Phydeaux
“We’re in the business of solving problems and helping people.” –Frank Papa, Phydeaux pet shop founder and owner by Jessie Ammons photograph by Elizabeth Galecke There was an aha moment about 15 years ago that motivated Frank Papa to leave…
Category: Explore
Hijinks at High Point
The renowned High Point Market, the largest home furnishings trade show in the world, will draw as many as 80,000 attendees from 100 countries to High Point, N.C. April 22-26. Last year, our correspondent was among them for the first…
Swagger
“I wanted it to be a fun place. The items make you happy and they’re just funny. I love it when I’m standing behind the counter and I can hear customers laughing.” –Mandy Becker, owner, Swagger by Jessie Ammons photograph…
Five Fork Studio
by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Liz Condo Functional, simple, beautiful. Those are words longtime friends Michael Everhart, 31, and Will Stanley, 32, use to describe the furniture they build under the name Five Fork Studio in Chapel Hill. For the…
Big O’s River Retreat
text and photographs by Julie Williams Dixon Springtime on the Roanoke River is a fisherman’s paradise. First come the hickory shad, sometimes as early as mid January. As the days stretch out and the water warms, large numbers of fish move…
Burke Brothers Hardware
“When you walk in … if we don’t know you, we get to know you.” –Jeff Hastings, co-owner of Burke Brothers Hardware by Jessie Ammons photograph by Travis Long Near the State Fairgrounds on Hillsborough Street, Burke Brothers Hardware stands out for…
Woodshop Wonders, Fiddle-maker Mike Anderson
by Mimi Montgomery photographs by Annie Cockrill A wall in Mike Anderson’s backyard woodshop is marked with descending lines, each bearing a small inscription. These aren’t childhood height-markers – they’re records of the trees Anderson has cut down over the years. Red maple,…
Mr. A’s Beignets
“More than anything, we’re here for the beignets.” –Arlton Cangelosi, Mr. A’s Beignets food truck owner by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Ray Black III If your February plans don’t include a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, you can laissez les…
Roadside Eats, an excerpt..
by D.G. Martin Just where did I learn that local restaurants are where you find real friends and lifelong memories? Maybe it was my North Mecklenburg High School football teammate Tommy Oehler who got me started when he introduced me to…
Spotlight: From bored to board games
by Mimi Montgomery Winter weather means a lot of family time indoors – and too often, a whole lot of screen time, too. Raleigh’s well-known Holderness family is putting their zany energy into an alternative activity they hope will get people…
Spotlight: Warm from the oven wishes
With five bakeries in the downtown area alone, most of them less than a handful of years old, Raleigh has quickly become a destination for the gourmet baked good lover. Come holiday time, there’s something for everyone. An assortment of…
Spotlight: Modern clayworks
by Jessie Ammons “We want the work to evoke a sense of peace. You may have to trek to get to us, but being here allows us to stay in a peaceful mindset,” says Chris Pence, co-founder and CEO of Haand, maker…
Whisk Kitchen
“Our goal in creating this business was to create a local community of cooks.” –Dan Saklad, owner and co-founder of Whisk kitchen store by Jessie Ammons photograph by Jillian Clark Dan Saklad is admittedly not a shopper. “I’ve never really spent time…
Tally Ho!
by P. Gaye Tapp
photographs by Geoff Wood