Hoppy Brew Year 2017

By Jen  | December 29, 2016

Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

Love beer? Love supporting our local Triangle breweries? Still looking for something to do on New Year's Eve? Several Triangle breweries are hosting New Year's Eve parties so we thought we would comprise a list of where to grab a pint and ring in the new year.

Bond Brothers Beer Company 
New Years Eve Party
202 E Cedar St, Cary

Event from 12 p.m. - 2 a.m., Bond Brothers will be featuring the Buddhalicious Food Truck, a tapping of the Passion Fruit IPA and a free cask release toast at midnight!

Click here for more information

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Compass Rose Brewery
3WB on NYE at CRB
3201 Northside Drive, Suite 101, Raleigh

Event from 9 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., Compass Rose will be featuring live music with 3WB starting at 9 p.m., "It's All Good" food truck, a midnight toast and more!

Click here for more information
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Draft Line Brewing
New Years Eve Party 2016
341 Broad St, Ste 151, Fuquay-Varina

Event from 7 p.m. - 2 a.m., Draft Line Brewing will be featuring live entertainment by Rockzilla from 9 p.m. - 1 a.m., the 13th Taco food truck, and a champagne toast at midnight.

Click here for more information

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Fainting Goat Brewing Company
New Year's Eve Party
330 S Main St, Fuquay-Varina

Event from 6 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., Fainting Goat Brewing will be featuring their Fluffernutter Porter, live music by Roger Mauldin from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. and Evening Tide Productions DJs from 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Click here for more information
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Fullsteam Brewery
Stay Classy, Durham: New Year's Eve at Fullsteam
726 Rigsbee Ave- Durham

Event from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m., Fullsteam Brewery will be featuring beer (of course!), music by Tea Cup Gin beginning at 9 p.m. and sparkling wine at midnight to ring in the new year.

Click here for more information

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Gizmo Brew Works 
New Years Celebration!
5907 Triangle Dr, Raleigh

Event from 7 p.m. - 2 a.m., Gizmo Brew Works will be featuring a special cask release to ring in the new year!

Click here for more information

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Koi Pond Brewing Company
Ring in the New Year at the Pond!
1107 Falls Rd., Rocky Mount

Event from 12 p.m. - 2 a.m., Koi Pond Brewing will be featuring a laid back evening of dancing from 8 p.m. - 1 a.m. with a champagne toast at midnight.

Click here for more information
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Lynnwood Grill
New Year's Eve at The LG
4821 Grove Barton Rd, Raleigh

Event from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m., Lynnwood Grill will be featuring beer and shot specials, DJ Michael, dancing and champagne toast at midnight.

Click here for more information

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Neuse River Brewing Company
New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball
518 Pershing Rd, Raleigh

Event from 8 p.m. - 1 a.m., Neuse River Brewing Company will be featuring a DJ, special NYE beer infusion, and complimentary sparkling toast at midnight.

Click here for more information

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Oak City Brewing
New Years Eve Bash
616 N 1st Ave, Knightdale, NC

Event from 12 p.m. - 1 a.m., Oak City Brewing will be featuring the Tot Spot food truck from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. and free champagne toast at midnight.

Click here for more information

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Oak & Dagger Public House
O&D New Years Eve Celebration
18 Seaboard Ave, #150, Raleigh, NC

Event from 8 p.m. - 1 a.m., Oak & Dagger Public House will be featuring a NYE party food specials, champagne cocktails and a Cask Dropping Ceremony at midnight!

Click here for more information

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Ponysaurus Brewing
Year in Review Costume Extravaganza!
219 Hood St, Durham, NC

Event from 9 p.m. - 12 a.m., Ponysaurus Brewing will be featuring a costume contest, DJ dance party, ZimZoom photobooth, Pie Pushers pizza and a champagne (of beers) toast at midnight!

Click here for more information
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White Street Brewing Company
Brew Year's Eve Party
218 S White St, Wake Forest, NC

Event from 8 p.m, - 12:30 a.m., White Street Brewing will be featuring a cask of Full Scale with chocolate and toasted coconut, Flattz Signature Flatbreads from 6 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., and a champagne toast at midnight.

Click here for more information

In The Kitchen: Our Hungarian Christmas - Keeping the Memories Alive

By Jen | December 28, 2016

Twitter: TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: trianglearoundtown

Growing up we were never that traditional “English” or “Hungarian” family, rather we had our traditions that would embrace both sides of our ethnicity.  When it came to food, on the English side we would enjoy the traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding on a somewhat regular basis. And on the Hungarian side it was chicken paprika. But what I looked the most forward to each and every Christmas was grandma’s Hungarian cookies.  Every year she would bring over a plate of Hungarian nut strudels, apricot foldovers, butter cookie cutouts and Russian teacakes. This was my favorite Christmas memory. As time went on, my uncle and mother would carry on the tradition, but what I never truly understood until recently, is just how much time and effort they would put into this and why, perhaps, now is the time for the torch to be passed to other family members.

Now, being married to my own Hungarian, seemed like the perfect time to throw on our aprons, dig out the old family (very vague) recipes, and get to work! The last time we attempted one of these recipes it was the nut strudel. With little patience, if memory serves, they were somewhat of a disaster, at least in appearance.  They did taste OK. My other “a-ha” moment was realizing just how much flour, sugar and butter these cookies required.  Eeks!!!  But, then again, isn’t that what New Year’s resolutions are for – to get back to the gym?

This year we decided to start small. And by small I mean, choosing a recipe that seemed reasonable for us to attempt – together – and still end up married by the time all the cookies made it out of the oven. We decided on what we call, Apricot Foldovers, but more traditionally called Apricot Kolaches.

The following is our first attempt at making these cookies.  Truth – we got tired and did not finish the first batch. Scroll down and you will see our second attempt, which, did not come out much better! But, we are learning and will continue until we have this recipe mastered!

TAKE 2: Our second attempt as we were very hopeful for success!

Well, we tried!  And we will try again until we get it right!  Anyone up for raspberry foldovers for Valentine's Day?

Raleigh realtor mixes wine with real estate

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH ... 

Dathan Kazsuk | December 28, 2016
Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

Note: Five Questions With ... is a new series that we'll be featuring in 2017. The premise of this series is to spend some time with local small businesses or people in the community or state that we feel are doing something great or unique. We got rolling with Chris Morton of The Morton Group, while in Yadkin Valley filming an episode of his "Wine  & Real Estate TV." Look for Triangle Around Town to feature a new business every month of 2017, starting the last week of December, 2016. Then look forward to a new business every final week of the month.

Would you like to learn tips and tricks about real estate while learning about wine at the same time? From the importance of getting a pre-approved mortgage to learning the history behind rosé wines – you'll find a lot of it while watching episodes of Wine & Real Estate TV on YouTube.

The brainchild of this series is Chris Morton of The Morton Group, a local Raleigh realtor, who's been in the business for 9 years. Morton takes his video equipment from place to place, like a wandering nomad finding out the questions you want to know about wine and real estate. In some of his previous episodes, Morton has interviewed local businesses such as Wine 101, Chatham Hill Winery, BottleMixx and Taylor's Wine Shop. And that's just a few of the "wine" episodes. In the "real estate" world, he's done episodes with Spencer Properties, Wilson Realty Group, Garman Homes and Keller Williams Realty.

We caught up with Morton in Yadkin Valley to discuss his videos. Below are some excerpts from our interview.

Behind the scenes filming at Ragapple Lassie Winery in Boonville, N.C.

Tell us a little about your video series, Wine & Real Estate TV? Wine & Real Estate TV is a series I do on YouTube and on Facebook, which has episodes throughout each month alternating between wine and real estate. It's about giving back to the community. It lets people know what real estate is about and what wine is about. These are two things that I'm passionate about. People usually buy a house once in a blue moon, so they might not know the whole process of buying a home – or why you might need a radon inspection – that sort of thing.

But how does wine and real estate come together in this series of yours? It seems like an odd pairing. I know it seems like an odd pairing. You're absolutely right. It goes together because I'm passionate about both of them. I decided I wanted to do something that made me different than other realtors out in the community. For most people, there is a perception that realtors are like used car salesmen – but I'm not a used car salesman. I wanted to differentiate myself from others. I know I wanted to do a real estate video. But then I thought that I really like drinking wine as well, and thought about also doing a wine video. Then I thought, why not combine the two and do both.

How many episodes have you done so far? We have published 21 episodes. Real estate in Raleigh has been insane this past year, and I've had no time to release anything recent. But we have around 27 in the can – either filmed or published. We did one with the Angus Barn which ran over 20-minutes, so we had to break that up into two segments.

So you did an episode with Angus Barn's wine and beverage director Henk Schiutemaker? How was it working with him? Doing these videos, and not knowing people, I never know if they're going to shy away from the camera or be very boisterous. And he was very boisterous. I learned a lot from Henk. I would have never thought to pair a Gewürztraminer with ribs. Or a Pinot Noir with ribs. He totally surprised me. I went in thinking we would do a traditional tasting of 3 or 4 wines, but Henk had 6 wines laid out, each paired with food.

Sounds great. I'm sure that had to have been one of your favorite episodes – but what are some other episodes you really enjoyed that people should check out? My very first one was true to my heart. I interviewed Joe [O'Keefe] from Wine 101-Wake Forest. I sort of had in my mind how I wanted the video to go, and Joe was so giving. The other one was with Jennifer Spencer of Spencer Properties. She and I did a video about how to get your home sold, if you wanted to sell it quickly. She was so full of knowledge. It was really cool.

Check out Morton's Wine & Real Estate TV series here. 

Chris Morton with The Morton Group and Dathan Kazsuk
with Triangle Around Town toasting after the interview

To nominate a small business person or business for future Five Questions, send an email to trianglearoundtown@gmail.com.

Upcoming 2017 Yadkin Valley Winter Reds

By Jen  | December 27, 2016
Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

If you love wine and food pairings and enjoy a day or weekend getaway to the Yadkin Valley, consider attending the 2017 Yadkin Winter Reds event.  

In 2016 we did our first Winter Reds and we had a fabulous time. This year marks the 8th Annual event taking place over two weekends: January 28-29, and again, February 25-26. What exactly is this event, you ask? Included in the ticket price, you will receive a souvenir glass at a starting winery along with a map. As you traverse from winery to winery, you will receive a 2-oz. pour of red wine and a 3-oz. food pairing.

This is a great way to visit a winery you have not yet had the opportunity to experience. The hours are Saturday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.  The January weekend is $25 and includes 6 wineries while the February weekend is $20 for 5 wineries.

This year also offers some new events. Both weekends will also include Yadkin Winter Red Wine Dinners and Shows at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center, both for additional cost.

The wineries included in the January weekend are:

• Cellar 4201, East Bend
• Divine Llama, East Bend
• Flint Hill Vineyards, East Bend
• Ragapple Lassie Vineyards, Boonville
• Sanders Ridge Vineyards, Boonville
• Hanover Park Vineyards, Yadkinville

 The wineries included in the February weekend are:

• Brandon Hills Vineyard, Yadkinville
• Dobbins Creek Vineyards, Hamptonville
• Laurel Gray Vineyards, Hamptonville
• Shadow Springs Vineyards, Hamptonville
• Windsor Run Cellars, Hamptonville

For more information on this event, visit http://visityadkin.com/yadkin-winter-reds-event.html

And don't forget to check out the Summer Whites event the Summer of 2017.

Related Story: Swan Creek Herb Festival

Many N.C. businesses awaiting the Good Food Awards results in January

By Dathan | December 23, 2016
Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

It was back in November when the Good Food Awards announced the 2017 finalists for what they recognize as "truly good food." These are the small businesses across the country that bring people together and build healthy communities with a gentle touch. Be it beer, honey, confections, spirits, pickles and more.

For 2017 there was a grand total of 2,059 entrants with a total of 291 companies making the cut. Out of those 291, 11 of them hail from the great state of North Carolina – 9 of them from the Triangle-area.

The Good Food Awards features a total of 14 categories, and North Carolina companies achieved finalists in 6 of the 14. Unfortunately we didn't have any finalist in the following categories: Beer; Chocolate; Cider; Fish; Honey; Oils; and Pickles.

Winners will be announced on January 20, 2017. But until then, take a look at the finalist that made the prestigious cut.

Charcuterie:

• Lady Edison, Extra Fancy Country Ham, Durham

Cheese:

• Boxcarr Handmade Cheese, Cottonseed, Cedar Grove

Confections:

• French Broad Chocolates, Sorghum Caramel, Asheville
• GerDan Chocolates, Gingerbread Caramels, Raleigh
• Videri Chocolate Factory, Rosemary Honey Chocolate Caramel, Raleigh

Pantry:

• Apex Food Company, PIAZ, Apex
• Farmer's Daughter, Sweet Potato Habanero Hot Sauce, Durham
• Kitchens of Africa, Zanziar: Curry Simmer Sauce, Raleigh

Preserves:

• Farmer's Daughter, Strawberry Preserves, Durham
• Fiddlehead Farm, Blueberry Hibiscus Jam, Pittsboro

Spirits:

• Crude Bitters and Sodas, "Apothecary Number 15" Spruce and Birch Bitters, Raleigh
• Top of the Hill Distillery, Organic Vodka, Chapel Hill

Executive Mansion Holiday Open House

TRAVEL

By Jen | December 22, 2016

Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

I've lived in North Carolina for over 20 years and worked downtown for 15 years, passing by the Executive Mansion every single day, yet I have never visited or gone in once for a tour. It's one of those things that you may look forward to as a tourist, but not in your hometown. Nonetheless, this year I was determined to visit the Mansion for its Holiday Open House.

The Executive Mansion, also referred to as the "people's house" was constructed in 1891 and has been home to the state's leaders ever since. The first official residence takes us east to New Bern and the Tryon Palace, built for Governor William Tryon until the General Assembly decided to move, eventually named Raleigh as its state capitol in 1778. The first governor to occupy the mansion was Daniel Fowler from January 1891 to April 1891, upon his death.

There has been a total of twenty-nine governors that have lived in the Mansion. The current governor, Pat McCrory, will soon hand over the keys to incoming governor, Roy Cooper, who will become number thirty on January 1, 2017.

The first floor of the Mansion was beautifully decorated for the holidays with North Carolina grown Christmas trees.

Related: Raleigh's Mordecai House celebrates with open house for the holidays

Raleigh's Mordecai House celebrates with open house for the holidays

TRAVEL

By Jen  | December 20, 2016

Twitter: @TriangleAT | Facebook: Triangle Around Town | Instagram: @trianglearoundtown

I was never one for paying close attention while in History class. I found it rather boring. What I've learned in life is that I actually enjoy visiting historical sites and learning about how we lived back in the day, through living history, as opposed to opening up a text book. Over the years living in North Carolina, I've visited many historical sites from Tryon Palace in New Bern to the Biltmore House in Asheville. But right here in our own backyard sits the historic Mordecai House.

We decided to visit the house on the weekend of the Holiday Open House. As soon as we exited the car and walked the property, you are immediately taken back in time, forgetting that just down the road is the hustle and bustle of downtown Raleigh.

The Mordecai House was built in 1785 for Henry and Polly Lane and was one of the largest plantations in Wake County. The name Mordecai came to be when Moses Mordecai married Margaret Lane, the daughter of Henry and Polly. The house was home to five generations of the family over time and to this day features many original furnishings. 

The open house took us through both floors of the home with each room representing a different time in history.

Early 1800s

Living here in the 1820s were Moses and Peggy Mordecai with children Henry and Ellen as well as Peggy's sisters, Harriet, Temperance and Nancy. During this time, decorations would have consisted primarily of fruit, gingerbread and stockings whereas Christmas trees were not yet a popular item.

The 1850s

As we enter the Victorian era, one will notice the Christmas tree as well as the introduction of glass ornaments on the tree. Traditional decorations would have been cornucopias with fruit and nuts, candy and treats. The children would have enjoyed toys, sweets and holiday celebrations of the time.

The Civil War Years

Times have now changed as the Civil War waged on. The luxuries of the past were now hard to come by. Decorations would have consisted of greenery, berries, fruits and nuts while sweets were held for stockings or gifts. Trees were now adorned with strings of popcorn, berries and dried flowers while festivities were found in the form of singing carols.

Turn of the Century

The turn of the century now has three generations living in the Mordecai House. Pattie Mordecai served as head of household. The house was no longer the center of a large plantation but rather the Mordecai's sold land to make their money. This era introduces us to store bought gifts replacing handmade gifts. Wrapping paper and Christmas cards are now a common occurrence yet candles were still used to light the Christmas tree. No worries as a bucket of water and blankets were always nearby in case of fire. 

The 1940s

World War II brought more hardship for families, but after the war that all changed and the merriment of Christmas became alive again. By the mid-20th century, Christmas has now become very commercialized with the modern day Santa, what we now consider family holiday favorites such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Miracle on 34th Street" adorning the screen. At this time in the Mordecai House, an aging Pattie Mordecai, with no children of her own, and living with several of her sister Margaret's sons, would welcome the holiday with several cousins, nieces and nephews who would come visit and bring holiday cheer.

As you walk the grounds of Mordecai, you will also experience several outbuildings such as Andrew Johnson's birthplace, St Mark's Chapel, Allen Kitchen and Badger-Iredell Law Office.

Allen Kitchen

As part of the open house, we were fortunate to visit the Allen Kitchen and experience what a traditional meal of the times may have been with bowl of chicken dumpling stew.

If you have not visit the Mordecai House, it's worth checking out. You can experience trolley tours, park tours or special events such as this one. For more information, check out the web site at www.raleighnc.gov/museums.

                    
Related: Executive Mansion Holiday Open House