Chima

Hey, that's not a meat!

Background: 
You might be surprised to find out that Charlotte's favorite (and only) Brazilian steakhouse actually originated in Brazil. If you've ever been to Chima, this shouldn't surprise you, because it feels authentic af. Ft. Lauderdale got the first US location in 2004, and now Chima has four US locations, and Charlotte is lucky enough to be included in that exclusive club. If you have ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse, you know how magical they are.  Close to twenty different varieties of meat brought to your table on skewers? It's every American's Brazilian dream come true! We have long been Chima fans, particularly during restaurant week, as you can get so much bang for your buck here--you can save $20 per person off of the typical rate during restaurant week! Jason's history with Chima is particularly storied, and you can hear more about his meaty history in detail on this episode of the podcast (preview: his muscles get bigger with every bite of meat he takes). We felt completely and totally honored when Chima invited Scallionpancake out a few weeks ago to formally review Charlotte's meat amusement park. They seriously treated us like royalty. Look! We even got a sign: 

OMG QUIT YO DAY JOB

Eat This: 
Okay, here is how Chima works, for the uninitiated: 

Wonderful servers bring food accessories to your table (meat-cessories!). This includes mashed potatoes, polenta, fried bananas, turkey pate, meat croquettes, and, the very best thing of all: cheese bread. You can try a little bit of everything else, but eat all of the cheese bread. If you have any of it left over, please DM us and we will send you our P.O. Box number where you can send us all of your uneaten bread.  

Then, you hit up the salad bar. There are differing opinions on this, but I like to be liberal at the salad bar. It's all fresh, tasty, and it counterbalances the meat situation that's about to hit you hard. Jason is dainty at the salad bar, as he thinks it is foolish to use valuable stomach space on anything that isn't meat on a stick. On our last visit, he broke his own rule and went all out and ate a heart of palm (yes, just the one), and a sliver of Parmesan. 

When you feel prepared, you should turn your attention to your "meat button." Don't overthink that term, thanks. Your meat button has two speeds: orange, which means: "Yes, please, I would like all the meats" and black, which indicates: "I am on the verge of a physical and mental breakdown and I need a brief meat hiatus."

When you flip that button to orange, it is GO TIME, BABY. The meat comes fast, and you've gotta be ready. Do you want top sirloin? YES. Lamb shank? YES. Filet? SIR, YES, SIR Parmesean pork? YUP. Hot dog? GTFO of here with that noise. No offense to the hot dog and the chicken, but that's not what you're here for. You are here for the best of the best, and you must plan wisely. 

What if you are here with...gasp...a vegetarian/vegan??! No worries. They don't have to starve. Plenty of options for them on the salad bar, plus these two skewers for them--vegetables and, the newest option at Chima, cinnamon roasted pineapple! Whhaaatt. I know. Pretty great--even if you're an omnivore. 

Jason and I love the sauces at Chima, and sampled them all on our most recent visit. Our favorites are the hot sauce and the horseradish. Put it all over everything! Even your date, if you want to get weird. 

If you only learn one thing from this blog post, we need it to be this: Chima is not over when you're full. Chima is over when you hate yourself. And that's the best lesson I can give you. Now is not the time to be conservative. Now is not the time to diet. You are gonna meat out, k? You need to be in a full-scale meat sweat by the time you leave. 

Think you're full? NO! Eat this bread, too! Eat it all! Get a plate full of butter because you are living

Dessert: 
Our most recent visit is the only time we have found valuable stomach space for dessert, and we are so glad we did. We tried the chocolate peanut butter lava cake and the Brazilian trio. The cake was good, but if you are only getting one dessert, we highly recommend the trio. It comes with a walnut cream, a beijinho, which is a mixture of coconut and condensed milk, and a brigadeiro, which is a chocolate and condensed milk concoction. The coconut was our favorite of the three, and we would like an entire vat of it. Well, two vats. One for each of us. Everyone knows I hate to share dessert. 

Post-fork 

The Scallion behind Scallionpancake 

Drink: 
If it's your first visit, you absolutely must try the Caipirinha, which is Brazil's national cocktail. A traditional Caipirinha is made with cachaca, sugar, and lime. How is it different from a Mojito? A mojito is made with rum, which is distilled from molasses, and cachaca is a liquor distilled from sugarcane. Chima also makes a mango and strawberry variety in addition to the traditional lime flavor. 

We also recommend a nice red wine to accompany all of that meat. 

Atmosphere:
Chima has great lighting and a hip vibe. Also, with everything going on, Chima is a great spot to go with friends or on a date--it's as much entertainment as it is a dinner. 

Brazilian Hospitality: 
The servers are so attentive at Chima. There is always someone asking you if you need anything. When your meat button is on "go" the food comes around so quickly, but the servers are very aware if you are on a meat break, and they won't bother you if your button is turned to black. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Jason's muscles really do get bigger when he eats meat, but only the muscles on the top half of his body, so he collapses like an accordion; Why aren't meat-musement parks a thing?; I wish every restaurant brought around items on skewers--right down to the check; We really do have a P.O. Box filled with Charlottean's unwanted bread; Or do we?; After eating at Chima, you need to lie down within 20 minutes before meat fatigue kicks in--you've been warned.

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.

 

Zeppelin

Don't feed this to a Millenial gremlin after midnight

Background: 
Zeppelin opened in South End, Charlotte, in late 2017, and shares a building space with the soon-to-open new South End Common Market and the recently opened Bang Bang Bites. Head Chef Vince Giancarlo worked previously at Baku, Aquavina, and Cantina 1511. We found the overall Zeppelin experience similar to Soul Gastro--small plates in a hip and cozy atmosphere with a banging cocktail list. Zeppelin is tiny and super hot right now, so prepare yourself for a wait (and make use of the Nowait app--hear about the trials and tribulations we endured just to get a table on the podcast). 

Eat This: 
The menu is divided into "Smalls" and "Biggies," and below are our orders from two visits. 

Maine Lobster Avocado Toast

Butter poached, homemade brioche, herb aioli, bacon, preserved lemon

The thick and sweet brioche toast with that generous lobster claw? Avocado toast perfection, we say! 

Scratch Buns

Sweet miso Heritage pork belly, shaved cabbage, pickled chilis

Love, love, love. 

American Wagyu Tartare

Taro & sweet potato chips, black truffle yolk, egg custard, roasted tomato relish

The tartare was just okay--we felt this dish was concerned with presentation over flavor. 

Point Judith Calamari

Korean chile, yuzu, pickled bacon dashi gel, serranos, HRF shishitos

Our new favorite calamari in town--sorry to Luca. The dashi gel took it to another level. Slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and just lightly fried. 

Bacon Dashi

served with the calamari

Pacific Yellowtail Crudo

Coal-kissed, pickled & smoked red onion, sriracha tartare crispy rice, serranos, ponzu, truffles

Delicious--get everything below in one bite, and it's a thing of beauty. 

Maine Lobster Mac & Cheese

House-made fettuccine, uni bechamel, truffle froth, brioche crumbs, bacon-poached lobster tail

One of our favorites--we were licking the bowl. Can you blame us? 

Notorious P.I.G Puppies

Braised HRF pork cheek puppies, Eastern Carolina BBQ, whipped honey butter, house BBQ sauce

These cute little puppers were a table favorite! The savory barbecue flavor paired with the crispy fritter perfectly. 

Dry Aged Crispy Duck

Local wildflower honey, sansyo pepper, coriander, fleur de sel, arnaud olive oil, fresh herbs, compressed persimmon

Only I really liked this duck--other dining companions complained that the flavor was off.

Dessert: 
There are currently three options--a chocolate cake with Biscoff ice cream, a Krispy Kreme bread pudding with dulce de leche, vanilla-yuzu ice cream and candied rose petals, and a trio of ice creams (the biscoff, vanilla-yuzu, and a chocolate variety). We loved both of the options below, but if you have to pick just one, we recommend the chocolate cake. 

Chocolate Cake 

with Biscoff Ice cream

Krispy Kreme bread pudding

with dulce de leche, vanilla-yuzu ice cream and candied rose petals

Drink: 
Bartender Ryan Hart crafted a gorgeous and novel-esque cocktail menu with a mix of innovative cocktails ("Remixes") and old school 1900s "Classics" like gin fizzes and sazeracs. 

Gin Fizz
Gin, lemon, egg white, sparkling mineral water

This cocktail was rather poorly mixed--some pockets of egg white and lemon were suspended in a viscous trap of blech, but subsequent cocktails were all fabulous (no pictures due to: too lit. Whoops). 

Gin Fizz

Behind the magical bar

Atmosphere: 
Zeppelin calls to mind early 1900s vibes, and stays on theme with zeppelin drawings and a giant metal zeppelin hanging above the dining area. Random liquor bottles, knick knacks, and the odd bird cage (or three) complete the look, but we felt that the decor went a bit overboard in this respect and was somewhat cluttered (particularly on the empty bottle front). We did, however, love The Savage Way's giant preserved moss "Z," which is certainly the visual focal point of the restaurant. 

Wide shot of Zeppelin interior/image courtesy of Charlotte Business Journal

A divider down the center of the restaurant keeps the side farthest from the bar from being to noisy, and creates a private atmosphere for each table. 

World War I Hospitality: 
Shout out to server Tony, who we have had the pleasure of having on both of our visits. He provided attentive service, always checked in and thoroughly explained each dish to us. We love you, Tony!

Insert big-eye emoji here

Frankie's Notes: 
Has avocado toast jumped the shark?; Biggie Smalls is so hot on Charlotte restaurant menus right now; Apparently the Hindenburg was a rigid airship and a zeppelin is a semi-rigid airship; Scallionpancake drops facts like candied rose petals; The romanticization of the turn of the twentieth century needs to be replaced with a renaissance of the Mesozoic Era and dinosaur themed restaurants; Forget about activated charcoal--what about asteroid debris lattes?; No dinosaurs were harmed in the making of this post. 

Rating: 

5 out of 5

 

Launderette

Every day is your birthday at Launderette

Scallionpancake Travels: 
We traveled to Austin so Jason could attend the annual Xerocon conference. We arrived a couple of days prior to the conference so that we could take in all of the glorious food Austin has to offer. Check out a previous post on Austin's most famous BBQ joint, Franklin BBQ.   Austin struck us as an exceedingly livable place--the city was clean, fairly walk-able, and filled with so many good eats. Insider tip: in between meals, head to Gourdough's for a donut that will put all other donuts to shame. 

Gourdough's is everything to us

Background:
Chef Rene Ortiz opened up Launderette in February 2015 in an old Laundromat on the east side of Austin. Ortiz is known for being passionate about seasoning & choosing to pack a punch of flavor into each dish. Launderette is constantly on the "Best Of" lists for Austin and around the country, so when we visited Austin in December of last year, we knew we had to check it out. 

Let's get lit

Eat This:
We asked our waiter what to order, and he gave us the, "Everything is good on this menu, or else we wouldn't put it on the menu," line that we never know what to do with. There are always dishes that a server prefers to others on a menu, even if everything is good. Truthiness is important to Scallionpancake. With the waiter being no help, we decided to go with our hearts and Jason's extraordinary knack for ordering great things. The menu is broken up into four sections: "Snacky Bits," Wood Grill," "Vegetables," and "Specialties." The first three were tapas/shareable portions, while the specialties were larger, main course portions. 

We decided to start off with the labneh. If you've never tried it, labneh is a middle eastern yogurt dip that is thick and tangy. 

Labneh

beet hummus, millet crunch, everything cracker

We loved this dish. Our only complaint was that we needed maybe seven more crackers? Kthanxbai. 

Aquachile

escolar, citrus, cilantro, thai chile, crispy fennel

Essentially ceviche, and super delcious. 

Charred Octopus 

corona beans, Spanish chorizo, paprika, fried parsley

This dish was a swing and a miss. The octopus was over cooked, and no one likes to gnaw on a sad tentacle of octopus. Pass. 

Piri Piri Prawns

crispy rice salad, tamarind, mint chutney

This dish nearly made Jason's top dishes of 2017 list, so you know it was fabulous. Our favorite part was the spicy & slightly sweet sauce on the crunchy prawns. Looking back, we should have ordered two plates of these. 

Sticky Brussels Sprouts

apple bacon marmalade, pecorino, almond, pickled apple

These were basic brussels sprouts, and far from the best we've ever had (that honor goes to Flipside). They were alright. 7/10. 

Dessert: 
Chef Laura Sawicki is in charge of desserts at Launderette, and we were super happy with our dishes in this department. The birthday cake ice cream sandwich was a top dessert of 2017 for sure. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

caramelized white chocolate, sunchoke, black sesame, cassis, cocoa nib crunch ice cream

Jason gave this a 10/10, I went 6/10

Birthday Cake Ice Cream Sandwich

I mean, are you dying, or are you dying? 

Drink: 
Let's talk color changing straws. Yes--color.changing.straws. Jason and I totally wanted to ask for a few to take home. Jason had iced tea, and I enjoyed a Wild Honey cocktail. It wasn't very strong and was on the sweet side, but the flavor was good. 

This is a great look for me, yes? 

Wild Honey
mezcal, lemon, honey ginger syrup, chili tincture

Atmosphere: 
Launderette was just too cute. We loved the whole 1950s vibe that was reflected in the seating, decor, and even in the servers' outfits. There was a cool contrast to the retro items with some funky art (with a 50s twist, like a punchy & modern picture of a record), and the lighting was perfectly dim. We enjoyed the chill vibe and felt very relaxed throughout our meal. 

Check out the record pictures that we loved!/image courtesy of Eater

Southern Laundromat Hospitality: 
As we mentioned above, our server was perhaps a bit less than helpful, but he seriously had about eight tables at once, so we forgive him. They weren't particular busy on the night we went, but perhaps they were a bit understaffed. Our food came out quickly, although we felt the pacing of the dishes was off. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Laundromats are the effing worst, unless you are eating a classy meal in one; Insert Nick Young meme when a waiter says everything on the menu is good; Do you think octopuses know that they are currently trending at upscale restaurants?; I looked that up--the plural of octopuses is just that, and not octopi; Insert "The More You Know" rainbow; Color-changing straws are the key to a long and happy life. 

Rating: 

5 out of 5

 

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

 

Robin

Uni, uni, uni, uni rocking everywhere

Scallionpancake Travels:  
San Francisco, California, is a favorite travel destination of ours. Jason frequently has conferences and work events in San Fran, and, naturally, I tag along. Robin is located in super-hip Hayes Valley, which is filled with many great restaurants and boutique shops. 

San Francisco is a great place for fresh sushi and quality Japanese cuisine, as it is home to a large population of Japanese-Americans. Also, many tourists visit Chinatown, as it is right in the heart of the Financial District, but Japantown is hip, super clean, and worthy of your time on your next visit. In fact, Japantown is totally walkable from Hayes Valley & Robin. Insider tip: check out Benkyodo in Japantown for an amazing selection of mochi and manju in a cozy cafe setting.  

Check out my manju

Background: 
Chef Adam Tortosa opened Robin in July 2017 on Gough Street in Hayes Valley, San Francisco. Chef Tortosa previously worked in several well-known restaurants, including Kiwami and Ink in Los Angeles, and Akiko's and 1760 in San Francisco. Robin's concept is innovative in that there is no menu with prices, and no set tasting menu, either. Diners can give their waiter a price point from $79 up to $179 per person, and the sushi chefs will devise a unique menu based on that price, as well as diners' specific preferences. Our waiter asked what types of fish we prefer, and if we were fans of uni. We were assured that even if we weren't fans of uni, that the chef would prepare it in such a way as to make us converts. You may have heard our thoughts on the pod previously about uni, but suffice to say, we fall firmly in the camp of "not fans," but we said we would try at least one uni dish to stretch ourselves. Also, the waiters will let you keep your options open and decide as you go how much sushi you are up to eating. Below is everything we enjoyed--we left perfectly full with this amount of food.

Although they ship in seafood from Japan & Chile, Robin serves as much as local fish as possible. Our waiter explained that there is so much great fish off of the coast of San Francisco that so few chefs utilize, and that Tortosa takes advantage of that proximity whenever possible. 

Eat This: 

Cured local cod

Wrapped in seaweed, served with traditional Mexican-style ceviche with pistachios, pomegranate, lime juice, and microgreens

Assorted Nigiri

Including steelhead trout with peach (middle)

Wagyu tartare

On a toasted nori chip topped with uni and Asian pear

Assorted Nigiri

Closest: Yellowtail, middle: New Zealand King Salmon with tomato confit and whipped tofu, back: Golden Eye Snapper

Toro Tartare

Assorted Nigiri

Sesame noodles with black truffles

With black truffles

Assorted Nigiri

Onsen jidori egg

With shiitake soy sauce, ikura, and wasabi

Smoked caviar nigiri

With potato chip and grilled ramp aioli

Dessert: 
This guy below was good (not great), but we both agreed we wouldn't have hated one more dessert course! This dish was made using sake lees, which is the solid byproduct left over after sake ferments. Pretty cool!

Sake lees custard

with pomegranate and pistachio

Drink: 
Robin offers beer, wine, and sake. We enjoyed sake, and they had an awesome selection of (cold only) sakes. 

Atmosphere: 
The decor was lovely, and Jason particularly enjoyed the modern vibe, like the coral and black backsplash on the sushi bar and the metallic wall. Stand-outs included dishes (and chopstick holders!) made by a local potter, and the bathroom floor, which had tiled inlaid with pennies! Too cool. Oh--and the bathroom had an essential oil diffuser. Can you tell I really liked the bathroom?

That sushi bar, tho/image courtesy of Eater SF

Hayes Valley Hospitality: 
Our waiter was awesome about checking in to check our fullness level and to see if we were enjoying everything. We really loved the pacing of this meal--the courses came out quickly (but not rushed), so that we were done with this meal in under two hours. We were relieved, as we were not in the mood for an extra long tasting on this particular night. 

Frankie's Notes: 
We wanted to bring home the cool pottery chopstick holder, but we reined in our kleptomaniacal tendencies; Uni will never be something that Scalliopancake craves, but Robin made us like it more than we ever have before; Frankie's favorite essential oil scent is cheddar cheese; We always need at least two desserts to feel emotionally fulfilled. 

Rating: 

5 out of 5 plus one Michigan Pug

 

Dilworth Tasting Room

Background: 
Dilworth Tasting Room opened in 2016 in the former Dilworth Billiards spot on Tremont Avenue. Specializing in low production, high quality wines, DTR serves a much-needed role in Charlotte as a low-key spot to have a glass of wine and a cheese plate on a weeknight (try Thursdays when they have half off Cabernet Sauvignons!). In addition to wine and cheese, DTR has an amazing cocktail menu and heartier entree options. We have been to DTR several times, and, on one visit with the Charlotte Food Bloggers, we got to try the wide array of menu items below. Check them out!

Eat This: 

Cheese & Charcuterie Board

Snack Caddy

Mixed nuts, mixed olives, selecton of seasonal pickled vegetable (pickled in house), orange mustard marmalade. With an assortment of house made fatbread breads & crackers

Bruschetta

Classic, & sauteed mushroom

Bruschetta

Roasted grape & ricotta

Bruschetta

Roasted artichoke with garlic cream cheese

DTR Market Salad

Spring mix lettuce, warm root vegetables, goat cheese bark, nuts with a raspberry sherry vinaigrette

Asparagus Soup

Chicken & Dumplings

Parisian gnocci in chicken jus finished with herbs and spices

Pan-Seared Scallops

Roasted broccoli, black risotto, with corn veloutee

Pan-Seared Pork

With a sweet potato dauphine and a roasted apple gastrique

Horseradish-Encrusted Beef Tenderloin

Braised fingerling potatoes, asparagus, carrots, with a mushroom glaze

Dessert: 

Special Seasonal Dessert

Dark chocolate glazed coffee frozen custard with butter toffee layer and pumpkin spice creme anglaise

Drink:
You really can't go wrong with any of the wines at DTR, and they sell all of them by the bottle as well, so you can take one home to enjoy for later. In addition to the Thursday Cab special, they also offer half off Japanese Toki Highballs on Wednesday nights. Also, when I recently took my book club to DTR, I found out they are very accommodating about helping parties split bottles of wine on their bill--the staff made it so easy, and no one had to do any math, woohoo!

Atmosphere: 
Well, the most stunning part of DTR is their secret garden-esuqe courtyard. Seriously, when everything is green and the weather is warm, this patio is so lush and inviting. It's the perfect place to sip a prosecco on a May evening! Gah, is it spring yet?!

Dilworth Billiards Hospitality: 
Everyone at DTR is so nice, and they do a lovely job accommodating larger parties, and they also take reservations on their website. On each visit, I have left pleased with the service.  

Frankie's Notes: 
Frankie tried to play billiards once, but he's much more of a ping pong pug; An epic charcuterie plate can improve your week 150%; Putting grapes on bruschetta is the best thing that came out of 2017; Math is terrible and you should avoid it whenever possible; Yvonne once tried to create a secret garden inside her house; She used a blue blanket to replicate a stream; Is that weird? 

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.

 

Franceschetta 58

Master of None

Background: 
I went to Italy this fall for the ten year anniversary of when I studied abroad in Florence. I went with two of my good friends, Vishnu & Ravi, who had to deal with my crazy picture taking of food, and for that I am forever grateful. We did a lot of good eating on this trip---so much so that I think I turned Vishnu into a little bit of a foodie. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: If you haven't listened to the podcast Vishnu and I did on our entire trip to Italy, check it out here.

One day I arranged for a day trip from Florence to Modena, about an hour and a half's drive away, for the sole reason of going to one of Massimo Bottura's restaurants. I've been obsessed with Bottura ever since he was on the first ever episode of Chef's Table listening to parmesan reggiano cheese like I listen to a good episode of Fresh Air with Terry Gross (aka--very intently--love you Terry!). We tried to get into Osteria Francescana, but it was completely booked, so we "settled" on the more casual Franceschetta 58. After the success of Osteria Francescana (currently ranked #2 in the world), Massimo Bottura decided to open up Franceschetta 58, a more modestly priced, less fancy restaurant in Modena. We all three agreed this was our favorite restaurant of the trip.

Eat this:
There are two options when you go to Franceschetta 58, you can pick between two fixed price menu (the 48€ Tradition in Evolution Menu or the 65€ I <3 Modena Menu), or you can go a-la-carte. Everyone at the table can choose what they want, so I went with the I <3 Modena Menu while Vishnu and Ravi went a-la-carte. After the meal we all decided that a-la-carte was the way to go, because we feel you actually got more value that way, plus you got to choose what you wanted. 

The menu itself is highly focused on local ingredients found in the Emilio Reggiano region of Italy, the two most famous being parmesan reggiano and balsamic vinegar. You think you know what good parmesan and balsamic taste like, but you have no idea until you come and taste them here. The flavors are more pronounced, with no bad aftertaste that you can get sometimes, especially with cheaper parmesan. This brings us to the first dish of the night: 

Pumpkin with Parmesan Reggiano and Bacon

This was the best dish of the night, hands down. The sweet, smoothness of the pumpkin combined with the rich, strong parmesan and the salty, crispiness of the bacon was an epic combination--one that I don't think any of us had had before. Who would have thought to put parmesan over pumpkin? Pure genius. In addition, Vishnu really liked this because it was the free appetizer of the night. "The best dish was free!", Vishnu kept saying.

Cheese Plate

I am normally not the biggest fan of cheese plates, but when you are in the home of parmesan, well then, you get the cheese plate. This parmesan was made from white cows from Modena and aged for 30 months. So good. The other cheeses were good as well, but let's be real--we're here for the parmesan.  

Low-temperature cooked egg, Parmigiano Reggiano fondue, black truffle, and Jerusalem artichoke

What if god was one of us? Answer: he'd eat this dish, probably every day. If you are seeing a trend here, almost every dish has parmesan in it, because why not? Can you go wrong with a combination of black truffle, crispy Jerusalem artichoke, and parmesan fondue? I think not.

Creamed cod, Chickpea Purée, Hazelnuts, “Crusco” Pepper, and Mushroom Broth

This was a modern take on a traditional Italian fish dish. The creamed cod had a mashed potato like consistency in the mushroom broth, which made for a great combination, especially when you got a crunch of the hazelnuts. The red pepper seemed to be more for show, because it didn't really have too much of a taste.

Emilia Burger by Massimo Bottura

This was, to our surprise, the one disappointment of the night. We were thinking that the burger by Battura would be the best because this was the one menu item with his name on it. Unfortunately it kind of just tasted like a burger from McDonalds (note from Yvonne--"Um, that sounds excellent! Don't diss the McD's!"). 

Tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano Sauce

Now we've moved on to the pasta courses, or the primi piati, if you are following along in Italian class. Seriously, this parmesan sauce was so good when Vishnu and Ravi went to the bathroom I licked the plate. Don't tell them.

Orecchiette with “Burrata” Mozzarella, Anchovies, Confit Tomatoes, Thyme and Bottarga

What was super cool about this dish was that the anchovies were ground up and used like a salt on top of the pasta. How smart is that? The one complaint most people have about anchovies is that they are to salty, so why not play on that and turn them into the salt portion of the dish? Magnifico! 

Pork Belly with Balsamic Vinegar Sauce, Carrot and Ginger Puree, and Sautéed Spinach

Here comes the balsamic, which complimented the fattiness of the pork belly like Dwight Howard compliments Kemba Walker. A pick and roll dunk if i've ever seen one. The carrot and ginger puree added a nice, earthy kick as well.

White Sea Bass, Marinated Cucumbers, Yogurt and Bell Pepper Ice Cream

A trend we saw on this trip to Italy was vegetable flavored ice cream. Here it was bell pepper, at Per Me in Rome it was tomato. As Yvonne knows, I will basically do anything to not eat vegetables, but putting it in ice cream is a good way to get me to like it. The cold, sweet and salty ice cream really mixes well with the fish. I'm always a big fan of mixing opposites, like sweet and salty, or hot and cold. To a certain extent, this dish kind of sums of Franceschetta 58. There is a way to take familiar, traditional Italian flavors and turn them into something modern and fresh.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Crumble and Warm Morello Cherries

We're on the home stretch. At this point we were almost bursting with the amount of food we'd eaten, but rule #1 of Scallionpancake is that we always have room for dessert. What was excellent about this was the warm cherries, which made for a nice compliment with the cold vanilla ice cream. Just a pure, classic dessert.

Cold Coffee and Orange Custard, Cocoa Brownie, Rhum and Raspberries

Oh did I forget to mention it was my birthday? What a way to end the night, with a little magical brownie with some coffee and orange custard. So good, and it left for a great taste in our mouths for the drive back to Florence.

Atmosphere:
Franceschetta 58 had a very modern, warm feeling. The restaurant is very small, and is located in an old automobile repair shop, so it's very long and not very wide. There are plates of different colors and shapes on the main wall - a modern homage to rustic Italian cooking. Black tables with no table cloths cement that this is not going to be a traditional Italian meal.

Italian Hospitality:
The waiters and waitresses were very nice and attentive, answering all the random questions we had with a smile on their faces. Vishnu and Ravi even arranged for a candle on the last dessert, which was a very nice touch. 

Birthday Wish

Frankie's Notes: 
It's fun to see friends from the past and hang out for a week together in Tuscany; If you aren't eating gelato three times a day in Italy, you aren't doing it right; "Rome wasn't built in a day" seems like something that should be obvious; Aziz Ansari--fellow NYU Alum from South Carolina, aka TWINNING; PSA #2--we do not believe the current allegations against our beloved Aziz; We saw a pug that day in Italy and I almost caused an accident crossing the road to pet it; #puglife.

*Bonus* Vishnu's Notes:
Hello my little pancakes. GFOP (Good Friend of the Pancake) Vishnu here. I want to take a quick moment to thank Jason, my fam from another ma'am, for being the driving force behind our pilgrimage to Franceschetta 58. Best idea ever. He already broke down our wondrous meal with the zeal and attention to detail of a prepubescent Brad Stevens breaking down game film so all that's left for me to do is yammer away about literally whatever comes to my mind. I promise you'll only regret this a little, SP!

Since our meal I've decided to refer to Massimo Bottura as il piccolo mago. Because he's short in stature and long in magic-making (that's your Italian lesson for the day, you're welcome). Good magic conjures up something unexpected, right? Let's talk about that parmesan pumpkin starter. I'm not a foodie but I love food, so I'm not used to sitting down for a meal and being genuinely surprised. I order a chicken parm or a pad see ew and I already have a basic outline in my head of what I'm getting. My taste buds are already preparing to compare that order to past iterations. This starter knocked me on my ass. At first glance it looked liked a standard cheese fondue but when I sunk my spoon in, see, that was the magician's turn. The pumpkin puree spilled out from underneath its blanket of Parmigiano-Reggiano sauce and suddenly it's, well, magic. When was the last time a dish genuinely surprised you? When was the last time you felt that unique moment when surprise gives way to joy? It's a beautiful thing. It was a beautiful meal.

One more thing, I'd like to take this opportunity to offer some foodie advice from a non-foodie: if you can, in preparation for a meal that you expect will be pretty special, walk around Modena for a bit. Preferably with dear, old friends. What do you mean you can't find a quaint, sleepy Italian town to wander around before all your meals!? Alright, fine, if you can't then just do something that gets your soul stirring a bit. Maybe peruse your favorite book store, or walk down your favorite street or through your favorite park, or talk to someone you love. It gets the juices flowing, digestive and otherwise. Trust me on this. Allora, buon appetito!

RATING: 

5 OUT OF 5

 

Lincoln's Haberdashery

#jewfood

Background: 
Lincoln's Haberdashery opened just this month in South End, right down the road from Chef Michael Shortino's first restaurant, Futo Buta. Futo Buta has long held as my number one favorite restaurant in Charlotte--in fact, it was the very first post here on our little corner of the internet--check it out here (and also see our our style has changed since August 2015!). We also talk more in depth about Lincoln's on this week's episode of the podcast!

Decisions, decisions 

Lincoln's Haberdashey feels like it belongs in a much larger city than Charlotte, and that's one of the many things I love about it. It is part restaurant, coffee shop, retail space, ice creamery, wine bar, well--you get the idea. It reminds me a lot of Bi-Rite, one of my favorite San Francisco spots. The vibe is hip, yet cozy, and I can't wait to spend an afternoon there reading or doing blog work. The other night, Scallionpancake was absolutely honored to be invited to their media preview, and although we had already visited once the previous week, the media night gave us even more to love about Lincoln's Haberdashery. Read on to see what this new space has to offer Charlotte. 

Peep that beer ice cream float!

Eat This: 
Lincoln's Haberdashery makes all of their bread in house, as well as their ice cream. Whatever they don't make from scratch, they source from the best of the best. For example, the olive oil they use on "The 13th" sandwich is from award-winning Queen Creek Olive Mill in Arizona, and the mozzarella on that same sandwich is made in-house. It's all just a wonderful amalgamation of the best things--both made and curated. By the way, that olive oil is the absolute best I have ever tasted--it's so spicy and fresh! We were given a bottle to take home, and I finished a quarter of mine in approximately four days. A bottle of that, some flaky salt, and a fresh loaf of bread makes for a great breakfast the morning after your visit. Here is a snapshot of everything we sampled, from both our solo visit and the media night:

Mornin':

Mary's Muffin

Scrambled egg, tomato, Duke's mayo, with a choice of "protein" (Hickory Nut Gap ham, bacon, or avocado)

Sticky Biscuit

Hickory Nut Gap ham, rosemary cheddar biscuit, and wildflower honey butter

Stuffed Flapjack

Lemon ricotta, pure maple syrup, and berries

Let's get a close up on that, shall we? 

Avocado Toast

Lemon EVOO, baby arugula, shaved onion

Take it to the Bridge
 

ACME smoked salmon, house toast, dill, red onion, capers, and Ikura (salmon caviar) 

Sandwich & Soup: 

Grilled Cheese

Gruyere, shallots, and thyme

The 13th

House-made mozzarella, La Quercia prosciutto, fresh basil, Queen Creek EVOO

Dessert: 
Oh my god, the DESSERTS. Ugh, all of the pastries are made in-house, and they are beyond delicious. 

Carrot cake pie

With pistachios

Pistachio strawberry choux

Are you drooling yet?

I want to live in this pastry case, thanks 

Assorted ice creams

Ice cream flavors rotate, and the flavors range from the classic (vanilla peach) to the adventurous (mushroom! bacon!). 

Case of dreams 

Drink: 
Lincoln's Haberdashery offers a small selection of wines by the glass, and some beers and local favorite Updog Kombucha on tap. They also have an enormous selection of bottled and canned beer and bottles of wine for purchase. And don't forget the beer float--you can get a chocolate porter with vanilla fig soft serve and have the best float of your adult life.

Stovepipe Latte

Pure Intentions espresso, steamed milk, honey, & cinnamon

And don't forget the coffee! They have two signature espresso drinks, the Stovepipe (espresso, steamed milk, honey, & cinnamon) and the Mary Todd (espresso, steamed milk, lavender, & house-made lemon sugar). And they sprinkle cinnamon on top in the shape of Lincoln's head. Well then. 

Buy all the booze!

Apple spice kombucha!

Atmosphere: 
The marketplace portion of Lincoln's Haberdashery offers so many fun things--pet treats and accessories, candles, magnets, keychains, mimosa kits (!!!) and more. Also, there are tons of cool details, like a refurbished bureau with tiny "thumbs up" knobs. 

For da pugs 

Two thumbs up for Lincoln's Haberdashery 

Mr. Ed

#justiceforbarb

Shortino Hospitality: 
Just like at Futo Buta, Shortino's staff is gracious and quick to offer suggestions and recommendations. You can tell that everyone enjoys working here, and the vibe is chill and relaxed. 

Frankie's Notes: 
2015 blog was so yesterday, so yesterday--just like Hillary Duff says; Is it wrong to drink olive oil straight from the bottle?; I still haven't finished Stranger Things Season Two--does Barb come back from the Inside Out, or what?!; If Abraham Lincoln and Barb had a baby, would it be a ginger?; We think they should sprinkle a cinnamon pug's head on at least one beverage. 

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.

 

Charlotte Gets Social

This article also appeared in the January/February 2018 issue of Epicurean Charlotte magazine.

All images courtesy of the QC Social Lounge Instagram page. 

If you ask any Charlotte native just how far our city has come in recent years in terms of dining and recreation, they will tell you without hesitation that Uptown has evolved substantially from what it used to be, that is--a ghost town outside of the hours of 9-5pm. Now, we have a rapidly growing dining scene bolstered by the proliferation of high-rise apartment buildings and hotels. However, anyone who frequents Uptown after dark knows there is still a need for something more in order to put us in true competition with larger cities. However, Charlotteans can rejoice in the New Year, as we now have the perfect player to capture our city’s enthusiasm and desire for innovation in our city’s nightlife. Enter: QC Social.

QC Social is, at its essence, an “enthusiast’s lounge,” describes General Manager Morgan Leitert. Every moment of a guest’s experience at QC Social is curated and finely tailored, from the drinks to the culinary selections. At once a bar, lounge, and venue, QC Social draws on collaboration from its creative team, staff, patrons, and our city’s local talent to ensure each visit offers a snapshot of the Queen City at its very best. This ethos is evident everywhere from the innovative cocktail menu to the vision for the lounge’s place in the community. QC Social will feature local artists and artisans everywhere--from their menu and talented bar staff to their walls and stage area, where they will host artists, musicians, and performers. “We want to highlight people's’ talents and what they can bring to the table,” says Bar Director Jade Finn. The feel of the lounge is above all intimate (think: cozy lounge seating), but the vibe can change night-to-night, depending on whether QC Social is hosting live music or showcasing a local artist.

Charlotte’s storied history will also take center stage, from the design of the building to the cocktail menu. In the building process, QC Social worked to preserve the history of their space rather than tearing it all down and starting fresh; the team sought out local metalworkers and woodworkers to enhance the original exposed brick and wood in the open and airy lounge. Celebrating Charlotte’s past is central to QC Social, and this philosophy is realized most fully in their graphically designed libations and elixirs menu. Going far beyond a simple description of their cocktails, Finn crafted a vision for a menu that is at once an illustrated history of Charlotte and an inspired list of libations whose creativity and style goes well beyond what we have seen from any cocktail menu in the Queen City.

Part cocktail menu and part graphic novel, the list of drinks is sorted into sections, each inspired by a piece of our city’s history. The opening part of the innovative menu describes Charlotte’s founding days and is titled after our city’s most famous (and infamous) descriptor by General Cornwallis of our city as a “hornet’s nest of rebellion.” The cocktails in this section draw from a well-curated spirits list and are inspired by Charlotte’s fiery beginnings, like the Yeoman’s Uprising and the Whistle-Belly Vengeance. Finn describes this section of the menu as drinks you would find “in a tavern in colonial North Carolina, but with a modern twist.”

Although just that amount of originality would be enough to impress, the cocktails are even more than their clever names and adherence to the local theme--they take the art of mixology to a new level. For example, rather than using only egg whites, the Yeoman’s Uprising incorporates a whole egg, and all of its ingredients are shaken with whiskey barrel aged wood chips which imparts a woodsy, smoky flavor profile to the finished product. Cocktailers create their own shrubs, cordials, and barrel-aged spirits for all of the 32 cocktails spread across four menus. The themes of the other menus relate to the ascendency of Charlotte as a banking empire and celebrate our city’s diversity with globally inspired cocktails.

Each cocktail is made using an advanced ice system--purified water is used to create hand-cut ice cubes for each drink. QC Social’s attention to each detail, right down to the ice, ensures that each cocktail’s flavor profile is well-balanced. Sometimes, the ice even is used to enhance the flavor of the drink, like in the Uptown Cavalier, which uses a hopped grapefruit bitters-flavored ice cube to add both flavor and chill. Another cocktail, the Mecklenburg Farmer #4, uses hand-shaved ice flavored with sage, cucumber, and Aviation gin.

Beyond cocktails, QC Social serves a variety of wines and beers. The tap beer menu is “regional and rotational” says Leitert, and the bottle menu is also regional, unique, and includes Belgian and Trappist beers. The feel of the menu is “curated and not overwhelming,” says Leitert. The wine selection is focused on small Italian producers and unique varietals. QC Social is passionate about highlighting smaller producers on all of their menus, and there are plans to host tastings to introduce the Charlotte community to their selection of wine and beer.

The Shareable plates menu will adhere to the finely curated feel of the beverage menus. Food options are small plates with a focus on local and seasonal items, many of them plant-based. Leitert and Current Culinary Olympic Team member Master Chef Jason Hall developed the menu to incorporate items from local growers and producers. Their charcuterie plate will feature cheeses from their neighbors at Orrman’s Cheese Shop, and their produce will come from local farms. Look for inventive shareable plates like a polenta and white bean tart, or a beet and apple mille feuille. The menu items will surprise even those already familiar with the North Carolina farm scene--like a vegan cheesecake made with (wait for it) North Carolina passion fruit (when in season). Their signature dessert is also plant-based and pure decadence: a chocolate chestnut tart with shortbread crust. QC Social’s small plates menu has an attention to detail and excellence writ large in the experience of the lounge as a whole.

With their grand opening this at the end of this month, QC Social is breathing new life into Uptown Charlotte, and its creative and management team believes in the Charlotte community, “We feel strongly about promoting our scene and talent here,” says Finn. He recognizes that many people from larger markets are moving to Charlotte, and they arrive and want that same dining scene that they are accustomed to. People are ready for creative food and drink options, and they do not want to be limited in their choices. “It’s a good time to be in Charlotte,” says Finn, “and we want to be a part of that movement.”

QC Social is ushering in a new era with their social lounge concept by providing a place for patrons to enjoy great drinks, small plates, and music in a relaxed atmosphere. Gone are the days when Charlotteans have to venture out of town for an experience that is a cut above--QC Social provides something for everyone. Each evening at QC Social, the team will go out of their way to ensure guests have an experience that is at once unique and focused on excellence, and that philosophy is ultimately what will put Charlotte on the map as a destination city.

QC Social is located at Northside Station 300 N College Street Charlotte, NC 28202

Top Five Dishes of 2017

Listen to this post in audio format on our podcast!

Hangin' with the gang at Maido 

Scallionpancake Travels: 
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2017, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2017. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2017! 

Jason

1. Wasabi Langoustine

Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin, Germany

This, to me, is the most perfect dish in the world. It's the best thing I've ever eaten, hands down. Enough said. 

2. Z-Man Sandwich

Joe's Kansas City BBQ, Kansas City, KS

The Z-man was a revelation--one BBQ sandwich to rule them all. 

3. Confit Suckling Pig

Astrid & Gaston, Lima, Peru

This was the outstanding dish of Peru to me. The suckling pig mixed with dark Peruvian chocolate in a  peanut broth just combined perfectly together. I would have never thought that the rich chocolate would have gone together with the suckling pig, but it did, and it was great.

4. Sportskage

La Glace, Copenhagen, Denmark 

The single dessert I think about the most from this last year is the sportskage from La Glace in Copenhagen. This is the oldest and most famous bakery in Copenhagen, and their signature cake dates back to 1891 when it was first made for the debut of the play, Sports Man. It consists of crushed nougat, whipped cream, a macaroon bottom, and caramelized choux pastry. It had the consistency of a cream pie, but with almost a health bar taste with the nougat. So good!

5. Mac & Cheese with Crispy Chicken Skin

Haberdish, Charlotte, NC

The Mac & Cheese at Haberdish is cheesy perfection. The key to this dish is the hot sauce that adds a slight kick to the chicken skin. I could eat it every day!

Yvonne

1. Mussel Dessert

Maido, Lima, Peru

Although Maido didn't make either of our best restaurant lists, we both really loved so many of the dishes there. This dessert had local Peruvian elements, like granadilla, mandarin sorbet, and lucuma ice cream. Also, you can't go wrong with an edible bowl made out of sugar! 

2. Doner kebab

Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap, Berlin, Germany

I would gladly wait another hour in line to eat this perfect sandwich again. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, and the vegetables were fresher than you could ever imagine from a food cart. This kebab was certainly a part of what made our culinary adventures in Berlin special!

3. Tomato soup and rolls

Indio Feliz, Aguas Calientes, Peru

Jason wants to kill me for this choice, but after a seven hour hike through the Andes to Machu Picchu, this tomato soup brought me back to life. I loved the little town of Aguas Calientes, which is completely devoted to tourists visiting Machu Picchu--it felt like a mining town in the American west, only Peruvian style. Also, maybe, just maybe, I picked it partly because it gets under his skin. Shhhh, don't tell. 

4. Ribs

Joe's Kansas City BBQ, Kansas City, KS

I am usually more of a pulled pork kind gal, but these ribs were everything to me. The flavor was 10/10, and I loved the atmosphere in the gas station at the original Joe's location. 

5. Hummus

Mamoun's, New York, New York

I love when Jason takes me to NYC and shows me all of his old college haunts, like the tiny, counter-seating only Mamoun's location he took me to last March. I wish we had a quick & cheap Lebanese spot like this in Charlotte. Their hummus was tangy, fresh, and had the perfect texture. 

Top Five Restaurants of 2017

Listen to this post in audio format on our awesome blossom podcast! 

Incan af

What a year! Scallionpancake traveled three continents in 2017, and during our travels we visited some of the best restaurants in the world. Like years past, both of us have come up with our top five restaurants for 2017. SPOILER ALERT: Next week we will publish our top five dishes of 2017. Stay tuned!

Jason

1. Noma Under the Bridge

Copenhagen, Denmark

The most magical food night of the year for me. The atmosphere combined with the excellent food made for an unforgettable experience. My favorite dish was the "make your own" shrimp tacos. Noma also had a delicious almond cake with lime zest that was out of this world.

2. Momofuku Ko

New York, NY

I've said it before, and i'll say it again, I love David Chang. Ko is his signature restaurant, and it did not disappoint. I had been to Ko at their old location about five years ago, so I was excited to to see what had changed at their new location. Ko is meat-focused fine dining, and I like that. They're most famous for their duck, which they age in-house every week.

3. Franchesetta 58

Modena, Italy

This fall, I took a trip to Italy with my friends Vishnu and Ravi for a ten year reunion of our time studying abroad in Florence. We took a special trip to Modena to go to Franchesetta 58, Massimo Baturo's sister restaurant to his famous Osteria Francescana. It was outstanding and served some of the best Italian inspired dishes I've ever had. My favorite dish was the pumpkin covered in Parmesan sauce with bacon. The sweetness of the pumpkin with the salty, strong flavors of the Parmesan combined with the fattiness of the bacon to make the perfect dish.

4. Joe's Kansas City BBQ

Kansas City, KS

Joe's BBQ in Kansas City has a lot of hype, but it lives up to it and then some. The best sandwich of the year goes to the Z-Man: smoked brisket, smoked provolone, two onion rings, and famous Joe's BBQ sauce on a bun. It doesn't get better than this. We enjoyed our meal so much that we went back the next day and ordered two--one for right then and there and one for the plane ride home.

5. Here's Looking at You

Los Angeles, CA

We went to LA in January, and the standout restaurant of the trip was Here's Looking at You. The vibe from the beginning was just plain cool--we felt like we were in a place where cool things happened and where cool people hung out. Oh, by the way, the food was really good, too. The standouts for me were this fried whole fish and the bar pie.

Keepin' it classy in Lima

Yvonne

,

1. Noma Under the Bridge

Copenhagen, Denmark

I couldn't agree more with Jason--the vibe at Noma Under the Bridge was just magical. It was our first night in my favorite city on earth. The temperature was crisp and the sun was setting along the harbor when we settled into the long dining room table with about 75 new friends from all over the world. The night started with champagne and ended with almond cakes in an antique tin, and that's really all anyone could ask for out of a vacation dinner. 

2. Central

Lima, Peru

Jason and I are still sorting out our feelings on Central (more on that on our podcast), but I do know that I absolutely loved the flavors of so many of the dishes we tried, particularly the dessert made with meringue clay and algae, and the potatoes with an alpaca dipping sauce. Central is the restaurant I would most like to experience again, if only to have more time to figure out exactly which obscure plant we were eating. The creativity on the Elevations menu is incomparable, and going on a culinary journey through the ecosystem home to the most diverse climate on earth was a once in a lifetime experience. 

3. Momofuku Ko

New York, New York

Ko was just a downright fun dining experience; I have never had the pleasure of viewing the kitchen directly from my seat in a fine dining restaurant, and I loved every minute of it. We got to chat with the chefs and it was pure entertainment to watch them work throughout our meal. We saw them prepare the duck from the moment we sat down--it went through step after step of marinating and braising, and then finally we got to try it. Super exciting. Another highlight? The bouncy Japanese cheesecake with shaved truffles. I die. 

4. Geranium

Copenhagen, Denmark

Everything at Geranium was a cut above, from the decor, to the service, to the food. I mean, wheeling out a cart of potted herbs to prepare a hot tea? It was all just next level. The dishes were inventive, like the dill stones and the razor clam dish, and everything had incredible flavor that captured the vegetation-heavy feel of modern classic Danish cuisine. One of my favorite moments here was the final dessert course that included so many little bites of goodness. Also, getting to meet the chef when he was in the back room preparing new recipes was pretty darn cool, too. 

5. Baest

Copenhagen, Denmark

As you heard on the podcast, Jason is rather rude about my choice of Baest, but gosh darn it, I'm sticking to it. Pizza is a simple meal that ranges from good to omgsogood, and that's what I enjoy about it. With five or six top notch ingredients, a well-made pizza can compete with more complex dishes any day of the week. Also, the cured meats and in-house made mozzarella with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt basically took me to another planet. Oh, and the dessert! Milk gelato with olive oil? I was in hygge heaven while dining at Baest. 

Oak Steakhouse

Background: 
Oak Steakhouse is a small chain that started in Charleston and now has locations in Atlanta, Nashville, and, as of earlier this year, Charlotte! Charlotte has plenty of chain steakhouses already, from Sullivan's and the Capitol Grille to BLT in the Ritz Carlton. However, we heard from many trusted sources that Oak stuck out among the masses for being unusually delicious and unusually modern for a steakhouse. We checked it out with some friends last month, and we were enamored with the perfectly cooked steaks and delicious side items. Check out what we tried below!

Eat This: 

Salmon Tartare Lettuce Wraps

Rogue farms butter lettuce, preserved lime, sweet sour soy glaze

Grilled Octopus

Sea island red pea salsa, local greens, red pepper caramel

Grilled Salmon

Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, haricot vert, toasted pumpkin seeds, lemon butter

Debragga Of NYC 20oz.

Dry Aged Certified Angus Beef Bone-in Ribeye

Truffle Frites

We also had a most incredible filet mignon, but, alas the photo was too blurry due to #shakymeathands

Dessert: 
Everyone else at the table just picked at this dessert, so I obviously had to do the hard work of finishing this on my own, plus being the only heifer at the table still able to put food away after all that meat. Oh, the humanity!

Apple Crisp

Almond streusel & vanilla ice cream

Drink: 
There is a super healthy cocktail menu, plus plenty of great red wines to stand up to all of that red meat. Jason had the lovely libation pictured below!

Atmosphere: 
One of the things we noticed right away was how far apart the tables in the dining room were, and we liked that. It provided a small amount of privacy and seemed to keep the restaurant from getting too loud. We were also sat in a small side room off of the kitchen, which felt very intimate and lovely. 

Image courtesy of Open Table

Carnivorous Hospitality: 
Oak Steakhouse is part of the same restaurant group that owns the O-Ku chain (Charlotte location in South End), and, on the whole, they offer the same level of fabulous customer service at both restaurants. However, on this particular evening, we felt that our service was a bit rushed--our waiter encouraged us to order everything at once after we told him we were only ready to order an appetizer, and someone took Jason's cocktail away when it was still at least a quarter full! 

Frankie's Notes: 
Our meat shakes often verge on the uncontrollable; How many times do we have to tell you, if you try to take a beverage before it's gone you're gonna be dead to us for one million years; Sorry, not sorry; Sharing dessert is my most difficult first world problem to bear; Jason likes to dress like Fred Flintstone when he eats bone-in meat, and orange is a great color on him. 

Rating: 
4 out of 5 

 

Terrace Cafe

Background: 
Stewart Penick opened the first Terrace Cafe in South Park years ago with his nephew, Jacob, who at the time was a recent graduate of Johnson and Wales. After the success of their first location, they opened another in Ballantyne, and they now have a location in Greenville, South Carolina, with plans for another in Ft. Mill in the spring/summer of 2018. A couple of months ago, Penick and his team invited the Charlotte Food Bloggers out to check out their Ballantyne location and some new menu items. You no doubt have heard of Terrace's legendary fried chicken and red velvet waffle, but read on to check out some dishes sure to become your new favorites!  

The famous red velvet waffle/image courtesy of Terrace Cafe

Eat This: 

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

Smoked bacon & baby arugula

Wild Mushroom & Cheese Crostini

Garlic crostini, three cheese spread, & wild mushrooms
 

Oyster Spinach Salad

Flash-fried NC oysters, fresh spinach, caramelized onions, & warm bacon vinaigrette

Cranberry Apple Pork Tenderloin

Roasted and then sliced pork, sage-scented apples, dried cranberries, cranberry-peach marmalade, potato pancakes, & vegetable medley

Dessert: 
Terrace's dessert menu is absolutely amazing, and includes gems like a coconut cream bread pudding and a mini chocolate waffle stack! I want to go back and try them all, but that night we tried the...

Peanut Butter Brownie Cheesecake
 

Rich peanut butter and brownie chunk cheesecake layered over a chocolate brownie crust, topped with chocolate ganache and peanut butter cup pieces

Drink: 
All Terrace locations offer a full bar with plenty of options for cocktails, wines, and beers, including many local favorites.

Atmosphere: 
We have been to the Terrace in South Park and now Ballantyne, and both locations were cozy and spacious booths (my favorite) are abundant. 

Ballantyne Terrace Cafe//image courtesy of Open Table

Southern Hospitality: 
Everyone we have dealt with on this visit and previous visits have been lovely and provided top-notch customer service. 

Frankie's Notes: 
If you don't like chicken and waffles down here, they make you move back up above the Mason-Dixon line; We love potato pancakes no matter the season; A spacious booth makes it easier for Jason to lie down and take a nap after a meal; Frankie loves coconut cream bread pudding, but he's only had it in his dreams. 

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.

 

Geranium

Background:
Scallionpancake has been extremely fortunate to go to five of the top restaurants in the world this year. Geranium makes the list at number #19 under the creative talents of Head Chef Rasmus Kofoed. Kofoed opened up Geranium in 2007 after working at a fancy hotel in Copenhagen, and it quickly climbed the ranks of all of the "best" lists; it's the only restaurant in Copenhagen to have three Michelin stars (yes—it's hard to believe, but Noma only had two before it closed for renovations!). Fun fact about Kofoed, according to the Top 50 list, "Kofoed is the only chef to have ever won bronze, silver and gold at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or cooking competition in France." Impressive!

Round of applause for Kofoed

Eat This:
You only have one choice here, and that's the Universe tasting menu. This is a three hour experience, so buckle up ladies and gentlemen, and get ready for the ride.

Danish Lobster covered with milk, carrot juice, and sea buckthorn oil

And we're off! The signature first dish is lobster. This was almost like a gelatin, with the buttery lobster contrasting with the cool, earthy carrot. We also loved the presentation with multiple dishes on top of each other.

Jerusalem Artichoke Leaves, Hazelnut Oil, and Rye Vinegar

Dip the artichoke leaves in the hazelnut oil and rye vinegar mayonnaise.

Razor Clams with Minerals & Sour Cream

The signature dish of Geranium. The rumor is this took Rasmus over six years to perfect. In his book, One Day at Geranium Restaurant (which we absolutely purchased), Rasmus calls this the, "perfect abstract illusion of a razor clam shell." The shell is edible and painted with algae and charcoal to make it look like an actual razor clam shell. In the middle is a creamy razor clam tartar made with sour cream.

Tomato Water, Ham Fat, & Aromatic Herbs

We love eating flowers with our tomato soup. We also love ham, and we especially love fat. Mix them all together and you've got a Scallionpancake trifecta. The sourness of the tomatoes and the warm, saltiness of the ham mixed great with the aromatic herbs.

"Dill Stones" Mackerel, Horseradish, & Frozen Juice from Cucumber & Dill

This was one of our favorites. The mackerel dill stones were plated on real sea stones, to blend in as if taken directly from the sea. Of course we love dips, and why not dip your mackerel dill stones in a frozen juice of cucumber & dill with a spicy horseradish cream?

Salted Hake, Parsley Stems, & Finnish Caviar in Buttermilk

Our favorite dish of the day. Cold flattened and salted hake covered in a warm buttermilk filled with Finnish caviar. Is there anything better in the world than warm caviar on a great fish? I don't think so.

Crispy Grains, Bread with Old Grains, & Gluten Free Bread with Seeds

We always love the bread course. This bread was okay, but nothing we really need to talk about.

Scallop in Juniper Aroma, Filippa Reduction, and Browned Butter

Scallops are hard to get rght. It's easy to overcook them, and then they taste like a chewy bar of soap. Also, a scallop should be on the larger size --if they are too small, you can't get the proper texture throughout the meat. Geranium's scallops were amazing. They were presented first in a bed of sea grass, as if they magically appeared from the sea for our pleasure. The scallops were then plated in a bowl in front of us, and then the waitress poured the Filippa reduction on top. The scallops had a great rich taste, and you could cut them with a butter knife.

Lemon Sole, Onion Herbs, "Vesterhavsost," and Pickled Pine

Let's take a journey to a Danish village, where we walk along the sea and pick flowers. We stumble upon a local fisherman who, as we walk past, catches a sole on his wooden fishing pole. He cleans the fish in front of us and serves it to us lightly cooked over an open fire mixed with the flowers we had picked up along the way. You get it?

Tartlet with Fjord Shrimp, Sol, & Pickled Elderflower

Are you sensing a pattern here? Almost every dish had some sort of flower on it. The Danes love flowers on their food --it provides a pop of color and flavor to the dishes. Plus everyone knows the saying, "When you eat shrimp, you should stop and smell the roses."

Cabbage Sprouts, Chicken, & Hay Beer

A big theme in all the restaurants we ate at in Copenhagen was the lack of meat. This was the only non-seafood meat on the menu, and it was not the focal point of the dish. The Danes love thier greens and seafood! What we liked about this were the sprouts, which added a nice little crunch to the chicken.

A Bite of Beetroot, Blackcurrant, Yogurt, & Tagetes

Like a kiss at the end of the rainbow, more precious than a heart of gold. You know what I mean.

Ice Cream from Beeswax & Pollen with Intense Rhubarb

The winner of winners when it comes to dessert. This ice cream tasted as if a million bees flew to you, spelled out your name in the air, and then presented you with their finest beeswax in the form of ice cream. It was so creamy and had the subtle flavors of beeswax and honey.

Sweets:

Carrot Tree, Cake with Pumpkin Seed Oil, Caramel with Cloudberry and Chantrelle, Chocolate with Oaks and Sea Buckthorn, Marshmallow with Rose Hip, & Green Egg with Pine

Yvonne calls this the fireworks grand finale, where they bring out an onslaught of desserts all at once and then you get to go to town like it's your birthday (and we're going to party like it's your birthday). We were instructed to eat them in any order, except the green egg had to be eaten last, because it had a strong flavor. Our favorites were the marshmallows with rose hips and the cake with pumpkin seed oil.

Drink:
Geranium makes all of their drinks right in front of you. They are known for their gin and tonic, but we didn't try that (we were still in our non-drinking during lunch phase--lame). We ordered tea during the savory dishes, and coffee with dessert. For the tea, they roll out a cart with roots and herbs growing from pots. The waitress then asks what types of herbs you like, and then proceeds to pick them from the pots and make your tea. The coffee is presented in a similar way, with the waitress boiling the water and pressing the coffee right in front of you.

Picking the herbs for our tea

A coffee lover's pour over dream

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere at Geranium can best be described as friendly, yet sterile. Everything about the restaurant was clean and perfect, almost too perfect You didn't feel like you could make sarcastic jokes with the wait staff--but you know we tried to anyway. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the national soccer stadium, which provides great views of all of Copenhagen. You can even see Sweden from across the water on a clear day. The whole staff was very international, our waitresses were from Australia and Martinique, and the chef who took us of a tour of the restaurant, was from Sweden. It felt very cosmopolitan, and you could tell that there was a lot of room for collaboration and creativity in the kitchen.

The kitchen overlooks the stadium-- pretty cool on match day!

Danish Hospitality:
The service here was just as exceptional as you would expect at a fancy-shmancy place like this. What was unique, was that after the savory dishes, one of the chefs gave every guest a tour of the entire restaurant, from the test kitchen to the fermenting room. We even got to see Head Chef Kofoed, who touched me on the shoulder. I havent washed my shoulder since.

The front desk, sponsored by Apple

Frankie's Notes:
Frankie also has not washed since we were in Copenhagen; It's nice to have the option to play a soccer game and then go have a three Michelin star meal, all in one block; If Frankie could have tea with anyone in history, he would pick Lassie, and then punch him in the face after; We like to be able to banter with our waiters and make them feel uncomfortable; We have started putting flowers on all of our canned tuna now that we are back in the U.S.

Rating:

5 out of 5 with 2 Michigan Pugs

 

Franklin BBQ

1/10th of the line

Background:
Aaron Franlin opened Franklin BBQ in 2009 in Austin, Texas as a food truck on the side of interstate 35. After a favorable review about a month into opening, Franklin quickly started selling out on a daily basis. It became so popular that people started camping out to be the first to taste the famous brisket--now widely considered the best in the US. Late in 2010, they opened up their brick and mortar location on E 11th Street, where they remain today.

Franklin's popularity is legendary: they have sold out every day since they opened over seven years ago. Even the lines at Franklin are famous; we waited about three hours on a Saturday, which is pretty typical. We were so lucky to get to go to Franklin, as they were closed due to a fire for three months, but they just reopened about a week before our trip to Austin. The BBQ stars aligned for us!

Eat this: 
Franklin has a simple menu of five meats, three sides, and pies. For the meats, they have brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and sausage. For the sides, they offer potato salad, slaw, and beans. You can order the meats in 1/4 pound increments and sides in single, pint, or quart sizes. This was our first time, so we got a sampler of everything. We ordered way too much food for two people, but that's how we live our lives. The two outstanding items are the brisket and sausage. Pro tip--make sure you get the brisket fatty. The other meats are good, but we ultimately felt we could have skipped them and loaded up on brisket and sausage. The sides are good, particularly the potato salad, but Franklin(ly), you could just skip them to focus on the meat--you wouldn't be missing out.  

The brisket was legitimately the best brisket we've ever had. In central Texas they believe that BBQ, if done right, doesn't need sauce as the proper cooking will make it naturally moist, and Franklin lives up to this promise. The saltiness of the rub combined with the juicy, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth brisket hits you like a cowboy wrangling a steer. You'll need to lie down after, but it's totally worth it

Yahtzee

Dessert: 
Franklin offers bourbon banana, pecan, lemon chess, and key lime pie. We didn't order any, because, well, look at all of that meat for two people. Looking at some shots, though, I really wish we had gotten a bourbon banana to go!

PIE//image courtesy of Serious Eats

Drink:
Franklin offers high end soft drinks, sweet tea, and a wide selection of local Texas beers.

Atmosphere: 
The place is basically a hole in the wall and is decorated to make you feel like you are in the back country of central Texas. Of the three hours we were there, we spent most of the time waiting in line outside. The staff make the wait as pleasant as possible, coming out and letting you know approximately how long the wait will be and what meats will be left when you get up to the front of the line. They even offer complimentary lawn chairs, and bring out the occasional meat snack to hold you over until you reach the front of the line. When you reach the front of the line after all that time, your excitement cannot be contained. Here, you will meet your new best friend, the meat man. Enjoy your one minute with him. It's a special moment.

The meat man

Texas Hospitality: 
Everyone at Franklin makes you feel like you are part of their extended family. From the lady who tells you what meats will be available when you get to the front, to the meat man, to the lady checking you out and the counter, to the random fat guy who says hi to you a lot and seems to be a big deal, everyone is there to make your experience special. 

Frankie's Notes:
All of Frankie's exes live in Texas; Was Franklin named after Frankie?; We made a new friend in the Franklin line--shout out to Erik!; Brisket is the new black; Want to hear a sad story? We took our leftover meat back to our hotel, but ending up throwing it out later that night as we did not have fridge; Never underestimate the power of a good sausage

Rating:
5 out of 5

 

Burtons Grill & Bar

Chilling with lovely blog friends!

Background:
Burtons Bar & Grill in Park Road Shopping Center is part of a chain of restaurants that has been open since 2005 and has locations in seven states. Our Charlotte location is the only one in North Carolina, and we are so lucky to have them! Burtons has an extensive menu with lots of small plate options and larger entrees. Burtons is unique in that they maintain a high level of diligence when it comes to preparing menu items for patrons with food allergies. If you have a food allergy, a manager will drop off your order, ensuring that there is no cross-contamination from the time you place your order until the point it is delivered to your table.

Bloggers behind the scenes

We recently had the pleasure of visiting Burtons with our blog friend Jessica @TheSweetSeoul--check her out on Instagram! On our visit, Burtons was rolling out a new fall cocktail menu, and we were able to sample plenty of drinks and a huge variety of menu items. Jason and I also visited solo a couple of weeks prior, so these photos are a combination of both visits.

Eat This:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

grilled chicken, blue cheese, cheddar, corn tortilla chips

General Tso's Cauliflower

Thai chili sauce, ginger aioli

Point Judith Calamari

cherry peppers, tartar sauce

Stuffed Grilled Zucchini

herbed cheese, zesty tomato sauce, Parmesan

Roasted Beet Salad

goat cheese, grilled sweet onions, candied walnuts, mustard vinaigrette

Superfood Salad

quinoa, baby spinach, dried cranberries, feta, grape tomatoes, avocado, julienne vegetables, grilled lemon, lemon vinaigrette

Short Ribs

aged certified Angus beef, mashed potatoes, broccoli, red wine jus, horseradish cream

Salmon Romesco

bronzed gulf of Maine salmon, romesco (red pepper) sauce, herbed jasmine rice, julienne vegetables, citrus fennel slaw

Crab Cakes

super lump blue crab, vegetable slaw, fresh cut french fries, mustard sauce

Lobster Shrimp Pasta

fresh tomatoes, snap peas, Parmesan, fettuccine, tomato cream sauce

Wild Mushroom Risotto

snap peas, goat cheese, lemon zest

Stuffed Avocado

crab, quinoa

Short Rib Grilled Cheese

braised certified Angus beef short rib, pickled onions, maple sriracha, Vermont cheddar, griddled ciabatta, red wine jus, fresh cut french fries

Maxx Burger

hand packed certified Angus beef, american cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, house made pickles, Burtons special sauce, crispy onion strings, griddled bun, fresh cut french fries

Dessert:

Key Lime Pie

Trio of Puddings

Butterscotch, mascarpone with berries, chocolate

Drink:
I only tried one drink from the new fall cocktail menu, because it was so good I couldn’t dream of ordering something different. Two of these babies went down way too easily!

Blood Moon Rising

Milagros Silver, Salerno, blood orange puree, blood orange shrub, spiced salt rim, smokey blood orange crisp

Atmosphere:
Burtons has a surprisingly funky vibe for its location. It has tall ceilings and cool artwork--my favorite was a gallery wall that consisted of a motley mixture of art and photographs--my favorite was the portrait of South Carolina native Aziz Ansari.

Swanky/photo courtesy of Burtons Grill

Not the gallery wall I mentioned--forgot to take a picture of that one--but I like these guys, too/photo courtesy of Charlotte Business Journal

Park Road Shopping Center Hospitality:
Burtons employees go above and beyond to make sure each customer is satisfied. On both of our times at Burtons, our server and a manager stopped by to make sure that everything was up to our standards, and frequently checked in to see if we needed anything. Burtons ensures every customer is well taken care of, which makes for a lovely dining experience.

Amazing vintage shot of Park Road Shopping Center/image courtesy of Style Blueprint

Frankie’s Notes:
Burtons is a great place to really settle into your corn fear without shame; When bloggers get together, you can forget eating your food while it's hot; When you chug your first drink, you need to sip you next one, lest you embarrass yourself in front of your new blog friends; I would like a gallery wall filled exclusively with Aziz Ansari photos; Old school Park Road Shopping Center makes me want to have a malt while I wear a boy's letter jacket. 

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: A Pizza my Heart in Charlotte

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!

Benny Pennello's

Photo courtesy of Twitter

If you're in the NoDa neighborhood and craving a late-night slice, Benny Pennello’s is going to be your savior. The slices are beyond huge – it takes two plates just to hold one. The topping options here are not extensive and not customizable, but if you are looking for a simple pepperoni or veggie slice with a beer, Benny’s has you covered. They are open until 3 a.m. on weekends, and they serve local beers (in cans), as well as local favorite King of Pops popsicles in the freezer case.

Photo courtesy of Thrillist

Alino Pizzeria

Although this gem is located about 25 miles away from Downtown Charlotte, it’s well worth the drive. This Mooresville pizzeria imports buffalo mozzarella, “00” flour, and San Marzano tomatoes weekly, and they bake up their pizzas in wood-fired ovens that are custom-made in Naples, Italy. Top off your authentic Italian experience with gelato or a cannoli, both of which are made in-house. The counter service is quick, the employees super friendly, and you can always catch a soccer game on one of their many TVs. Don’t miss the caprese salad –
getting to taste that fresh mozzarella in all its glory is simply divine.

Inizio Pizza

Inizio Pizza has locations in Ballantyne and Dilworth, and they pride themselves on recreating classic Neapolitan-style pizza, which is baked in a wood-fired oven for 90 seconds. This quick cooking time, as well as the imported Italian “00” flour, results in the chewiest and most delicious crust ever. Make sure you order the crowd favorite: Pistacchio Pizza with rosemary, pistachio pesto, and buffalo mozzarella. My personal favorite is the Maria with a variety of mushrooms and truffle crema. Make sure to save room for cannoli or gelato; both are house-made and well worth the splurge. 

Pure Pizza

Photo courtesy of Thrillist

Pure Pizza has locations in Plaza Midwood and in the Seventh Street Public Market in Uptown. Pure has so many creative menu options, particularly their crusts – you can get original, gluten-free, or sprouted ancient grain, which is made with quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. Their toppings are no less innovative – try the chorizo pizza, topped with shaved radishes, cilantro, and lime juice, or the smoked salmon with capers, dill créme fråiche, and red onions. Their salad offerings also go far beyond the usual pizza joint house salad and venture into kale and goat cheese territory. 

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Agenda

Hawthorne's Pizza

Photo courtesy of Groupon

For a classic New York-style slice, you can’t go wrong at Hawthorne’s. Their ultimate spinach pizza topped with mozzarella and Gorgonzola is my favorite, and they are well known for their buffalo wing pizza. This pie is not only delicious, but it is called “The Inducer” as it has been known to put many expectant mothers who are past their due dates into labor! Another great option, pregnant or not, is their thick and chewy Sicilian-style pizza. Round out your meal with the garlic knots and a Hawthorne’s salad, made with pepperoncini and tossed in a bleu cheese balsamic dressing. 

Image courtesy of Scoop Charlotte

NOMA Under the Bridge

Background:
The original Noma is one of the best restaurants in the world. The legendary Copenhagen staple has been under renovations for about a year. During this time, the NOMA team has opened up pop-up restaurants all over the world--most notably in Sydney and Mexico--while everyone eagerly anticipated the re-opening of the main restaurant. This was slated to happen in the summer of 2017, but did not due to building delays. Therefore, the team decided to open up a pop-up restaurant under a bridge in Copenhagen in the meantime and bam: NOMA Under the Bridge (UTB) was born. 

The pop-up was only supposed to last a few months, but because of the continued construction delays on the main restaurant, it ended up having an extended stay from June until the middle of November. This was great for us, as we visited Copenhagen in late September and were able to snatch up two coveted tickets for our first night in the city. 

Eat This:
UTB is a five course tasting menu. The main dishes seem to have stayed pretty consistent throughout the entire time, with the chefs who had rotated in and out from around the world adding their flare to the bookends of the meals—appetizers and desserts.

Grilled Focaccia with Horseradish

What was special at UTB was the unique mixture of flavors. What a great combination of flavors. The softness of the focaccia combined with the crunch of the crust and pop of the horseradish made this bread disappear faster than a $100 bill dropped on the streets of Times Square.

Mussel Soup

Underneath, that creamy soup was swimming with some delicious mussels--you just had to get in there and find them. A game of culinary hide and seek, if you will.

Tacos with Deep Fried Shrimp

Here you could see a clear inspiration from NOMA's trip to Mexico, as they combined the Mexican chiles with Nordic greenery and seafood. The shrimp were fried and meant to be eaten whole with the shell. Hot sauce and salsa were provided so you could season your tacos to your taste preference. We'd never eaten shrimp prepared this way, and the spicy, crunchy taste was out of this world. That texture combined with the coolness of the cabbage wraps and greenery made for one of the best dishes Scallionpancake has had all year—we can’t stop thinking about this one!

Cod

with capers

Squid ink cauliflower

Wowzers bagowers. If you had three glasses of wine and closed your eyes, you would think this cod was a piece of steak--it was so meaty and well seasoned with the capers and sauce. The cauliflower was covered in squid ink which gave a nice acidity. There were also small potatoes served with a red tomato sauce (un-pictured) that paired nicely with the cod as well. This part of the meal really felt like we were eating at a Danish home, only the meal was prepared by the best chefs in the world, obvi.

Dessert:

Concord grapes

with milk cheese

almond cake

with cacoa nibs and lime zest

The main dessert of the night was concord grapes with a milk cheese: simple and refreshing. However, the real star of the show was the final bite—an almond cake covered in a lime zest. Like the horseradish and focaccia before it, I had never once thought to combine lime and almond flavor together. What a revelation! The sweetness of the almond with the acid zest of the lime mixed in your mouth like a mermaid and merman swimming to Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin’s "That’s Amore." There was simply not a more beautiful sight to behold in the culinary world, in this food blogger’s humble opinion.

Drink:
UTB teamed up with wine importers Rosforth & Rosforth to curate a wine pairing for the menu. They also had a juice pairing for us gout stricken humans who couldn’t partake in the alcohol. In addition to the pairings, they served coffee or tea with dessert at the end. 

First glass in wine city

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere here was truly one of the most magical dining experiences we have ever experienced. There is only one long table which sits about 75 people, so you feel like you're in Hamlet's banquet hall sharing plates and stories with your new friends from around the world. There were a few plates which were done individually—the soup and the dessert, but the rest were family style, and you shared with your new, six-person family. At first we were nervous because Donald Trump is President and we don't like to speak too much when we are out of the country, but it actually was quite nice to be forced to talk with people around you and bond over the food. Food really does bring everyone together, and we made friends and had conversations with people from all over the world, which we would have never done at a typical restaurant.

Gnome Hospitality:
When you purchase your "tickets" beforehand, you have to prepay for the entire meal ($175/person), which included wine or juice pairings. This was really refreshing because you didn't have to worry about up-charges, or tips, or anything--you could have literally left your wallet at home. We were there to eat and be happy. We might have been under a bridge, but the hospitality was top rate. This was NOMA, after all. The waiters and waitresses were knowledgable and friendly, and were able to accommodate special requests very well (like my juice pairing). They made you feel at home under the bridge. Hygge at its finest.

Frankie's Notes:
It's not good to have your best meal of the trip on your first night, #letdownnation; New friends are fun, especially those who eat less than you and let you have their leftovers; The mayor of Freetown Christiania is a pug; If a mermaids don't exist, then how are babies born?; The reason why Frankie can't go on trips with his mom is because he wouldn't be able to keep up with her 13 miles a day of walking.

Rating:
5 out of 5 plus two Michigan Pugs

 

Luca Modern Italian Kitchen

House-made pasta

Background:
Luca has a long history in the Charlotte area. Owners and husband and wife team Chef Luca and Jessica Annunziata first opened their restaurant Passion8 in Fort Mill in 2006. In 2014, they made a move to the row of fabulous restaurants along Elizabeth Avenue. Most recently, the team re-branded their menu and name to Luca in the spring of 2017. What stayed the same? Their city-famous calamari which is fried to perfection and topped with a jalapeno honey and citrus butter. What changed? The new menu focuses on Chef Luca’s Italian heritage and combines and variety of old school Italian favorites and modern takes on classic dishes. All of the pasta at Luca is made in-house, and is always perfectly al dente. On Wednesdays, you can enjoy bottomless pasta at Luca for only $30! This deal also includes an appetizer and dessert--it's a value that seriously can't be beat!

Although we had been to Luca several times (both as Passion8 and under the Luca name), we had our best experience yet on our most recent visit. We were invited to dine at Luca with our lovely blog friend Stephanie from @lifebychipsahoyt--check her out on Instagram! Jessica, Chef Luca, and Stephanie were fabulous hosts for the evening, and we had a lovely time. Check out everything we sampled below. 

Exterior of Luca/photo courtesy of Charlotte Magazine

Eat This:
Seriously, everything at Luca will knock your socks right off, but we always start with the calamari, and it has my heart as my favorite dish on the menu. The jalapeno butter is the perfect complement to the crispy, chewy calamari. 

Calamari Famosi

"Infamous" calamari tossed in a jalapeno, honey and citrus butter

Caprese Moderna
 

Crispy stuffed heirloom tomato, Stracciatella mozzarella, oregano, EVOO, crispy prosciutto, basil, salsa verde

Arancini Alla Siciliano

Fried risotto balls filled with short ribs, sweet peas, sun-dried tomato, four cheese fondue

Burrata

Charcuterie Platter

Peperoni Imbottiti

Stuffed pepper sweet Italian sausage, fried crusty bread, anchovies, orange zest, olives

Fagioli all'Ucelletto con Crostini

Cannelloni and Barlotti bean salad with heirloom tomato, garlic and oil, fresh basil and ricotta

Maltagliati Pasta Con Coniglio

Pasta with Rabbit Ragu and Fresh Goat Cheese

Fettuccine con Prosciutto Cotto, Funghi, Piselli e Gorgonzola
 

Fettucine Pasta, Ham, Mixed Mushrooms, Sweet Peas, Gorgonzola

Dessert:
On our latest visit, we tried the mascarpone and peanut butter gelato, but they also have cannolis, affogatos, and house made limoncello, if you are feeling saucy.

I will take both, thanks 

Drink:
We love everything about Luca’s cocktail list and extensive wine menu. The Bosco Bubbles (pictured below right) is my current fave cocktail.

Bosco Bubbles
Barolo red wine and raisin berry compote with prosecco

Cheers!

Atmosphere:
Luca has one of my favorite qualities in restaurant ambiance--darkness. Why do I like dining in the dark? I just feel like I can enjoy my food more thoroughly if my dining companions can’t see how thoroughly I’m enjoying it--to quote Damien from Mean Girls: “Don't look at me.”

Luca: It's dark/photo courtesy of Occasion Genius

There are several sections to the dining room at Luca, which makes it feel quite cozy. Wherever you are seated, you feel like you are tucked into a private alcove. Che romantico!

Italiano Hospitality:
The servers are very knowledgeable and attentive, and they always make sure you know exactly what you are eating and that you have a drink in front of you while you do.

Co-owners Jessica & Chef Luca/photo courtesy of CLTure

Frankie’s Notes:
I would die for that fried squid that already died for me--that’s how good it is; Have you ever thrown pasta at a wall to see if it sticks? Unsure if that is a scientific test for al dente, but it sure is fun; Exciting new concept: I will open a restaurant that is so dark that people just bump into each other and spill their food everywhere; I want my pink shirt back.

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.

 

Essex

Uptown Famous Butter Chicken

Background:
Essex is nestled into the ground level of the Omni Hotel at the intersection of Trade and Tryon. A welcome addition to the slowly growing restaurant scene, Essex was opened in August of 2016 by four restaurateurs, two of whom also co-own Enso Sushi Bar in the Epicentre. The menu is diverse, and the cuisine ranges from Indian to Mediterranean, and even includes some killer house-made lox. #jewfood.   

Exterior of Essex/photo courtesy of Uptown Evolution

Uptown vibez/photo courtesy of Charlotte Agenda

Eat This:
Essex's signature item is their butter chicken, and we order it every time. Guess what the best part is, though? All of their bread is made in-house, like the delicious naan that comes with the butter chicken, the pita bread used in the shawarma, the tortilla chips with the huevos rancheros, and the bagel that comes with their lox platter. Scallionpancake loves bread more than Oprah does, hand to God. Homemade bread?! 

Oprah: I feel you

Butter Chicken

Chicken marinated in Indian spices, herb tomato sauce, micro cilantro, garlic naan

The salad offerings are a favorite--we have heard great things about the Warm Brussels Sprout Caesar, but we always end up with the Kale & Apple salad. 

Kale & Apple Salad

Kale, radicchio, and spinach blend, granny smith apples, candied pecans, goat gouda, and apple cider vinaigrette

Shawarma Pita

House-made pocket pita, shawarma, harissa, tahini, grilled onion and tomato, Mediterranean mix

This is Jason's new favorite dish --and check out those crispy waffle fries!

Essex also runs a mean brunch game. We liked everything we have tried, with the exception of the omelette pictured below, which was rather thin and dry. 

Huevos Rancheros

House-made corn and flour tortilla, tomatillo salsa, queso fresco, black beans, topped with a sunny side up egg, sour cream, and cilantro

Mediterranean Omelette

Parsley, cilantro, green onion, feta, and tomato confit/served with Essex home fries

Khachapuri

Cheese-filled naan with sunny side up egg

Nova Scotia Bagel

House-made fresh bagel, cream cheese, house smoked salmon, capers, onions, tomato//served with Essex home fries

Dessert:
Okay, so last fall and winter Essex served a dessert called the Golden Apple, and I think of it to this day. It was an apple enrobed in caramel and then white chocolate sauce was poured over it tableside. TO. DIE. FOR. I am not sure why they haven’t brought it back for this season?! Come on, Essex! We also more recently ordered a pistachio chocolate mousse dome that was excellent.

Elusive, beautiful/photo courtesy of Trip Advisor

pistachio chocolate mousse dome

Drink:
Cocktails are on point at Essex--try the Queen Scarlett made with gin, green chartreuse, strawberry puree, lemon juice, agave, and muddled basil. They also offer several cocktails on tap, including a Moscow Mule. 

Gimlet/photo courtesy of Charlotte Agenda

Atmosphere:
Essex is unique in that there are several different sections to the restaurant, and they all have different vibes. There is a sizable outdoor patio that overlooks all of the hustle of Uptown Charlotte, a sun patio, a dark cozy bar, and oversized cushiony booths--you can sit wherever fits your mood and the vibe of your party. Warning--you are very unlikely to catch a street parking spot on Tryon, but you can get your parking validated if you park in the garage off of Church street.

Bar/photo courtesy of Open Table

Uptown Hospitality:
The service at Essex has always been great, and we have visited multiple times. Also, the food comes out super quickly. My only complaint is that they only carry a sriracha-type hot sauce and no “Louisiana style” hot sauce, and this pains me to my very core.

Frankie’s Notes:
Willy Wonka had the golden ticket, but in the winter of 2016 I had the golden apple, and that was significantly more important to me; Who is Queen Scarlett? Did she die in the library with a wrench?; Trade and Tryon gets weird sometimes, and I love that; You can wave to the Halal truck man from the patio of Essex; Nothing breaks my heart as thoroughly as insufficient hot sauce options.

No freaking Frank's Red Hot?!

Rating: 4 out of 5