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Decorate with Raleigh
Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina 
State Capitol, Raleigh, North Carolina 
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Greetings from Raleigh, North Carolina
Jul
29
Where is Isaac Hunter’s Tavern?
Filed Under History, Editorial, Food and Beverage | 4 Comments
It seems to be a cool thing these days to give pubs or restaurants historically significant names. This is especially true if you can establish a connection to that name.
Take, for example, the Raleigh Times. The “Times” and its neighbor/partner “The Morning Times” have taken Raleigh’s old afternoon paper building from the early 1900s and turned into a bar and a coffee shop. Like everyone else, my hat goes off to Greg and the gang at Empire Properties for not only opening up some nice hang-out spots, but also for preserving a bit of the local history in the process.
Judging from the fact that I almost never see an empty table or chair as I stroll by The Times or the fact that the Morning Times has turned into a veritable who’s-who of downtown Raleigh from about 7 to 10am, it seems like the whole community history appreciation thing hasn’t hurt the profit margin.
Here’s my question, though: Where is Isaac Hunter’s Tavern? After all, it may very well be the reason we have a Raleigh to begin with. Read more
Jul
26
Finding Italy on a Raleigh map
Filed Under Food and Beverage | 6 Comments
I believe that the best food in this city, or any other, can only really be enjoyed to its fullest if the company you dine with and the surroundings of the establishment complement that cuisine, or even raise it to a level that could not be attained by the food alone. Such thinking often takes me to Italian restaurants, where hearty red wines and fresh-made pastas are surpassed only by the great conversations served throughout the meal.
We are quite fortunate to have several authentic and noteworthy Italian restaurants in Raleigh. My top 5, including one which I dined in this evening, are below.
Ninas Ristorante
Ninas has perhaps the most enjoyable authentic setting of the list. With terra cotta walls and a beautiful Tuscan mural, the mood is instantly set for a meal that you’ll want to tell your friends about for several days to come.
Casa Carbone
Casa Carbone is the old-schooler of the bunch. The owners opened their first restaurant in 1958 on Hillsborough Street and have stayed true to their roots in terms of settings and excellent Italian food ever since.
518 West
518’s tall ceilings and brick walls create a wonderful setting to enjoy some of the best Italian food in downtown Raleigh. 518 is also great for brunch on Sundays.
Tavola Rossa
Tavola Rossa offers a somewhat eclectic and modern take on Italian. Tucked behind Crabtree Valley Mall, this is a great destination for a business lunch or romantic dinner.
Bella Monica
Bella Monica is the most unassuming of the bunch. This place could easily be taken for a pizza-by-the-slice establishment if you just happened to be walking by. Once you’ve taken the plunge however, you immediately notice the attention to detail in every dish and can appreciate the local feel the restaurant and its patrons have created.
This is only my top 5 and I don’t doubt that I’ve missed one (or several) notable others. Do your part to share the amore by adding to this list with your favorites.
Jul
25
Extreme Makeover: Shopping Center Edition
Filed Under Business, Real Estate | 9 Comments
The N&O is reporting that the Holly Park shopping center off of Wake Forest Road will be sold to a Charlotte-based developer in the near future.
If you’re familiar with the location, you should be relieved to hear this. The center is badly outdated and definitely in need of a facelift. Given its prime location right off of the beltline, it always seemed that much more could be done with the area.
This shopping center currently houses a DMV, the Shaba Shabu restaurant and the nearby Melting Pot among some non-notable others. I haven’t heard or seen anything about what the sale will mean for these and other new businesses, but would imagine that a big name retailer or restaurant could be added as the renovations commence.
In similar news, the TBJ is reporting that the Pleasant Valley shopping center off of Glenwood Avenue will be adding a Golfsmith superstore, replacing the vacancy left by Best Buy when they moved down the road near Crabtree Valley Mall.
Pleasant Valley seemed to have some life brought back into it when Gold’s Gym was added in the old movie theater slot around the side of the center, but with the Best Buy move the center was in desperate need of a new big-name draw.
Links to the originals:
N&O - Holly Park
TBJ - Golfsmith (limited text only to non-subscribers)
Jul
23
And the winners are…
Filed Under Business, Food and Beverage | 6 Comments
Metro Magazine has released part 1 of it’s eighth annual MetroBravo awards. Among others, the categories include restaurants, media personalities, professional services and golf courses.
Overall, I found the list to be a little dry, with several big-name chains taking the top prize in categories like best local coffeehouse (Starbucks) and best french fries (McDonalds). But, a few local highlights and notables include:
Top new restaurant
South
Top chef
Ashley Christiansen, Enoteca Vin
Best sushi
Waraji
Best pizza
Capital Creations
Top dessert
Hayes Barton Dessertery & Café
If you can stand to sort through the lack of distinguishing formatting, the full list can be found here: http://www.metronc.com/article/?id=1375
Also, a “top anything” list is always good for stirring up debate. If you have anything to add or dispute, post it in the comments and let the games begin.
Jul
20
Raleigh Wide Open: Part Deux
Filed Under Entertainment | 2 Comments
Just in case you haven’t heard, the sequel to Raleigh Wide Open, creatively named Raleigh Wide Open 2, is this Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.
The agenda is said to include: 3 stages of live entertainment, wine and beer tastings, a parade, kids zone, fireworks and more. Attendance is reportedly expected to approach 70,000.
Visit these two website for the details:
www.godowntownraleigh.com/rwo/
www.raleighconvention.com/raleigh-wide-open.html
Also, you may want to see Raleigh Chronicles coverage of last year’s event to get a better idea of what to expect.
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Jul
18
Meet me at The Mill
Filed Under Food and Beverage, Entertainment | 5 Comments
Whether it’s the overly smoke-filled bar, the dining room that can be eerily quiet and feels like my grandmothers house (20 years ago), or the somewhat uncomfortable iron chairs on the patio - I love to eat and drink at Edwards Mill Bar and Grill. Read more
Jul
15
“Raleighing” taking a break
Filed Under Other | 4 Comments
Raleighing.com, a blog about the city of Raleigh, has stated that it will be “taking a break.” While I hate to see the blog shut-down, I do hope that some of the passionate and well-informed followers of the site will transition their focus to the Free Press and help us get off to a good start as the new “must read” blog about Raleigh!
Jul
13
Adventure out on your own
Filed Under RFP Site News | Leave a Comment
Along with trying to provide interesting content to the readers of Raleigh Free Press, this site is also a sandbox of sorts for different web projects. Along those lines, check out our new “Local Map Search“. Using Google maps and Google search as the backbone of the data, the map allows you to search for local businesses throughout Raleigh and to find some hidden gems of your own throughout our great city.
Jul
12
Congratulations to NC State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow, who won the Jimmy V ESPY award for Perseverance last night.
Yow, like Jimmy V, has become a Raleigh icon for both her coaching achievements and battles with cancer. Over her 32 year career Yow has won 5 ACC championships, 4 ACC Tournament titles and is 1 of only 6 Division 1 head women’s basketball coaches to win 700 games. Beyond her success on the court, she is widely viewed as a role model and a source of inspiration.
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Additionally, if you have 10 minutes to spare and want to be moved - Jimmy V’s 1993 acceptance speech is probably one of, if not the, best and most touching of all times.
Jul
10
Local Businesses Contribute to Carolina Charm
Filed Under Business, Food and Beverage | Leave a Comment
As stories about Raleigh’s growth circulate, and in doing so help to draw attention to our prosperous economy, I stumbled across another article highlighting a much different, but equally important aspect of Raleigh – it’s charm.
Fortune Small Business magazine, a division of CNN, attributes this charm in large part to local businesses and landmarks. In particular: The Angus Barn, the Cameron Park Inn and the City Market. Read the full article here.
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