Italian food with a cause in Pittsboro

I went to Bella Donna in Pittsboro the other night for dinner because I had heard so many good reviews from folks downtown as well as from friends and neighbors.  Their menu is still expanding as they try out new dishes and get feedback from customers.  What they do have, they do really well.  Even just a basic bowl of pasta ribbons with their cherry tomato sauce is excellent.  And, if you can, try their pesto.  Oh, and the bread that you get when you sit down is addictive!  Seriously.  They even had free wine available.  If you don't feel like dining in, you can just order a pizza and pick it up at the take out window outside.  Or, buy your pizza dough from them and make your own pizza at home.  They sell kits that contain the dough, cheese, marinara sauce, as well as any toppings that you'd like to add.  They even offer up private cooking classes.

But, the best part of eating here is that proceeds from the food sales goes toward financial support for tuition scholarships for Our Neighborhood School.  (Here's a video about it.)

It's a great place to go with a date or take your family.  Just be patient if you want to sit down to a dinner there -- it can get busy.  If you do decide to go, not only are you getting a great meal, but you are also supporting a great cause.  Two birds, one stone?  Yup.

Bella Donna is open for lunch and dinner:
11 AM - 8 PM Monday to Thursday
11 AM - 9 PM Friday
4 PM - 9 PM Saturday
Closed Sundays

Public Art

I love public art.  Chatham County’s lucky in that is has a lot of great organizations doing wonderful work in the community to provide art to all.  One such place is Chatham Arts.  They actually have an office located in downtown Pittsboro.  They hold events, films, and many different classes.  Actually, a lot of the classes take place at Briar Chapel.  Briar Chapel residents get 10% off these classes.  Speaking of Briar Chapel, I think they’ve done a good job of teaming up with local NC artists to offer a lot of art, sculpture, and opportunities to the community (not just in Briar Chapel, but also beyond).  I went driving through the neighborhood the other day and came across a lot of beautiful artwork.  Here’s a video of many of the public art that’s displayed.

If you get a chance, you should definitely check out Chatham Arts website to see how you can start getting involved!

Chatham Marketplace

When I moved to the area I was given the perfect gift – a membership to the Chatham Marketplace, a local co-op in Pittsboro. This place is pretty small, but mighty.  They are really good at getting local NC produce and products in the store.  And, it’s also a great place for a quick bite to eat since they have a hot bar, cold case, coffee shop, and even make fresh, hot paninis.  Oh, and you should definitely go by for breakfast in the morning – their biscuits are delicious, filling, and are incredibly affordable.

During April to November, Chatham Marketplace also hosts the weekend Chatham Mills Farmer’s Market.  In fact, the Farmer’s Market is starting back up again on April 14^th!  Hours have been extended from 8-1 every Saturday.  Products include:

§  Bread and Baked Goods
§  Local produce
§  Fruits and nuts
§  Preserved Foods
§  Dairy and cheeses
§  Flowers
§  Farm Crafts
They even have local musicians stop by to play while you shop.  It’s an excellent Farmer’s Market that deserves your visit.

Carolina Brewery

Sometimes you need a nice chill place to relax and drink a craft beer.  Luckily, Pittsboro has one such very sweet spot, Carolina Brewery.  There's a good reason that they won the 2009 Best of the Triangle award for Best Local Brewery -- there are some seriously good beer choices here.  I tend to go for the Sky Blue, but they also offer up seasonal brews.  Good snacking food and appetizers here, too.  You can even purchase a growler (first-time purchase of $12.25, every refill is only $8.25).

Oh, and on Wednesday nights they host trivia night. Bring a group of friends and make an evening of it!

5k on Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day 2012 with a 5k at Briar Chapel.  On Saturday, April 21^st, Briar Chapel will be hosting their 4^th Annual 5k race (starting at 9 a.m.) to benefit The Abundance Foundation.  It’s a brand new certified course this year (a lot less hilly for those who did it last year) and is a great course to run or walk.

Advanced registration is only $20, or $25 on race day, and includes a locally made organic cotton t-shirt from TS Designs, a goodie bag, and a Fullsteam Brewery beer ticket you can redeem after the race (did I mention Fullsteam is going to be there!).

The Earth Day Celebration is an all-day event with hands-on demos and exhibitions from local businesses, organizations, and artists.  And, there will even be Chatham County’s first ever Food Truck Rodeo.  Trucks that are coming include Chirba Chirba Dumpling, Pie Pushers, Parlour, Will & Pop’s, Fullsteam, and Carolina Brewery.

Bring your friends and family! I’ll be there running the course and drinking a mighty fine Carver (hopefully) from Fullsteam.

24+ miles of hiking and biking

This past weekend I took advantage of the 24+ miles of trails that Briar Chapel offers by cycling down to the marsh.  

This is usually a pretty easy 5-10 minute ride from the parking lot just off Great Ridge Parkway.  I condensed the video down to about a minute of footage.  The trails are created and maintained by the Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC).  They've done a great job and have made it so that there are trails for every level of rider.

It's worth a trip out to check these trails out.  And, if you're not into cycling, there are also several hiking trails that meander around this green community.

Briar Chapel #bcBestBuddy

Briar Chapel by Newland Communities in Chapel Hill has launched their Best Buddy contest.  It's already at the half-way point, but there is still plenty of time to sign up to take part.  If you love being green and letting other people know about it (plus winning wonderful prizes), this is a great contest to take part in.

Each week they are handing out a prize with the grand prize of a Buddy Scooter (from Combustion Cycles) being given away on Earth Day.

Contest ends on April 15th.  You can visit Briar Chapel's blog for more info.

Chatham beginnings

My first post!  I'm new to all this and I've never really been drawn to writing stuff down.  But, I'm working on creating some roots and I figured this would be the best way to hold myself accountable while finding out what my new home and community has to offer. 

I’ll start off slow.  Here’s a great wiki entry on the county of Chatham: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatham_County,_North_Carolina.  And, here’s some info on the man the county was named after: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Pitt,_1st_Earl_of_Chatham.  Any other facts or history I should know about?  I guess I’ll have to find out.

Stay tuned. This blog’ll start filling up soon.