The March 2021 Issue

This charming mountain town was built around a railroad; now an energetic community of artists and entrepreneurs help it flourish.

Cook, read, learn, and celebrate what North Carolina has to offer this month.

Songwriter, producer, record label founder: This veteran of the rock ’n’ roll industry has done it all. At a venue near his hometown, he provides a space for performers to express themselves — and for the audience to listen.

A new anthology compiled by two North Carolina natives explores the lives, legends, and lore of the people of Appalachia.

A vibrant Wilmington seafood restaurant transports diners from one treasured coast to another, serving Central American dishes made with North Carolina ingredients.

Wrap up grilled pork tenderloin and a slightly spicy slaw for a delicious handheld meal.

The key to this crispy, juicy chicken sandwich is Texas Pete, which is mixed into the breading — and into a Duke’s mayonnaise spread.

It’s a little bit salad, a little bit sandwich — and totally delicious.

Forget fancy! This comforting sandwich on buttery toast is diner food done right.

To celebrate our favorite destination dining spots in unexpected towns across the state, we asked one of the South’s most renowned chefs, Bill Smith, to trace North Carolina’s fine-dining scene to its earliest roots.

A Kernersville chef brings the intimacy and familiarity of a local diner to high-end entrées — and even a fancy burger — that defy small-town expectations.

The couple behind the Burke Manor Inn and its restaurant, Saint Jacques, whisk their guests away for classic French fare and Old World elegance — all without leaving Guilford County.

This Hayesville restaurant is more than 580 miles from New Orleans, but the flavors of Cajun Country have found a happy home in the mountains of Clay County.

Feasts at Spoon River combine gourmet dishes and an ever-changing art space that would rival any meal at Tiffany’s.

Having survived Civil War pillaging and nearly two decades of neglect, a historic hotel in Hillsborough refuses to surrender. The structure’s latest incarnation brings memories of the past together with modern twists on Southern cuisine.

The Roanoke begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and travels more than 400 miles before emptying into Albemarle Sound, linking countless lives along the way. Follow along as a native son traces the river’s path through northeastern North Carolina, sharing stories of the Roanoke he knows and loves.

Centuries ago, migrating passenger pigeons flew south by the millions, great rivers of feathers streaming through the sky. Those birds are gone now, but their memory is a reminder to look up: Spring still brings a flood of winged wonder.

Once upon a time, before CGI and interactive video screens, you could step into the vastness of space at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill and watch moons orbit planets and planets circle the sun.

At first, a new house in Raleigh’s historic Oakwood neighborhood spurred controversy among residents who didn’t want contemporary next to traditional. Now, two friends — one a modernist architect, the other a historic preservationist — have helped bring their community back together through a mutual respect for each other and a passion for beautiful homes.

In Pitt County, a luthier’s handcrafted guitars are sometimes discolored or full of knots; some are shaped liked snakes or shotguns. Each instrument’s story starts with the wood used to make it. And while the past may have left its scars, beauty can be found in the sights and sounds of art.

Legendary Raleigh librarian Mollie Huston Lee dedicated her life to creating a community where all people could congregate, and minds could flourish.

Following an incident at a local high school, long-simmering racial tensions boil over in Wilmington, culminating in the wrongful conviction of 10 activists.