Published by Robert E Leebowitz January 29th, 2008
in Good Stuff, Durham and RDU.
The soccer matches start early most Sunday mornings at Raleigh’s Kiwanis Park. Like the soccer fields at Dix Hospital, the teams and spectators are almost exclusively Latino and the taqueria and pupuseria trucks show up to sell breakfast and lunch. Continue reading ‘Soccer Tacos’
Published by The Furry Geezer January 28th, 2008
in WTF, Architecture, Raleigh and RDU.
One of my resolutions for the new year is to call up and take the
garden tour of the
Governor’s Mansion next spring. I do believe North Carolina’s first family could make a stand in that compound after the Apocalypse, it has turned into such a productive and self-sufficient looking site. The garden isn’t just the masterful sprays of annuals and diverse showy plants at the fences - they have big trays of asparagus plants
and lots of fresh veggies in season, and the trusty prison staff who maintain the grounds have built up quite a landscaping and gardening operation. I remember well the controversy when they built the brick wall around it - which was originally going to be solid brick. The uproar, promoted by good old NandO, dictated the dominating modification of the wrought iron fences, which didn’t really do their mollifying job very well - it is indeed a fortress with magazine quality plantings on the edges, and a general sense of protected and mostly private outdoor space which I personally do not begrudge them one iota. But living nearby and experiencing the wonderful architecture daily, I am struck by the amazing range of references one can think of while enjoying the walk around the perimeter. Privilege, influence, security, public outreach - oh! if you haven’t been to Halloween there, you’ve got to - it’s loads more fun than the history tour. And now the site has been blessed with that lodestone of Raleigh cultural consciousness - an inscrutable piece of public sculpture. I must say I like my thorny picture of it, but for the sculpture itself, in the context of that garden and that architecture, I could only say, when noticed it this week for the first time, … WTF?
Published by Administrator January 16th, 2008
in WTF and RDU.
That’s WTF I’m talkin’ about!
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Published by Robert E Leebowitz January 16th, 2008
in WTF, Raleigh, Durham and RDU.
There’s a funny combination of articles in the food section of the N&O today. An article about the closing of Starlu, a restaurant in Durham (I always MEANT to get there for a meal!), and a Greg Cox review of The Mint, a new restaurant on Fayetteville Street. Kudos to Mr. Cox for waiting for the restaurant to actually open before reviewing it! The Raleigh Downtowner couldn’t wait and wrote a glowing review more than a month before the doors opened. We won’t link to the full review because you have to download a PDF of the entire Holiday Issue but we will tell you it is worth the effort. Here’s an excerpt:
The Mint restaurant aims to reclaim the space as the “crown jewel” of downtown Raleigh. The architecture and design convinces guests of the value – a six-ton bank vault door in the entry way, strings of diamond jewels and lights hanging from the two story ceiling. The ultra-stylish M-Bar upstairs features a jewel case inches below your drink and will more than likely have a life of its own outside the restaurant traffic. The Mint also honors the neighborhood’s heritage, with historic scenes like the legislative building and the courthouse lit by green LED lights. Money green, copper, and silver throughout the interior evoke a sense of worth and would feel right at home nestled deep within a banks secure vault.
Jenny Fredette is so right! This 1980’s mid-rise office tower has always been the “Crown Jewel” of Raleigh and we’re so glad it has been restored to its proper status!
So, the piece about Starlu describes the uphill battles faced by restaurants, and quotes a national failure rate of 60% for restaurants. The review of The Mint mentions that the City of Raleigh gave the restaurant group $1-Million to invest in the interiors. Well, it sounds as though the million dollars is really visible in the interior design, literally. Reading about The Mint reminds me of foreboding scenes in films like Wall Street: the money is flowing, it’s raining diamonds and then you start to feel some apprehension; this can’t last, something bad is about to happen and you can feel it.
Well, flip through the N&O to the business section and look at that stock market graph and the blurb about heading into a recession. Will we look back in a few years and wonder: “Remember when people used to wear T-shirts about money and then they built that restaurant about money?” Ah, these are the days!
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