Lisa Jeffries Nobling – Raleigh, NC

Tag: beer

  • I’m Finally Going to Pepper Fest!

    I have wanted to go to this event for years, but something has always come up that’s kept me from snagging tickets ($30 here)… until this year, y’all! Can you imagine how excited I was when my girl Cherith from Clairemont Communications gave me a buzz to ask to me to volunteer as a beer judge? Well dang, Cher… twist my arm, why don’t ya? (PS: Thanks for the invite, giiiiiirl!)

    Billed as, “(The Amazing Pepper Festival is) a celebration of sustainable agriculture, farmers, renewable energy, and the creativity of the Piedmont’s chefs, brewers and artisans. An afternoon of fun, food, children’s educational workshops, breweries, distilleries, music and entertainment!”, I’m pumped to make the 20 minute trek over to Chapel Hill for my first taste of the fest. Be sure to tune in on Instagram and see just how much heat this girl can sample in one afternoon.

    So here’s what you need to know – especially if you might be able to find yourself in Chapel Hill on the afternoon of Sunday, September 27th!

    Tickets get you:

    • The most delicious pepper-themed dishes from some of the Piedmont’s best chefs and food artisans using locally grown and produced food.* (Alcoholic drinks not included – bring some extra $$.)
    • Live music – The Stacks are playing! Tania Elizabeth (of the Avett Brothers) and Andy Stack.
    • Participation in fun activities for kids and adults about local farms, renewable energy, and the abundance of great local food in and around the Triangle!
    In addition to spending the afternoon enjoying flavorful, and occassionally spicy, dishes and drinks, you can feel pretty darn good knowing that all proceeds benefit Abundance NC, 
    Who is Abundance, you might ask? They’re “About Us” page reads: “At Abundance, we aim to be a hub of community resilience in central North Carolina, sourcing out the abundant local opportunities for us all to live and act sustainably, and bringing people together to exchange ideas and build the communities we want to live in.” Quite simply put, the group believes: “We don’t have to rely on goods and services brought in from elsewhere to eat well or to live fulfilling lives. We have everything we need to create a flourishing and interdependent community, right here at home.”
    Local and sustainable. I am definitely down with that. Add peppers and afternoon cocktails? I’m in.
    Hope to see y’all there! 

  • 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!

  • Paw-fect Valentine’s Plans

    Only rookies will celebrate Valentine’s Day on a Saturday night – instead, consider something fun… and for a great cause – that’s happening on Thursday night: Bark & Wine with Your Valentine 2015

    Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a beer & wine tasting while surrounded by the cutest faces in town! (Bringing a date is completely optional.)
    Fine wines, beer, tasty treats and wet puppy kisses await guests at the 10th annual Bark & Wine with Your Valentine. 
    This unique, intimate event will be held at the SPCA Curtis Dail Pet Adoption Center in Raleigh on Thursday, February 12 from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Sample 6-8 varieties of wine and and light fare to compliment the flavors for just $30.00 per person of which $5.00 is tax deductible.
    Email Vanessa Budnick at vbudnick@spcawake.org or call 919-532-2087 with questions.

  • Raleigh Rotaract to Host Charity Beer Dinner

    Raleigh people – I hope you’ll join me for a great beer dinner on Thursday, Dec. 11!

    The Rotaract Club of Raleigh has announced its inaugural Fall Charity Beer Dinner to take place on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., at Backyard Bistro restaurant in Raleigh, NC.
    The event features five food courses, designed by Chef Joe Lumbrazo (executive chef and owner, Backyard Bistro), that are each complemented by beer pairings donated by Raleigh’s own Big Boss Brewing and Lonerider Brewing companies.
    Raleigh is certainly no stranger to beer dinners, but the charity format is one not often seen. Of the $50.00 ticket price, nearly half of the money raised on ticket sales alone will go directly to this year’s designated charity: camper’s scholarships at Camp Mondamin in Zirconia, NC. This year’s beneficiary was selected in memory for local Rotarian Simon Everett, who died in an accident while working as a camp counselor at Mondamin this past summer. Everett donated his counselor salary to fund campers’ scholarships each summer and Raleigh Rotaract plans to pay that commitment forward with the proceeds from this event.
    In addition to ticket sales, silent auction items will be available for bidding on during the event, including food and beverage experiences, gift certificates to local businesses, and sporting event tickets – all great ways to beat the shopping lines at the mall this holiday season while supporting a great cause.
    Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/raleigh-rotaract-2014-charity-beer-dinner-tickets-13465649119 or RaleighRotaract.org. Discounts are available for tables of four – so plan to attend with friends, because more is truly merrier at this event.

  • Brewgrass in Wilmington

    From those local beer guys at Big Boss Brewing… here’s a must-attend in Wilmington for anyone making their way to the beach this weekend (or those of you lucky enough to live there)!

    *WILMINGTON BREWGRASS FESTIVAL*

    When    : Saturday, 2-8 p.m.
    Where: Water & Princess Streets, Wilmington
    Admission: $35.00
    Info: http://www.DBAwilmington.org

    So this is gonna be a great time! We’ll be down in Wilmington this Saturday pouring beers for the Brewgrass Festival.

    The music lineup is as follows:
    – The Drew Emmitt Band (formerly of Leftover Salmon)
    – Chatham County Line
    – Fescue
    – L Shape Lot

    And the other fine breweries we’ll be pouring alongside go as follows:
    -Asheville Brewing Company
    -Carolina Beer & Beverage
    -Front Street Brewery
    -Foothills Brewing Company
    -Gordon Biersch
    -Highland Brewing Company
    -Lonerider Brewing Company
    -RJ Rockers
    -Star Hill

    This promises to be a great time! There are still tickets available, so don’t miss out!


    You can get your tickets and more online from another local favorite, eTix.com!

    {Image: Wilmington Downtown Business Alliance}

  • You LIke to Eat, Right?

    Ok good… because here’s a cool event going on this weekend that supports our farmers!

    ‘Cuegrass Festival at The Pit
    Bring your lawn chairs for some outside BBQ, beer, and bluegrass!!


    (Click to enlarge)


    FREE STREET FESTIVAL – Saturday, April 4 Rain or Shine!

    11am – Filmore Valley Boys
    12:30pm – Town Mountain
    2pm – Old Habits

    **Bring your lawn chairs!**

    $5 beers & BBQ sandwiches on the street.
    Sponsored by Whole Foods, Coca-Cola, LoneRider Brewer and Aviator Brewery

    Proceeds benefit Feed the Farm, a non-profit organization helping to raise money to provide financial assistance for NC farmers.

    The Pit
    328 W. Davie Street
    Raleigh, NC
    (919) 890-4500

    Facebook event listing | DowntownRaleigh.com

  • Southern Favorites: Cooking with Beer

    I’m thinking this should be a perpetual recipe post as I know many of you include beer (either as a cooking aid to the chef or actually in the recipe) in many of your Southern concoctions.

    I literally laughed out loud when I read “Life is Reed-iculous”‘s post today which featured an Eastern NC favorite: Roasted Chicken a la Natty LightSend on your favorites to be featured!

    PS – Yes, thanks to this post, I just added the following label to my blog: “beer”.