View Point
Change your mind and shift your perspective
The Monthly is a roundup of articles we’ve published in our print edition and highlights from our archives.
IF THESE TIMES HAVE REVEALED ANYTHING, it’s that we’re in this together. Our paths may differ, but the choices we make affect the whole, and the trials we bear are lighter with help.
We get closer in cold months. It’s a time of gathering and resolution—of being thankful for what was and open to what will be. V
IMAGINE » Healing Arts
The best way to support Western North Carolina is to go there
By April Economides
AS PEOPLE OUTSIDE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA follow the unfolding news of how the region is faring post–Hurricane Helene and wonder how best to help, local towns are issuing a call to action that may at first feel counter-intuitive: visit them. Stay in their inns, dine at their restaurants, shop in their stores, and visit their arts and music venues. And if you can’t book a weekend getaway or day trip sometime soon, please shop WNC from home.
As the people of Appalachia continue to band together in support, demonstrating an endurable spirit and generosity, they also need outside help—both immediate and long-term.
Clean running water has been restored in Asheville, after weeks of businesses having to pump in potable water to continue operations. Thankfully, many art galleries, boutiques, hotels, and music venues are back open. The roughly 20 percent of River Arts District institutions that survived are supporting less-fortunate neighbors by stocking their art and wares.
Without a doubt, now is the time to support Western North Carolina.
Here are a few of our favorite AVL spots »
EAT
Chai Pani
Festive and colorful restaurant serving elevated Indian street food.
Farewell Coffee
South Slope café and wine bar serving locally roasted coffee and featuring a micro gift shop to support local vendors.
SHOP
East Fork
Downtown purveyor of locally crafted pottery and unique housewares.
There There
This design-forward gift shop in the River Arts District sells home goods, local art, and personal care products.
STAY
Blind Tiger, The Radical & Zelda Dearest
Keep an eye out for when these distinctly designed boutique inns, run by Lark Hotels, fully reopen.
For April Economides’ full article with an expanded list of WNC restaurants, shops, and stays, go to our website.
DEVOUR » Proof Point
Artisan bread bakers showcase their art across the Southeast
By Eric Ginsburg
MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN about the craft-beer boom that began in earnest across the Southeast about a decade ago. But a resurgence in artisan bread-baking that emerged simultaneously received far less fanfare. Like its sudsy counterpart, the rise of intentional, small-scale bread-baking relies on ancient techniques and a reverence for distinct grains.
Lionel Vatinet is one of the region’s primary progenitors of the art. After growing up primarily in a Paris suburb, Vatinet joined the elite Les Compagnons du Devoir at 16 and worked his way up to the title of master baker. He traveled France and then the world before opening the now famed La Farm Bakery in Cary, North Carolina, in 1999.
He brought with him a classic approach to fermentation that wasn’t widespread in the area at the time. “This isn’t French,” Vatinet explains, “it’s simply the centuries-old, European way of developing sourdough bread.”
His approach is time-consuming, involving a three-day fermentation process and requiring stone-ground flours that consumers wouldn’t find at a grocery store. Now 25 years on, Vatinet isn’t alone. There are other bread bakers nearby—he’s quick to nod to Union Special and Boulted Bread in neighboring Raleigh—and throughout the region.
In addition to La Farm Bakery, these bakeries get our hearts pounding »
Independent Bakery Co. » Athens, GA
Niedlov’s » Chattanooga, TN
Old World Levain » Asheville, NC
Sub Rosa Bakery » Richmond, VA
Find La Farm Bakery at lafarmbakery.com and at six locations in the Triangle of NC.
WANDER » Mountain Pose
Discover a rare balance of adventure and relaxation at Cataloochee Ranch, the newly restored Smoky Mountain getaway
By Kathryn Davé
AT THE TOP OF HEMPHILL BALD, I paused to catch my breath before the view took it right back. A picturesque mountain vista opened before me: dandelion-dotted meadows sloped down toward the ranch where I began my trek, and in every direction, mountains ringed a cloudless blue sky. This is just one of the views that makes Cataloochee Ranch so special.
The ranch has unlocked that rarest luxury of all: balance. Rustic touches throughout the entire property honor the ranch’s mountain heritage and equestrian history, while modern comforts enrich the experience.
Guests can take on the trails for a scenic ride or hike, or sink into the bliss of mountain spa treatments. Once I identified this delightful push and pull, I saw it everywhere. Luxurious, but approachable. Energizing, but restful. As my husband and I enjoyed a cocktail in the red-lacquered Tack Room bar (ease) after finishing the thrilling ropes course (exhilaration), I imagined returning with my children. Cataloochee Ranch has created a place where just about anyone can find their share of fun.
On our first night, we stepped into the thick, velvety dark of a walk back to our cabin after a late dinner. We could have been stepping back through time by a few centuries. No lights disrupted our experience of the lush stars above—but, the leather room key came ready with a tiny, discreet flashlight for just such a moment. A perfect balance.
Read Kathryn Davé’s full story on Cataloochee Ranch in our travel issue.
DEVOUR » Winter Warmth
Tuck yourself into January, Southall Farm and Inn’s cozy restaurant, for a seed-to-fork experience
By Mallory Corum
My lifelong best friend and I turned 35 this year. On milestone birthdays, we like to plan something special. For 30, it was charming Charleston, featuring more oysters and walks than we could count. For 35, our goal was to feel like we were on an easy-like-Sunday-morning kind of vacation, but life dictated we only had little more than the span of a dinner reservation. Challenge accepted. We promptly made a reservation at January, “a seed-to-fork dining experience” in Franklin, Tennessee (a quick 45 minutes south of Nashville).
As part of Southall Farm and Inn, January is the culinary crown jewel of the property’s offerings, which include a working farm, a spa and resort, a bar, and a more casual restaurant, Sojourner.
Central to January are the farm’s seasonal bounties, which shape Chef Andrew Klamar’s menu and the bar program’s cocktails. “We prioritize produce straight from the farm, leading to a menu rich in vegetable-focused dishes,” says Chef Klamar. “This approach keeps us adaptable and creatively engaged. We are committed to capturing the essence of the moment, what’s happening right here in middle Tennessee.”
What first appeared minimal—the farmhouse-meets-industrial dining room, the menu that seemed a little too limited—ended up being pitch perfect.
We had achieved our easy-like-Sunday-morning vacation. As the team at January likes to say, the experience is “quite simply, the culmination of our dream . . . dinner, as it should be.” Amen.
Read Mallory Corum’s full article about January in our winter 2025 issue.
DEVOUR » Breaking Boundaries
Sommelier Paula de Pano reaches new heights at her Chapel Hill wine shop, Rocks & Acid
By Blair Knobel
WINE IS MORE THAN A PROFESSION FOR PAULA DE PANO. It is a key to education and relationships. It is a connection to history and to the earth. For this talented Chapel Hill entrepreneur, an open bottle opens worlds.
Advanced sommelier De Pano studied at the Culinary Institute of America before leading the wine program at the famed Relais & Chateaux Fearrington House Inn in Pittsboro, North Carolina. After gaining acclaim there, she seized an opportunity to become senior sommelier for two years at the illustrious Michelin-starred restaurant Eleven Madison Park. De Pano then came back to Fearrington from 2016–2021, before opening her own store in 2022.
Paula distills her past experiences into Rocks & Acid, whose name refers to the mineral and acidic qualities that give wine its flavor profile. It’s also a window into De Pano’s personality—she leads with strength and resolve and also with playfulness and spunk.
“Wine pairings can either complement or contrast, but at the end of the day, the goal is to create a moment of connection. My job isn’t just about finding the perfect wine—it’s about making people comfortable, understanding their needs, and curating an experience that feels both personal and special,” De Pano says.
Read Blair Knobel’s full story in our winter 2025 issue, available online. Find Rocks & Acid Wine Shop in Chapel Hill, NC.
DATEBOOK »
Events on our radar
Feb 12. A Toast to Sweethearts: A Sweetheart Wine Dinner. Topsoil Restaurant, Travelers Rest, SC.
Feb 15. FAAAC Presents Black Art Pokeno. Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC.
Feb 18–19. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Peace Center, Greenville, SC.
Mar 5–9. Charleston Wine + Food. Charleston, SC.
Thru May 4, 2025. Unsettled Things: Art from an African American South. International African American Museum, Charleston, SC.
FROM THE ARCHIVES »
TWO YEARS AGO, January 2023, we published Issue No. 3 on Substack—reminisce with us here.
CHEERS TO US! »
WE LAUNCHED VESSEL INTO PRINT a year ago and have just published our fifth issue, winter 2025. It’s a journey that began thanks to our Substack community, which continues to grow. Deep gratitude to all of you for sustaining and inspiring us. Sending best thoughts on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and beyond.—BK