Lisa Jeffries Nobling – Raleigh, NC

Category: Manfriend

  • 24 Hours in Charlotte: The Road to Van Gogh and Back

    Johnnie Bud and I hit the road Saturday morning for ~noon arrival to Van Gogh Exhibit Charlotte: The Immersive Experience and when I write “road” I Highway 64 and not I-40 because when you have the option to cruise the more comfortable and relaxed of westward bound routes, you should always choose it.

    As a professional in the events space, I could not have been more pleased with the Van Gogh experience. From pre-arrival messaging (which answered all of the FAQs and more) to parking to staffing to photo ops to the exit, this Charlotte-based crew had it nailed. We enjoyed the preview of the history of the space (who knew that Charlotte was once home to a Ford Motor Company assembly plant that later become a site for missile development?!), the friendly bar service (what’s an immersive art exhibit without wine?), and the 90,000,000 pixels that span a 40-minute, 360-degree visual arts experience that is Van Gogh with a modern twist.

    Photo Op in a Real, Working Ford Model T

    We purchased two basic tickets, $50 each, that allowed timed entry within a 20-minut window—a nice accommodation for social distancing measures that I hope will stay around as a new mainstay for event ticketing and guest flow. While it was by no means a low-cost art experience, the site itself clearly required a massive investment in upfit for the event and the abundance of well-trained, friendly staff were much appreciated. We lucked out in that our pre-show stroll landed us walking into the video portion of the day right during the closing credits so we grabbed two open chairs together and moments later, were experiencing the show in its full glory.

    It looks like the show has been extended through the end of October, so if you have the chance to get tickets, I highly encourage you to treat yourself to this one-of-a-kind experience in Charlotte. While it would be ideal for a quick day trip, we made a night of it…

    After departing the exhibit, we headed to Uptown Charlotte and checked in to our favorite boutique hotel in the city: The Dunhill Hotel. (Full Disclosure: The Dunhill is on our client roster at RMG+REG. I’d still stay here even if it wasn’t!)

    About The Dunhill: “The Dunhill Hotel, located in Uptown Charlotte, is the city’s only historic and boutique hotel. Our location puts you within walking distance of art galleries, museums, the full spectrum of dining experiences, nightlife, shopping, and much more. Experience sophisticated, full-service accommodations enhanced by genuine Southern hospitality, an historic setting, and ideal location.”

    Learn more at https://dunhillhotel.com/.

    Timing was really on our side this weekend, netting us an early check in to drop our stuff, grab an Uber, and head out to progressively eat and drink our way back to the hotel later in the evening. Our next destination: The Crunkleton! A Chapel Hill whiskey bar favorite of ours, Gary Crunkleton opened his Charlotte outpost just a year a ago with one major difference… a full restaurant attached. Johnnie and I enjoyed a few proper mid-day cocktails, Beignets, and Avocado Toast (for one, JB isn’t quite on that veg level yet) because once again, we lucked into two seats at the bar just before the kitchen was closing for a mid-day break. Named among Garden & Gun’s “40 Best Southern Bars”, get yourself to Chapel Hill or Charlotte for a sip or two and you’ll see why for yourself!

    While waiting for our next Uber to arrive, we stuck our head into Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find… a real deal comic book shop. We weren’t treated to any surprise visits by the cast of The Big Bang Theory but it is still so cool to find unique, independent retailers like this alive and well.

    Back in the Uber, we were Charlotte Beer Garden bound for a round then walked to Stir—two more concepts with Triangle-based variations. (It’s nice to be able to support our friends in the hospitality industry when we’re out and about, no matter where we roam. But if you are looking for decidedly Charlotte destinations, these are not for you.) Our final outpost of the evening prior to our return to The Dunhill was for a round of drinks at The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte, where Johnnie was hoping to catch one of his favorite local bartenders. (Said bartender didn’t happen to be on-shift during our visit, the first and only missed timing of our whole weekend adventure!)

    Our return to the hotel was an opportunity to share another round of drinks at The Dunhill’s lobby bar which offers dinner service from The Asbury. We shared a few small plates and were even able to talk to brief guests stopping in on their Haunted Charlotte walking tour! The hotel originally opened in 1929 so it has its fair share of ghost stories but I’ll let you save those for your next visit rather than spoiling the surprises for you. ?

    Thanks to a great night’s sleep, we were up and at ’em in time for brunch at The Asbury. If you dine here and don’t give yourself the chance to take home leftovers, you’re missing out. The Southern fare lives up to its reputation and the portions are generous. Located next door to Discovery Place, we had no agenda for Sunday so we grabbed two tickets so we could explore the current Apollo exhibit and got lost in even more immersion for the better part of two hours. (I left my phone charging in the car, so alas, no pics here.)

    Our drive back to Raleighwood was a windows down, music cranked up kind of perfect. We remembered seeing a scenic overlook stop near Uwharrie Forest and paused for just a bit to enjoy the sunshine and snap a pic. (That’s one of our goals this year—to better document our best days. ? We didn’t do too bad this weekend!)

    About halfway through our ride home we were ready for a late lunch. Knowing Asheboro was about 15 minutes ahead, Johnnie hopped on Yelp and found an “Open Now” listing for The Flying Pig Food and Spirits where we sat on a covered patio and enjoyed a casual Sunday late lunch. We strolled around Downtown Asheboro which has lots of new live and businesses coming soon, a place that we’ve earmarked for another overnight visit soon… perhaps after a visit to the Zoo!

    A glass of wine on the porch at Lumina Wine & Beer capped off our weekend adventure and soon after, we were back at home in Raleighwood, relaxing and ready to take on this week.

    I hope this travel guide inspires you to hit the road in NC this fall and enjoy exploring like a local… cheers, y’all!

  • First Days in Antibes

    First Days in Antibes

    Can I take just a second to brag on my wonderful manfriend who accompanied me over the pond for the first week to help me get adjusted to life here in Europe – and to enjoy a mini-vacation, too?

    While I was joining 41 other NC State GLM students here in the south of France, I elected to rent a private apartment for myself, so it was nice not to feel incredibly alone and have Johnnie here while the rest of my classmates were all arriving on different dates and getting settled themselves. Luckily, we found out quickly that many of my GLM gang are all staying in apartments super close to my place, which makes it easy to get together for brunch, shopping, bar hopping, day trips, sight seeing and the like.

    Back to the topic of this post, Johnnie Bud and I spent our first two days here just sight-seeing in Antibes – where I live and will be spending the most of my time. This place is stunning and approachable at the same time. Dripping in old world charm on the exterior, everything is visually beautiful but has all of the comforts of home easily available – great wifi in my apartment, lots of shopping and dining, and a store called Monoprix that is basically Euro Target… it’s short walk from my apartment and every time I walk in, I spend at least $75 on all the random things one collects at a wander through Target.

    We’ve also found lots of great food, but Antibes really feels like a vacation destination in that a lot of smaller businesses are currently closed for an entire month for holiday and vegetarian menus aren’t the most widely available. However, there are several markets, including an open air farmer’s market within steps of my apartment, so I’m doing lots of cooking now that I’m settled and shopping several times a week for fresh food rather than a weekly stock-up trip like at home. (That’s also partly due to the fact that most apartments here have refrigerators that are a fraction of the size of one back home.)

    Up Next: Pics from Sunday Funday in Cannes and a Monday in Monaco/Monte Carlo!

  • Garner Ups Its Game

    You’d think a small town like Garner would really embrace the local indy business movement, but the busiest places on the weekend are almost always chain concepts – that’s why i’m really excited to share a few new places that are earning my local dollars.

    Zin Yoga Studio & Wine Lounge
    This business isn’t as new as the following two (maybe around for a year or so, already?), but what Kara is doing here is pretty innovative. Yoga + wine = in one place. Get your yoga on at this Aversboro Square studio and then after class, enjoy samples of wine, indulge in a glasses, or take a few bottles of wine home to enjoy. Occasionally, Kara has even turned the studio into a pop-up dinner venue with featuring the culinary talents of Chef Joe from Backyard Bistro and the wine knowledge of Cory Sloan from Tryon Distributing. I’ve taken several yoga classes here with both Kara and Mary and have enjoyed all of them. And I love the variety of days and times that they offer classes. Sunday afternoon zen session? Yes, please!

    And yes, of course, I’ve also sampled the wine and thoroughly enjoyed that too. 🙂 Check out the class and event schedule schedule online at http://zinyogawine.com/. Namaste, y’all.

    The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop
    Just down the street from Zin is The Beerded Lady Bottle Shop, Garner’s first (and currently only) craft beer indy retailer! (Kroger grocery store doesn’t count, kids.) Gal pal Adrianne and I popped in last Sunday after yoga to check this spot out. It had just opened that week, so they were still getting a lot of things worked out – like the right inspections and permits to be able to serve flights and ciders. All good things to look forward to as this new business grows. In the meantime, grab some friends, family and neighbors and taste your way through their draft menu – which is fun to do 5 ounces at a time… a unique offering I haven’t seen before in this area. Read up on what’s available at thebeerdedlady.com and then visit them in the 5th Avenue shopping center.

    Click here for more pictures! (Note I have GOT to move this blog over to WordPress so I can create a nice gallery for these things!)

    Krafty’s Burgers & Brews
    Also just opening last week is Krafty’s Burgers & Brews in Garner’s White Oak shopping center, next to the movie theater (where Shuck ‘Em Shack used to be). Johnnie Bud and I stopped in last week at the friends and family event to wish owner Robert Stapleton well in the new venture. Keen observers might notice the bar is a carry over from Robert’s original Napper Tandy’s in downtown Raleigh that was located in Powerhouse Square. (Napper’s has since moved to Glenwood Avenue, but Robert kept one of the bars and re-used it here.)

    We were on a tight schedule when visiting and didn’t get a chance to try any food from the menu, but are looking forward to getting back for a visit soon. There are actually quite a few vegetarian-friendly items for me, including a “build-a-burger” option that has a veggie burger base choice! No website yet, but check out updates from their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Kraftysburgersandbrews.

    Click here for more pictures from Krafty’s!

    Are there any other new, locally-owned businesses in Garner that I need to check out next weekend? Let me know in the comments below!

  • Manfriend Meals: Mini-Meatloaf, Breakfast for Dinner Pizza

    I had the chance to experiment with these two recipes the last few months and they are not just “Manfriend Approved”, they are straight up “Manfriend Loved”!

    Muffin Pan Mini-Meatloaf, Topped with Mashed Potatoes and/or Bacon
    via Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/195625177533922229/
    The original website, http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2012/04/pinterest-pin-of-the-day-meatloaf-in-a-muffin-tin/, lists lots of meatloaf recipes and I chose to go with the Paleo one this go around. It didn’t disappoint and I felt like it was a moderately “healthy” switch to make on the manfriend… who didn’t enjoyed it regardless of fad diet title. The only changes I made were removing the minis from the muffin pan and putting on a broiler pan for the last few minutes so all of the juices that had piled up would run off and to crisp the bacon. Manfriend even revisited these for leftovers on another day, so clearly that’s a win.

    The mini-meatloaf idea made serving, cleanup and storage a breeze!

    Creamed Spinach & Egg Pizza
    Another Pinterest hit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/195625177540005365/

    I picked up raw pizza dough from our neighborhood pizza restaurant on the way home and even though the crust got a little away from me when transferring to the baking stone, this pizza tasted so good we didn’t care what the squiggly edges looked like. This is rich, so serve it by the slice with a salad on the side… if you can resist eating the whole thing!

    Enjoy, y’all!

  • Manfriend Meals: Texas Caviar

    Texas Caviar. Redneck Caviar. Southern Caviar. Redneck Salsa.

    I’ve seen recipes of this variety called a lot of different names. No matter what you call it, or what combination of flavors you include, it’s probably going to be ridiculously addicting.

    While not a “meal”, my manfriend would gladly make a meal of this recipe: Texas Caviar

    A few cans of beans, several cut peppers, herbs, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil and boom. Delicious mixed up in a bowl and no cooking required. Put it in the ‘fridge for an hour and it’s ready to go or leave it overnight to really marinate. We snack on it for days and while it doesn’t last more than two days due to constant enjoyment, I’m not sure it would really even go bad for a few days long as long as you keep it chilled.

    This is a tailgate must and a quick mix for anytime in between football seasons. It’s delicious with tortilla chips, as a salsa/relish, as a side dish… practically any way.

    Cheers, y’all!

  • Manfriend Approved: Updated Shepherd’s Pie

    There was nothing meatless about Monday dinner last night, but it was the first time in many weeks that Johnnie Bud and I have been able to have a real dinner at home together, so I felt compelled to surprise him with something he had recently pointed out as looking tasty: Kraft’s Updated Shepherd’s Pie.

    Kraft Recipes Shepherd's Pie
    Image and recipe via KraftRecipes.com

    I made very little modifications to this recipe – I left the skin on the potatoes and added a bit of the beef broth to the potatoes. (The ketchup probably could have been left out entirely as the broth provides a good deal of seasoning to the meat and vegetables.)

    As a vegetarian, I obviously didn’t indulge in this comfort food dish with the manfriend, but he enjoyed it so much he’s planning on having leftovers tonight for dinner – and this is a man who rarely does leftovers.

    One of the best parts about this recipe is the ease! While the potatoes were boiling, I browned the beef and the frozen vegetables went right from bag to the saute pan before baking – and then the whole thing went right in the oven alongside carrots I had quickly cut, tossed in EVOO, salt and pepper, and put in a roasting dish.

    This dish could have easily served a whole family. Johnnie Bud’s two servings at dinner last night barely made a dent in the casserole dish we baked it in.

    Not too bad for a Monday, friends! Enjoy.

  • Life Experiment: Humdinger Juice Three-Day Cleanse



    The background: My manfriend won a three-day Humdinger Juice cleanse for me at the Rex Gala a few weekends ago. I really like cold-pressed juice and have earmarked November to get a little bit healthy and in-shape before the holidays, so the timing worked out well. I ordered the three-day cleanse online, set Sunday as my delivery date so I could start today (Monday), and the nice guy from Humdinger showed up at my house yesterday and walked me through the pacing of the 18 bottles of juice. The retail price is $144 for the three-day cleanse. The manfriend, Johnnie Bud, conveniently left this morning for a three-day work stint in Wilmington and Fayetteville. A few friends told him that crankiness would ensue without carbs… we’ll see. 🙂

    My goals: I haven’t set any in particular, but last month I got a little irritable with myself about how I looked in a bathing suit this past summer, so I decided to commit November and December to getting back into the gym more regularly and keeping a keener eye on what I’m eating. If I lose a few pounds during this, great — but the numbers on the scale don’t bother me nearly as much as being constantly tired and “less than tone” in my midsection.

    Day 1: Ok y’all – it’s Day 1, Juice 1. As I said earlier, I already liked juice before this and I especially like the green ones with leafy vegetables and apples. Great start to the day. Drank it in no time… it’s now 11 a.m. and I’m a little hungry so going for the next bottle of juice. (PS: We had Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas for dinner last night… had to go big before going clean for three days.)

    I’m on my second bottle of the day – “Glow”, made of pineapple, apple, water, lime and mint – and it reminds me of a craft cocktail… minus the booze. Yum. Nicely tart. I still want a sandwich for lunch though 🙂 (And can’t believe I scheduled Day 1 of my cleanse on National Sandwich Day. Fail.)

    I was super hungry at 2:30 p.m. so I went for my third bottle of the day at 3 p.m. – “lift”, made from carrot, water, beet, apple, lemon, ginger. It’s got a bit of bite to it from the ginger, and that’s awesome. I’m wearing a white shirt today, so I’m drinking very, very carefully. I definitely still feel “hungry” though.

    I got home from work around 5:45 p.m. and as I fed my dogs dinner, I was opening my fourth juice of the day – a repeat of of the first bottle of the day – “balance”, which included celery, kale, spinach and more. It wasn’t as good as this morning because I forgot that the top shelf of my fridge tends to freeze the very top of things and as I’ve been told by friends who juice, “it doesn’t freeze well”. It definitely lacked some of the flavor. But no big deal. At this point I also had two slices of dried peaches and a handful of multigrain chips because I’d had a bit of a headache all day and wanted to go to yoga with more than juice on my stomach. (Yup, already fell off the wagon. Sigh.)

    For scientific reporting purposes, I weighed in at the gym at 115.4. We’ll see if that fluctuates at all during this three-day cleanse.

    When I got home from yoga, the headache was gone and I did two more juices before crawling into bed to write this recap – the “glow” and the only “calm” of the day, which was distinctly different because it’s made from cashews, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. It definitely has a “milky texture”, but is dairy free. Not a bad end to the day, but certainly a departure from the five previous juices. I also don’t feel hungry at this point! Good night, y’all – can’t wait to see how I feel on day two.

    Day 2: I’m on my first juice of the day – a little behind schedule, but not feeling super hungry, either. I’m repeating the schedule of juices (Balance – Glow – Lift – Balance – Glow – Calm) for the entire three-day cleanse, so I’m going to try to get the Glow in during the 11 a.m. hour and the Lift around 12:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. as Colin from Humdinger suggested having about one every hour and half.

    Speaking of Colin, he sent me some great pointers via email last night after my first day’s recap:

    Those headaches are a result of toxins escaping. Keep it up! It gets easier each day. Promise. Drink plenty of water as well. That helps with hunger. You could also have an herbal tea in the afternoon. Just make sure it’s caffeine free.

    Today was tough. I ended up having a rush project on my desk I wasn’t expecting and was late getting to my third and fourth juices of the day because I worked straight through without thinking of lunch (happens too often!), but got them in while I was running around before the event I was setting up and staffing from 4 pm until 9 pm. Speaking of which… it was torture being at the Red and White Food and Beverage Festival and not sampling everything in site. I cannot believe I had the will power to hold out, while being super hungry, until I could get home to my last two juices.

    And before I got home I stopped by the Y to weigh in on the same scale as last night: 113.8 pounds.

    I’ve got my “calm” juice left to go tonight and then I’m hitting the sack early (for me) so I can hit the ground running earlier than normal tomorrow. Last day is in sight.

    I’ll update more as the three-day experiment continues… stay tuned!

    Day 3: Alright, made it to day three here kids! I’d like to say I feel markedly different, but I don’t. I had a long work day yesterday, so that definitely contributes to not feeling on my a-game today. But what I also don’t feel is bloated and sluggish – so that’s awesome. I talked Tara into trying the juices I brought into the office today and I have a feeling she’ll be grabbing a few bottles of Humdinger in the coming weeks, too. She was a big fan of the “Glow” flavor, like pretty much everyone else who tries it and thinks it tastes like a cocktail without the booze. 🙂

    I’ve made it to my last two bottles of juice. Today was another busy day, so I wasn’t totally on a three hour schedule – but not too bad.

    I weighed in at the Y again tonight before yoga… down to 111.6 pounds. That’s almost 4 pounds down in three days. Like I said earlier, the number doesn’t really both me. I haven’t noticed too much difference in my stomach, but I also didn’t expect to shed any excess fat during a three-day juice cleanse.

    I am hoping to use the discipline of the last three days to jump start my commitment to eating better and exercising several times a week. So far, so good. It’s been a commitment, and I made it. No stopping here, right?

    Day 4: The first day after the cleanse! I woke up and felt the same as I had most other days, but within an hour of starting my day, I was hungry and craving a juice. I had a busy morning and the first meal I had was at lunch around 12:30. I could tell an immense difference in the way I felt after having tomato and avocado sandwich with sauteed spinach at a restaurant. I likened it to what people with gluten sensitivities must feel like. I think I should have started lighter with a simple salad and eased back into things!

    At dinner, I had a grilled asparagus and grilled mushroom salad. I asked for dressing on the side, but it came way over-dressed and I dreaded sending it back, so I only ate about half of it. The one glass of wine I had, though? Woah, Nelly! I had a buzz. Probably should have not splurged with that. Things I’ll know for next time.

    Day 5 Summary: With all of yesterday’s experiences, I’m definitely going light and easy and heavy emphasis on vegetables and fresh fruit through this weekend to ease back into the life of eating solid foods again.

    I can absolutely see myself swapping out bottles of juice here and there for meal replacements, but I hope to stay on my path of healthy eating and regular exercise for the next few months until I’ve saved up for another cleanse for pre-summer bikini goals. I do feel like a healthier person for having done it and I’m absolutely more conscious of what I’m putting in my body.

    Cheers, y’all! If you have any questions about my cleanse, feel free to leave comments below or email me at lisa.jeffries@gmail.com privately.

    Disclosure: Humdinger did not compensate me in any way for this post, but I do sincerely appreciate their donation to the Rex Gala, where Johnnie Bud bid on and won this item!

  • Meatless Monday: Fresh Spinach Tomato and Garlic Tortellini Soup

    The Manfriend and I enjoyed this for dinner last week and it’s going into our regular rotation, especially looking forward to chilly fall and winter evenings: Fresh Spinach Tomato and Garlic Tortellini Soup.

    This was a super quick fix, but because the tortellini gets soft quick, I don’t recommend it for an all day Crockpot dish.

    (Image via CookingClassy.com)
    I shared the recipe on Facebook a few days before actually making it and got a lot of great responses, including a recommendation to buy the smaller package of tortellini as the 20 oz. was enough to feed an army. Well placed, seeing as how we are a dinner for two. (I did forget to half the rest of the ingredients, including the water and stock, and everything still turned out wonderfully, so adjust as you see fit.)
    I had the staples like EVOO, salt and pepper on hand and the grocery bill for this was less than $10. Save yourself some time and buy canned tomatoes that are already peeled. I really couldn’t taste any difference and should have saved my self the effort in blanching and peeling.
    Enjoy this tasty dish and toss in some mushrooms if you’re feeling adventurous!

  • Manfriend Meals: Meatless Monday Recipes

    The manfriend requested all of these recipes separately, but I thought they’d make a great meal together:

    I made the farfalle dish as the main entree, with the balsamic carrots on the side, green beans, and wheat dinner rolls.

    The verdict?

    He loved it all!

    Especially the carrots.

    My manfriend is a great sport when it comes to occasionally dining vegetarian, but he did ask that sausage or another protein with a lot of flavor be added to the farfalle dish when we revisit it for dinner. While this vegetarian won’t be adding sausage to her portion of the dish next time around, a small amount of a mushroom cream sauce or even roasted tomatoes would be tasty!

  • Brunch at Tazza Kitchen: No Syrup Needed

    Johnnie Bud and I have been big fans of Tazza Kitchen since it opened in Cameron Village earlier this year. They’ve got a great cocktail menu and and a foodie menu made for sharing each other’s plates, so of course we were excited to hear they were adding Sunday brunch to their tasty lineup.

    We called ahead around 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and were thrilled to hear there was no wait to seat two, so we drove over to Cameron Village, sat at the bar, and quickly ordered a Sunday afternoon staple – mimosas, please! (Very happy to report that they used fresh squeezed orange juice and a very generous pour of prosecco at $6. Next time, we’ll go for the $12 1/2 liter carafe option.)

    The brunch menu wasn’t super vegetarian-friendly, but still super appealing nonetheless.

    • Johnnie Bud ordered the French Toast: house-made brioche, cashew praline butter, blueberry vincotto sauce, basil, whipped mascarpone – $9.5
    • I chose the Broccoli Rabe & Smoke Mozzarella Sandwich: oven roasted tomatoes, smokey tomato mayo – $9.5

    Neither disappointed, but Johnnie’s choice was clearly the brunch champ this go around. The blueberries and praline butter made a great sweetener – no syrup required!

    My sandwich was a good choice with the mayo on the side, but would have been a better breakfast item with a fried egg or egg over medium/well added in between the ciabatta slices.

    We got plate envy watching the Huevos Rancheros (corn tostadas, chorizo, sofritto, baked eggs*, salsa verde, pico de gallo, crema, cranberry beans, hash browns – $10.5) and Breakfast Pizza (béchamel, bacon, mozzarella, grana padano, baked local eggs – $13) being delivered to nearby tables, so you can bet we’ll be back in the coming weekends to try those options A.S.A.P.