Charlotte, NC

[Vandyhoo]

I'll be heading to Charlotte for the Bowl game on Dec. 27. I'd appreciate it if someone could pass along info on the latest hot spots I should hit while I'm in town.

Thanks!

[kpurvis]

Vandy, save me some time: How long will you be in town, do you want to stick close to uptown, and what's your price range/eating style? Otherwise, if you do a search down through this thread, you can find other posts I've done on Charlotte's restaurant scene that should give you some ideas.

[Schielke]

My recent trip to Charlotte

You gotta go to the Coffee Cup for at least lunch if not breakfast and lunch.

Ben

[kpurvis]

If he's here on a Sunday, that may not work. They're closed Sundays.

[Schielke]

A shame

[Vandyhoo]

Thanks! I will be staying in the Uptown area, but we're willing to travel a bit if it's worth it. My price range and eating style are completely open. My brother is a chef here in DC and he's taught me to be adventurous! It's a short trip. We arrive Friday afternoon and leave on Sunday. So, an upscale dinner friday night and something more casual for saturday, after a long day (and Virginia win!) at the game, would be great. A good southern breakfast for sunday on the way out sounds nice too.

Thanks Everyone!

[phaelon56]

There's a new soul food place that pened on Tryon Street Rte 29 just recently. It's out a ways from downtown - 4 or 5 miles if I recall correctly. They have a few tables for eatoing in but do mostly takeout business. It's on the left as you're heading north and I think it's about a mile past where Tryon splits.

On some of my visits there I had decent soul food takeout from the Chicken Box but my friends tell me this new place is much better - the BBQ pigs feet and greens are supposed to be really rockin'

It's called "To The Bone" and I'm sorry I don't have a specific address but I just visit Charlotte - not a resident.

[kpurvis]

OK, as promised, a few suggestions:

For upscale Friday night, consider any of these:

Upstream, at Phillips Place. Very pricy, but excellent seafood, and the location, in Phillips Place, is good for strolling. The bar scene on a Friday night is always hopping, too.

Zebra, right around the corner, chef is adventurous and doing interesting things.

Sonoma, uptown. California contemporary, very pricy.

Ethans of Elizabeth is one I like, in an old house in the Elizabeth neighborhood. Chef-owned, contemporary menu with Southern touches, relaxed atmosphere.

Or high-end uptown: Luce, Aquavit or Blue, all very new. All contemporary, with different focuses (Luce is Italian, Aquavit seafood, etc.)

For casual Saturday, these are less pricy but lots of fun uptown: Corabelle's, fusion/Southern (better than it sounds). There's a new Irish place in the Radcliffe building (the name is escaping me at the moment, but anyone can direct you and it's easy to spot if you're walking on South Tryon toward the Observer building -- it has Irish in the title). It's only been open a couple of weeks, but the menu looks interesting. White-tablecloth, not Irish pub food (if you want that, go to Ri Ra, at the TransAmerica plaza. Cool room -- the interior was shipped over from Ireland.)

If you don't mind driving around and you want fun and funkier, head over to Plaza-Midwood and go to either The Penguin or Dish. Penguin is a rescued diner that's a favorite hangout (great onion rings, in the thin variety, fried dill pickles, pimento cheese and burgers), and Dish is artsy, more Southern than contemporary.

For Southern breakfasts: I've heard about the soul food place Phaelon is talking about, and there's another new soul food place opened by the people who briefly owned McDonald's Cafeteria. Another place to keep in mind is Mert's Heart and Soul, a popular spot uptown. I'm not sure about their Sunday hours, you'd need to check, but I go there for lunch pretty often.

If you really want an authentic experience, you could go to the United House of Prayer for All People on Beatties Ford Road. It's a large church in a historic African-American section, and they served breakfast and lunch every day. You can go in there for breakfast on Sunday before church, if you wear your Sunday best. Go upstairs to church afterward and you'll here some magnificent gospel music. (Be warned,though: Their services take all day. That's why they serve breakfast!)

That's only the start, though. Charlotte's food scene is growing very, very fast.

Be sure to report back after your trip.

[Vandyhoo]

Thanks so much! I'll let you know how it goes.

[kpurvis]

Addendum: I walked by the new Irish place and picked up a menu. It's called Irish Blessings, and the menu looks promising. Dinner lineup includes Ballymaloe Pheasant, Lamb Wether Well Style and Salmon Na Spry.