Category Archives: Local Stores

Called up to The Varsity

By Harold

The Varsity Theatre had been operating for 83 years in the middle of downtown Chapel Hill… until it closed this spring. And this summer when I told anyone who had ever set foot in Chapel Hill that The Varsity closed, I would get a look back like I just said someone they knew had died.

How great was the theater? It was hard to judge from the eulogies that were written. Within weeks, it started getting The Rathskeller treatment. That is what I refer to articles like this from the Chapel Hill historical society about another landmark that recently closed, a place with the worst nickname of all time for a restaurant: “The Rat.” Continue reading

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Filed under Best Deals Under $10, Community News, Local Stores, The Daily Harold

Daily Triangle Gift Guide: Local Edition

by Laura

This edition of the gift guide narrows down your shopping to a few categories that have something for everyone – food, books & sports.

Local Foodie Meccas

Southern Season

It’s probably impossible to make it through the holidays without giving or receiving a bundle of goodies from this gourmet super-store.  They just released a host of coupons (30% off all nut towers!) that make it a little easier to buy your boss the tin full of candied pecans or chocolate truffles that she’s been craving.  And don’t worry, out-of-state friends, if you wanted to send me a little snack, they deliver a variety of tasty gift packages available online.

Mama Dip’s

A recent visitor pre-ordered a pie to take home on the plane – they’re just that good.  If you prefer your loved ones to be pleasantly plump, stuff some baked goodies into your carry-on or invest in Mama Dip’s cookbook, chock-full of heart-stopping recipes from a classic Southern restaurant.  And when warmer weather rolls around, you can choose from a variety of picnic baskets that include a red checkered table cloth, not to mention fried chicken and other greasy treats.

Parker & Otis

A newish Durham shop, Parker & Otis has settled itself in next to Brightleaf Square, making it a popular destination for coffee or a quick bite.  But, they also offer gourmet foods like olive oil, wine & chocolates.  A quick look at their online store revealed such gluttonous delights as chocolate chip bacon pancake mix.  We are in the South, after all! Continue reading

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Filed under Local Stores, Restaurants

Daily Triangle Gift Guide: Charity Edition

If you believe that it’s better to give than to receive (and you think your friends and families might agree), perhaps a charitable donation is in order this holiday season.

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/lauragutmann

Shameless plug in the name of a good cause; $10 buys you a luminary in honor of someone whose life has been affected by cancer and helps my Relay for Life team reach their goals.

www.donorschoose.org

An extremely practical way to make a classroom better – donate to support the cost of teacher-requested resources.  A gift certificate allows the recipient to choose the classroom project they’d like to support. Continue reading

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Daily Triangle Gift Guide: Online Shopping Edition

by Laura

Welcome to the first installment of the Daily Triangle Gift Guide; over the course of the week, we’ll explore some local shops to highlight unique holiday giving ideas.  (In other words, we’re avoiding writing our final papers.)  However, in this day and age, the Internet is where it’s at.  Here’s just a few of my favorite places to enter my credit card number and hit “order”: Continue reading

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Wal-mart… do they like make walls there?

by Laura

Today I went to the mall.  I have not actually shopped at a mall in years.  In New York you do this thing called running around to different boutique stores across the city, which is supposed to make you feel more exclusive and special.  Considering that my exclusivity is limited to the Gap, it always ended up being more like an inefficient way to find t-shirts and jeans.  Someone in NYC invented online shopping, I guarantee it – not Alaska, or North Dakota.  North Dakota probably just discovered the Internet two weeks ago. (Zing!) Continue reading

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West Side Story

by Laura

I recently got my hair chopped off at Moshi Moshi, a cute salon on West Franklin Street.  I don’t think it’s possible to work there without being a hipster, but at least they’re friendly Southern hipsters.  The Japanese pop aesthetic meant I got to wear a kimono while staring at Hello Kitty from an orange plastic swivel chair.   Plus they have an online reservation system complete with email reminders. Win!

Family portrait post-cut.

Family portrait post-cut.

Moshi Moshi (which, btw, means hello), is one of several businesses on the supposedly more sophisticated far end of Franklin, where the beers are $3 instead of $1.  If you ignore the McDonald’s and the scary Chinese buffet, you’ll see that the block has evolved to include some serious fine dining, a boutique hotel, and pubs with leather chairs, among other signs of legitimacy. Continue reading

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Maple Boo Farms

by Laura

With Halloween and the goodness of fall around the corner, there was only one way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Pumpkin shopping! Our two bucks got us an excellent specimen from Maple View Farms, a local institution in nearby Hillsborough. Continue reading

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Filed under Best Deals Under $10, Community News, Local Stores, Music & Events

Pilates: As Hard-Core As It Gets

by Laura

Many of you have already heard me drone on about pilates reformer, my saving grace for the past year.  My gym in NYC was a fantastic deal – I paid about $100/month for unlimited semi-private training, including reformer classes.  They helped me get just a teeny bit stronger.  This meant that when I attempted something more difficult, like kickboxing, I would fade at the 20 minute mark, instead of immediately.

Around these parts, reformer is not as prevalent, and at first all I could find were a few instructors offering $70/hour private lessons.  Ouch – not going to happen in Student Land. However, my burgeoning research skills led me to discover InsideOut Body Therapies.  It offers small group classes for only $20 a pop, once you invest in the multi-visit package.

Since North Carolina has space for full-blown equipment, today I faced this beast, pictured below:

pilates

Scary-looking Pilates machine.  See – aren’t you impressed?

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