OCTOBER 3, 2018

OVERHEARD

—Walter Penilla, manager at Midwood Smokehouse in Charlotte, about Bill Murray’s order when the actor unexpectedly dropped in at the restaurant Monday night. He was in town for his performance with cellist Jan Vogler at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

AROUND THE SOUTH

A view from North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Skip Sickler, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)

Looking forward to seeing fabulous fall foliage? You’ll have to be patient, according to Dr. Howard S. Neufeld, a plant physiologist and biology professor at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Warmer-than-normal temperatures across the South have delayed the development of many leaves’ bright hues. We’ve “never had a fall stay this warm, this long, this consistently,” says Neufeld, also known as @fallcolorguy on Facebook and Twitter. Without the cool temps necessary to help build the red and purple pigments in leaves, expect colors to change later than usual. Further, if it stays too warm too long, “some trees, like red maples and tulip poplars, may simply drop their leaves before they develop significant color,” Neufeld says. If so, you can expect mostly oranges and yellows. If you’re planning a leaf-peeping trip, this Fall Foliage Prediction Map from SmokyMountains.com is a handy tool. We’ve also put together a list of five fun ways to view the changing colors, including trips by foot, boat, and bike.

Originally built in the late 1800s and dormant for more than forty years, Kentucky’s historic Old Taylor Distillery, now brought back to life as Castle & Key, began welcoming guests again this September. Together with Marianne Eaves, the country’s first female master bourbon distiller since Prohibition, owners Will Arvin and Wes Murry transformed the sprawling property, complete with a turreted castle and European-style springhouse, into a Woodford County showpiece. While their inaugural bourbon continues to age, they’re producing a vodka and a London dry gin, and early next year, they’ll release a limited-edition rye whiskey. “Many people thought this day would never come,” Arvin says of the distillery’s opening following four years of hard work. “But we’re proud that we had the courage to keep pursuing this dream.” Read more about the distillery’s restoration.

The wind and rain were bad enough. Now areas of North Carolina are dealing with another effect of Hurricane Florence: giant mosquitoes. Called Psorophora ciliata, or “gallinippers,” the insects are up to three times the size of typical mosquitoes. Females lay eggs in low-lying areas; when it’s dry, nothing happens. But when it floods, the eggs hatch, and soon after, the swarming begins. Robert Phillips of Eastover stepped outside his house last week and was immediately overrun. “They were inundating me, and one landed on me,” he told the Fayetteville Observer. “It was like a small blackbird. I told my wife ... I’m going to have to use a shotgun on these things if they get any bigger.” Residents should get some relief when cooler and drier air moves in.

OUR STYLE DIRECTOR’S FIND OF THE WEEK

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WHAT WE’RE BUZZING ABOUT

—Drinks: In an effort to break my summer-long Aperol spritz habit and ease into red wine season, I looked to my favorite local wine shop here in Charleston, Edmund’s Oast Exchange. The team there turned me onto Dry Red Cider by Wölffer Wine. Crisp, slightly effervescent, and served chilled, it’s perfect for fall sipping in the (still very warm) South. Also, the shop’s wine club offers a selection of three (or six) of their favorite bottles for a flat fee each month. I get to try new wines and never have to stand helpless in a grocery store wine aisle again. If you’re not in Charleston, they’ll ship.

—Podcasts: As a producer of G&G’s Whole Hog Podcast (check out our latest episode with songwriter Robert Earl Keen), I have been slightly obsessed with all things podcast. One of my favorites is The Daily by the New York Times. Each episode is a deep dive into one story from the headlines. But I’ve also been bingeing on these short docu-series: RFK Tapes, which reexamines the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy using original police tapes and interviews; The Pope’s Long Con, a wild story of a Kentucky preacher-turned-politician filled with unbelievable lies and deceit; and Uncover: Escaping NXIVM, an emotional story of one woman’s recent escape from a cult.

—Music: Last week I saw David Byrne perform in Charleston, and I am still thinking of that show. Visually it was peculiar, theatrical, and mesmerizing, and the music was so on point. Byrne and his band played plenty of Talking Heads’ classics (“Road to Nowhere,” “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody),” and “Once in a Lifetime”) as well as songs from his latest solo album, American Utopia, which is definitely worth a listen. The U.S. leg of his tour is wrapping up, but this week he’s in Birmingham followed by several dates in Texas. If you’re a Talking Heads fan, do yourself a favor and see if you can score a ticket. In the meantime, put this playlist on shuffle.

—Kim Alexander, Digital Director 

READ THIS NOW

Each month, research editor CJ Lotz rounds up the best in new Southern books. Among October’s titles: Unsheltered, Barbara Kingsolver’s latest novel that traces the challenges and inspirations of two families living in the same house but separated by two centuries, and The Gardens of Bunny Mellon, a rare invitation behind the garden gate of the late Virginia style icon. See the full list here.

G&G’s BURNING QUESTION

Last week we asked readers, “What food or gift would you send to help a friend or family member who needs a pick-me-up?” We got a ton of great responses:

First, some homemade dill pickles or okra, and then some ol’ fashioned banana pudding with Nilla wafers. —Eric L.

I’d send a bag of BBQ pork rinds, a six-pack of Cheerwine, and a DVD of No Time for Sergeants, the funniest movie I know. —Kathleen M.

A really good, heavy-duty oyster knife. One that can be handed down to a grandchild. —Craig W.

Chapel Hill Toffee, Smithfield ham, or (if they live in the North) a jar of Duke’s mayonnaise. —Hugh S.

I send an apple cake from Barber Orchards in Waynesville, NC. It is soooo moist and delicious and has been my Christmas gift to friends and family for many years. —Vicki A.

Pralines! Who doesn't like pralines? —Jay B.

If I like them, I’d send them Anson Mills grits and cornmeal. —Deb H.

Nothing says comfort like an old-fashioned pound cake. You can eat it for dessert or toast it with butter for breakfast, or with peanut butter as a snack. Absolutely therapeutic! —Nancy F.

Matzo ball soup, of course. It’s called Jewish penicillin for a reason. —Stephen F.

I cooked with my grandma a lot growing up, and she had the BEST zucchini bread recipe! It’s become my favorite food gift to make for others—easy, delicious, and reminds me of special memories. —Morgan R.

Why cheese straws, of course. —Pam T.

I would show up with a chocolate cake and a bottle of red wine. —Brooke W.

This week’s question: What’s your favorite thing about fall in the South?
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THIS WEEK IN THE SOUTH

Now
Tickets are on sale for Sunday Supper South, a charity dinner around communal tables at Atlanta’s Ponce City Market on October 28. The annual family-style gathering brings together more than a dozen of the South’s top chefs, including this year’s featured chef, pit master Rodney Scott.

October 4
New Orleans’ funky Music Box Village art and performance venue will throw its second annual Airlift benefit dinner, co-hosted by artist Alexa Pulitzer. Expect music, drinks, and dinner under moonlight, with an (optional) dress code described as: “Visionary, Futurist, Transcendental, Dream World Denizen.”

October 5–7 and October 12–14
Now in its seventeenth year, Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park is a two-weekend extravaganza, including performances from Paul McCartney, Brandi Carlile, Houndmouth, and Shakey Graves.

October 6
Twenty vendors gather in New Orleans with pastries in tow for Beignet Fest. This year, flavors include praline, crawfish, and blackberry compote with whipped goat cheese.

October 6
Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now opens at Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas. The free exhibition, hailed as one of the “most promising museum shows around the world” by ARTNews, includes eighty works exploring contemporary indigenous U.S. and Canadian cultures.

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