Name that Flyover City!: Oct 20, 2022

Here’s a review of this week’s questions:

1. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is located just outside of this southern city. What city is it?
2. What midwestern city is home to chef James Rigato, who competed on season 12 of “Top Chef” and now owns the restaurant Mabel Gray?
3. The hugely successful 1990s musical group Hanson got its start in what city?

And here are the answers:

1. Charlotte, NC. Offering training and recreational opportunities for those interested in whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing and mountain biking, the U.S. National Whitewater Center is located near the Catawba River in Charlotte, NC. The Center opened in 2006 and includes the world’s only man-made whitewater river. It consists of nearly 4000 feet of recirculating channels and is an engineering marvel designed by former Olympian Scott Shipley. Also available to visitors are concerts, camping, ice skating, paddle boarding and numerous aerial sports, including the “Canyon Crossing” and “Canopy Tour.”
2. Detroit, MI. In 2014, James Rigato appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef” at the age of 29, while he was working at Root Restaurant & Bar outside of Detroit. He had begun his career at the age of 14 and attended Schoolcraft College, studying culinary arts. Apprenticing alongside Detroit legend Ed Mamou, Rigato quickly rose through the ranks, becoming head chef and co-owner of the Root, and later, Mabel Gray in Hazel Park. Though he did not finish at a high position in the Top Chef competition (12^th out of 16), he found the experience “challenging and rewarding…terrifying but worth it.”
3. Tulsa, OK. Tulsa-born brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson made their hometown proud in 1997, when their colossal hit single, “MmmBop” hit number one on the Billboard charts. Hardly an overnight sensation, they had been grinding away in the music biz since they were little kids, performing regionally and eventually forming their group and officially naming it Hanson. Following the release of their first major label album, “Middle of Nowhere,” the group’s notoriety grew, and once pop radio and young female fans heard the single, “MmmBop,” they became international superstars. Huge record sales and awards came next, and Hanson has continued to record and perform shows for the past 25 years. Having their “one-hit wonder” moment when Isaac was 17, Taylor was 14, and Zac was 12 is sure to have been a blessing and a curse for the brothers, now full grown with children of their own.