2022, the year that wasn’t…

Wow, look at the date. December 13, 2022.

The last post I made on this site was on March 21, 2022. That was the burger recap of 2021.

I haven’t posted in nine months, but this site’s numbers have remained (mostly) steady. People have been at least looking at stuff here.

People have asked where I am, if I am going to do more podcasts, and so on and so on.

Let me address that here, now.

I have been right here. In Winston-Salem. I moved into a new office and podcast studio. I am downtown in the city I love. I am on the seventh floor of the Liberty Plaza building with a fantastic view of the western horizon. I also get a less-than-fantastic view of the construction of the new Kaleidium, but I have to say, once it’s done and the construction stops, it will be a great addition to the area. I’m not mad at it. I want it to be done.

When you have an audio recording business, hearing metal hammering metal and construction vehicles and backup alarms going off constantly, it’s a bit of a task.

With that, let me speak on the whole of my business.

Back in March, when I made that post about burgers, it was just before I found out that I had to move out of the location I was in. The building was going to be gutted (it was expensive to maintain and wasn’t worth it to the owners). I get it. I had to find a new place. I had to put most of my stuff to the side. I had to concentrate on money-making endeavors because I had to really start paying rent (I had already been paying rent). So, I took on more clients in-studio and had less time to do my “for fun” projects. I say that tongue-in-cheek because everything I do is “for fun.” Just some of those also pay me.

Let me back up a bit. When the pandemic hit, I busted my arse to ensure everyone around town knew where to find food, be it takeout, dine-in, delivery, outside dining, etc. I (along with some help from former podcast co-host Lea Metz) curated a list for over a year. That meant, in the beginning, 5-7 days a week of looking up social media accounts, making phone calls, updating a master list, blogging about it, podcasting about it, and making sure you knew where to go. It went down to three days a week and then to one as things started opening back up. That was a job in and of itself. But, again, I don’t do anything if I’m not enjoying it.

Another thing happened at that time. The influx of “food bloggers” rose to ridiculous proportions. I have been lucky enough to serve this town as a food ambassador for over a decade, so I get it. My problem is that the over-saturation of hobbyists diluted the usefulness of true “food journalists,” which is a moniker I prefer for myself and a few others. I’m not bad-mouthing those people. In fact, I’m doing exactly the opposite. They tend to tell you all the things you really want to know. They tell you when they like things and are very quick to tell you what they don’t. Some consumers want that.

I committed to myself and my food community back in 2016 that I would be a different kind of food journalist. I would do everything I can to build up the food community here in WSNC while doing as little as possible to tear it down. Some want to regard me as a “food critic,” and I cringe at that. I may critique, but I try not to criticize. So, unless I’ve privately conversed with a restaurant, restaurateur, executive chef, etc., about what was wrong, I won’t write about it here or on social media. Even then, it’s generally a “what was wrong and how it’s now better” kind of deal. Local food businesses know me as a voice for them, but the consumers know me as an advocate for them. I observe the bad things people are saying. I do my best to convey that to the businesses. Chances are, these days, they already know about it.

I also don’t really want to compete with Michael Hastings at the journal. I certainly don’t want to compete with the “word on the street” scoopers who want to tell everyone’s business before they’re ready to hear it. More than one person does that, but one, in particular, is cringingly consistent.

So, with both the ones telling what is wrong with food establishments and scooping official pressers and people wanting their business told, what is the win? What good does it do for the food establishments themselves? To me, that answer is not very much good at all.

I have gained my reputation as a confidant for many a place, and when they tell me, I don’t run and scream it from the rooftops until they give the go-ahead. In journalism, that’s called “embargo” and means that while we may have privileged information, we wait until we’re given the green light to run it. Any journalist worth their salt, integrity, and self-respect does it right.

I get it, though. Some people just can’t help themselves. They need to get the jump. They need to try places as soon as they open and tell about all the reasons that place let them down. Please stop doing that, at least. I attend openings and may report on the opening and how it went. Generally, I reserve full judgment until they’ve had their feet under them and have had time to work out the kinks.

Some may say that I’m not doing the consumers any good by only telling the good things and not the bad things. I don’t leave the bad things to fester. I may say how I would have liked it differently or say they had trouble with this or that. But, really, here’s the thing. I’m here to build up the establishments and businesses. You don’t see me doing a “list of worst burgers.” Boy, I could have, but that’s not my style. I have had plenty of things that weren’t great. I just don’t report on those things. I’m not omitting the truth. I just don’t think pushing the bad helps the establishment. I’ll leave that to the Facebook groups. Have at it.

I kind of got side-tracked (you think!?). The point is, I was tired, had little want to talk about food, wanted to do something different, had other things come up (did I mention I now own a radio station?), and didn’t feel like I was giving my readers and listeners the best I was capable of.

2023 will be different. I have begun some partnerships with other promotional entities, and we will collaborate on a few things in the new year. The podcast will return. It won’t be the same podcast you were used to. Some of the elements will return, some will not. A new podcast will come along with that. I want to do things with Street Team Steve and grow my “Street Team.” When the time is right to talk about all of that, I will (see how that works?).

Truth is, I have missed you all. I have missed reviewing food. I have missed podcasting about it. I haven’t really missed most of the writing about it, though. Considering this post is just under 1300 words, you wouldn’t know it. I just had some stuff built up, I guess.

Have you missed your verbose food guide? Bon appetite, WSNC!!

(the picture is of a sunset but is NOT a metaphor for this blog… I’m not going away)

James Beard Nominees in Our Back Yard

The 2022 James Beard Award nominees list was announced and we have two nominees here in Winston-Salem and

Stephanie Tyson (©J. Sinclair/WSJournal)

one in our neighboring Greensboro, as well as several others from around our state.

First, MY people! Both are nominated for Best Chef in the Southeast.

Congratulations to Stephanie Tyson from Sweet Potatoes (…Well Shut My Mouth) a Restaurant. She is a mighty fine chef. I don’t know of anything I’ve ever had of hers that I didn’t love. I have purchased one of her cookbooks, now I need to definitely get it signed. Smothered Yardbird and Spaghetti with a Drawl come to mind, immediately.

Peyton Smith (©Peyton Smith)

Congratulations to Peyton Smith from Mission Pizza Napoletana. Already voted one of the Top 100 pizza concepts in the country, Peyton takes his pizzaiolo skills to new heights all the time. His pies are unique and delicious. Sometimes it’s hard to get both of those qualities at the same time. But, it’s not just pizza, his meatballs and tomato sauce are some of the best around.

Now, the ones from outside of WSNC.

Tal Blevins brought the inspiration from his culinary travels to his hometown of Greensboro. What that gets us, my fellow eaters is Machete, which is the brick-and-mortar version of their newly famous supper club events they had been doing since 2018. I have to be honest, I haven’t eaten here, yet. I don’t get to GSO as much as I would like. But, hey, as an owner of what has been called a “glorious beard” (not James, but you know…), Tal rocks a magnificent beard, as well, so I definitely need to get over there. But, Machete is nominated for Best New Restaurant. Fingers crossed for them!

Tal Blevins (©Tal Blevins)

Chai Pani of Asheville is nominated for Outstanding Restaurant.

Cleophus Hethington from Benne on Eagle in Asheville is nominated for Emerging Chef.

Nani’s Piri Piri Chicken in Asheville is also nominated for Best New Restaurant.

Susannah Gebhart of Old World Levain (OWL) Bakery in Asheville is nominated for Outstanding Baker.

Cúrate in Asheville is nominated (of course) for Outstanding Hospitality.

Alley Twenty Six in Durham is nominated for Outstanding Bar Program.

Katie Button from Cúrate, Greg Collier from Leah & Louise in Charlotte, Oscar Diaz from The Cortez in Raleigh, Sunny Gerhart from St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar in Raleigh, Ricky Moore from SALTBOX Seafood Joint in Durham, Aaron Vandemark from Panciuto in Hillsborough, and Cheetie Kumar from Garland in Raleigh, are all nominated, along with Stephanie and Peyton for Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV).

Congratulations to all of the nominees and good luck to them all! I feel lucky to have so many awesome chefs and establishments within reach of my foodie heart.

The Man Who Ate the Town Podcast Episode 218a – A Supplement Podcast

Tim talks about the impending closing of Finnigan’s Wake and what the restaurant/bar means to this city, the community, THIS PODCAST, and to him personally. No crowd noise. No background music. Just the intro/outro and Tim.

Slàinte mhath, Finnigan’s Wake.

Finnigan’s Wake to close for good Oct. 30

This is a reprint of the Winston-Salem Journal article, it is not mine, I don’t own it. Michael is my cohost and he wrote it for the Journal. Here is the original article. I just wanted the copyright issue out of the way.

Finnigan’s Wake, a mainstay bar and restaurant downtown for 15 years, has announced it will close permanently on Oct. 30.

Owner Philip “Opie” Kirby” posted an announcement on the business’ Facebook page on Monday.

“It’s been an amazing 15 years. One-third of my life has been in this space that you helped create. People make the place and we’ve been blessed with the best staff and customers. Y’all have always stepped up and made our events, fundraisers, and community outreach your own. Your generosity has multiplied over the years to make Winston Salem a better place to live.”

Finnigan’s Wake, 620 Trade St., was one of the first restaurants in the Downtown Arts District, opening in 2006. It celebrated its 15th anniversary on Oct. 6.

Like many restaurants this year, Finnigan’s Wake had reduced its hours — in particular eliminating Sunday brunch — as a result of the labor shortage that has affected many industries during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kirby said in an email that the decision to close was not related to the coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve stayed steady thanks to our amazing community,” he said.

Instead, Kirby, 47, said he personally was ready for a change. “It’s time for me to do something different after this many years in the business. Looking for a new adventure,” he said.

Finnigan’s Wake was known for its big St. Patrick’s Day parties, as well its annual fundraisers for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, in which hundreds of people would get their heads shaved outside the restaurant to help raise money for pediatric cancer research. This fall’s fundraiser raised $50,000.

But, perhaps most of all, Finnigan’s was known for its unassuming owner, who always had a smile for everyone and was known for posting positive, supportive sayings on social media.

Some of his Facebook messages include:

“Don’t fill the space with the first person who fits. Fill the space with the right person who fits.”

“You have more bounce to the ounce. Don’t ever forget it!”

“Gratitude is good.”

His most recent one, on Saturday: “Walk your path.”

Kirby said he didn’t quite know what his future path will be. But he definitely wants to do some volunteering.

 

Mr. Barbecue to Finally Re-Open Its Doors on March 15

©Walt Unks/WSJournal

The heck with the Ides of March! Winston-Salemites or as I like to call them Camel Citizens, will finally be getting their BBQ Mecca back on Monday, March 15 when Jimmy Carros reopens the famed restaurant almost two years after the fire that gutted part of the building. Thankfully, when that fire happened on April 10, 2019, during prime dinner service, everyone got out and no one was injured. The restaurant has been open and serving delicious “Q” since 1962.

To find out more, visit their Facebook page or their website. I will talk more about this on Monday’s podcast!

Those We’ve Lost

2020 was a bad year for everyone, but especially the Food & Beverage Community.

Here’s a list of those that have closed since the pandemic started. The dates are the dates of the posted announcements (if known). Not all restaurants closed because of the pandemic, necessarily, but it certainly didn’t help matters. This list will update as needed.

Bib’s Downtown – Dec 31, 2020
Bonefish – June 23, 2020
Cafe Vera Du – Oct 17, 2020
Carmine Italian Restaurant – Sept 15, 2020
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen – May 18, 2020
Cimarron Steakhouse – August 26, 2020
Corks Caps & Taps – August 24, 2020
Dr. Chops – September 24, 2020 (Closed since March 2020)
Lighthouse Grill – September 17, 2020
Mary’s Gourmet Diner – May 25, 2020 (Closed since March 14, 2020)
Miyako Japanese Restaurant – January 1, 2021 (Sold and changed to a chain)
Mooney’s Mediterranean Cafe – October 12, 2020 (Closed since March 2020)
Mozzarella Fellas – January 1, 2021 (Rebranded to Dom’s on Spruce Street)
Organix Juice Bar – November 2, 2020
Paul’s Fine Italian Dining – July 1, 2020
Providence at BB&T – May 29, 2020
Ruby Tuesday in Clemmons – August 11, 2020 (Closed since March 2020)
Silo – March 31, 2020 (Turned keys in long before the announcement)
Social Southern Kitchen & Cocktails – January 2, 2021
Spruce Street Garden – Craft Tavern – October 30, 2020
Tart Sweets – October 22, 2020
The Beer Growler – December 14, 2020 (Closed since September 2020)
The Slanted Shed – October 18, 2020
Trade Street Diner – July 1, 2020 (Closed since March 2020/rebranded Cibo)
West End Coffee House – August 31, 2020
Zesto’s Burgers & Ice Cream – Official date unknown.

Wild Willie’s Wiener Wagon – Moved to Myrtle Beach September 2020
Twin City Hive – Moved to Gibsonville August 22, 2020 (and have since closed again).
The Flour Box is closed temporarily in search of a new location (late February 2020).

Bib’s Downtown Closes Today

We held out hope that one of our downtown food staples, Bib’s Downtown, would find a buyer and continue on. It seems that’s not to be. This is reposted from Michael Hastings’ article in the Winston-Salem Journal, it’s not mine.

©Bibs


Bib’s Downtown, 675 W. Fifth St., has decided to permanently close. Its last day of business will be Thursday.

In mid-December, the owners announced that they were negotiating to sell the business. They expressed confidence that the sale would go through, saying they needed only to finalize details and they expected a seamless transition.

But in a statement Tuesday, co-owner Robert Moreau said that the sale did not go through as planned.

“We have had ongoing talks with potential buyers over the last year,” Moreau said. “Despite favorable lease rates, buyers just weren’t able to get past the uncertainty of what the pandemic holds for 2021 and 2022.”
Bib’s opened in December 2008, a partnership between Moreau, chef Mark Little and Little’s son-in-law Ricky Seamon. The restaurant quickly became a popular destination downtown, offering what Little called neither Eastern nor Western barbecue but “Bestern.”

The restaurant sold a variety of smoked meats, including pulled pork, ribs, Texas-style beef brisket, smoked sausage, and smoked turkey breast and chicken.

The restaurant participated in many community events and won awards at such festivals at [sic] the Twin City Rib Fest. Little and Seamon competed on the show TLC show “BBQ Pitmasters” in 2013.

Moreau said that the restaurant’s lease was up at the end of 2020 and that it had suffered from the closing of Business 40 in 2019, and from the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

“What really hurt us is what we do is 20% or more catering and that vanished by decree,” Moreau said, referring to the lack of gatherings during the pandemic. “We could wait nine or 10 months, and maybe people will be throwing some big parties. But with the timing of the end of the lease, it just didn’t make sense.”
In a post on its Facebook page, Moreau said the closing was a hard decision. “Winston-Salem, our hometown, needs to know that their support of Bib’s has been nothing short of amazing. A huge thank you to all.”


Thank you again to the Winston-Salem Journal and Michael Hastings.

This is sad news. They plan to be open today until 4p or until their supplies run out. Here’s to you, Mark, Robert, and Ricky, and may the next steps be full of heart and prosperity.

The Man Who Ate the Town Minute (or Two)

Things are happening in this city, food and otherwise, at breakneck speed. It’s really hard to cover it all. We do the podcast once a week and with that, we’re taking the next two off from recording.

Let me cover some stuff.

Bar La Ch.ngada had mentioned they were going to partner with Xcaret (which is owned by the same folks) to offer food options. Then the Governor’s orders came through and they decided to pull back on that. Then, they announced, again, that they were back on! So, they’re back on! New hours will be Tuesday-Saturday 4p-10p and Sundays 1030a-9p. They are closed on Sundays. These hours effective Thursday, December 17.


Local 27101/Artisan has officially changed their name and logo to Local Artisan. We had Greg Carlisle on the podcast a few weeks back for him to announce this and yesterday they unveiled the new logo. I like it. It’s simple, sleek, and easy to read. If you haven’t had this restaurant in a while, it’s still as good as it ever was (better, even) and whether you’re doing the lunch (27101) thing or the dinner (Artisan) thing, you’ll love it. Congrats, Greg, on the rebranding!


Arigato Japanese Steakhouse and Seafood has announced that it will take takeout orders up until 9p in GSO but their WSNC location isn’t doing takeout just yet. They are also selling gift certs/cards on their website but that website is currently (1030a on Wednesday) being repaired.


La Carreta on Robinhood has implemented QR codes for menus. I think this is great. I like that other restaurants have basically laminated a large QR code and put them on the table and people don’t have to handle grody menus. I will admit, though, that I have some trouble reading them, even on my Samsung S10+. But, I’m willing to take that inconvenience, especially in these times, with keeping both Stephanie and me and other folks safe. Good job, La Carreta (and other establishments doing this).


This one hurts. Social. Southern Kitchen is closing for good. This place was great. Granted I only ate there twice, once for my “Summer of Burgers Tour 2019” and another just for appetizers, but the folks were great, the food delicious, the atmosphere perfect. It was just all-around great. Now, why didn’t I eat there more? It takes me around 20-30 minutes to get there from my house. That’s an hour round trip and if we have any alcohol at all, we don’t want to have to drive that and Uber is way too expensive that far away. So, it was special occasions that got me out there.

Here is what the public announcement said:

Jeff and I have worked together in restaurants since March of 2000.
20 years of
~ Behind!
~ Heard!!
~ We 86’d that an hour ago!!!
~ I NEED RUNNNERS!!!!
Let us not forget the priceless sound of $5 wine glasses hitting the floor. 🤬
Oh how we love the sounds. 🥰
The sounds of plates clinking
Cooks singing..
The end of the night LAUGHS with our staff after literally climbing out of the weeds for hours.
The SOUNDS of our guest laughing over a delicious meal with their friends and family.
The SOUND of glasses clinking in celebrations, belly laughs that would fill a room.
You could hear the bear HUGS and huge smiles…
The delight Chef would get when he’d come out of the kitchen. Witnessing that first bite. Then your guest shares a bite, because “this is too damn good for you not to try”
That is why we have AND WILL ALWAYS be restauranteurs!
It is with huge sadness that we would like to share our closing in January. We are leaving the door open to be able to do what we love in the future and want you to know We LOVE Winston Salem!
We will still offer both catering and private chef events until the coast is clear of Covid.
There are very few OWNER operated restaurants who do it for the money, not with these profit margins!!
We do it for all the reasons listed above and when the celebrations of food and life pause, we must pause as well…
This too shall pass… and we hope to be back in the culinary scene, before you know it.
Thank you for all the love and support Winston! We love you dearly…
Erika and Jeff Gibbs
We have found a GREAT concept to take the space, and we know they will offer fabulous to-go options and eventually dine-in service later this winter.

Thanks for reading my The Man Who Ate the Town Minute (or Two).

Arigato Japanese Steak & Seafood Updates Their Hours During the New Executive Order

Arigato Japanese Steakhouse posted this scheduling update on their Facebook page:
Hello~ announcing some updates regarding the Executive Order that starts tomorrow.
– last reservation time we’ll be taking each day will be 8:30 pm.
– we’ll be opening 30 minutes earlier each day. ( new opening times will be Mon-Fri 4:30 pm, Sat & Sun 2:30 pm)
– takeout @ Greensboro location will take orders until 9 pm.

DiLisio’s Added to Another Hospital

Tony and Maria DiLisio

A few weeks back, I reported that DiLisio’s Italian Restaurant had agreed to a partnership with WFU Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem to provide daily, pre-packaged meals for their “Grab-N-Go” program with local restaurants. Maria DiLisio called me last night and said that they had been picked up by WFU High Point, formerly High Point Regional, to provide the same service.

To reiterate: Tony and Maria will be whipping up and delivering fresh lasagna, baked ziti, baked spaghetti, eggplant parmigiana, eggplant rollatini, and cannoli every day, Monday through Friday. The items will be available for cafeteria dine-in and take away for after cafeteria hours. There is a microwave on site so you can reheat your dish and eat it there no matter the time.

I am excited that there are additional outlets for the DiLisios to get their food to the masses. Their food is comfort food and many folks that “have to eat in a hospital” need comfort food.

Congratulations to Tony and Maria!