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CHAPEL HILL

by Enrique Perez


Former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms once opposed the construction of the North Carolina Zoo by suggesting that the taxpayers’ money would be better spent putting a fence around the liberal bastion that is the town of Chapel Hill. In spite of Helms, Chapel Hill has always been the beacon of intellectual liberalism, culture, and acceptance in the traditionally conservative Southeast. Home to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is host to a multitude of exciting new or improved gay-friendly restaurants, hotels, and night spots that are sure to greet you with southern hospitality, and acquaint you with a different, more queer-accepting kind of South. Recently elected, openly-gay Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt jokingly puts it this way, “This ain’t your daddy’s South.”

Just a fifteen-minute drive from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (www.rdu.com) will take you into the heart of Chapel Hill (one corner of The Research Triangle area) and its historic Franklin Street. On the East End stands the Florentine inspired, gay-friendly Siena Hotel (1505 East Franklin Street. Tel: 919-929-4000. www.sienahotel.com). Traditional Italian-style furniture with neoclassical motifs greets you as you enter through the alternating cream and Drexel brown, marble-floored lobby. Each of The Siena’s 79 suites is decorated with individual features like grand armoires detailed with classic lines and baroque woodprints of famous paintings like The Creation of Adam. The owners of the Siena make sure each room is unique by only handpicking a few items from local stores and street markets in Florence, says General Manager Anthony Carey. In 2010, the Siena is undertaking a two-million-dollar renovation aimed at making the hotel more “green” by replacing roofing—potentially with solar panels—changing the asphalt of their parking area with something more environmentally friendly, and improving the hotel’s HVAC system to be more efficient. Overall though, Carey says that “keeping the feeling of an ‘entrance into Italy’” will not be affected.

In the lobby of the Siena, columns designed with waving chestnut and merlot patterns, reminiscent of an Italian villa, frame the quiet and classic atmosphere of Il Palio Ristorante (1505 East Franklin Street. Tel: 919-918-2545. www.sienahotel.com/ilpalio). This Four Diamond restaurant, headed by Executive Chef Adam Rose, is decorated with cherry wood stained floors and matching tables topped with white linens designed with an off-white grape pattern. Start your morning with house-made brioche, French toast, or a grilled panino breakfast served on elegant white china. For dinner, enjoy some of the finest Italian cuisine in Chapel Hill including exceptional antipasti—try their version of bruchetta, served with house smoked N.C. red snapper, red onion, garlic, basil, and white balsamic vinaigrette. Don’t forget to peruse their selection of around 400 wine varieties, which range from known grocery store brands to those unique to regions like Tuscany and Rioja.

If you’re looking to keep your trip more on the southern side, then make sure to reserve a room at The Carolina Inn (211 Pittsboro Street. Tel: 1-800-962-8519. www.carolinainn.com). Designed in antebellum Southern plantation style with Georgian architecture features, this eighty-five-year-old hotel is perfect for a relaxing afternoon in the courtyard while sipping a tall glass of cool, Southern, sweet tea. The inn has gone through many renovations and additions since its 1924 construction, most recently with the quadrupling of its fitness center and the addition of new workout equipment. The Carolina Inn has also made recent strides toward becoming more eco-friendly by adopting the Environmental Procedures and Green Initiative in 2008 and implementing “green” practices, like the use of environmentally preferred cleaning products, into its daily operations. Known as “The University’s Living Room,” the Inn offers luxury and service reminiscent of classic urban hotels, while still remaining true to its southern hospitality roots.

Southern cooking is one of the main reasons for vacationing in the South and no other restaurant does it better than Crook’s Corner (610 West Franklin Street. Tel: 919-929-7643. www.crookscorner.com). Head Chef Bill Smith’s fried oysters, jalapeño-cheddar hushpuppies, and the quintessential shrimp and grits covered in bacon bits are just a few of the necessary sinful delights for a complete southern experience. Crook’s Corner is an eclectic mix of diner industrial with a fine dining feel, accented with local artwork, which changes monthly and ranges from traditional landscapes to edgy modern. With their giant white pig, which is lighted pink at the night, Crook’s is an easily spotted site in Chapel Hill.

If you need or desire vegetarian options, take a trip across the railroad tracks into Carrboro and have a casual dining experience at the lesbian-owned Spotted Dog (111 East Main Street. Tel: 919-933-1117. www.spotteddog.biz). Owners Linda Bourne and Karin Mills opened the restaurant in 1998 with a mission to make an establishment that would cater to both vegetarian and meat-eating customers. Spotted Dog is a well-lit, tavern-style, V-shaped restaurant featuring a divided kitchen, with one side for meat and the other for vegetarian orders (which also allows for meals to be modified for vegan guests, says manager Jay Brill). The restaurant’s most popular dishes include the vegetarian BBQ (soy chicken chopped and served with house-made, vinegar-based BBQ) and the Green Tofudabeast (marinated grilled tofu topped with tomatoes, organic mixed greens, and white cheddar cheese).

Continued


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