The Carolina Inn Blog

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First Place winners received a $100 South Point Mall gift cerificate and Dinner for Four at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant. Second Place winners received a $50 South Point Mall gift certificate and Brunch for Two at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant. 

The winners of this year's contest are:

Adult: 1st Place Winner - Amalia Bolivar
Adult: 2nd Place Winner - Francesca Monachino

Youth: 1st Place Winner - Lynalese Kindy
Youth: 2nd Place Winner - Margret Conrad Troop #378

Congratulations to all our winners! Information regarding the 2011 Twelve Days of Christmas and Gingerbread House Competition will be posted online next fall.

HOW TO ENTER:
Deadline for entry forms is Friday, December 3, 2010
Via Fax: 919-918-2795
Via Email: 12days@carolinainn.com
Via Mail: 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Re: 12 Days of Christmas, Attn: Heidi Werner
Drop Off: Drop off your form at the front desk of the hotel at any time. Clearly mark envelope, Attn: Heidi Werner.

• To be eligible for the competition, a signed and completed entry form must be received by fax or mail prior to 5PM Friday, December 3, 2010. Entries that are not pre-registered will not be accepted. 
• Only one entry per entry form is permitted.  
• The 2010 Gingerbread House Competition Entry Form must be signed by the individual entering the competition. If the individual is younger than age eighteen by the date of the competition, a signature from a parent or legal guardian is required along with the minor’s signature.
• Entry numbers will be assigned upon receipt of completed entry forms, and competitors will receive a letter or email with entry number confirming their entry into the 2010 competition. 
• Team entries are allowed under the following guidelines:
o Complete one entry form for the team that only includes the team captain’s contact information. In the case of school groups or girls or boys scout troops entering the competition, the classroom teacher or troop supervisor should be listed as the team captain and provide his or her contact information.
o A separate typed list of each team members’ first and last names, along with ages, should be included with the team’s entry form.
o A signature from a parent or legal guardian will be required for each team member under eighteen years of age.
o In the event a Team Entry places in the competition, the team captain will be the recipient of any prizes. Distribution or splitting of any prize will be left to the team captain to determine. 
o A Team should consist of two to five individuals working on a single entry. No more than five individuals are allowed to work on a single entry.

Note:  Due to limited display space, we can only accept 20 entries 10 Adult and 10 Youth by order received. Only one entry is allowed per household.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
In the event you are no longer able to compete in our Gingerbread House Competition, please call our Twelve Days of Christmas concierge at 919.918.2755.

COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
Adult (15 and older)  
Youth (15 and under)

Note: Teen and Child competitors may be supervised while baking, for safety precautions, by a parent or guardian. However, all gingerbread house construction, design and decoration must be done by the individual(s) entering the competition.

COMPETITION THEME:
Competitors are not limited to the structure of a house. We welcome and encourage competitors to uniquely design their entry for this years’ competition, as long as the entry is in keeping with the competition Rules & Procedures.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
Entries will be judged by the general public and our Pastry Chef. The entry with the highest number of points in its category will be the winner. Entries will be judged on each of the following criteria on a scale of 1-5: Overall Appearance, Originality & Creativity, Difficulty, Precision, and Consistency of Theme (theme should be competitor’s own and consistent throughout entry). Winners will be announced on Monday, December 20, 2010 and will be posted on our website.

PRODUCTION CHECKLIST:

• Entries must not exceed 1.5 feet in height, 1.5 feet in width, or 1.5 feet in depth, including the board used as a base. We suggest using ½” or ¾” plywood as a base for your entry.
• Write your name, entry number, address, and phone number on the underside of your base.
• Entries must be made primarily of gingerbread and entirely of edible products (except for the base). Candies must be unwrapped. Edible materials are not limited to sweets.
• No artificial display materials, such as styrofoam or interior lighting, are to be used in the construction of the house.

DROPPING OFF YOUR ENTRY:

• Entries accepted Friday, December 10, from 9:00 am 12:00pm. Entries that are not pre-registered will not be accepted.
• Please check-in with our front-desk agents the day of delivery and they will direct you to one of our ballrooms where we will store all our entries by category and in order of entry number.
• The competitor’s name, entry number, address, and phone number must be labeled underneath the base.

Note: We reserve the right to refuse any entries deemed inappropriate for display at the hotel.

PICKING UP YOUR ENTRY:

• Entries will remain on display in The Carolina Inn lobby starting Saturday, December 11 through Monday, December 27, 2010.
• Entries may be picked up Tuesday, December 28th from 9:00 am to 12:00pm.
• Entries will be discarded on Wednesday, December 29th. No exceptions.

Category Place Prize
ADULT-First Place: $100 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and "Dinner for Four" at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.
ADULT-Second Place: $50 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and “Dinner for Two” at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.
YOUTH-First Place: $100 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and "Brunch for Four" at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.
YOUTH Second Place: $50 South Point Mall Gift Certificate and “Brunch for Two” at Carolina Crossroads Restaurant.

REGISTRATION FORM
How to Enter:
Deadline for entry forms has been extended to Friday, December 3, 2010
Via Fax: 919-918-2795 Attn Heidi Werner
Via E-mail: 12days@carolinainn.com
Via Mail: 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516 (Re: 12 Days of Christmas, Attn: Heidi Werner) 
Or, you may drop forms off at the front desk of the hotel at any time. Clearly mark envelope “Attn: Heidi Werner”

Note: Due to limited display space, we can only accept 20 entries (10 Adult and 10 Youth), by order received.

Group or Business Name: (If applicable)  
Competitor’s  or Group Captain’s Name:  
Street Address:
City, State and Zip:

Daytime Phone:  
Evening Phone: 
E-mail Address: 
Preferred method of contact: 
Category for Entry: (Check one)   Adult   Youth                             
Type of Entry: (Check one)   Individual   Group
Type of Entry:  (Check one)   Professional   Amateur

I understand that to be eligible for the contest, I must complete and return this entry form by December 3, 2010 and be accepted into the contest by The Carolina Inn. In addition, I must deliver my completed entry Friday, December 10, 2010, between 9:00am and 12:00pm with competitor name, category, address and phone number on the base on I have read all requirements and understand that my entry must be completely edible and primarily made of gingerbread. I understand that my entry will be on display at The Carolina Inn from December 11 – December 28, 2010 and relinquish all responsibility from The Carolina Inn for any damage to my gingerbread house caused by public display. Winners of the competition will be announced Monday, December 20, 2010 and posted at carolinainn.com as well as our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Signature of Applicant:_____________________________________Date: __________________
If the applicant is younger than the age of eighteen (18) by the date of the competition, please complete the section below.

I affirm that the applicant listed above is ______ years of age and will independently design, construct and decorate the entry to be submitted.

Applicant’s date of birth (required for Applicants under the age of 18):_______________
Signature of Parent or Guardian:___________________Date: ________________

*NOTE: Group entries should only include the group captain’s information. A secondary list of each group members’ name and signature should be included along with date of birth and signature from a parent or legal guardian if under 18 years old.

Here is an excerpt from The Green Kangaroo’s blog:
Devon, what are the top things couples should consider when looking at wedding and reception venues? There are so many things to consider! The biggest key is to do your research on your venue and vendors before committing to them. Check those references!

Read the rest of Devon’s recommendations.

Thursdays on Tap- $3 Drafts All Day

Fridays on the Front Porch- Live Bluegrass Music, Cool Drinks & a Summer Picnic Menu. Starts at 5:00pm

Saturdays- Double Reward Points for our Culinary Rewards Members. Join Today!

Bloody Good Sundays- Half Priced Bloody Marys & Small Plates

*Don't miss our July specials running all month long:

Locals Rule- Show us your driver's license with your Chapel Hill/Carrboro address and we'll take 10% off your dinner bill in July

Dinner at Dusk- Three Course Menu for $39 available Tuesday through Sunday for diners seated before 6:00pm

Click here for a printable calendar. Keep one on your fridge, in your office or in your car so you always know what's happening at Carolina Crossroads!

History, that sepia patina, plays a part in all this.  The first state university is here, founded in 1789, which means it was the first institution of higher learning where all a young man or woman had to do was get here to take a class, and the only state university to graduate students in the 18^th century.  Over two hundred years later it’s the doing the same thing, but better, changing as the world around it changes.  It’s constantly innovating and remains a model for universities everywhere.  Thomas Wolfe, one of the greatest writers America has produced, came here in 1915, when he was only fifteen years old.  He predicted that that his portrait would one day hang in Old West near that of North Carolina governor Zebulon Vance, and he was right: it still does today.  Other literary luminaries soon followed, and many of them have changed the face of contemporary American literature: Russell Banks, Taylor Branch, Shelby Foote, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Armistead Maupin, to name a very, very few.

What’s harder to see is how a similar history is being made right now.  There are more world famous writers in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, per capita, than in any other place in the world.  You can see them everywhere, meet them in the produce section of the grocery store, sitting at the table next to yours in a restaurant: you can even say hello, and tell them how much you love their writing (rumor to the contrary, they can’t hear that enough).  Do something particularly outrageous and who knows: you could end up in their next book.  Give it a shot. 

Chapel Hill, to this day, is sustained by the arts, and it sustains everybody with its art.  This is a community where art is practiced and perfected, and where professionals from around the world come to play, dance and sing.  Memorial Hall, on campus, hosts everybody from Yo-Yo Ma to Earl Scruggs, dance and drama from all over the world, one-stop shopping for the sort of culture that teaches while it entertains. 

On the other side of campus is Playmakers Repertory Company, whose productions are staged in Paul Green Theater.  Playmakers is considered the leading theater in the Carolinas, and has been honored by the Drama League of New York as one of the best regional theaters in the country.  Recent offerings include The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, an ambitious eight hour stage play, Romeo and Juliet, and The Glass Menagerie. 

And, as almost everybody knows, the Art of Basketball is performed here September through April, and more often than not it’s performed at the highest level, an exemplar of what human beings can do with a round orange ball.  You can see them rise like dancers, turn and spin, elegant and powerful, smart and fast as lightening.  Not unlike our literary tradition, famous practitioners of the art have lived and played here, including the greatest man to have ever played the game, Michael Jordan.  In this last decade alone two national championship banners have been hung from the rafters of the Dean Smith Center.  And yes: you can see our artists there as well, cheering along with half the population of the entire town. 

But this decidedly world-class offering of cultural happenings doesn’t end on campus: it radiates through the entire county like a ripple on the surface of a pond.  Carrboro hosts so many festivals you might think there’s one happening there every single day of the year: there are film, poetry, comedy, dance and music festivals.  In Hillsborough, there’s the annual Handmade Parade, featuring giant puppets the likes of which you’ve never seen before (trust us).  Just to maintain an appropriate balance between the arts and . . . everything else, Hillsborough also hosts Hog Day, now in its 28^th year, a down-home traditional pig-picking and barbeque contest, and the largest classic auto show in the state.

No, you will not go hungry in Orange County.  World-class cooks – two James Beard finalists – live and work here.   On Franklin Street alone – Franklin Street being Chapel Hill’s one and only drag – there are over fifty restaurants, from the elegant to the ridiculously informal.  And many of these establishments serve the freshest produce you’ll ever eat, because local farmers drive into town from their farms, dozens of which surround us like a great wall of organic goodness.  

It sounds like a polyester promise, but there’s something for everybody here.  The Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro is the only significant music club between Washington D.C. and Atlanta, so for a little town we get the biggest bands.  About a mile away, The Ackland Museum in Chapel Hill hosts over a dozen of shows every year . . . Oh, it’s tempting to continue, because once you start thinking about what’s happening here you realize that there’s very little that isn’t.  Even the weather is perfect.  Come at your own risk, because after coming you may not want to leave.  Even our buildings are adorned with murals.

Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Orange County: It’s not one thing: it’s everything.

-Written by David Wallace for the Orange County Visitors Bureau

The unique history of the Inn and the important relationship between the Inn and The University of North Carolina was described as each employee read The University’s Living Room by Kenneth Zogry. From the Inn’s beginning in 1924 through the New Deal Era, Civil Rights movement and into present-day, The Carolina Inn has remained a fixture on the campus of UNC and truly is the University’s living room.

Click here to view an interactive timeline of the Inn’s history. Also, on your next visit to the Inn be sure to view our new historical photo display.

Photo:
Front row – Jim Phelan, Tracie Panko, Beverly Ingram, Alison D’Agostino, Elizabeth Rubio, Ashleigh Collins

Back row – Terri Nier, Elizabeth Bischoff, Kenneth Zogry (Inn’s Historian), Margaret Oppegard, Julie McCay, Mark Nelson

Executive Chef Jimmy Reale and his culinary team will be showcasing the following dishes during the month of May as part of the contest:

Appetizer - Grilled Local Asparagus, Arugula, Prosciutto di Parma, Hillsborough Cheese Company Ricotta, Crispy Latta Farm Poached Egg, Aged Sherry Vinegar, Za’atar Oil

Salad – Organic Arugula Salad, Red & Golden Beets, Hillsborough Cheese Company Feta, Toasted Hazelnuts, Blood Orange Vanilla Vinaigrette

Entrée– Roasted Chatham County Poulet Rouge, NC Fingerling Sweet Potatoes, Local Asparagus, Caramelized Cippolini Onions, Zucchini, Roasted Chicken Jus

Our featured dishes showcase local produce and North Carolina products from Latta’s Egg Ranch, Hillsborough Cheese Company, Red Farms, Sonny’s Pride Scott Farms and local area farmers markets.

A team of mystery judges will be sampling our featured dishes and a contest winner will be announced later this summer. Stop by our restaurant to try these featured dishes and earn double points toward our new Culinary Rewards Program.

Check back on our blog to see photos of our featured dishes, recipes and chef tips on making the most of local produce.

With our Culinary Rewards Program, you'll earn points every time you dine at the Carolina Crossoads, so you can enjoy more great food and good times on us. As a member, you'll earn one point for every dollar you spend at the restaurant and bar. Once you have accumulated 300 points, we'll give you a $20 Carolina Crossroads gift card that can be redeemed any time at our restaurant - it's that easy! Additionally, rewards members will receive special invitations to Members Only events and offers, as well as preferred reservations on high demand dates.

Enrollment in the program is simple - and free! Enroll now or register in person during your next meal with us. And just for signing up, you'll receive 25 bonus points to get started.

Below is a listing of the local vendors and farmers the Carolina Crossroads used for their Greek Salad:

Bibb Lettuce - Green Haven Farms

Red Radishes - Cottle Farms

English Cucumbers - Barham’s Farms

Sunburst Tomatoes - Sunburst Tomato Company

Feta Cheese - Hillsborough Cheese Company

The Earth Day celebration continues on April 22nd at The Carolina Inn with a prix fixe menu at the Carolina Crossroads Restaurant designed to showcase local and organic ingredients. Stop by to try our three course menu for $55 person, four course menu for $65 per person, and five course menu for $75 per person. Call 919-918-2735 or visit the Carolina Crossroads for reservations.  

The event highlighted an eight minute film of Governor  Terry Sanford calling for racial equality in a 1963 speech in The Carolina Inn’s Old Well Room. Click here to view and download the speech.

Guests were also treated to a discussion with the authors moderated by William Friday followed by a book signing with the authors. Historical 1960s photography by North Carolina photographer Billy Barnes was displayed in the Alumni Room.

Some of the materials they used included: Tail, a fungi used in stew, and Reindeer Moss, also stewed as a thickener and cabbage substitute for sweetness. The little fairy placed next to their house was made from Marzipan and sat on a gingerbread bench at the back of a rock-wall made of edible chocolate stones bordered with candied parsley. The fairy was surrounded by edible, candied flowers in blue, and had an almond sliver path at her feet. The gingerbread wall of her house was made dark from molasses and covered in colored sugar crystals.

Congratulations to the Holland Family!  Thank you for participating in our 7th Annual Gingerbread House Competition.  We look forward to seeing next years' entries. 

I grew up going to breakfast every Sunday morning at the Carolina Inn for many years with my parents and grandparents, which is why I was just as thrilled as the girls to be going to The Carolina Inn.

So the two little princesses got all dressed up and had just a fabulous time. Five course luncheon at a four star hotel for kids 8 to 12 years old to learn from an etiquette expert, so adorable! They felt like it was princess school and raved about it. They wandered all over the Inn looking at their 12 days of Christmas exhibits – even two live turtle doves in the lobby. Then I took them to the grounds at Gimghoul Castle to run around because all princesses have to visit the castle right?

~ Michelle Hillison ~ (12/22/09)

Adult Category
First Place : Laura Makay-Gondek and Paige Gondek, Stone Cottage
Second Place: Christina Perry, Pastel Summer Cottage
Runner-Up: Amalia Boliner, Traditional Gingerbread House

Youth Category                                                   
First Place: Brendan & Richard Haygood, Church & Parson Brown House
Second Place: Patrick Noonan, Chicken Coup
Runner-Up: Kendall & Kimberly Clark

Thank you to all our contestants for participating in this year's Gingerbread House Competition.  We hope to see you again next year! 

UNC-TV recently aired a story on our Twelve Days of Christmas celebration on North Carolina Weekend.  View the video here and see what our month of festivities is all about.  The Daily Tar Heel describes it well in the article "The Carolian Inn exhalts Christmas."

If you have not had a chance to visit us this season, it's not too late!  Our decorations will be up and holiday events in full swing through January 3rd.  For more information and reservations visit our Twelve Days of Christmas page. 

We also invite you to share your holiday pictures and videos on this blog.  Tell us why you think Chapel Hill and The Carolina Inn are magical places to see during this time of year.   

It's not too late to schedule a visit with Santa before Christmas.  Make your reservations today for Breakfast or Brunch with Santa at The Carolina Inn.  Click here or call 919.918.2711 for more information and to reserve your seats.  Don't forget to bring your wish list!     

Mary owns "everything that's ever been made with the Front Porch logo" and all the CDs of our FOFP bands.  She makes sure she doesn't miss any of our Friday celebrations.  Her family has three generations of biggest FOFP fans and everyone knows their table on the porch! Thank you for your entry Mary.  The Carolia Inn staff really enjoyed hearing your story!

How To Post Your Entry

All you have to do to enter is tell us through photo, video, essay, haiku, etc. why YOU are #1 Fan of Fridays on the Front Porch. Post your stuff on this blog and use the title: "#1 FOFP FAN - Your Name".

What's the Grand Prize?

The Carolina Inn is awarding the #1 FOFP FAN:

- 2 months (8 Fridays) of FOFP buffet and drink tickets for you and four guest $1,040 value).  Each Friday, you will receive: 10 drink tickets and 5 southern picnic buffet tickets

- Reserved, front row table seating for 5 (priceless!)

- Valet parking for 1 car for all 8 Fridays ($80 value)

- 5 FOFP t-shirts ($100 value)

How We Will Select the Lucky Winner

Our executive team will select the winner based on the creativity, originality and quality of the entry.

When Is The Deadline?

Deadline for entry is Monday, November 2, 2009 at 12PM.
The grand prize winner will be officially announced November 7, 2009 at the Tailgate Party on the Front Porch 3 hours prior to the UNC vs. Duke homecoming game.

Good luck Everyone, and Happy Uploading!

More Details:

- To enter, users need to be Facebook FANS of The Carolina Inn.

- If you are a Carolina Inn employee, you may not participate in this competition.

- Winner will be contacted via a facebook message within 7 days after the competition end-date.

- Should the winner not respond to their Facebook communication within 3 days, the prize will be forfeited and given to the next runner-up.

- Winners should allow 30 days for prize delivery after winner announcement.

- FOFP tickets must be used by November 30, 2010.

- Prize is valid for 1 year! Tickets may be used for FOFP or Tailgate Party on the Front Porch.

- The Carolina Inn shall have the right to terminate the competition immediately and without notice. In the event of such termination, all participants agree to waive any rights that they may have in terms of this promotion and acknowledge that they will have no recourse against The Carolina Inn.

- Submissions must not contain material which is violent, pornographic or otherwise obscene, illegal or racially or otherwise morally offensive.

Entering this competition indicates acceptance of all the above rules.

For more information on our special events click here

View our FOFP 2009 Season Band Line-Up

Business organizers in Chapel Hill have started a campaign to bolster the community with economic activity and Tar Heel spirit on game-day weekends.

The goal of “Touch Downtown Chapel Hill” is to encourage football fans – locals and visitors – to come early and stay late after the games to enjoy local restaurants, specialty stores and other cultural attractions.

According to a recent economic impact study conducted by Dr. Nathan Tomasini of the VCU Center for Sports Leadership, the 2008 North Carolina-Notre Dame football game generated $6.4 million for the Chapel Hill and Orange County economies plus $325,000 in local and state tax revenue.

Chapel Hill hopes football will boost economy

With seven home games on the schedule for this year, the total economic impact could be more than $40 million and more than $2 million in local and state tax revenue, according to officials.

Managers said the campaign helped encourage people to stop by their business downtown on Saturday for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s season opener against The Citadel.

As part of the effort, local merchants and restaurants were encouraged to have employees where clothing with UNC logos and put UNC and Citadel flags in front of their businesses.

For the second year, the Carolina Inn hosted a tailgate party on its front porch.

“UNC football…it’s huge,” said Allal Kartaoui, assistant food beverage director for the Carolina Inn.

For the entire Labor Day weekend, managers at Carolina Inn say they're fully booked.

Peggy Fitzgerald traveled from Florida to join the party in Chapel Hill. Fitzgerald said there is a family rivalry – her cousin, Stokes Fishburne, is a graduate of Citadel.

“They rag on me all the time. I’m used to it,” Fishburne said.

Managers at restaurant and bar Top of the Hill hope the city’s marketing campaign attracts people days before the big games.

While the restaurant and bar has long played host to the game day crowd, manager Steven Torchio said they have felt the effects of the economy.

“Nobody is immune. I don’t think there’s any business or any place in this town,” Torchio said.

Reporter: Beau Minnick
Photographer: Geof Levine
Web Editor: Kathy Hanrahan

Bluegrass Comes to Carolina Inn on Fridays
by Lucie Shelly
Friday, September 4, 2009 

When Fridays on the Front Porch began at the Carolina Inn in 2003, the free event quickly garnered popularity among bluegrass enthusiasts and those looking for outdoor summer music.

This season looks to be no exception, as the crowd is bigger than ever, said Laurence Bézy, marketing manager for the Carolina Inn.

With the advent of the 2009 football season, organizers have decided to continue Tailgate Party on the Front Porch, an event they began last year.

The tailgate program also features live music just as Fridays on the Front Porch does. But it takes place on home game days and begins three hours prior to each football game.

Both events offer food and beverages for purchase from the bar.

“If you like Fridays on the Front Porch, you will definitely like it,” Bezy said of the tailgate series.

The performances this season will feature mostly recognizable local bands, such as Big Fat Gap and the Gravy Boys.

The organizers also are looking to introduce a few new groups.

“Most of the bands are local, but we have two new bands from the Asheville area,” Bézy said.

But for regulars of the event who have picked their favorites, don’t fear: they will return.

“The ones that come back every year are the local bands, and they will be back again for this season,” she said.

Local favorites the Gravy Boys will perform at Saturday’s tailgate.

The band has been a staple at the Carolina Inn for the past two years.

Steve Celestini, the lead vocalist, said the series is one of the group’s absolute favorite events to play.

“From the three-year-olds kickin’ up dirt and dancing to college kids and local folks with a few years on them — it’s a great atmosphere,” he said.

Celestini described the music of the Gravy Boys as “acoustic Americana.”

With bluegrass infusions, twangs of country and covers of musicians such as Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, the Gravy Boys cater to a variety of tastes.

“We take a lot of pride in our crowd rapport and engaging in what the fans call shenanigans,” he said.

Today’s show will feature event-regulars Big Fat Gap, who play strictly Carolina bluegrass.

Lead singer Miles Andrews said that in recent years the concerts have become packed events.

“It’s such a great venue with a large lawn where you can sit up close for the music or hang around the back for socializing and soak it in,” he said.

If you go:

Fridays on the Front Porch: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays through Oct. 9.

Tailgate Party on the Front Porch: Saturdays of home football games, 3 hours before kickoff.

Click here for a link to the article.

The Triangle Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives, NACE, held its monthly gathering at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill Tuesday. This was a particularly special occasion as the Triangle chapter members recently returned from the national meeting of the organization, bringing home the Chapter of the Year Award.

NACE is the oldest and largest professional organization that encompasses all aspects of the catering industry. The NACE gathering on Tuesday was centered in the Old Wing of the hotel.

"Summertime at the Carolina Inn" was made up of four rooms styled and presented by members of the organization. One room featured a seven-layer wedding cake at its center anchored by decorations in each corner. The second room was designed more like a social gathering and featured a popcorn maker, a pool table and Dave Brown of Coastal Cigars making fresh cigars on the spot.

The main ballroom, where the meeting was held, prominently displayed colorful daybeds, a stage, two food stations and two bars. The final room, called the Ice Room, was put together by Sugarland bakery, and featured a gelato bar and a martini bar. Doc and Katrina Ryan, owners of Sugarland, served up samples of the chilled desserts.

The event was not all about food and style, though. Amy Greene, the special events coordinator for Spice Street Restaurant and active NACE member, was busy selling raffle tickets to benefit the organization's fundraising efforts. Suzanne Pesta stopped by the table to support the effort.

Each year, the Triangle chapter sponsors a community service fundraiser to benefit the Interfaith Food Shuttle's Backpack Buddies. Proceeds from the raffle, which included two tickets to see David Copperfield at the Durham Performing Arts Center, and a hot air balloon ride for two, will benefit the Backpack Buddies program. The drawing will be held next month.

At the beginning of the program, Triangle NACE President Mark Day addressed the crowd briefly before other members of the group made remarks. The program was short and then it was on to the music, provided by Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos.

Brooke Fork and Alli Eidenmiller took in the music and fun together. Eidenmiller, who owns Sweet Memories Bakery, came to the event as a guest. Fork, on the other hand, is a new member of the organization, joining just two weeks earlier. Fork spoke highly of the group, stating it was a great organization.

Next up for the Triangle Chapter of NACE is its annual Top of the Table Design Challenge, which will be held Sept. 22 at Bay 7 on the campus of the American Tobacco Historic District.

"What a fun night.We've been to a ton of wine dinners, but never a beer dinner. What a surprise.

The food and beer were great, the pairings delightful, and our table guests a blast. And Executive Chef Jimmy Reale had it all right on target.His food is wonderful.

The Inn was also a treat - from the wine and cookies upon check in to the suite itself. We were so happy not to have to worry about driving home to Raleigh. I can't remember the last time I had so much beer."
~Fletcher

"What a fab dinner - really teriffic. A smashing success we thought. We had a wonderful stay. The junior suite was perfect for post dinner crashing."
~Kathy

Don't miss our next dining event. To learn more about our events at the Carolina Crossroads Restaurant, visit our Event Calendar. For more information about our wonderful food, explore our menus.

Laurence Bezy,
Marketing Manager, The Carolina Inn