Submitted by Melissa Howsam — Correspondent
The self-described “unfortunate perfectionist” (“unfortunate” because she doesn’t believe in perfect) is a 'perfect fit' for her post — and, with that innate attention to detail, she can find a perfect potion for even the pickiest of palates. The sassy sommelier’s been around the Bull City block — spinning out sips at Revolution since its dawn, the “bar manager” turned “beverage manager” in her takeover of the wine program, now splits her time at the latest vino destination L’Uva, where she also runs the potable program.
With gifts that far exceed that of the grape (and the gab), the 2002 pre-med Tar Heel grad has a BS in psych (skills which no doubt have to come in handy for that tapstress as therapist trend, no?). And if being an oenophile with a penchant for Freud weren’t enough? She’s a foodie to boot. “I spend a lot of time cooking. I love to cook for people,” she says. “I don’t use recipes; I just think about it. It’s the same way I make drinks. It’s the same thing, really. It’s all about flavors and combinations of flavors and texture and balance. I guess that’s the passion — whether food, or wine or cocktails. It’s about finding the perfect combination, repeating it is the hard part. I don’t believe in unique ideas, though.” Maybe ... but sounds like a squat at her bar is def a ‘perfect’ chance at a unique experience.
Q&A
Hometown: Princeton, WV., is where I was born. But, I grew up in N.C. and have spent the last 15 years in Durham and Chapel Hill, so I consider Durham home.
How long you've been circlin' the bar at Revolution: Revolution has been open almost three years now, and I started a couple of months before we opened.
How you landed there: The owner, Jim Anile, and I worked together years ago at Il Palio in the Siena Hotel. One day a few years ago, I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. It was Jim.
Revolution in three words: Sexy plus delicious.
What Revolution brings to the Bull City: “Big City” style with the amazing food for which Durham restaurants have become known.
You also work at recently opened L'Uva Enoteca (same owners). Give us some insight: L’Uva is a little more traditional ... in all the best ways. It’s really great Italian food — simple, rustic — with slightly more casual service than Revolution. It’s a beautiful space with fantastic food.
Enoteca ... so you dig the wine? I do! My actual title is "beverage manager." So, that’s kind of my thing. I created the wine list at Revolution as well as at L’Uva. I also do the cocktail lists at both. L’Uva is a little more challenging (because there’s no liquor, just great wine) but still a lot of fun.
Vibe differences between L'Uva and Revolution? Revolution’s feel is very modern—comfortable, but bright, big and beautiful. Whereas, the whole point of L’Uva is to realize the beautiful things about a small, neighborhood spot and the amazing things it can offer.
What did L'Uva bring to the cityscape that it was missing? Simple, regional, amazing Italian food at a reasonable price point and an all-Italian wine list that focuses on the full breadth of what Italy has to offer.
What the road here looked like: I started bartending while working at Il Palio Ristorante in the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill. I was a student at UNC at the time. When I graduated in 2002 with a BS in Psychology, I planned to take a year or two off and then either apply to medical schools (I had completed all of the pre-med coursework as well) or to clinical psychology phd programs. I never really intended to stay in this area much beyond college. But, in the meantime, I had a pretty good job so I stuck with bartending.
I also, ironically, worked with the department of psychiatry at UNC doing clinical trials testing experimental medications for the treatment of alcohol dependence. And, yes, I did eventually come across a patient who I had also run into many times in my other life as a bartender. (Incidentally, he was also a former professor of one of my upper level chemistry courses.) I guess you could say that I kind of got stuck. It happens to a lot of us in the service industry. I was offered a full-time, permanent position at UNC, which would have been great for continuing toward my goal of medical school or otherwise, but it would have meant a fifty-percent pay cut from what I was making bartending ... and then there was the desk, and the dreary office, and the waking up early. That was, I guess, the turning point. I decided that I really loved what I was doing. I really enjoyed bartending, the customers, the familial feeling among the people I worked with. So, that’s what I do.
If you have a drink in your hand, it's probs a: Glass of bubbles.
Your signature drink: The Pink Salt and Pepper Martini - pink peppercorn infused gin, a splash of sake, a lemon twist, thinly sliced cucumber and a pink/volcanic salt rim.
You're anywhere you want to be right now. Where can we find you? Oaxaca, Mexico.
Which of your coworkers are you most likely to sucker slap? Upon advice from my legal counsel, I am unable to answer this question.
If they made a movie about your life, who would play the voice in your head? I’m not good at this sort of thing, but who’s the most coldly sarcastic person you can think of?
If you could live in any fictional place: I don’t believe in ‘fiction.’
The decade you should have been a teen in: I think the ’90s were appropriate — just self-absorbed enough, not quite as interesting as the previous several decades, but the last years of a somewhat more simple childhood than what I think kids experience today.
Something you believed as a kid you realized was a hoax: That no one really saw me or realized what I was doing.
Trip on your bucket list: A few months in Spain.
Last book you read: “How’s Your Drink?: Cocktails, Culture, and the Art of Drinking Well” by Eric Felten. Unfortunately, I do not usually read things related to my work, but you happened to catch me at a good time. The last thing before that would have been anything by David Sedaris. He’s brilliant ... and hilarious!
Your fav indulgence: Bubbles ... and wine, in general.
The last thing that made you want to run red lights to get to: Probably just something I was late for. ...
Your perfect roundtable: Honestly, I think I would prefer to surround myself with and gain from the people I know who are fun and hilarious. I love to laugh.
A piece of advice you got that's good enough to pass on: I don’t know that someone actually told me this, but it’s the best advice I’ve got: Be honest, even when it doesn't feel good; it's easier in the end.
If you were an animal, you'd be a: Leopard, even though I’m a dog person.
Something old-school that makes you nostalgic: 'Bad' music from the early 90s. It reminds me of being a kid in the summer.
Hidden talent: Math; logic.
Weakness: Patience.
If we paid you enough, you'd: Sing in public.
Most ridiculous thing you've been asked to do while bartending? Go out with someone ... trust me, if you'd seen these guys, you'd understand.
Something that makes you want to poke people in the eye: Laziness.
What one thing do you wish you could tell people about patronizing any bar? Be nice! And please don't ask me what my "real" job is.
If you're not at work, you're most likely: Spending time with people I love, sleeping or cooking.
Why bartending? The thing that really keeps me bartending and working in the service industry in general is the people. I love the customers. My very best friends are people who I either met because I worked with them or because they were regulars at whichever bar I worked at. The other thing is the thrill — those nights when you get your ass kicked and everything goes smoothly and you’re still able to have fun with the customers and your co-workers but you’re absolutely maxed out, you couldn’t possibly be doing one more thing or moving one second faster. It’s an adrenaline rush, and it’s addictive.
Other sip spots in the Triangle you've worked: West End Wine Bar and The Cellar in Chapel Hill, Lantern, Il Palio.
