NOFOmation
Summer 2018
NOFOmation is our monthly newsletter written to keep NOFOlks up to date on new products and current events at NOFO!
Nofopoly @ NOFO
This Summer, we're playing Nofopoly! You collect $1 in Funny Money for every $20 you spend in our gift shop.
Instead of buying Reading Railroad or Park Place, you can choose anything in the sore. It's much more fun than purchasing pretend property, but if you don't use the money before the expiration date, you're bankrupt!
Thank You!
...to the readers of Indy Week for voting us Best Bloody Mary in Wake County in the 2018 Best of the Triangle Awards!
Where's Waldo?
Join the Scavenger Hunt at NOFO from July 1-29!
The elusive character is making his way around Raleigh's establishments. Pick up your passport here after June 26 and start hunting!
Many Thanks!
...to the Triangle Downtowner readers voting us have the Best Brunch, Best Sandwich, Best French Fries, Best Bloody, and Most Friendly & Awesome Staff!
Only at NOFO
Dan Gray, NOFO's chef mixes black, green, calamata, and castelvetrano olives and marinates them with orange zest, thyme, and rosemary to make NOFO's Mediterranean Olive Mix.
The mix is delicious with cocktails and perfect on the charcuterie board. They make a great hostess gift alone and can be paired with NOFO's Roasted Cashews, Sugared Pecans, or Marcona Almonds.
Cocktail Hour
We've all heard the saying "It's 5:00 somewhere." Five o'clock is the unofficial onset of the cocktail hour in America.
The folks at FERIDIES in Courtland, VA know that folks need a nibble with their drinks; and they've been making their 5 o'clock Crunch for years. This crispy, crunchy, sweet, spicy mix of honey-roasted peanuts and sticks, cheddar crackers, and such has a cult following; and can be enjoyed the other 23 hours of a day.
Sole Saving
Tuck a pair of these colorful folding flip flops in your bag, and you'll be prepared for all sorts of pedestrian issues.
What if you suddenly get a blister, snap a heel, find yourself barefoot at a restaurant whose sign says "shirts and shoes required", or have to take off your stilettos NOW. You just never know when your soles will need saving.
Pig Whistle
Chef Ben Adams, pig farmer Ryan Butler, and BBQ master Wyatt Dickson are the team behind Picnic in Durham. The restaurant has received national attention from Southern Living, Time, Bon Appetite, Garden & Gun, and more.
The team is now bottling their Pig Whistle BBQ Sauce based on a recipe Wyatt's dad from from a State Trooper in the 1960s. They call it "the Great Carolina Compromise" because it's a little bit East and a little bit West. Try some and see if it resolves the NC BBQ feud at your house.
The Southern Tomato Pie
We find it hard to fathom, but our beloved Tomato Pie is unfamiliar to folks outside the South. This staple is wildly popular and the essence of Summer to folks living in the coastal regions of the Carolinas.
The pie has roots in the South as far ack as the 1830s, but it contained beef or mutton. Nancy McDermott, a Southern food writer, calls today's meatless Tomato Pie a "modern classic" that gained popularity in the 1950s when recipes began showing up in church and Junior League cookbooks. The recipes probably came about as a delicious way to use up an abundance of Summer tomatoes.
We have two Tomato Pies to choose from: a traditional pie from Garner Farms in Morehead City and our Five Points Tomato Pie made with sundried tomatoes. Add a tossed green salad & enjoy supper on your screened porch.
Simply Cheddar
The name says it all. This Simply Cheddar cheese ball is made with sharp cheddar cheeses, onion, & red pepper flakes and enrobed in chopped pecans. The creator, Linda Weaver, does not use any processed or cream cheese or other fillers in her 2017 Made in Virginia award-winning cheese ball.
This is a great product to have on hand in your fridge or freezer. Delicious served with Coca Colas or cocktails.
Surprise Snack
Even folks who grimace at the thought of eating okra love these Low Country Okra Chips from Charleston. They're crunchy and crispy and taste deliciously like okra without the slick. Great way to add a serving of vegetables to your diet.
Rosé All Day
Katherine Cole's book, Rosé All Day, is a history of the wine from Louis XIV to the vineyards of Brad and Angelina. It comes at a time when drinking Rosé is a social phenom.
Celebs and socialites who gather in the Hamptons and the bloggers and influencers who follow their every move have catch-phrased Rosé All Day to stand for an eternally sunny, carefree lifestyle. In the Hamptons, Rosé is actually casually referred to as Summer Water.
Be influenced yourself. Pick up the book and a bottle of Rosé at NOFO. Or grab a can of Rosé to sup by the pool and buy into the lifestyle.
A New Leaf
Back when, Eastern North Carolina was known for its tobacco, and Wilson was a booming tobacco town. Today, a trio of Wilson guys is handcrafting wall panels, bar tops, tables, and accessories using tobacco leaves in a new way.
NOFO carries their leaf and state-shaped trays and the 4-piece coaster set. The difference in harvesting and curing the tobacco give the leaves unique characteristics and no two are alike.
Bug Off
If you sometimes feel like the dinner entree in your own backyard, you need Murphy's Naturals. These insect repellants and bite relief balms are made in Raleigh by our neighbor, Phillip Freeman.
Phillip believes in all-natural products and the benefits they provide; and he carefully crafts his candles, sprays, and balms with plant-based, non-toxic, deet-free ingredients.
Skeem, offers another option using citronella made from the leaves of the lemongrass plant to scent its outdoor candles. They promise that, once lit, the only bugs you'll see are the graphic ones silk-screened on their handsome candles.
Corkcicle + Rifle
The Corkcicle design department must work 24 hour days. They keep coming up with new models of their tumblers and canteens.
We added unicorn and pixie dust this Winter; aurora, gun metal, and walnut this Spring; and now they've teamed up with Rifle Paper to create floral patterned tumblers and canteens. You're gonna want one!
A Honey of a Jar
The Muth jar was the first jar developed specifically for holding honey. It was made by Charles Muth in the late 1800s and was decorated with a beekeeping scene.
This pretty, old fashioned jar is popular again. You'll find Colonial Honey, a wildflower honey harvested in Charleston, in a 4 oz. Muth jar closed with a cork and sealed with molten beeswax. From Charleston's Own, we stock an 8 oz. jar of all-natural, raw, unfiltered honey from their local beekeeper packed in a vintage jar that is also corked & sealed with beeswax.
No Labels on the Table
Growing up, we were not allowed to place any item on the dining table that had a label. Milk, juice, ketchup, mayo, & syrup were all placed in bowls or pitchers.
Rules have relaxed but it's still unsightly to see salsas, dips, and deli salads put out in their grocery store containers. We have decorative bowls that will hold these containers and cover up any printed labels. Use them for picnics, parties, and tailgating to keep the labels off the table. The extra bonus is there will be no bowls to wash.
Contentment or Bliss
We have had two cocktail napkins printed to express our love of time spent at the beaches of North Carolina. Both white napkins have a drawing of the state and are printed in blue and green.
One reads "Coast Cocktails Contentment" and one says "Beach Beer Barefoot Bliss." Choose the one that best expresses your joy or package the two together for a welcome hostess gift.
Artisanal Boards
Chip Haver is a multi-talented artist. He builds homes, is a professional photographer, makes custom barn doors out of recycled wood, and creates gorgeous cutting and charcuterie boards. The folks at Ramshackle Artworks go through stacks of recycled wood to choose the perfect piece for each one-of-a-kind boards. At NOFO, you can go through the boards and find the perfect one for you.
Coffee by Consensus
Alice, NOFO's coffee guru, has wanted to have a neighborhood coffee blend for a long time, and she wanted the neighborhood involved in the selection. In May, she partnered with Bill Landahl of Oak City Coffee Roasters to begin the process.
After working on various blends, they asked NOFO's coffee customers to taste and vote for their favorite. By the end of May, one was the clear favorite and won the honor of being "jarred" as Five Points Blend.
Who Knew?
Collards are one of the healthiest vegetables on Earth and they're a staple in the South. Collards have been proven to help fight viruses, promote lung health, and increase brain function.
Who knew? We've just thought they tasted good and have always served them proudly in the cafe and from our freezer. This Summer, we've added a jar of collard greens from Carolina Choice. These collards are shelf-stable and are a healthy addition to your pantry.
Swing Into Summer
Kat Williford, the designer behind Raleigh's Pamut, has outdone herself this season. Her line of organic cotton swing tees, tanks, and t-shirts are a big hit.
We're betting these cool, comfortable tops will be your go-to favorites this Summer.
Beach Bound
If you're likely to pack up on a Friday and head east on Interstate 40 or Highway 70 to the coast, then you need to see us first.
Let us help you fill a colorful Bogg bag with a coordinating 6' cotton beach sheet, foldable flip flops, Sparkle Sunscreen, a light-up water bottle with a speaker base, Roi Parker's spray hair defrizzer, a straw hat, sunglass readers, after sun lotion, and such.
We can fill your cooler with beer, wine, & frozen foods, and bag up enough snacks and goodies to keep you fueled and happy until your reluctant return west.
S'cream
We screamed with joy when Leslie Richmond brought us the Dixie Cups of her Mama Bird's ice cream. These little single-serve cups come with a wooden paddle just like the ones we used to get from Pine State Creamery many years ago.
Leslie hand-makes her ice cream batches from the finest ingredients and adds homemade inclusions at her Holly Springs Cookies and Creamery. She also bakes the cookies that surround the ice cream in her ice cream sandwiches.
Put out a platter of ice cream sandwiches and Dixie Cups for dessert at your next party or keep some in your freezer and listen to your family scream with delight.
Odd Pair
The owners of Carolina Hummus are, at first glance, an odd pair. Atilla is from the Mediterranean and John grew up in Johnston County. But both have restaurant backgrounds, come from families who love food and love to cook, and both share a passion for eating local and eating healthy.
Working exclusively with local dairies and farmers, the two have created cucumber sauces and hummus that are both Mediterranean and Southern. Pair them both with fresh vegetables, chips, or pita for a healthy Summer snack.
Little Speaker, Big Sound
One of our most popular products this Spring has been a tiny 2.46 ounce, round, wireless speaker with a magnetic base. Folks are blown away by the quality, clarity, and volume it produces. This little gadget also has a selfie remote control so you can capture your best moments while listening to your favorite tunes.