Downtown Dame

Epona & Oak is sunshine.

Shiny, sweet rays of sunshine that span across the cobblestone of City Market and in through the boutique windows… up on the nook with the octopus platter… off the rows upon rows of jewelry (fav: Rivet by Leigh-Erin M. Salmon)… and onto the faces of boutique-owner-sisters Cheryl, Leeann and Katie. These ladies exude a light-hearted happiness that resists dampening even during the most trying times. Times, like the one-year anniversary of their mother’s passing – that they will honor this Friday by staying true to their nature, by giving back.

Epona & Oak reached out to their community, to the people who help reflect their positivity, and planned an event at the store this Friday — First Friday March 2012 — with local food and drinks, raffle gifts and a silent auction. They do it all for Hospice of Wake County, a special group of people who helped pull them through the last days of their mother’s courageous battle with cancer.

Darling and Dear Stationary donated and you can too! If you’d like to, call or email them.

Jam on DJ Dave Hogan!

Sunday . Dog-day . Eno River .

Wednesday . Hillsborough Street . Lunch break . 65 degrees .

Sunday . Cameron Village . Sidewalk leading up to Harris Teeter .

Cherry trees  a’blooomin . Snow this evenin ?

:Update:

On Valentine’s Day I went to Piebird for lunch. The blue(bird) chairs out front were dreamy despite the winter chill, and inviting. I walked in like I owned the place apparently, completely missing the hostess stand and hustling towards the first waitstaff person I could find. Due to a very important date with a friend for hair-braiding and coffee, I did not wait to be late… and because the waiter thought he knew me, I ended up not coming across too weird.

Back at the hostess stand, I ordered two chicken pot pies and a chocolate peanut butter slice. They offered to rush the order for me as I eased into their sweet antique, white sofa. I thanked them and began plotting how I would convince them the sofa would look much better in my apartment. Then I took a stroll over to the “mom-n-pop” pharmacy across the street. At the counter, complete with an ice cream case and milkshake straws, I handed over payment for my purchase. Without hesitation, the cashier told me my driver’s license signature and my signing of the credit card slip were not matches… Hmmmm, I thought… “They never are!”, I said. From him, a chuckle and “Happy Valentine’s Day, dear”.

I had visited Conti’s Italian Market - a cramped collage of red, white and green labeled foods – a few times before it’s transformation into Piebird, and a transformation proved to be. Modern, white-washed bar. Easy, large open room. Fun tables, chairs and artwork.

2 hand pies + dessert pie = ~$14

Attraction, sweetness and the senses.

This card, along with two other designs, can be purchased on Etsy for $3. Earn extra cool points when you tell your Valentine that the stamps are handmade by Kim at Darling & Dear Stationary and pressed on recycled paper. And, pssst, the handwriting is courtesy of your very own Downtown Dame.

;) enjoy xoxo

With the weather behaving the way it has been, and tomorrow’s February First Friday only slightly shying away from these feelings of spring (50s), I’m in the mood to get excited. Because despite The Farmer’s and Sir Walter Wally’s prediction of a more wintry-weather-month ahead, soon we’ll be the ones to walk in the sun (and girls they wanna have fu-un!).

BEST installs their first project for Feb. First Friday at The Hue @ Hargett (Suite 50). This group bases their projects on the idea that every space is an opportunity for creativity and expression, especially those run-down, ignored spots, that helps us get to know each other better, bringing us closer together as a community. Neat.

The Triangle has a wiki page. It’s not open to the public yet, but soon you’ll be able to be a part of recording our culture (interesting places and events). The Raleigh Public Record reports that this is “the latest installment of a global trend of local information site that first started in Davis, California” and it became “the largest, most used media source in the city, with one in seven Davis residents contributing to the site.”

The issue of transit in the Triangle is kind of a big deal right now. We just approved a $40 million transportation bond in October that includes a lot of cool stuff, including a new train station. Meanwhile, organizations like GoTriangle.com aim to help you get around by bus, rideshare (carpooling), bike, walking and teleworking (remote).

Happy New Year! 2012 – woooooooooooooooo!

As my dear friend, “the landmark”, who is moving to Germany would say, “Let the games begin!”

First Friday in downtown Raleigh is loosely based on the idea of an art gallery walk. Most people that I’ve talked to, however, take it as an opportunity to do all sorts of things – hear a band, have dinner, drink margaritas, see and be seen, try out the new place around the corner from the usual place. It’s also dark so early these days (but the days are officially getting longer!) that unless you are able to head downtown between 4-5pm, it’s cold and takes more effort to get around.

So, for these winter First Fridays I like to implement a little extra planning to avoid the icey grip. First, figure out when you can head over and where you’ll be parking. Then, choose 3-4 spots from the list of art venues based on the general route you’d like to take (or base your route on the venues you’d like to go to, though in cold weather the former may be easier). From there, let it all go, shrug off the work week and see where the evening takes you. More than likely, I’ll see ~2 of these spots, have some dinner and find myself huddled by the nearest outdoor heater with a beer and the friends I’ve acquired along the way.

1/6/12: Tire Shop Gallery, Mahler Fine Art, Amplified Art

**leave a comment, suggest an art venue, check out pictures around downtown in 2011 on facebook

Instead of seeing and doing then posting in a routine and timely fashion, for about a month and a half my focus was to maximize offline vs. online… outside vs. inside… sun/wind/environment vs. controlled/generated/blah… for as long as it took to clear the air. I embraced the good fortune of mid-70s weather Raleigh had from Halloween (when it can easily be freezing cold) to a couple weeks ago (and we’re still at a high of mid-50s) and as always, it paid off.

I’ve got a few reviews and my writing fingers back, so let’s save the best for first.

Fox Liquor Bar is located behind it’s big sister, Beasley’s Chicken & Honey, at the corner of Wilmington and Martin Streets. The neon LIQUOR sign is oddly inconspicuous, unless you know what you’re looking for, then take a quick left down the stairs and inside to a dark but creatively lit room. My three visits were each met with the sights and sounds of various groups of people, enjoying their well-crafted cocktails in a room of black leather furniture set up to accommodate socializing with crew or stranger. Behind the bar, the life of the party, ladies and gents in vest, tie and tat serve out the best cocktails in town for $11 even. There’s also beer and a little food (cheese + meats + olives), making Fox the ultimate late night reviver.

Recommend: Queen Park Swizzle

Next up, London Bridge - a new bar on Hargett Street, across from Landmark (still a favorite because they just do it right, ok?), and sure to be a hit in the spring and summer with a back patio that opens up to an interior space/overgrown lawn large enough for a few picnic tables. Inside, grab your draft beer by the neon Bud Light sign.

And a shout out to…

Tir Na Nog – delicious beer, nachos and beer cheese soup

The Oxford – though an odd bar, fabulous food ($$$)

Busy Bee – crafty, short list of cocktails including The Queen Bee and Monk’s Blood

Calavera. Empanadas. Tequila.

One of downtown Raleigh’s newest restaurants, located on the corner of Blount and Davie, has taken on one dish and paired it effortlessly with the spirit made from the blue agave plant. The idea here is simple, delicious, versatile food and drinks.

The food: $3 empanadas filled with meats, herbs, spices and veggies (7 choices) or sugar and spice (2 choices). $10 salads (2 choices). Suggestion: more veggie-only options, the picadillo would be especially good without meat.

The drinks: $5-$10 tequilas (20 brands/styles) and $8 bebidas especiales (8, including a killer Mojito). Oh, and a $25 Don Julio 1942 is on the menu. Not sure what that means exactly but it sounds pretty awesome; find out more about how tequila is made and classified.

Inside, the walls are painted a deep, heartfelt red. Mexican-inspired paintings and calaveras (skulls) loom in the creases and folds. The upstairs dining room and the tiny bar downstairs capture a vibe of openness and intimacy.

One suggestion… one easy-to-fix, must-fix… important as hell part of the deal… service. How your waitstaff presents and represents your establishment can go further than what’s on the menu, and very often does. You don’t have to love Peru, downtown Raleigh, empanadas and tequila to desire a few words on how the menu works, a little instruction on tequila pairings, and just some general excitement that you’ve come! To the new restaurant! That wants you to come back again!

Calavera also has cervecas and vino, TVs upstairs and outdoor seating.