January 12, 2022 - Mocktails for Dry January + two new murals

We’ll take a New Fashion on the rocks 🥃

We’re checking in nearly halfway through January to see how those New Year’s resolutions are holding up — or not. Whether you are loosely participating in Dry January or are living a life without alcohol, restaurants and bars around the City of Oaks are serving up delicious, spirit-free cocktails.

City Editor Anne and I (Cat) tried the Orange Dreamsicle and Ginger Limeade at Killjoy this past weekend (featured on their special mocktail menu) + we were not disappointed. We saw for ourselves that mocktails don’t have to be boring, so check out these local bars with curated mocktail lists:

The “Ginger Limeade” (left) + “Orange Dreamsicle” (right) | Photo by @RALtoday

Killjoy, 116 N. West Street, Ste. 100 (Kicking off with an editor favorite)

Paddle Flower, $9 — Cactus tonic, desert flower tincture, candied prickly pear
Gordon’s Chip, $9 — Pineapple, cucumber, lime, hot sauce, salt + pepper
Orange Dreamsicle, $7 — Orange, cream, vanilla simple, orange zest (City Editor Anne was truly in dreamland with this one)
Ginger Limeade, $8 — Ginger syrup, lime, Fee Brothers Bitters, soda

Pro tip: Sign up here to participate in a mocktail class with Killjoy on Wed., Jan. 19.

C. Grace, 407 Glenwood Ave.

Jam Jar, $8 — Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries green tea, lemon juice on the rocks
Family Fizzician, $8 — Persimmon, honey, apple cider vinegar shrub, fizz
New Fashion, $8 — Blend of Oolong, Dandelion Root, Caramel Black, Russian Caravan + other strong teas steeped on various herbs, roots, spices, and charred Maple and Oak wood. Served on rocks with orange + cherry. That’s a mouthful, literally.

City Editors cheers to mocktails + Killjoy | Photo by @RALtoday

Crawford and Son, 618 N. Person St.

Honeygold, $8 — Roasted Apples, pink peppercorn, ginger
Snow leopard, $8 — Pineapple, tamarind, vanilla, cinnamon

Junction West, 310 S. West St., Ste. 110

Forbin’s Ascent, $6 — Pomegranate, grapefruit, lime, agave
Famous Mockingbird, $6 — lemon, lime, simple, bitters
Kombucha, $7
Elderflower/Yuzu Sparkling Water, $3

Use the buttons below to share this story with your local friends + family participating in Dry January.

EVENTS

Today

Finding Your Roots Sneak Peak + Virtual Discussion | Wed., Jan. 12 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Preview season eight of PBS’s “Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.” and engage in a virtual discussion about how to investigate your own genealogy and family heritage. 🌳
City Soul Cafe Open Mic | Wed., Jan 12 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Transfer Co. Food Hall | A night of poetry + spoken word featuring live performances and music.

Thursday

Learn the Basics of Google Ads | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Learn how to grow your business and reach more customers at this webinar customized for local businesses + nonprofits.
Recycling Demystified | Thurs., Jan. 13 | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | West Regional Library, 4000 Louis Stephens Dr., Cary | Free | Learn how to properly recycle + reduce waste. ♻️

Friday

Charcuterie Design 101 with Raleigh Cheesy | Fri., Jan. 14 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | The Loading Dock — Dock 1053 | $65 | It’s art — take your cheese boards to the next level with this charcuterie making + wine tasting interactive event. 🧀

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

MORE JANUARY EVENTS

EAT

Ratio Restaurant: Comfort food with a tapas twist in Columbia, SC

Uriarte came to the United States from Peru when he was 14 and began working in restaurants in the Maryland + Washington, D.C. area | Photo by Lynn Luc

If you ask Chef Javier Uriate, comfort food is made by emotions; it’s not a portion or a style — it’s a feeling.

As chef/owner of Ratio (566 Spears Creek Church Rd., Elgin), just outside of Columbia, SC, Chef Uriate carved out a space for his tapas style menu with an authentic Peruvian twist — and the result is a dining experience that represents who he is + where he’s from.

If you ask us? Peruvian comfort food is enough reason to plan a weekend trip.*

EXPLORE CHEF URIATE’S RATIO INSPO

NEWS NOTES

Weather

49º | Mostly sunny | 0% chance of rain 🌤️
WRAL has shared that Raleigh could see snow later this week, with a 54% chance for one inch over the weekend. ❄️

Development

Growth in the Warehouse District continues with the NC Railroad Company’s proposed rezoning request last week — allowing for up to 20 stories of development at 320 E. Cabarrus St. + 327 W. Davie St. The private corporation shared little information on their plans for the property. (Triangle Business Journal)

Health

In response to the increased demand for COVID-19 testing — the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services has opened a new drive-thru testing site at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The site will be open Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-4 p.m., until the end of January.

Civic

Raleigh Transportation is collecting soil samples near Shelley Rd. Bridge today. The bridge will remain open, but expect lane closures throughout the day. 🚗
Sound off — Duke Energy and county officials will be testing the sirens around Harris Nuclear Plant today between 10-11 a.m. Find more emergency planning information here.

Coming Soon

Nonprofit Note in the Pocket opened a new, 29,000-sqft location at Crossroads Fellowship’s Millbrook Rd. campus. The space will be used to continue the organization’s efforts to deliver mini-wardrobes of clothing to families and children in Wake County. A ribbon-cutting event will be held on Thurs., Jan. 13 at 10 a.m.

Arts

PineCone and Triangle ArtWorks are joining forces to create a new series of programs for professional musicians. The series kicks off with Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw teaching a four-part-workshop starting Tues., Feb. 1 + meets weekly throughout the month.
Artsplosure, will be held on the weekend of May 21-22 + is now accepting submissions from artists who would like to exhibit their work. Categories for submissions include ceramics, painting, metal, photography, and more. The deadline to apply is Mon., Feb. 7. 🖼️

Open

The City of Durham reopened the 100-year-old WD Hill Recreation Center after completing a $980,000 renovation. Using funds from Durham’s Capital Improvement Project, the center now has a renovated basketball court, new mural + a new roof. (CBS 17)

Biz

Many of the once vacant storefronts in Chapel Hill have been filled with new restaurants, including Seafood Destiny, Momo’s Master, Bouquet Garni Foods + Roots Natural Kitchen. Fast food restaurant Raising Cane’s is also expected to open a new storefront on the corner of Franklin St. in the former Spanky’s + Lula’s location. (The Daily Tar Heel)

Learn

Judy Allen Dodson will be joining the NC Museum of History on Sat., Jan. 29 for its African American Cultural Celebration Education Day. The author will discuss her book, “Escape from Hurricane Katrina.” Find more information about the event here.

Eat

Did you know that over one million members trust Thrive Market to make healthy living easy? Shop for the highest quality products, sort by diet + lifestyle preferences, and get it all delivered to your front door. Bonus: Our readers get 40% off and a free gift.🍴*

*This paid content, brought to you by our advertising partners, helps make this newsletter free.

#RALTODAY

Our city is a museum

📸 @DowntownRaleigh

It’s hard to walk around downtown and not run into a beautiful City of Oaks-centric mural. And we’ve got good news — there are two new additions to downtown Raleigh’s collection of 140+ pieces of public art. 🖼

You can find “Stay Sweet Raleigh” by Dallas and Luke Hobbs at 104 Glenwood Ave. on the side of The Cupcake Shoppe, and “Unlock Potential” by Ian Wenstrand is located at 120 S. West St. near Weaver Street Market.

Pro tip: Use downtown Raleigh’s interactive public art map to explore more murals + sculptures around the city. And we want to know — what Raleigh murals do you want to know more about? Tell us here.

#DYK that your photos and quotes could be featured in our newsletter?

Just use #RALtoday on social media.

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THE WRAP

Editor’s Pick: As a soccer fan, it’s exciting to keep up with Charlotte FC + the additions they add to the roster for the inaugural season. Congrats to midfielder Ben Bender from the University of Maryland for being the team’s first pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. ⚽️

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Read about the Triangle housing market and predictions for Triangle homes in 2022.