Take a break from the autumn routine with a fall spa package, such as our Ultimate Reset or Digital Detox, which are designed to leave you feeling relaxed, restored, and revived.
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CHARLOTTE’S FINEST OPEN-AIR
SHOPPING AND DINING DESTINATION
LADIES
PETER
RAG
RALPH
TAYLOR
VERONICA BEARD
WINDSOR JEWELERS
I’m writing this fresh from a trip to Austria with my oldest daughter, Lily. We went to see Taylor Swift perform on the Eras Tour as an early 10th birthday celebration for her. We were fortunate to take this adventure together, and I will treasure the memories we made. At the same time, we were heartbroken to learn Swift canceled her concerts in Vienna because of terrorist threats.
As we joined other disappointed Swifties on the streets, we began to feel not only gratitude for our safety but also kinship with the fans around us. With Lily decked out in her “Fearless” gold sequined dress, we were eating dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking St. Stephen’s Cathedral when we heard a huge crowd outside singing “Trouble.” It was an emotional experience. From then on, I decided to put aside my disappointment and follow Lily’s lead. My resilient almost 10-year-old had us exchanging friendship bracelets with other Swifties and smiling as we indulged in gelato, toured Mozart’s apartment, and made our own chocolate at the Chocolate Museum Vienna.
The highlight of our treasured one-on-one time together was visiting Schönbrunn Palace and climbing the steep hill to The Gloriette — the famous structure that overlooks both the palace grounds and city skyline. Talk about rising above!
I’m excited to bring an international flavor to our October issue, which focuses on food. We feature Marti Buckley, an award-winning journalist living in San Sebastian, Spain, who happens to be one of my best friends from high school. Marti is the author of two books about Basque cuisine: “The Book of Pintxos” and “Basque Country.” She has contributed pieces to “Condé Nast,” “National Geographic Traveler,” “Food & Wine,” and “Travel & Leisure,” to name a few.
In our cover story, we feature talented local artist Debora Koo and share how her sweet tooth became a focal point for her artwork. Finally, we spotlight one of Charlotte’s power couples on the food scene upon the one-year anniversary of their opening L’Ostrica restaurant.
October is my favorite month of the year, a time when our family celebrates the birthdays of Lily and our almost 3-year-old Caroline. I hope you enjoy the beauty this time of year in North Carolina offers and maybe a few new culinary experiences along the way.
October 2024
PUBLISHER
Liz Brown | liz.brown@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Carroll Walton | carroll.walton@citylifestyle.com
PUBLICATION DIRECTOR
Katherine Bode | katherine.bode@citylifestyle.com
COPY EDITOR
Cate Stern
INTERN
Sally Sozzi
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Marti Buckley, Brittany Noble Newcomb, Carroll Walton
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Simon Bajada, Unify Visual Marketing
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Evan Deuvall
LAYOUT DESIGNER Adam Finley
LIZ BROWN, PUBLISHER @QUEENCITYMAG
L’Ostrica
Young
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1 – 3: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hosts its “Visionaries of the Year” Grand Finale gala. 4: Aiko Seveali’i, LeAnn Lambert, and Melody Cole at Chamber of Commerce event to benefit Go Jen Go. 5 – 6: Young Affiliated Professionals of the Humane Society of Charlotte’s Summer Soiree Fundraiser. 7: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society hosts its “Visionaries of the Year” Grand Finale gala.
8: Participants enjoy “French Twist” happy hour celebrating Parisian culture at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. 9 – 10: Attendees of “Convergent Perspectives: Where Chaos Meets Creativity” event at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
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“Clare Rojas: Past the Present” at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
For the first time in almost two decades, the work of San Francisco artist Clare Rojas will be exhibited in the South at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. From Sept. 21- Jan. 19, “Clare Rojas: Past the Present” will offer an in-depth look at the artist’s narrative paintings, sculptures and works on paper since 2019. The exhibition includes largescale and intimate paintings, bronzes and wallpaper designed by Peg Norriss in collaboration with Schumacher.
Art by Clare Rojas, Tired of thinking, 2021, oil on linen, 50 x 40 in. Collection of Angella and David Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA.
American Art 1915-1955 at the
Southern/Modern opens Oct. 26 at Mint Museum Uptown. The exhibition is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of progressive art created in the American South during the first half of the 20th century. In collaboration with the Georgia Museum of Art, the exhibition includes more than 100 paintings and works on paper by artists working in states below the Mason-Dixon line and as far west as the Mississippi River.
For one day only — Saturday, Oct. 5 — Phillips Place retailers are celebrating the fall shopping season with exclusive promotions and in-store experiences, food and drink tastings, and more. Stroll the sidewalks and shop from several local artisan vendors with family and friends while taking advantage of exclusive discounts. Enjoy live acoustic music, a children’s craft corner, special seasonal activities like a community pumpkin patch, and more from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Smoked “BLT” tomato that actually doesn’t have pork. Lightly smoked tomato from Bluebird Farm in Morganton, N.C.
L’OSTRICA INVITES GUESTS TO SAVOR SEASONAL MENU
BY
| PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF L’OSTRICA, UNIFY VISUAL MARKETING
“The tasting menus are meant to showcase ingredients or preparations people have never tried.”
When co-owners Eric Ferguson and Cat Carter came up with a concept for L’Ostrica restaurant, they knew they wanted to serve a tasting menu based on seasonal ingredients in an intimate setting. Looking back almost a year since the restaurant’s opening, it’s as if their guests know what it’s like to be invited to one of their dinner parties.
Carter nods at the idea as she describes what her dinner parties have been like for her 20 years as a food writer, “Edible Charlotte ” magazine founder, brand strategist and now restaurant owner here.
Her chef friends, including Ferguson after he moved back to town and they began dating, would show up and roll up their sleeves. Joe Bonaparte — who ran the national culinary program for the Art Institutes, including in Charlotte where Ferguson trained — would come with ingredients.
“I always say he’s the most talented chef you’ve probably never heard of,” Carter said. “He would show up with a cooler of fresh fish. We’d roast it on the grill, and literally every pot and pan were in use.”
She and Ferguson recreated that scene in a 38-seat restaurant they named after the Italian word for oysters. They continue to challenge themselves even as they please their guests. They use a seasonal menu with fresh local ingredients and a global sensibility.
“It’s fun because we’re constantly learning,” Ferguson said. “…and it never gets old.”
In addition to their tasting menu, which can go up to 10 courses, they also feature à la carte dining at the bar. They have a grab-and-go café market and a cocktail program featuring seasonal ingredients too.
Their menu is as wide-ranging as their backgrounds. Ferguson grew up in Minot, North Dakota, a town of about 45,000 people 50 miles from the Canadian border. He was a senior at the University of North Dakota when he had an epiphany. “I broke my scraper on my windshield when I was scraping one morning going to class,” he said. “I kicked my car. I broke my toe, and I was like ‘I’m out.’”
Ferguson, who was classically trained in French cooking, fell in love with making pasta in Italy. He worked at restaurants in San Francisco and Charlotte before opening one in Oregon’s wine country. Carter’s mother is Korean, her father American and she was born in Okinawa, Japan. As a child in a military family, she lived in Italy and Germany before settling in Maryland. On any given night, guests can taste Asian, Italian, German and Southern influences. For Ferguson, the origin of flavors and the range of cooking techniques set L’Ostrica apart.
“The tasting menus are meant to showcase ingredients or preparations people have never tried,” Ferguson said. “We might serve something you’ve had here many times in Charlotte, but not like this because of the influences we can bring together.”
They built a recent menu around sake, the Japanese beverage made from fermented rice. They created another with locally-grown tomatoes as the centerpiece.
Our big focus is not just the food but the hospitality behind that. “ ”
“We’re curing a tomato like you would a piece of meat and smoking it like you would a piece of meat and turning that into our BLT course,” Ferguson said.
He meant “BLT” in name only because there’s no bacon or bread. “People are blown away because there’s absolutely no meat,” Carter said.
One of their most popular dishes is a grain bowl with an Italian grain, a Chinese purple rice and a Carolina gold rice, cooked separately, then tossed in a Korean doenjang sauce. It’s topped with a soy-cured egg yolk and brightened with baby Japanese mushrooms and melted spring onions.
“It’s an explosion of flavor and texture,” Carter said. “People say, ‘Wow, I never thought about rice like that.’”
Both Carter and Ferguson enjoy interacting with guests and talking about their choices. They love how
guests linger for three, sometimes four hours to eat. It’s why they designed the restaurant with a “plating table” as the focal point. Guests can watch them put finishing touches on plates almost like it’s a kitchen island in their own home.
“Our big focus is not just the food but the hospitality behind that,” Ferguson said. “And it’s the storytelling behind it.”
Through interactions with guests, they decided to include a shorter tasting menu for couples with a show to get to, and they’ve added Sunday suppers for those looking for a more casual, family-style option. Their weekly Sunday themes provide another example of the dinner-party feel. One recent Sunday, L’Ostrica served crab cakes because Carter was homesick for Maryland.
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ARTICLE BY CARROLL WALTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HYUNG KU KIM
The memory is still vivid in artist Debora Koo’s mind. She was 4 years old when she was invited to a friend’s house for a birthday party. She couldn’t take her eyes off the neon pink birthday cake with sugar crystal lettering and Wilton decorations in the shapes of flowers, hearts and “all the girly things,” Koo recalls.
“I was in awe when I saw that cake,” said Koo, now an artist, professor, wife and mother living in Charlotte. “Those are the cakes that I love to paint. I think the colors are fun, and they’re connected with an experience from my childhood.”
Koo’s family had just moved from Korea to Madison, Wisconsin, where her father was pursuing a PhD in electrical engineering. The party invitation came from a friend who was also Korean American. Koo captures the sense of belonging she felt that day in tablescapes and other still life she paints as a professional artist. She often focuses on food — and the comfort of sweets in particular — using lighting, positioning, and scope to tell her story. If she includes a figure, the face is usually cropped out.
“It’s more relatable to other people if they can imagine themselves or some other people being the figures in there,” Koo explained. “I like the ambiguity as well because some of the figures are actually from my experiences. And I don’t want to put my face in there. I feel like it would distract the viewer from what I’d like to portray.”
Koo teaches art at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and paints at a studio in Camp North End. Koo’s artwork has appeared in New York City, and she has upcoming shows in November at the Blah Blah Gallery in Philadelphia and in March at Tube Culture Hall in Milan, Italy.
As a child, Koo moved from Korea to Madison, Wis. to Palo Alto, Calif., to Andover, Mass. The one constant was her love for art. She and her brother John, who is a year older, loved the cartoon “Calvin and Hobbes ” and used to draw all of the characters, as well as some of their own.
“We really connected through art,” she said. “My brother was also always better at me in all things, including art, so it kept me motivated and going.”
She took art classes and joined after-school art programs, but it wasn’t until her time at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. that Koo began to
consider a career as an artist. One of her art professors had a class paint an assortment of pastries she’d brought from a nearby bakery. That made a lasting impression.
“They were little cakes and cupcakes, tarts,” Koo said. “She put them on bright cloths and shined a lamp on them. They were making my mouth water painting them.”
When it came time for a senior art show, she struggled with what to paint. She thought her theme should be something contemporary and modern.
“One of my painting professors said ‘You know, you don’t have to do all those things that seem cool to you,’” Koo said. “‘You can do what you love to paint.’”
She painted a series of still life scenes that included plated food and drapery.
After college, while Koo was searching for graduate programs, her father suggested she return to Korea for an art program there. She was hesitant.
“My Korean is pretty terrible,” she said. “But I tried. In a sense, I was a little desperate to keep painting and studying.”
Three years later, in 2018, having built her portfolio, she was hired at Rowan-Cabarras, which has campuses in Concord and Salisbury. She met her husband, got married and they now have a 16-month-old son.
Painting food and other still life scenes is still her passion. One of her favorite pieces is called “Love Seat,” which is a painting of a couch with a floral pattern.
“I love the lighting in that painting and the way I was able to paint the floral pattern,” Koo said.
Born in San Sebastián, Spain, the joyous tradition of pintxos is spreading
ARTICLE BY MARTI BUCKLEY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON
BAJADA
On the northern coast of Spain sits a postcard-perfect town complete with glittering seaside, lush mountains in the distance, and church spires peeking through the skyline. San Sebastián boasts natural beauty, architecture, and a wealth of attractions. But what draws visitors there the most is something smaller in size — the pintxo.
The Spanish snack is tapa on a toothpick, a small portion of food held together with a skewer or served on bread. Locals are obsessed with them. Pintxos, which originated in the 1920s, have evolved into miniature works of culinary art.
Going for pintxos, or poteo as the locals call it, is a hallowed pre-meal tradition. Having a drink before dinner is practically mandatory in the Basque Country, whether it’s a glass of Rioja red wine, local fizzy txakoli white, or a small glass of beer. Bar owners realized that by stringing together a few conserves and snacking ingredients lying around, they could create a new revenue stream. Voila! The pintxo was born.
In the last century, a pintxo has gone from a simple combination of ingredients like olives, cured fish, and pickled vegetables on a toothpick to avant-garde miniature dishes of braised beef in a shiny demi glacé or seared foie gras served over fresh apple compote. What makes pintxos special, however, is more than the yum factor—it’s the atmosphere and experience surrounding them.
Once visitors to San Sebastian get past the glistening Cantabrian Sea and the gorgeously green mountains nearby, they gravitate to the Parte Vieja, or Old Town. A bustle in the streets comes from all of the people, glass of wine in hand, clustered around doors of tiny bars. Inside, plates piled with pintxos line the countertops.
The etiquette is simple: elbow your way in, step up to the bar and grab what looks best. Order a drink when you get the attention of the waiter, and pay for everything right before it’s time to leave. Using the honor system is a point of pride for locals in Basque. Pintxos are almost always eaten with friends, family, or co-workers, and the tradition is to create a bote, pooling money and paying together at each stop.
Many bars are family-owned and have been open nearly every day for 50 years. Bar Martinez is the oldest pintxo bar in Parte Vieja, opened in 1942 by a young married couple from the Rioja region. Their large family would sleep in the back and work from dawn to dusk, winning over locals and launching the family into restaurant fame in the city. Family photos line the walls, and pintxos deck the counter.
Every good pintxo bar has a specialty. Martinez’s is its pimiento relleno, or stuffed pepper. As with many traditional pintxos, it uses pantry staples like jarred roasted red piquillo peppers and cured tuna packed in olive oil to create the perfect bite. In this case, it’s a pepper stuffed with a tartar-like tuna salad, perched on bread and drizzled with sherry vinaigrette. A bite is simple yet so memorable.
Not making the thousand-mile trek to Basque Country any time soon? The beauty of pintxos is their versatility. You don’t have to have a bar counter at home to whip up your own pintxos with a group of friends. Embrace the spirit of poteo and serve a few different types of pintxos with a Spanish wine, and enjoy the joyful, convivial spirit of the pintxo without leaving home.
CONTINUED >
This pintxo is more than the sum of its parts: a sweet jewel-like piquillo pepper, roasted and stuffed with bonito del norte (tuna preserves) mixed with tartar sauce. The real secret to success lies in using the highest-quality ingredients.
Makes 12
Ingredients:
• 1 baguette, sliced into 12 pieces
• 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 1 jar or can (about 8 ounces/227 g) tuna in olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup (about 50 g) minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced cornichons
• 1 tablespoon minced capers
• 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 g) mayonnaise, preferably homemade
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 piquillo peppers (from one 190 g jar)
Directions:
Preheat the broiler. Arrange slices of bread on a baking sheet and broil until just toasted on the edges; the centers should still be chewy. Allow to cool.
Whisk together the olive oil and sherry vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt. Set aside.
Drain the tuna and break it into tiny pieces in a medium bowl. Add the onion, cornichons, and capers, then add the mayonnaise, tarragon, and a generous pinch of black pepper and stir until the mixture comes together. If it looks dry, add a bit more mayo, but you want the mixture to hold together, not leak out of the peppers. Season with salt.
Distribute the mixture among the piquillo peppers, filling them gently with a spoon.
Arrange the toasted bread on a serving plate and place a stuffed pepper atop each piece. Sprinkle with salt. Drizzle generously with the sherry vinaigrette, allowing it to pool on the plate so the bread can soak it up from the bottom too. Serve immediately.
Seasonal Favorites selected by “B. Noble Styled” at Phillips Place
ARTICLE BY BRITTANY NOBLE
| PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PHILLIPS PLACE
Suede is everywhere this season and this jacket hits the spot with its feminine sleeves and cropped length sitting just above your favorite high-waisted denim. I love a sweet silhouette like a lace dress paired with leather boots to edge it up, and this jacket fits the bill! $1,295
A timeless treasure to be passed down for ages. $23,700
The easiest piece in a gentleman’s closet is the sport coat. As temperatures fall, the fun of layering begins. The texture in the fabric is subtle but creates interest, and the color is versatile enough to be worn most of the year. Set it off with a vintage tie and wool pants for a formal event or pair it down with a tee and loafers for dinner out. It’s a versatile piece for years to come. $4,995
Your new favorite cardigan awaits! This cozy topper is structured at the waist with belled sleeves — a timeless treasure. It’s easily styled over a slip dress with ballerina flats or paired with jeans. $525
A pop of red has been on trend and is still going strong into fall. The silhouette of this modern classic is cinched in all the right places yet has a sophisticated and unique menswear feel. Whether you style it as a top with tonal trousers or layered under a blazer with a wool mini, options are endless! $598
Veronica Beard does a lot of things well between their Dickey Jackets, denim, shoes and most recently, handbags! This beautiful bag is the perfect catch-all size to go from the office to a weekend jaunt. This style is so chic for fall and adds an elegance to an otherwise everyday outfit! $798
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SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, OCTOBER 5TH – NOVEMBER 24TH
Opening of 31st Annual Carolina Renaissance Festival
16445 Poplar Tent Road in Huntersville | 9:30 AM
Visit the 25-acre theme park filled with charming cottages and castles, kitchens and pubs, and an unusual collection of people-powered rides, games and immersive entertainment in one of the largest Renaissance Fairs in the U.S.
OCTOBER 6TH
Disney on Ice
Bojangles Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. | 10:30 AM
Enjoy the electric atmosphere as Mickey and pals are rocking the DJ table, remixing favorite Disney tunes into colorful worlds. Wish upon a star with Asha, roar with delight with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa, groove to ocean beats with Ariel, harmonize with Elsa, Anna and Olaf and more.
OCTOBER 8TH – 13TH
Clue
Knight Theatre, 430 S. Tryon St.
Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife or Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult movie and inspired by the classic board game, CLUE is the ultimate whodunit fun.
OCTOBER 9TH
Witness the most decorated gymnast in history perform as she returns from winning three gold medals, including the team and indi-
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OCTOBER 18TH – 20TH
Carolina Balloon Festival Statesville, NC
The Carolina BalloonFest is the nation’s second oldest hot air balloon festival. It features hot air balloon competitions, mass ascensions, and evening balloon glows, plus live entertainment on two stages, a kids’ zone, an artisan village, and wine and craft beer garden. Friday 3 - 8:30 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
OCTOBER 29TH – 31ST
Isabella Santos Foundation’s Mad Hatter’s High Tea Party
Carmel Country Club
Join the Isabella Santos Foundation (ISF) for its Annual Brunch Club: Mad Hatter’s High Tea this October to imagine a world without childhood cancer and how we can come together to make that dream a reality. Events will be held each morning, Oct. 29, 30 and 31, 9-11:30 a.m.
