NEW PLACES NEW FACES IN HISTORIC SOUTH END

A few weeks ago Dilworth Now News and the CarolinasBest folks took a stroll through South End to experience a few new places that have recently opened.

“Shu” our newest shoe salon located at 1426 South Tryon is absolutely one of our most beautiful additions for the smart discriminating shopper.

We were so impressed with the atmosphere inside the store with the perfect arrangement of shoes, handbags and accessories.

Prices are very reasonable for the styles and quality of the items especially the jewelry—a must see. Many one of a kind pieces.

Make this a for-sure stop while strolling through South End. The fabulous “Boulevard” is next door, representing local artists and their original items from clothing to handmade items such as jewelry, handbags, and everything else you can imagine.

In the rear of the Shu salon is a fun and unique shop: “Briefs” with every kind of underpants for gentlemen of all ages and sizes. What fun and great gift ideas for the guys that love color and original style.

Don’t miss this. And ask for Desiree to serve you. If you remember, she was Queen of the workout at Dowd YMCA for several years. Our bodies miss her.

Shu Salon

1426 S. Tryon
Charlotte NC 28203
704 906 6531
shusalon.com

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Now on to NAN AND BYRONS one of our newest restaurants located on South Blvd. where Vinnie’s Raw Bar used to be. Completely remodeled inside but still very relaxed and already a favorite of the “Y” generation for hanging out. (“Y’ generation = folks born after 1984.)

The night we were there it was a completely full house and everyone was having a great time as the energy was at an all time high. The bartenders were great and easy to talk to as the servers were also friendly and very professional without being stuffy.

Prices are great as the menu serves small dishes from $4 to $10 and cocktails $8 to $12. Bottled beer starts at $4. Just about anything you desire in the way of American food is on the menu and then some.

The big attraction is that just about everyone walked to Nan & Byron’s from home. As you know, South End expects to have all the new apartments and condos filled by next year with folks seeking a walking, biking, train riding community to live in. It seems the majority of young working class folks are not interested in buying a car, not just yet. We find that very interesting, but not surprising. Vinnie’s is missed but not so much now that Nan and Byron has taken over. Hope to see you there.

Nan & Byron’s
1714 South Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28203
980-224-7492
www.nanandbyrons.com

Bears For Buddies at the Ronald McDonald House

Celebrity Charity Wishes, one of the most important and vital charities of our time, hosted their annual awards ceremony and Bears for Buddies event at the Ronald McDonald House here in Charlotte. The organization brings holiday cheer, as well as much needed necessities, to seriously ill children at the Ronald McDonald Houses of Charlotte and Atlanta along with Levine Children’s Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Dilworth Now News was invited by Prowler Magazine, one of the many sponsors for the event. We were honored to be there and experience the most wonderful event of the season.

Among the many celebs was Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child and solo artist). She was amazing with the children who attended, handing out donated bears along with many gifts for the children in such a loving way. As we all know the terminally ill child and the child’s family are the greatest example of courage offered to us at a great price to be repaid through our donations and volunteer time.

If you want to know more about how to contribute, Toni Brown, one of the charity volunteers, said “We need more bears for the 600 children we represent and volunteers to keep this most important work going and growing.”

Email celebritycharity1@yahoo.com

www.celebritycharitywishes.org

Guest Post by Fitness Expert Demi Goodman

Demi Goodman - best instructor at Dowd YMCA
(photo by Linda George)

Happy Holidays to all of you fitness fans (or at least I hope you are)!

Linda and I were talking this morning after class about some ideas on how to survive the holidays. You know how it goes. You bounce from party to party, eating and drinking things you generally don't eat at other times of the year. And to make matters worse, you don't have a lot of time to work off the excess calories. So when January hits, you are behind the eight ball trying to lose those holiday pounds. Here are some simple tips to help you stay on track, enjoy the holidays guilt free, and kick your New Year off the right way.



1.) Before heading to a party, eat a light, healthy meal before you go. That way you won't over indulge on the "yummy bad stuff."

2.) Want to know how many calories are really in egg nog, or those Christmas cookies? Keep track of your food intake with the MyFitness Pal app. Very simple to use! Click here to create your free account.

3.) Stay hydrated. Drink up to 64 ounces of liquids to help keep your energy levels up throughout the day. It will also help lessen those nasty "after" effects of alcohol.

4.) Exercise when and where you can. Try to get 20 minutes, three times a week of exercise. The ideal would be to engage in both strength training and cardiovascular exercise to help burn those extra calories. But if all you have time for is a brief walk at lunch time, then get out and do it. Something is better than nothing!

A great workout at the Y

5.) Avoid the stress of the holidays by setting some time aside just for you. Get a massage, have a manicure, enjoy a bubble bath, watch an old movie, or even take a yoga class. Whatever makes you happy and relaxed!

If you would like more information on how to get started, or update your current fitness program, you can contact me at demisfit2000@gmail.com.

Take care and Happy Holidays!
Yours in health,
Demi
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photos by Linda George

Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour

Photograph by Joy Kennedy

The Friends of Fourth Ward association hosts its 36th Holiday Home Tour, this year a three-day event showcasing the neighborhood's elegant Victorians, urban condominiums, cultural institutions and historic places – all dressed in their holiday finery, as well as many free special events, including tastings, appetizers at local restaurants, carriage rides and previews of "The Nutcracker" by the NC Dance Theatre.

Tickets include entrance to luxurious private residences and historic locations, including 8 private uptown homes, (4 beautifully restored Victorians, 2 townhomes & 2 condominiums) along with the North Carolina Dance Theatre, and special holiday surprises at the 7th Street Public Market.

2013 Tour Dates & Times

• Friday, December 6th: 5 – 9 pm
• Saturday, December 7th: 5 – 9 pm
• Sunday, December 8th: 1 – 5 pm

All weekend, choirs and hand bell ensembles will play seasonal music on the porches of neighborhood homes. Tour-goers also will receive complimentary horse and carriage rides through the neighborhood and to the 7th Street Public Market, plus samples of beer, wine and food samples (while they last).

Photograph by Joy Kennedy

Vendors providing complimentary refreshments and tastings within homes or at official stops along the tour route include: 

• Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, 
• Mert’s Heart & Soul, 
• Cowbell Burger & Bar, 
• Mortimer’s Café & Pub, 
• Local Loaf, 
• Assorted Table Wine Shoppe, 
• Fourth Ward Bread Co., 
• Allen Tate Realtors and 
• 7th Street Public Market. 

Center City restaurants offering selected free appetizers to tour ticket holders who visit during tour hours include: 

• Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 
• Delta’s Restaurant, 
• Dillinger’s Taproom and 
• Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza. 

Tour-goers must present their tour guidebooks to receive complimentary appetizers.

Photograph by
Virginia Dunn

North Carolina Dance Theatre

For the first two hours of the tour each day, NCDT invites tour-goers to preview live Nutcracker rehearsals, tour the studios and costume shop, and enjoy complimentary food and beer. Nutcracker tickets will be on sale for up to 50% off. Visit the NCDT website for more info.

7th Street Public Market

The Market, an official stop on the tour, will be open during all tour hours, offering complimentary cider & cookies, live seasonal music, wine and cheese specials, plus tastings, samplings and great options for holiday shopping. At 6 pm on Friday, 7SPM will unveil “Nutcrackers on Parade.” Tour-goers will receive free horse-drawn carriage rides between the Market and the heart of Historic Fourth Ward. Visit 7thstreetpublicmarket.com for more info.

The McNinch House Restaurant & Victorian Home

On Sunday only, tour-goers can visit the historic McNinch House restaurant and Victorian home, including a tour of the newly renovated and never-before-seen private residence upstairs.

Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour Tickets

Tour tickets are $25, and are good for all 3 days. They may be purchased in advance online at www.fofw.org or at these retail outlets:

Photograph by
Joy Kennedy

• Alexander Michael’s Restaurant & Tavern, 
• Park Road Books, 
• Blis Uptown Gift Boutique, 
• 7th Street Public Market, and 
• all Charlotte-area Brixx Pizzas, Dean & Delucas and FastFrames. 

During tour hours, ticket-holders redeem their tickets for tour guidebooks at the tour ticket booth at the corner of 9th & Poplar Streets in Fourth Ward, or at the 7th Street Public Market. Same day tickets are also available at the Ticket Booth and Market. Additional tour information and group rates is available at www.fofw.org. 

Parking

Photograph by
Virginia Dunn

All tour stops are within walking distance of one another. Limited free on-street parking is available throughout the neighborhood. Additional flat fee ($5) parking is available in the surface lot adjacent to the 7th Street Public Market at 224 E. 7th Street. Free horse-drawn carriages will transport tour-goers between the Market and the Holiday Home Tour.

The Fourth Ward Holiday Home Tour is presented by Allen Tate Realtors. Supporting sponsors include North Carolina Dance Theatre, 102.9 The Lake, 7th Street Public Market and Charlotte Center City Partners. Tour proceeds benefit the non-profit Friends of Fourth Ward neighborhood organization.

World’s Fair at the Mint Museum Uptown

When we first walked into this new exhibit at the Mint Museum Uptown we had no idea we were about to see the most amazing exhibition of design and artistic workmanship we had yet to witness anywhere. The largest exhibit the Mint has done, expanding to galleries on two floors, is breathtaking. Not just the pieces but the lighting and spacing of the presentation is exquisite. 

Magnificent silk embroidered Japanese screen
so beautiful you have to see this to believe

The very first World’s Fair in London in 1851 was created to attract artisans and craftsmen from around the world to exhibit their works in metalwork, glass and hardwood inlay.

The Tennyson Vase, an example of the fine art of silversmithing,
now in the collection of the Carnegie Museum

The rest of the story lies in the 200 examples of the most extraordinary works of furniture, metalwork, glass, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry produced by leading international artists and firms, some never before seen in the United States.

Baccarat punch bowl, exhibited at the
1867 Paris World's Fair

Tiffany dragonfly lamp, exhibited at the
1900 Paris World's Fair

Tiffany gold collar, studded with diamonds,
fire opals, rubies and other stones,
exhibited at the 1900 Paris World's Fair

It was truly an honor to view and experience a time when artists from all around the world communicated and shared their work without the technology we have today.

French coupes created by
Charles Duron and Valentin Morel

capture the richness of a previous age

Ebony and ivory chair and
footstool from India

Art Nouveau dressing table with mirror

1934 vanity and ottoman by Gilbert Rohde

Glider from Holland

Czech glassware, exhibited at the 1925 Paris World's Fair

The exhibit includes is film of the masses who came from far and wide to enjoy the World’s Fair showing continuously, really not a bad production considering it was made so long ago. It really put me there with the ladies in bustles and parasols scampering off the ships and trains to the horse and buggy ride to the all glass pavilion that was built for the fair. 

Banners depicting  past world fairs hang
from the ceiling over the exhibit

Curator Brian Gallagher, our narrator
and tour guide extraordinare

More treasures from the World's Fairs exhibit:

  

Montana sapphires
and diamonds

A must see for everyone. 

Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World's Fairs 1851-1939 will be on exhibit at the Mint Uptown through Jan. 19, 2014. A separate admission fee is required. See www.mintmuseum.org  or call 704-337-2000 for more information.

Win Tickets to Sip and Stroll at the Epicentre

Epicentre hosts its 4th Annual Sip & Stroll Art, Wine and Music Festival on Friday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 14, and Dilworth Now News is excited to offer its readers a chance to win tickets to the event.




Now in its fourth year, the two-day, family-friendly event this year features wine tastings from more than 40 vineyards, displays works by 20 local artists and features the music of three different bands.

Taste of Sip & Stroll kicks off the festival on Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m. with wine, appetizers and live music by Simplified Acoustic Duo. Saturday, September 14, Sip & Stroll runs from 2-8 p.m. with wine and art booths on all three levels of the Epicentre with live music by Crashbox and Early Ray on the Pavilion Rooftop stage.

New this year, $1 from every ticket sale goes to support local artists through the Arts & Science Council (ASC).

One and two-day tickets are available online for $25 and $40 at www.sipandstrollcharlotte.com. Wine education seminars, including Taste Wine Like a Pro with Johnson and Wales’ Katherine Rabb and Blending with JUSTIN Vineyards Master Sommelier Joe Spellman, are available at an extra cost.

Dilworth Now News has a pair of two-day tickets available. Email us through this link to be entered to win. Please include a phone number so we can be sure you are contacted. Winners will be chosen on Wednesday, Sept. 11, and can pick up their tickets at the event.

La Tagliatella Italian Restaurant: New to Uptown in the Epicentre

We were wined and dined at Charlotte’s newest Italian Restaurant last night in the Epicentre.

Showcasing authentic northern Italian recipes, La Tagliatella offers guests a relaxed yet distinctive atmosphere.

The pasta, focaccia bread, pizza and desserts are all made in house to surpass all of its kind in the city. Focacce Liguri, a flat bread dish with goat cheese, honey, bresaola, balsamic reduction glaze and finished with crushed pistachios, was my favorite.

Flatbread appetizers

Tagliatella Pizza

Tagliatella Pizza: marinated tomatoes, mozzarella, fried eggplant, parmigiano-reggiano drizzled with honey and aceto balsamic

Food Bloggers

Other dishes we enjoyed on the media preview menu included:

• Caesar Salad with anchovies and parmigiano-reggiano shavings.
• Fresh homemade pasta with papperdelle and parmigiano-reggiano with a fried egg on top. 
• Tortellone filled with mozzarella, tomato and basil 
• Calabrese sauce: sole di puglia tomatoes, balsamic onions, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, basil and Grana Padano

Dessert

And for dessert we had Bocconcino and Torta Rocher (very light cheesecake and chocolate mousse) along with a big cup of cappuccino.

Stacy, our hostess for the evening

My choice for wine was a Malbec from Argentina, excellent with our selections.

Oh my, I am home tonight and everything I can think of to eat for dinner seems so boring after last night dining at La Tagliatella.

Service was impeccable, our hostess Stacy, here in Charlotte especially to open the new venue, was totally enjoyable. And Daniel the general manager was so pleasant and personable making us right at home.

La Tagliatella's greeters

The décor is perfection and compliments the menu as both are authentic and give a real sense of dining in a fine Italian restaurant with a relaxed and very friendly atmosphere.

We will definitely return for more. It truly was amazing.

Entrée Prices $14.00- 28.00

www.Facebook.com/latagliatellaepicentre

May 20th 1775 - Independence Day in Charlotte

The May 20th Society celebrated their tenth year of honoring the signing of the Mecklenburg’s Declaration of Independence from the British with an event at the Levine Museum of the New South and a lecture by author Isabel Wilkerson, author of the Pulitzer-prize winning book, “The Warmth of Other Suns.”

Last year Dilworthnow.com covered the May 20th Society’s events uptown which included the unveiling of our Historic Liberty Walk and the reenactment ceremony with a reading of Mecklenburg’s Declaration of Independence.

At this year’s event, held appropriately at the Levine Museum of the South, we spoke with the reenactors and members of the society, all dedicated to preserving our history and telling the stories of what “Charlottetown” was really like in that day and time.

Being a Charlottean myself, I was visualizing what it must have been like to be in uptown in 1775. I was told the people that lived here were mostly backcountry folks and uptown was more of a crossroads than a real town. Our original citizens were mostly Scot-Irish, tenacious, strong willed and full of vim and vinegar. Thank goodness for that, otherwise what would our city be like today?

At the reception, we shared yummy appetizers, wine and cocktails with locals and visitors alike. We had a lovely conversation with Paula Vincent representing Novant Health, as Presbyterian Medical Center is now called. It is a big supporter of the Society as are many of our most prominent citizens, corporations and financial institutions.

Lauri Eberhart of the
May 20th Society

This was the eighth year that the Society has sponsored a speaker series on May 20th and this year Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, spoke to a full house at Spirit Square. She shared stories with us about her book of narrative nonfiction, “The Warmth of Other Suns,” an epic account of three people who made the decision of their lives in what came to be known as the Great Migration.

Growing up here in Charlotte in the 50s, before leaving to find work (or should I say just leaving), I remember that Charlotte still seemed pretty primitive as if not a whole lot had changed since 1775. Like a lot of other young folks, I headed to Washington D.C. During the 60s, I stayed close to family and friends and heard about developments in Charlotte. 

As in 1775, the city’s response to the 1964 Civil Rights Act once more declared Charlotte free from tyranny in a more up close and personal way. I remember being so proud of Charlotte and the mostly peaceful way the people here were reacting to segregation. After hundreds of years of oppression and living a certain way, change is not easy but we know it is possible.

Charlotte’s history is rich and it truly has evolved into the most desirable city for living, working, and worshiping.

To find out more about the May 20th Society, visit its website.