The Triangle Explorer

Chester Gregory as Berry Gordy (center right) and cast of “Motown the Musical”
(photo by Joan Marcus)

On Tuesday, August 1st “Motown The Musical” opens at DPAC with shows running through Sunday August 6th. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, this musical tells the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from a former featherweight boxer drawn to Detroit to work in the auto industry, to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of such icons as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.

The show features more than 40 classic hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and explores how the whole Motown family fought against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America.

The tour guide on this journey exploring the Motor City of the late 1960s and ’70s, and the show’s principal character, is Berry Gordy (played by Chester Gregory), the founder of Motown Records. I recently had the chance to speak to Gregory by phone about what it is like to play the this icon of Motown.

Chester Gregory (Berry Gordy) & Allison Semmes (Dianna Ross) in “Motown the Musical”
(photo by Joan Marcus)

Chester Gregory has always been a fan of the music of Motown and the artists who got their break and eventually achieved stardom by way of the famous record company. Previous to joining Motown, Gregory gained a lot of attention and praise  for his role as Jackie Wilson in “The Jackie Wilson Story”. He also performs as a recording artist by the name of Chess, and has starred in multiple shows on Broadway and in in touring productions such as “Sister Act,” “Hairspray,” “Shrek,” and “Dreamgirls”.

“Having played Jackie Wilson, and now having the opportunity to play Berry Gordy, the founder of the Motown record label is an amazing opportunity,” says Gregory. Chester also once performed for Michael Jackson. “MJ was very influential in the development of my career. He changed the face of pop culture. Now getting the chance to play Gordy, who wrote songs for Jackie Wilson, who in turn influenced MJ, well it sort of feels a little like things coming full circle for me in terms of the characters I play”.

When asked how the show is different from other musicals, Gregory explains it this way – “We’ve  all either heard of or been to other shows that have been inspired by Motown-like stories, but this is how it all started. Most importantly this is the story as written by the man himself, Berry Gordy, who put it all together.”

Gregory hopes the show will give audiences an intro a glimpse of the interesting backstories behind their favorite Motown tunes and transport them back in time to moments shaped by the music performed on stage. “What I hope they take away is not only celebrating Motown’s legacy, but learning more about how it all came together and the man who was the visionary behind it all.”

“Motown the Musical” opens at DPAC Tuesday, August 1st with performances through Sunday, August 6th. For tickets visit https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/motown-2017.

Andy Ferrell performs at Mystery Brewing in Hillsborough Friday at 8:30pm
(photo by Daniel Barlow)

This weekend is going to be a scorcher so I’ve decided to pick events to enjoy inside where it will be nice and cool. Here are my top picks for the weekend. Also, if you are looking to cool off with some ice cream I recommend checking out the new Two Roosters Ice Cream Shop that just opened in North Raleigh. If you are in Durham, there is no better place to grab a cone than at The Parlour. Stay cool and happy exploring!

Friday – July 21

Cajammers Perform at the Blue Note Grill – Durham
The Cajammers are a North Carolina band that has been playing a highly danceable mix of Cajun, Zydeco, and swamp pop since 2012. Unique to the group is a trio of female fiddlers who adore sharing their love for Louisiana-inspired tunes with the audience. This energetic group will keep your toes tapping from beginning to end! Music 8pm-11:30pm at the Blue Note Grill in Durham.

Saturday – July 22

Andy Ferrell at Mystery Brewing Public House – Hillsborough
North Carolina roots songwriter Andy Ferrell perorms this Saturday at the Mystery Brewing Public House in Hillsborough 8:30pm-11:30pm. Born in Boone, NC, Ferrell grew up in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the birthplace of Appalachian traditional music and the home of the great Doc Watson. Growing up in Watson’s shadow, and with a folk guitarist for a father, Appalachian roots play a large role in Ferrell’s music.

Sunday – July 23

Kitten Party at Wake County Animal Center – Raleigh
The Wake County Animal Center of Raleigh will be having a kitten party. Come meet your new best friend. There will be many adorable available fuzz balls. 12-5pm. 820 Beacon Lake Dr, Raleigh.

Free Play at Level Up Kitchen & Barcadium
Play any of your favorite arcade games at The Level Up Kitchen + Barcadium for FREE. Sip on one of our ice cold drafts for $1 off!

Two Roosters Ice Cream Truck Opens their North Raleigh Storefront this Sunday at 2pm

This weekend there are several cool things to enjoy. Friday night I highly recommend checking out the Party in the Park at the NCMA Ellipse Lawn. Then there’s awesome Blues Music in Durham on Saturday. Finally, wrap up the weekend with the Grand Opening of the Two Roosters Ice Cream Shop on Sunday. Below are all the details you need to enjoy my top picks this weekend. Happy Exploring!

Friday – July 14th

Hoopla: Party in the Park at NCMA
Hoopla is back, Polynesian style, with a Carolina luau! Experience fire dancers and ukulele music amid art in the Park. A local DJ spins tunes, and Imagine Circus dazzles with their Femme de Fire show. Durham Ukulele Orchestra and Raleigh Drum Circle perform. Food trucks will be on hand (see list below), and beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks will be available for purchase. The Disney film Moana (ticket required) screens after the party at 9 pm. The event takes place in the NCMA Park at the Ellipse Lawn

Gregg Gelb & the Second Line Stompers in Cary
The Starlight Concert Series is a lively series of free concerts that features musical styles from near and far. Concerts takes place at 7pm in the beautiful gardens of the Page-Walker Arts & History Center in Cary. Bring a picnic and enjoy music by starlight! Enjoy and evening of jazz with central North Carolina’s top jazz musician and his band in their Starlight Concert debut!  With guest singer Kathy Montgomery Gelb. Del’s Lemonade will be on-site during the concert selling frozen lemonade!

Saturday – July 15th

Pat “Mother of Blues” Cohen performs at The Bullpen
For years, Pat sang in New Orleans six nights a week, performing at a wide array of venues including the House of Blues, until Katrina destroyed her home. She relocated to North Carolina and has recently started touring with the Music Maker Blues Revue. This Saturday at 8:30pm you can hear her perform at The Bullpen in Durham right next to the Durham Bulls Stadium. The Bullpen is known for great wings and a nice selection of local beer.

Sunday – July 16th

Two Roosters Ice Cream Shop Grand Opening
The Two Roosters Ice Cream Truck is opening their long awaited Brick & Mortar Ice Cream Shop in North Raleigh this Sunday at 2pm. Customers can expect a rotating menu of ice cream with 10 popular flavors always on hand. The new storefront is located next to Gonza Tacos off Lead Mine Road in the same shopping center as Sola Coffe Cafe’. Nothing better than enjoying a cone of locally made ice cream as a way to celebrate National Ice Cream Day!

Do you like craft beer and food trucks? Well, mark your calendars because the Beericana craft beer & music festival returns to Holly Springs Saturday, September 9th. This year’s event, organized by 919 Beer, will feature 70 breweries from across North Carolina and beyond, 16 food trucks, and 3 live bands. Entry to the festival gets you unlimited tastings from the breweries. Food is available for purchase from the many food trucks.

Tickets go on sale July 15th at 10am. Tickets are $75 for VIP early access from noon to 6 p.m. and $45 for general admission from 2 to 6 p.m. There is also a $15 option for music only. For a peek at what Beericana was like last year check out the short clip below.

Please note that no children are allowed at Beericana and a valid photo identification must be presented. Check out the FAQ on the the event website for additional details.

Beericana Craft Beer & Music Festival
September 9th, 2017
Sugg Farm Park – Holly Springs, NC (map)
www.beericana.com
For updates & inside notes follow @beericana and @919beer.

Treforni Pizza w/ Spicy Sarita

Pizza can be a sensitive subject with many foodies. Everyone has their own expectations based on where they grew up and what they are conditioned to think what “good pizza” must be like. For me, when talking about pizza, it is very important to compare apples to apples. I wouldn’t send a person looking for great New York style pizza to a place that only sells Chicago deep dish pies. There are different styles of pizza, varying thickness of crust, ratios of cheese to sauce, even different kinds of ovens. Then there are the toppings. Oh my the toppings. So many choices! All that said, if you are looking for great Neapolitan Style Pizza I think I may have found the best in the Triangle at Treforni Pizza in Hope Valley Commons in Durham.

View of the Pizza Ovens from the Dining Room

Owner Dave Diggins opened Treforni a little of a year ago, but he isn’t a newcomer to the art of making great a great pie. Dave started in the pizza business back when he was just a teenager living in Cherry Hill, NJ and has spent more than three decades working in the pizza industry. Over the years he was drawn to the more traditional Neapolitan pizza and learned the art for this particular style of pizza from his mentor Roberto Caporuscio, who mastered his craft in Italy working at the oldest pizzeria in Naples.

Neapolitan pizzas are typically about 12 inches in diameter and are typically considered a personal pizza. Pizzas of this size are plenty to feed one but if you are on a date or with a group it is fun to order a different pie for each person and share.

Gluten Free Pizza

The menu at Treforni is pretty straight forward, with seven red pies and seven white. A big plus is that you can also get a pizza made with a gluten free crust. This isn’t some pre-made crust you can get anywhere. They make it right ther in-house in a special area and even have a dedicated gluten free pizza oven. My wife ordered a gluten free pie (pictured above) and she was very impressed with the tasty crust. I tried it and was equally impressed. I barely noticed any difference between the regular crust. You don’t give up on any flavor or texture when going Gluten Free at Treforni.

While the Pizza is definitely the center of attention Treforni also offer a nice collection of calzones and as sandwiches if you want to switch things up. They also have four different salads featuring mixed of greens including a spring mix as well as arugula, and spinach. You can view the full menu here.

Salads also on the menu

The pizza I ordered was made using the traditional crust and was topped with spicy Sarita, sopressata, mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. It was absolutely delicious! Easily one of the best pizzas I have ever had and definitely the best Neapolitan pizzas I have ever eaten. It had the perfect balance of sauce and cheese. I really enjoyed the spicy flavor of the Sarita too. It was spicy but not hot. It was a nice change from the pepperoni I typically order when getting a pizza. The crust was about as perfect as you can get. It was crispy with just the right amount of chewy softness on the inside.

Perfect charring of the crust!

An important point about the crust was that it had just the right amount of “Charring”. Or at least what I like to consider the “right amount”. Getting the charring right without burning the crust speaks to correctly timing when the pizza is taken out of the oven (usually after just 90 seconds) and the moisture content of the dough. It’s an art getting it just right and Treforni has it nailed. Everything about my pizza was perfect and before I was done I was already planning my next visit.

More Seating Options

The dining room at Treforni is spaceous and offers large communal tables for groups and smaller tables for couples. Many of the tables provide a great view of the pizza ovens so you can watch the wood fired ovens work their magic when your pie goes in. The staff are friendly and accommodating. We were there early on a rainy Sunday afternoon before the lunch crowd. I noticed a father and his young son come in and it was nice to see the cook behind the counter spread some flour on an open space on the counter and let the little boy roll out some extra dough  to help make his pizza.

Pizza Ovens (Note the dedicated Gluten Free Oven)

If you want to try some great pizza and support a worthy cause, on Tuesday, July 11th Treforni will be donating  15% of the proceeds that day to benefit Seeds, a community garden in Durham. But regardless of when you plan your visit, Treforni is definitely a place to put on your radar if you are looking for a great Neapolitan pizza. No tour of the Triangle pizza scene would be complete without a stop here. The great pies and relaxed atmosphere make it a versatile place perfect for a quick bite to eat or a fun and affordable date night before a movie at the nearby Southpoint Mall. Once you go let me know what you think. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Treforni Pizza
1125 W North Carolina 54
Durham, NC 27707

Website: https://www.treforni.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treforni
Twitter: @Treforni
Instagram: @treforni