Wind Up for the Weekend with our January 24 Creative Countdown PHOTO CREDIT: Cyanca Liner Notes Podcast: CyancaIn today’s episode of the Biscuit CLT podcast, producer Andy Goh talks to neo-soul and R&B singer/songwriter, Cyanca, for a new segment of “Liner Notes.” Cyanca talks about her background in music, the Home EP, and how losing her mother to a drunk driver at the age of two irreversibly damaged her relationship with her uncle. Listen now. 
Happy Beer Can Appreciation Day!Yep. You read that right. January 24, 2020 is “Beer Can Appreciation Day” across the globe. This is a day that should have great cultural significance here in Charlotte where our ever-growing ecosystem of breweries is daily producing award-winning beer and innovative can designs. Before you can reward your tastebuds with their fermented contents, the right can design can hook you and reel you in. From our perspective, the intricate and unexpected designs of NoDa Brewing’s Hop Drop N’ Roll IPA and Jam Session Pale Ale kicked off a revolution of incredible can designs in the Queen City when they hit the scene. To celebrate the day, we turned to John Howard, current AAF Charlotte president and Senior Art Director at HMH, who designed these cans for NoDa when he worked at Charlotte agency, Saturday.
Clayton Sealy
Co-Manager of @CLTDevelopment
Director of Marketing
Instagram | TwitterIf you’ve read The Biscuit our followed our social feeds recently, it’s pretty apparent that we have a bit of a crush on @CLTDevelopment. We have our reasons. Clayton Sealey’s use of levity, humor and sarcasm in the pursuit of educating people (like the current “CRANE-y Awards” featured on Instagram), makes him a kindred spirit with us Biscuit bakers. So, we took up his valuable time by asking him “Five Ridiculous Questions.” Here’s one of our favorites. Ben & Jerry’s is making a CLT ice cream flavor. What’s it called? What’s in it? “The Bees Teas” – Vanilla base, with Honey, Mint, Black Tea. It’s super vanilla on the surface, but as you dig deeper — and deeper – there are so many interesting flavors lurking in the center, you just gotta hit the right pocket in the pint. (Side note: I think I might attempt to make this.)” – Clayton Sealey
 PHOTO CREDIT: Heather Liebler Four Insta-Picks from “Beard-O” Antonio LivingtonAntonio Livingston sees his job as a senior graphic designer with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as “dynamically impacting students, schools and other departments, as well as community partners through creative design and mentoring,” which is awesome and fills us with hope. But, it’s his answer to “Who are you?” that really hooks us: “designer, Lover of all things creative, aspiring polyglot …Beardo.” We can confirm that Antonio’s beard is magnificent, as is his extensive knowledge of comic books. How could we not ask him to give us four Instagram recommendations? He shared with us:
“King Carla” Aaron-Lopez Says #donthatecollaborateWhen someone introduces themselves as a “villain,” it tends to get your attention. That’s exactly what happened to Biscuit editor, Tim Miner, when he first met Charlotte writer, photographer, artist, teacher and mother, Carla Aaron-Lopez (or “King Carla” as she’s known) at the 2019 EmpowerCon. Such a self-description makes and impression. And, when the shock of hearing it is over, you remember that “villains” tend to be much more interesting than “heroes.” They have a perspective and a personal mission that is often audacious and always at odds with the status quo. And, that is EXACTLY why we asked King Carla, who is an art teacher and a team member at BLKMKTCLT about the three biggest challenges she’s facing in the creative community right now. Here’s one: PUT UP OR SHUT UP.
“Stop complaining about what CLT does or doesn’t have in terms of creativity. It’s already here and it’s growing. There are different subcultures within Charlotte’s arts scene and we all need your support. It involves more than just ‘showing up.’ It involves taking time to mentor beginning artists and building conversations with someone who looks different from you and me.”
For “Something Old, Something New,” we pair a new restaurant/brewery/venue/shop and pair it with a similar #OGclt spot that’s been in Crown Town for years, and in some cases, decades. Today, we want to please your furry friends and introduce you to two pet supply stores that are serving up unique eats n’ treats. SOMETHING NEW: Pet Wants – Recently opened in Optimist Hall, they’re serving up small-batch pet food to keep your animals happy and healthy.
SOMETHING OLD: Canine Cafe Charlotte – They’ve been baking up tasty treats and Pawty Cakes for every canine celebration since 1995.
A long, long time ago on a corner, not so far away, Green’s Lunch opened for business. Located on the edge of Uptown, Green’s has been serving up hot dogs to hungry Charlotteans since 1926. This 94-year old hot dog joint is Charlotte’s oldest restaurant by almost 20 years. (Shout out to the second oldest: The Diamond.) Charlotte has done a lot of growing in the last (almost) century. The population boomed. Skyscrapers were raised. Streets were paved (kind of). The Hornets came and then left and then came back again. Prohibition was law when Green’s opened … and now breweries dot nearly every corner. Much has changed in the QC, but one thing has stayed the same: you can still grab lunch at Green’s. Directions: 309 W 4th St, Charlotte, NC 28202 This Queen City exploration is powered by OrthoCarolina.
Don’t go around hungry. If you missed the last batch of The Biscuit, don’t worry. We’ve kept it warm for you … and full of satisfying Southern sassiness. Click here to dig in, y’all. | The Biscuit is proudly sponsored by: |  |
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