by Leo Suarez

Get Up And Do The Cherry Bounce

About a month ago I decided to make this legendary Raleigh drink, Cherry Bounce, and this weekend was the official tasting at a party I organized. The words Cherry Bounce pop up here and there around Raleigh but the actual drink, rumored to have played a role in the choosing of the North Carolina capital’s location, is not served anywhere to my knowledge. Yes, Deep South can make it for you on the spot but this is a drink that needs to be made before hand so I don’t count it.

I’ll be honest, I did little research on the recipe but discovered the following and just went with it:

– 4 parts cherries
– 2 parts sugar
– 1 part whiskey
– Let it sit for six weeks

The cherries and sugar are easy but the whiskey is wide open. Since there are many types of whiskey out there, I made three different batches of CB for the tasting party. I asked a bartender friend for some help here and needed three different types to use. Jameson, Crown Royal, and Jim Beam were the final candidates. I had to use frozen cherries since fresh ones are not available right now and I went with brown sugar to close things out.

Making the CB was pretty easy. All three pieces were thrown together, stirred, and kept in separate pitchers for serving later. I did add a little water to the sugar beforehand so that it was more of a paste rather then pure sand.

After five or six weeks of sitting in my kitchen, the CB was ready to be strained. I used a huge cheese cloth and poured the entire pitcher inside a bowl wrapped with the cloth. Most of the drink comes out easily but you can get a few more ounces if you squeeze the cherries while inside the cloth.

During the party, there were mixed reactions towards the CB. Each batch was served blind and no one knew what whiskey was in each sample. It had also been sitting out for six weeks so the drink was at room temperature; no ice was added. The Crown and Beam batches were the most popular. Whiskey fans leaned more toward Beam while others preferred Crown. These two had pretty opposite tastes while the Jameson batch was more down the middle.

Overall, the drink was good, but not great. Fortunately, I still have some of each batch left. I am going to get more opinions and will tweak the recipe so it tastes really great (hopefully leading to a follow up post to this one).

Unfortunately, I’m lacking pictures during this whole process. It is nothing exciting unless you taste it for yourself. Ask for Cherry Bounce at your favorite bar and let’s get it flowing through downtown.

by Leo Suarez

Comprehensive Plan Update

That was a nice little break. Now that the post-vacation excitement is starting to wear off (New York city to be specific), I’m trying to get back into the blogging routine. I’ll keep it short and sweet with an e-mail I received about the opportunity for public feedback on the City of Raleigh’s comprehensive plan.

The program will include short presentations and an open house. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet and talk with members of the City Council, Planning Commission, City Planning staff, and other City boards and commissions. The project consultants also will be in attendance. Summaries of key elements of the updated Comprehensive Plan will be available. Important policy maps from the plan will be on display, including a new land use plan.

The updated Comprehensive Plan draft is the culmination of 18 months of work on the part of City staff and consultants. The plan will provide the framework to guide the city’s growth through 2030.
December 1 the Plan will be available for review and comment both on-line and at City of Raleigh offices and Wake County public libraries. A special website will allow anyone with an internet connection to comment on every policy and action statement in the Plan. Comments also will be accepted in any form that citizens may wish to use, from letters to phone calls. The comment period will be open from Dec. 1, 2008 through Jan. 31, 2009. During this time, the final three citywide public workshops will be held to provide another vehicle for input. Public briefings will be held to answer questions about the Plan.

Register here for both the Draft Plan Rollout & Open House and Citywide Public Workshops
For more information visit www.planningraleigh2030.com.

Thanks Trisha

by Leo Suarez

Pic of the Week

State Highway Commission and Museum of Art in one building on East Morgan St.

I found an old photo taken off the NCDOT website of the building in 1923. Looks like the art museum came after the Highway commission.

I’ll be out of town for several days so blogging slows down yet again. I’ll be somewhere that has plenty of skyscrapers to make you skyline fanatics pee your pants.

by Leo Suarez

Thoughts On City Plaza

I want to get some reader feedback on this one. Maybe it is just me but I do not see as much chatter on this subject. Construction has started and a year from now Fayetteville St. will be complete. City Plaza could be the heart of the street from a pedestrian perspective.

With four retail spaces and some art work, this area should be a huge draw for those passing by. I think outdoor seating is very much needed here as this area has the potential for the best people watching in downtown.

It is unfortunate that it was not completed when the convention center opened. However looking at the big picture, when finished, it will add to the “cool” factor of Fayetteville St. After the construction is over, the next priority is having businesses playing with night and weekend hours.

What kind of things do you want to be in the retail spaces in City Plaza?


Before


After

by Leo Suarez

Green Square Construction Shows Life

Almost six months after the demolition of the old NC DOT building on McDowell St., work on the Green Square project is finally getting started. It is nothing exciting yet but it is better then a pile of dirt or a huge, vacant hole in the ground (should I give examples?). Behind a long green monster wall, it looks like foundation work is taking place at the moment.

For a recap on the project and a view of the old buildings that were here, this post is a must read.

When completed Green Square will consist of:
• Headquarters for the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• The Nature Research Center, an expansion of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences
• Visitor and employee parking deck
• Retail store and restaurant

Any artists in the audience want to tag up the green wall? Something like this maybe?

by Leo Suarez

RalCon Open Discussion

If you have been reading the site for awhile now, you may have noticed things being a little slow. I’ve been real busy lately but have no fear, it’s just because I have been making tons of plans. Last week alone consisted of hockey, football, birthday, and a trip to West Virginia. Hopefully I’ll be able to ramp up some new content for the blog this week.

In the mean time here are some pics for discussion, viewing, or any other shenanigans you crazies can come up with.

FAIL! I still like the coffee though.

Ugly Monkey