Some places have a way of holding onto a community. Shady Nook is one of them.

Nearly a century ago, it started as a filling station and general store where kids stopped for ice cream cones and neighbors lingered in the sun to enjoy a soda (and maybe a cigarette). 

Shady Nook changed hands, changed purposes, and changed with the times - never losing its enduring charm. Then, the once-bustling neighborhood mainstay, which received a historical designation in 2018, fell quiet. Until now. 

Now, under the care of chef Chaz Lindsay, a Belhaven native and owner of Michelin-suggested Pulito Osteria and Rowan’s just up the street, it’s been lovingly restored and reopened. In Lindsay’s own words, “Shady Nook has been a part of this neighborhood longer than I've been alive. Every time I passed the building, I hoped someone would finally give it new life. Eventually, I realized that someone was me. I'm proud to be the person who gives Shady Nook back to the community.”