Local Limelight: Raleigh artist and nightlife curator Patrick Shanahan
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Photo illustration: Axios. Photo: Courtesy of Shanahan
Patrick Shanahan is one of Raleigh's true polymaths, spreading his time between painting, writing, filmmaking and running some of Raleigh's favorite nighttime spots.
Why it matters: The Raleigh native, who co-owns Watts & Ward in downtown and Peregrine in Midtown, is in the process of opening two new bars in the city this year.
Zoom in: The two new spots are the Italian-inspired Capulet Cocktail Club at The Exchange development and an as-of-yet-unnamed concept in the former Fox Liquor Bar space in downtown.
We talked with Shanahan for our latest Local Limelight conversation. This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
🍽️ Favorite place to eat in the Triangle? My favorite place to eat is Stanbury, but of course, I do love what we're doing at Peregrine.
⛳️ What do you think the Triangle is missing? Pop Stroke. There's some smaller iterations here and there, but Pop Stroke is miniature golf on a whole new level and it's spectacularly fun.
📚 What's your first read in the morning? My first read in the morning are baby books with our newborn, Maeve. Riveting stuff.
📕 What is the last great book you read? Sadly, I don't read often, but I spend time writing my own work everyday. I've got a couple screenplays out there being considered and my first novel on the way.
🎬 What is the last great movie you saw? Last great film I saw was "The Phoenician Scheme." There's so much to take in with Anderson's work, I need to see it ten more times honestly. He's been a huge inspiration for me all the way back to "Rushmore."
🎧 Do you have a go-to podcast? My go-to podcast is "On Fire with Jeff Probst." I've always been a massive fan of "Survivor," but being a filmmaker, I love that podcast and hearing how they produce that show is actually incredible.
🌊 Favorite place to go for a long weekend? Any long weekend I get, we spend at our tiny bungalow in Surf City. Shakka Taco, crab steamers and East Coast sunrises. Not bad.
🏡 What's something you're looking forward to unrelated to your work? I'm really looking forward to more time with my family. My work involves so much building and now that these projects are starting to open up, I'll have more time for my lovely, supportive wife and our first child. I'm excited for first steps, first words ... all the firsts and the rest to come.
🌳 How do you unplug at the end of the day? I hardly ever unplug as I have the racing mind of an artist, but I breathe easiest in my garden. I'm stuck on Japanese maples, Canna Lilies, and various agave species. I recently found Plant Delights Nursery in town and it changed my life.
🏝️ Where do you go for inspiration? Miami. There's such a convergence of culture and life there. The food is incredible and South Beach has the coolest art deco hotels. If you take the time to look up at the old façades, the architecture is just something wonderful. I always leave that city overflowing with new ideas, which keeps me going back.
🍸 If you had to have one cocktail, what would it be? The Last Word. A simple classic, but this is the cocktail that started it all for me and I owe that introduction to Matthew Bettinger, of Mr. Henry, back in our C. Grace days.
🎥 What similarities do you find between creating spaces and making films? Creating and designing spaces, for me, is just like set building, which I learned as a filmmaker. In all my films I had to design the sets, find the right locations and, if they couldn't be found, I built them. Every set, every prop, every detail of any set serves the overall story. Hospitality concepts, just like films, are all about story for me. Every decision I make from the palette to the lighting to the music, and so on, is designed to support the story I'm trying to tell.