The Daily

Background: 
The Daily, located in Uptown's Fourth Ward, is owned by the same local restaurant group that owns Prohibition, Connolly's, Dandelion Market, Tyber Creek Pub, and The Workman's Friend. Dandelion and The Workman's Friend both have fantastic food, and The Daily is no exception. This casual American taproom has a wide selection of menu items, many of which are made in-house. Check out what we have tried below! 

Eat This: 

Beef Jerky

spicy, sweet, salty

White Cheddar Biscuits

honey butter, pepper jelly

Chop CHop Salad

Chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, blue cheese, bacon, pickled peppers, pepitas, buttermilk herb dressing

Avocado Toast

Avocado, pepper flakes, bacon, egg, toast

Fried egg ready for its close up

Dessert: 
We have yet to try dessert, but the item that catches our eye every time is the Carolina Beach Pie, made with a lemon custard and a saltine cracker crust. They also offer a chocolate mousse. 

Drink: 
The Daily has a huge selection of beers on tap, as well as lots of canned beers and wine. Their cocktail list is highly creative, and the one that remains on my must-try list is the Mexican Mocha, made with mezcal, homemade cayenne cocoa syrup, local iced coffee and topped with fresh cream and star anise. Yum!

Atmosphere: 
The inside of The Daily is a cozy and dimly lit pub, and the covered patio is a light and breezy option when the weather is nice. We always feel very comfortable here--it's not too "bar like" to come and enjoy a nice meal, but it is not stuffy, either. 

Uptown Funk You Up Hospitality: 
We have received incredible and friendly service on all of our visits. A lovely bonus is that all of the food comes out super quickly!

Frankie's Notes:
The white cheddar biscuits are a cure for loneliness, heartbreak, and the common cold; Jason used to spend many wild nights at Prohibition in his drunken youth; Desserts made with saltine crackers make my heart skip a beat; Frankie used to make homemade beef jerky, but now he mostly focuses on bath bombs. 

Rating: 

3 out of 5

 

Dot Dot Dot

Background: 
Dot Dot Dot opened in July 2017 in the Backlot of Park Road Shopping Center under Stefan Huebner and Conrad Hunter, who were already players in the Charlotte bar and restaurant community prior to this much anticipated opening (Huebner was a mixologist at Heist and Hunter also owns Foxcroft Wine Co.). Although technically a private club due to state regulations regarding maintaining a certain ratio of food to beverage sales, Dot Dot Dot boasts an insanely delicious food menu. However, the club aspect means you need to pay a $10 membership fee (per year), though each member may bring up to three guests at a time. Signing up online is highly encouraged in order to cut down on wait times at the door. 

This spot has such heavy speakeasy vibes that I had a hard time finding it when I visited on a warm spring night with Allie from EatDrinkCLT to sample some new menu items. Prohibition style: on point.  

Eat This: 
Chef David Quintana has a culinary pedigree from Johnson & Wales and worked at Wylie's Dufresne's wd~50 in NYC and Four Moons in South Carolina. He joined Dot Dot Dot just after they opened, and he has built the menu into one that reflects his focus on fresh ingredients and artistic plating. 

Crab Cake

scallop mousseline, lump crab, mache, blood orange, nasturtium crumble 

Sea Scallop

morel mushroom, asparagus, fava bean, artichoke, Iberico lardo de bellota, vanilla olive oil

Burrata

strawberry, roasted beet, arugula, black pepper, pedro ximenez sherry vinegar, black garlic molassses, crustini

Garganelli with veal meatballs

pecorino, peas, light cream, pea tendrils, mint

Pate en croute

moulard duck, pork, smoked duck ham, pistachio, savory pastry dough, pickled vegetables, dijon mustard, cumberland sauce

American wagyu flat iron

truffle veal glace, pickled mustard seed, cripsy trumpet mushrooms, creamed spinach

Cold-smoked fried chicken

celeriac puree, house-made sorghum hot sauce, petite braising greens

Dessert: 
It appears that Dot Dot Dot does not have any dessert offerings. Gasp! You could always go to Va da Vie gelato in the front of Park Road Shopping Center, or even swing by Amelie's in the Backlot for a pastry or two. 

Va da vie gelato

We love this place, but prepare yourself to spend 10 minutes hearing about the integrity of the gelato 

Amelie's

is bae

Drink: 
As you can imagine from a speakeasy style bar, the drink game is on point. Like the food menu, the drink selection changes seasonally. Huebner really knocks it out of the park, and I was especially digging on the creative names of the cocktails, like the "Lily Wants a Pony" and the "Boulevardier of Broken Dreams."

French-75

Sutler's gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, champagne, served up

Local gin

Used in the above cocktail--local & made in small batches. And check out that bottle!

The Queen City Swizzle

Dragon Moonshine rum, green chartreuse, mint, sugar, angostura bitters, served over crushed ice

Mint Julep

Maker's Mark bourbon, simple syrup, mint, served over crushed ice

The Anchorage

Aviation gin, yellow chartreuse, lemon juice, simple syrup

Lover, Dreamer, & me

Plantation 5-year rum, orange curacao, raspberry syrup, lemon juice, served over ice 

Pepper le Pew

Lunazul Primero tequila, black peppercorn-honey syrup, lime juice, cardamaro, egg white, served up

Atmosphere: 
Dot Dot Dot is housed in a former storage room, and the feel is cozy and old school class. I was geeking out over the bookshelves and the art deco divider between the bar and dining area. Dot Dot Dot is not huge, and I can imagine that it gets incredibly packed on weekends (we visited on a Tuesday night, so the crowds were light).

So Myers Park rn

That divider tho

Speakeasy Hospitality: 
Since I was joining Allie for a media preview, it is hard to give an unbiased review of the service. We were treated like queens on this particular visit, however. I can't wait to go back incognito with Jason. 

Frankie's Notes: 
When the speakeasy vibe is so authentic that it takes you ten minutes and asking for directions to find it = good thing it's not actually prohibition days; Not sure why they aren't using bathtub gin for that 1920s real feel; What about getting raided by the cops to add an extra level of excitement?; Park Road Backlot is a nation unto itself; Going out with EatDrinkCLT is dining with Charlotte food royalty, and I was honored; We love Va da Vie’s gelato and all, but we have to block off half a day to in order to hear about the authentic Italian spoons.

Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.

 

Ollie's Bites: Charlotte's Best Bar Eats

Bee sting wings from Selwyn Avenue Pub

This article first appeared on Localeur's website--check them out for travel recommendations! Localeur features in-the-know locals giving food, drink, and recreation recommendations from all over the world!

Selwyn Avenue Pub

Pizza so good that MJ orders it

Selwyn Avenue Pub is a Charlotte institution. Located in the heart of Myers Park, this part indoor/part outdoor bar and grill has plenty of large-screen TVs and shady trees and is packed on beautiful fall game days. They are famous for their transfusion drink--vodka, grape juice, and sprite--and for their delicious pizza. The pizza is so good that local Michael Jordan is known to stop in often for a pie. Other solid menu items include their chicken wings and sliders. Parking can be a beast here, so an Uber is highly recommended.

Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill

Wangs//Image courtesy of Charlotte Agenda 

Tuesday night trivia at Lebowski’s in Dilworth is the best Charlotte trivia in terms of the quality of both food and trivia questions, but in order to keep it possible to get a table, let’s keep that between us, okay? This bar with Buffalo roots does all of the Upstate New York favorites justice, like roast beef on ‘weck and the very best chicken wings this side of the Anchor Bar. Wash it all down with The Dude’s favorite--a White Russian. Be mindful that if you are going on Tuesday, for trivia or just to eat and imbibe, reservations are a must. And that’s not just like, my opinion, man.

The Cellar at Duckworth’s

Truffle fries//Image courtesy of Loop Charlotte

Below sports bar Duckworth’s in Uptown Charlotte lies a hidden speakeasy gem. The Cellar has a variety of seating from high tops to cozy booths, but I always choose a spot at the bar. Here you can watch the master mixologists craft inventive cocktails like my favorite, the Cellar Smash, which is essentially a grown up “slushie” with ginger, citrus, and elderflower. To soak up all of those delicious drinks, you can’t go wrong with the tuna tartare with wonton crisps, truffle fries, or the truffle mac and cheese. The Cellar also offers full entrees, but the shareables and small plates are the way to go here. The Cellar is a decidedly more upscale locale for bar bites--if you are looking for a more traditional bar experience, Duckworth’s upstairs has tons of TVs and great food, as well.   

VBGB Beer Hall & Garden

Giant pretzel//Image courtesy of Charlotte Agenda 

VBGB, located in the AvidXchange Music Factory, is a playground for grown-ups. Fun happenings include life-size games like Jenga and Connect Four, a covered patio, trivia on Thursday nights, and a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. The food is not your typical bar fare, in that most of it is homemade and much of it is somewhat healthy--like the nitrate-free brats or quinoa salad. However, my favorite menu item is the biergarten classic: a jumbo pretzel with a side of homemade beer cheese. Don’t forget to sample all of the varieties of mustard lined up in the condiment station, too.

Dandelion Market

What's this color called, because I love it?//Image courtesy of Dandelion Market

Dandelion Market Uptown is a great bar to get a little bit of everything. Earlier in the evening, the bar is laid back and rather quiet (especially downstairs), but come 10pm or so, this place gets bumping--literally: the floor upstairs shakes a little when everyone starts dancing, but that just adds to the fun, right? The food here is a cut above for bar bites--don’t sleep on the potato croquettes with cheddar and bacon, prosciutto crostinis, or the brussels sprouts. And although I’ve never done it, but have always wanted to, you can even order the entire menu for $295.