Bardo Ushers in New Era of Fine Dining in Charlotte

Background:
We often ask ourselves why Charlotte isn’t a culinary destination like Charleston or Asheville. There are a lot of theories: as Mrs. Purvis posits, we are a business town that caters to national chain steakhouses, people are too conservative to try fancy new things, etc. This is all part of the story, but the Scallionpancake theory goes something like this: each city needs one great chef who leads the way, and then that greatness has a trickle down effect on others, who are then moved to create their own food legacy. Slowly and steadily, the right chef can lead a food renaissance in a city and put a location on the culinary map.

Take Copenhagen for example. Copenhagen was not a food town 20 years ago. In fact, most of the good seafood and ingredients were being exported to Southern Europe for Italian and Spanish consumption. It took a great chef, Rene Redzepi, to show Copenhagen and the world what great Danish food can be. Now, everywhere you go in Copenhagen, there is a restaurant opened by a former Noma employee who has helped turn the Danish capital into the best food city in the world. Why can’t Charlotte turn into the next Copenhagen?

I’m not saying chef/co-owner of Bardo Mike Noll is going to create the number one restaurant in the world like Rene Redzepi, but he’s creating flavors, textures, and “aha” moments like we’ve never had in Charlotte. He is gambling that Charlotte is ready for a 44 seat restaurant with $20 small plates. Really, really great plates, that is. Is Charlotte ready? I sure hope so. It’s not every day a chef like Noll comes on the Charlotte scene.

Eat This:
Bardo has 13 savory and 3 sweet dishes on its menu, ranging in price from $9 charred shishito peppers to $23 dry aged ribeye. The dishes are small and meant to be shared between a few people. Jayson Whiteside, co-owner and proprietor of the front of the house, tells us that there will soon be larger family style dishes as well.

Oysters

yuzu, grains of paradise, oyster leaf

Small oysters pack a lot of flavor, especially when you add yuzu and sprinkle on some grains for texture.

Tempura Maitake

fermented black bean, brown butter, mushroom sponge

This reminded us of a dish in Copenhagen at 108. The mushroom here is so meaty, and the acidic fermented mushrooms and black bean sauce are a nice contrast.

Dry Aged Ribeye

kimchi butter, carolina gold rice, wakame

The kimchi Carolina gold rice with wakame cracker makes this dish special and adds a local touch to the ribeye, which was perfectly seasoned and cooked.

egg and grains

poached egg, kale, escabeche

Per Whiteside, this is the most underrated dish on the menu, and I’m sure most people don’t order it because it doesn’t contain a meat and doesn’t sound sexy. Well let me tell you people, this dish is as sexy as it gets. Mix the grains in with the poached egg and take a wild euphoric ride on a rainbow of flavor.

Lamb Belly

carrot, mustard, cocoa nib, rhubarb

We’ve only seen lamb belly at one other place around town, and that was at Global Restaurant in Pineville. In Scallionpancake’s opinion, lamb belly puts pork belly to shame. The combination of flavors and textures here is next level. The grainy mustard seed with the crunchy and bittersweet cocoa creates such a perfect earthiness with the carrot and gamey flavor of the lamb. If you have the willpower to not order a second serving, god bless you

Beef Tartare

egg yolk jam, radish, togarashi

This was a texture dish through and through. The beef is seasoned with a nice togarashi spice that adds a kick. The crispy dehydrated mushrooms on top added to the complex texture, as well as the egg yolk jam.

Diver Scallops

Japanese cucumber, chicken skin, fermented hot sauce

I watched Chef plate this dish, and it had so many levels of complexity that the picture doesn’t do it justice.

The first level is the fermented hot sauce, then the chicken skins, then the Japanese cucumber and scallops. The scallops are sliced thin so you get the seared taste on most of the bites.

This was so spectacular, that it wouldn’t have been out of place on the seafood menu at Noma.

Cobia

dashi, mustard greens, smoked trout roe

This was my favorite dish. I loved the flavor of mustard leaves combined with the most well-cooked, meaty Cobia I’ve ever had.

Ricotta Tortellini

green curry, coconut, cauliflower, peanut

Italian pasta meets Thai flavors in this dish. It’s not often you get to experience stuffed pasta with crunchy coconut flakes and and curry sauce. The flavor here was amazing.

Desserts:

Chocolate

banana, horchata, lime

Crunchy banana flakes with bendy chocolate and horchata ice cream? That’s right: bendy.chocolate. This was one you didn’t want to share with others, but had to, for fear of retaliation and/or divorce.

Charred Peach

miso, elderflower, white chocolate

Visually one of the coolest dishes. The peaches were stacked on top of miso shortbread cookie crumbles with white chocolate pearls. Do you a see a theme with graininess? Chef seems to love the texture of crunchy bites played against softer main ingredients.

Drink:
Amanda Britton leads the cocktail program at Bardo. Britton was at 204 North before moving to Bardo, and was a part of designing Zeppelin’s beverage program, headed by Larry Suggs. Her cocktails are inventive, tasty, and dare we say, magical. Her use of house-made salts, dehydrated fruits, and creative spirit combinations really wowed us. Also, Kathleen Purvis specifically shouted out her talents on the Scallionpancake podcast, and a vote of confidence from Mrs. Purvis is worth 2,345 Scallionpancake reviews.

Cruel Summer

Sailor Jerry, banana, Cynar, Licor 43, cinnamon, lime

Cool Beans

Fernet Branca, Flor de Caña Grand Reserve Rum, Pure Intentions cold brew, housemade horchata, vanilla, Mexican cinnamon

Atmosphere:
Bardo is small, with only 44 seats, including bar seating. The decor is sophisticated and understated, and the moss boxes by the entrance are were a DIY project that Whiteside & Noll created using wooden boxes, chicken wire, and moss purchased from Amazon! Can you believe these two are crafty, too?! Such gifts!

The focal point of the restaurant is the kitchen, which is in the back, where guests can watch the chefs plating the dishes. You can sit at the bar and have a drink and some bites with friends, or you can have a more traditional dining experience at the tables.

Chef Noll plating the Diver Scallop dish

Gold District Hospitality:
The restaurant is run like a high end restaurant in New York or San Francisco. Everyone who works at the restaurant is familiar with all of the dishes and can answer any questions you might have on any part of the menu. Whiteside is constantly walking around and checking with guests to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves. When something does go wrong (one of our dishes was brought to the wrong table and we had to wait longer in result), it is swiftly corrected (we were comped drinks in return). More importantly, all of the employees seem happy to be there, which is often not the case.

Frankie’s Notes:
The Yume/Bardo building might be the most exciting block in Charlotte right now; Amanda showed us spicy salt she uses on the rim of a glass, and we just decided to eat it with our hands, because if Amanda made it, it must be good; We want Whiteside & Noll to come over a Martha Stewart the heck out of our foyer; The math equation that relates Scallionpancake reviews to Purvis compliments is complex and can only be solved by the gnomes that live in the Bardo moss.

Rating: 5 out of 5 with 1 Michigan Pug
We’ve been waiting a long time to give a Michigan Pug to a Charlotte restaurant, and we’re delighted that we finally found one we deem worthy. Bardo is a special place for Charlotte, and we hope that it is the beginning of many more high end, chef-driven restaurants to open in our area.

Disclaimer: We went to Bardo twice. Once, the meal was provided free of charge, and the second time we went on our own to try additional dishes for a better review. We normally don’t give out ratings for free meals, but we feel it is appropriate to give a rating since we went back and paid for our meal ourselves the second time.  All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.

 

Gene Kato Infuses New Life Into SouthPark's Upstream

Background: 
Upstream in Phillip's Place shopping center has been a SouthPark staple for some time, but the restaurant ushered in a new era this year with the arrival of Gene Kato as Partner and Executive Chef. This is a coming home for Kato, a native Charlottean who began his restaurant career at Upstream 15 years ago. He has spent the bulk of his career prior to this point working in renowned Chicago restaurants like Ohba, Japonais, and Sumi, the final two of which he opened. 

Kato's return to Charlotte as Upstream's Chef has significantly changed the traditional American-style seafood menu the restaurant has maintained for years. The seafood is just as fresh, but now the menu has a Pacific Rim flare, and includes robata dishes, ramen, and a full sushi menu. 

We were invited out for a tasting back in May, and we were absolutely blown away by everything we tasted. 

Eat This: 

Kato's Tofu

Soymilk, pickled shimeji mushrooms, ikura & fried ginger

Tuna Escabeche

Tomato, pickled onion, & smoked soy

Angry Crab

Baked King Crab Gunkan

"The Rock"

Ginger-marinated NY strip

Photo courtesy of Upstream

Seabass

Banana-leaf wrapped, tomato chutney, & mango papaya

Pork Belly Ssam

Roasted pork belly, pickled daikon, kimchi, Thai chili salt

Dessert: 

Strawberry Sorbet

Strawberry jelly, freeze dried strawberry, & strawberry puree

Doughnuts

Chocolate-filled donuts with green tea semi-freddo mousse

Upstream recently rolled out a weekend brunch menu, which we can't wait to check out. 

Drink: 
Check out their wide variety of sake, wine, beers, and cocktails. The world is your oyster when it comes to drinks at Upstream. 

Atmosphere: 
The interior remains unchanged from recent years. Some of the decor is slightly dated, but the dining room is large, and there is a nice patio for cooler days. 

Fusion Hospitality: 
On this visit and on previous visits, we have always received great service at Upstream. Zero complaints. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Pugs love cooking on a hot rock; All tofu should be as delicious at Kato's homemade tofu; We once saw Riverboat Ron dining with Pat McCrory at Upstream during restaurant week, and we may or may not have geeked out a little; The pork belly reminded us of David Chang, and we love to be reminded of Chang at all times; I want to buy 50 of those sorbet cups for my personal use. 

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.

 

Hi Tide Poke & Raw Bar Offers a Fresh Take on Charlotte's Poke Scene

Background: 
Hi Tide opened in Dilworth in late 2017 during a poke explosion in the Charlotte area. However, Hi Tide stands apart, as it is owned by Meat & Fish Co. founder Michel LaVecchia. LaVecchia teamed up with Jeff Van Dyke, Jeffery Schreiber, and Raquel Arreola to bring high end meat and fish to the poke scene. Meat & Fish Co. used to be in the spot where Hi Tide is now, but it has moved upstairs. This proximity ensures that all of the fish used at Hi Tide is ridiculously fresh. We have visited Hi Tide on our own and, more recently, as part of a blogger event in mid-August. Below is a combination of items from both visits. 

Eat This: 

Oysters

Oyster Happy Hour runs every Monday-Friday from 4pm-7pm

Lobster Lollipop

Insert praise emoji here

Lobster Avocado Toast

Millenials everywhere are crying tears of joy

Hi-Tide Lobster Roll

Served with seasoned chips or fries. Lobster rolls are only $15.99 all day on Mondays.

Ahi Tuna Burger

Served with seasoned chips or fries

Rainbow Poke Bowl

Salmon, Hamachi, Ahi Tuna, Scallions, Pickled Red Onion, Red Cabbage, Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Limu/Ogo, Carrots, Mandarin Orange, Jalapeno/Serrano Salad, Shuyu Sesame Oil, Seasoned Milky Queen Rice

Build-Your-Own Poke Bowl

All sorts of goodness in this bowl

Poke Nachos

Crispy wontons, Ahi Tuna, Avocado, Scallions, Crispy garlic, Cucumber, Seaweed Salad, Hawaiian Sea Salt, tomato, pickled red onion, Creamy Togarashi & Unagi Sauce

Dessert:
There is only one dessert option, a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. It is dang good, though. Cookie is not pictured since I ate it faster than the speed of light.  

Drink: 
Hi Tide has tons of canned beer options, plus wine. Our favorite drinks are the non-alcoholic drinks on tap--specifically the coconut milk cold brew. They also offer a POG (pineapple, orange, guava) juice, a peach honey green tea, and a strawberry and candied lime juice. 

HAWAIIAN cold brew with COCONUT milk

Life-giving

Atmosphere: 
At Hi Tide, you order at the counter and they bring your food out to your table when it's ready. There is not a huge amount of seating, but I think you will likely be able to avoid a wait, as a large portion of their business seems to be carry out orders. 

Raw Hospitality: 
The team at Hi Tide obviously takes great pride in each dish they serve, and it's clear they aren't solely trying to get people in and out quickly, but rather their focus in on serving a quality product to each customer. We have received impeccable service on every visit. 

Frankie's Notes: 
They have a POG juice, but why don't they have a PUG juice?; That cold brew coffee has gotten me through a lot of sleepy afternoons; There is nothing more exciting to a millennial gremlin than lobster and avocado toast, and when you put those items together, you create a hole in the universe that is a portal to a world where 90s Nickelodeon shows play all day and the skies rain with Fruit by the Foot & Surge; I brought home this tuna burger to Jason for dinner, and that earned me 33 Wife Points. When you reach 75 Wife Points, you get a dinner out and a pedicure. 

 

Sea Level: Making Lobster Rolls Cool in the Queen City

Background: 
Sea Level was opened by Paul Manley in February 2016, and is the destination for Seafood Uptown ($1 oysters, anyone?). We have been to (and enjoyed) Sea Level several times on our own, and we were invited out a couple of times in the past two months to check everything out again, and we sampled their summer menu on our most recent visit. Check out everything we ordered below!

Eat This: 

Sea Level Oysters

From Sea Level, NC

Did you know there is an actual Sea Level, North Carolina? It's true, and that's where these oysters are from! Manley routinely takes his staff there so they can see the oysters being caught! All of the oysters and seafood served are sourced from North Carolina, and are all sustainable. 

Barrel Ceviche

citrus marinade, fresh strawberry apple salsa, house made chips

Tempura Shrimp

spicy aioli

Fried Springer Mountain Chicken Sandwich

greens, chorizo gravy, ranch

Jason's favorite. This sandwich was a winner: perfectly crispy and well seasoned. Special cameo by Chrissie Beth's hand!

Sea Level Salad

fried oysters, romaine, cabbage, radish, corn, pickled shallots, white balsamic vinaigrette, horseradish aioli

Maine Style Lobster Roll

lobster lightly coated in mayo, greens

 This roll is heavy on the lobster and light on mayo. Perfect. The Parmesan tater tots that came with it were just okay--nothing offensive, but not very flavorful. 

Connecticut Style Lobster Roll

lobster lightly coated in butter, greens  

The Connecticut style roll just debuted on Sea Level's summer menu, and this was the hand's down crowd favorite at the media event. I prefer this one to the Maine style, but it's a close race. Definitely go for the fries over the tater tots. 

Fried Chicken Bao Bun

with honey BBQ & slaw

Dessert: 
Sea Level regularly rotates their dessert menu, and they are currently working on adding some fun and creative options to their sweet menu items. On our last visit, we tried the chocolate spoon cake, which was simply divine. 

Chocolate fudge Spoon Cake

with whipped icing

Drink: 
Sea Level has a full bar and some fun cocktail offerings, and they recently started venturing into the world of mocktails. The Nada Colada mocktail below is a revelation. Here a fun story on this episode of the pod regarding this particularly drink. 

Summer G & T

Sutler's gin, house-made tonic, apricot, basil, lime

Nada Colada

pineapple, coconut, almond, lime

Atmosphere: 
Sea Level has a fantastic dining room and outdoor patio. It is formal enough for business folks to take clients ("professionals," as we termed them on the pod), but you don't feel as though you need to get dressed up, which we love. Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be having a great time, and there were good vibes all around. 

Also! Charlotte needs to prepare for more fresh seafood, because Manley's next venture, The Waterman, is opening in South End in early fall. Diners should anticipate a slightly more casual vibe and a rooftop patio. Heck yeah. 

Under the Sea Hospitality: 
We have always received top notch service, even when we dined incognito.  

Frankie's Notes: 
Here we go, here we go, now let me see your lobster roll; Chrissie Beth & I scared everyone when we walked outside with all of our food when we visited on our friend date; It's all about the lighting, people; Ollie is originally from Sea Level, NC, where we plucked him out of the sea like a beautiful mermaid; Jason wishes that The Waterman were called The Merman; When I posted the Nada Colada on Instagram, I got asked if I was pregnant; I am not pregnant.  

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.

 

Fin & Fino

Background:  
Fin & Fino opened in April 2018 in Uptown Charlotte in the same building as the Mint Museum, in the space formerly occupied by E2. We checked it out in early May with Rachel, an old Page friend of Jason's and her husband David (yes, Jason was a page, and he did meet Mark Foley, but he was never the recipient of, uh, inappropriate text messages). Rachel and David even brought their sweet baby,  Aaron. He was a darling angel, and he enjoyed some fruit and vegetable purrees. I found out that I am not ready to be a mom, though, as I do not own a label maker. Babies require lots of labels, it turns out. 

Crisp interior 

Baby Aaron + co. and Scallionpancake were thoroughly impressed with the food, service, and atmosphere at Fin & Fino. Read on to see what we ordered!

Eat This: 

Sherry & Olives

an amuse-bouche for every table

Scallops & Latke

orange conserva, creme fraiche, caviar, radish, onion

Arctic Char Ceviche

cukes, radish, cilantro, popped sorghum

Lobster & Truffles

celery root brandade, basil shells, shaved truffle

Blistered Tomatoes

mint gnocchi, spinach, mozzarella, lemon

Grilled Tuna

ramp chimichurri, radish, jalapeno-strawberry relish

Cauliflower

gratin with gruyere

Fried Oysters

giardiniera, house tartar

 Dessert: 

Olive Oil cake

Chocolate Tart

 Drink: 

The drink selection is on point. The bar is covered by a beautiful oyster shell chandelier, and the bartenders have their own Instagram account, BK & The Clams. You definitely want to follow them. One of the beverage selections is a mystery drink where they don't tell you the ingredients, and I (clam) dig that. 

Cheers!

Mocktail

in a fun tiki guy

Adventures in Paradise

plantation rum, amaro, coconut

 Atmosphere: 

Loved it all. Fin & Fino is clean, white, spacious, and upscale enough to feel appropriate for a special occasion. However, I wouldn’t feel underdressed coming for drinks after work or a casual family dinner. It checks all the boxes. 

Check out that oyster chandelier!

Where the magic happens

BK & The Clams Hospitality: 
Our server was the cutest human of all time. She was very attentive, explained everything on the menu well, and she was a new mom, so she loved bonding with baby Aaron. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Baby Aaron gave his purees a 5/5; Real men drink out of pineapples; Jason and I are also not ready to be parents because we are selfish people who like sleeping until 9am on the weekends; Okay, fine, we sleep until 10am; Frankie built that oyster chandelier with his bare pug hands, I'll have you know; We are starting a mixology Instagram account called "Frankie & The Jellyfish;" Ollie is not allowed behind a bar, as he is not yet 21. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

 

Seafood Connection

Background: 
Seafood connection, owned by Chef Jamie Walker, started as a pop-up in Dublin, Georgia. When Walker moved, he moved his pop-up with him to Charlotte, and he operated mainly out of Indian restaurant King of Spicy. Last year, the owners of King of Spicy decided to close up shop, and Walker purchased their space, and he is now operating full time in the Albemarle road location.

Walker and his team of chefs pride themselves on only cooking fresh food (never frozen), and making all of their sauces from scratch. 

We were invited out a few weeks ago to check out Seafood Connection, but it seems as though much of Charlotte already knows about this spot--the restaurant has 45k+ Instagram followers, and Walker and his girlfriend, Yashica Russell, said that they regularly see wait times over one hour. They are open Thursday-Sunday only, and they serve a brunch menu from 11-3 on Sundays. 

Eat This: 

Shrimp & Grits

a classic

Everyone at the table loved this dish. A winner. 

Chicken & Waffles

fried chicken tenders & red velvet waffle

Another solid option. The chicken was spicy and a certain someone at my table said the waffles tasted like "cupcakes." 

Shrimp Tacos

solid

Simple, but flavorful. I liked these tacos quite a bit. They could have used some hot sauce, however. 

Seafood Mac & Cheese

the winner of the night

My hands-down favorite thing we tried. It was rich and cheesy, and it had lobster, shrimp, and crab mixed in. 

C-Port Platter

lobster, crab, shrimp, potatoes, corn, & sausage

Honestly,  although Chef Walker is known for his sauce, I am not quite sure why anyone would put this much butter all over seafood. And I love butter. This actually tasted like margarine to me, and it completely overpowered the taste of the seafood. I don't mind it, but next time I would ask for it on the side. 

Dessert: 
No dessert, but if you go for Sunday brunch, that red velvet waffle could certainly function as a dessert. 

Drink: 
Seafood Connection has a full bar and a wide selection of soft drinks. 

My girls: Katy, Chrissie Beth, & Alex

Atmosphere: 
There is not much going on here in the way of atmosphere. It is a very large space with lots of windows, which was perfect for bloggers trying to get that Insta-worthy shot. My one complaint was an overwhelming smell of cleaning solution throughout the entire restaurant, which decreased my appetite somewhat. I am glad it was clean, but a harsh bleach smell certainly adversely impacts the dining experience. 

Crustacean Hospitality: 
The service, while friendly, is slow. This is more of a function of the food coming out slowly, rather than the servers themselves. Do not come here if you are in a hurry. Diners order at the counter and then receive full service at their table. Russell said to expect an hour to wait and an hour to receive food, at the bare minimum. 

Frankie's Notes: 
I was at this event for four hours without cell reception, and Jason thought I was dead; The fun doesn't start until you put on a crab bib; Chrissie Beth can crack crab legs with her bare hands, and she taught us how to be cool like her; Bloggers flock to a window seat like moths to a flame; Jason and I take a long restaurant wait time about as well as Frankie takes bath time, which is to say: not well. 
 

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.

 

Hello, Sailor: Exploring One of Eater's Top 18 Restaurants in America

Crisp AF

Background: 
Hello, Sailor is brought to us by Joe & Katy Kindred, the culinary masterminds behind the Davidson favorite and their namesake, Kindred. Hello, Sailor is located just down the road from Kindred in Cornelius, in a space formerly occupied by the Rusty Rudder, a decidedly less upscale seafood joint than Hello, Sailor. This highly anticipated opening (like, for real, for real anticipated...Eater named it in its list of the 16 most anticipated restaurant openings of 2017) in December created a buzz in the Charlotte food community, and as more and more people tried it, the reviews grew more mixed. Hello, Sailor has gained a lot of haters, which is odd considering the success of Kindred. Apparently people are highly upset about loud dining rooms, overpriced entrees, and the loss of their beloved Rusty Rudder (really?). We decided to check it out for ourselves one Sunday night in January with our friends, Tamara and Zan. 

This writer's opinion: photo booths should be free for all to enjoy with the purchase of food & drink

Eat This: 
Former Charleston chef Craig Deihl runs the show in the kitchen, and he has devised some exciting options for seafood lovers. Lobster rolls, oysters, and crab legs--oh my! How could we possibly choose? Here is what we went for: 

Hamachi Poke

Benne seed, lobster roe, macadamia nut

Hands down, the poke was the highlight of the meal. All of the herbs on top made this dish flavorful and there were so many different textures happening. Ten out of ten, would eat again. The kitchen even makes a vegan version using watermelon, and that is what our dear vegan friends Tamara and Zan enjoyed. They loved it, too! 

Oysters

East vs West coast, fernet mingonette

Good oysters--super fresh and the mingonette had a strong acidic bite. Loved the signs designating these as East Coast oysters with the Biggie pic--cute (and v. hardcore, obviously).

Hushpuppies

Yuzu kosho-honey butter

Everyone at the table went wild for these light and crispy hushpuppies. 

Twice Fried Sunchokes & Caviar

Solid dish. 

Grilled Caesar

Parmagiano, breadcrumbs (pictured with shrimp add-on)

Overly dressed, but still a good salad. Jason maintains his preference for the grilled Caesar from Soul. 

King Crab

Broiled with ghee & chili salt

This was my entree, and I loved it, at first. I have never had a restaurant slice the claws in half like this, and easy to eat crab legs are a dream of every fine, upstanding, healthy, normal American [girl]. However, after a while, I noticed just how over-salted the crab was--it made my mouth dry, and it made the crab dry, too. I really didn't want to finish it at around the halfway point. However, it was market price, so you know I finished it. Crab is just too delicious to be ruined with an abundance of seasoning. People should stop being mad about acoustics and start being mad about overly salted food, because this is an issue with have also noted in the past at Kindred. Someone in the kitchen has a heavy salt [bae] hand. 

Is that you, Sous Chef at Kindred & Hello, Sailor?/image courtesy of NBC News

Watermelon

Al pastor, sea salt 

Fine--watermelon. Nothing special happening. 

Avocado Coleslaw

In the words of Jimmy Fallon--ew. Overly dressed in mayonnaise, and where the hell is the avocado? We assume in the dressing, but it really just tasted like mayo. We were also expecting even a small slice of avocado. Do not promise avocado and then fail to deliver! We are millennials. We will riot. We are triggered. Pass on this side. 

Dessert: 
Dessert options include soft serve, a seasonal hand pie and a chocolate poke cake. We went with the poke cake and the hand pie, and while the bourbon pear hand pie was super good, the poke cake blew me away. Under the top layer of chocolate cake was a crumbly, slightly under-baked German chocolate cake situation, and I was living for it. 

Poke!

Grip-able 

Drink: 
The drink selection is so fun--some of the cocktails come in exciting cups, like a tiki man or a shark, and there are bendy straws, too! I was dying over the cuteness. We ordered the uber sweet Cherry Negroni Slushie and the Sea Legs, which was an even more syrupy sweet mezcal drink that was a major disappointment, cool cup aside. I have never found the cocktails at Kindred to be quite this sweet, and I know there is a beachy vibe and all, but cocktails this sweet are just a recipe for a hangover, or at least a killer headache. 

Shhh...tiki man is sleeping 

Atmosphere: 
The Kindreds describe the vibe as "North Carolina Fish Camp meets mid-century Palm Springs," and we were loving the retro color palette (hello, millennial pink!) and fun touches, like a photo booth and a waiting area that makes you feel like you are in an episode of Mad Men. After reading reviews online, it seems that much has been made about the crappy acoustics in here, and yeah, we noticed it. The sound bounces all around the restaurant and the space does not have the coveted intimate feel that Kindred emanates. 

I spy...bananas!

Fish Camp Hospitality: 
Everyone from the hostesses, to the bartender, to our server was super nice and helpful. Our server patiently went over our questions, and the pacing was good. 

Frankie’s Notes: 
I have one question: wtf is a fish camp?; Biggie vs Tupac oysters gave me a measure of anxiety--too soon/am I choosing a side?/I don't want to get popped; Eating with vegans is fun, because you never know what those little rascals are going to order; FYI: Conrad Birdie is coming; Someone call the meme police: Salt Bae is on the freaking loose in the kitchens at Kindred and Hello, Sailor; When millennials don't get their avocado the earth tilts off its axis, dammit; Seriously: what's a fish camp? 

Creep on creepin' on, Scallionpancake friends 

Rating:

4 out of 5