Jonathan Sanchez

Local bookstore Blue Bicycle Books has been a longtime favorite of locals and tourist alike, but now owner, Jonathan Sanchez, hopes to win America’s favorite quiz show–JEOPARDY! Sanchez auditioned three times before making the cut in Charlotte to appear on the show.

His show will air on Monday, March 22 at 7: 30 p.m. on WCBD Channel 2. Sanchez didn’t reveal whether he won or not, but from the Post & Courier article about his appearance, it seems like he has a really good chance! Apparently, only 400 people appear on the show per year. We’re cheering for you Jonathan!

Stop by and say hi to him and give his fat cat that frequently suns in the front window a pat for me!

Want to be a contestant? Click here to find out how.

Lowcountry Local First (LLF) and their 325 business members are also mentioned in this article, as well as Croghan’s Jewel Box. Efforts mentioned in the article like the 10% Shift have been undertaken in Charleston by LLF. Buying local has numerous benefits like boosting the local economy and providing jobs to local residents. When it comes to food, I believe there’s nothing better than a locally owned restaurant that serves local food (it really does taste better!).

Here’s an except from the article:

Shoppers such as Lauren and Skip Schumann of Charleston, S.C., have taken to heart the movement’s pleas to buy within their town, or at least within their state, before searching elsewhere. The couple bought their wedding rings at Croghan’s Jewel Box, a fixture on Charleston’s King Street. They won’t eat at chain restaurants. Lauren is shopping for a home security system, and only locally owned companies need apply. Charleston is still a small town, she says: “If one store closes, everybody knows it. It’s kind of a doomsday feel.”

www.croghansjewelbox.com

Sweetgrass baskets, Gullah Gourmet entrees, woven ties, bicycle cards, joggling boards, reclaimed walnut lamps, benne wafers, cartwheels cluthes were all included in this article.

My favorite Charleston good, joggling boards (below), are like rocking benches. Southern Living describes, “In the early 1800s, 16-foot-long joggling boards were as popular on Charleston piazzas as swings are today?their gentle bounce is relaxing.”

Jogging boards, Ralph Anderson

www.igougo.com

The article plays up the sustainable tourism aspects of Charleston, like green transportation, local and organic served at local restaurants, Charleston’s first soon-to-be green hotel (Holiday Inn Express and Suites), green and eco-enthusiast tours.

The writer remarks:

It is these often-ignored features that make Charleston a good place for a low-impact vacation. The city’s compact size means that sightseeing on foot is easy, the agricultural industry makes locally grown food readily available, and the many eco-adventure opportunities make a multi-dimensional, environmentally centered vacation possible.

www.goingoutdallas.com

Firefly Distillery packed into an RV and hit the road recently for the “On the Fly” tour. Fireflyers David Childs and Andy Whitfield will take the Firefly RV across the county for the next six months to share Charleston-own Firefly Vodka with the US.

The RV is stopping at several large music festivals, like South by Southwest in Austin, Sasquatch Music Fest in Seattle and Summerfest in Milwaukee.

Most notably known for their Sweet Tea Vodka, Firefly also offers their original Muscadine Vodka and many flavored sweet tea vodkas. Their newest liquor, Sweet Tea Bourbon, is made with Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and then infused with tea and sugar cane.

Smart Home (www.msichicago.org)

Folbot’s Citibot kayak will be hanging in the garage of the green home. The Citibot was designed with city-dwellers in mind, or anyone that lacks storage space, and is lightweight and compact enough to be carried on public transit, stored in the trunk of a car or even carried on as luggage.

Folbot's Citibot, www.folbot.com

To top it all off–Do It Yourself Network’s Garage Mahal is filming an episode in the Smart Home’s garage! The date the episode will air has not been announced yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

Pearlz Oyster Bar, Oak Steakhouse, McCrady’s, Virginia’s on King, Amen Street Raw & Fish Bar and FIG are highlighted in the restaurants article, and 14 Charleston area hotels are featured in the hotel guide.

Charleston event planner, Tara Guerard, in the March issue. Photographer: Laurey W. Glenn (www.southernliving.com)

Pick up a copy on newsstands now!

The annual James Beard Awards include categories like: Best Restaurantuer, Outstanding Service, Best New Restaurant and many more. Every year, Charleston is well-represented in the semi-finals, and a Charleston chef won the Best Chef: Southeast category for the last two years (2009- Mike Lata of FIG (below), 2008- Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill)

Mike Lata of FIG, 2009 Best Chef: Southeast winner

The finalists will be announced at a later date and the awards will be given out on May 3 in New York City. Click here to view the entire list of semi-finalists. GO TEAM CHARLESTON!

Founder Paul Roof on right

The Society recently held their first competition, The Southeastern Beards & Mustache Championships, a Beard Team USA-sanctioned event. Beards and mustaches of all forms were plentiful, and categories included: sideburns, goatee, moustache, bearded lady, recession, freestyle, gray beard and full beard. The event also raised over $3,000 for ovarian cancer research.

Check out the Holy City Beard & Mustache Society’s Myspace page to find out when and where the next meeting of the facial fuzz will happen.

www.walkgallery.org/

For the official launch of this new mission, WALK is currently holding a show called ”How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” at 372  and 501 King St. This exhibit is a partnership with the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) and aims to raise awareness of adoptable pets in the Lowcountry, then the art will be given to CAS to be auctioned off at their annual fundraiser, The Furry Affair. According to the WALK Gallery website, 10 dogs have already been adopted since this show began!

The next show, “Juxtapositions,” is tentatively scheduled for March 5, and highlights how artists respond to poets and vice versa.