Pimm’s cup: As fresh as the season
by Charles Upchurch photograph by Juli Leonard Yes, I am drinking a Pimm’s Cup as I write this. OK, I’m finishing a Pimm’s Cup. I recommend that you enjoy one while reading this summer issue of Walter. Out in the…
Category: Food & Drink
Don’t skimp on the mint: Juleps for Derby day…and beyond
Don’t let the mint fool you. That lighthearted, summery herb, equally at home in iced tea and lemonade, is here on a mission. Mashed up with sugar, its oils and essence make what comes next suitable for a springtime afternoon….
Freshly-squeezed at Pharaoh’s
Once ubiquitous in pharmacies across the South, soda fountains have waned with the advent of fast food. Today, it’s not easy to find the pressed sandwiches, milkshakes and drinks that made them so popular, but Pharaoh’s at North Hills and…
Kevin and Stacy Jennings: Family values and restaurant success
by Andrea Weigl photographs by Lissa Gotwals Stacey Jennings sets platters of mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, spinach salad and coq au vin blanc on the dining room table and calls to her children. “We need to eat,” she says. “It’s on…
The ultimate vintage spirit: MOONSHINE
by Charles Upchurch photographs by Juli Leonard “In my mind I’m gone to Carolina – can’t you see the sunshine, can’t you just feel the moonshine…” I think we all know what Sweet Baby James was singing about. North Carolina…
Drink: More beer here
by Charles Upchurch photographs by Juli Leonard Don’t look now, but Raleigh is sneaking up on Asheville for the title of craft beer capital of North Carolina. That calls for a cold pint of Hell Yes Ma’am. Hell Yes Ma’am…
At the table: The McLaurin family breaks bread
by Andrea Weigl photographs by Missy McLamb Many families cannot get along. One sibling doesn’t talk to another; the daughters-in-law can’t be in the same room; someone has never forgiven another for a slight long ago. Tension crackles, and…
Drink: eggnog
by Charles Upchurch The converts, they say, are always the worst. A couple of years ago, my wife had never even tried eggnog. Then everything changed. Soon, there were telltale signs of a love affair. Once a week became once…
Drink: The Manhattan – fall’s ultimate cocktail
by Charles Upchurch photographs by Juli Leonard Fall is woodsmoke. Football and oyster roasts. Leaves gone to gold. All of this nostalgia calls for a drink. Better yet, a cocktail. Something that captures the sublime and fleeting magic of the…
Ashley Christensen: A cultivated palate, a life of purpose
by Liza Roberts photographs by Lissa Gotwals Raleigh’s hottest chef has no back burner. Take one week in late July: Ashley Christensen’s cross-country commitments had her outside and up all night in Sonoma, Calif., cooking a pig for a…
At the table: The porch light supper club shines
by Mary E. Miller photographs by Lissa Gotwals The storming of the French Bastille was a hot affair of high ideals, fueled by the restless hungering of many souls. Not, in other words, unlike the Porch Light French Garden Party…
at the table: Farms of our own
by Karen Johnson photographs by Travis Dove Farming isn’t just for the country any more. Farmers – people growing their own food – are as common today as a suburban next-door neighbor or a favorite downtown restaurant. You can…
Life of the party: Rory Parnell fills her home in support of art education
by Martha Quillin photographs by Liz Condo Rory Parnell did not herself prepare the petite crab cakes with Cajun remoulade that guests gobbled in two bites at her late fall party to benefit local arts education. Her husband, Jerry, grilled the…
At the Table: peppermint wishes
by Liza Roberts photographs by Leslie Baker Charles Winston Jr. is a self-described ice cream nut. The owner of North Raleigh’s Winston’s Grille, he loves it so much he took himself to ice cream school at Penn State a few…