Category: Atlanta, Georgia Local News

Photograph courtesy of Cattleack

The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex has always been a region obsessed with its image. Since the days of “Who shot J.R.?”, the cities’ leadership have collectively attempted to assert themselves onto national and global stages, whether through long-shot Olympics bids, hyping the phrase “world class” until it’s nearly lost all meaning, or a restaurant culture bloated by sanitized concepts that push trendy flavors-of-the-month imported from New York or L.A. The buzziest restaurants often cater to the affluent and exist mainly for being seen. You’ve heard of the phrase “Keep Austin weird.” For Dallas, it would be “Keep Dallas pretentious.”

Beneath the region’s soulless tangle, however, a homegrown dining scene shaped by its diverse local communities is quietly thriving. Much like a teenager finding their way in the world, Dallas does best when it stops trying to emulate others.

DFW does three things very well: street tacos crafted by Latin Americans, such as Revolver Taco Lounge’s chef Regino Rojas and his wagyu beef lengua and pulpo al carnitas; Texas barbecue steeped in years of tradition or innovated out of expert tutelage; and authentic East Asian cuisines. Examples of the latter include Ari Korean BBQ’s carefully selected cuts of meat for tableside cooking, Pho Pasteur’s rich and savory broth that warms locals on cold days, and Sushi Robata’s extensive Japanese menu, which includes everything from unique fish flown in from Japan and rich fried takoyaki to natto, the love-it-or-hate-it fermented-soybean dish.

Immigrants are the brightest lights in the DFW food scene and always have been. Spend a little time with any North Texan, and they’ll tell the tale of Mariano Martinez and his repurposed soft-serve ice cream machine that became the first (now Smithsonian-curated) frozen-margarita machine. With Martinez’s drink (or a cold Topo Chico) in your hand, a hot summer’s evening spent watching the sunset from an icehouse patio is peak Dallas. There’s no pretension here—just good food and good people.

Iconic dish: brisket

Long before Dallas became the dominant city in the region, Fort Worth was the state’s northernmost livestock hub for cattle, sheep, and pigs. At the same time, in Central Texas, German and Czech butchers were smoking the unsold meat from their markets, wrapping it in paper, and selling it to migrant livestock workers. From classic barbecue towns like Lockhart, Taylor, and Luling, Central Texas’s traditions—and its meat—migrated up the Chisholm Trail to North Texas and beyond. Once railroads arrived in Fort Worth, the area flourished with meatpacking plants, livestock exchange buildings, and, of course, barbecue.
Smoked brisket is the chief deity of Texas’s barbecue religion. Chopped or sliced, moist or lean, on a sandwich or on butcher paper, there’s nothing more iconic than a dry-rubbed slab of beef slowly smoked with post oak, pecan, mesquite, or hickory wood. No two pitmasters will smoke it the same way, and each will have their own superstitions, secrets, and rituals that must be honored in order to achieve the perfect outcome. While all barbecue is more art than science, a proper Texas brisket requires a bit of extra witchcraft—mastery over temperature, a constant understanding of the state of the fire, and intimate, inch-by-inch knowledge of the smoker’s interior.

The meat itself will stand out without sauce. Robust and smoky flavors permeate deep, stemming from the bark encrusting its edge. Each bite melts into a complex mix of beef, char, peppercorn, and fat. But, like a drop of water in a fine whiskey, a little bit of tangy, savory sauce completes the symphony, leaving you with a primal eating experience steeped in over 175 years of tradition and Texas history.

Photograph by Will Milne

Three barbecue restaurants to visit

Hutchins BBQ
While the name and location have changed over the past 46 years, Hutchins BBQ is the classic Texas cornerstone by which all others are measured. It’s part of the restaurant old guard—dark and smoky inside, with no airs put on for the presentation of the meat. The cafeteria-style line starts with a counter offering the usual—brisket, pulled pork, and sausage by the pound, plus whole chickens. A small sign teases the Texas Twinkie, a jalapeño pepper stuffed with chopped brisket and cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and drizzled with barbecue sauce, which should not be skipped. The sides—including fried okra, mac and cheese, and brisket beans—rival the meat in flavor and are sold by the boat. (Pro tip: You can mix and match different sides in the same boat at no additional cost.) It’s easy to eat yourself into a stupor at Hutchins, but save room for the free peach cobbler, soft-serve, and banana pudding available in the dining area. 1301 North Tennessee Street, McKinney, and 9225 Preston Road, Frisco

Cattleack BBQ
The best barbecue is often found in unassuming locales, and this gem, tucked into a suburban warehouse district, is no exception. You’ll have plenty of time to study the outdoor murals that revere Texas’s modern barbecue heroes during your wait in line, which can stretch up to 90 minutes at peak times. Despite being open only three days a week (and the first Saturday of each month) until sellout, former owners Todd and Misty David built a can’t-miss experience that simultaneously respects barbecue tradition while also adding a “yes, and…” to their offerings. They recently sold the restaurant to a former employee, Andrew Castelan, but Todd David still handles the cooking. The Akaushi wagyu beef is smoked with post oak, Duroc pork is cooked in a whole-hog cooker from North Carolina, sausages are made fresh in-house, and the daily specials—which have included pastrami beef ribs, wagyu bologna, and jerk pulled pork—sell out quickly. Get in line shortly after 10 a.m. for optimal selection. 13628 Gamma Road, Dallas

Goldee’s BBQ
Pitmasters Lane Milne, Jalen Heard, Jonny White, and Nupohn and PJ Inthanousay are part of the newest generation of Texas barbecue prodigies. They cut their teeth at some of the best-known Central Texas barbecue joints, including Franklin’s and Valentina’s. Before opening Goldee’s in 2020 out of an abandoned building in a sleepy rural corner of southeast Fort Worth—and well before being crowned “Best Barbecue” by Texas Monthly in 2021—the group partnered with Atlanta’s Jonathan and Justin Fox to bring several pop-ups of their offerings to the Fox Bros. Que-Osk in 2019. Goldee’s barely hung on through the pandemic, but luckily prevailed; it now commands multihour lines and advises an arrival time of between 8 and 10 a.m. for full menu availability. Bring a chair to wait, but they’ll take care of you with free water and, occasionally, free beer on hot days. If you’re really lucky, Laotian sausage and mango sticky rice will be on the specials board during your visit. 4645 Dick Price Road, Fort Worth

Where to stay

The Joule
Located in the heart of downtown Dallas, and well appointed with midcentury art, the Joule offers a luxurious base, easily walkable to the Sixth Floor Museum, Dallas World Aquarium, and Dallas Farmers Market, as well as bars, restaurants, and clubs in nearby Deep Ellum. The hotel’s offerings are no slouch, either—the ever-popular CBD Provisions brasserie and Midnight Rambler cocktail lounge have been mainstays in Dallas for the past decade.

Hotel ZaZa Dallas Uptown
For a younger crowd, Hotel ZaZa is the place to be. With easy access to bars and restaurants along McKinney Avenue (and the free M-Line historic streetcar along it), there’s no shortage of things to do. After a night out, recenter yourself at the nearby Klyde Warren Park, Nasher Sculpture Center, and Dallas Museum of Art.

The Beeman Hotel
If you’re more interested in shopping than the city’s core, this modern boutique hotel near Southern Methodist University has you covered. Enjoy easy access to NorthPark Center mall, Mockingbird Station, and high-end shopping options in the Park Cities.

This article appears in our March 2024 issue.

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Photograph courtesy of Sanguich

Miami is America’s modern-day melting pot, where immigrants from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe all exert a profound effect on the city’s culture. The restaurant scene might be the most tangible evidence. Family restaurants offer every type of Latin American and Afro-Caribbean fare, and there are fine-dining establishments that represent these eclectic cuisines. This mix of food is hard to find anywhere else in the U.S. and makes Miami a can’t-miss food destination.

When it comes to dining, you can’t go wrong with the local Cuban cafes and family-run restaurants that dot the metro area. Iconic seafood items, such as stone crabs, have made their name in Miami at places like Joe’s Stone Crab and CJ’s Crab Shack. El Cielo serves Colombian fine dining worthy of its Michelin star, and INTIMO brings superlative Peruvian cuisine to South Beach. It is, however, a modest sandwich that has become synonymous with Miami and its Cuban American population: the Cubano.

To navigate Miami’s diverse food scene, explore beyond Miami Beach. Neighborhoods like Little Havana and Little Haiti serve the best of what locals have to offer, and areas like Wynwood and Coral Gables have gem after hidden gem that you won’t find on top-10 lists.

Photograph by Ysa Pérez

Iconic dish: the Cubano

The origins of the Cubano are murky but important, with disputes over where it originated and who does it better. When you dive in, you start to appreciate the sandwich’s arrangement and how it became Miami’s signature.

Historians agree the sandwich made its first appearance in Cuba as more than a lunch in the 1800s, because it was made with sliced meats and cheese, high-priced delicacies at the time. In the late 1800s, thousands of Cubans moved to the U.S. in search of work, and many settled in Tampa and Key West, where cigar factories, most notably in Ybor City, employed the new arrivals. The Cubano became a common lunch for the factory workers, its ingredients now more attainable in the U.S. Shops and restaurants in the area adopted the sandwich, and by the 1940s, Tampa’s version of the Cubano had become commonplace. Their sandwich is made with crusty handmade bread, pickles, mustard, Swiss cheese, marinated pork, ham, and (the kicker) Genoa salami.

When Fidel Castro took power in Cuba in 1959, Miami received a wave of Cuban expatriates, who brought their food to its shores. Miami’s version of the Cubano does not include Genoa salami and uses a Cuban bread that is uniform and pressed to give it a signature crispness. That version became the Cubano widely available around the country today, but the rivalry between Tampa and Miami lives on, with Tampa declaring the Cubano its official sandwich in 2012 and stoking feuds between local politicians.

Cafes and delis serve the sandwich throughout the Miami metro area, but it’s concentrated mostly in Miami’s Cuban cultural center, Little Havana. And the food spots themselves are cultural and political centers: Miami’s most famous Cuban cafe among locals and tourists is Versailles, which has played host to presidential candidates and anti–Fidel Castro protests for decades. The cafe made headlines in June 2023, when former president Donald Trump offered diners free food before leaving without picking up the tab.

Photograph by Ysa Pérez

Three restaurants to visit

Sanguich
A spot in Little Havana has risen a head above the crowd of Cubanos in Miami. Sanguich will greet you with a line out the door, but for good reason. The pork, which the restaurant marinates for a week in garlic and spices, is the star of Sanguich’s Cubano, served alongside a hearty portion of ham. Fresh bread pressed to a crisp is the cherry on top, but the delicacy comes at a price, $14 for a sandwich. The Little Havana location is small but welcoming, with a few tabletops and colorful tiled floors. Sanguich also operates a takeout window in Little Haiti and has plans to open a new location in Coral Gables this year. To explore the menu to its fullest potential, try the crisp, thick croquetas as a perfect starter. An alternative sandwich, pan con bistec (slow-roasted beef, housemade mojo rojo, Swiss cheese, and shoestring fries), also impresses. Pair your lunch with a cafecito or Cuban soda for the full experience. 2057 SW 8th Street

Mary’s Cafe and Coin Laundry
Located between Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, Mary’s Cafe and Coin Laundry is as unique as local gems come. The family-run sandwich spot, founded in 1982, serves from a window and kitchen inside the family’s coinlaundry business. Mary’s has two tables outside, where you’re likely to see locals sitting for lunch or dinner with their families. Laundry machines are visible just past the kitchen where Cubanos, pan con bistec, and more sandwiches are made by hand. At only $7, the Cubano is huge, bookended by fresh, airy bread and featuring lots of pickles and mustard that pack flavor into each bite. The menu includes large smoothies and delightful homemade pastelitos, or Cuban pastries. One important note for your trip: The cafe is open 24 hours, so you can come and go as you please, on Miami time. 2542 SW 27th Avenue

Cafe La Trova
In the heart of Little Havana, Cafe La Trova is an iconic bar and restaurant that crafts the perfect mix of food, drink, and atmosphere for a night out. Rumba bands perform every night by a dance floor where you can let loose, and guests can make regular or premium reservations based on the table’s proximity to the stage. James Beard Award–winning chef Michelle Bernstein serves a menu of modern Cuban cuisine, featuring lechon, pork shoulder, skirt steak ropa vieja, and Cuban sandwich empanadas. The outstanding cocktail menu, by owner Julio Cabrera, is heavy on rum and executed by sharply dressed bartenders. Try the Hotel Nacional (pineapple rum, apricot liqueur, pineapple juice, and lime juice) and award-winning Buenavista (Bombay Sapphire gin, cucumber, mint, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, and sugar). On Fridays and Saturdays, La Trova opens their backroom, 80s 305 Bar, where a disco DJ keeps the party going until 2 a.m. 971 SW 8th Street

Photograph courtesy of Arlo Hotels

Where to stay

Esmé Miami Beach
You won’t find a better boutique hotel for the price than this one, with a prime location on South Beach. A Spanish- and Moorish-influenced aesthetic features a speakeasy cocktail bar, El Salón; retro rooftop pool; and Latin-themed rooms—all a five-minute walk to the beach.

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach
Grand lobbies, pools as long as the eye can see, and white-sand beaches are the epitome of the Miami experience. The Fontainebleau delivers on all of them, though the luxury comes with a heftier price tag.

Arlo Wynwood
The first hotel to open in Wynwood, a neighborhood known for its street art, brings its own flair with murals by artist Hoxxoh on the exterior walls and art pieces in the hotel rooms. The hotel offers guests complimentary bicycles for exploring the neighborhood, while a ninth-floor pool with a cocktail bar overlooks the Miami skyline.

This article appears in our March 2024 issue.

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Photograph by Peter Frank Edwards

As a rule, Charlestonians would rather catch waves than make them, so when the governor of South Carolina declared the state open for business in October 2020, with few restrictions, restaurateurs didn’t resist. They threw themselves into entertaining tourists in high Lowcountry fashion, making the Holy City a destination du jour as government officials elsewhere kept strict pandemic protocols in place.

Consequently, by 2022, the local hospitality industry had a nasty hangover. Exhausted workers were swapping their jobs for real estate licenses, and potential visitors kvetched that they’d just been to Charleston. In 2023, though, the restaurant scene rebounded, energized by longtime members of the culinary community pursuing passion projects, and new arrivals offering fresh perspectives.

The growth is grounded in the essential components of Lowcountry cuisine, which occupies a unique spot in place and time. Geographically, the Charleston area is situated at the southernmost edge of some growing regions and the northernmost tip of others, so farmers can try their luck with both sweet corn and tart citrus. The city was founded in 1670, so it’s amassed centuries of dining traditions, which appear on restaurant plates in the form of shad roe in spring and okra soup in the summertime.

For example, just to cherry-pick from the buzziest menus, the local shrimp bathed in ‘nduja butter at Costa exemplify the hometown enthusiasm for seafood (and impressive tolerance for excess). At Lowland Tavern, the garlic-sauced fried quail references the fondness for hunting that undergirds the area’s oldest recipes, while barbecue hash over rice at King BBQ celebrates the crop central to its identity. And it’s hard to surpass the salted sesame gin martini at Beautiful South for a contemporary take on the benne seeds that enslaved West Africans cultivated in hidden gardens. It’s all here, now.

Photograph by Peter Frank Edwards

Iconic dish: chewies

Charleston has sat atop where-to-eat lists for decades because so many of its dining experiences can’t be reproduced or replicated beyond where the pluff mud ends. But there’s good news for visitors who want to hang on to a taste of the city: One of Charleston’s most iconic dishes can be tucked into a carry-on bag, and even frozen at home.

A Charleston chewie has nothing to do with the chocolate-covered nougat bars that the Fox-Cross Candy Company rolled out in 1922. Rather, the bar cookie—invariably dusted with powdered sugar—is closer to what most pastry fans would classify as a blondie. Made from brown sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and vanilla, chewies have served as a special-occasion treat in Gullah Geechee communities for at least a century.

Chewies are traditionally ornamented with nuts, most commonly pecans. But as chewies have migrated from home kitchens to retail bakeries, chefs have begun leaving out the potential allergen, and adding just about everything else to the strikingly rich batter. Among the riffs now sold in the Charleston area are red velvet chewies, peanut butter chewies, coconut chewies, snickerdoodle chewies, and lemon chewies, all of which share a shape and texture with the original. (A sweet potato cheesecake with chewie crust, developed by caterer Carolima’s Lowcountry Cuisine, does not.)

For a plain nutted chewie sold by the piece, there’s no better source than Daddy’s Girls Bakery in North Charleston. Owners Nate and Chasity Brown use an old family recipe for their chewies, and a new digital camera to record first-timers’ reactions to them. “Chewie Cam” footage is one of their social media staples, every bit as sweet as the dessert honored by the videos. Daddy’s Girls Bakery, 2021 Reynolds Avenue, Suite 102-B, North Charleston

Photograph by Peter Frank Edwards

Three restaurants to visit

Vern’s
McCrady’s is long gone, but the legacy of the restaurant that launched chef Sean Brock’s career is on display at Vern’s. Opened in 2022 by longtime McCrady’s chef de cuisine Daniel “Dano” Heinze and wine specialist Bethany Heinze, the Cannonborough-Elliotborough nook reflects the married couple’s unwavering commitment to smart sourcing and warm hospitality. The ever-changing menu always leads off with a puffed disk of ferment-forward sourdough, chargrilled and glossed with allium butter; fresh dill clusters enticingly in the hand-worked bread’s crevices. It’s a delicious demonstration of why fewer ingredients and greater attention is the correct formula for a memorable dish. 41 Bogard Street A

Bintü Atelier
West African ingredients and French culinary philosophies come together at the stunning Bintü, created in 2023 by Bintou N’Daw, an expat New Yorker who was raised in Senegal and France. Housed in a pair of pocket-sized buildings on a residential street, this one-woman operation brims with kitchen enthusiasm, volleyed back by guests in the thralls of pepper soup scented with pumpkin, or slow-cooked cassava leaves punctuated with boiled peanuts and red shrimp. As that dish, called saka saka, makes clear, West African–influenced cooking—previously unrepresented on the Charleston peninsula—is a natural fit for a city rooted in it. 8D Line Street

Chasing Sage
Walter and Cindy Edward were so besotted with Lowcountry produce that they relocated from Seattle to grow and prepare it. Their reverence for the land’s bounty threads through every drink and dish served in this handsomely restored 1890 corner store, which the husband-and-wife team opened as Chasing Sage in 2021. The best way to experience chef Walter Edward’s vision is a “let us pick for you” supper, but there are no rigid ordering requirements in a dining room defined by Cindy Edward’s kindness. Nobody will fuss if you opt for a ridiculously vernal snap pea margarita and a Carolina Gold risotto flecked with flowers. 267 Rutledge Avenue

Photograph by Andrew Cebulka

Where to stay

The Dewberry
Home to two of downtown’s most respected cocktail bars, the stylish and welcoming Dewberry is the most inspired overhaul of a 1960s federal building you’re likely to find.

The Starlight Motor Inn
Sixty years before it was reimagined as North Charleston’s first boutique hotel, the Starlight Motor Inn bore the distinction of being the first modular-built motel in the South.

The Inn at Middleton Place
If your travel plans allow you to lodge on Charleston’s scenic Ashley River Road, this architectural masterpiece adjacent to Middleton Place National Historic Landmark offers one of the area’s most serene stays.

This article appears in our March 2024 issue.

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Photograph courtesy of the Rhu

Asheville—the little mountain town that could—has leveled up. Long a quirky haven for artsy farmers (and farming artists), the North Carolina city has in the last few decades developed a cultural scene all its own. Nearly everything in Asheville, from food to music, art to beer, is touched by the Appalachian roots that run deep ’round these parts, but a playful approach to old traditions abounds in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When it comes to dining, that means you can expect local produce zhuzhed up with far-flung spices, traditional dishes with unexpected flair, and the growing influence of Affrilachia, the dynamic cultural legacy of Appalachia’s centuries-old Black communities. Across the region, initiatives like the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project are strengthening the farm-to-table pipeline between local growers and restaurants, while a host of farm schools and culinary guilds cultivate future generations of Appalachian food stewards.

Across Asheville, restaurateurs are putting their personal touches on local traditions. Down in the River Arts District, the Bull and Beggar blends Appalachian staples with European cuisine, in dishes like cassoulet with local ham hock. At Posana, in the heart of downtown, homegrown classics are reimagined in a fully gluten-free menu, including the cheddar biscuits, topped with hot honey and sea salt butter. Even Cúrate—the James Beard Award–winning tapas restaurant that regularly tops critics’ lists of best Southern dining—is keen on Spanish recipes with local accents, as with their Catalonian calçots, made with wild spring ramps collected from the North Carolina woods. Whether served on a plate in the corner of a dining room or hanging on the wall of a local art gallery, Asheville’s timeless traditions are full of surprises.

Photograph by Martha Williams

Iconic dish: chow chow

The borders of Appalachian cuisine are as indeterminate as those of the region itself, which, depending on who you ask, may sprawl as far north as lower New York and as far south as central Alabama. A few staples achieve consensus—cornbread, chicken and dumplings, apple-based desserts—and most everyone seems to agree that if Western North Carolina can claim one Appalachian thing for itself, that’s chow chow.

The pickled relish, which is tangy and slightly sweet, is generally made from cabbage, peppers, and whatever else is left in the garden by late fall, making it the kind of utilitarian, waste-nothing dish in which Appalachian communities take pride. Its regional origins may stem from Chinese railroad workers who arrived in the area in the 19th century, but it’s hard to say; countless variations exist today.

In 2019, Asheville officially claimed its chow chow connections by naming its annual food festival after the dish. The Chow Chow Food & Culture Festival, held in September, celebrates regional cuisine and the city’s innovative restaurant scene. While Asheville is worth a visit any weekend, the festival brings together some of the city’s best dining and cultural experiences in a single event, with seated dinners, cooking workshops, and chef demonstrations, as well as live music and art markets.

Photograph courtesy of Benne on Eagle

Three restaurants to visit

Chestnut
A warm, inviting interior pairs just right with Chestnut’s superlative takes on fine Southern American dining. Culinary director Brian Crow’s rotating seasonal menu allows Chestnut to highlight partnerships with dozens of local suppliers, like Three Graces Dairy, which provides the heavenly rum raisin chevre for a winter citrus salad. (Vegans, rejoice: A goat-style vegan cheese is an equally heavenly substitute.) Seafood lovers should not miss the curried mussels, served in a creamy coconut broth tempered by peppery slices of pickled lotus root, and paired with housemade roti. A continually updated craft cocktail menu is always worth a double dip, as are the desserts, prepared in-house. 48 Biltmore Avenue

Benne on Eagle
For decades, Eagle Street was the heart of Asheville’s Black community. Benne puts that heritage front and center in a glorious brunch menu that celebrates the best of Affrilachian cuisine in an airy dining room. Award-winning chef John Fleer launched Benne under the mentorship of chef Hanan Shabazz, a culinary legend in Asheville who ran her own restaurant on Eagle Street in the 1970s. Shabazz’s recipes infuse Benne’s menu, crafted by executive chef Jarrel McRae, which features iconic dishes with innovative flair, like the chicken and waffles, made with pillowy-plump sweet potato waffles and topped with sage gravy and habanero honey. The Local Mushroom Toast is far less humble than its name suggests, featuring a tangy slice of rye piled high with fresh arugula and a silky ensemble of cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms, or whatever else gets delivered daily by a local forager. Located in the Foundry Hotel, the dining room currently serves brunch daily and dinner on Fridays and Saturdays. The hotel’s Workshop Lounge across the way also serves a delicious small-bites menu. 35 Eagle Street

Picnic Menu at the Rhu
We’re big fans of John Fleer’s other flagship restaurant, Rhubarb, but if you’re looking for a delectable culinary experience outside of a dining room, we recommend a picnic basket from Rhubarb’s kid-sister cafe, the Rhu. The cafe offers two picnic options: The Farmer’s Market features a Rhu salad with seasonal greens and legumes in a vinaigrette, along with a host of local cheeses, jam, and mustard, plus housemade pickled vegetables, desserts, and fresh bread. The Ploughman’s Basket, a bit more robust, includes much of the same but swaps the salad for a bevy of locally cured meats and smoked trout. An optional but worthy add-on is the housemade pimento cheese, which tastes the way you wish it always would: perfectly creamy and salty, the pimento peppers just this side of tart. The basket comes with a liter of spring water and compostable plates and utensils, all tucked up in a Rhu tote bag. It’s the kind of Asheville dining experience that pairs perfectly with a drive down the breathtaking Blue Ridge Parkway. Serves two or four; place order 24 hours in advance at 828-785-1799 or info@the-rhu.com. 10 South Lexington Avenue

Where to Stay

Beaufort House Inn
Asheville’s chockablock with gorgeous bed-and-breakfasts, but the Beaufort House Inn has just the right mix of comfort and convenience. Located in the Chestnut Hill Historic District, the Queen Anne Victorian is only half a mile’s stroll from downtown, and the rooms are quaint without being fussy. It’s also full of local lore: Actor Charlton Heston lived here while he worked at the Asheville Community Theatre, which is still operational today.

The Foundry
Proximity to brunch at Benne is not the only selling point of this boutique hotel, opened in 2018. Brick facades appoint the exterior and interior of this cool, contemporary building, repurposed from a 19th-century steel factory and located in Asheville’s historic Block neighborhood, long the epicenter of Black life in the city. Original elements of the factory, like the old-school elevator pulley system, dot the hotel grounds, but well-appointed accents of brick and glass feel absolutely urbane.

Bent Creek Lodge Bed & Breakfast
If you want to be closer to the mountains than the city, this cozy B&B has the ideal vibe. Tucked away in the trees about 20 minutes’ drive from Asheville, Bent Creek Lodge is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway and close to all the outdoor activities Western North Carolina is known for, from hiking to white-water kayaking. The full breakfast menu changes daily, and, if the weather’s obliging, is best enjoyed outside on the covered patio.

This article appears in our March 2024 issue.

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Photograph by Cory Fontenot

The best form of sensory overload is found in New Orleans, where your eyes try to take in the dizzying rainbow array of shotgun homes and you can’t walk more than one block without hearing jazz playing on the street. The vibrant city may overwhelm with humidity most days of the year, but it’s hard to resist its charms—especially if you’re a food enthusiast.

New Orleans’s varied dining scene reflects its diverse and complicated past. It’s the city that birthed classic cocktails like the Sazerac and the Ramos gin fizz, and a slew of restaurants belong to immigrants and transplants. For example, at LUFU (Let Us Feed U), the brainchild of friends Aman Kota and Sarthak Samantray, guests find colorful murals and regional Indian dishes like chole bhature, a spiced chickpea curry from Northern India, and spring rolls stuffed with keema (minced chicken with mint chutney).

Photograph by James Collier

In November 2022, chef Serigne Mbaye opened the luxe Dakar, a Senegalese restaurant heavy on Louisianan ingredients, offering a tasting menu only. A sizable Vietnamese community calls New Orleans home, producing numerous eateries such as Dong Phuong Bakery & Restaurant, opened more than 30 years ago.

An alternative, Ayu Bakehouse, opened in June 2022, bringing pastries from co-owners Kelly Jacques and Samantha Weiss that are influenced by Indonesia and New Orleans itself. Treats like the kaya (coconut jam) bun and the muffuletta breadstick with olives, cheese, and pepperoni satisfy the carb-seekers of New Orleans.

Photograph by Sam Hanna

Iconic cuisine: Creole

Creole dishes are synonymous with New Orleans. The meaning of the word Creole varies across cultures, but in Louisiana it typically refers to descents of slaves from Africa brought to America and the Caribbean, as well as French and Spanish colonists. Creole cuisine pairs French techniques with Louisianan flavor, using ingredients like seafood and tomatoes prepared, in decadent sauces with plenty of seasoning. Highlights include gumbo, court bouillon, and étouffée.

Sometimes, Creole is confused with another regional cuisine: Cajun. Although the two do overlap, Cajun dishes tend to skew spicier and feature more pork.

Photograph by Corey Fontenot

Three restaurants to visit

Commander’s Palace
The most obvious starting point is this New Orleans stalwart of Creole cuisine. Located in a turquoise Victorian home within the Garden District, Commander’s Palace first opened in the late 1800s and serves Creole favorites in a dining room adorned with crystal chandeliers. Standouts here include the turtle soup (finished table-side with a splash of sherry) and the redfish “haute creole”—fish poached in sea salt lemon butter, chicory salad, confit fingerling potatoes, and brûléed shallots. The Creole bread pudding soufflé is practically mandatory, known for its rich yet fluffy body and a boozy punch from the whiskey cream poured at the table. 1403 Washington Avenue

Brennan’s
Another New Orleans classic, Brennan’s beckons with its iconic pink stucco facade. It originally opened in 1946 before moving to the French Quarter in 1956. A lime-green interior with floral murals sets the backdrop for Brennan’s famous dishes. There’s seafood gumbo with popcorn rice, and oysters j’aime served chargrilled with a Creole tomato gravy and cornbread crumble. At breakfast, guests flock to the restaurant for eggs Sardou, a play on eggs Benedict with crisped artichokes, creamed spinach, and choron sauce (béarnaise with a tomato twist). No matter what time of day it is, bananas Foster is always on deck at Brennan’s—in fact, the restaurant gave birth to the showy dessert. 417 Royal Street

Miss River
For Creole dishes in a more modern setting, consider Miss River in the Four Seasons New Orleans. The dining room feels elegant thanks to its art deco elements, yet approachable. Nationally acclaimed chef Alon Shaya crafted the menu, and while it’s not all Creole, there are several notable dishes for those craving the cuisine—for instance, duck and andouille gumbo, served with potato salad, and redfish court bouillon, a hearty seafood stew studded with oysters, crawfish, and shrimp. After dinner, swing by the hotel’s Chandelier Bar for an order of beignets: You can’t really leave New Orleans without sinking your teeth into a freshly fried piece of choux doused in powdered sugar. The beignets at the Chandelier Bar are fried in butter, adding a layer of richness, and come with jam and chocolate sauce for dipping. 2 Canal Street

Photograph courtesy of Four Seasons HotelNew Orleans

Where to stay

Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans
If you’re traveling with kids, the Four Seasons downtown provides spacious accommodations within the city’s former World Trade Center tower. The updated rooms are stylishly appointed, and there’s a pool for warmer months (which is most of them). The hotel’s also next door to the Audubon Aquarium and Insectarium.

Hotel Peter & Paul
For those who prefer a unique place to stay, a former church—including a rectory, schoolhouse, and convent—houses Hotel Peter & Paul in the Marigny neighborhood. The rooms boast soaring ceilings and palettes inspired by their settings.

Henry Howard Hotel
In the Lower Garden District, the 18-room Henry Howard resides in a former townhome that still has much of its original charm. Its position in the LGD lends easy access to Magazine Street, lined with shops and cafes.

This article appears in our March 2024 issue.

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Courtesy of the Cocktail Shaker

Chef Luis Damian, one of the owners of Oaxaca in Chamblee and El Valle in Midtown, has multiple new restaurants in the works. First to open—likely the second week in April—will be Casa Balam, replacing Ted’s Montana Grill in Decatur. Focused on dishes from the northern side of Mexico near Monterrey, Casa Balam will serve shared plates and sous vide cocktails in a casual environment designed for families. Targeting a late April launch, Dixeebe will take over the former Tapa Tapa space in Midtown Promenade. It will offer Peruvian-Mexican fusion and mezcal-based cocktails. A second location of El Valle is also in the works—this one in Brookhaven. Look for it to open in the fall.

Courtesy of the Cocktail Shaker

Casa Balam

Though both Oaxaca and Casa Balam feature “from-scratch” kitchens, Casa Balam strives to offer more approachable fare. “Decatur is a family-oriented neighborhood. We want to be part of that community,” says Damian, who is opening the restaurant with partners Jay, Harry, and Neil Patel. “Oaxaca is super traditional (spicy). Casa Balam’s salsas will be different—we will tone it down a little here.”

Serving dinner and weekend brunch, Casa Balam will feature guacamole, queso fundido, empanadas (carnitas, beef birria, and duck confit), as well as ceviches, salads, and tostadas. Sold in pairs, taco varieties include cochinita pibil (marinated pork roasted in a banana leaf), steak al pastor, carne asada, and mushroom. Chargrilled meat and seafood entrees come with house-ground corn tortillas. “As Mexicans, we’re carnivores, so we like meat,” Damian says. A children’s menu will offer smaller portions of chicken, steak, and fish with rice and beans. For brunch, expect masa pancakes, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and more.

Courtesy of the Cocktail Shaker

Beverage director Jennifer Smith created the cocktail list, featuring drinks with sous vide alcohol, such as tangerine mezcal. Of course, margaritas, mimosas, and Bloody Marys will also be available. The wine menu steers Mexican with some Latin American, Spanish, and U.S.-based pours. Beer connoisseurs should be happy with the draft options—both local and Mexican.

The 120-seat interior was completely renovated in a contemporary fashion. Damian says the new hand-painted wall textures are reminiscent of an old Monterrey hacienda. “Ted’s was super dark and had lots of walls,” he says. “You won’t recognize the building.” A 30-seat patio offers al fresco dining, and reservations are encouraged.

Courtesy of the Cocktail Shaker

Dixeebe

Over in Midtown, Dixeebe will be a mezcaleria with a speakeasy vibe. The name is a salute to the past, present, and future in the native Oaxacan language Zapotec. Damian hired Dan Hokama as chef de cuisine. Hokama recently moved to Atlanta from Peru, after studying in Japan. “I’ve always been a huge fan of Peruvian food, and Peru is heavily influenced by the Japanese,” Damian explains.

As such, Dixeebe will serve seafood like aguachiles and hamachi and sea urchin tostadas, along with sushi rolls and Mexican bar food (think taquitos). Mixologist Diego Camarena will prepare classics like mezcal sours and pisco sours. Sake will be served, too.

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Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit return to the 2024 programming schedule.

Real Times Media’s, Who’s Who In Black, the premier platform celebrating excellence within the African American community over 35 years, is thrilled to announce its 2024 return with an expanded program.

Who’s Who In Black relaunched in 2023 after a three-year hiatus brought about by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The events held in Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus were sold-out, showcasing the immense talent, leadership, and innovation that exemplifies the spirit of excellence and collaboration defining the brand’s mission.

“Overcoming the challenges of the past four years has reinforced the critical importance of our return. We understand and fully embrace our role in recognizing excellence, ensuring stories of resilience are told, and innovation and achievement continue to be highlighted, inspiring generations to come,” said Hiram E. Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Real Times Media.

For 2024, the highly anticipated program returns with enhancements to increase the impact and professional development opportunities for its growing network of Black professionals. Enhancements will include broadened networking opportunities, the return of the brand’s e-newsletter featuring need-to-know news and lifestyle content, and bigger annual Black excellence celebrations.  

Additionally, 2024 will see the brand’s return to Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit.

“We recognize the vital role our brand plays in chronicling the next chapters of black history and want our impact to be as expansive as possible. Our presence in more cities allows us to capture diverse narratives, celebrate local heroes, and inspire future generations. Together, we’re shaping a legacy that will resonate for years to come.”

“We are grateful for the support of our sponsors and supporters as their participation is instrumental in our mission to amplify the voices of our community, we thank you,” said Hiram Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, of Real Times Media. “Together, we’re making a tangible impact, celebrating African American achievement!”

Visit whoswhoinblack.com for more information.

 

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RYSE Creative Village recently hosted a fireside chat with the 59th Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed. Held at the UTA Artist Space in Midtown, the “Journey To RYSE” event discussed the city’s entertainment infrastructure and the RYSE development project, which incorporates an affordable housing partnership with micro homes.

Over 100 guests attended including sponsors Kenneth Rance, who is the VP & COO of Carver Bank, and Jolon Martin of Rémy Martin; along with Kwanza Hall, Booker T. Washington, Drumma Boy, Bem Joiner, Rico Brooks, Mickey Factz, Shannon Joyner and more.  

RYSE Creative Village (RCV) is a Black-owned multi-million-dollar mixed-use development that will bring catalytic
development to an underserved community of Southwest Atlanta.

The expansive project is funded by Black-owned Carver State Bank for the first phase of construction that began in
January 2024. Since the founder, Jay Jackson, acquired the property, he turned a vacant facility into a production space that hosted over 400 film and photography productions, which included emerging artists and notable entertainers such
as Lil Dirk, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, and Playboi Cardi.

Located in an Opportunity Zone less than a mile away from Tyler Perry Studios, RCV plans to be an innovative content production studio and talent incubator that will give creatives access to an array of technological tools and resources while providing jobs for the local community.

The former shuttered Atlanta Public School property known as Preston Arkwright Elementary sat vacant and
abandoned for 20 years since closing its doors in 2004. The property, a 31,000 square foot facility that sits over 5 acres of land, became a breeding ground for dumping, criminal activities and homelessness, until its recent revitalization.

In addition to multiple production studios, RYSE will house a virtual studio, a gaming center, podcasting rooms, a
recording studio, a screening theater, editing suites, co-working space and more that will contribute to the current
multibillion Georgia film and entertainment industry. The second phase of construction will incorporate a housing component, including a potential micro homes affordable development led by real estate developer Booker T. Washington, which will be the first of its kind inside.

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By Willie Brown, Executive Publisher | Inglewood Today

As we reflect on the great female athletes during Women’s History Month, we are reminded, sadly, of the gross pay inequities between men and women.  While top-tier NBA players like Lebron James will reportedly earn $128M for the 2023-2024 season, highest paid WNBA player, Jackie Young will earn $252,450.

Fortunately, women aren’t competing just for the money. They are in it for the love of the game, and the opportunity to blaze trails for women behind them.

The victories won by Serena Williams go far beyond the tennis court.  She is an inspiration and an icon.  From her humble beginnings in Compton until her 23^rd Grand Slam singles title, the tennis legend and her sister Venus are considered pioneers of a new era in tennis—one shaped by wealth, fame, celebrity and record-breaking wins.

Danica Patrick paved the way in a sport that is hard-pressed for female representation.  Danica accomplished multiple firsts for open-wheel car racing and was the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race at the 2008 Indy Japan 300.  She is credited with inspiring more women to enter auto racing and motorsports.

Professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist, Ronda Rousey is not one to mess with.  The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist is the only woman to win both a UFC and WWE championship and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2018.

WNBA player Candace Parker cut her teeth as a dominant player with the Los Angeles Sparks for 13 seasons.  One of the league’s most celebrated players, Parker earned the title of Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP in 2008.  She led the Sparks to a championship in 2016.  At 37, she’s now a player for the Las Vegas Aces.

The resilience of women in sports—or any field for that matter—is truly remarkable. Are you a pioneering woman within your career?  We’d love to hear about it. Send your bio to veronica@inglewoodtoday.com and you may be featured during Women’s History Month over the next 2 weeks. Also, comment below.

 

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“Freaknik The Wildest Party Never Told” recently premiered on Hulu. The documentary takes its audience back to the iconic ATL street party that attracted 100’s of people from all over during the 1980s and 90s. 

 

One of the forces behind it, Jermaine Dupri, recently sat down with Brown Girl Grinding’s Loren LoRosa to discuss what bringing this story to screens meant for him, both as a young man navigating the ATL social scene during Freaknik & as the owner of So So Def, THE staple music label of ATL at the time. 

 

Dupri gets into how legendary artist like Miamis Uncle Luke may not have been the Luke we knew at the height of his career without Freaknik and the marketing vehicle the street party was. JD also does not shy away from how that all came down fast aka the dark side of Freaknik, over policing, massive crowd control issues and the mistreatment of women. 

 

Loren LoRosa and JD also got into the female rap conversation, yes he’s back there again, but this time JD explains more about how methods he took creating the first female rapper to sale 1 million records, Da Brat, can and should be applied to female artist today so that sex isn’t always the weapon. 

 

View Video Below: 

 

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A Black woman has the internet buzzing over the way she strutted into her 90th birthday party in a resurfaced video.

The video, originally posted by Chicago-area event designer @20pearlsparty in December 2022, shows a woman identified as Lorraine strutting into her birthday party with a cane as partygoers cheer her on. Lorraine appeared to match her party’s white and gold theme, wearing a white shirt, gold bell bottom pants, hoops, and heels while rocking a platinum gray pixie cut.

“When you are 90,….yes I said Nine followed by Zero, THIS is how you walk so your guest can celebrate you!! So much fun putting this event together for my client!” @20pearlsparty wrote on Instagram.

The party, which appeared to be held at a local Marriott Hotel, featured a cake with gold-dusted roses and the number “90” on top along with a table of sweets for partygoers to enjoy.

Video of the 90-year-old’s confident walk into her party garnered over 22 million views on Instagram and was reshared on X this week.

Social media users praised Lorraine’s beauty and confidence at 90 years old.

“Oh she is so beautiful! May God continue to bless her! I’m just smiling away… this is what you call a Queen!!!” one user wrote.

“Ninety where,” another Instagram user quipped.

The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.

One of the largest FREE jazz festivals in the country, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is an annual celebration of culture, community, and our love of jazz. The festival returns to Piedmont Park, in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, from Saturday, May 25 through Monday, May 27 from 11 am to 11 pm each day.  Attendees will enjoy music by National, International, and Atlanta artists.

To view a special video message from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, click HERE.  

“We have a fabulous lineup of musicians performing at the 47^th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival on Memorial Day Weekend,” states Camille Russell Love, Executive Director of the City of Atlanta – Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “We invite you to experience an eclectic mix of jazz by National artists on Saturday, explore the global sounds of some of the world’s best International artists on Sunday, and discover the latest music from notable Atlanta musicians on Monday. To learn more about the artists performing at this year’s festival, and our late-night and pre-festival concerts, visit our website: atljazzfest.com.”

Here’s the schedule in Piedmont Park:

 

Saturday, May 25

1 pm      New Jazz Underground

3 pm      Sullivan Fortner

5 pm      Butcher Brown

7 pm      Cécile McLorin Salvant

9 pm      Something Else!

 

Sunday, May 26

1 pm      OKAN

3 pm      Luca Ciarla Trio 

5 pm      Jacques Schwarz-Bart    

7 pm      OLATUJA

9 pm      Paquito D’Rivera              

 

Monday, May 27

1 pm      Justice Michael & The Passage  

3 pm      KELS      

5 pm      Groove Centric                 

7 pm      André 3000: New Blue Sun LIVE

9 pm      Lizz Wright

The Atlanta Jazz Festival Presents WCLK AT 50 on May 24

To celebrate WCLK 91.9’s 50^th Anniversary the Atlanta Jazz Festival is presenting WCLK At 50: Featuring Lil John Roberts with an Atlanta All-Star Band, along with some very special guests, at Atlanta Symphony Hall at 8 pm on Friday, May 24^th. To purchase tickets, click HERE.

Enjoy a Late-Night Jazz Concert on May 25

Vocalist and composer Lauren Henderson will be the featured performer at this year’s late-night event at Park Tavern at 10 pm on Saturday, May 25^th. To reserve your tickets, click HERE.

Piedmont Park Information

 

• The event is FREE and open to the public.
• This area will offer games and interactive play for all ages.
• SHOPPING & FOOD VENDORS. A wide variety of food vendors will tempt your taste buds with BBQ, gyros, burgers, Caribbean foods and more! Browse the vendor booths for unique items including art, clothing, and jewelry.
• PARK RULES. There will be NO GRILLING, NO PETS, NO STAKING OF TENTS and NO GLASS BOTTLES OR CONTAINERS allowed in Piedmont Park during the festival.
• VIP EXPERIENCE. If you want to take your festival experience to the next level, book a reserved tent at The Jazz Spot. You’ll find pricing and details on the festival website.
• LOCAL TRANSPORTATION. You can bike to the festival and use the free bike valet located on 10^th Street near Park Tavern. If you drive, please note there is no parking allowed on neighborhood streets surrounding the festival. You can park only in paid parking lots. One of the best ways to come to the festival is to take public transportation.

 

Sponsorships. For information about sponsorships contact Kelli Ross at keross@atlantaga.gov.

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