kpurvis

Yes, there are a few places to consider. For brewpubs, Atlantic Beer and Ice is usually pretty good. But I also like places that have good beer selections, rather than places that brew their own. Flying Saucer is one, and Gin Mill is another. The former Mellow Mushroom, now Moon Doggies, has always had a great selection. My understanding is that it changed names and affiliations, but has the same owners, so I don't expect the selection to change. And if you want to buy beer, Brawley's is always worth a stop just to talk to Mike and see what's he's happy about. And it also isn't a brew pub per se, but Tim Schaffer's at the Lake puts a strong focus on beer. Shaffer writes for one of the brewing publications and bills himself as the Brew Chef. And Gene Briggs at Table is doing another beer dinner soon, all Dogfish Head this time.

Good call. Wilmington has really become a good food town. I'll be down there myself in a few weeks, so post back on your finds.

Well, here's an approach. As your professors probably taught you, develop a theme that you can use to broaden your education. The ol' "be a rifle, not a shotgun" idea works well whether you're learning to cook, learning to enjoy wine or broadening your dining scope. So why not start by focusing on chef-owned restaurants? Charlotte has a nice variety in that style, and you can shape your eating adventures by thinking about what you like and don't like in a particular place. If I were starting out with a fresh, young palate, I'd start with Lulu on Central, Ratcliffe on the Green uptown, the Fig Tree and Customshop in Elizabeth. All are locally owned, locally chefed -- cheffed? -- and all are a little bit different from one another in style. The nice thing about doing it that way is that you can move up and down the scale as your budget allows. Instead of Ratcliffe and Customshop, for instance, you could do Penguin, Dish, Creation and Lulu. The other nice thing about focusing on the local is that if you're in mind to teach yourself to cook, you can get inspiration from what chefs are doing with basically the same ingredients that are available to you. For your road-to-Raleigh question, you can really have fun. North Carolina has some great food towns. Greensboro, for instance, has a small but thriving local food scene. Durham is a great food destination, with some of the best restaurants in the state. And if you feel like going farther afield, Asheville, Wilmington, Charleston and Carrboro/Chapel Hill are all such great food destinations that you can plan whole weekends around them.

Evan, that's a question so wide, it's almost impossible to answer in this kind of setting. In September, I'll have spent 20 years answering it, actually. So, as your professors in college probably directed you, Narrow your focus. Define "worth your time." Are you looking for fun/funky/real? White-tablecloth creative? Historic/traditional? And "between Charlotte and Raleigh" is about 3 hours and covers close to 200 miles. That's a lot o' road. You could just enter "charlotte" in the search field and you'll turn up quite a few threads covering that.

I don't think it's cozier. But I do think it's smaller. Most people in food writing either know each other, or know of each other, or know someone who knows someone else. And the advent of web sites like this one add to it, increasing the chances that you'll brush up against someone else. It's like the Kevin Bacon game (although food writers would use real bacon, of course.) But I'd also second the person who noted that many times, blurbs are written without the author even knowing about it.

Don't forget Bad Baby Pie and Naughty Pumpkin Pie.

While I would never question the reporting skills of the esteemable chef from Greenville, S.C., I would point out this section from the KCBS rules, as posted on the society web site: "Sbowmanship and cooking are separate entities and will be judged as such. Specific information will be provided by a contest organizer if there is to be a showmanship award." In other words, there can be a showmanship category at a KCBS sanctioned event, but it is separate from the KCBS judging, which is meat-only. I believe that Tryon has included such awards in the past; I know it has included dressed-pig entries. (And yes, dressed pig is exactly what it sounds like. Pigs. Dressed up.)

I've been many times -- I've judged that one a number of times -- but it's been awhile. I am going back this year for the first time in about three years. I gave it a rest for a while so I didn't get burned out. It is a KCBS-sanctioned event, as opposed to Memphis In May sanctioned. If you're never been to a barbecue championship, it is a fun experience. Contesters are a breed unto themselves. The Blue Ridge is held in a very pretty setting, in an open park with a couple of low mountains nearby. When I went in previous years, it was a cross between a festival and a contest. There was a crafts fair and a few rides, then a number of tents for the barbecuers. Presentation is part of the program, so most contesters build elaborate stage sets in their areas. Most of them are people who compete at multiple events every year. You can't try the barbecue at the individual tents because of health department rules, so usually there are three or four large outfits that sell barbecue. (But I'll tell you an insider's trick -- if you wander through after the judging is over, when the contesters are packing up, somebody is usually giving it away so they don't have to haul it home.) If you go and you aren't having a good time, you are just around the corner from Tryon, which is a pretty mountain town, and you're a short drive from Saluda and Asheville. It's nice part of the world to visit in summer.

It has become a tradition on the UNC sports message boards for someone to start a BBQ thread every now and again. You would be surprised how many partisans from one side of the state refuse to eat the BBQ from the other. If I can make a generalization, I find that those on the Eastern side of the state tend to be a bit more parochial than those on the Western side but I think there may be more to that than just the method of cooking a pig. ← That's what you get for paying attention to sports fans. These are people who get leap up and down in their own living rooms based on something that happened with an inflated ball. We're not dealing with "rational" from the get-go.

You know, I'm really starting to wonder about all the hype that claims our two traditions are "divisive." Is there really divisiveness, outside of grandstanding politicians who want to generate quotes on a dull day? Yes, the styles are slightly different (and slightly alike, for that matter), but is there really any true Carolinas barbecue fan who won't eat both styles? I've been covering barbecue for a lot of years, and I haven't yet encountered anyone who talks about the differences in a form of "ours is better than theirs." People acknowledge the differences, but I just don't detect a lot of heat over it. I haven't met anyone from the Western side of the state who refuses to eat Eastern style, or anyone from the East who refuses to eat Lexington style. OK -- grab your cleavers and mince me up.

I managed to fit in two visits during a quick trip to NY last week. (I was staying on the UWS, so that helped.) On Sunday after the opening, I waited an hour and had pistachio, fior di latte and cappuccino. (Hey, after waiting that long, I wanted to make it worthwhile). On Tuesday, I had a 10 minute wait, and got the Sicilian with the candied orange peel. The pistachio was my favorite, hands down. As far as comparison goes, I like the selections at Laboratorio better, because they always have something unexpected. But I like that Grom's menu gives a nod to Slow Foods ingredients. Still, I have to admit, with much shame, that I enjoyed the owner's eye wear almost as much as the gelato. Italian men just have so much style. As long as he stays at the cash register with those warm, personal greetings for each customer (he actually talked me into springing for truffles too), I think the lines will stay long.

Brent, fyi, the Matthews market has added meat this year. Both Grateful Growers pork and Baucom's Best beef are available. Also, the Charlotte Regional Market has all of the above, plus Nise Smart's lettuces, Donnie Cline's jokes and his organic asparagus, Yah's salsas, Imaldris's amazing blueberry jam and Daddy's Girl's fresh chevre.

Looks like I've struck out on your Concord request. My best Concord source says you might be describing What-A-Burger, which is sort of local and does good fountain drinks, but isn't a drive-in. Or he says there are great burgers to be had at Lane Street Grill in Kannapolis, although he warns the place is funky and it also isn't a drive-in. Or, final possibility, some wondered if you might mean the late, great Herlocker's Drive-In, a fine local institution with great onion rings. It was really in University City, but not everybody knows where University City stops and Concord starts. Sadly, Herlocker's closed earlier this year.

I'll check on your Concord request, Hazard. I've got several Concord experts, so I'll see what they suggest. Since you work up in that area, you know the burger place on 36th Street, right? Wait until the weather turns pretty. It's an eat-in-your-car place. But it has great, gooshy Carolinas slaw and chili burgers. On roadtrips, I'd definitely include Keaton's outside Statesville. It's one of the great food road trips and only about 40 minutes from Charlotte. (There's also a promising barbecue joint on the same road, so I need to make a return trip.) Last time, I also fit in a stop at Jaybee's Hot Dogs on the way back. Hot dog was pretty good, but the milkshakes were fabulous. I've been to Snappy Lunch several times over the years. It is too far for a lunch trip from Charlotte, but Mount Airy is really a very pretty, walkable little town. So it makes a nice Saturday excursion, particularly if you pair it with a Yadkin Valley wine wander. The town has a number of lovely old houses made from local quarry stone and of course, the Andy Griffith Museum. If the Old North State Winery is still open (stuff comes and goes so quickly, I hesitate to mention any place if I haven't been in, like, the last hour!), they have a decent little restaurant and wine tastings. It's in a former department store just a block or two up from the Snappy. And one tiny correction on Bridges, just to keep the record straight: The location on 74 is the only one. The other Bridges, Alston Bridge's in downtown Shelby, is a different restaurant. Both are worth a visit, to compare and contrast.

Hazard, if you want the ultimate U-Hop experience, I'd suggest visiting the mother house on Beatties Ford Road. Most House of Prayers have small cafeterias, but the one on Beatties Ford is the largest in the area. Since it is close to the old McDonald's location, it has replaced it as the place for people of all races to stop by for lunch on the west side of the city.

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience, Malawry. Dean & Deluca is really a New York store that aims more at transplants. That side of town tends to have a high percentage of people who moved to Charlotte from somewhere else. For grits and other local products, you're better off hitting someplace like Reid's uptown or Home Economist (multiple locations), because both are locally owned. Of course, since you were transportation-hindered, it doesn't sound like that was an option. I'm glad to hear you liked Nobles. Jim Noble has a new small-plates place, Rooster, that I'm hearing good things about and the atmosphere may be more kid-friendly. You'll have to add it to your list for your next visit. Next time you come, feel free to contact me back-channel and I'll do my best to steer you around town. I don't live too far from SouthPark so I know the area well.

Probably too messy for your needs, but another classic-in-the-making is the deep-fried pimento cheese balls, as experienced at the Southern Foodways Symposium. 'Minner cheese, rolled in crumbs, dropped in hot fat. Mmmmmmmm.

I absolutely grew up eating salmon croquettes, one of my Georgia-born mother's standard weeknight meals. She never picked out the bones -- we were told they were a source of calcium. I'm sure her version dated to the Depression, when reliable sources of protein and calcium were precious. In addition to fried patties made with canned salmon, we also had codfish balls on a regular basis. Once again: Cheap canned fish, dressed up in a way the kids would eat it. As for Southern salmon croquette moments, don't forget "Driving Miss Daisy," when Hoke replaces the can of salmon. That's why Miss Daisy would have had all that salmon in the pantry. Depression-era women like my mother stocked up whenever the Piggy Wiggly had a sale. Just in case, you know, Hard Times came back.

Sounds like you are looking for fish camps, an old Southern institution that is still hanging on in the N.C. Piedmont. Sadly, many of the real classics, like Linebergers, are gone, but there are still good ones. Twin Tops is definitely one; within a square mile or so, there are at least three others. There also are some up around Lake Norman, like the Captain's Cap in Denver. Basically, a fish camp is just a family-friendly, fried-fish restaurant. Most of them used to be found near rivers, like Linebergers. The food is simple, fried and maybe broiled fish and seafood, always hush puppies and slaw. One odd little tip: If you're looking for great candy of the oldie-but-goodie type, check a fish camp. Most of them have incredible candy selections by the cash register. I don't know why, but I have two theories: Eating fried food makes people crave sugar, or people use the candy as bribes for their kids who hate fish.

Charlotte Observer She died Friday of ovarian cancer.

Java Passage in South End would be one of my top picks, for quality. But I'll confess, I haven't checked the hours lately.

Pasternack is consulting chef in a new restaurant called Customshop on Elizabeth Avenue. It's not open yet; last I heard, they were aiming to be open by February. Zebra is an excellent choice, and I also like Barrington's very much, since it sounds like you want to leave the kids at home. Somebody also asked about Las Ramblas. It hasn't been open very long at all, so I haven't been there yet. And by end of January, Carpe Diem is reopening under new ownership with Mark Hibbs, formerly Cosmos Cafe, as executive chef doing what he is calling "Regional Carolinas cuisine." So that should be interesting, too.

An editorial writer I know once taught me a good phrase: "A hit dog will holler." Means, when you hit the mark is usually when your target complains most bitterly. I always keep it in mind. I also keep my favorite letter to the editor of all time posted in my cubicle. (Best line: "Ms. Purvis may be a writer, but she is definitely not a Southern Lady." No surprise to my mother, ma'am.) So yes, sometimes we can use our best complaint letters to cheer us up on dark days. Keep those cards and letters coming, folks!

← Interesting! Why is Greensboro (or even Winston) last? We've got colleges...we've got fancy restaurants...we've got...well, I don't know...folks who can cook? I had a discussion with a checker at Whole Foods in Winston the other night, and he said that Charlotte was due to get two WF before they even came to Greensboro. ← Not to rub it in, but Charlotte has had two Trader Joe's announced with a third still rumored. And yeah, still two Whole Foods on the way. Sorry. But, hey, Greensboro still has Tobacco USA, right?

Jewish Delis: Gleiberman's Kosher Mart on Providence between Fairview and Olde Providence, has deli and dine-in restaurant; or Katz' on Providence. Mexican: Lotsa choices. North Carolina has the fastest growing Mexican population in the country, so we have everything from Mexican supermarkets to panaderias and a lot of taquerias; Taqueria La Unica on Central is a favorite. For higher-end Mexican, Frank Scibelli's Cantina 1511 on East Boulevard in Dilworth or La Paz on South Boulevard, also Dilworth. Thai: Thai Orchid is a sweet little place in Strawberry Hill at Providence and Fairview, or there's Thai Taste on East Boulevard. If you'd prefer Vietnamese, try Lang Van, very good, very popular. On barbecue, a few words of caution, please: Charlotte is a city and in the Carolinas, barbecue is a rural tradition. So soul food, not barbecue, is really more of the city's forte. However, I think another reason I hear criticism of barbecue places here is because people go to them not understanding what Carolina-style barbecue is. Barbecue here, whether it's Eastern N.C. style or Lexington style, is not the same thing as barbecue in the rest of the world. We don't have ribs and chicken. We have pork, and it is usually finely minced, slow-cooked with very little smoke, dressed with a thin, vinegary sauce and served with minced cole slaw as a condiment, not a side dish. I grew up in Eastern N.C. and I think Bill Spoon's does credible Eastern N.C. barbecue. There are many who disagree. C'est la 'cue.