Charlotte weekend visit

[phaelon56]

Yet another swell weekend visit to see my beloved in Charlotte. What with all the Thanksgiving leftover's and the need to save money for an upcoming trip we didn't dine out much but I have a few things to report on...

On Friday we got over to Java Passage in the Charlotte Design Center. It's a complex of buildings in the South End and houses many of Charlotte's creative firms (designers, advertising folks, film and television production etc). The espresso bar is in the lobby area of the center building - beautiful space and they're really doing a great job with the espresso and coffee. Counter Culture Coffee of Durham is their supplier and the owners have taken great care to ensure good product - it's worth a visit. IMHO it's the best espresso in Charlotte at present and will likely remain so unitl I change all of that in 2006

We ventured out Saturday to the Penguin Diner over in Plaza-Midwood. The fried dill pickles were all that folks said they would be (if you like that sort of thing and I do). Crispy... not oily... nice and tangy and the ranch dressing made a great complement. We were not very hungry and opted for two hot dog variations. The "Racetrack Dog" was an interesting mix of seasoned ground beef with coleslaw or something else of that sort as a topping. I opted for the corndog because I'd never had one that was fresh battered - only the frozen kind. The toppings and the batter were the good news... the dogs themselves were a disaster. They were the color and texture of generic supermarket baloney, had little flavor and appeared to be steamed rather than grilled. These were perhaps the least appetizing hot dogs I've ever seen.

Are there better dogs available in Charlotte? (please tell me so and if so where!)

[kpurvis]

Green's has big fans, Owen. But at the moment, I'm enjoying the Chili Man's hot dog stand uptown.

[phaelon56]

Kathi -

Are you familiar with any of the Northeastern brands? Sabrett's is one of the better ones (or perhaps better known) available in the NYC area but there are some regional brands such as Hoffman's (sold by Wegman's) that are as good or better. I'l have to try the Chili Man's dogs next time I"m down there.

We got tamales from the taco truck up near Huntersville on Sunday. He's a stone's throw north of Rte 73 on Rte 115 (Old Statesville Road). He parks outside the little bodega where the local Mexican residents buy the food products of their homeland. One of the tacos he had was braised/stewed tongue but I couldn't talk my sweetie into it.

The white cornmeal of the tamales ranked among the best tamales I've ever had the but the filling was uninspired - seasoned ground beef with veggies. Frozen mixed veggies at that if my guess is correct (no way anyone cuts up perfectly square cubes of carrots - it had to be frozen or canned). If they ever do chicken or pork tamales I'll get some again. Both the chicken and pork fillings I tried in the "taco's" were fantastic - rich and really spicey - just like the stuff they sell at street stalls in Mexico.

[kpurvis]

We've got really good stuff in loncheras all over town these days. For sit-down Mexican, I'm still a fan of Taqueria Mexicana, but Taqueria Unica has a big following. Uptown, Johnny Burrito now has tamales on Fridays. The wrapping isn't anything to write home about, but the fillings are usually good. Last week's was chicken in mole and the week before was a sort of pork chile verde.

You can get most of the northern meat brands around here somewhere, including Boars Head, so I could probably find Sabrett if I put my mind to it. And I'm pretty sure Kosher Mart has Hebrew National. Of course, those would be for cooking at home.

[hazardnc]

The fried dill pickles were all that folks said they would be (if you like that sort of thing and I do). Crispy... not oily... nice and tangy and the ranch dressing made a great complement

Glad to hear you finally made it to the Penguin! I agree with you on their dogs - not that great. To be honest, other than the fried pickles, their burgers are the only other thing worth eating. I was there last Tuesday and had their grilled pimiento cheese. Theirs has nothing on the grilled pimiento cheese at the Varsity in Atlanta. That being said - I still love the atmosphere at the Penguin, and vegetarians rave about the veggie dog.

Green's has big fans

Green's does have its fans, but I personally detest their chili - it has a bitter taste and I assume it is the canned stuff from Texas Pete (there is no meat in the stuff).

Some time ago, I believe the E&T section of the Observer did a feature story on hot dogs - these were favorite dogs from chosen by a variety of folks. I tried to find the article, but failed. As I recall, one guy really liked the dogs at Snoops - they also make a darned good burger. Matt's Chicago Dog was also mentioned. There are multiple locations in Charlotte. Lupie's also ranks up there.

Kathleen mentions Chili Man. I miss the Old Teal Mobile. The guy used to park his cart outside my office at 200 S. Tryon Street. He made the best burgers, dogs and grilled boglona sandwiches!

Speaking of burgers, my hubby has decided that the best in Charlotte is to be found at Eddie's Place. Eddie's uses ground sirloin. North Carolina adopted a law several years ago that resturants had to cook burgers until well done. Apparently, ground sirloin burgers are exempt from this rule? Anyway - you can get your burger cooked to order at Eddies! Eddie's also has very good She Crab soup, fries and as far as I know - it's the only place in town to get frog's legs!

[kpurvis]

Good call, Hazard. I forgot about Chicago Dog. It's a chain, but a good one. I can track down that E&T piece, but I remember right off the bat that the Comet Grill dog got the highest marks. I'm also a big fan of Eddie's, but mostly because it's my neighborhood joint. I live within walking distance.

[whosrbud]

Saying that Green's has the best hot dogs in Charlotte is just about as complimentary as saying that the best Chinese food you ever ate was on a Sunday in Rome. Inexplicably, Green's wins the "Best Hotdog" award each year. Since it's the ONLY hot dog restaurant most Charlotteans have ever frequented...it's also the WORST hot dog restaurant in Charlotte. Try to imagine stale white hot dog buns from the A&P, skinless pink Kroger's 'Best' hot dogs, and slathered with chili made fresh yearly from the Kitchens of 7-11.

>Of course, those would be for cooking at home.<

Indeed. Untill recently, home WAS the best place to enjoy a wellcrafted dog what with the availability of Sabrett's, Nathan's, Hebrew National, and Boar's Head. No Maple Leaf but we're getting there. I'm happy to learn that we will no longer have to accept Eckerd's lunch counter standards and call it art.

I'm also delighted to hear about Matt's Chicago Dog (as well as Eddie's Place) and look forward to a visit soon. Kathleen, do you happen to have the address of Eddie's? Glad you agree about Taqueria Unica KP. Pretty decent (and reasonable) Mexican grub for this burgh. While on that same subject Kathy, were you aware that there's an actual taqueria in the back of the SAV-MOR grocery store on Central? I was stocking up on Jarritos...got turned around...took two steps...and I was suddenly standing in the Tortas line!!!

[kpurvis]

Kathleen, do you happen to have the address of Eddie's?  Glad you agree about Taqueria Unica KP.  Pretty decent (and reasonable) Mexican grub for this burgh.  While on that same subject Kathy, were you aware that there's an actual taqueria in the back of the SAV-MOR grocery store on Central?  I was stocking up on Jarritos...got turned around...took two steps...and I was suddenly standing in the Tortas line!!!

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Since it's my neighborhood hangout and already too crowded, I shouldn't. But it's in the small shopping center at the corner of Sharon Amity and Providence. Hotel Charlotte is on one end, Eddie's is on the other.

I didn't know about the taqueria in Sav-Mor. I'll put it on the list. As long as you're into cooking at home, you know they have a tortilleria at La Carniceria at South Boulevard and Archdale, right?

[phaelon56]

Had dinner at Eddie's on Monday night just after Christmas weekend. It was a mixed bag but the entrees were good, service was very friendly and efficient and prices were reasonable. We shared fried frogs legs - perfectly crispy batter and very plump. Nice. We also both had she-crab soup. My sweetie did not finish hers as she said "I don't want to waste the calories on this - it's not that good". She was right. It tasted like a decent shrimp bisque albeit a bit salty but the crab seemd to have almost no flavor. I finished mine as omnivores are prone to do. Perhpas I'm overly critical as the only place I've had this soup previously was on the Eastern shore in MD and there it was outstanding.

My Cajun style fried scallops with red beans and rice was outstanding - truly excellent. Her salmon was nicely done but the advertised "bed of wilted spinach" turned out to be a few small leaves and a big pile of overcooked cauliflower, broccoli and carrots on the side.

We would return here if in the area but it's about a 30 minute drive for us and we won't go out of our way to get there in the future. That said... I sure wish there was a decent neighborhood place like that in the University Park City area. We saw burgers and fries going to an adjacent tabole - they looked really, really good.

Breakfast at the Original Pancake House South Blvd on Monday consisted of a very generous serving of excellent buckwheat pancakes with decent sausage patties on the side. Service was spotty but they offer way better food and more of it for the money than places like IHOP or Denny's.

Tuesday was the weekend highlight with breakfast at the Coffee Cup. We arrived just after breakfast ended (about 11:05 AM) but they kindly agreed to cook us breakfast. Big portions, great food and a really friendly family atmosphere - my kind of place. The eggs over easy were overcooked but the home fries were the best I've ever had in a restaurant and the biscuits are top rate . They were out of grits but I'll be back to try those. The lunch specials we saw going out to tables looked amazingly good and also very generous - take a big appetite if you go there.

[hazardnc]

Phaelon, glad you got to try Eddie's. I haveto admit, I now agree with your girfriend on the She Crab soup - I used to love it, but now think it is too think with too little crab. I have never had a great She Crab soup, though the version my husband tried at Charleston House was better than Eddies.

I have vowed never to return to the Pancake House. I have been three times, and each time, the service was absolutely terrible. They are slow, slow, slow.

Ah, the Coffee Cup! Definitely worth the drive. Sorry you missed out on the grits, but their potatoes are very good. Did you try the bacon? Just curious if you liked it as I love their bacon.

My goal for the new year is to try some new places - Zinc being one of them.

[BrentKulman]

My goal for the new year is to try some new places - Zinc being one of them.

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We went to Arpa last night and had a very nice meal of tapas. The highlights were the croquetas, the portobello mushroom salad and the pot de creme. They have some nice Spanish wines by the glass which make for a nice complement to the Spanish dishes.

We had a great waiter and at the end of the meal he asked us whether we had tried Zinc yet. I thought he was going to cross-promote a restaurant under common ownership but he made a comment that they are still working out the kinks at Zinc. Interesting.

[phaelon56]

I have never had a great She Crab soup, though the version my husband tried at Charleston House was better than Eddies.

I have vowed never to return to the Pancake House. I have been three times, and each time, the service was absolutely terrible. They are slow, slow, slow.

Ah, the Coffee Cup!.... Did you try the bacon? Just curious if you liked it as I love their bacon.

If you get up to the Eastern shore of the Chesapeake do some asking around for who has the good stuff - when it's good it's very, very good. I won't go so far as to say that Eddie's is bad but I'd rather have good shrimp bisque than average she-crab soup.

Our service was unbelievably slow at Original Pancake House despuite the place being 3/4 empty (it was a very late breakfast at about noon or 12:30 PM). And the waitress kept doing a disappearing act.

My GF had the bacon and I tried some - perfect balance of fat and lean with just the right amount of saltiness, i.e. not too much. I had the country ham which is a bit dry and salty but I think maybe it's supposed to be that way (I loved it).

We'll probably have dinner one night at some more upscale place on my February visit. Right now we're saving $$ in anticipation of getting beat up by the Dollar vs Euro exchange rate when we take our January vacation. It was at 64 cents yesterday. Ouch.

[BrentKulman]

Your comments on the Pancake House remind me of my biggest complaint about the Charlotte food scene.

There is just no decent place to get a nice breakfast that goes beyond bacon, eggs pancakes and the like.

With the panoply of upscale restaurants that have opened over the last five years, you would think that somebody would have noticed by now there is a tremendous hole in the market.

If I want to meet somebody for a business breakfast, the choices are basically the two Pancake houses and Anderson's. Both of those feature menus that could have been written in the 1950s and forget about getting a decent cup of coffee at either place.

Why can't we get a great bakery with wonderful coffee and muffins/scones which also makes some interesting hot breakfast dishes and also offers homemade granola etc.

Something like Guglehupf in Durham is what I have in mind.

[phaelon56]

That was frequently the case here in Syracuse re/breakfast until our one and only local French place, L'Adour, started opening for breakfast recently. Yes, it costs about $3 more than Denny's but the atmosphere is so soothing and the food superb. Quiche, crepes, "toasts", assorted breads and pastries... lots of nice little touches. They even have good coffee (I'm biased because I roast their coffee but it really is good).

I'll have to check out Guglehupf - I'm hoping to get up to the Durham area in February to visit Counter Culture Coffee Roasters and will need a breakfast option.

[hazardnc]

Or, like the Bookstore Cafe in Charleston or Dixie Grill in Wilmington.

Eddie's has a decent and varied breakfast menu. The make French toast using ciabatta, lovely looking pancakes and they feature a unique omlette each weekend (fillings such as crawfish or andouille, etc) I can never eat that much at breakfast, so I haven't tried their fancier stuff. They have cheese grits and the other usual suspects. Sadly, their biscuits are not good and their coffee tastes like wet paper towel...

I would love to have a La Madeleine bakery with their incredible croissants and other French pastries, fresh fruit salads and real coffee.

[BrentKulman]

Eddie's has a decent and varied breakfast menu.  The make French toast using ciabatta, lovely looking pancakes and they feature a unique omlette each weekend (fillings such as crawfish or andouille, etc)  I can never eat that much at breakfast, so I haven't tried their fancier stuff.  They have cheese grits and the other usual suspects.  Sadly, their biscuits are not good and their coffee tastes like wet paper towel...

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Eddie's is the best place I have found but, as you point out, it is sadly lacking in some key elements.

Also, it doesn't open until 8:00 AM. What's up with that?

[debbiemoose]

Speaking of the Charlotte food scene (Kathi, close your eyes), I've been asked to do an article attempting to distill and otherwise quantify the essence of that. Charlotteans, your thoughts? Not-to-miss restaurants AND food spots (Dean & DeLuca, since there ain't one here in Raleigh)? Happy new year to all!

Debbie

[timothycdavis]

Green's lunch, an age-old place, has a great southern slaw dog, and matt's chicago dog, also downtown, does a mean Chicago-style.

[CaliPoutine]

*bump*

I'll be in Charlotte from Sept 14-19th. One of my friends just moved there from California a few months.

I'm looking for some reasonably priced options for lunch's and dinners. My friend has 2 small kids so kid friendly is good too.

I'd like to find some good bbq, a great italian place, and some good mexican.

Thanks

Btw, Phaelon56, are you still moving to Charlotte?

[zoe b]

we like Jestine's--lovely, well cooked plain old fashioned Southern food--cute place and friendly--always neighborhood people there--also kids.

Zoe

[kpurvis]

we like Jestine's--lovely, well cooked plain old fashioned Southern food--cute place and friendly--always neighborhood people there--also kids.

Zoe

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Just an FYI, Zoe: Jestine's is in Charleston, not Charlotte. Not to worry, we call it "The CH factor": Charleston/Charlotte/Charleston, W.Va./Charlottesville, Va. all get mixed up regularly. And I heard a great story recently about an unfortunate Greenville, S.C./Greensboro, N.C. mixup involving a plane and an expensive rental car. She was lucky they didn't send her to Greenville, N.C.

Charleston is the very old city on the South Carolina coast. Charlotte is the relatively new city about three hours to the west.

[CaliPoutine]

So Kathleen, since you're the food editor, can you give me some reccomendations. Good BBQ, a great bakery, and anything else reasonably priced.

Oh, and I'd like to bring my friend back a bag of REAL grits. Where might I find those?

Thanks!!

[kpurvis]

1. Good barbecue: Drive 50 miles to Lexington, for Lexington No. 1, or 60 miles to Shelby, for Bridges Barbecue Lodge. Although I'm quite happy staying in town for Bill Spoon's on South Boulevard.

2. Great bakery: What kind? For French pastries, Marguerite's on North Davidson, for cakes, Tizzert's or Edible Art; for cookies, Nona's in University City; for bread, Nova on Central Ave.

3. Grits: If you really want to be a purist, order them online from www.hoppinjohn.com or www.ansonmills.com. Or get Old School brand grits, which are made locally. They're sold at a few supermarkets and farmers markets, or you can go to the source. The guy who makes them has a little food store and cafe in Locust, in Stanly County, on N.C. 24/27.

Anything else? Oh yeah, reasonably priced. That's in the eye of the wallet holder, isn't it? I think 2.99 a pound for old-breed French chickens at Lowe's Food is pretty reasonably priced considering the quality, but some people strongly disagree.

[CaliPoutine]

Thanks!!

I'd rather not drive outside of Charlotte, since I wont have a car( I'm visiting a friend). Local BBQ it will have to be.

I'm sure this is a longshot, but are there any good Jewish Deli's?

I'm also looking for Mexican and Thai.

I've ordered grits from Hoppin John's before, but since I'm going to NC, Id rather just pick some up there.

[kpurvis]

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.