive. He found three homeowners in the area willing to let him place a hive in their backyard for one year. “Each time I came to care for the hives, I brought protective gear so the hosts could observe what I was doing. Not to teach them how to keep bees, but to let them see firsthand the positive contribution they were making for the environment.” While his bees were busy doing their thing in backyards, Maness reached out to neighborhood directories, schools, clubs and civic groups, offering bee-education programs. He set up a table at farmers markets and other environment-friendly events. The growing buzz in the media on the importance of bees and the dangers they were facing helped pique interest. Word of mouth spread, and Maness began getting inquiries from small farms, churches, schools and corporate campuses. 86 | SOUTHPARK

In the early days, one of his most meaningful partnerships was with a Raleigh nonprofit that addresses food insecurity. Buddha Bee placed hives on its teaching farm. “With our bees and pollinations, we have shown an increase of [produce weight] by 40%, and that food goes directly to food banks.” Buddha Bee also installs hives at community gardens, many of which donate all or a portion of what they grow back to food banks.

PUTTING THE “QUEENS” IN THE QUEEN CITY As interest grew, Buddha Bee began satellite operations in nearby towns, including Raleigh, Wake Forest, Chapel Hill, Apex and Greensboro. In late 2025, while setting goals for company growth, Maness, his wife and their daughter moved to the Queen City. “I had happy hive hosts [in the Triangle] with a great retention rate, a reliable team and more room on my plate. Our research and inquiries showed that Charlotte had a lot of potential for us.” On a warm Saturday morning in late June, Maness arrived at The Hunter Farm in Weddington to meet Nancy Anderson, the sixth-generation owner with her husband, Andy. The bucolic property where Anderson’s great-grandmother was raised has been a family-owned farm since 1868, evolving from cash crops to dairy cattle to, now, a busy small-scale agritourism business. Seasonal events include pick-your-own strawberries, summer camps for children, fall wagon rides and pumpkin patches, a Christmas tree lot by West Jefferson’s Chestnut Hill Tree Farm, and a holiday vendor market. The farm also hosts school field trips and serves as a venue for special events. Recently, the acreage not in use was placed in a conservation easement through Catawba Lands

Conservancy, protecting the land from future commercial or residential development. Maness leads a small group from an area partitioned into individual community gardens to a clearing just past a wooded area, beside a field. There, he provides protective gear for the onlookers, including a jacket, hood, visor and gloves (though he remains in shorts, sandals and a buttondown shirt). Leading the way, he “moves like water” to the hives and uses his smoker to keep the bees at bay before he opens one and pulls out a panel, revealing the waxy, hexagonal comb. He invites observers to remove a glove and press a finger on the panel, which releases a slight, sticky ooze of raw honey. The good news: No bees or humans were harmed in the process.

SPEAKING “BEE” Maness believes deeply that bees are teachers, but since most people don’t speak bee, a core goal of Buddha Bee is education. The Book a Beekeeper service brings an expert and an observation hive to a public or private school, homeschool group, summer camp, horticulture club or event. The blog at buddhabeeapiary.com, written by Buddha Bee staffers and expert contributors in the field, presents timely, informative and easy-to-read articles on topics from best native-plant pollinators to honeybee sensory superpowers to how honey is made and harvested. According to Maness, the most frequently asked question among bee novices remains “Will I get stung?” Stinging, Maness notes, is a last resort for worker honeybees — and a self-sacrifice, as the act kills the bee. “We try to educate how to interact with pollinators in the environment,” he explains. “You wouldn’t walk up and pet a bear. Respect the bee, and the bee will respect you.” SP southparkmagazine.com | 87

WELL-WORN

Weaving in personal stories, this quarterly photographic series is a journey through the objects, rituals and quiet details that shape a well-lived life. Each story moves between the tactile and the personal. It’s less about owning “stuff,” but rather why we keep it, and how certain items gather meaning over time. In a world that favors instant gratification and the shiny-and-new, this series instead celebrates the enduring craftsmanship and patina of well-made objects. Special thanks to The Sporting Gent for helping bring this story to life. — Richard Israel

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LIFE ON THE

RIVER THE MANY JOYS OF FLY-FISHING

word and photographs by Richard Israel

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“Long before the internet explained everything, getting into the sport was a quest for esoteric knowledge through newsprint catalogs, magazine articles, wildlife atlases and talking to old men on the side of the road and by potbelly stoves in obscure fly shops.” — Dr. Will Kelly

left Charlotte in the early hours and made my way to Dr. Will Kelly’s lovely mountain home in western North Carolina. We collected our gear, exchanged a few words about the day ahead and set off for the river. There is something about being on a river early in the morning. The mist hangs over the water, the trees are quiet, and whether standing on a rock or wading waist-deep in a trout stream, you become completely absorbed in the scene around you. To many people, fishing is sitting on a riverbank waiting for a bobber to disappear beneath the surface. Fly-fishing is closer to hunting with a rod. It is about learning the language of the river — understanding the currents, noticing where the trout hold, watching what insects are on the water and what the fish are feeding upon. Then comes the choice of fly and, perhaps most importantly, presenting it naturally enough to convince a wary trout that it is the real thing. Stealth is essential. Trout are clever — very clever. Get it wrong, and you can almost imagine them laughing at you. Make a careless splash, disturb the water or put your fly in the wrong place, and you may as well move on to another stretch of river.

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Then, there is the setting. I have been fortunate enough to travel to many parts of the world, but few places I have encountered are more beautiful or serene than the mountain streams of North Carolina. Deep in the Appalachian woods, surrounded by the sound of moving water, it is remarkably easy to forget everything else in the world. Perhaps that is one of the great pleasures of fly-fishing. The fish and the sport are certainly part of it, but they are hardly the whole story. As the old adage goes, “Trout don’t live in ugly places.” There is also something satisfying about the equipment itself. In an age when nothing seems built to last, an old bamboo rod feels refreshingly different. The craftsmanship, the warmth of the material and the fact that it has already lived a life lend it a character that brand-new equipment simply cannot replicate. Will has a particular affection for older rods. Some of the most sentimental pieces in his collection are beautifully handcrafted bamboo rods, one given to him by his father and another by a professional mentor. Perhaps that is another part of the attraction of fly-fishing: It is a

pastime in which tradition still has a place. The rod, the reel, the fly and the river all seem to connect the fisherman to those who have stood in the same waters before him. There is the anticipation of the first cast, the concentration of the drift and the sudden movement of a trout taking the fly. For a few seconds, everything narrows to the fish, the line and the water. The reward is not simply the catch, but everything that led up to it. It is difficult to think of a more enjoyable way to spend a day. Comments have been edited for length and clarity. Can you remember the moment when fly-fishing first captured your imagination?

I spent my childhood at a family retreat in the mountains. We hiked, played in the woods and enjoyed “rock hopping” in creeks and streams. At around 12 years old, I saw a man wading through the water and catching a fish every 10 minutes or so with a fly rod. I had no idea these little rivers we played in even had fish in them, much less gorgeous trout. My only experience fishing was on docks and ponds with Zebco reels and a can of worms. I watched this man work his fly rod for over an hour, and knew I wanted to do this one day soon. Was there a particular person who introduced you to fly-fishing?

My dad and I both learned how to fish together at the same time. I enjoyed the father-son time together then. Today I cherish the memories of that era. Being deep in the woods in the mountains feels sacred. southparkmagazine.com | 91

Whether alone or with someone, the stream is a respite for you to be clear-headed and present. Today, I’m often seeking some solitude in the margins of a busy life, but I also enjoy sharing the experience with my sons. Do you remember your first fish caught on a fly?

I was wading with my dad in a small stream in Pisgah National Forest. It was my third outing before finally catching a small native brook trout on a dry fly. Connecting to the fish and reeling it in was a joyful moment, but I was initially disappointed in the fish’s size. Today, those wild little brookies — each with their own stream-specific genetic variations — are one of the ultimate prizes in Carolina trout fishing. Many people describe fly-fishing as a form of meditation. What does the river give you that the modern world often takes away?

Being around “living water” is soothing to the soul and spirit. Similar to peering into a gently crackling fire, babbling water’s rich sound is calming. Likewise, a powerful roaring current can make me stand in awe of everything natural that is created for us. Sure, we have so many comforts, but in the woods by the sound of water, I can get lost in something so free and wonderfully made and appreciate how blessed we are. What changes in your mind when you step into the water and begin to cast?

For the first cast or two, there is great anticipation to see if all of the preparation pays off. On rare occasion, I just go into water and “prospect,” but for the most part, I really enjoy observing each hole, each run, each pod of fish and enter with a strategy that usually works in the first cast or two. I reckon I’ve fished long enough that it could be viewed as mechanical and

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“Each fly is an expression of science and creativity,” Will says.

automatic, but I haven’t been inured by the repetition — it’s more like a flow state.

them. I would also argue if you can become technically proficient fishing in the Southeast, that you can succeed easily in other rivers.

Do you think fly-fishing teaches patience, or does it reveal that patience is already within us?

What makes a perfect fishing location — is it the quality of the fish, the scenery, the solitude, or something else entirely?

I’d say fishing doesn’t teach patience nearly as much as it tests how much patience you have. What have the river and the fish taught you about life?

Take time to count your blessings and be appreciative. Slow down and breathe and observe the world around you. The river has always taught me that every day can be different, more than anything to celebrate successes and not get hung up on a day when the fish do not bite. The river keeps flowing. You choose to fish with older rods that carry history. What draws you to equipment that has already lived a life?

Somewhere between nostalgia and comfort. I’m not going to fish with a clunky old rod that can’t work technically. When you find that you have an older rod, one that just feels right in your hand, it’s hard not to feel connected to it. Every old rod has a story. The fishing industry wants you to believe that every year they’ve improved technology, and there’s a FOMO around the latest and greatest new thing. I love the feel of old fiberglass or bamboo rods when the circumstances permit. The “modern” graphite rod that I cast best with and is always my first choice came out in the early ’90s. Fly-fishing has taken you to some remarkable places. Is there one river or landscape that’s especially meaningful?

I’ve fished some bucket-list rivers all over the Americas, but getting deep into the Appalachian mountains has the most meaning to me, maybe just because of a fondness for home. I believe there is something special about them and that my DNA belongs with

You need fish — the holy grail is a wild, healthy fish in native habitat. Scenery is always a plus. I really don’t enjoy fishing around many other anglers when I’m wading just for fishing sake, but I also like to be alone for the emotional solitude. Fishing definitely isn’t a spectator sport. On the other hand, sometimes when we drift a river in a boat, it becomes about the camaraderie between three people. There are jokes and stories, and the fishing is a mixture of a team effort and a contest with some razzing. What do you think a person who has never fly-fished misunderstands about the experience?

It’s myopic to think it’s just about catching fish. Yes, fishing and catching is the “what,” but maybe not the “why.” What would you say to a beginner who doesn’t know where to start?

Hire a guide that is welcoming to novice fishermen. I would be humble. Mastering fishing is a long journey, in fact, I don’t think I will ever master it before my body is room temperature. That is precisely why it never gets old. There is always something to humble you and more to learn. When you look back on your years beside the water, what do you hope remains?

That I will always be able to freely go down to the river for a peaceful day. That I can smell the dirt and leaves and moss. That I can hear the wind and the water. I hope this will be around for my grandchildren. SP southparkmagazine.com | 93

ROCK Rock STEADY steady The Bad Daddies have played countless weddings, graduations and celebrations across Charlotte. Twenty-five years later, these longtime friends and bandmates are throwing themselves a very big birthday party. by Taylor Bowler photographs by Richard Israel

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ome men have golf. These guys have a party band. For 25 years, The Bad Daddies have been the soundtrack to weddings, graduations, birthday parties and celebrations across the city. Andy Ball, Martin Godwin, Will Hinson, Rick Starling and Jimmy White have played together since 2001, and they’ve done it through some of life’s biggest milestones: marriages, promotions, the births of their children and, more recently, grandchildren. Now they’re celebrating with a “Banniversary” concert November 28 at The Revelry at Camp North End. “It’s basically us throwing a party for all our friends,” Andy says. “It’s a function of 25 years of friendship.” Ask them to tell the story of the band, and you’ll get five differing versions. Their collective memory is like a group chat: fast, funny and subject to frequent rebuttals. “We need to keep better records,” Martin says. They can’t remember their first show (it might have been in a church parking lot), but they can piece together how the band formed. Will, Andy and Martin started playing as a trio in Will’s Barclay Downs basement. Andy knew Jimmy through church, where the two played during Sunday School — then jammed for a half-hour after the kids left. Andy brought Jimmy to practice one night. He fit right in. Rick came next. His wife worked with Martin, who invited him to practice. The group had an exit strategy in case he was terrible. “I said to my wife, ‘Come back early with a stomach ache if we need to get this guy out,’” Martin says. “He was way better than we expected,” Will admits. Rick, the only non-Charlotte native of the group, moved to the Queen City from Virginia in 1997. Today, he’s an attorney and partner at McGuireWoods. Andy, a South Mecklenburg High School and Davidson College graduate, works for a plastic-recycling company. Jimmy attended Charlotte Country Day School and runs a wholesale fuel distributorship. Will and Martin met at Myers Park High School, where they played in a band called the Couch Potatoes. Will now works for a construction-equipment rental company, while Martin owns an executive recruiting firm. Between them, they have 16 children and two grandchildren. “Twenty years ago, gigs were benders, and practice wasn’t happening without a 12-pack of beer,” Will says. “We’re not as resilient as we used to be. At 56, you’ll feel it on Sunday.” Band practice happens at Jimmy’s Myers Park house, in a wood-paneled room above the garage. Signed posters and memorabilia line the walls. Old records fill the shelves. Guitars rest on stands. There’s a dartboard on one wall and a pool table in the middle of the room. In the early years, practice ran from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. southparkmagazine.com | 95

“We couldn’t come till the kids were in bed,” Jimmy explains. The band’s name was inspired by those early years, too. “My toddler told me I was being a bad daddy going to band practice one night,” Andy says. Rick puts it another way: “We’re playing hooky from being dads.” The Bad Daddies cover songs from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, with Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac in the rotation. They often veer off course with ABBA, The Killers or Montell Jordan, but every show ends with “Purple Rain.” “It started with classic rock,” Rick says. “Now our set lists are like a mixtape.” “We don’t fall into one category,” Martin adds. “If we’re jumping around a set list, we’ll sense the vibe and adjust on the fly. It’s a song-based thing more than a genre-based thing.” About a decade ago, saxophonist Greg Jarrell and percussionist Travis Goodwin joined. Sometimes the original five play alone, but about 90% of the time, all seven take the stage. “When you hit it, it’s the most fun thing you’ve done in your life,” Andy says. Over the years, they’ve played high-school graduations, fraternity parties, Christmas balls and regular gigs at Goldie’s in South End, where, Martin says, the crowd can include “kids getting ready to go out for the night, and parents going home at 11.” In September, they opened for a Bruno Mars cover band at Raintree Country Club. 96 | SOUTHPARK

The most memorable shows, though, tend to be personal. The Bad Daddies played a set at Andy’s daughter’s wedding, and two years ago, they performed at Martin’s son’s graduation in Chapel Hill. When a colleague of Rick’s hired them for her wedding at the Mint Museum, they learned a few Bruce Springsteen songs for the New Jersey-born couple and avid Springsteen fans. Their children sometimes join them onstage, too. Rick’s daughter has rapped with the band. Jimmy’s daughter has played Taylor Swift on guitar. “Certain songs trigger the crowd to come together,” Jimmy says. “The ability to lift someone else up and make their day — that makes it so fun.” They’re bringing that same spirit to their Banniversary. The date was deliberate: two days after Thanksgiving, when families are likely to be in town and old friends can gather. “We’re really just a dad band playing cover songs,” Martin says. “That’s what we’re trying to put forward with this, but make it bigger and better than what we’d normally do.” Then he lands on a metaphor that sums it up. “There’s a line in The Sandlot: ‘At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play together for the last time and nobody knew it.’ That’ll be us.” And that may be the secret after 25 years: just a group of longtime friends who keep showing up. SP

Meet the Bad Daddies: Martin Godwin, guitar; Will Hinson, drums; Rick Starling, keys; Andy Ball, bass, and Jimmy White, guitar. Later additions Travis Goodwin on percussion and Greg Jarrell on saxophone round out the group.

Tickets for the Bad Daddies’ 25th Banniversary are available at eventbrite.com.

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Sensō-ji Temple

From Tokyo wi th love A writer’s journey to Japan, inspired by letters written by her father, a U.S. Army veteran stationed near Hiroshima in the 1950s.

hat would you have said if, in 1946, someone told you that within a decade I would be sitting within a couple thousand feet of the A-bomb explosion, listening to an American symphony orchestra playing the Star-Spangled Banner before a predominantly Japanese audience?” my dad wrote to his parents in 1956. “Last night it happened,” he marveled. “What else can I think but that nothing is impossible.” My father, Gordon Cooper, was a U.S. Army private stationed near Hiroshima in 1956-57. The experience gave him a lifelong love for Japan. Following his death, I traveled there in April to understand what moved him about this place. My husband and I started in Tokyo, where Dad’s adventures in Japan began. While we couldn’t match the wonder in a 23-year-old’s 98 | SOUTHPARK

letters home about his first international trip, we found our own moments of awe 70 years later, using his letters as inspiration.

TEMPLES, SHRINES AND PEACEFUL PARKS “The sumo wrestler enters the ring wearing nothing more than a sash. This outfit makes a bikini look like long underwear.” – letter home, May 1956 Though we didn’t leave time to view a sumo practice, the temples and shrines of Tokyo introduced us to Japanese culture. Based on the crowded entrance, it’s hard to miss Sensō-ji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, completed in the year 645. The complex includes a five-story pagoda and Hondō, or Main Hall, where monks chant and worshipers pray. Buildings decorated with bright reds, gold leaf and gabled roofs leave no

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

by Andrea Cooper

travel | Nakamise shopping street

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ANDREA COOPER, SUSHI BY THIEN NGUYEN

Rotating sushi bar

re Gordon Cooper at Camp Ku

doubt where you are. One of Tokyo’s prettiest gardens is here, studded with cherry trees and a pond with koi fish. We purchased fancy chopsticks from a stall on Nakamise, the long shopping street leading to the grounds. Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine with about 175 acres of sacred forest and gardens. The public site is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken, who are kami, or revered figures, for their role in modernizing Japan. Dozens of stacked, decorative sake barrels near the south entrance honor them. The torii gates mark the entry to a holy place. Given that much of Tokyo feels like New York on steroids, the peace here is a respite. It’s customary to clean your hands before entering the shrine as an act of purification. One couple excitedly took photos of their little girl washing in a family rite of passage.

BEYOND SUSHI “This evening I tried another new dish, TEMPURA. This is the Japanese counterpart of our French Fried Shrimp. It is [a] large prawn fried in an egg batter – and very good.” Tokyo has 160 Michelin-starred restaurants. But you don’t need starry elegance for a great meal. Our first night, we strolled through the Shinjuku neighborhood, popping into a huge video arcade, before we landed at a hole-in-the-wall rotating sushi bar. Plate after plate orbited past us with just-cut fish and a few mysteries. The tiny green “bubbles” atop one dish turned out to be wasabi tobiko, or flying fish roe flavored with wasabi. For a twist on Southern grilling, we sought out Robata Sho, a friendly izakaya or pub near Shinjuku Station. It specializes in

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Kabuki actors

robata, a style of open-flame cooking over charcoal. Near 10 p.m., the only open spot was at the counter around the grill, which provided an unexpectedly great view as our cook skewered and seared our whole Kichiji rockfish and giant mushrooms. Okonomiyaki, featured on a Shibuya neighborhood food tour, was new to us. Our guide from Arigato Tours demonstrated how to flip the eggy pancakes, laced with shredded cabbage and wrapped in bacon, on an open grill. The meal provided sustenance for our death-defying group photo in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, one of the world’s busiest intersections, where up to 3,000 people try to dart across the street simultaneously. If all else fails, as my dad used to say, the 7-Eleven convenience stores are so much better than ours, one could weep. Choose dumplings, sushi or a bento box and have lunch in the park. 100 | SOUTHPARK

KABUKI, DIGITAL ART AND KARAOKE “The Kokusai Theater in Asakusa, Tokyo, is an extravaganza hard to forget … Some of the most appealing scenes are the performances of the Atomic Girls. Like the Rockettes, they’re a precision dance team … Scenes are changed and rechanged before your eyes. Three-story neon stairways, waterfalls and thousands of lights are moved in-out and up-down with apparent ease.” The Kokusai Theater was torn down decades ago, but the Kabukiza Theater in Ginza, first built in 1889 and home to traditional Kabuki, thrives on. We arrived unsure what to expect from the performers in stylized white makeup and ornate kimonos. A packed house enjoyed a classic drama, a “lion dance” portraying parent and child, and a modern tale with the daunting name, “The Happy Love Suicide.”

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY TEAMLAB, FLOWERS AND PEOPLE, CANNOT BE CONTROLLED BUT LIVE TOGETHER, 2014-, INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION, ENDLESS, SOUND: HIDEAKI TAKAHASHI © TEAMLAB AND GETTY IMAGES

teamLab Borderless

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

Decorative sake barrels

We relished it all, including the band with drummers, flutists and musicians playing the shamisen, a three-stringed lute. Hand-held devices translated the action into English for us. At intermission, everyone around us pulled out meals from home. We ventured into the gift shop to buy a bag of ningyo-yaki, freshly grilled doughnuts stuffed with sweet red bean paste. Each featured a face from the Shichifukujin, or seven gods of good luck. Our contemporary night out was at teamLab Borderless, an immersive, digital art museum in which floor-to-ceiling animated artworks emerge, expand and morph in every room, set to a backdrop of soothing music. Wandering among the brilliantly colored birds, ocean waves, lighted globes, flowers, geometric forms and other motifs interacting with each other felt like stepping into imagination itself. One surprise was the darkened tea bar. Digital flowers bloom in each filled cup until a sip breaks the petals apart. They scatter across the table, and new flowers regenerate in the cup. Memorable nights in Tokyo can happen without planning. At a karaoke bar, a bartender challenged my husband to down a shot of Habushu, an Okinawan liquor. The dead snake curled in the bottle gave him pause, momentarily. Told that the alcohol and method of developing the liquor neutralizes the venom, he drank to my health, and kept his.

RYOKAN BEAUTY AND SIMPLICITY At the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, “the bathroom is something else again. Here, we have the typical Japanese bath, a half-sunken tiled tub in which you could take swimming lessons.” Opened in 1890 to serve Western travelers, with a 1923 update by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Imperial Hotel is still wellknown in Tokyo. We chose more modest —yet memorable — accommodations about 45 minutes west of Tokyo.

Meiji Jingu shrine

The bullet train carried us to Aura Tachibana, a ryokan or traditional Japanese inn in Hakone. Guests pad in socks on the tatami woven floors and sleep on thick, comfortable futons on the floor. The inn provides yukata, or cotton robes, to wear throughout the property, including at dinner. We began and ended our days in our private onsen, a bath on our balcony overlooking the Hakone mountains. Take a train, cable car, ropeway, boat and bus (yes, all five) to see the mountains, forests and other attractions of the Hakone Loop, a scenic route within a national park. Fog blocked our views but added atmosphere to our visit at the Hakone Open-Air Museum and its striking sculpture garden on the loop. Kids will like the Garden of Stars maze, the gigantic hammock and the stained-glass tower with circular staircase to climb. As we meandered among the art, I recognized the Japanese aesthetic of beauty and simplicity that my dad admired. “In the future, when I look back, it’ll be Japan that I remember and not the army,” Dad confessed to his parents midway through his tour of duty. Now, I understand why. SP southparkmagazine.com | 101

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COASTAL CRAVINGS A reimagined Florida Keys resort taps renowned chefs for a culinary event highlighting the ocean’s bounty. by Cathy Martin

Little Limon

t sunrise on an April morning in Islamorada, Florida, the beaches at Three Waters Resort are quiet, but the marina buzzes with activity. Hot coffee in hand, I step aboard Papa Wahoo, a 55-foot Hatteras fishing yacht, along with a small group of novice and experienced fishermen. Joining us are a seasoned crew, plus James Beard Award-winning Charleston chef Jason Stanhope (formerly of FIG and Lowland, now at Sullivan’s Fish Camp). Capt. Skip Braden, who’s fished these waters for more than 50 years, is calm and easygoing, laughing with the others — until the fish start biting. Then the veteran captain springs into action, directing the crew and anglers with authority — and with the agility of someone half his age — as they excitedly reel in blackfin and skipjack tuna, yellowtail snapper and king mackerel, one after another and another. I’m just a bystander, but their enthusiasm is contagious. The fishing charter — one of a half-dozen similar crews that set out this morning at dawn — is a prelude to Helm to Hearth, a

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relaxed weekend of culinary events featuring acclaimed and awardwinning chefs from across Florida and the Southeast, including Stanhope. It’s a social, immersive way to enjoy expertly crafted food, hobnob with culinary heavyweights, and enjoy a little R&R in the Florida Keys.

A MODERN RESORT WITH A RETRO FLAIR Part of the Islamorada Resort Collection, Three Waters Resort & Marina opened in fall 2024. The resort is a reimagining and fusion of two vintage hotels that were severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Spread across 15 acres, the 214-room waterfront resort boasts a midcentury-inspired design that’s more classy than kitschy: sandyhued exteriors with blue-grey trim, streamlined silhouettes, natural elements like warm wood and rattan, neutral decor with pops of bold color. Well-marked footpaths surrounded by lush, tropical landscaping make the sprawling resort easy to navigate. It’s ideal

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Plated desserts at Helm to Hearth

Fishing excursion at Three Waters Resort & Marina

for families looking for an all-in-one-place destination, couples seeking a low-key getaway that’s relaxed and unstuffy, or groups wanting both space to gather and room to spread out. There are five pools and beaches, gated to ensure privacy; kayaks, paddleboards and bikes; and the marina for fishing charters, snorkeling, scuba-diving and sunset cruises. A water taxi shuttles guests back and forth to Three Waters’ sister properties, Amara Cay Resort and La Siesta Resort & Villas. Accommodations range from oceanfront suites to The Village, a collection of shady, low-slung cottages tucked further inland. I stayed at the Cove, an adults-only section on the eastern fringe of the resort. The compact rooms boast a vivid, tropical motif — large terraces with cozy cocoon chairs expand the living area, offering views of swaying palms and the turquoise sea.

CELEBRATING CULINARY EXCELLENCE Helm to Hearth debuted in 2025, shortly after Three Waters’ opening. The spring celebration supports the Coral Restoration Foundation, a Florida-based nonprofit that protects and restores endangered coral reefs in the U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and fosters education globally. The weekend includes a welcome reception with participating chefs, a seven-course dinner — each chef prepares a dish — with wine pairings, an afternoon at the Islamorada Sandbar, and a farewell brunch on the beach. There are optional events, too, like southparkmagazine.com | 103

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The Cove, an adults-only resort-within-a-resort at Three Waters

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the fishing excursions with the chefs (afterward, have your catch cooked at the hotel’s Tiki Bar). At last year’s Helm to Hearth, Carey Morey, the Charleston founder of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, hosted a sold-out beachside Biscuits and Bubbles workshop. The 2027 Helm to Hearth, scheduled for April 16-18, will build on the previous two years. The lineup includes culinary legend Norman Van Aken, “Chopped” champion Jacob Rios, Miami chef Eileen Andrade and chef Michael Beltran of the Michelin-starred Ariete in Miami. If Beltran’s name sounds familiar, he has a Queen City connection: He’s teaming with Charlotte chef Andres Kaifer on the upcoming Roe & Olivia’s restaurant in LoSo.

Beach House Hilton Head

RUM RUNNERS AND OPEN-FIRE COOKING No matter when you visit Three Waters, you won’t go hungry. There’s poolside dining at the Hideaway and Kokomo; Islamorada Pizza Co., a family-friendly pizza joint; soft-serve at Lucky Twist; and casual fare and easy-sipping rum cocktails at the Tiki Bar. Located steps from the marina, the al fresco cocktail bar is home of the original Rum Runner, created here in 1972. At Little Limon, watch boats come and go from the marina while enjoying the ocean breeze. The menu at this second-floor aerie overlooking the Atlantic emphasizes lighter, shareable plates like ceviche, tuna tataki and edamame dumplings, ideal companions to the cocktail bar’s extensive tequila selection. But the resort’s shining star is Kindler, a contemporary restaurant serving fresh-caught seafood and dry-aged steaks cooked over open fire. Kindler stands in stark contrast to the divey, dockside fish restaurants lining the Overseas Highway threading the Florida Keys. Can’t-miss dishes include the furikake monkey bread, roasted oysters with nduja and leeks, and the seared scallops with Brussels, blistered grapes and chermoula. The vibe here is warm, lively and decidedly more upscale than the resort’s other restaurants, and equally suitable for solo dining, a couple’s night out or a group dinner with friends or family. GETTING THERE: Fly from Charlotte to Miami, and drive or take a ride-share south to Islamorada and Three Waters Resort & Marina. Seaplane charters from Miami to Three Waters are also available. Learn more about the resort and Helm to Hearth at islamoradaresortcollection.com. SP Oceanview lanai guest room

SEAFOOD FESTS CLOSE TO HOME BEAUFORT OYSTER FESTIVAL Jan. 9–19, 2027 This fifth annual festival, which coincides with South Carolina Restaurant Week, culminates with a two-day tasting event along the Beaufort waterfront. Baked, fried, roasted or raw, it’s all here at this casual, down-home gathering in one of the most picturesque small towns along the Carolina coast. Stay in a historic downtown inn: options include Cuthbert House, Anchorage 1770 and The Beaufort Inn. beaufortsc.org

HILTON HEAD ISLAND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL Feb. 22–28, 2027 This weeklong event features guest chefs, cooking demos, live music and more. Learn about shrimping, oystering and crabbing with a lowcountry boat excursion, or experience Asado by the Sea, with open-fire cooking and a beachfront dinner at Beach House hotel. The retro hotel near the bustling Coligny Plaza recently debuted a sleek expansion — highlights include a larger oceanfront pool with private cabanas and an expanded Tiki Hut, an island staple since 1977 featuring live music on the beach year-round. hiltonheadseafoodfestival.com

King suite with balcony

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Style & Customization

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Explore the beautiful details, timeless charm and heartfelt moments that define this season of “I do’s.” From the autumn canopy of some of Charlotte’s most historic venues to the romantic, rolling hills of Tuscany, eight Queen City couples tie the knot in elegant, exquisite affairs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DUET FRIDAY

by Sarah Fligel

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| weddings

THAT’S AMORE CAROLINE & KEVIN O’CONNELL 9.13.25

or Caroline and Kevin, finding love was as easy as looking next door. It just took awhile — nine years, to be exact. “We were simply neighbors, crossing paths here and there and getting to know each other over time,” Caroline says. “Our dogs actually became friends before we did.” Years of friendship eventually turned into something more. The couple, who live in Rock Hill, South Carolina, got married in the heart of Tuscany, a favorite travel spot. The romantic, private Villa Le Fontanelle offered proximity to Florence, on-site accommodations, a pool and a picturesque backdrop. A pizza and gelato party kicked off the weekend. The wedding reception featured a candlelit, five-course seated dinner overlooking Florence and its majestic Duomo cathedral with small-batch Italian wines and lobster ravioli and sea bass. “The combination of the villa, the views, the food, and having our closest family and friends there was exactly what we had hoped for.” Special touches: Caroline’s sisters and niece wore dresses in different shades of blue for “something blue.” Instead of bridesmaids, Caroline had a “Champagne Crew” who celebrated alongside her without the traditional responsibilities. The cake: Caroline and Kevin helped create an Italian custard and puff-pastry cake topped with powdered sugar and berries — known as millefoglie — during the reception. Planning a wedding abroad: “There was a language barrier, a time difference and cultural differences that sometimes made communication and planning feel slower and less organized than I was accustomed to,” Caroline says. “Ultimately, I learned that getting married in another country requires a little extra patience, flexibility and trust in the process.”

the details: Photographer | Duet Friday Venue | Villa Le Fontanelle, Florence, Italy Floral Design | Puscina Flowers Dresses & Veil | Sareh Nouri (wedding); Allure Bridals (photo shoot) Wedding Accessories | Prada (shoes); matching pearl-and-diamond ring and earrings, a gift given from Caroline’s father to her mother on the day she was born Beauty | KHBeauty

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Groom Attire | Custom tuxedo, dinner jacket and shoes, McFadden’s Rings | Wove Made (Caroline’s custom engagement ring); Vicki Lyn Michael’s Jewelers (Caroline’s custom wedding band); Perry’s Diamonds & Estate Jewelry (Kevin) Stationery | Alexa Nelson Prints Caterer & Cake | Citrarium, Villa Le Fontanelle Entertainment | FixTheMusic Videographer | AG Studio Wedding Videography

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| weddings

AUTUMN WONDER CAROLINE & TYLER BELL 11.8.25

fter Caroline and Tyler said their I do’s, had their first kiss and were announced as “The Bells,” guests rang little bells placed on each seat. “It was such a beautiful moment and sound,” says planner Sarah Cook. The couple, who met on Hinge, chose the Duke Mansion for their wedding. Caroline, from High Point, is a speech-language pathologist. Tyler works in medical-packaging sales and grew up in Orange County, California. Caroline moved to Charlotte four years ago; Tyler relocated in 2019. They wanted a venue where out-of-town friends and family could stay together and one that showcased North Carolina’s fall beauty. “Having our families together was really the most special part,” Caroline says. For a modern design, Cook blended textured tablescapes and soft, bespoke lighting with mauves, dusty pinks and muted purples along with rich taupes and creams accentuated with charcoal. “We wanted to prioritize guest experience and create a timeless, elegant atmosphere,” Caroline says. A wedding artist painted guest portraits as favors, and time on the dance floor was a highlight. “Looking around and seeing our friends and families dancing and enjoying the night together was truly a wonderful experience.” The right note: Menu, cocktails and music were top priorities. Tyler, who plays guitar and enjoys live music, is a fan of Steel Toe Stiletto’s Nathan Angelo. For their first dance, Angelo performed “She’s the Song.” Find your seat: Custom bookshelves featured accessories from Caroline and Tyler’s home and artwork printed with guests’ names and seat assignments. Honeymoon: Tyler planned the trip, with stops in Toronto (for a Sabrina Carpenter show), Paris, Florence and Madrid. Married life: The newest addition to the Bell family is due to arrive in February.

the details: Photographer | Alexandra Scott Photography

Stationery | Viri Lovely Designs

Venue | Duke Mansion

Cake | Marianne Tayloe Cake Design

Planner | SoHo Event Design Dress | Savvy Bride Boutique

Entertainment | Deans’ Duets (ceremony & cocktail hour); Steel Toe Stiletto (reception)

Wedding Accessories | Etsy (veil); Gorjana (jewelry)

Live Wedding Artist | Meliya Loosle Art

Beauty | Devin Brye Artistry

Custom Seating Display | Knotty Artisans (bookshelves); Viri Lovely Designs (seat assignments artwork)

Floral Design | Meraki Blommor

Groom & Groomsmen Attire | OMJ Clothing (groom); Generation Tux (groomsmen) Bridesmaids Dresses | Birdy Grey Rings | Bailey’s Fine Jewelry (engagement ring); Donald Haack Diamonds (wedding) 112 | SOUTHPARK

Caterer | Duke Mansion

Rentals | BBJ La Tavola & Reverie Social (linens); Maison de Carine (tabletop); Illumination Productions (lighting) Videographer | Davidson Film Co.

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luxurious linens, cozy down bedding, and beautiful keepsakes. We promise to make this experience as fun and inspiring as your love

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Schedule an Appointment giftregistry@bedsidemanor.com 704-442-4006 Register online at bedsidemanor.com 6401 Carnegie Blvd | Charlotte, NC 28211 | 704-442-4006

| weddings

SO GOLDEN PHEBE & ELI 11.8.25

hebe and Eli met at UNC Chapel Hill and began dating their sophomore year. Phebe, who grew up in Charlotte, is a clinical mental-health counselor. Eli, from Hillsborough, works in real estate private equity. The couple moved to Denver four years ago, and Eli proposed at one of their favorite parks. “We wanted our wedding to feel as much like bringing Colorado to North Carolina as possible,” Phebe says. “Bright golden accents were incorporated to mimic the changing leaves of the aspen tree — one of our favorite sites to see around Colorado during the fall season.” Planner Carrie Relyea mixed powder-blue and marigold-yellow tones with holly trees, textured linens and burlwood accents for an intimate, warm, organic vibe. Bridesmaids wore olive green and dusty blue dresses, with varied prints and patterns. At the reception, guests enjoyed Colorado-brewed Coors Banquet beers and station-style Southern food, including a cocktail-hour oyster bar, barbecue, BLT bites, crab cakes and a pasta bar. Late-night snacks featured fries and mini hot dogs. The band kept things lively. “It was important to us to have a fun, lively band with horns. Both of our big families love to dance.” The ceremony: Eli’s stepdad officiated. “It felt intimate, funny and touching, true to us,” Phebe says. Highlights: Readings from Eli’s mom and Phebe’s dad; the couple’s first dance; wigs passed out during the reception for laughs and dancing; and friends hoisting the newlyweds on chairs during the band’s last songs. Wedding advice: “Keep your wedding dress on the whole night. You only get to wear it once!” Honeymoon: Two weeks in Argentina: Cordoba, Mendoza and Bariloche, Patagonia

the details: Photographer | Katheryn Jeanne Photography

Stationery | The Cottage Shop (invitations); Sarah Jo Design (day of)

Venue | The VanLandingham Estate

Caterer | Best Impressions Caterers

Planner | Carrie Anne Events

Cake | For Goodness Cakes

Floral Design | Seeded Events and Design

Entertainment | Deans’ Duets (ceremony); Party With The People (reception)

Dress | Monique Lhuillier, Alexia’s Bridal Boutique Beauty | Cali Stott Artistry Rings | Phebe’s wedding band, Diamonds Direct; Phebe’s engagement ring and Eli’s ring, passed down from family

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Rentals | Curated Events Charlotte; Party Reflections; Stradley Davidson (linens) Videographer | Handiwork Media

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| weddings

ELEGANCE WITH AN EDGE LAURA & WILL LAPORTE 9.6.25

“O

ur biggest priority was designing a day that felt authentic to us,” says Laura, a commercial real estate attorney, about her nuptials to Will, who works for First Citizens Bank. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted our wedding to feel more like a great dinner party that happened to end with dancing … elegance with a little edge — something timeless but never stuffy or [overly] traditional.” The couple was married in the backyard of Will’s parents’ Myers Park home, an intimate celebration that included immediate family, four of their best friends and their mini golden doodle. A close friend officiated the ceremony, and a larger reception at Albertine followed. The uptown restaurant’s “Mediterranean meets Southern menu built for sharing,” along with its chic interiors and architectural details, were a perfect match for the couple’s love of food and design. Funky statement florals — highlighted by a stunning arch at the dining-room entrance — popped against a palette of olive green and chartreuse, accentuated with warm taupes, chocolate browns and soft creams. After a family-style dinner, guests were treated to mini wedding cakes made for each table, with various designs and flavors crafted by Marianne Tayloe. “It was such a fun surprise for guests,” says planner Sarah Cook. The “right” swipe: The two met after matching on Bumble and then on Hinge, within the span of a week. “It was my first and only dating app date, which still strikes me as wildly lucky,” says Laura. Entertainment: Along with a DJ, a roaming saxophone player and drummer kept the dance floor packed. The evening ended with espresso martinis, Milkbread fried chicken, cinnamon rolls and chocolate-chip cookies served on silver trays.

the details: Photographer | Michelle Lyerly Photography

Beauty | Blushing Hair and Makeup

Venues | Private residence (ceremony); Albertine (reception)

Groom Attire | Calvin Klein (tux); Christian Louboutin (shoes)

Planner | SoHo Event Design

Stationery | Viri Lovely Designs

Floral Design | Blossom Bay

Caterer | Albertine

Wedding & Reception Dress | Danielle Frankel

Cake | Marianne Tayloe Cake Design

Wedding Accessories | Gucci (heels); Jennifer Behr (earrings); Danielle Frankel (belt)

Entertainment | DJ Malike, Curate Entertainment

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laura & will

Charlotte’s Formal Wear Headquarters Special Occasion Dressing

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southparkmagazine.com | 119

| weddings

MYERS PARK PARTY MEREDITH & CORBIN BALZER 11.15.25

eredith and Corbin don’t love being the center of attention, so taking time to decompress after the wedding ceremony was important. They did a first look and photos prior to the ceremony, allowing time for a private dinner during cocktail hour. “That gave us time to settle down, have some food and a drink, and prepare for the rest of the night,” Meredith says. “Since we had already eaten, we had time during dinner to go around the room and say thank you to all our guests. This opened up the rest of the night for us to enjoy and not have any more responsibilities.” Planner Katrina Hutchins based the reception design on Meredith’s favorite colors and a fun linen. “We kept the dinner reception more classic and timeless and then really let loose in the tent for the band and dancing,” she says. “It was so funky and such a party.” The couple opted for stations at the reception, preferring a variety of foods and less time between courses. “Dinner was not our priority,” Meredith says. “We wanted people to eat and then move to the tent to dance the night away.” The proposal spot: Uptown, at the courtyard next to Grand Bohemian Charlotte, with flowers, candles and photos of the couple’s adventures on display. Honeymoon: South Africa Married life: Corbin works for the Charlotte Knights; Meredith works for Charlotte Ambush Field Hockey Club and coaches field hockey at Providence Day School. They welcomed a baby girl in October.

the details: Photographer | Kristin Byrum Photography

Caterer | Myers Park Country Club

Venues | Belk Chapel, Queens University (ceremony); Myers Park Country Club

Cake | Marianne Tayloe Cake Design

Entertainment | The Main Attraction Band Rentals & Decor | BBJ La Tavola; Curated Events Charlotte; D2 Production Services (lighting); Heritage Signs & Displays (dance floor wrap); Knotty Artisans (custom wooden columns for florals); Party Reflections; Party Tables (draping); The Prettiest Pieces; Professional Party Rentals; Stradley Davidson Videographer | Philip James Films

meredith & corbin southparkmagazine.com | 121

| weddings

TYIESHA & ROBBIN GUIRANTES 10.25.25

ith its serene setting, towering 30-foot ceilings and grand arched windows, The Providence Cotton Mill was an idyllic spot for Tyiesha and Robbin’s big day. “I really wanted a lot of natural lighting but an indoor space where we could have both a ceremony and reception,” says Tyiesha. “I did most of our decorations. Luckily the venue was so dreamy it didn’t need much to be perfect.” The couple’s celebration came after years of knowing each other. They developed a friendship while working together at Finish Line in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where Tyiesha is from. They stayed in touch through social media, and their friendly bond eventually grew into a romantic relationship. Tyiesha moved to Charlotte in 2021 and is a nurse at Advocate Health; Robbin followed a year later and works for Wells Fargo. For their wedding, sticking to a budget was important. “Our priorities were to save as much money as possible … but also to have fun,” Tyiesha says. “We wanted it to be a smooth, memorable day for our guests.” Favorite details included pictures from the couple’s photo shoot at each table, baskets with cards and custom pens for well wishes and advice, and a QR code for guests to upload photos. For food, the couple added a twist: breakfast for dinner, with challah French toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns and fresh berries. “After dinner we danced the night away,” Tyiesha says. “We had a ball during our reception.” The proposal: During a vacation to Puerto Rico, the couple set up a tripod to take pictures together. “Robbin ‘accidentally’ dropped the camera clicker. He bent down to pick it up and was on one knee. A complete surprise!” The dessert: Keeping with the breakfast-for-dinner theme, the couple opted for a doughnut table and other breakfast treats instead of a cake.

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southparkmagazine.com | 123

| weddings

SORAYA NAMAZI & ROSS EMORY 6.13.26

oss’s proposal to Soraya was full of twists. While he picked a romantic, frequent spot for the couple — the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. — Soraya assumed he’d pop the question on a weekend night. Instead, he chose a Sunday afternoon. Once Soraya said yes, their parents appeared, along with a photographer who had been hiding. They continued the celebration at the Waldorf Astoria for afternoon tea. “I was surprised one final time by our siblings and the couple that introduced us,” Soraya says. The Washington-based couple got married in an intimate ceremony in Lake Como, Italy. But they wanted a larger celebration in Charlotte, Ross’ hometown. They chose Charlotte Country Club, a special place for Ross growing up. Honoring Soraya’s Persian heritage was important. Family members handmade all elements of the sofreh, a traditional table spread filled with symbolic items representing love, prosperity, fertility and protection. “It was a unique cultural experience for our friends and family from the U.S. and a familiar and nostalgic one for our Persian side of the family.” During the reception, footage from the couple’s Italian nuptials was projected onto draping in the main ballroom. “We wanted the evening to feel elegant and elevated, but also warm, inviting and incredibly personal,” says planner Ashley Snider. “Their personalities, traditions, friendships and history were woven together throughout the evening. Even the latenight Taco Bell (served on silver platters) was a fun nod to something they both love.” Honeymoon: The couple spent nine days in Lake Como after the first ceremony. They’re planning a trip to Japan next year.

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CAPITAL ROMANCE

anna lee & andrew

SWEET HOME ALABAMA

| weddings

ANNA LEE & ANDREW VANZANDT 11.22.25

“T

he design of this wedding was one of my favorites of 2025,” says planner Jackie Fogartie of Anna Lee and Andrew’s Alabama celebration. “I loved all the jewel tones — the flowers were dripping with deep merlot and purples, and we had chartreuse and olive-green draping in the tent. It was all punchy and dramatic.” For Anna Lee, who grew up in Birmingham and works for Beau Monde Hospitality Group in Charlotte, the details were important. So too, was the venue. She and Andrew were married at Anna Lee’s family lake house in Lake Mitchell, Alabama. “We loved the idea of introducing our friends and family to one of our favorite places and getting to go back to our venue in the future to remember our memories from our wedding day.” After an intimate ceremony in the great room, guests and the couple enjoyed “docktails” and their first dance overlooking the lake. Meanwhile, Fogartie and her team flipped the ceremony space for a station-style dinner. A full bar included signature cocktails curated by Anna Lee’s co-workers. “My mindset for the reception was: Eat when you’re hungry, drink when you’re thirsty, and we’ll see you on the dance floor,” Anna Lee says. The tent featured BBJ La Tavola’s “glitterati” linen. “That signified it was time to party!” Fogartie adds. Honeymoon: Brush Creek Ranch, Saratoga, Wyoming Special details: Anna Lee’s grandmother baked 900+ cheese straws for the welcome bags; her sister (and maid of honor) sewed her own dress using fabric purchased on a trip to New York City. During the ceremony, the couple took communion from a ceramic set Anna Lee made. Sweet treats: Warm cake from Anna Lee’s hometown bakery Olexa’s, alongside O.Henry’s coffee from Birmingham, the couple’s favorite.

the details: Photographer | Brittany Sturdivant

Rings | Liz Legg (custom); Windsor Jewelers (bands)

Venue | Private residence, Lake Mitchell, Alabama

Stationery | Viri Lovely Designs

Planner | Jackie Fogartie Events

Caterer | Tre Luna

Floral Design | Old Frond Floral Co.

Entertainment | The Finns

Dress | The White Room Beauty | Stephanie Mus Makeup Artistry Groom & Groomsmen Attire | Bruce Julian Clothier

Cake | Olexa’s Rentals | BBJ La Tavola & Nuage Designs & Stradley Davidson (linens); EventWorks Birmingham (tent, chairs, tables, bars, staging); Next Level AVL (tent lighting); Quest Events (draping) southparkmagazine.com | 125

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