81Modernizing history
THE GREY,SAVANNAH, GA.
Born in the Bronx to a
Georgian mother, Mashama
Bailey grew up calling herself
“one-generation-removed
Southern.” But even after her co-workers
inspired her to attend culinary school—
they often complimented her sweet
potatoes and roasted chicken—she
never toyed seriously with the idea of
moving south to open a restaurant.
Then venture capitalist Johno Morisano
heard about Bailey through her mentor,
chef Gabrielle Hamilton, and reached
out to her about a long-abandoned,
once segregated Greyhound station
he’d bought. The duo clicked, and
Bailey eventually abandoned her more
traditional concepts (“the inspiration
of the early menu was purely Italian,”
she says) in favor of blending African,
European and classic Southern lavors
they now serve (foie and grits with red-
wine gravy, or tuna crudo with okra and
pickled peppers). Those efforts paid off:
in 2017, the Grey was named Eater’s
Restaurant of the Year.—Kate Rockwood
A library
beyond books
AUSTIN CENTRAL LIBRARY,AUSTIN
At this library, which opened
in 2017, the books—500,000
in total—are just the
beginning of the story. There’s
also an art gallery, an event space, a
rooftop butterly garden, a series of
group-study rooms, a café (featuring
several cookbook-inspired meals) and a
“technology petting zoo,” which enables
visitors to toy with next-generation
gadgets, like a 3-D printer. The building
itself—which centers around a six-story,
sun-drenched atrium—is cutting-edge
too. In July, it earned a Platinum LEED
certiication for its sustainable design,
which includes a bicycle-repair and
parking garage and a cistern on the roof
that pipes rainwater to the bathrooms.
—Julia Zorthian