The DM BlogThe DM Bloghttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010-09-02T20:33:46ZSquarespaceThe Weekend Best Betshttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/9/2/the-weekend-best-bets.htmlIesha Brown2010-09-02T13:00:17Z2010-09-02T13:00:17Z

Check out this weekend's best bets. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend.

1. Nordstrom Rack — Be sure today to stop by the grand opening of the first Nordstrom Rack in North Carolina, located at the Renaissance Center near Southpoint. The store, located in the former home of Linens N' Things, sells merchandise 50-60 off the original Nordstrom price. For more information call 695-1000 or click here. 6807 Fayetteville Rd.

2. Sal (campo, punte, nube) Art Exhibit — Opening Friday and running through Oct. 10, this solo exhibit at the Durham Arts Council features three sculptural works by Nestor Armando Gil. Gil used salt, spent spark plugs, wood, metal and automotive paint to create an interesting installation that functions as a landscape. The DAC building is open Monday-Saturday from 9am-9pm. For more information call 560-2713 or click here. 120 Morris St. 

3. Bull City Rumble — After five years, the Bull City Rumble comes to Durham. And, if you like vintage and modern bikes and scooters, this event is for you. Friday and Saturday enjoy stylish bikes, food, music and, of course, fun. Registration begins Friday at 7pm at Bean Traders Coffee on Ninth Street. For more information and a complete schedule click here or email bullcityrumble@gmail.com. 714 Ninth St. 

4. Loco Pops 5th Anniversary — If you enjoy those delicious cold treats that Loco Pops concocts, show them your appreciation. Join them in celebrating their fifth anniversary Monday at their Hillsborough Road location from 4-6pm. Donations will be accepted to help the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association. For more information call 286-3500. 2600 Hillsborough Rd.  

5. The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl Exhibit — The Nasher Museum of Art's exhibit explores the culture of the vinyl record. The exhibit combines audio art with visual art, outsider art with contemporary art and fine art with popular art. The exhibit runs through Feb. 6. The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10am-5pm and Thursday from noon-5pm. For more information call 684-5135 or click here. 2001 Campus Dr. 

If you attend one or more of these events, please drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you. 

]]>Wine Wednesdays with Arturo Ciompihttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/9/1/wine-wednesdays-with-arturo-ciompi.htmlMatt Dees2010-09-01T13:00:03Z2010-09-01T13:00:03ZThe Champagne house of Nicholas Feuillatte has a long-standing, enviable reputation in Durham as one of the finest wineries that has always kept affordability in mind through fat times and lean. Their 2004 Blanc De Blancs carries on this tradition. It's a superbly complex wine at 1/3 the price of some competitors similar efforts. Five years aging on its yeasty sediment preceded the final bottling.

 

2004 Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay Millesime $46 srp (It's the green bottle in the photo at left)

Exquisite, ultra-fine mousse on a lithe nose of green apple, lime, pineapple, ginger and toast. All the while, there's a wonderful underlying minerality that permeates it all. Expressive mouth texture with spice and chalk enhancing the pinpoint ripe fruit. A concentrated, creamy finish underscored by mouth-watering acidity. Should flesh out even further with bottle age. Delicious now-2014.
91/probable 93/100 points


]]>Doing Good: Junior League Diaper Drivehttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/31/doing-good-junior-league-diaper-drive.htmlMatt Dees2010-08-31T20:47:03Z2010-08-31T20:47:03ZThe Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties is urging anyone in our community who is able to donate a box or two of diapers today and tomorrow to help low-income mothers and their children.

Drop off unopened packages of diapers in any size to the Welcome Baby facility at 721 Foster St. by 5pm tomorrow, Sept. 2.

The drive is in conjunction with Huggies' Every Little Bottom program, which aims not only to make free diapers available to needy families but also to raise awareness of the many thousands of moms who have to cut back on other necessities like food and utilities to be able to afford diapers, which are not covered by government assistance programs.

The JLDOC has a long-standing relationship with Welcome Baby, the division of Durham County Cooperative Extension that offers education and support to more than 3,000 young families throughout Durham. The Junior League gave a seed grant of $50,000 to Welcome Baby when it started 20 years ago, and their relationship has remained strong since.

The JLDOC is planning at least two more diaper drives throughout the year, so be sure to check with us or on their site for updates.

]]>Fun Friday at Fifi's & Uniquitieshttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/27/fun-friday-at-fifis-uniquities.htmlMatt Dees2010-08-27T17:54:07Z2010-08-27T17:54:07ZIt's starting to feel a bit like fall might just be around the corner. While still just a bit warm for my taste, you can actually walk around our downtown digs more than a few blocks without breaking a sweat.

All that is to say, why not do a little outdoor shopping today and/or tomorrow right here in downtown Durham?

Fifi's Fine Resale Apparel and Uniquities are teaming up for a sidewalk sale in their adjacent stores at 1000 W. Main Street.

Fifi's owner Lauren Calderazzo told us she's taking up to 75% off on summer dresses, shorts, capris, handbags, sandals and more.

So stop by both these two cool downtown Durham stores, two of the businesses really turning that Main Street corridor in and around Brightleaf Square into the heart of the downtown retail district.

 

]]>The Weekend Best Bets: Hot Yoga, Music and Art-Inspired Cuisinehttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/26/the-weekend-best-bets-hot-yoga-music-and-art-inspired-cuisin.htmlIesha Brown2010-08-26T14:30:14Z2010-08-26T14:30:14ZThis weekend's best bets...

1. Bikram Yoga Durham — Durham's new hot yoga studio, Bikram Yoga Durham, opens Friday at Golden Belt. While practicing yoga, the temperature is set to about 100 degrees to help protect muscles and detoxify the body. If you can stand the heat, check it out tomorrow. For more information click here. 807 E. Main St. 

2. Held on the Homefront — On a BUS-eum — a renovated school bus that serves as a traveling museum for the TRACES Center for History and Culture in Minnesota — the exhibit depicts the German POWs in the United States during World War II. You can see the exhibit in the parking lot of the Durham County Library Saturday from 10am-4pm. For more information call 560-0100 or click here. 300 N. Roxboro St. 

3. Music for the Fences — Listen to great music and help raise money for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs Saturday at 4pm at Durham Central Park. The musical lineup includes The Mountain Goats, The Countdown Quartet and Birds and Arrows. Plus, there will be step teams, kid's activities, a live auction, spoken word performances, food and much more. Tickets are $15 ($12 in advance). For more information call 794-8194 or click here. 534 Foster St. 

4. Culinary Artists Dinner — Tonight from 5-8:15pm guest chefs will join the Nasher Museum of Art Café's culinary team to create an art-inspired menu. Make your reservations now. Call 684-6032 or click here. 2001 Campus Dr. 

5. Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos — Don't miss the Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos CD release party Saturday at Papa Mojos Roadhouse at 9:30pm. Their Papa Mojo's Roadhouse drops August 31. For more information call 361-2222 or click here. 5410-Y Highway 55

]]>Meet Eleanor-Scott Besthttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/24/meet-eleanor-scott-best.htmlMatt Dees2010-08-24T18:24:36Z2010-08-24T18:24:36ZI'm pleased to formally introduce you, dear reader, to our new senior editor, Eleanor-Scott Best. She joined us earlier this summer, replacing departing senior editor Lisa Rossi.

A native of Goldsboro, Eleanor-Scott has an English degree from Wake Forest and an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University in Charlotte. Eleanor-Scott joins us from Charlotte's skirt! Magazine, where she served as editor.

As Lisa did, Eleanor-Scott will be dividing her time between here and our sister magazine in Chapel Hill. She's eager to delve into both communities, so drop her a note at best@durhammag.com if you've got a story idea or just want to introduce yourself or your organization.

Eleanor-Scott took the time to answer a few get-to-know-you questions.

MD: What's most exciting about this new opportunity at Durham Magazine?

E-SB: What excites me most about my new job is getting the chance to learn this new city through writing about it. Working on the Foodie Issue made me want explore Durham one restaurant at a time.

MD: What are your initial impressions of Durham?

E-SB: I've always thought Durham was a pretty cool place. My fiance is a huge Durham Bulls fan so, most of my previous experiences in the city have been spent at baseball games. My initial impression of Durham is that it is a lot bigger and has a lot more to offer than originally thought. I look forward to exploring Durham beyond DBAP (even though I'm sure we'll be there quite often).

MD: What do you do in your spare time?

E-SB: I love to cook, spend time with my nieces and nephews, and tailgate during football season.

MD: Who are your favorite authors?

E-SB: Always on my nightstand: Mary Karr, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joyce Maynard, Sylvia Plath and Ernest Hemingway.

]]>Music Monday: Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojoshttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/23/music-monday-mel-melton-the-wicked-mojos.htmlIesha Brown2010-08-23T14:37:06Z2010-08-23T14:37:06ZMel MeltonCome celebrate the release of PARMA Recordings' Big Round Records' Papa Mojo's Roadhouse by Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos' this Saturday at 9:30pm at Mel's Papa Mojos Roadhouse — an eatery serving up some of the best Cajun Creole cooking in Durham. When Mel isn't cooking delicious Cajun cuisine, he's making great Cajun music. 

Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos' CD is set to drop on August 31. Their blend of Cajun music, zydeco, blues, jazz and funk is sure to make you clap your hands and stomp your feet. Not only does the CD include great music, but when you insert it into your computer, there's an interview with Mel (while he's cooking one of his favorite meals), a music video and some of Mel's famous recipes. 

Here's a taste of what you might hear Saturday:

 

]]>Food Friday: 604 West Morgan Italian Eateryhttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/20/food-friday-604-west-morgan-italian-eatery.htmlMatt Dees2010-08-20T19:34:05Z2010-08-20T19:34:05ZFresh seafood + squid ink pasta + lobster cognac cream sauce = yum.We told you earlier this week about the new Italian restaurant opening in the West Village space that until recently was home to Tosca.

My wife and I had the chance to check it out Wednesday night. I have to say, in all honesty, 604 West Morgan Italian Eatery exceeded our expectations.

General Manager Clarissa Kussin told me she's going to need a personal trainer to burn off the irresistible dishes Chef Rob Sumber is preparing. We didn't doubt her, but we did expect maybe a hiccup or two for a restaurant just getting started.

Well, there weren't any. The service was attentive, the ambience lovely (though there still are a few traces of Tosca in the decor) and the food ... well, it was perfect.

We started with Goat Cheese Polenta cake served over a very fresh and flavorful wild mushroom ragout with truffle oil. The polenta cake was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, with just a hint of pungency from the goat cheese. Very nice.

 

 

 

 

 

My wife went with the Wild Striped Bass (at right), a healthy portion, pan seared and served with roasted fennel, red bliss potatoes and chickpeas in a lobster broth. Fish was firm but flaked beautifully, and that lobster broth was as good as it sounds.

I chose the scallops, crabmeat, lobster, shrimp and mussels served over homemade squid ink pasta in a lobster cognac cream sauce. (See above.) It was the winner of the evening, as evidenced by my wife's fork finding its way more than a half a dozen times onto my dish. Seafood was very fresh - not to mention generously portioned – the pasta was perfectly al dente and that sauce. Wow. I want to put that stuff on my cereal.

We finished it off with their homemade tiramisu, which I must have been too full to remember to photograph. I've never been a huge fan of that Italian dessert staple, usually finding it a bit dry and kind of bland. Not this version. The coffee liqueur flavor shined through, balancing the sweet creaminess nicely.

All in all, that was a really strong showing for any restaurant, let alone one just getting off the ground. Go check it out for yourself, and let me know if you agree with my assessment.

 

]]>The Weekend's Top Fivehttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/18/the-weekends-top-five.htmlIesha Brown2010-08-18T18:34:56Z2010-08-18T18:34:56ZCheck out this weekend's top five events!

1. Pub Iron Chef Competition — Think you have cooking skills? Show your stuff Sunday at the West 94th St. Pub at 4pm. Submit dishes in one of three categories: meat (flank steak), vegetable (squash) or seafood (shrimp). The dish must contain 16 ingredients, serve at least six people and be prepared at home. For additional questions call 403-0025. 4711 Hope Valley Rd.

2. Winter Time Fun — Come out to Durham Central Park Friday at 8:30pm for a "mischievous program of music and cinematic whatnots". This week's topic is Winter Time Fun and Safety. Don't forget to bring a lounge chair or blanket. Admission is free. For more information call 794-8194. 534 Foster St.

3. Rising Stars Benefit — Don't miss some jazz, R&B and neo-soul by Kevin Jones and the Kevin Jones Experience, Tanya Ross and the Tanya Ross Project and Pete's Kids Saturday at 7:30pm at the Hayti Heritage Center. Help raise money for aspiring law students. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information call 683-1709. 804 Old Fayetteville St.

4. Kim Waters and Maysa — Jazz saxman Kim Waters and soul vocalist Maysa will hit the stage at The Carolina Theatre Sunday at 8pm. Tickets are $45-$52. For more information call 560-3030. 309 W. Morgan St.

5. Look Away Dixie Land — Artists McArthur Freeman, Titus Brooks Heagins and Dave Alsobrooks explore Southern racism through paintings, photography and mix-media at the LabourLove Gallery at Golden Belt. The opening reception is Friday from 6-9pm. For more information call 373-4451. 807 E. Main St., Ste. 2-130

]]>Wine Wednesdays with Arturo Ciompihttp://www.durhammag.com/blog/2010/8/18/wine-wednesdays-with-arturo-ciompi.htmlMatt Dees2010-08-18T13:24:09Z2010-08-18T13:24:09ZMasi is a benchmark wine estate in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Best known for their variations on a Valpolicella theme, Masi's recent 2006 releases are stunning in their balance, ripeness and typicity. I'll be writing about their classic Amarone in the fall. For now, here is their junior version – a wine that started the trend of refermenting the wine on the skins of partially dried grapes, called  "appassimento." (Sometimes referred to as ripasso). This is the 36th bottling of this special wine and among the best I've tried.

2006 Campofiorin, Masi $19 srp
Crushed, dried sweet cherry and cranberry impressions, all within a coating of unsweetened dark chocolate. With hints of leather and licorice, it's intense and brilliant. Medium-bodied, dry mouth feel – fullness without weight, sumptuous but not stodgy – unlike many  heavy-handed competitors using the second fermentation, "appassimento", process. Campofiorin stresses elegance first and foremost. Extremely food friendly and versatile. Drink now-2014.
91/100 points

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