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Killer Queen | Durham NC
Imagine if a disco ball and bottle of wine had a baby. That baby would be Killer Queen and its mother would be Silvia Gallo.
There is a growing list of places to eat and drink in Durham, NC—a town historically known for tobacco and minor league baseball that is now home to a slew of transplanted young professionals mingling with the Durham natives. Having only lived in Durham for the past 5 years, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told that Durham has changed.
This story isnt really about that (the changing face of business and commerce, gentrification, higher education and academic medical institutions, etc.). But in a way, it kind of is. Although there are some firm staples of downtown Durham dining, much of the Main Street store fronts have seen many tenants through out the past few years. And sadly, in the face of COVID, many have remained or become vacant. Thats why the place I’m telling you about is so special.
Killer Queen can be found tucked between a law office and vintage record shop on Main Street in Durham, NC.
“WINE BAR. The neon sign drew me in like a moth and the wine list kept my ass in the barstool.”
- ME
Depending on when you walk in (the front or back doors are both equally good options), you are greeted with the sounds Queen, Prince, electrofunk or maybe a pulsing House beat if you come late enough.
I hear a friendly “What can I get for you tonight?” as a menu slides towards my hands over the white marbled bar top. Red Wines. White Wines. Orange Wines. Wines with bubbles. You get the point.
Also yes there is food but we will get to that later.
Disclaimer:
I am 100% biased towards my friends and the people I believe in. I’m not a food or wine critic or expert. I am not a journalist. I happen to like wine, food, friends and also happen to have a camera. This is my favorite place to drink and eat in Durham. Alright. Thats fair warning of my lack of/immunity from journalistic ethics.
A bit on my friend Silvia.
Standing at a proud 5’3 (maybe?) she insists she’s not the boss when I ask her what her title is. She manages to always have a cool outfit, usually a band t-shirt I am not nearly hip enough to know. . It’s clear from the moment you meet Silvia that she is the vision and energy behind Killer Queen and Pretty Vacant.
Silvia shown here in her newly opened upstairs companion space to Killer Queen—Pretty Vacant.
She has no less than 43 tabs open on her laptop at any given time.
She has a bubbly energy. And since she owns a wine bar I think it would be fair to say she is effervescent.
It’s hard to keep up with Silvia and I mean that literally. Whether it’s making a new dish in the tiny kitchen, wiping down tables, or using gold spray paint to put hearts on the ceiling, Silvia is NEVER sitting still.
Pretty Vacant
If you weren’t looking for it you might walk right by.
Sitting directly above the wine bar, Pretty Vacant is her latest brainchild. I remember when she first showed the upstairs space. She was sharing her vision with me: intimate dinners, parties, boutique hotel, DJs, wine tastings. Honestly, I didnt fully see it. But Silvia did. Watching her make her vision a reality over the next few weeks was truly inspiring.
I looked at her Wayfair purchases and thought to myself “I have always wondered who the hell buys this kind of stuff. And now I know. You.” You’ll see what I mean.
“Wow. I guess it is kind of pink.”
The first event for Pretty Vacant was a hit, perfectly timed as a 1 year anniversary celebration for Killer Queen’s opening. Masquerade. Live Jazz. Appetizers.
Below you will see pictures of Braxton. He made all the food and it was really good.
Nothing like listening to a couple of dudes letting it rip. Hard to not look cool playing jazz in this space.
In summary. This place is great. The wine is great. The food is great. The space and design are great. But none of those things are sufficient. The reason why I love coming to Killer Queen is because of the people. Because I know that the perfectly plated charcuterie board and chilled Pinot Noir is poured and passed to me by a good person who is my friend. Isn’t that what we all want?
Would you drink wine out on this patio?
If your answer is not yes then you are a loser. Sorry, those are just the rules.
Coronado|CA
Glimpses from a recent (work)trip to San Diego. Take me back.
About 9 months ago I saw that there was a work conference planned for Coronado. It’s a normal thing in academic medicine to submit papers/projects to these conferences so you can go and present your work to your peers. It’s also a normal thing to submit things to conferences so you get a chance to go to Coronado. Lets just say I was more in one of these groups (if you are one of my bosses and you are reading this, no you aren’t). In all seriousness though, we had been working on an interesting project about Cochlear Implant surgery and so I submitted it and the rest is history (the rest is actually in these pictures, thats whole point of this post).
Have you been in an airport lounge? Because I hadn’t. What.The.Hell. This discovery of how the other side travels has absolutely blown my mind. My (bougie)friend Elizabeth and her husband Blaine were kind enough to allow me a guest(peasant) pass into the Delta lounge and let me tell you—they have free food and drinks inside these places. You can just keep ordering more and they have to bring them to you. Like legally, I think they have to. So I ordered a few drinks and was definitively not sober by the time we boarded. Life came crashing down to reality again as Blaine and Elizabeth found their seats in first class and I made my way to seat 78J or whatever.
We landed around 2345 PST and made our way to the hotel. I hadn’t been to San Diego since interviewed there for residency. I remember loving it and put it really high on my list but ultimately ended up at Duke (we can discuss my crippling insecurity of not being wanted in another post). ANYWAYS. We woke up bright an early the next morning and went exploring for some much needed caffeine. Also, before we get that, does anyone have a weird superiority feeling of waking up early while on vacation even if it’s just because you are experiencing the 3 hour time change but want to pretend its because you are super responsible and productive? No? Just me? Cool.
Some of these streets look like they take you right into the ocean. Kind of wish they would.
This was my view waking up. No more description required. Just allow me to set the stage— the soft morning sun is creeping in through the shutters. You walk over and swing them open and crack the window to sound of the morning surf.
Elizabeth had found a place to get coffee from Instagram (bougie girl). It is called Parakeet. It was pretty good!
Conference Details:
Just kidding I know literally no one is interested in that. Instead, allow me to show you some details of the hotel which was truly iconic. It felt of a different area and is clearly a staple of the island.
The exterior of the resort was similarly beautiful.
The turret catches the morning light before the rest of the building. Just beautiful.
I am a pretty sentimental guy. Lover or sunrises/sets. So I made sure to try and catch both each day. No regrets there. Truly incredible.
Good morning moon.
About 50F in the morning is my ideal climate. Cold enough to put on a cozy sweater and hold on tight to your cup of coffee but warm enough that your walk outside is not insane.
We came. We saw. We ate a lot of chips and salsa, tacos, and margaritas. It was heaven on earth. After 4 years in the south I am comfortable saying that I dont really identify as a Southerner. Every time I go out West though…I dont know. Anyways, I guy can dream right?
It’s A Dinner
Some Context:
Sometimes life presents you an easy decision.
A good friend of mine, Christine, had told me about this dinner she was going to. It's A Dinner is a field-to-table dinner series that is all about sourcing from local farms and small businesses to bring people together. Whats not to like about that concept?
Anyways, it was in New York (I’m from New York) and it was going to be in August. I was planning on heading back north to see my family around the same time so I said yes.
I changed my flight from the Adirondacks (Upstate New York) to New York City and headed to the Hamptons. I packed an extra bathing suit.
First stop was the wine store. Next stop was the beach.
To say this house was charming is an understatement. The smell of freshly baked bread met me on the front porch. I could’ve closed my eyes and died happy, it smelled that good.
This is Christine.
We all need friends like Christine.
Please dont put that picture on your blog
-Christine
Please tolerate Totally unrelated and gratuitous wrist shot. Also, truck bed OVERFLOWING with flowers? Hard to think of something more my vibe. Hell yes.
Rolex Explorer II doing Explorer things.
Toyota Tacoma doing what it does best.
Ingredients:
Anyways. Back to dinner, shall we? So. Like all great meals, we must start with the ingredients. Looking through the menu (which was a full-fledged magazine dripping with details, pictures, and links to everything), you could tell right away that everything about what I was going to enjoy was there with thought and intention. That seems to be Ana’s MO. Check it out below:
Sometimes we may think of the ingredients as just food. Not the case for this dinner. Everything (and I mean everything) was part of the menu. The linens on the farm tables, the candles, the glassware. It was all part of it, all shoppable. Super cool!
Gorgeous glassware from Sempli.
Environment:
I had never been to the Hamptons, and I didn’t really know what to expect. It felt kind of like if you took a string of beach towns and injected with a gazillion dollars, all while they aspired to hold on to their smallness and charm. Millionaires cosplaying rustic-humble is what I was expecting. It was kind of like that but kind of not. Regardless, it was quite beautiful and charming. The team at It’s a Dinner turned the Sagaponack farm distillery into a beautiful outdoor banquet venue. A thousand shades of green, the gentle wind, and the clinking of glassware being carefully set. It was really very lovely.
Dinner:
Ok yes. But the food. Show us pictures of the food. Ok. Yes please.
Disclaimer: I am not a food critic. I dont know if I can even call myself a foodie. But, I do like food and this food was very tasty.
A little bit of salt and red pepper flakes gave these guys the perfect flavor.
Also, hello Staub.
The People:
You know. I think that the coolest part of this event wasn’t so much the locale or the food or the wine (though I greatly enjoyed those things). The greatest part of this meal (and of any meal) is that it brings people together. This past year has essentially been the antithesis of this concept. Social distancing. Masking. Aeroslized particles. Washing our groceries. No sharing plates. The concept of communal mealtime has not just been gutted—worse, its been turned into a perfect constellation of high-risk behaviors and social taboos. What a tragedy.
I so greatly enjoyed seeing this team work their asses off to put this thing together. The pay-off? Full tables, full glasses, full hearts. Enjoying great food, drink, and environment in the company of strangers-turned-friends is one of the heights of the human experience.
The team that made it all happen:
In conclusion:
Food is good. Wine is good. But People are what make it Good with a capital G.
As an aside, very much enjoy this photography lifestyle. Until next time!
-WTR
The Bradshaws
OK. So.
This was the perfect storm of fun, love, and mid-century aesthetics. Dehra is a co-worker of mine (read sister who I piss off incessantly). When she asked if I would shoot her wedding I was honored—and it was made even more exciting because it would be at the Durham Hotel here in Downtown Durham, NC. For years this has been my favorite place to unwind after a long week. In fact, you can catch me on the Durham Hotel Rooftop with a pretentiously hazy IPA with concerning frequency (their cocktails are great but thats just not my vibe).
I was really excited to shoot here because of the charming mid-century vibes that oozes MadMen. Bright colors. Bold lines. Etc. I mean, dont take my word for it, check it out:
It was a perfect day for indoor portraits, soft and overcast light streaming through the windows and their absolutely SICK mustard yellow curtains. This made for an ideal setup for the bridal suite. No flash used at all. Just natural light!
There are most people, who are slightly uncomfortable in front of the camera. Then there is Dehra. She made it so fun and so easy—plus she’s gorgeous.
Dehra had some truly love details planned for the day. I love her unique engagement ring, her heirloom earring she placed on the bouquet. Max looked good too.
This is Max. Good job Max.
I think these are my favorite shots from the day. I love the depth and texture.
I mean. Come. On.
Mother + Daughter (or maybe sisters?)
Thank you Dehra and Max for letting capture your special day! Now…back to annoying you at work.
Until the next time, you can probably catch me back at the Durham Hotel.
Cheers,
Billy