Raleigh Downtown Living Advocates

Category: Fayetteville Street (Page 3 of 5)

Meet Jerome Lauck, Owner of Sosta Café: You’ll love the perfect simplicity of truly fresh ingredients, as well as the artful atmosphere.

July 27, 2011 /

Jerome Lauck and his daughterJerome Lauck, now the full owner of Sosta Café, was born in the French Provence region in the South of France to Alsatian parents, who were raised in the wine and cheese region of the North of France.  During our conversation, Jerome recalled his childhood, watching as his young mother mastered the allure of Provence style cooking.  Jerome explained that in Provence, you rely on what he labels, “a master simplicity” to bring out and highlight the individual tastes of a long list of excellent regional ingredients. 

 This philosophy continues today at Sosta Cafe where Jerome extends this simple perfection to his sandwiches, coffee, lunch offerings- and even beverages. 

 

I understood Jerome’s comment because I grew up in Geneva, finding Provence with its extended shores on the Mediterranean a lovely and exciting summer destination.  It is accurate that this region champions culinary simplicity, especially when it is measured against the neighboring Lyonnais region.  The complementary natural ingredients typical of this region make the culinary experience remarkably memorable.  I asked Jerome how he managed to find ingredients from a several mile radius of the region where he was born, and he admitted that it is now slightly easier than when he started 6 years ago.  He says that boutique suppliers are willing to make a small profit to support a number of culinary establishments in the area. 

The name “Sosta” means “a restful break” and that truly captures the cafe’s philosophy. The cafe provides continuous service and a full menu from 8 AM to 4 PM, with an added focus on good art and truly enjoyable, unique music.  To me, it’s filled with personality and a feast for the senses.  Sosta has also added a very interesting catering menu to further serve its customers.  

Sosta Cafe, 130 E Davie Street (Progress Energy Bldg)Jerome’s personal touch, greeting and serving his customers, makes the Cafe Sosta a welcoming oasis in Downtown Raleigh.  An advocate of Downtown Living, Jerome lives in Boylan Height and walks to work every day. When I asked him about the Downtown scene he answered, “We have a beautiful Downtown that we need to make into a destination.”  He pointed out the paradox of how much effort is vested these days in shopping malls meant to mirror a Downtown feeling.  Jerome adds that we should have easy and affordable parking solutions, and looks forward to the regional and light rail development, citing that they will provide even easier and safer access to Downtown. 

 

Drop by and introduce yourself to Jerome.  You’ll enjoy the flavor, style and hospitality of Provence in your own neighborhood!

This is our second post on Sosta Cafe.  Click here to read our previous post published last year.


Foundation: Artfully Crafted Libations

September 14, 2010 /
If someone told you five years ago there would be a bar below street level downtown where you’d find a buzzing, contemporary, forward thinking social club of sorts where intellectuals, young professionals, and hipster types would all co-mingle while sipping classic cocktails, local craft drafts, and limited release whiskeys, you probably wouldn’t have given the concept much promise.  But today, once you descend the concrete stairwell set in front of the multi-story building at 213 Fayetteville St. and enter what was originally the building’s crawl space, you’ll witness this reality in full.

Now just over 18 months old, Foundation has gained a following not only for its locally and regionally sourced liquid varieties, but also for its responsible architectural approach, highlighting sustainable design efforts within its interior.
 
Visit HelloRaleigh.com for the rest of the story.

Faces of Downtown Raleigh:  Jerome and Luciano of Sosta Cafe

September 2, 2010 /

When I first began blogging, I talked about food. It’s what I know and love, and my first post was about Sosta Café.  At the time I was visiting them about once a week, and to this day I still go there quite frequently and order the Poulet (curried chicken salad sandwich), although the Piedmont (Prosciutto and taleggio cheese with tomato and lettuce on ciabatta bread) is a close second. I think Sosta is a true neighborhood hangout.  Spend any amount of time in there and you’ll hear Jerome or Luciano greet almost everyone by name.

Luciano behind the counterLuciano hails from Southern Italy and Jerome from southern France, so it’s not too uncommon to hear multiple languages spoken in the café, quickly transporting you to another place. Sosta Café gives downtown Raleigh an exciting taste of Europe – in our own back yard.

I took some time to interview Jerome and Luciano the other day to learn more about what they think of downtown Raleigh now that they have been open for almost 5 years.

 

Why Downtown Raleigh?

We had both been in the restaurant business for a long time, so when we met (we were neighbors in Oakwood), we would talk about things like quality of food and quality of life. Restaurants take a lot out of you and demand a lot of time.   We thought there was an opportunity to open a small café downtown that would serve the kind of food that we were used to eating in our native countries.  The product would have to be good and we wanted to do it ourselves, because that is what we love. We didn’t want to be a huge restaurant with lots of staff where we only came in once a week to check on things. We love being involved day to day, meeting people, and serving great food.

You’re coming up on 5 years, so you seem to be doing well. 

We are doing well and appreciate all of our regular customers. We have regulars from the local law firms, architecture firms, ArtSpace, banks, and Progress Energy, of course.

Jerome in the dining area, just before lunch time

We have all kinds of ideas of how to expand our hours and menu to serve more residents, but the timing hasn’t been right. Back in 2006 the economy was strong, so when this space became available we jumped on it. Right now I wouldn’t describe Davie Street as a hotbed of activity, but most people seem to be willing to walk the extra block or two for a great lunch experience.

 

 

 

What has been the best thing about being downtown?

Being downtown! Sidewalks.  Buildings. People walking by.  You feel like you’re in the middle of things.  People live here – they don’t just sleep.  They’re out and about. There is activity. Life. The suburbs can be isolating, we’ve both lived there before.  In the city you’re more connected.

Who does all the cooking? Where do the recipes come from?

We use product that we know – pestos, cheese.  Our menu is what we would eat at home.  Most of our cheeses are very distinct.  Sometimes it can be harder when you try to be original, either people don’t understand or aren’t familiar with the menu item, so we have made a few modifications for this market. 

What do you see as downtown Raleigh’s next important step?  Do you think they are going in the right direction?

Raleigh is still developing and has a way to go.  Connecting all the neighborhoods is important for a unified downtown. As a merchant, we’d like to see more events that don’t close off streets, but encourage visitors to wander around downtown to support the local businesses. Raleigh Wide Open, for example, brings in food vendors, and that limits the business for small cafes like ours that would serve lunch or a snack.  We have so many ideas that we’d like to try, but right now the bulk of the traffic is over lunch during the weekday.  For us, we’re looking forward to the development of the Edison which will be right across the street.  We think it will link this part of downtown to Martin and Hargett St.

Final question – what is your favorite menu item and what would you suggest to a newcomer to your café?

Jerome’s favorite menu item is the Ultimate Cheese Sandwich and Luciano’s favorite is the Alpine.  They would both recommend the Riviera to a newcomer, unless they were a meat-lover. In that case, Luciano suggests the Guido.

View the menu: http://sostacafe.com/



Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week: Time to Dine

August 6, 2010 /

As the sweltering summer heat continues to linger, finding the motivation to venture out unless it involves an exciting vacation or event isn’t necessarily easy. If life has you tied to the day to day routine in Raleigh with no vacation in sight, then perhaps downtown’s second annual summer restaurant week beginning Monday, August 23 through Sunday, August 29 will add a little spice to your agenda.

More than 25 of downtown’s most popular restaurants are cultivating creative three-course prix fixe menus priced at $20 and $30 (excluding beverages, taxes, and tip) for the special seven-day food fest.

Satisfy your appetite with Spanish cuisine one evening at Tasca Brava, make it Italian the next night at 518 West or La Volta, head over to Jibarra for some Mexican flair, and eat like a Cajun king at The Big Easy later in the week.  The choice is yours, and there are many more worldly flavors from which to sample.

Downtown Lebanese favorite, Sitti ($20 & $30 prix fixe) is involved, as is global street food-inspired Buku ($30 prix fixe).  Asian cuisine is also on the list from Five Star ($20 prix fixe), The Duck and Dumpling ($20 & $30 prix fixe) and Sono.  American Continental fare from stalwart downtown spots 18 Seaboard ($20 prix fixe) and Poole’s Diner ($30 prix fixe) are also in the mix.  

Visit HelloRaleigh.com for the rest of the story.

Water Matters, by artist Marty Baird

June 10, 2010 /

Water Matters is an exhibition of paintings and drawings that document my experience of the waters of four North Carolina Rivers and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

In 2007 on daily bike rides and walks I recorded in drawings the shifting fog, changing ocean colors, unexpected sightings of birds, animals and manmade objects along the California coast for a few months.   This process evolved into working in the waters of the Pacific, and later the Atlantic, letting the waves themselves create patterns and textures thus documenting a specific moment and location.

After I returned to Raleigh, extreme weather conditions around the country and NC, drought, heavy rains, and floods, launched me into thinking about the importance of water and a river project that begins with four NC Rivers:  the Neuse, Tar, the Cape Fear and Roanoke.  While tramping along the trails, the river banks and wading at the edges I record what I find.  The rivers change as their waters move toward the sea, when the rain falls, and as the light varies. The works trace each river’s movement and document human interactions at specific sites.   The NC River Project was funded in part by a 2009 Regional Artist Grant from United Arts Council, and gave me the opportunity to explore the rivers in a concentrated way over an extended time. 

Working outdoors in our rivers and their basins allows me to physically and sensually experience the topography, climate, time and space of each river. I think about permanence, transience, the relationship between beauty and danger.  The water and its currents stain and create patterns by moving over the papers and canvases. I might use sticks, fish hooks, or shells as tools. When I bring the pieces back into the studio I work to make visible my experience of being at the river.

The need to protect our waters in North Carolina’s rivers and tributaries is critical.  Two decades ago I worked with TLC on an exhibition.  I’m happy for the Water Matters exhibition this June at The Mahler Fine Art to support TLC’s efforts to conserve our rivers and natural areas both for the quality of our drinking water and for our recreational pleasure.  

Megg Rader, owner of The Mahler Fine Art, says,  The exhibition explores artist Marty Baird’s experiences with several NC Rivers (the Neuse, Tar, Cape Fear, Haw and Roanoke) as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  These paintings and works on paper incorporate each body of water’s movement and documents the human interactions at specific sites.  The extreme weather conditions over the past several years – drought, heavy rains, and floods – provided Marty with the back drop for exploring the importance of these bodies of water. 

The Water Matters exhibition is now open, and runs through July 3rd.  The Mahler Fine Art is located at 228 Fayetteville Street. www.themahlerfineart.com  


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