Bryan M. Richards
Craft Beer, Food, and Travel Writer
My areas of expertise include craft beer culture, craft beer trends, craft beer travel, culinary travel, food and beer pairings, recipe development, and travel tips.
PROJECTS
wilmingtonandbeaches.com
The Coast Goes Beyond the Beach
My wife and I are world travelers—safari in Africa, wine tasting in Tuscany, temple exploration in Thailand—but then, our duo became a trio. The thought of trading our adventures gallivanting around the globe for a stateside coastal vacation sounded unnaturally tame. We weren’t “beach people.” But a few years ago, we learned about Wilmington, North Carolina and the three nearby beaches. You know what...
room5.trivago.com
Beercation Hotels Stumbling Distance from Craft Breweries
Remember those carefree days of college when nights ended with one more beer and the mornings began with a cold brewski? Thanks to the recent beercation travel trend, you can relive those wild days, only with better beer than Red Dog and digs that are a lot more comfortable than your decades-old single mattress dorm room.
forrent.com
Best Brunch Spots in Charlotte
Charlotte is a city that brunches. And not only do we brunch, but we brunch well, especially with the newly passed Brunch Bill that allows restaurants and bars to start serving alcohol at 10am on Sundays. You no longer have to wait for the clock to strike noon to order that mimosa, bloody mary, or breakfast stout with your eggs ranchero. Here are some top picks for best brunch spots in Charlotte sorted by style.
Issuu
Sweeten Up Your Valentine's Day with Amelie's French Bakery & Cafe on Park Road
Whether you’re honoring a long-time relationship, a new fling, or your child’s classmates, the pressure of finding a creative and unique way to celebrate Cupid’s favorite day often results in one crafted more from stress than love. Sadly, that’s why many of us write Valentine’s Day off as a pointless Hallmark holiday. Who needs another red teddy bear or heart-shaped locket anyway?
charlottehappenings.epubxp.com
My Charlotte - Trey Wilson
In 2007, Charlotte native Trey Wilson opened Customshop in what was then the fledgling neighborhood of Elizabeth. His story is one of community, survival and simple food. Ten years later, the chef and owner is ready to wow us with his new culinary dare, Flourshop.
charlottehappenings.epubxp.com
Back to School: A Week-by-Week Guide to Eating Like a Kid Again
Adulting is difficult. Mortgage payments. Yardwork. Ever-looming retirement. Rearing children. Between taxiing kids to soccer practice, fighting over bedtime and making sure your teenager remembers to wear deodorant, there’s hardly a moment to breathe, let alone enjoy yourself. And when you finally do sit down to a relaxing dinner, it’s something heart healthy and doctor recommended.
charlottehappenings.epubxp.com
My Charlotte - Brian Mister of the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon
Brian Mister isn’t originally from Charlotte, but he ran here as fast as he could to attend college at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After graduation, he decided to make the Queen City his home, and today he’s the marketing director for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. Lace up your sneakers, and let’s take a run with Charlotte's master marathoner.
charlottecityguide.epubxp.com
Charlotte City Guide - Forward Thinking Fare
Ask Charlotteans about their favorite local dishes, and they’ll most likely respond with a lengthy list of options ranging from an authentic fried chicken from Price’s Chicken Coop to a steaming bowl of ramen from Futo Buta. This culinary scene mixes the new with the old, southern fried with more than a dash of international spice and local talent with a melting pot of transplants. Stirred together, you have a culinary scene that’s exciting, authentic and most definitely delicious.
Beer Advocate
Where to Drink in Huntsville, Alabama
To outsiders, Huntsville might seem like the least likely city to support a vibrant beer scene. Not only was Alabama the last state to legalize homebrewing in 2013, breweries and brewpubs couldn't sell beer to go until 2016. Yet, the city’s long history with beer eventually prevailed and today local taps pour a variety of Huntsville-born brews.
room5.trivago.com
From Beaches to Mountains: Weekend Getaways from Charlotte
Even with all the attractions that Charlotte has to offer, Charlotteans have wandering souls – and bankers’ holidays – and enjoy hitting the road for weekend escapes from Charlotte to explore the rest of the great state of North Carolina. With a topography that ranges from sandy beaches to the East Coast’s tallest mountains, the options are nearly endless. Yet, we find ourselves following the same well-worn path to Asheville, Wrightsville Beach, and Raleigh.
charlottefive.com
Here’s the big deal with Lexington barbecue and next weekend’s festival
In a city where a majority of our BBQ restaurants fall to the corporate side and styles blend together under one large canopy of “BBQ,” the 34th Annual Barbecue Festival in Lexington, North Carolina is a good reminder of what BBQ should be.
Each October, close to 100,000 people from all over North Carolina gather in Uptown Lexington to celebrate all things Lexington barbecue and consume 15,000 pounds of succulent, smoky, tangy chopped pork. In fact, the event has been named as a top festival ...
room5.trivago.com
The Coolest Hotels for Your Long Weekend in Asheville
Asheville has emerged as a darling tourist destination. Travelers are retreating to the mountain town to enjoy its funky vibe of Southern charm meets hippy culture, outdoor activities that extend from the rivers to the mountains, and its vibrant arts community. Asheville is home to over 250 independently owned restaurants – eight of which are led by James Beard-nominated chefs – and 28 breweries. These are reasons enough to plan a long weekend in Asheville.
charlottefive.com
What’s the story behind Mommoo’s sauce at Duckworth’s?
Last week, Duckworth’s Grill and Taphouse posted a mouthwatering photo of their Mommoo wings on Instagram with a conspicuous note asking for a handful of people to come out to their Park Road location for free wings. As a chicken wing connoisseur (seriously, my dying meal would be wings and an IPA), I immediately sent in a “pick me!”
The purpose of the event was to taste two plates of their famous Mommoo wings. One of the plates contained wings tossed in homemade Mommoo’s sauce, and the other...
Travel Mamas
Milwaukee Guys Weekend – A Destination for Manly Men
Guy getaways tend to follow the same broken record of trips – a bachelor party in Vegas, a golf trip somewhere, or a weekend of debauchery in Mexico. Put on repeat. Over and over again. Men, I’m here to tell you that there are better options than unsuccessfully trying to relive your youth in an oomph-oomph club or spending a frustrating weekend making up excuses about why your golf game is so bad. How about a Milwaukee guys weekend instead?
charlottehappenings.epubxp.com
Pet Friendly—Caninie Café
Doggie Daiquiris, Mutt Muffins and fire hydrant shaped Pawty Cakes – these are just a few of the items that dogs and their owners can find at South End’s Canine Café Charlotte. For more than 22-years, founder and co-owner Barbara Burg has been spoiling man’s best friend with homemade dog treats and cakes, all of which are 100 percent natural and baked in an open concept, on-premise kitchen.