by thesavageway | Aug 12, 2014 | services
What do you get when you combine 34 varieties of craft beer on tap, a delicious chef-driven menu and close proximity to the Bank of America Stadium? You get two very happy #thesavageway ladies!
Last week, we had the honor of attending Media Night for one of the newest spots in the Queen City, Draught.
Draught is located off of Cedar Street in Charlotte’s Third Ward (in the former Hartigan’s location).
When entering Draught, you immediately notice the warm wood walls, industrial lighting fixtures and open floor plan. Turn the corner and you are treated to a beautiful mural on the back wall courtesy of Matt Moore and Matt Hooker. (these amazing artists were painting live during the media event.) Talk about a showstopper.
Head downstairs and you enter the “overflow area” on a busy night / beautiful private event space. A second bar, separate bathrooms and private dining are sure to be key to getting Charlotteans to want to have their next party here. Details on rentals are still being discussed but this appears to be the perfect setting for a rehearsal dinner, birthday party or holiday festivities.
The ambiance is warm and inviting, yet the appeal as a sports bar remains intact. There are plenty of televisions (32 to be exact) to catch your favorite sports team and the addition of the garage style doors will prove to be a huge asset to this Uptown location. Everyone loves a patio here in Charlotte, and Draught is no exception.
When it comes to the food, we were more than impressed. Being a draft beer bar, we expected the usual bar-type foods, however we were pleasantly surprised when deviled eggs and avocado salsa were brought to the table as appetizers.
Deviled Egg Trio: traditional with house dill pickle – avocado stuffed with confit red onion – crab stuffed dusted in old bay with preserved lemon aioli
Avocado Salsa: diced avocado, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lime sour cream, house chips
The menu continues to surprise with the likes of Tequila Lime Shrimp with Rice, Hoisin Glazed Scallops, Korean Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps and what seemed to be a huge hit – Kitchen Sink Meatloaf.
Tequila Lime Shrimp with Rice
All in all, Draught has done a great job with renovations and recreating a space that appeals to both men and women. Solid drink and food offerings too! You will definitely find #thesavageway ladies hanging out at this gem! Welcome to Charlotte!
Draught
Address: 601 S. Cedar Street
Website: http://www.draughtcharlotte.com/
Prices Range: $6 – $18
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-12am / Thurs-Sat 11am-2am
by thesavageway | Aug 4, 2014 | clean graffiti
#MADlifestyle : An individual who refuses to be a statist. The architect of his or hers own life. A goal seeker who creates his or her own path and one who chooses to do what they love.
When #thesavageway met with Brandon Cullen, owner of MADabolic, Inc, to talk Clean Graffiti, we saw firsthand what this #MADlifestyle was all about. We were invited to join the MAD trainers & gym members for a round of beers at local favorite Good Bottle Company. This group of athletes talked of their favorite workouts, places to shop, favorite farmers markets and more! This social hour is exactly what the gym is all about; connecting like-minded athletes and supporting locally owned businesses.
Beyond their unique approach to athletes, MADabolic has an amazing brand and their marketing is incredibly on point (way to go Pink Toast Ink!) When the conversation of Clean Graffiti came up, it seemed like a natural fit for this hip, community- conscious gym.
“I love everything about Clean Graffiti. Unique, professional and edgy, an exact parallel with our company MADabolic Inc,” said Cullen. “Everyday we strive to lead with innovative thinking in the competitive fitness market. I believe Clean Graffiti represents this exact mindset in the advertising world and consider this to be the perfect marriage.”
The image of the “MAD” woman can be seen around the SouthEnd area of town near the flagship location on South Boulevard.
It’s as if she is keeping a watchful eye on her athletes. Encouraging them on their #MADlifestyle journey. Watch out for the MADness around the Queen City and who knows, she may even start watching the streets of Lake Norman next!
Clean Graffiti is an eco-friendly and green form of advertising. These branded, positive messages are strategically placed on dirty sidewalks and a clean message remains. Not only is this an innovative and creative way to get a business’ marketing initiatives out to the public in a place that you typically would not be able to have a logo or message, but there is no use of any harmful chemicals or sprays – It is just water!
by thesavageway | Jul 25, 2014 | community
Calling all NoDa neighbors! The inaugural NoDa Neighborhood Veggie Swap is happening this Saturday, July 26 in the gravel parking lot behind Smelly Cat Coffeehouse.
Do you grow a garden with an abundance of one or two kinds of vegetables? Want to see all of those tomatoes or peppers go to good use? Come out from 9am-2pm with your extra vegetables and swap with your neighbors.
Local urban farmers Scott & Joey from Linwell Farms NoDa will be on hand with a bunch of Malabar spinach, mint, lemongrass, sweet potato greens and a variety of hot peppers!
Organizers are hoping to make this a monthly event that brings the neighbors together and builds a sense of community in NoDa.
Don’t have a garden? No worries, everyone is welcome to attend! There will be lots of community activities happening including food truck Boone’s Bar-B-Que Kitchen serving up tasty food, a cold brew coffee & tea table from Smelly Cat, local honey vendors and more!
This is the perfect accompaniment to the already existing NoDa Farmers Market that happens every Saturday from 10am-2pm at The Evening Muse / The Daily Press . There is nothing better than local food and good coffee to bring people together.
Come out on Saturday for an awesome NoDa afternoon and share the vegetable love!
by thesavageway | Jul 24, 2014 | services
Photography. There truly is an art to taking a photograph. Your professionals have gone to school and studied the craft for years to master this art – and it shows. But, in this day in age, most people have a smartphone with a built-in powerful camera. The opportunity to take a beautiful photo is just a finger tap away.
Here at #thesavageway, we watch social media all day long and we notice photos. Some are high quality and creative while others are out of focus or have terrible lighting. We know that not everyone is a professional photographer, but there really is no reason to have a blurry photograph let alone post it to your Facebook page. Knowing how to use your phone’s camera is one of the first things that we teach our clients.
When we are not teaching how to focus on an iPhone, we watch the photo trends (yes, there are trends) as we are scrolling through our news feeds. The easiest portal to analyze is the visually driven Instagram. Past trends that we love include the personal point of view that traveller @MuradOsmann does so well.
We also adore the Where’s Waldo angle of @AndrewKnapp who finds a way to add his dog Momo in every picture.
One of the photo trends we love these days is the foodie “aerial view.” This bird’s-eye view allows the audience to appreciate the overall scene and gives a different angle of food.
A few of the Instagram accounts that do this overhead view very well are national accounts @SweetGreen and @ThugLifeForevs .
Left: SweetGreen Right: ThugLifeForevs
Locally we appreciate what the guys at @ThePlaidPenguin are doing and love how @KeiaIsHungry utilizes this angle.
Left: The Plaid Penguin Right: Keia Mastrianni
These images always get us to stop scrolling and look. They are clever and memorable. Exactly what a photo on Instagram is supposed to do. This bird’s-eye view is a great way to showcase food pictures. It shows the beauty of food that a close up doesn’t always capture. Photo trends come and go, as all trends do, but a quality picture lasts forever.
by thesavageway | Jul 9, 2014 | community
NoDa, Charlotte’s historic arts district, is home to all things local: restaurants, breweries, shops, coffeehouses, music and more. It is hard pressed to NOT walk down the street and stumble upon a hidden gem; a local love. For the ladies of #thesavageway, this fact is true everyday of the week, except Saturday morning. On Saturday, we crave local vegetables, fruit, eggs and meat. We WANT local options yet we have to travel out of the neighborhood to satisfy those cravings. Until now. Beginning Saturday, July 12, NoDa will host a farmers market!
The folks from The Evening Muse & The Daily Press have partnered with Atherton Food Hub to bring a weekly local, neighborhood solution to grocery shopping.
“Everyone in NoDa has been asking for a grocery store or a farmers market for quite some time,” noted Evening Muse/Daily Press owner Joe Kuhlmann. “We have a space that was not being utilized Saturday mornings and we wanted to open it up and use it to better our community.”
The farmers market, held inside The Evening Muse, will bring fresh food that has been harvested 24 hours or less from time of sale. Atherton Food Hub Founder, Pat Farrell, is beyond excited to bring another local market to a Charlotte neighborhood.
“Our mission is to assist local farmers in marketing their food so that they are able to move and grow more produce,” said Farrell. The NoDa farmers market is another great step in helping these farmers remain sustainable and profitable entities.
Photo Credit: Diedra Laird
Expect to find delicious seasonal, non-GMO produce from farms less than 100 miles away. And if products like animal protein, eggs or cheese are on the shopping list, simply place an order for pick-up and it will be available the following week.
Stop by this weekend and sample produce, talk to the Atherton Food Hub team, sip a coffee or cocktail (yes, the bar will be open too) and get to know the neighbors.
NoDa is already home to so many local things that are embraced by the Charlotte community. A farmers market is the next logical piece to the neighborhood puzzle. The neighbors are buzzing and (needless-to-say) #thesavageway is beyond excited. So cheers to local food. Cheers to farmers. And cheers to Saturday mornings in the ‘hood buying groceries!
Details:
Event: NoDa Farmers Market
Location: The Evening Muse/The Daily Press
Day: Every Saturday
Time: 10am-2pm
Payment: Cash or Credit accepted
Drinks: Café & Bar Open
