Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2021

(Opposite): Overlooking Sister Bay, which holds New Year’s Eve at The Lodge
Cherry Drop; (Above, clockwise): A meal al fresco during cool temperatures;
family fall hike at Ridges Nature Center; winter fat tire biking at Newport State
Park.
The Hardy is famous for its juried shows and community mosaic
project, which encourages the public to create artwork on canvas,
it’s the graffiti-covered building that is perhaps its most well-known
feature. “The graffiti evolved from a tradition of visitors signing the
warehouse walls in the 1800s to let friends know they’d arrived in
town,” explains Sarah Zamecnik, the gallery’s executive director.
Eight years later, Anne Haberland Emerson and her mother,
Irene Pamperin Haberland, opened Edgewood Orchard Galleries
with a handful of artists in a 1918 barn just outside Fish Creek. Today,
under the direction of Nell and JR Jarosh, Emerson’s daughter and
son-in-law, the gallery exhibits the work of dozens of artists within
the restored barn and tucked amid acres of landscaped gardens.
Open since 2007, Egg Harbor’s Plum Bottom Gallery is owned
by Chad Luberger, a porcelain potter who studied in Japan, and his
wife Angela Olsen Luberger, a jewelry designer. Surrounded by a
sculpture-speckled garden where silver angels beckon from tree limbs,
the original gallery (there’s a second, smaller location in downtown
Egg Harbor) showcases the work of more than 150 artists within a
welcoming, light-filled space.
In Door County, creativity goes beyond traditional mediums like
paint, clay, and glass. Chris Renard is the third-generation owner and
master cheesemaker at Renard’s Artisan Cheese in the town of Sturgeon
Bay. Beyond making eleven varieties of cheese, Renard is the creative
force behind the company’s 50 flavor-infused variations that include
cheddar with Door County cherries and farmers cheese with pesto.
Chris Renard isn’t the only Door County artisan who uses
food as an outlet for his creativity. At Island Orchard Cider, owner
Bob Purman has tweaked traditional French hard cider recipes with
herbs, different fruits, and oak aging to create ciders that are as delicious
as they are sophisticated. Brut cider, for instance, does a spoton
impression of sparkling wine; blended with apple brandy, Pomona
is a fruit-forward dessert wine. Then there’s Wickman House, where
a “whole animal” ethos drives the development of meat dishes, and
vegetables are overseen by a staff gardener. The result? Collaborative
creativity that translates into a menu fluid enough to deliciously accommodate,
if necessary, switching from one cut of meat or vegetable
accompaniment to another as the evening progresses. With original
wooden floors, a wraparound porch, and elegant lighting, it’s a beautiful
restaurant, too.
Where to Stay
Open since early 2021, The DÖrr mixes modern Scandinavian design
with warm wood and sleek stone. Each of the breezy 47 rooms has
a private balcony, white quartz bathrooms and minimalist platform
beds; suites have fireplaces and water views. •
November/December 2021 | 117