From Sassafras to Filé: Make your own soup seasoning

Amy Peterson’s Matthews-famous (maybe world?) gumbo.

Despite the feeling that the temperatures will never drop below the 80s, fall is on the way. This means it’s your last chance to harvest sassafras leaves before they change color and start to drop.

The leaves on the sassafras tree vary in lobed shape.

Grab a pair of loppers and go find a sassafras tree, usually in the understory of wooded areas, perhaps near a dogwood or another low growing tree. They grow in colonies, so you’ll usually find several of the small trees together. Even if you don’t know it, you’re probably familiar with sassafras, it’s fairly common around Matthews. The leaves can be several different shapes on the same tree: three-lobed, left-hand mitten, right-hand mitten, and sometimes (when young) an oblong pointed leaf. Rarely you might even find a four-lobed leaf, but it’s pretty unusual.

Harvest a small branch of healthy green leaves and find a sheltered spot to hang it. The leaves need air flow around them so they stay green and don’t mildew as they dry. In about 2 days those green leaves will be crispy and ready to turn into filé powder, a magical green, earthy-flavored seasoning commonly use as a thickener in gumbo.

Once you have fully dry, crispy sassafras leaves just trim off the brown stem (don’t worry about the veins) and stuff your leaves in a food processor. Grind and grind until you have a fine powder. It’s that simple: filé is dried leaves pulverized into powder.

Cooking, though, is where the magic happens. As much as I love to cook a big batch of stew when it comes to gumbo you have to turn to a New Orleans native for a tried and true recipe. Enter Amy Peterson, my Louisiana go-to gal. Amy makes a gumbo that’ll make you want to marry her. Sorry, she’s happily taken (hi, Lyell).

Amy bases her gumbo on a recipe from Cooking Up a Storm, a compilation of recipes lost during Katrina. After the storm, the community shared their family recipes in The Times-Picayune of New Orleans as a way to help others rebuild.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo 

Makes about 8 servings

1 (4- to 5-pound) hen (stewing chicken), cut into serving pieces

Salt and cayenne

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup flour

2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

About 2-1/2 quarts chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried powdered or leaf thyme

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/4 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Season the hen generously with salt and cayenne, and set aside. 

In a large Dutch oven, make a roux by combining the oil and flour over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook for about 30 minutes, or until the roux is dark brown. Add the onions, bell pepper and celery to the roux and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

Add the broth and stir to blend well. Add the chicken, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, 2 to 3 hours, or until chicken is fork-tender. Add the andouille and cook for another 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings and add the green onions and parsley. 

As a departure from the traditional rice base, Amy suggested potato salad. Trust me, the lady knows. When you serve up the gumbo, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp. of filé powder on top of each serving.  Enjoy!

Eat, Play, Love*: Edible Landscapes

Fruit trees provide shade, their flowers attract pollinators, and the fruit fills our bellies.

Everybody loves to spend time outdoors, especially in a beautifully landscaped yard. We tend to segregate our plantings, though. We plant an herb garden here, a vegetable garden there, a perennial flower border somewhere else, but there are lots of ways to include more food plants into all of our landscape, a technique called edible landscaping. Many of our food plants give us shade, seasonal interest, flowers, and a lot more. As an example, here’s my list for “The Top 10 Plants For Edible Landscaping”. You’ll notice that not all of these plants actually provide food. However, they do make it easier for you to grow more food with less fertilizer and pesticides. So, here’s the list.

1. Pecan trees - shade, food.

2. Apple/pear trees – shade, flowers, food.

3. Rabbit eye Blueberries – seasonal color, food.

4. Muscadine grapes – shade, screening, fall color, food.

5. Strawberries (perennial matted-row culture) – groundcover, food.

6. Fig trees – structure, winter interest, food.

7. Living Garden plants:

   Aromatic herbs – beneficials, foundation planting (some), seasonal interest, food.

   Daisy flowered plants – beneficials, aroma, flowers, beds/borders.

   Umbrella-flowered plants – beneficials, aroma, flowers, beds/borders, food (some).

   Nectar plants – beneficials, aroma, flowers, beds/borders.

   “Beetle banks” ornamental grasses – beneficials, seasonal interest, beds/borders.

8. Perennial vegetables:

   Asparagus

   Perennial onions

9. Pole beans – food, seasonal screening, soil improvement, some color.

10. Clover/buckwheat/vetch & other covers – soil building, ground covers, flowers, seasonal interest.

Honorable mention:

Blackberries – food, seasonal interest, screening, security.

Malabar spinach – seasonal interest, color, screening, food.

Persimmon trees – seasonal color, understory, food.

Pomegranate trees – seasonal color, understory, food.

Sunchokes (a perennial sunflower) - flowers, beds/borders, beneficials, seasonal screens, food.

Cover crops feed the soil, attract beneficial insects, and look pretty, too!

If you want to know more about these great plants, come join me for the next Successful Gardener class at Renfrow Farm.

Edible Landscapes, Tuesday, October 9, 6:30-8:30 PM

Renfrow Farm, 409 W Charles Street, Matthews, NC

We tend to look at our food crops through a single purpose lens. How much food will this plant yield? But many of our fruits and vegetables look great in the garden! Come learn how to add these plants to our landscapes. We’ll feed our souls beautiful gardens while we feed our bodies good food. Details and registration here.

Remember to enjoy your garden, because THAT’S what makes you a Successful Gardener!!!

Artist Tom Risser Puts Heart in Matthews Art

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

Sculptor, skater, and corporate man Tom Risser

For many people driving quickly down South Trade Street, they may have seen or glanced at the nearly eight-foot metal heart sculpture off the sidewalk at the front of Stumptown Park.

Known as “PDA or Public Display of Affection,” the piece was loaned to the town in 2013 by philanthropist, skateboarder, and sculptor, Tom Risser. Should someone choose to buy it, the price is $5000.

“I’ve been placing little heart-symbols in my work for 15 years,” said Risser.

This message was amplified nearly three years ago when he suffered a massive heart attack and had quintuple by-pass surgery. “I always put heart in my art,” he said.

Owner of US Bottlers Machinery Company, a Charlotte-based specialized packaging company, nearly all of the materials he uses for his artwork are left-over metals from his company - refurbished and repurposed scrap stainless steel. He sees his contribution as “just putting (in) my labor and imagination for it.”

A philosophical and intentioned man, Risser feels strongly about the work he does: “art itself is just an escape, a therapy – rehab,” and the places his art lands on: “I love the fact that Matthews is willing to put art out in public space…..Let’s take and put art (out) for public viewing.”

Risser’s other artistic contribution to Matthews is the small horse sculpture in the town’s pocket park located on Old 51 near Town Hall – a memorial to Kay Plyler, a deceased town employee.

Throwback Thursday: A Living Legacy (circa 2009)

With permission, The Beacon is archiving past issues of Matthews News and Record (also called The Record and The Matthews Record) articles online. Throwback Thursday articles will include relevant content still facing Matthews today. This article was originally published June 11, 2009.

A Living Legacy by Janet Denk

The Town of Matthews Appearance and Tree Commission is a program to enhance and protect our town’s tree canopy, and in doing so the town is looking for detailed information about the town’s big trees.

The committee is asking citizens of Matthews to participate in nominating, inventorying, and mapping trees for the Living Legacy Tree Program. This will allow the town to identify and recognize the largest, rarest, oldest and prettiest of trees of various species in Matthews.

All you have to do to nominate a tree for the Living Legacy Tree Program is Pick up a form and fill out the information listed. You will also need to measure the circumference of the tree at 4 1/2 feet up from the ground with a flexible tape measure.

Once your nomination is received, you will be contacted by someone who will come to your location and measure the tree’s girth, height and crown spread. This information will then be recorded in an inventory with other trees nominated. This inventory will supplement the inventory the town currently has of public trees within the Town limits.

SNAKESSSSSSSSS!

Just the word elicits a visceral response in lots of people! It’s a timely topic right now since it’s baby season for copperheads, sometime in late summer to fall.

Photo by Virginia Herpetological Society

Let’s look at how to identify copperheads, how they give birth, how to protect yourself from a bite, and address some myths surround the most common venomous snake in our area.

Copperheads are usually two to three feet in length, although they can be longer.  They have a stocky body that tapers rapidly near the tail  The first thing you want to look for is what’s often described as the “Hershey kiss” pattern.  Coloring can vary a bit, from brown, reddish-brown, to beige.  If you happened to have binoculars or were entirely too close, you could see a vertical pupil, as well as the triangular-shaped head.  The venom glands are stored just behind the eyes, creating the wedge shape.

Photo by Jay Bell, Reptiles 101

Copperheads give live birth to between one and 14 young. Juvenile copperheads have bright yellowish/green tails for about year, making this another identifying trait. They may use these colored tails to attract prey!

So how do you protect yourself from a bite? Arm yourself with knowledge! Copperheads are pit vipers with a heat-sensing receptor, which allows them to locate their prey. They are primarily nocturnal during the warmer months. Walking around at night in your yard barefoot isn’t a good idea. The snake is simply striking at a heat source. Wear shoes and watch where you step!

Don’t make a habitat for copperheads in your yard, especially near your house! Brush, rock, and wood piles are attractive to these snakes. The high water from Flo could also displace them from their regular hangouts.

Finally, people are more likely to be bitten when they are messing with the snake, especially trying to capture or kill them. Just give the snake a wide berth. If you would like any snake relocated, contact Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. People trained in how to safely handle snakes will pick it up and relocate it.

Let’s look at some of the myths surrounding copperheads. First, they are not by nature aggressive snakes. They don’t chase people down. They weigh less than three-quarters of a pound, so it doesn’t make sense for them to come after a human, or waste their venom load when a predator might come along.

Photo by Jay Bell, Reptiles 101

There are very few human deaths from copperhead bites. Bites are very painful and require medical treatment. Animals, particularly small ones, are at a greater risk.

Another frequently-heard myth is that baby copperheads have more venom, or more deadly venom, than adults Not true. What is true is that an adult might lunge, dry-bite or deliver a small amount of venom. Young snakes haven’t learned to do that yet, so they might inject the full venom load. It takes a while for them to build up the venom, which puts them at increased risk from predators.

I hope this article answers some of your questions, and fears, about copperheads. All animals have a purpose in the eco-system, so please don’t needlessly kill them.

DIY Walnut Ink

Tis the season for the nuts to start falling. If you walk the greenways or live near groves of old trees, you may find large green balls on the ground. These are black walnuts, a notoriously difficult nut to crack.

Black walnuts, a close cousin of the English walnuts found on grocery store shelves, are native to the eastern part of North America and were a resource of both food and medicine for North American indigenous peoples. Black walnut was also commonly used as an ink and dye.

Walnut ink is so easy to make, it’s totally a kid-friendly project. Keep in mind that the ink is colorfast, so it will stain.

Go for a walk, gather some nuts then put on some clothes that can get stained. Let’s make some ink.

You’ll need:

• Rubber gloves

• Non-reactive pan that you don’t mind staining

• Black walnuts with husk on, can be green or brown, just not shriveled and dried

• Water

• Rubbing alcohol

• Sieve or cheese cloth

• Glass jar or bottle for storage

Put the walnuts in a pan, add just enough water to cover, and simmer. Then simmer some more. Keep simmering until the water is a dark brown. I decided to experiment and added goldenrod for a yellow hue. Construction nails can be added for a reddish tint as well.

Once the water is a deep, inky brown, using a sieve or cheesecloth, strain the walnuts out. Wear gloves so you don’t stain your fingers. Put the liquid back on the stove to simmer a little while longer. I dip paper into the pan to test the color as it simmers.

After the liquid has cooled, you have your ink! Add a preservative like rubbing alcohol (2 T per cup ink) or a couple of dried cloves for long-term storage.

I prefer using a very fine paint brush for writing, but we’ve also used sticks and feathers. A quill pen from the craft store will work, too, but the alcohol may cause the nib to rust.

Sunday Morning Matthews

Photo submitted by reader Kevin Muldowney

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Jeff Rieves, Matthews' Own Successful Gardener

Jeff Rieves * Threefold Company * www.jeffrieves.com * jeff@jeffrieves.com

If you've been to Renfrow's in the spring and had a tough question, they may have directed you to a bearded man in a tie-dye shirt lingering around the seeds. That's Jeff Rieves and he's the subject of our ‪Local Business Interview this week.

Jeff recently moved to Matthews, and I, for one, am excited to have such a valuable resource just up the road on John Street! Don't miss his upcoming classes at Renfrow Farm, an urban farm located on John Street. 

Jeff Rieves has been a gardener his entire life, though in his younger days, often a reluctant one. Jeff brings years of experience to any class he teaches. Growing up on his grandparents’ farm, gardens, orchards, chickens, and milk cows were simply a part of life for him. After a few years in other endeavors, he planted his hands in the soil of Chatham County, NC. Jeff spent the next 20 years as managing partner of Southernwood Farm & Nursery, growing vegetables, cut flowers, plants, and children.

Later he served as an original instructor of Central Carolina Community College’s Sustainable Farming Program, was the Chatham County Director of the Small Business Assistance Center, an agent with the NC Cooperative Extension Service, and helped create The Teaching Garden, an outdoor classroom and demonstration garden, to further his concept of SIMPLE sustainable horticulture.

Since 2013, Jeff has worked as an independent educator, consultant, and agripreneur, continuing his work to rebuild the Local Food culture. He currently teaches at Renfrow Farm in Matthews, and other venues in Virginia and North Carolina.

Currently, Jeff travels the southeast teaching his philosophy of simple, sustainable horticulture. He consults with individuals and businesses, concentrating on helping small farms and food businesses.

What brought you to establish a business in Matthews? David Blackley, the owner of Renfrow Hardware, has been a supporter of my work since my days in Extension. When I went out on my own, David was one of my first clients. When he offered the chance to hold classes at the Hardware store and at the Farm, I knew it would work well. It has worked so well, in fact, that I have moved my base of operations to Matthews.

As a gardener myself, I feel like we have the perfect climate to grow a large variety of things. What’s your favorite edible to grow? What’s a favorite ornamental that thrives here? In NC, You can have something in bloom or producing food almost all year long. I like growing a lot of things, but the most productive thing for me lately has been Irish potatoes, particularly the white Kennebec. But I did have a single “California Wonder” green pepper that lasted from March to November, out-producing all the rest of my peppers combined. As for ornamentals, the crape myrtle is hard to beat, especially since the US Arboretum has introduced so many new varieties. It loves the heat of summer and blooms a long time.

What does the phrase “Preserve Matthews” mean to you? Retaining the quality of small-town livability that makes a place so vital. Right now downtown, we have a mix of new and old that is easy to walk to, provides quality products and services, and is not dominated by big box stores. On the other hand, if chain and discount stores are your thing, they are just a short drive away.

Rieves is set up at Renfrow Farms to teach a class on home composting. Photo by Charles Lybrand.

What’s another business in Matthews you love to support? Renfrow's, obviously. The selection of seeds, supplies, and service is the best in the Charlotte area. I also like Brakeman’s, the new coffee shop. Mo’s Barbeque is a great place to eat. And while it isn’t a business in the strict sense, Matthews Library is just fantastic.

Do you have any promos or specials you'd like to offer our community members? One of my most popular services is the home garden and landscape consultation. I’ve designed and installed all kinds of landscapes, from formal herb gardens to Permaculture homesteads. In an hour visit to your home, I can solve problems in the landscape, identify those “mystery” plants we all have, show you some opportunities to improve your gardens and help you enjoy your garden even more! You get one hour of access to 30 years of experience and knowledge for $100. Readers interested in a home garden or landscape consultation gets a 10% discount, just mention this interview.

Photo courtesy Jeff’s Successful Gardener Facebook Page.

Photo courtesy Jeff’s Successful Gardener Facebook Page.

Photo courtesy Jeff’s Successful Gardener Facebook Page.

Photo courtesy Jeff’s Successful Gardener Facebook Page.

Photo by Charles Lybrand

This interview was originally posted on Preserve Matthews' Facebook page.

Everybody Loves Butterflies

A monarch poised on milkweed. Photo by Debbie Foster.

Bright, colorful, and winged, butterflies flit through our yards, lifting our spirit and brightening our day.

What if I told you that you could actively attract butterflies to your yard, increasing the number and variety?

It’s easy! All you have to know is what the butterfly wants – where it will lay its eggs and what it will eat.

For example, Monarchs only lay their eggs on one kind of plant, and they need the same plant to lay their eggs. What is this plant? Milkweed, aka Asclepias spp. Milkweed contains glycoside toxins, which aren’t harmful to the caterpillars but are to their predators. Here’s an amazing fact – those toxins remain throughout metamorphosis, making the adult Monarch toxic to its predators! Even more amazing, these butterflies have a two-way migration just like birds, although it will take several generations. They can fly 50-100 miles a day! If you want to see monarchs migrating, head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway in September and early October. Here are some locations where they are commonly seen, according to Romantic Asheville.

Spicebush swallowtail butterfly on a Mexican torch sunflower. Photo by Renee Garner.

Another butterfly you could attract to your yard is the Spicebush Swallowtail. Planting spicebush provides a host plant for these beautiful flutterbies, as well as food The caterpillars have a fascinating behavior of wrapping themselves in the leaves of the plant to avoid being eaten by hungry birds.

Finally, let’s look at the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, one of our most common butterflies in this area. It’s easy to attract these guys. Just plant parsley, fennel, and dill. Make sure you plant enough so that you have some to cook with and the “cats” have something to eat.

One last tip for attracting butterflies – be a messy gardener! Some butterflies overwinter in leaf litter and other garden debris, so don’t be in a hurry to do fall and winter cleanup.

Male eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. Photo by Debbie Foster.

Mojo Saturday Morning Bike Run

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

At 7:30 a.m. on most Saturdays, dozens of bikers will gather to start their weekly exercise from the train rails in front of Mojo’ Cycles on an approximately 30 or 50 (sometimes 70!)-mile loop which will bring them back home again. (They might also have taken a similar ride on Tuesday or Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.)

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

This is a chance to meet up with friends, see the countryside or just get some exercise. The average rider here is in his/her 40s, prompting bike shop owner Jimmy Johnson to comment that this is a great aerobic exercise they can do – one which only requires muscle, stamina and a tweaking of accessories to accommodate aging bodies.

As millennials stake a claim to leaving cars parked during weekends, Johnson sees “more interest in biking than ever,” especially off-road biking, made possible by the increasing number of Greenways and biking trails being constructed in and around Charlotte.

To accommodate the often large crowd during holiday runs, the group is often escorted by police to Independence Boulevard and beyond, ensuring their safety.

Photo by Cyma Shapiro

This is a decades-old tradition Johnson feels strongly about continuing, adding, “It’s good to leave from a bike shop, (just) in case you need something.”

Mojo Cycles
105 W Charles Street
Matthews, NC 28105
704-817-0009

TUESDAY - FRIDAY: 10am - 6pm
SATURDAY: 9am - 5pm
SUNDAY &  MONDAY: Closed

The Exchange Pizza Depot

The unassuming Exchange Pizza Depot is set back on Trade St. in Matthews, nestled between Seaboard and the Cigar shop.

Around the turn of the century, two sisters lived at 213 N. Trade Street, manning the switchboards for the local phone company.  By 1954, the phone company needed a place for their dial-up equipment and that same piece of real estate found new life. But, after falling into disrepair for many subsequent years, that life was resurrected this year in the form of The Exchange Pizza Depot.

“There’s plenty of room in town for (all of us). If my pizza is (good), they won’t be going elsewhere.

Enter Brendan Ciganek, former pizza shop franchisee owner and chef and a “friend of a friend of the owner.”

Hired to run the new pizza place (as adjunct to the owners’ next-door wine room, Seaboard), Brendan has found his “slice of the woods” in this business housed in the 14’x22’ foot building he can nearly call his own.

In addition to a staple of mostly Neapolitan-style pizzas (two of which are named after the owner’s daughters), Brendan has been free to not only write the menu, design the space and hire the staff, but to experiment with ideas and foods from around the world.

Pollo Con Crema (chicken, onion, bell pepper, tangy creamy sauce), Heatza (Cajun chicken, spicy red sauce, jalapeños, Sriracha drizzle), Tomato Pesto (with roasted brussels sprouts, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes), and Mashed Potato (with mixed cheese, bacon and garlic butter), Tikka Masala (tomato, cream, curry) are just a few of his many personal creations.

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

“I asked friends what they were eating,” he said,” got ideas from vendors at the Farmer’s Market and from international cuisines. He asked the employees who work there, patrons and his online friends, as well.

“My regular menu is a crowd pleaser,” he says, adding that the weekly (or so) special pizzas “may not be for everyone but are (a chance) to have fun with and appeal to some people.”

Among his special touches are tomatoes and flour from Italy, buffalo milk cheese and some regular produce from the Farmer’s Market. In addition, he grows basil and a few other things around the two restaurants.

And, as Matthews continues to grow and pizza competition gets even more heated, he said he’ll stick to what he believes:“There’s plenty of room in town for (all of us). If my pizza is (good), they won’t be going elsewhere.”

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

Photo credit: Cyma Shapiro

Exchange Pizza Depot

213 N. Trade Street, Matthews

Monday thru Wednesday: 5 PM - 9 PM

Thursday thru Sunday: 12 PM  - 10 PM

The Lives Behind Matthews Alive

When the carnival at Matthews Alive opens on Friday afternoon, excited adults and children will bear witness to an exciting array of rides (13) and some very tasty food (5 in Stumptown Park and countless more in the near vicinity).

What they won’t see is the passionate dedication of the owners behind the rides, the number of their employees (18) who dedicated themselves to setting up the event and the many hours (30+) and days (4) it took to do so.

They also won’t see the day-long process of safety checks – inspection done by the North Carolina Department of Labor the day before the carnival opens nor the safety meeting also held with all the

employees prior to the opening day (an elaborate sheet of checks and the requirement to run all rides for three cycles).

To Bob and Bess Brinkley, of Brinkley Entertainment, Inc. (Walnut Cove, NC), this will be an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, a chance to show off their wares and will be another stop on the road to setting up and taking down the nearly 35 carnivals they present in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. each year.

For us this is taking something everyone thinks they might know about and have childhood memories of, and then (try to) do it better or different(ly),” says 60-year-old fourth-generation “carnie,” Bess. “The passion is to keep it as original and as better-than new,” echoes her husband, Bob.

Bess Brinkley of Brinkley Entertainment, Inc.

“For us this is taking something everyone thinks they might know about and have childhood memories of, and then (try to) do it better or different(ly),” says 60-year-old fourth-generation “carnie,” Bess. “The passion is to keep it as original and as better-than new,” echoes her husband, Bob.”

“My father said, ‘never put anything on a plate that you wouldn’t eat yourself,’ ” Bess says echoing his words of long ago, “If you won’t eat it, then don’t sell it.”

As their concessions are run as a separate arm of the company, the Brinkleys will offer homemade (and secret) family recipes: fresh lemonade, funnel cakes, caramel popcorn, corn dogs and deep fried Oreos. Missing will be other goodies they’ve pioneered and sell at other carnivals such as pumpkin pie shake and candied apples with raspberries and sugar coating. (Years, ago, Bess was the first person to offer turkey legs at any carnival in North Carolina). “My father said, ‘never put anything on a plate that you wouldn’t eat yourself,’ ” Bess says echoing his words of long ago, “If you won’t eat it, then don’t sell it.”

On the ride-side, they will offer the unique Hog Drop ride (formerly Roll-a-Plane) and proudly present their refurbished vintage Ferris Wheel, the second of the trailer-mounted Wheels ever built by the pre-eminent company, Eli Bridge.

Bobbie’s touch and nod to present day? The LED lights surrounding it.

Behind the scenes remain dedicated employees, many of whom have been with them for up to 25 years – their “family,” as Bess calls them, while recounting stories of traveling with numerous members of extended families year after year. (A childless couple, the Brinkleys have taken dozens of employees and their families under their wing.)

“My people do this (work) because they want to,” she says, adding that she works hard to present a quality carnival experience devoid of the oft-known criticism of “carnie” employees as being the underbelly of society. “Carnival-goers are surprised at how well they are treated and how respectful to people they are.”

The hard working crew that makes sure the Matthews Alive carnival rides are safe and fun

The recipients of numerous national awards (including Vendor of the Year Award), the Brinkleys say they pride themselves on a stringent work ethic, dedication to excellence and pride in presentation. (Bobbie is past president of the NC Association of Fairs and Events and a certified ride inspector through the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials.)

“We are in the entertainment business - the outdoor amusement business, says Bess. “Yes, we’re a “carnie” business, but not as in a cuss word. My people work really hard. This is a business and we are trying to do the best thing for our people. We’ve tried to take what’s been handed down to me and make it better for (both) our employees and for people who come to the event.”

“We are in the entertainment business - the outdoor amusement business, says Bess. “Yes, we’re a “carnie” business, but not as in a cuss word. My people work really hard. This is a business and we are trying to do the best thing for our people. We’ve tried to take what’s been handed down to me and make it better for (both) our employees and for people who come to the event.”

The Loyalist Market

#PreserveMatthews supports the small businesses that make Matthews unique. I recently asked the owner of the newly opened The Loyalist Market a few questions. I hope you'll read and enjoy learning more about them. Of course, go visit and support them as well. #PreserveMatthewsLocalBizInterview

Hi, my name is Chris Sottile, and I am the owner of The Loyalist Market, recently opened in downtown Matthew's North End District.

I am not a Matthews resident, but I live only 5 minutes away, less than a mile into Charlotte.  I brought my business to Matthews because I'm obsessed with the authenticity of Main Street USA.  With Matthews being the only main street community within the I-485 loop (besides Charlotte), I knew that's where I wanted to be. 

I looked at the obvious hot spots - NODA, Plaza Midwood, South End, and Uptown, but kept being drawn to Matthews.  I like the small town feel and I love what Matthews has become over the 11 years I've lived, especially recently.  I knew for sure I did not want to end up in a shopping center and I wanted to be a part of the community where people can start their night at The Loyalist and be able to walk down the street to end it at Seaboard, Jekyll & Hyde, or Stumptown Station. 

“The amount of neighbors that have walked into our shop while we’ve been renovating to introduce themselves and tell us how excited they are has been really uplifting.”

I found that I kinda overwhelmed myself with our product lineup!  It's one thing to write 2 checks to Sysco and US Foods and have everything you need, it's another to write 60 checks to all the small local independent food producers in and around our community that The Loyalist will be representing.  The concept is a cut-to-order cheese and charcuterie shop offering local artisan groceries.  But we'll also offer sandwiches and salads during the day and operate as a Cheese Bar at night with cheesemonger-driven meat and cheese boards with beer and wine. We teach several classes on cheese pairings each month and offer daily food and drink specials. If you want to bring a crowd, we host private classes for groups of 8+ and rent out our space for special events.

We've got about 40 different cheeses and 20 different cured meats so I usually have a new favorite everyday.

But on our cheese bar menu, we've got a snack called Devils on Horseback which are dates stuffed with Mexican chorizo and Manchego cheese, wrapped in bacon and served with real maple syrup.  Each one is gone in a bite, but they're insanely addictive.

I still have to drive to get to the shop, but once in downtown, you can walk almost anywhere.  Google Map us to the Matthews Station Street and we're only 900ft away.  I think once we open, people are going to realize just how walkable Trade Street really is and how much there is to offer in downtown Matthews.  And if you're within biking distance, we've got a bike rack out front to park your bike.

Two people that really helped me while I was getting this concept off the ground are Alexis Botero and Elena Mizrahi of Royal Cafe & Creperie at Matthews Station.  First of all, they have an amazing story and they are just really good, down to earth people that love what they do and care about their employees and customers.  And they've got the best crepes in the county so that doesn't hurt either!

We're located at 435 N Trade Street #102 in the North End District. 

Hours:  11am-4pm Sunday
              CLOSED Monday
              12pm-9pm Tuesday - Saturday

Our website is www.theloyalistmarket.com. 

Definitely check us out on Facebook and Instagram @theloyalistmarket.

Look forward to seeing everyone real soon!

This interview was originally posted on Preserve Matthews' Facebook page. Images take for Matthews Beacon by Charles Lybrand.