City Tavern Charlotte

[hazardnc]

My husband and I recently dined at City Tavern on East Blvd in Charlotte. What a disappointment. To borrow a phrase from John Kerry - it was just more of the same. Why do so many restaurants feature the same boring stuff? I am tired of garlic mashed potatoes, some sort of salmon, some sort of steak, sort sort of chicken. In my opinion. "blackened" food needs to disppear off all but Cajun menus.

City Tavern thrives at the mediocre --- the service was slow, the food delivered had obviously been sitting on the counter waiting to be served and was served less than hot. And the food? My tuna was over done, even though I had asked for rare. My husband's lamb, while tender, was flavorless. Even the coffee was luke warm.

It is restaurants like this that keep me from going out often. It is all the same.

A new, high-end restaurant opened called Bentleys in Charlotte Plaza. We have not yet dined here, but my husband looked at the menu. Guess what? More of the same. Some sort of fish, some sort of steak, and some sort of chicken. To add insult to injury, their free-range chicken entree is $24! Who pays $24 for a chicken dinner in Charlotte, NC?

I was happy to read the review by Helen Schwab on the new Salute restaurant on Providence Road, and I look forward to trying it. Too bad it is too late in the season for the squash blossoms.

Note to Charlotte restaurants: there are poeple in this city willing to try something new and interesting.

[Gifted Gourmet]

It is restaurants like this that keep me from going out often.  It is all the same.

Note to Charlotte restaurants:  there are poeple in this city willing to try something new and interesting.

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Hazardnc, when I did the Southeast Forum Digest a few weeks ago, there was much enthusiasm for the manner in which Charlotte had finally "come of age" foodwise ... the festival Charlotte Shout seemed to be the harbinger of what was happening there:

Charlotte Observer article on the festival

When he said this, organizer Robert Krumbine: "People are seeing us as a completely different place. It's not just little ol' Charlotte, North Carolina, anymore" I automatically assumed that Charlotte had some fantastic dining options now ... perhaps not ... input?

[Guest MNewman]

Charlotte's dining options are very similar to the Atlanta "burbs". What Charlotte is missing IMO is the plethora of ethnic options Atlanta enjoys and depth of chef talent throughout the city.

While I haven't seen the expertise of a Soto, Blais or Seeger yet, I have a half dozen venues that I enjoy in and near the city. It is getting better.

[munchymom]

City Tavern thrives at the mediocre --- the service was slow, the food delivered had obviously been sitting on the counter waiting to be served and was served less than hot.  And the food?  My tuna was over done, even though I had asked for rare.  My husband's lamb, while tender, was flavorless.  Even the coffee was luke warm.

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My husband and I went to City Tavern a few weeks after we moved here, four years ago. We haven't been back. Nuff said.

I was happy to read the review by Helen Schwab on the new Salute restaurant on Providence Road, and I look forward to trying it.  Too bad it is too late in the season for the squash blossoms.

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We tried Salute a few weeks ago, and - well - didn't have as great an experience as Helen Schwab did. It seemed like it took forever for us to get noticed when we walked in, and then we were at first directed toward a table near the door, then (after some conferencing among the staff) told that that table was reserved, and had to wait for another table to be cleared - maybe 5 minutes. The "reserved" table never became occupied while we were there. Were we not good-looking enough to sit at the front? I don't know. Then, we weren't given menus when we were seated, and it took a good long time for our server to come, at which point he wanted to know what we would have to drink. I had to ask for a menu. It may have just been that the restaurant's leisurely pace didn't fit our post-concert, starving because we waited to have dinner until 9:30 PM, having a babysitter waiting at home - mood. But, for instance, it took about 15 minutes from the time I ordered my glass of Prosecco until the time it arrived - which, they're only hurting themselves, because I certainly would have dispatched it and ordered a second and quite probably a third if they had been available. The food at Salute was good (although I'll second the review's mention of "restrained portions"), and we'll probably give it another try sooner or later. Maybe when the squash blossoms come back in.

[hazardnc]

Hazardnc, when I did the Southeast Forum Digest a few weeks ago, there was much enthusiasm for the manner in which Charlotte had finally "come of age" foodwise ... the festival Charlotte Shout seemed to be the harbinger of what was happening there:

I have lived in Charlotte since 1992, having moved here from Atlanta. I must admit, the dining options have GREATLY improved, especially in the area of "ethnic" cuisine. In 1992, the best Mexican food was at El Cancun, and I can tell you , as a native Texan, El Cancun was pretty darned sad. I remember eating at a Mexican restaurant called "Tres Amigos" that was owned by Greeks. They had spaghetti and spanikopita on the menu. There was one Thai restaurant, no Vietnamese or Cuban. Luckily, there was (and still is) the Middle East deli. Now, we have Thai, Cuban, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Brazilian, Indian, etc. To be honest, when we go out, we prefer ethnic. At least I can eat something I would never venture to make at home.

I have lived in a few large cities - Dallas, Houston, Atlanta - so I can say assuredly that the situation in Charlotte is not unique. For every new restaurant featuring new, innovative and exciting cuisine there are ten new "chain" style establishements catering to the masses. Certainly, the "burbs" are rife with chain restaurants feeding people more of the same. The real problem is that cities such as Charlotte cannot support the innovative because the majority of residents prefer the Olive Garden style approach to dining out. Until we can get more Charlotteans out of the meat and potatoes rut, we can expect more of the same.

I am sorry to hear about Salute. However, I am not completely surprised. Helen Schwab has been known to give rave reviews to places I have found downright awful. But I also have to commend Salute for "restrained" portions. Again, give me good quality with a true culinary twist in small portions over a pile of garlic mashed potatoes any day!

If I am going out and spending $24 or $30 on an entree, I want to feel as if I got my money's worth. My husband is a rather good cook, and I am not too bad myself. In fact, we have duck confit in the oven right now.

To date, the best, most innovative cuisine we have in town is found at Barringtons. If you haven't been there - try it!

[BrentKulman]

I am sorry to hear about Salute.  However, I am not completely surprised.  Helen Schwab has been known to give rave reviews to places I have found downright awful.  But I also have to commend Salute for "restrained" portions.  Again, give me good quality with a true culinary twist  in small portions over a pile of garlic mashed potatoes any day! 

I had a wonderful dinner at Salute a few months ago but I understand that they have recently changed chefs. I have not been back but I have heard that the new chef is not as talented as the previous one. While Helen Schwab's review has just been published, perhaps she dined there under the prior regime.