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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).
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