Minutes after hearing the surprise announcement on June 28 that a food hall would be the next occupant of the vacant Company Shops Market in downtown Burlington, I had a couple of questions. The first was answered by a story I found in Forbes magazine about the emergence of food halls across the nation. The … Continue reading Burlington Food Hall the next piece in downtown puzzle
Things to eat
Now we know what’s coming to the old Company Shops Market
a little more than a year ago I wrote about the sad demise of Company Shops Market, a grocery co-op that opened with great promise in May of 2011. The market was seen as an anchor for Burlington's then-struggling downtown and a symbol of hope for a bright future filled with locally produced food and … Continue reading Now we know what’s coming to the old Company Shops Market
Bringing home a piece of Charleston
We visited Charleston, South Carolina for the first time five or six years ago. That's when we met W. Hampton Brand, an artist who offers pieces of that historic and beautiful waterfront city that folks can take home if they want to, you know, pay a few dollars. So we did. Last week Roselee and … Continue reading Bringing home a piece of Charleston
Updated: What’s on tap at Burlington Beer Works
UPDATE ON APRIL 4, 2019: Burlington Beer Works will begin offering sampling flights today. Four 5.5-ounce pours for $7. Yay! Time to get some samples! About a week and a half ago, on March 16, Burlington's much-anticipated downtown brewpub took part in a street festival held to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, or rather St. Patrick's … Continue reading Updated: What’s on tap at Burlington Beer Works
Let it flow at Burlington Beer Works
It was just after 2 p.m. on Friday (March 15, 2019) and Tracy Schmidt is in the middle of a conversation with Sharon Dent. They are on the second floor in the new Burlington Beer Works microbrewery and restaurant overlooking Front and Main Streets in downtown Burlington. Schmidt, the general manager, and Dent, president of … Continue reading Let it flow at Burlington Beer Works
Updated: My year in photos. 2018 had a lot of great moments
I'm not the best photographer but like most in the digital age I take a lot of pictures. My spouse would argue that I take far too many. A fair point, but I also know it's how we keep our memories alive. So with that in mind, I put together a few photos I liked … Continue reading Updated: My year in photos. 2018 had a lot of great moments
Tasty adventures in North Carolina’s downtowns
A few weeks ago -- way back in October -- we celebrated my 58th birthday. Oddly enough, I turned 59 on Aug. 12, 2018. Not quite the norm. So how did we come to be enjoying what was basically my birthday present from 14 months ago on a fall afternoon more than a year … Continue reading Tasty adventures in North Carolina’s downtowns
Pizza to go and restaurant gone in Graham
Probably the most disappointing local news item I read over the July 4 holiday weekend was this one in the Burlington Times-News. The headline, "Plans for Eddy Pub owners' Graham Italian restaurant nixed" tells only part of the story. The decision not only knocks the new Eddy Pub restaurant out of downtown Graham but might … Continue reading Pizza to go and restaurant gone in Graham
A weekend of surprises and a delight in Beaufort
We returned Sunday from an all-too-short long weekend in Beaufort -- the one in North Carolina. It was our first visit there in two years. So there were bound to be some changes. On this trip four things surprised us. First and foremost the long-awaited four-lane, high-rise bridge connecting the Carteret County mainland to Beaufort … Continue reading A weekend of surprises and a delight in Beaufort
Unlucky seven: The demise of Company Shops Co-op
I saw the headline on Twitter this afternoon and had two immediate thoughts. First. "It's a damn shame." And second, "I knew it." The headline? "Company Shops Market shutting down Sunday." It's a damn shame. Here's how the story on the Burlington Times-News website reads so far. It's a breaking news item and I expect … Continue reading Unlucky seven: The demise of Company Shops Co-op
Madison's Avenue 