Hub Mascot Contest

Get inspiration for your mascot design from all of these cool youtube videos and pictures! You can use spray paint, markers and even glitter!

baller munny

Martha Stewart likes munnys

creepy munny

adorable video

Billy Elliot Ticket Giveaway

We gave away 2 pairs of Billy Elliot tickets last week to the two people with the most "liked" hubified phrases on facebook! The winning phrases were: "HUBBITS OF THE SHIRE" and "I got 99 problems, but a hub ain't one." Congratulations to the winners! Look out for more ticket giveaways in the future to go to awesome shows!

Here are some cool pictures from one winner at the event!

N.C. State Fair

I attended my first-ever state fair this past month at the N.C. State Fair. It was more of an experience than I could have possibly imagined. I was completely overwhelmed from start to finish. To begin, I drove my friends Ben, Adria, Star and John to the fair. It was a crazy evening for traffic and the trip took nearly an hour. We had printed out the directions from the State Fair website, and I felt confident I knew where we were going because I’d been to the state farmers market at the same location before. However, once we got on the road and saw the traffic, we became convinced there was a new traffic pattern in place because of the fair. At the last second, we decided to take the exit before the one on our directions because we thought it was safest to follow the crowd. Since most of the cars in the traffic were North Carolina cars, we figured it was a safe bet they were going to the state fair. In retrospect, this was a ridiculous assumption and North Carolina cars could just have easily been going anywhere, seeing as this is North Carolina.

We were finally off the highway and following signs and traffic to “the stadium.” The signs were a little suspicious, and I started getting worried that we were going the wrong way. However, our fears were quickly assuaged by the people we deemed “state fair goers” walking along the road to their cars. We were nervous we wouldn’t find parking with all these people walking in the opposite direction, but we were at least convinced we were going the right way. We were directed to turn into a series of parking lots, the first of which was labeled “Parking for Rowdy Friends.” The car was divided on what this sign meant, so we decided to drive on. We were eventually directed to a lot with plenty of spots, and we parked and got out of the car. We walked up to the RBC center, and it finally hit us: we definitely weren’t at the state fair. After a minor freak out, we asked a parking attendant how to get there, and he told us just to walk toward the lights. Luckily we found a random trolley shuttling people from the RBC center to the fair, and we were there in no time.

The fair itself was incredible. The lights, the people, the aromas and the sounds were mesmerizing. We ate fried Oreos, funnel cake, fried Milky Way, fried Snickers and fried pecan pie. Shortly after, we decided to ride the swings. We were already tired of the swings’ soundtrack after waiting in line for a few minutes. Along with bopping 60s tunes, a loud speaker projected repeatedly: “Have you had enough? Tell me, have you had enough? Are you sure you’ve had enough?” The swings were enjoyable but we were interested in something a little more adventurous. The rickety roller coaster looked appealing, and we went to check it out. The track, balanced on wood blocks on the ground, shook every time the car sped over it. It looked terrifying and perfect. I thought I was going to die numerous times during the ride, but thankfully I was sitting next to Ben, and not a stranger. He had been rather annoying during the swings, kicking my swing until the attendant reprimanded me, but he was much more helpful on the coaster. (He hasn’t told anyone exactly what I was yelling as I saw my life flash before me on the ride of terror.) All in all, it was quite the enjoyable evening, and I definitely want to go again!

Some things we learned for the future:

1. The food and rides are better the farther into the fair you go

2. Bring a jacket because you’ll be freezing after each ride

3. Things at the state fair come in two sizes: world's largest and world's smallest

4. Don’t follow traffic that’s actually going to a Hank Williams Jr. concert

5. We’ll never know who the Rowdy Friends are

CenterFest: Time For An Update

This year's CenterFest was heavily marketed around Durham to encourage new people to come and to excite former attendees. However, this year's event was just as disappointing as last year's for many visitors. The biggest complaint: CenterFest is in a parking lot. Overall, visitors felt that the parking lot limited the event and highlighted how cheesy and overgrown it has become. CenterFest was more commercialized than ever this year featuring many big name sponsors and urging visitors to donate at every opportunity. The festival has transformed over decades from an event showcasing local art on the streets of Durham to a continuous stream of sponsors, such as Ford and Glade stuffed in a parking lot. Many attendees yearned for the days when CenterFest sprawled across the streets of downtown Durham and showcased local artists and a variety of cuisines, rather than cheap street food. However, hope is not lost for Durham art fair lovers. Durham Art Walk is hailed as a much better alternative to CenterFest and is free! On Saturday and Sunday, November 20th and 21st, come get all of your holiday shopping done while enjoying music and food at Durham Art Walk!

NC Cuisine with a kick

Last night I had a chance to dine at one of my all time favorite Durham restaurants, Watts Grocery. From the creative talents of local chef Amy Tornquists Watts Grocery is dedicated to offering stellar North Carolina cuisine from local suppliers, many within about two hours of the restaurant. Her menu changes seasonally and I believe last night marked the beginning of the summer menu, which made my decisions very hard as everything seemed to be calling my name.

We began with a couple of appetizers including the Farmer's Market Cheese Plate with honeyed walnuts, a great combo of flavors thoughtfully packed together, the Sauteed Shrimp and house-cured bacon on a biscuit (you can't avoid ordering anything biscuit related here), and the Southern Bruschetta, which was flavorful and intensely fresh tasting. I think I'd be hard pressed to find an appetizer that invoked the image of garden fresh more so than the Southern Bruschetta, it is a great fit for a summer menu.

Our table debated entree choices for what seemed like forever seeing as how this task meant choosing one delicious dish over another equally delicious dish, but we settled on the Ribeye with shitake mushroom smashed potatoes, a steak that my friend gushed about for well over an hour. We also ordered the South Carolina Frogmore Stew which is a traditional dish served with crabmeat, shrimp, andouille sausage, and veggies in a seafood broth that both smelled and tasted great; another landslide victory. And finally the Honey Glazed Duck with poached blackberries, I mean really, how does that even sound like something you can avoid? My taste buds were truly thankful as the combo of the sweet blackberries and the salty, buttery duck meat helped me forget something like Bieber Fever exists in the world.

Our amazingly friendly and comical server, Naomi, was a bonus to the evening, capping off our experience with a gold star. It's always great to have a server that will help you pronounce items on the menu, and even though I still don't know what a rillet tastes like, I do know how to pronounce it (ri-yay); good for me. She also made a great meal that much better upon recommending some explosive desserts which included a cobbler with the catchy name: the Summer Berry Slump. I had one, and had a hard time not ordering a second.

If you are in the mood for a sophisticated yet not at all pretentious dinning experience that you'll remember for a long time, you need to check out Watts Grocery and their new summer menu. I can't wait to head back and sample some of the other items that just couldn't fit in my belly.


http://www.wattsgrocery.com/

Looking for some great seafood?

It's hot outside and I want to be sitting on a beach somewhere, however, Durham isn't a coastal city so it's necessary to create that ocean feeling in other ways; like eating some awesome, fresh seafood. Luckily for us, the Fish Shack just opened up, located right beside the Q-Shack in what used to be the short lived Rockwood Filling Station. The restaurant has only been open for around a month or two but I've already been twice in the last few weeks with plans to frequent the joint several more times in the near future. With a great atmosphere and an awesome menu of diverse offerings often hard to find in Durham, at reasonable prices to boot, the Fish Shack shouldn't have any problems becoming a local hot spot.

On my most recent trip the Fried Catfish Tacos, which for around $9 you get three or four filling tacos with Chipotle tartar sauce and some fresh pico de gallo, plus one side which ranges from fried okra to red beans and rice. Also of note is the market priced pound of Crawfish which come in a big basket filled with corn, sausage and potatoes, this is more than enough to share and will only set you back around $10. I really haven't heard anything negative about any menu item and I can also highly recommend the Po Boy sandwiches that are stuffed to capacity. On the radar for future trips are the low country boil and the big daddy: the Hook Up, which will set you back almost $20 but contains catfish, shrimp, oysters and flounder in a huge basket, it's probably something you'd want to share, but not required if you're feeling especially in the mood for an amazing saltwater bounty.

All in all I have to recommend you try the Fish Shack, the casual atmosphere and beachy menu alone will keep me coming back, but as an added bonus they are conveniently located directly across the street from Local Yogurt, and you have not idea how good a chocolate and blackberry LoYo tastes after throwing down on some super spicy crawfish.

2512 University Drive
Durham, NC
919-401-HOOK
Open Tuesday - Sunday from 11am to 9pm

http://thefishshackdurham.com/

New England Comes to Durham: Nantucket Grill

We walked into Nantucket Grill and were impressed right away. The sleek but casual ambiance was immediately appealing. John declared “the lighting is killing me in here,” but Roshen and I were unperturbed by the dim look. We were seated next to the daunting dessert case, which was filled with cakes, cupcakes and cheesecakes. We knew then that we wanted a slice of the mile-high German chocolate cake for dessert. Before dessert though, we needed to eat some dinner. I ordered the chicken wrap, Roshen ordered the seafood pasta, and John ordered the New England fish sandwich. We considered ordering the fried calamari as an appetizer, but we decided we had enough food. We definitely weren’t hungry for an appetizer after eating the complimentary fried bread and butter. This was probably the most delicious bread I’ve ever tasted, and we would have asked for more if our main meal hadn’t arrived so quickly. All of us thoroughly enjoyed our main courses, especially the crispy french fries that came on the side. The German chocolate cake was also delicious and free! Our waitress refused to charge us for our cake even when we reminded her, and she wouldn’t accept a tip, which made it a much cheaper meal than anticipated. The one downside to Nantucket Grill is the temperature. You better bring a heavy jacket if you don’t want to leave as an icicle.

Location*:

5826 Fayetteville Rd.

Durham, NC 27713

Hours of Operation*:

Sunday-Thursday: 11 am–9 pm

Friday-Saturday: 11 am–10 pm

*There are three other locations with different menus and hours.

Wicked Ticket Giveaway Photo Contest

Our contest winners so far:


Don't miss your chance to submit a photo and a chance to win two tickets to Wicked for March, and you'll have another chance in April. Check our website for more details:

Foster's Market

Foster’s Market is like a breath of fresh air among all of the sleek, modern restaurants cropping up today. There’s a very earthy feel to the market area and the seating area, which creates a very relaxed atmosphere. The layout of the market is a little confusing the first time you walk in. However, once you figure out how to order and where to sit, the food is totally worth it. I ordered a turkey sandwich with spinach and brie, which was served warm. The blending of flavors was delicious, and all of the ingredients were high quality. My friend Peter ordered a southwestern wrap and my friend John ordered the havarti ham sandwich. Initially, I was afraid Peter did not like his wrap because he was speechless when it was delivered. I thought maybe he had ordered something else and his order had been confused. I quickly learned though that he was speechless because he was so enamored with his wrap, which he went on to proclaim was very delicious. John, too, had no complaints about his meal. The food was delicious, the service was friendly, and the store part had a wide selection of treats to take home. Foster’s Market is a great place to go if you want to sit down, relax and really enjoy a home-cooked meal.

Locations:

2694 Durham-CH Blvd.

Durham, NC

750 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Chapel Hill, NC

Hours of Operation:

7:30 am-8:00 pm daily

Nevermore Film Festival

This weekend some friends and I attended the 11th Annual Nevermore Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre. This is a festival strictly dedicated to the macabre and all things horror, immediately evident when you arrive to the booming sounds of creepy music playing outside, and the fact that the staff of the Carolina lit the entire building in an eerie blood red glow. We instantly knew we were in for a treat when it seemed like Halloween had taken a break from October and taken over a new month. The ambiance didn't stop at the exterior of the building, as we walked in and were greeted by patrons in zombie makeup, vintage horror movie posters everywhere, skeletons hanging off of signs, and my favorite: the rules to surviving a zombie outbreak posted in the restrooms.

The schedule of films was robust and had something for everyone, from the classic slap stick Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, to independent films such as Scare Zone, and revival showings of classics like The Re-Animator. Overall, I was pleased with the line up and excited to have fun at the movies. My friends and I decided to attend the showings of 1988's Night of the Demons, 1986's Witchboard, and the classic 1986 Re-Animator.

Our day began with Night of the Demons, a pretty terrible film about a Halloween party gone wrong. It was a lot of fun and most of the audience knew exactly when to yell at the characters on screen, when to clap for the hero, and when to laugh at the horrible one liners. After the screening the director of the film held a short Q&A and then introduced his second film Witchboard. To say that we had a great time making fun of this film would be an understatement, it's true that the movie was pretty good to have been made in the mid 80's by a couple of straight out of school film students, but it was classic 80's cheese. The performances were over the top and almost seemed to beg for attention. At times the I was laughing so hard that I worried someone would ask me to leave the theater, but luckily the majority of the audience seemed to be in the same frame of mind and enjoyed laughing and screaming together.

We wrapped up the evening with a showing of H.P. Lovecraft's Re-Animator, shown in the 1,000 seat (and rumored to be haunted) Fletcher Hall. We sat in the balcony of the old theater and watched a truly grotesque tale of bringing back the dead unfold before us. The audience cheered for the creepy lead, they laughed when the headless corpse of the reanimated doctor carried his head around, and they screamed during the intense final moments of the film.

All around, we all had a great time and I really hope that some of you were able to take advantage of the festival. It's held every year, so if you missed it, be sure to look out for Nevermore 12 next February. The fact that the Hub sold 5 passes for $5 was a pretty good deal considering that quality of the total package: Cheesy Horror + Creepy Decor + Over the Top Fans = an amazing film festival.

Amélia Café: Simply Divine

I set out once again this week to taste the food of Durham. I wanted to find a really good dessert place nearby Duke. I fielded many suggestions, but I ultimately decided on Amélia Café in Brightleaf because it provides such a wide variety. I was told that Amélia’s offers desserts ranging from tarts, mousses and cakes to cookies, crepes and gelato. This description hardly prepared me for the experience I was about to partake in. Stepping into the café was a bit overwhelming because of the vast array of decadent cakes and beautifully decorated cookies and pastries. I scoped out the desserts at the counter before even noticing the table in the center of the café, which is piled high with additional treats that can be purchased and taken home. We finally settled on ordering gelato, a crepe, a chocolate shortbread cookie, and a Valentine’s Day sugar cookie. Everything we ate was delicious, but the best was definitely the crepe. The café offers hearty meat/cheese crepes as well as dessert crepes on their menu. However, we opted for a banana-chocolate crepe, which was not on the menu, but the server was happy to make for us. It was by far the best crepe I’ve tasted since my 6^th grade French teacher made crepes for our class party. Amélia’s also sells good lunch food and coffee, but the dessert is the real reason to make the trip in my opinion.

Locations:

Brightleaf Square

905 West Main Street - Suite 23J

Durham, NC 27701

Telephone: (919) 683-5600

University Square

143 West Franklin Street - Suite 143B

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Telephone: (919) 969-0064

Hours of Operation: 8am – 9:30pm

Spring Awakening

As you all hopefully already know, the musical Spring Awakening is coming to Durham in just a couple weeks, and I, for one, am really excited to see it. I saw it on Broadway a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn't sure that I would like it since the story takes place in the late 1800s in Germany and so I didn't think I would be able to relate to any of the characters. But it turned out to speak to issues that are still relevant and controversial today, plus the rock music that accompanies it is very modern--definitely not what I was expecting for a musical based on a play that has been around for over a hundred years. I ended up becoming briefly obsessed with it, rocking out to the music and even attempting to recreate some of the choreography. So of course, I'm planning on seeing it again at DPAC on March 3rd, and would highly recommend that the rest of you do the same.

Don't forget, tickets are $10 and they go on sale tomorrow at 10 AM at the Hub! Hopefully I'll see you there (I'll be the one behind the cash register).

Honey's: Delicious After Midnight

This past Friday late at night, I set out with my two friends, John and Roshen, to try out another classic Durham establishment. I’d heard some interesting things about Honey’s, and since it’s been in business for over 30 years, I thought something must be worth checking out. Honey’s, just a five-minute drive from Duke, is open 24/7, which is probably its best feature. It caters to late night drivers coming off I-85, and herds of students and locals, hungry after a long night. This diner features an eclectic menu with items ranging from fried chicken livers to pancakes and eggs. The food is similar to IHOP, but a notch up in quality and with a more southern vibe. The one ingredient pretty much everything on the menu has in common is butter. John said it best when he said, “There’s just so much butter on this table!” We noticed that there were even spots of butter inside the biscuits. This led to a huge debate about Bojangles biscuits vs. Honey’s biscuits. John claimed that since Bojangles mass produces their biscuits they have the recipe perfected. Roshen quickly shut down his argument with a simple, “No way, not at all. These are way better.” Upon further visits, we learned that on a good day Honey’s biscuits are supreme, but Bojangles biscuits are consistently great. The trick: if you ask your waitress at Honey’s if it’s a good day for biscuits, she will probably give you an honest answer. While deciding what to order, don’t forget to save room for dessert. The desserts at Honey’s are large creations. They normally have minimal ice cream and tons of whipped cream and/or hot fudge, and are very tasty.

Location:

2700 Guess Road

Durham, NC 27705

Hours: 24/7

Additional features: wireless Internet, bouncy ball machines, student discount (if you remember to ask for it)

Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits

I entered Bojangles with two other friends expecting some pretty good chicken and buttery biscuits. None of us are from the South and none of us had managed to go to Bojangles before now, but we had heard good things. Upon entering, we were completely awed. We stepped up to order, blown away by the extremely bright menu behind the counter. John and I ordered two-piece dinners, and Roshen ordered an eight-piece family dinner, including a half-gallon of super-sweet iced tea. Less than a minute later our orders were ready and we were sitting down to eat. We opened up our Bojangles boxes just like “opening up a Christmas present,” according to Roshen. First we attacked the biscuits. They were perfectly buttered and just hot enough. Next we tried the mashed potatoes. They were tasty, but nothing special. Sinking our teeth into the juicy chicken was incredible, but the seasoned french fries were the real delight. No fries with this flavor can be found anywhere else. They are truly unique to Bojangles, and made the schlep over in the rain more than worth it. The Bojangles we were at had temporarily run out of ketchup, but ketchup wasn’t necessary with these perfectly seasoned fries. Luckily, this french fry seasoning can be purchased for a reasonable price. You can practically replicate your Bojangles experience at home!

Cuban Revolution

This restaurant brings the flair of Cuban cuisine with new-age American twists. Decorated in a more minimalist style with breathtaking larger-than-life funky paintings of iconic fgures (including Marilyn, Kennedy, and Castro) and tv's tuned to sports, news, or even old footage of 50s Cuba, this place has an eclectic, quirky vibe that somehow draws you in and makes you feel comfortable.

The service is quite good as well. The staff is friendly and helpful, patient to explain anything on the menu that a guest might not be familiar with and always offering suggestions if you can't make up your mind. The management is enthusiastic as well and happy to tell you all about Cuban Revolution. (I had a great chat with the owner about the origins of his restaurant and the other sister restaurants all the way up in the North East.)

And of course, the food has always impressed me. Everything I have had there is delicious and very reasonably priced, even for us college stuents, haha. Be sure to try their rich and flavorful black bean soup or their sweet, fried maduros (ripe plantains)!

Location: 318 Blackwell St. (in the American Tobacco District and right next to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park)

Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11am-12am
Fri. & Sat. 11am-2am

Contact: 919-687-4300 or http://www.thecubanrevolution.com

Mammmmma Mia!

Going to see the musical Mamma Mia at the Durham Performing Arts Centre (DPAC) was amazing! I couldn't stop dancing in my chair to "Dancing Queen" or shedding a tear or two to "Chiquitita." The story, set on an island in Greece, perfectly combined all the greatest hits from Abba and made me want to go back in time. Needless to say, following the performance, my firends and I went to Charlie's Pub on 9th Street to karaoke out the tunes which are still stuck in my head today. DPAC is a great theatre with lots of good stuff going on. If you haven't already done so, go to one of their performances. You can buy discounted tickets from us at the Hub: Hairspray, Spring Awakening and Wicked are coming up!

LoYo: Durham’s Best FroYo

Local Yogurt, just a 10-minute drive from Duke, is a breath of fresh air. This natural frozen yogurt shop features many flavors and tasty toppings. The flavors at LoYo change continually, but the tart original flavor is always offered. Other flavors can range from mango, chocolate and peanut butter to strawberry, eggnog and pomegranate, but be on the lookout for new flavors and toppings appearing. Wednesdays, LoYo is delicious and discounted for College Day. Get $1 off with your college ID. Check out the shop’s facebook for current updates on flavors, discounts and more!

Location:

2501 University Drive #8

Durham, NC 27707

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday: 12 – 9 p.m.

Photo Contest: Win Two Tickets to Wicked!

We are starting a monthly photo contest in which we will give away two tickets to Wicked, per month, through the month of April. To enter, email us a photo of you out and about in Durham. Be creative! Make a sign that says "I love the Hub" and stand in front of DPAC, wear your Cameron Crazy wig at the Carolina Theatre, pose with a juggler at the Streets of Southpoint, or some other lolz. We'll be choosing one lucky winner every month!

Send all photos to:
thehub@studentaffairs.duke.edu

*Winners will be selected by OSAF and will be contacted by email and featured online. Please include a description of your photo. This contest is limited to one winner per month. You may not win this contest multiple times. Photo content must be appropriate, alcohol/drug free and exclude any illegal behavior. By submiting a photo, you agree to allow the Hub to use the photo in promotions, websites, etc. Please seek the approval of anyone participating in your photo before you submit your photo. Please remember to remain compliant with the Duke Community Standard in Practice Guide. Please be safe and respectful in your actions.

Welcome to The Hub's Blog

The Hub now has a blog, I guess that was pretty obvious since you're reading this. We plan on reviewing local shows, events, venues, restaurants and just about anything else we think will help inform Duke students about the community they live in, and why you should be experiencing what's around you. If you're not already following us on Twitter (hubtweets) or Facebook (hubduke), you should do that, it's your first shot at finding out discounts before anyone else.