Woo woo! A whistle wails through the streets of downtown Southern Pines as a train screeches to a halt in front of the circa-1898 station. Passengers from as nearby as Raleigh and as far away as New York disembark and step onto the platform. Maybe those passengers feel the potential in the air, the possibility to create. In this corner of Moore County, writers put words to their newest ideas; dozens of horses, ready to compete, roam the pastures lining Youngs Road; and golfers tee off, hoping for a successful day on the links. They’re all artists of sorts. On the page, in the ring, on the green. Here, inspiration is everywhere: Inside the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. In the kitchens of award-winning chefs. On the streets lined with longleaf pines.
Many years before fine-dining chefs and Olympic-level equestrian riders and professional golfers made names for themselves here, American novelist James Boyd felt that potential. Locals in Southern Pines still echo one of Boyd’s original sentiments about this Sandhills town: “This is really the most beautiful country I know. [It] has a certain wildness without being desolate … solitude without loneliness.”
James Boyd’s former study at Weymouth Center has been transformed into the NC Literary Hall of Fame. The faces of notable writers, including Carl Sandburg and Doris Betts, line the walls. photograph by Faith Teasley
Executive Director of the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, Katie Wyatt. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Katie Wyatt, executive director of the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, has a strong philosophy regarding artistic endeavors. “Performance is not the end objective,” says Wyatt, who’s also a freelance musician and a principal viola player for the Carolina Philharmonic. “It’s to bring people together to experience beauty.” It’s through that lens that Wyatt views the work of the Weymouth Center, a nonprofit located on the property that was once the private home and estate of author James Boyd, a World War I ambulance driver who gained fame for his honest depiction of war in his novel Drums. Wyatt served on the Weymouth Center board before taking on her current role in 2021. Her hope is that the center will continue to be a place of inspiration for new generations — from the writers and poets who live in the house for a week at a time as part of the writers-in-residence program to the visitors breathing in its pine-scented air and admiring its flower gardens.
Take a tour: The North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame is located on the second floor of the house, and the grounds and gardens are open from sunup to sundown.
555 East Connecticut Avenue
(910) 692-6261
weymouthcenter.org
Rachel Jurgens, former owner of Red’s Corner. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Editor’s Note: Scott Bertrand is the current owner of Red’s Corner.
For many years, people gathered to cook barbecue outside the Exxon gas station that sat at the corner of Southwest Broad Street and Morganton Road. The station was commonly known as Red’s Exxon, named for the redheaded man who owned it. Four years ago, Rachel Jurgens purchased the two-acre lot that Red’s once sat on to secure the future of her 14-year-old drive-through coffee business, Pony Espresso, which occupied the same lot. Jurgens envisioned the space as a colorful food truck park, where families could sample different cuisines. After opening last March, Red’s Corner became the gathering place that Jurgens had hoped for: Kids now enjoy the on-site playground while adults chat over cold beers from the bar. And in December, when Moore County lost power for several days, Red’s trucks were still up and running on generators. “I was really blessed to be open,” Jurgens says. “We fed all of Moore County.”
Order up: Grab a bite from one, or all, of the permanent trucks at Red’s, which include Cookies-N-Moore, Italian street food from The Gravy Train, and Cajun cuisine from Bayou in the Pines.
901 Southwest Broad Street
redscornersp.com
Try roasted grouper with capers, olives, and tomatoes served over grits at Chef Warren’s Bistro. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Chef Warren Lewis. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Painted gold walls and soft lighting create a warm and friendly atmosphere at Chef Warren’s Bistro. Specials like roasted grouper with capers, olives, and tomatoes served over grits and other seasonal entrées prepared with French techniques make appearances, but the staples — steak and fries, lobster Rangoon, and pecan pie — have attracted diners since the restaurant opened in 1998. The population of Southern Pines has nearly doubled since then, bringing a wave of newcomers willing to expand their culinary horizons. Co-owner and Head Chef Warren Lewis is thankful for the change: He used to have a hard time selling a flourless white chocolate cake garnished with scratch-made caramel and served with fenugreek ice cream. “Now, poor Joe,” Lewis says with a laugh, gesturing to a chef in the open kitchen, “has to make three every day.” Lewis graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, but nowadays he mostly leaves the cooking to the younger chefs while operating the restaurant with his wife, Marianne. “We’re here to please people,” he says. “That’s why we do this.”
Look around: The wildlife photographs on the walls — a polar bear, a puffin, a bison, and an Arctic fox — were taken by Lewis at the North Pole, in Iceland, and in Poland.
215 Northeast Broad Street
(910) 692-5240
chefwarrens.com
Eat farm-to-table fare at Ashten’s restaurant. photograph by Faith Teasley
Treat yourself to a fine farm-to-fork meal in a restaurant that’s modeled after an English manor.
140 East New Hampshire Avenue
(910) 246-3510
ashtens.com
Enjoy classic sandwiches — think egg salad and BLTs — burgers, and old-fashioned ice cream sundaes.
176 Northwest Broad Street
(910) 692-7273
icecreamparlorrestaurant.com
Start your day with a plate of sweet or savory crepes, French toast, and other brunch options.
127 Southwest Broad Street
(910) 246-2406
Cozy up to a warm bowl of soup or treat yourself to a Margherita pizza.
134 Northwest Broad Street
(910) 693-1487
Experience a fusion of Indian flavors, including chicken tikka masala and butter chicken thali.
169 Northeast Broad Street
(910) 725-0875
thejayasincuisine.com
At Against the Grain Shoppe, Ashley Tramontin showcases wares from small businesses. photograph by Anna Routh Barzin
Locally bottled honey; decorative pillows inscribed with the Southern Pines zip code and colorful maps of Moore County; the outline of North Carolina on glasses and cards and canvases — nearly everything in this shop is inspired by our state. Pieces created by about 100 North Carolina makers are represented in the store, from watercolor scenes painted by Dr. Laura Martin, a physician’s assistant whose patients come by to admire her work, to the leather and wooden goods of Pete Koepp, a veteran and the sole creator behind the brand Renaissance Man. “This is a good jumping-off point for small businesses,” owner Ashley Tramontin says. “The idea is to encourage them and help them grow.” Tramontin understands the importance of giving artists a solid foundation: She made and sold custom furniture for many years at markets and online before taking over Against the Grain in 2019 to focus on giving a platform to local makers. “I like to know where my products come from,” she says. “I would prefer to know that my money is staying in my local community.”
Did you know? The honeycomb-style tiles and four individual mirrors on the east wall are remnants from when Against the Grain was a barbershop.
220 Northwest Broad Street
(910) 725-0148
againstthegrainshoppe.com
R. Riveter’s Otto bag. Photography courtesy of R.Riveter
This store’s leather handbags are handmade by military spouses across the U.S. and named after women in history, like The Otto, named for a World War II airplane mechanic.
154 Northwest Broad Street
(910) 725-1010
rriveter.com
Sign up for crocheting or knitting classes, or stop by to pick up a few skeins of yarn to tackle a project.
277 Northeast Broad Street
(910) 692-3528
bellafilati.com
Established in 1953, this shop — owned by the local newspaper, The Pilot — is a downtown fixture for book lovers.
140 Northwest Broad Street
(910) 692-3211
thecountrybookshop.biz
Mark our words: Whether they nod to North Carolina or were penned by its residents, these notable, quotable passages remind us of the power of speech inspired by our state.
When one stream flows into another, the two chart a new course for the future — together.
When the weather outside is frightful, one chef serves loved ones dishes so delightful.
A historic Rose Bowl pitted Duke University against Oregon State in Durham. Then, in the dark days of World War II, those same football players — and a legendary coach — joined forces to fight for freedom.
