Daniel Whittaker's big plans for Person Street Pharmacy's cafe

If it wasn't already clear from chef Scott Crawford's opening of the long-awaited Standard Food, the success of Oak City Cycling Project or the existence of So & So Books, last week's announcement by New Raleigh of new ownership of the cafe at Person Street Pharmacy makes it clear: The North Person sector near downtown Raleigh is suddenly one of the city's busiest zones.

Daniel Whittaker of Green Planet Catering has taken the reins of the cafe, which was renovated and reopened just a few months ago by Chad McIntrye and Craig Rudewicz. If you don't have your notes handy, Rudewicz is best known as the owner and creative force behind Raleigh-made Crude Bitters. McIntrye was the chef at The Market restaurant, which was located next-door to Escazu in their Blount Street strip. (It's occupied by Stanbury these days.)

Before that transition, McIntyre—now owner of Eco-Tech Draft Systems, which delivers environmentally friendly means of tapping kegs—was in discussion to open a restaurant-grocery concept at the address that is now the innovative Standard. His one-time partner in the plan was, indeed, Whittaker. 

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• Photo by Jolee Todd

Confused?

"It's funny the way things work out sometimes," says Whittaker. "I look across the street at Standard and wonder what might have been. But when [pharmacy owner Trey Waters] approached me about the cafe, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to grow Green Planet Catering. We're thrilled to be part of the neighborhood."

He's also glad to maintain relationships with McIntyre, who services the Eco-Draft system he designed for the cafe's vintage soda fountain, and Rudewicz, whose bitters and syrups are essential to creating their soft drinks, shrubs and cocktails. 

Whittaker says the deal took shape in the past two months, around the same time he hired Patrick Cowden as Green Planet's executive chef. Cowden has cooked in Chapel Hill at Southern Season's Weathervane restaurant, Michael Jordan's 23 Sport Cafe (where he and Whitaker first met) and kitchens in both Durham and Raleigh. He's currently completing his obligations as executive chef for Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, which has three Triangle sites.

There will be considerable overlap between operations at Green Planet and the Pharmacy Cafe. Cowden will helm both, training staff and developing menus. Currently open 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the cafe menu will continue to focus on breakfast and lunch offerings, though Whittaker wants to add dinner service during the next few months. 

"I see it being something like Hayes Barton Cafe, which serves dinner just a few nights a week," says Whittaker. "My first goal is to become the go-to place for great sandwiches in the neighborhood. I live there myself, and I know it's something that's been missing. I want to see lines out the door at lunch time."

Whittaker will provide plenty of seating for those lines; he'll soon add an 18-foot community dining table, with some seating outdoors for al fresco service. They'll also emphasize to-go service. Whittaker is planning other neighborhood-friendly features, too, like taco nights and expanded barista service. 

But he's confident that deli-style sandwiches (with cured meats imported from Brooklyn), soups and salads will serve as the primary draws for those craving well made comfort food. 

This post first appeared in Indy Week. 

PieBird, Raleigh's pie-only institution, closes, at least for now

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PieBird, a leader in the revitalization of downtown Raleigh's North Person district, quietly closed its doors Sept. 8. Owner Sheilagh Sabol Cassidy says the business is in the process of restructuring and she hopes to reopen soon.

Named for the gadget that allows steam to vent from a baking pie, the all-pie eatery launched in March 2011. Bounded by the Oakwood and Mordecai neighborhoods, the North Person Street sector was a different place then, with paper covering the windows of long abandoned storefronts. Cassidy's friends told her she was crazy to invest in a business there, but PieBird's sweet and savory options quickly found an appreciative audience.

The area is now lined with bustling shops and restaurants. Niall Hanley of Raleigh Beer Garden and the Hibernian pubs opened The Station directly across the street from PieBird in November 2013. Chef Scott Crawford's long-awaited Standard Foods is expected to open around the corner later this month. There's a book shop and a bakery, a wine store and a bike business. And a popular Raleigh-based food truck aims to open its first brick-and-mortar operation nearby.

"It's a loss for the area. They'll be missed," says Chad McIntyre of the restaurant at Person Street Pharmacy, located just steps from PieBird's locked front door. "They definitely helped get the area back on track as a business-and-residential destination. I don't think it would have been as much of a draw without them."

This post first appeared in Indy Week.

Canning for 'Farm to Fork' – and from his table to yours

Paperless tickets for Sunday's Farm to Form 2012 Picnic are available online and must be purchased in advance.

Chad McIntyre is a little like the guy who needs to make to doughnuts. Except he needs to make summer squash pickles. And he loves doing it.

Chad McIntyre leads a recent canning class
at The Market Restaurant

“I’ve got to pickle four cases for the weekend,” said McIntrye, chef at The Market Restaurant of Raleigh, which will be represented at Sunday's Farm to Fork 2012 Picnic in Hillsborough. “I want to be sure we have enough.”

The annual event, which celebrates the connection between local farmers and chefs, is a perfect fit for McIntyre. In collaboration with Walters Unlimited farm of Efland, he'll cook hickory-smoked brisket on carrot-turnip bread with pickled summer squash and a cilantro cream. He'll also make a version with vegan sausage in place of the brisket. 

McIntrye's creative use of seasonal fare has built a loyal following at The Market, where diners count on meals crafted from whole, all-natural, unprocessed foods gathered from local sources.

The Market has proved so successful, in fact, that McIntyre will temporarily shut down the cozy eaterie in the Mordecai neighborhood in September to relocate just a few blocks south to a larger space at the long-abandoned Person Street Plaza. In addition to more seating, the new spot also will feature a market in which McIntyre will sell both canned goods and canning supplies.

“Canning has become a signature of what we do here at The Market,” said McIntrye, who recently started selling hip T-shirts with the motto I Eat Local … Because I Can. “People expect it, and we like that they do.”

While he’ll eventually offer jams and jellies, sauces and pickles in the shop, McIntyre is not waiting until fall to get started. He's warming up now by leading workshops on how to can at home.

In recent weeks, McIntrye has taught a series of beginner, intermediate and advanced canning classes at The Market on Monday nights, when it's usually closed. The entry level classes have been most popular.

“I think that will continue to be our focus,” he said, noting that more classes will be scheduled in the fall. “People feel better about canning if they have a guide. Anyone who cans knows how easy and rewarding it can be. But sometimes new canners are afraid they’re going to kill someone if they do something wrong.”

In addition to practical, food safety-based instruction and a smattering of preservation history, McIntyre sends every participant home with a copy of the Ball Blue Book, long recognized as a preserver's bible.

To help build canning confidence, McIntrye focuses on high-acid products that yield reliable results, like the squash pickles. Students leave enthused and with a new respect for old traditions, he said. Some have even followed up to report success with making jam or jelly.

“I know how they feel,” he said. “It’s great to capture the freshness of what’s in season so you can enjoy it any time.”

One of the recipes McIntrye shares is the popular picked onions served at The Market. It’s perfect for beginners but yields a sophisticated taste that anyone would enjoy. McIntyre used them in sandwiches and to garnish salads. One batch will fill about six 8-ounce jars, sometimes with enough for an additional 4-ounce jar.

The Market Restaurant's Pickled Onions

½ tsp. pickling spice

½ tsp. turmeric

1½ cups sugar

1 cup water

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 pinch salt

½ tsp. whole brown mustard seed

½ tsp. celery seed

6-7 cups onions, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (approximately 3 large onions)

• Prepare jars, lids and rings according to USDA guidelines. Fill jars with raw sliced onion and set aside. 
• Combine remaining ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, stirring well to incorporate. Pour hot vinegar mix over onions in jars, leaving a half-inch of head space. 
• Run a knife through jars to break up any air bubbles. Top with lids and adjust bands until snug but not tight.
• Place jars in water bath with water at least an inch above jars. Process for 10 minutes then remove to a heatproof surface to cool. Allow to mature at least a week before enjoying.