Yvonne Ackerman 3/5/19 Yvonne Ackerman 3/5/19

Flour Shop

Background:
Flour Shop opened early 2018 under Trey Wilson, the owner and chef of Customshop in Elizabeth. Jason and I are big fans of Customshop (although we haven’t been in forever), so we were super excited when Flour Shop came to the Backlot of Park Road Shopping Center. We like Flour Shop so much that it made our Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte list last year, and we can’t believe we haven’t given you a more detailed run down before now! Read on to get the scoop on what we deem the best pasta in Charlotte.

Eat This:
The star of the show at Flour Shop is the house-made pasta, but the other offerings on the well-curated menu shouldn’t be ignored.

**House-made Foccacia**

**I wish they brought out this bread in unlimited quantities. That’s my only complaint.**

**Grilled UGF Mushrooms, January ‘19**

**Caesar-style, with radicchio**
**I love, loved the bitterness of the radicchio with the whole mushrooms. This version was better than the previous iteration below.**

**Grilled UGF Mushrooms, March ‘18**

**Caesar-style**
**Good last March, but definitely much improved in the latest version.**

**Barbecued Spanish Octopus**

**With stewed corona beans, house-made chorizo, & grilled ciabatta**
**So rich and savory. Perfect for a cold night.**

**House-made Burrata**

**Butternut squash and burnt-honey vinaigrette**
This dish has to be a top-seller for them––it’s all over Instagram, and I always see it at nearly every table. And for good reason: it’s fabulous. This one looks a bit different these days (this photo is also from the March visit), but I am confident it’s just as delicious.

**Butter Lettuce Salad**

**With Granny Smith apples & pickled onions**
**This salad inspired me to go out and buy butter lettuce. Why is butter lettuce so good? The most refreshing salad I’ve had in a while.**

**Benton’s Ham Croquettes**

**with Manchego fondue**
**These have been on the menu since the beginning, and we can see why. Whenever we see Benton’s ham, we go for it. And with hot cheese? Oh dang.**

**Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli**

**With mushrooms & squash**
**Little pillows of flavor perfection. The sweet squash purée added such a lovely dimension to the mushrooms and cream sauce.**

**Ricotta Ravioli**

**Red sauce, red peppercorns, Marcona almonds, crispy kale and pecorino Romano cheese**
I liked this red sauce version of the ricotta ravioli (from March), but I must say the above, more recent version is better. And that’s coming from a girl who nearly always goes red sauce over cream sauce.

**Prime Rib**

**On special, served with a baked potato**
**Jason’s order. His thoughts: well-cooked, but the sauce was far too sweet and spoiled the flavor of the meat.**

**Squid Ink linguine**

**With shrimp & chorizo**
**Wayne’s order! He said he liked it very much, and I can concur, since I ate his leftovers. Fabulous! Wayne isn’t always easy to please, so you know this one’s a keeper.**

Dessert:
The dessert offerings are slim. On our first visit, they didn’t have dessert yet, and the last time we were in they had cookies and a bread pudding.

**Bread Pudding**

**With ice cream**
**Good, not great. They need a more robust dessert menu, stat.**

Drink:
A great wine selection and fun cocktails. On our last visit, I saw a lot of people drinking their Blood Orange Spritz, which looked quite refreshing.

Atmosphere:
Flour Shop is super tiny. There are only about 15 tables, and you can also order the full menu from the bar. The bar is a great place to sit, since you can watch the chefs in action in the open kitchen. The feel is rather fancy and very Myers Park (in the Myahhs Pahhk way), and there are lots of couples on dates.

Image courtesy of Charlotte Agenda — Image courtesy of *Charlotte Agenda*

Backlot Hospitality:
Hm. We’ve had great service here, and rather rude service. As in, our server made us feel that our visit was a massive inconvenience. This was on our last visit, and truthfully, it has possibly put us off going back in for a while. As you know, service can make or a break a dining experience, and I hope that our bad one was an anomaly.

Frankie’s Notes:
The parking situation at Park Road Shopping Center is a literal hell on Earth, which is rather ironic considering the word “park” is right in the name; Myahhs Pahhk is a state of mind, not an area of Charlotte––if you know, you know; A dessert menu should not be an afterthought, in Scallionpancake’s opinion; Do you think Wilson would be willing to call his next restaurant Pug Shop?

Rating: 4 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 2/19/19 Yvonne Ackerman 2/19/19

The Waterman

Background:
The Waterman, cousin restaurant to Sea Level Uptown, debuted in South End of October of last year. Yes, they say “cousin restaurant” instead of sister restaurant – isn’t that cute? We are big fans of Sea Level, so we had high hopes for this much anticipated opening.

**Have you ever gotten this close to your oyster? You’re welcome.**

Since the fall we have been to The Waterman a few times, most recently for a media event with our blog friends. Here is what we tried on that visit, with a couple of pictures thrown in from another visit. Jason did go one time on his own for take-out, but suffice to say those pictures weren’t great, so that visit isn’t included in this round-up. Styrofoam is no one’s best look, you know?

Eat This:

**Oysters**

**Oysters straight from Sea Level, North Carolina.**
**The Waterman has “Oyster Happy Hour” every Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m., when you can get oysters for just a dollar each. Major steal. We love their mignonette & cocktail sauce, too.**
The oysters pictured here are un-shucked, because we got to shuck ‘em ourselves at the event. Only one person out of 20+ people drew blood. It was me. But they made us sign a waiver, so I am not the proud, new owner of The Waterman. Darn.

**CrawDaddy Dippers**

**Cajun-style rice, fried crawfish, tartar sauce**
**These were crunchy, savory, fried GOODNESS. And that tartar sauce? You should go swimming in it. Frankie will be your lifeguard.**

**The Fisherman’s Pick**

**Beer-battered cod, house-made pickles, cole slaw, tartar sauce, potato bun**
**How about this sandwich, though? Is there anything better than a classic fried fish sandwich on a potato bun? Let me answer that for you: No. Nope. Sure isn’t.**

**Tacos**

**Grilled fish, braised chicken, , blackened shrimp, crispy oyster**
You can get these delicious tacos on corn tortillas or SCALLION PANCAKES. That’s right. Scallion pancakes in the wild, outside of the big city. So, you know our pick when it comes to corn versus scallion pancakes, right? The choice is clear.
**We loved these tacos. So good. My favorite was the grilled fish.**

**Fried Shrimp Po Boy**

**With cole slaw**
This was my dad’s order when he was in town visiting us. I didn’t taste it, but I can tell you that when I picked it up to take a picture, a piece of shrimp fell out. And I never told him that. So, if you’re reading now: Sorry, dad.

**Catfish Reuben**

**Pastrami-spiced catfish, swiss, cole slaw, tartar sauce, rye**
**With fries**
**This was Jason’s order when we went with my dad, and he gave it two fins up. But see those fries in the back? Those fries are freaking delicious. Make sure you get an order.**

Dessert:

**Southern Pecan Bars**

**Classic, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream**
Sometimes pecan pie can be too sweet for me, but not this one. I loved the extra firm texture of The Waterman’s version, and the rich pecan flavors shines through rather than just pure sugar, which is sometimes the case. The ice cream on top doesn’t hurt, either.

Drinks:

**SUnken Pirate**

**Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon, ginger, blueberry puree, basil, lemon**
**This drink was so smooth. I love blueberries, and though I am not usually a bourbon drinker, this basically tasted like grown-up fruit juice. Bottoms up.**

**Kentucky COld Brew**

**Jim Beam Repeal Bourbon, Pure Intentions cold brew coffee, orange essence, raspberry-hemp whipped cream**
**They have this cocktail on draft, and it’s amazing. I was impressed by the raspberry-hemp whipped cream – so hip! This makes for a great after dinner drink, too.**

**Pina Colada Float**

**Plantation Pineapple Rum, pineapple juice, almond milk, coconut popsicle**
If you’re putting a popsicle AND a candied cherry in my drink, I am one happy girl. This was surprisingly not too sweet, considering the popsicle. I liked it, and it was substantial and strong enough that one was plenty.

Atmosphere:
The Waterman has a chill, fish-camp vibe happening. The bar is super beautiful, and we can’t wait to check out their rooftop seating area when the weather warms up.

**Hello, our beautiful blogger friends!**

Under the Sea Hospitality:
On our non-media event visit, when the server didn’t know that we were in to try some items, we had exceptional service. Also, I felt very strongly that I knew the waitress from somewhere, but I couldn’t place where. Don’t you hate that feeling?! Did we know one another in a past life? Were we friends in 8th grade?! I’ll never know.

Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie will be the first to tell you he doesn’t look good in styrofoam; We love when you tag us in your “scallion pancake in the wild sightings on Instagram” – keep ‘em coming!; Trying to hold your food and take a picture is quite the risky endeavor, and it usually involves sauce running down your arm, or losing a shrimp or two; Putting a popsicle in your alcohol is mixing the best of childhood and adulthood, and that’s a great feeling; I wish it was socially acceptable to just say: Do I now you from somewhere?, but trust me, I’ve tried it, and people just look at you like you’re strange; Working for your oysters makes them taste better, even if it leaves you with battle scars.

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.

Yvonne Ackerman 2/5/19 Yvonne Ackerman 2/5/19

Eden Hill

Background:
Eden Hill opened in Seattle's charming Queen Anne neighborhood in September of 2015, when owner Maximillian Petty and his wife Jennifer realized their lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. Petty had previously worked under José Andrés in D.C. and at the now-closed Olivia Restaurant in Austin, Texas. Eden Hill has received many great reviews since opening, and we felt absolutely charmed by the space, service, and creative cuisine on our December 2018 visit. Continue reading to see what makes Eden Hill such a special part of Seattle’s fine dining scene.

Eat This:

**Toasted Baguette**

**Whipped bone marrow, fall tomato jam, arugula**
Jason gave me a hard time for ordering this, because it caused us to fill up too quickly, but I had no regrets. The flavor of bone marrow is one of my favorites, and rich meatiness + bread made for a perfect pair.

**CAuliflower “Chilaquiles”**

**Manchego, lime crema, jalapeno honey hot sauce, curtido**
We dug the light crispiness of these chilaquiles. Instead of fried tortilla chips like the classic Mexican dish, the cauliflower took its place. So many great textures and a nice, bright flavor made this dish Jason’s favorite of the night.

**Waldorf Salad**

**Dehydrated grape, apple, bleu cheese, celery, walnut verjus vinaigrette**
Honestly, I felt compelled to order something green and healthy to offset everything else. This salad was good, but not anything extra special. The sweetness of the grapes did add a nice touch, though.

**Anderson Ranch Lamb Tartare**

**Bread & butter pickles, hot mustard, cajeta, pretzel roll**
**A good tartare, but not a standout dish. The pretzel roll was a bit hard, and I always prefer my bread doughy.**

**Mountain Mac n’ Cheese**

**Elderflower tomme, smoked red bud, goat gouda, alba truffle**
**The most amazing pasta I’ve had since our week in Italy last summer. We loved the big pieces of truffles and the rich tang of the gouda.**

**Crispy Pig Head “Candy Bar”**

**D’anjou pear, champagne soup, merlot cabbage, serrano**
**Not too many things scare me when it comes to food, but the pig head candy bar did give me a moment’s pause. I was wrong to worry, though.**
This dish – which has been on Eden Hill’s menu nearly since the beginning – was an easy-to-eat delight. The entire concoction was fried, making it look like a deep-fried Twinkie or Snickers bar at a state fair, and the inside had gamey pieces of pork that offset the tangy cabbage and greens on top. I can’t say I recommend any old pig head candy bar, but this one was an unexpected delight.

**Korean Fried Oysters**

**Gochujang, kohlrabi, calamansi, chicken skin sea salt**
**The spicy gochujang and the cooling radish made these oysters a delicious little bite.**

Dessert:
We read about the foie gras cake batter prior to our visit, and let us tell you: it did not disappoint. We had never tasted anything quite like this, and it was exactly as you would expect: sweet, slightly grainy, and with a trace of rich savoriness. We can see why they keep this on the menu.

**Foie Gras cake Batter**

Foie gras cake batter is Eden Hill’s signature dish. Pieces of toasty pound cake are served with a whipped foie gras batter that is both sweet and richly savory. And that presentation! We were so full at this point, but you must not skip this on your visit!

Drink:
We were so, so excited to see sea buckthorn on the cocktail menu! Everyone around us was asking what the heck sea buckthorn was. But not us. We are so scandi like that. For the uninitiated, sea buckthorn is a shrub that grows on the coasts of Europe and in parts of central Asia, too. We fell in love with it in Copenhagen, where it is ubiquitous on menus across the city. So, a cocktail made with sea buckthorn and tequila was like a taste of our Nordic home away from home. I liked it so much that I ordered another as soon as I finished the first (which happened in about three seconds).

**SEa Buckthorn & Tequila**

We are sea buckthorn and tequila aficionados, and this drink didn’t disappoint. Sea buckthorn is slightly sour, which kept this drink from being syrupy sweet. I would take another one right now, please and thank you.

Atmosphere:
Eden Hill is t-i-n-y tiny. But that aspect only adds to its charm. It’s amazing they can do what they do inside that small kitchen! The dining area feels intimate, and we even struck up a conversation with the lovely couple seated next to us. Queen Anne is an understated yet upscale neighborhood, and Eden Hill fits in with that vibe perfectly.

Queen Anne Hospitality:
Only one server was in charge of the entire dining area (the bar patrons were served by the bartender), and he did a great job of keeping everyone satisfied and with a drink in their hand. He also had a great sense of humor, as he told us to order fewer dishes than we did, and he said he was impressed with our appetites. Hey, we’ve been training our whole lives for this!

Frankie’s Notes:
Sea buckthorn and tequila are perhaps two of my favorite things on earth, so the combination of the two nearly made my head explode; You wouldn’t want already made foie gras to go to waste, would you?; Don’t hate the foie gras players, hate the game; Queen Anne is a place I would like to live someday, if I could convince Jason to move BNA headquarters out West; I wonder if the Eden Hill kitchen is the culinary equivalent of Mary Poppins’ purse, and the inside can actually hold 52 lamps and a much larger kitchen?

Rating: 5 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 1/29/19 Yvonne Ackerman 1/29/19

Inizio Pizza Napoletano

Background:
Grant Arons opened Inizio in March 2016, and there are now two locations, the original in Ballantyne and one in Dilworth. Arons makes his pizza according to the strict standards set by the governing body of Neapolitan pizza. The flour, tomatoes—even the water used for the dough—are all imported from Italy. The pizzas cook for 90 seconds in a super-hot wood-fired oven, and they are best eaten immediately after cooking. Inizio recommends not getting the pizza cut into slices if you’re taking it to-go, as this can cause the crust to get soggy. However, we are bad pizza-eaters, and we usually get ours cut and to-go, because we don’t own a pizza cutter for some reason, and pizza is best eaten on the couch in front of the TV.

We have been to Inizio several times for blog promotions, but we are regularly there on our own dime as well. What is our go-to pizza? You’ll see below that we've pretty much tried the whole menu by now, but we certainly have our favorites!

Eat This:
Inizio is not a build-your-own pizza joint, rather they have some tried and tested flavor combinations you can get in a choice of two sizes. You can add or subtract toppings, but they recommend you go with one of their concoctions. We also think that you should trust their combinations, because they are darn good.

**PISTACCHIO**

**Rosemary, sea salt, ricotta, Buffalo Mozzarella, garlic, pistachio pesto sauce, pistachios**

**NAPOLETANA**

**Anchovy, Kalamata olives, San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, basil**

**MARGHERITA**

**San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, basil, garlic, Pecorino**

**CAPRICCIOSA**

**Artichoke, prosciutto ham, mushroom, San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella**

**DIAVOLA**

**Spicy salami, Calabrian pepper, San Marzano tomato sauce, Buffalo Mozzarella, Pecorino**

One of our favorite things about Inizio is their seasonal offerings. You never know what direction they’ll go in for the future, but here are the ones they’ve had in the past:

Spring Pizza

**Pizza Di Parma**

**Imported prosciutto, roasted asparagus, Buffalo Mozzarella, garlic, sea salt, & Pecorino**

Summer Pizza

**Limone Capra**

**Thinly sliced lemons, fig jam, goat cheese ricotta, Buffalo Mozzarella, & fresh thyme**

Autumn Pizza

**Pumpkin Pizza**

**Pumpkin, basil, Buffalo Mozzarella, ricotta**

Winter Pizza

**Pizza Toscana**

**Potato, sausage, & kale, with a creamy vegetable base**
**From Winter 2019**

**Patate al forno**

**Paper thin red skin potatoes, rosemary, sea salt, smoked mozzarella & Buffalo Mozzarella**
**From Winter 2018**

Dessert:
Cannoli and gelato from scratch--what more is there to say? In addition to the staple chocolate chip, pistachio, and lemon cannoli, Inizio offers a seasonal cannoli, too, and last summer had a v. v. special dessert pizza!

OG Cannoli

Spring Cannoli

**Oreo**

**Photo courtesy of** **Inizio’s Instagram page**

Summer Dessert Pizza

**summer PIzza**

**Nutella marshmallow s’mores pizza!**

Autumn Cannoli

**Pumpkin**

**with white chocolate chips**

Winter Cannoli

**Apple Crumb Pie**

**From Winter 2019**

**Peppermint Mocha**

**From Winter 2018**

Drink:
Inizio offers wine, beer, soft drinks and UpDog Kombucha, but they also have really fun house-made juices and teas, like peach iced tea, strawberry lemonade, and others.

Atmosphere:
Both locations have tall ceilings and a bustling atmosphere, since they are both constantly busy. They frequently host musicians and often hold events with the SPCA, which we think is so wonderful! There are lovely patios at both locations, too.

Napoletano Hospitality:
You order at the counter at Inizio and your order is brought out to your table. The service is quick and polite. You can also order online and your pizza will be ready when you arrive, if you’d rather eat your pie at home, like us!

The finished product of the above photo shoot!

Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie was always on Team Inizio during the Scallionpancake #pizzawars of 2017; Not sure what would be so hard about adding a pizza cutter to my next Amazon cart, but for some reason it just doesn’t happen; Inizio: we are sorry we get the pizza cut!! The Limone Capra is the best pizza we’ve had outside of Italy, no joke; Frankie loves that Inizio does pizza fundraisers in honor of pups like him––thanks, Inizio!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 1/15/19 Yvonne Ackerman 1/15/19

The Stanley

Background:
Paul Verica opened The Stanley in May 2018, after shutting down his popular Heritage Food + Drink in late 2017. The Stanley has a larger kitchen than Heritage, which allows Verica and his son and Sous Chef Alex to amp up their culinary greatness beyond what they’d already achieved in Waxhaw.

The pedigree behind the Vericas is no joke: The elder Verica was a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2017, Heritage was named number one by Charlotte Magazine in 2015, and, ahem, The Stanley ranked at number three by yours truly in 2018. We think the dishes coming out of the kitchen at The Stanley are beyond exciting, and we also think it’s downright charming that they’re coming from a dynamic father/son team (Jason knows a thing or two about that magic).

Eat This:
The menu changes nearly daily; on our second visit in late December, they were already up to menu number 130 after only being open since May! The offerings are farm-driven, seasonal, and richly flavored. Recently, they started offering brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the weekends, and burgers after 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. There is also a private dining area you can reserve for larger parties or events.

**Foie Gras**

**Pecans, apples, ginger, butternut**
**The creamy foie gras on the toasted brioche was a revelation. Our favorite dish out of both visits.**

**Surf & Turf**

**Veggie slaw, beef tartare, fried oysters, truffle aioli**
**We were fighting over every bite of this one. And that presentation!**

**Beef Tartare**

**Radishes, greens, egg, capers, and flat bread**
**Can you ever go wrong with tartare? They let the flavor of the meat shine through with simple seasoning and accoutrements. A+.**

**Asparagus**

**“As many ways as we could think of”**
**The compressed asparagus on the bottom layer had a great texture and was loaded with fresh, green flavor.**

Sunchoke Chips

**Spicy mayo**
**This is one of the dishes they’ve brought over from Heritage, and we can see why. Ultra-snackable.**

**Scallop**

**Butternut, curry, carrots, sesame, pea shoots, mustard greens, ginger**
**We were huge fans of the light broth and added vegetables that highlighted the melt-in-your-mouth scallop.**

**Trout**

**Risotto, beets, spinach, red wine**
**The trout was prepared perfectly, and the risotto was a big hit with our table. Also dug the bright beet color of the risotto.**

**Raviolo**

**Short ribs, goat cheese, truffle, arugula, shrooms, broth**
**This dish wasn’t a looker, but the flavors were multi-layered and the broth added a rich umami.**

**Quail**

**Chicken-fried, cheddar grits, collards, gravy**
**I don’t eat corn (hey grits), but Jason and Olivia (of UpDog Kombucha!) described it as juicy, tender, and well-seasoned.**

**Duck Breast**

**Rutabaga, turnips, carrots, swiss chard, demi-glace**
**Jason says: carrot & duck is the new Starsky & Hutch. Is there anything else you need to know? This duck did not die in vain.**

**Steam Buns**

**Fried chicken, kimchi, Alex’s glaze**
**These put all other steam buns in our city to shame. You know who I’m talking about. Or do you?**

**Beets**

**Blue cheese, herbs, and “stuff”**
**Presentation is perhaps the best I’ve seen in Charlotte. This is the most beautiful palette of beets ever created. It tasted light and spring-like, which was perfect when we had it back in May.**

**Foie Gras Funnel Cake**

**WIth strawberries a few ways**
**This was the dish that first got us in the door back in May. You had us at foie gras. Very tasty, and obviously very fun to look at and eat!**
Also, someone commented on our Instagram that we shouldn’t be eating foie gras and that we were inhumane. We’ll tell you what’s inhumane: passing up foie gras when you have the chance to eat it. Especially in a funnel cake. Good day.

**Arancini**

**Pork belly, blue cheese, cider**
**These were a bit underwhelming, but we admittedly aren’t the biggest fans of arancini to begin with.**
**Also, who’s that pug in the background?! It’s UpDog Kombucha Olivia! YAY.**

Dessert:
The wonderful Ashley Boyd was in charge of the pastry program at Heritage, and at The Stanley, that honor goes to Morgan Romeo. Her treats are next-level delicious and innovative. Whatever you do, don’t skip dessert at The Stanley.

**Peanut Butter Cup**

**Powdered peanut butter on top and mouthwatering chocolate on the bottom. They should have this one on the menu permanently.**

**Swiss Roll**

**White chocolate, pistachio, cranberry**
**A flashback to childhood, only a million times better. Those tiny meringues!**

Drink:
Our BFF Larry Suggs helped The Stanley start their cocktail program, and boy, did he ever get things off on the right foot. Some of the most Instagram-worthy drinks in the city are served with a strong pour. Drink up.

**Honey Mocktail**

**Mr. Suggs made Jason this honey mocktail that he hasn’t stopped raving about since.**

**Queen City Duchess**

**Casamigos Reposado, cranberry cordial, Cocchi Americano Apertif, lime**
I could have had four of these, and the one I did have went down in five minutes flat. Casamigos tequila is the greatest thing George Clooney ever put his beautiful hands on. Also, can I be the Queen City Duchess? Please?

Atmosphere:
The interior is perhaps one of our favorite parts, and that’s saying something. It’s warm and inviting, and it feels like you are in your rich neighbor’s library. We’re talking carpet, strategically-placed books, and rich wood accents. Carpet in a restaurant is an unexpected surprise these days, and we really dig it. Coziness plus. The bar has a fun vibe, and we’ve seen people chilling here for hours. Bottom line: it’s the kind of place you want to linger.

Verica Dynasty Hospitality:
Not hyperbole––the service at The Stanley is some of the best we’ve had in the city. The waiters take their time explaining each dish and we’ve always felt exceedingly well taken care of.

Frankies Notes:
What happens when you drop some aioli on that carpet, though?; I want a Romeo-made version of all of my favorite childhood desserts, like the brownie that came inside of my frozen Kid Cuisine TV dinner; Great father/son duos: Paul & Alex, Bernie & Jason, Marlin & Nemo, Jason & Frankie; When they’re taking votes for Queen City Duchess, please keep me and Frankie at top of mind.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 12/18/18 Yvonne Ackerman 12/18/18

PCG Farm to Fork in the Garden

Background:
The Farm to Fork Picnic, put on by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, has taken place for in Raleigh for many years. This year, the Piedmont Culinary Guild (PCG) brought the event to Charlotte on the stunning grounds of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. PCG’s Executive Director Kris Reid brought together over twenty local chefs and purveyors to showcase our region’s unique ingredients and flavors. This year’s event was held on September 23rd, and tickets were $85 for adults, $50 for young adults (1-20), and children under 12 got in free. We were so excited to receive tickets in order to share the bounty with our readers. We are sure that Farm to Fork in the Garden will be held again next year due to its success, so read on to see what you can expect!

Eat This:
Everyone received the most adorable wooden spork upon arrival, and you were instructed to keep your fork for the entire event. This is the one thing we weren’t crazy about. Although we understood and appreciated it from a conservation standpoint, the fork got pretty dirty after a few dishes, and because of this, you wouldn’t want to throw it in your purse or your pocket, so it got a bit cumbersome to carry around a drink, the spork, the map, etc. Also, I threw mine away after the first dish, because I am terrible person and a creature of habit. Luckily, they gave me another one.

All of the chefs partnered with local farms for their dish’s main ingredient. Here are the dishes we sampled, though there were many more we didn’t get to try––we were positively stuffed!

**Aux Bar**

**Steven Goff**
**Urban Gourmet mushroom fritters with smoked mushroom gravy**
**One of only a handful of vegetarian options. This dish was savory and tasty. We’ve not yet tried this restaurant, and this certainly made us interested to go check it out soon!**

**Upstream**

**Gene Kato**
**Spiced crispy shrimp with Barbee Farms tomato-melon curry**
**We loved this dish, and we are still mourning the loss of Gene Kato, who recently** **returned to Chicago.**

**Sante**

**Adam Reed**
**Kale-stuffed chicken breast medallion with fig jam, apple slaw, pickled radish, and shaved smoked egg yolk**
**The smoked egg yolk was awesome, but the chicken breast was a bit tough and bland, as chicken breast can tend to be, unfortunately.**

**Hello, Sailor**

**Mike Rozycki**
**Rocky River Farms conchiglie a la bolognese**
**This dish wasn’t a looker, but it was so freaking delicious.**

**Pine Island Country Club**

**Joy Turner**
**The farm at Flat Creek pork belly with Cheerwine, boiled peanut relish, pickled slaw, dry rub, garnish**
**We adored this pork belly. So flavorful!**

**The Yolk**

**Greg Collier**
**North Corner Haven West African chicken stew with crispy rice and mixed carrot slaw**
**Greg Collier can do no wrong,** **and this dish is no exception.**

**Fahrenheit**

**Dave Feimster**
**Clearview Farms fried chicken with charred chile jam and roasted Kabocha puree**
**This was a major crowd favorite. How could fried chicken be bad?**

**Southminster**

**Ryan Forte**
**Thai-pickled NC shrimp with Friendship Gardens baby bok choy, radish kimchi, and Asian-style boiled California runner peanut hummus**
This was our favorite dish, and Southminster is actually a retirement home! Jason and I immediately inquired if we could get on the list. Hey, we’re getting very tired, and retirement is way too far away. Let’s all rest and eat Forte’s food for the rest of our days. Amen.

**Queen City Market**

**Christopher Young**
**Smoked Underwood Farms mojo pork with arepa de choclo, housemade queso blanco, peach mostarda, tomato caramel**
**The pork was cooked perfectly, and the flavors were outstanding. Another big crowd hit.**

Dessert:

**Sweet Lew’s Barbecue**

**Lewis Donald**
**Smoked J&J Farms honey and Hickory Hills milk panna cotta with J&J lemongrass jam and farm flowers**
**This was my favorite dish of the event. They actually smoked the honey in a smoker! So cool.**
**Sweet Lew’s just opened the other week, and they have been regularly selling out of BBQ. We can’t wait to get out and try their meat offerings.**

**300 East**

**Ashley Boyd**
**Wild Hope Farm butternut squash blondie with goat yogurt, maple, vanilla, and toasted grains**
**Has Boyd ever done** **anything less than amazing with desserts? Answer: No.**

Drink:

**Bob Peters**

**Punch!**
Peters himself was slinging punch, and we chatted with him about what he’s up to. He’s been consulting with restaurants all over the region on their cocktail programs, and he seems to be living his best life. He continues to make the best punch in the game.

**UpDog Kombucha**

**Olivia Wolff & Lauren Miller**
**No picture of cute Olivia, who was serving up delicious kombucha. Did you listen to** **Olivia’s guest appearance on the Scallionpancake podcast?!** **She’s just the best human ever. The end.**

Atmosphere:
Half of Scallionpancake had never visited Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, and the other half was their for Cousin Amy’s wedding! What an absolutely stunning venue for a wedding or a food event. It was a hot day, but we had some rain just before our arrival that cooled it off. There was live music, face painting for the kiddos, and, of course, so many beautiful flowers and plants!

Farm to Table Hospitality:
The hospitality was extra great, as in most cases it was the actual chefs who were serving up their dishes! That personal touch made the event extra special and more than worth the cost of admission.

Frankie’s Notes:
We hope that our unabashed love of Kato didn’t scare him back to Illinois; I cannot be trusted to re-use a spork 20+ times; I wonder what Winnie the Pooh would think about smoked honey; I wish that I could have attended Cousin Amy’s wedding, but I was just a glimmer in Jason’s eye then; If you think we wouldn’t move into a retirement home just for the food at age 32, then you clearly don’t know us at all.

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.

Yvonne Ackerman 12/11/18 Yvonne Ackerman 12/11/18

Chef Alyssa's Kitchen

Background:
Most of us in Charlotte know Chef Alyssa for her popular cooking classes, which used to be held in Atherton Mill. Last year, Chef Alyssa and her co-owner and husband Andrew Wilen moved to Bowers Mill on Yancey Road, near Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Chef Alyssa’s cooking classes are wildly popular and often sell out, and the catering and prepared meal side of their business has also been very well received by Charlotteans. Taking all of these successes into account, opening a restaurant was the next logical step for this dynamic foodie duo.

Last Saturday, Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen opened to the public for brunch from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and we got to come out the weekend before to get a sneak peek at the menu and try a few things.

Eat This:

**Stuffed French Toast**

**Cinnamon Babka French Toast stuffed with an over-easy egg, topped with berries and pecan maple syrup**
Chef Alyssa is our Jewish soul sister, and she and Jason went to the same temple growing up! So, this babka French toast is a nod to one of the best Jewish culinary creations there is. If you’ve never had babka, you’re missing out. And babka a la French toast is a great way to enjoy this classic.

**Pancake Tacos**

**Fluffy pancakes filled with house bacon and scrambled eggs with spiced maple syrup to dip**
**Pancake. Tacos. Is there anything else to say?**

**Vegetable Knish**

**Root vegetables, fennel, and potato wrapped in soft crust, served with a side salad**
**Ah! More Jew food! A knish is basically a dough ball filled with meat, potatoes, sauerkraut, cheese, or, in this case, vegetables!**

**The Latin TBD**

**Mixed potatoes, over-easy egg, adobo chicken or tempeh sausage, spicy cream, avocado**
**Put an egg on it + put an avocado on it = winning.**

**Modern Southern**

**Mixed potatoes, brussels sprout and apple hash, house bacon or tempeh sausage, fried egg**
**Have you ever seen a fried egg so perfect?**

**The Ron Swanson**

**Eggs your way... but Ron would have them scrambled... bacon and toast**
**A legend and a classic walk into a bar…**

**Andrew’s Breakfast Sandwich**

**House English muffin, omelet with Ashe county sharp cheddar and choice of house bacon, sausage, or tempeh sausage**
**House-made English muffins are the stuff of life.**

**Breakfast Burrito**

**Scrambled eggs, local chorizo or tempeh sausage, Ashe county sharp cheddar, potatoes, peppers and onions, tomato jam**
**Jason will be getting this on the reg.**

**Stone Cut Oats, Buckwheat and Rice Grits**

**Finished with your choice of sweet or savory toppings. Shown here with the sweet version: almond butter, maple glazed local fruit, coconut cream, cinnamon crumble**
**All the toppings! We’d like to try the savory version next, which comes with sautéed local maitake and oyster mushrooms, kale, sesame, chili oil, fried egg**

Dessert:

**Sorghum Blueberry Muffin**

**No photo of this because we ate it so fast. But isn’t Papa Jason cute with his pug sons on Hanukkah?**
**There is also a fruit and yogurt parfait and an apple crisp on the menu, too!**

Atmosphere:
Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen is a large space, because it has to accommodate her cooking classes. The vibe is casual, and you order at the counter.

Jewish Soul Sister Hospitality:
Chef Alyssa and Andrew are total mensches, and it’s no wonder they’ve had such success considering their hard work and friendliness. You won’t be disappointed with any service you get from Chef Alyssa, whether it’s a class, prepared meal, or a lovely Saturday brunch.

Frankie’s Notes:
Brunching is to millennials what Netflix is to a snow day; We don’t take cooking classes because we are more eaters than chefs, but we would make an exception for a Chef Alyssa class; The pugs love Hanukkah because they get eight nights of peanut butter biscuits; Ron Swanson can teach us all a lot about life and brunch; sometimes we fail at food blogging when it’s too delicious and we can’t wait to take a picture before diving in.

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.

Yvonne Ackerman 12/4/18 Yvonne Ackerman 12/4/18

Bulla Gastrobar

Background:
Bulla is a small, Florida-based chain that specializes in tapas. From the original Coral Gables location, Bulla now has eight restaurants, including one in Charlotte. We have visited this South Park eatery several times over the past six months since their opening, and we wanted to share our thoughts with you, dear readers. First, and most importantly, perhaps, Bulla is pronounced “boo-ya” and not “bull-ah,” so now you won’t have to feel silly when you are chatting about the Charlotte restaurant scene with your coworkers. Although Bulla is a chain, it’s still small enough that there is a level of integrity to their food and service that you don’t see at larger chains, and we hope it stays that way.

Bulla is right next to Cowfish. And this giant cowfish!

Eat This:
Bulla is strongest on their tapas and starters. We have yet to be as impressed by the larger dishes. Read on for the details.

**Charcuterie Board**

**Acorn fed pure Iberian ham, Manchego, assorted crackers, caramelized walnuts**
We thought the accouterments served with the charcuterie was a little lame. While the selection of meats and cheeses is strong, the bread could have been better, and we like a little dried fruit/honey. Skip, unless you have to taste that sweet, sweet Iberian ham––which we totally get.

**HAM CROQUETTES**

**Serrano ham, fig jelly**
**Order these. Two pug thumbs up.**

**PATATAS BRAVAS**

**Crispy potato cubes, spicy brava sauce, aioli**
**Basic, but delicious.**

**ALBÓNDIGAS**

**Veal and pork meatballs, Manchego, tomate frito**
**Pretty good, though not mind-blowing. We probably wouldn’t get these again.**

**HUEVOS ‘BULLA’**

**Eggs, homemade potato chips, Serrano ham, potato foam, truffle oil**
The best thing on the menu. We come here basically just for this. Worth it. They bring this dish out in a cast iron pan with everything layered, and then they mix it all up tableside. Fun and super, super tasty.

**GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD**

**Grilled octopus, roma tomatoes, cucumber**
**One of my personal favorites. Very fresh, and lots of different textures that play together nicely.**

**MONTADITOS**

**Brisket, tomato marmalade, guindilla, tetilla cheese**
**Super delicious little bites. We would order these again.**

**PAN DE CRISTAL CON TOMATE**

**Toasted crispy ethereal bread brushed with fresh tomato**
**I had high hopes for this, but it didn’t quite live up to the flavor I envisioned.**

**Bistro Fillet**

**Spanish paprika rub, Mahón cheese grits, sautéed vegetables, whipped serrano butter**
**The entrees at Bulla are just not as impressive as the small plates. Take this steak––overcooked and blah.**

**Summer salmon Ceviche**

**Roasted red pepper, jalapeños, carrots**
This was a dish from their summer menu, and you should be glad it’s gone––at least the version we had. The salmon was not fresh, to the point that I wouldn’t eat more than the first bite for fear of getting ill. We sent this one back. Our server was very understanding, and we didn’t let this one mishap sour us on Bulla as a whole. These things happen. We felt that this dish would have been good with fresh fish. However, anything less than fresh raw fish is muy mal.

Dessert:
Bulla’s dessert menu is perhaps their best work, so definitely don’t skip it.

**TORRIJA**

**Caramelized brioche, turrón ice cream, honey**
**Turron is made with honey, eggs, and almonds, and Scallionpancake loves almonds. We get the torrija every time, and this and the Huevos Bulla, are more than worth our while. ORDER THIS!**

**CREMOSO DE CHOCOLATE**

**Three layer chocolate genoise, vanilla ice cream, olive oil, Maldon salt**
**Smeh. Get the torrija instead.**

Drink:
Bulla pushes their red, white, and rosé sangrias heavily. You can get the red version without Sprite added, so it’s less sweet and more wine-forward, which we appreciate. The margarita wasn’t strong and was far too sweet. Pass.

**SANGRÍA & SPANISH MARGARITA**

**Red wine, brandy, triple sec, sprite, chopped orange**
**Jimador Reposado, Grand Marnier, Lustau Amontillado sherry, lime juice, agave nectar**

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere is lively, the acoustics are not great (read: it’s loud), and the decor is richly colored with deep blues and dark wood paneling throughout. The kitchen is partially open, so from some seats you can get a glimpse of the culinary action.

BOOYA Hospitality:
On our visits, we have had great service. If there has been a mistake (like with the above ceviche dish), it has been quickly and politely resolved. However, some friends of ours experienced horrible service, so your mileage may vary.

Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie’s best work is also his dessert; Whatcha gonna whatcha gonna do with that DESSERT; Frankie wrote that song; You should probably keep mispronouncing Bulla like we did on our podcast for the first few weeks, because that’s super entertaining for everyone; Everyone should get a chance to ride a cowfish at least once in their lives, and we are lucky enough here in Charlotte to live that dream as often as our hearts desire; Ceviche with bad fish is like a bank holiday where you still have to go to work; BOOYA, bishes.

Bulla has a few standout dishes that keep us coming back for more, but a few items still need work. A fun date night atmosphere helps push Bulla Charlotte to a:

Rating: 3 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 11/6/18 Yvonne Ackerman 11/6/18

Angeline's: Uptown Charlotte's Modern Italian Gem

Background:
Angeline’s opened around this time last year on the ground floor of the Kimpton Hotel. While Scallionpancake has yet to venture to the top level of the Kimpton (we’re looking at you, Merchant & Trade and your dress code), we’ve been on two lovely visits to Angeline’s for their modern take on Italian-American cuisine. Executive Chef Robert Hoffman cut his culinary teeth on the Chicago restaurant scene, so it’s no surprise that he knows his stuff. He is also the Executive Chef for Merchant & Trade, as both restaurants are owned by the Kimpton group. We guess this means we’d better suck it up and try it one day soon. We will report back once we buy a belt and heels. Not saying who’s wearing what, though.

Oh, and heads up: we recently learned we were mispronouncing Angeline’s for a long, embarrassing time. It’s Ang-uh-leen’s, not Ange-line’s. Don’t make a fools of yourselves like we did.

Below is a compilation of dishes we tried over two visits, one last December and one in September of this year.

Eat This:

**Little Gem Caesar**

**Anchovy, focaccia crouton**
**We loved the whole anchovy on top. A great, simple Caesar.**

**Focaccia**

**With olive tapenade**
**Decent focaccia. I always wish it had more oil and salt, though.**

**Fritto Misto**

**Fried Calamari, lemon okra, Calabrian Chili aioli**
**Two thumbs up.**

**Polpette**

**Lamb and pork, pomodoro, Taleggio fonduta**
**We loved these meatballs.** **Instagram** **went wild for them, too.**

**Whipped Ricotta**

**Sourdough, lavender honey, pistachio**
**The best appetizer on the menu. You can’t come to Angeline’s and not order this. You won’t be disappointed.**

**Gnocchi**

**With peas & asparagus**
**This dish appears to no longer be on the menu, but it was a great one. Very fresh, and the gnocchi was cooked perfectly.**

**Margherita**

**Fresh mozzarella, Heirloom tomatoes, torn basil, Pecorino, tomato sauce**
**The pizza is good, but I think the pasta is the way to go at Angeline’s. There are better pizzas in town.**

**Linguine**

**with clams**
**My dad had this, and he enjoyed it.**

**Cacio E Pepe**

**Chive, shaved Parmesan, Tellicherry pepper**
**Simple and flavorful. All of the pasta is made in house, and they don’t muddy it up with too many ingredients.**

**Pappardelle**

**Bolognese, crispy Guanciale**
**I’ve gotten this pasta twice, and it’s perfect. I always crave a pasta with meat sauce, and this is my favorite place to come when my mom isn’t around to make hers.**

Dessert:

On the whole, the food is delicious. Some dishes are better than others (again, skip the pizza), but nothing we’ve tried has been bad.

Drink:
Henry Schmulling directs Angeline’s bar program (and Merchant & Trade’s), and he seems to be killing it with cocktails, if Instagram is any indication (and we believe it is). We have only tried wine at Angeline’s, and the list is thoughtfully curated and reasonably priced. We are looking forward to trying some of his cocktails on our next visit.

Atmosphere:
We totally dig the atmosphere. It’s fairly upscale and romantic, but you don’t feel out of place in jeans. There is an abundance of cozy booth seating, and most seats in the house have a great vantage point of the bar and the kitchen.

The bar at Angeline’s. Image courtesy of the fabulous QC Exclusive

An-gul-EEN’s Hospitality:
We have had the best service here. Both of our servers were very informative and provided just the right amount of attentiveness. We always feel like we are in good hands when we dine here.

Frankie’s Notes:
Restaurant menus should come with a full pronounciation guide that includes the name of the restaurant in question; Did you know that McDonald’s is actually pronounced MacDonwald’s?; The more you know; My dad insists he doesn’t like ricotta, but he had no issues devouring that whipped ricotta with lavender honey; Doesn’t that budino look like it’s wearing a snazzy little suit?

Rating: 4 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 10/30/18 Yvonne Ackerman 10/30/18

Greg Collier Lifts Up Loft & Cellar

Background:
Loft & Cellar opened in July 2017 under co-owners Jerry Mercer and Nicholas Daniels, the latter of whom served as Executive Chef. In September of this year, Daniels moved on, and Chef Greg Collier began his stint as the restaurant’s new Executive Chef. Collier is beloved in town for his popular Rock Hill restaurant, The Yolk. According to our lord and savior Kathleen Purvis, Collier plans to stay at Loft & Cellar for several months to get the restaurant on the right track. In that same article, Collier told Purvis that The Yolk would stay open while he was at Loft & Cellar, but since then, The Yolk has closed temporarily, until November 18th. We aren’t 100% clear, but it seems likely that it’s due to his stint downtown and his plans to open The Yolk at 7th Street Market.

Scallionpancake visited Loft & Cellar in January, and, sadly, we were less than impressed. We found the layout of the restaurant awkward and uninviting. Jason also couldn’t get over the restaurant’s name, which was unfortunately opened around the same time as Merchant & Trade. Why, he wondered, was there a rash of new restaurants that just joined up two related words? It’s a fair argument (let us know if you can think of more restaurants that follow this pattern), and we then started calling Loft & Cellar by its new made up name, Table & Lamp. You’re welcome for that glimpse into our strange world.

Recently, Collier and his team reached out to invite us to brunch to check out the restaurant’s new direction, and we were excited to try it out, as we are huge fans of The Yolk and Collier’s culinary talents. Read on to see a nearly complete sampling of Loft & Cellar’s new weekend brunch menu. Some items we got pictures of but didn’t get to try, so we will only comment on what we tasted.

Eat This:

**Hot Chicken Benedict**

**Hot fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, poached eggs, herb hollandaise, zucchini pickles**
**Fabulously spicy and flavorful. A great twist on a traditional Benedict.**

**Southern Shorty**

**Short rib hash, winter green pesto, fried eggs, carrot chow chow**

**Guinea Flint Cornmeal Hoecakes**

**Sorghum butter, ham hock jam**
**I think this dish is pretty brilliant, and I’ve never seen anything like it on any menu around town. I love the simplicity, and the sorghum butter and ham hock jam tasted like heaven.**

**Fish & Grits**

**Salmon cakes, Guinea Flint grits, scrambled eggs, herbs**

**Loft Omelette**

**Salmon, crab, arugula, goat cheese, romesco**
**Love the bang for your buck you get with the seafood. The eggs could have used a bit more seasoning, however.**

**Go-To**

**Cocoa biscuits, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese grits, apple butter**
**We didn’t try this one, but cocoa biscuits sound and look amazing. We are definitely going back to try these.**

**Lamb Burger**

**Lamb, peanut ketchup, arugula, cucumber salad**

Dessert:

**Pan Dame**

**Citrus-scented French toast, white chocolate whipped cream, jalapeño syrup, toasted almonds**
This was hands down my favorite dish of brunch. I don’t usually order French toast because it’s often dry and lacking dimension, but this french toast had multiple flavor profiles happening with the citrus, jalapeño, and white chocolate. The almonds provided a great texture.
**This typically comes with a side of breakfast meat, so it’s a complete meal. We will definitely be back for this one!**

**Grandma’s Hands**

**Sweet potato pancakes, apple caramel, curry whipped cream**
**Another favorite. the curry whipped cream was delightfully unusual and gave the dish a subtle kick.**

Overall, we really liked everything we tried, and it was most assuredly a huge improvement from our pre-Collier visit. We’re excited to get back in soon and try the full menu. We saw many people eating chicken skins with buttermilk chive dip, and that’s going to be our number one priority next time we’re in.

Brunch is offered from 10am-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. It’s $25 for three courses, which we think is a pretty great bargain for all the food you’ll get.

Drink:
We only had coffee on our recent visit, but they offer mimosas and Bloody Marys for brunch. On our previous dinner visit, we tried a banana bourbon shot that Jason loved. Not sure if that’s still available, but if it is, it’s worth trying.

Atmosphere:
We still find the layout awkward. The booths are oddly placed, there’s little decor, and the whole effect is rather barren. However, during brunch, there was a solo guitar player who made the ambiance much more welcoming. We’ve never been upstairs to the “loft,” and we’re curious about what’s going on up there. Apparently this space gets a big bar crowd on the weekends, and we aren’t sure if upstairs is overflow seating, or some kind of magical dance floor that we’ll never be cool enough to see.

Table & Lamp Hospitality:
We are going to reserve judgment on service until we visit one more time under Collier’s watch, as it can be difficult to gauge when dining at a media event. The first time we went, pre-Collier, the service was lackluster, and our waitress argued over a dish someone in our party (justifiably) wanted to send back, which left a pretty terrible taste in our mouths, pun intended. The staff seemed to be entirely new on this visit, so we have high hopes that the service snafus have been rectified.

Frankie’s Notes:
Opening up a restaurant called “Frankie & Ollie” seems like the obvious choice for us, right?; When you go to The Yolk, make sure you get the Tennessee fries, which are home fries dusted with straight crack cocaine; Jk, but the home fries are the best we’ve ever had, and we aren’t sure what the heck makes them so good, except for undoubtedly some kind of devil magic; What is in the loft?! Is it a portal to another dimension where you can eat French toast with white chocolate whipped cream all day long and not get fat? We hope so.

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.

Yvonne Ackerman 10/23/18 Yvonne Ackerman 10/23/18

Behind the Lens with Scoop Charlotte & Scallionpancake

Hello, fellow eaters!

If you’ve ever wondered what made us start blogging, what it’s like to podcast with your spouse, or who has the weirdest art in Charlotte (hint: it’s us), then you should check out our write up on Scoop Charlotte, written by the fabulous Allie of Eat Drink CLT!

Read the full article here.

Yvonne Ackerman 10/9/18 Yvonne Ackerman 10/9/18

littleSpoon: A Tale of Inconsistency & Pork Belly

Background:
Oh, littleSpoon. You let us down time and time again, yet we keep coming back for more. Back in the early days of littleSpoon’s Myers Park tenure, the food was inventive, fun, and—most importantly—delicious. It even made our Best Restaurants list back in the summer of 2016. Lately, however, it’s been a different story.

The food is often inconsistent, and the service disappoints a majority of the time (that’s been true from day one, unfortunately). But when littleSpoon’s food shines, it really shines. The house-cured pork belly slab bacon will make you close your eyes in non-Kosher ecstasy. I regularly crave their steel cut oat porridge with coconut milk. But then their turkey sandwich is dry, or their avocado toast lacks any seasoning or flavor. Ordering has become a game of Russian Roulette, but we keep coming back for their moments of greatness and the hipster “Are we in Charlotte?” ambiance.

In April of this year, littleSpoon made room to merge with its little sister, Comida (check out our review of Comida in its original location here). Since Comida’s move, I think I have heard even less about it than I did when it was in Plaza Midwood. Maybe it’s doing well and flying under the radar? That’’s another review for another time, however. The main change for littleSpoon in housing Comida is that the bar area changed to a different side of the restaurant, and they added some faux-grass flare.

Below is a collection of dishes we have tried over our many, many visits over the years. Seriously, the meals below span 2014-2018: we go often, to say the least. Note that many of the dishes pictured were daily specials, or feature items that are no longer on the menu. On that note, we certainly give littleSpoon kudos for regularly switching up their menu offerings. This post is essentially our ask is for littleSpoon to be its best self most of the time, so we can go back to loving it and having our go-to, hip brunch spot back again

Eat This:

**Slab bacon**

**House-cured, Carolina Heritage Farms pork belly**
**This right here is a huge reason why we keep coming back to littleSpoon. It’s flavorful and perfectly-textured, and it makes you wish all bacon was pork belly bacon.**

**farro bowl**

**Radish, goat cheese, edible flowers**
**One of my all-time favorites from their late spring/early summer menu in 2015. I wish I could recreate this as well at home, and I’ve tried. Didn’t come close.**

**Avocado Toast**

**Sourdough Toast, charred avocado, radish, grapefruit, jalapeño, micro green salad**
As beautiful as this was, it tasted like nothing. I didn’t get any of the grapefruit or spice. The bread was not toasted enough, and the whole experience was bland and mushy. It’s not easy to screw up avocado toast, but it’s apparently possible.

**chicken biscuit**

**LS biscuits, crispy fried chicken, house pickles, garlic aioli**
**This is a classic, and I would imagine it’s among their most popular menu items. Not terribly offensive, but the biscuits are often dry.**

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

**A special from May 2017. The grilled cheese was good, but the tomato soup lacked seasoning. Are you seeing a pattern?**

**Caesar Salad**

**With duck egg**
**Also on the menu in May 2017, and I wish it had stuck around. A good one.**

**Chicken Wings**

**With Gochujang sauce**
**These wings were excellent. We wish these were back on the menu, too.**

**Omelette**

**With lox**
Omelettes are not ever a favorite of ours at littleSpoon. They typically lack salt and pepper, though they are cooked beautifully—light and fluffy. What a shame, because typically cooking an omelette properly is the hardest part, and they’ve got that down.

**LS Turkey Sandwich**

**brioche, LS roasted turkey breast, tomato & Bibb lettuce, garlic aioli**
**Ah, there’s that dry turkey sandwich from the introduction. It’s a shame, because the individual ingredients are spot on. They just need to cook the turkey differently and slice it more thinly.**

**Granola**

**Yogurt, honey, strawberries**
**Nothing to not like about this classic combo. A special from May 2016.**

Omeltte

**With greens**
**See our comments above re: littleSpoon’s omelette game. :/**

**Mini Cheddar jalapeño biscuits**

**With bacon fat butter**
These were one of our biggest disappointments. The biscuits did not taste at all of cheddar or jalapeños, and they could have functioned as stand-in pucks at a Checkers’ game. Sadness, especially when there is bacon fat butter involved.

**Egg White Raft**

**Sourdough, whipped goat cheese, egg whites, local greens, salsa verde**
I love this dish, and it has been on their menu from the beginning. I only wish you could substitute for whole eggs, but the egg white is a pre-baked frittata. I should get this more often, as it’s consistent.

**Korean Brussels Sprouts**

**Fried brussels sprouts, gochujang vinaigrette**
**Another solid staple. We’ve never been let down by these bad boys.**

**#BEC**

**Bacon, egg, and cheese**
**It’s good, but a hashtag in the name doesn’t make it anything special. Your average bacon, egg, and cheese, that you could get cheaper and better at Laurel Market, or another breakfast spot.**

**French Dip**

**With au jus**
**Another special from May 2016. Just okay.**

**Crispy RIce**

**Puffed rice, LS kimchi, pickled mushrooms, sesame wilted Mizuna, poached egg**
We were so excited to see this on the menu last April, and it just didn’t work for us. The crispy rice was a few notches too crispy, and the flavors were very one note, and didn’t meld well together. This one could have been awesome, and we hope they have since perfected it, as it’s still on the menu.

Dessert:
littleSpoon has some nice “breakfast dessert” options, like 8-minute s’mores cookies, scones, and the aforementioned cinnamon toast brûlée.

**Cinnamon Roll**

**This one from January 2016 is not sticking out in my memory, but it looks pretty good in this picture, eh? We’ll give it a pass.**

**Pop Tart**

An oft-featured special, years ago. Haven’t seen it on the menu much lately. We always enjoyed these, in every flavor. Can’t remember what was in this one…wish I could teleport back and take a bite.

Drink:
littleSpoon is known for their giant, handle-less coffee mugs (essentially bowls). Their coffee is Pure Intentions, and I never have any complaints about it. They also offer freshly-squeezed orange, apple, and grapefruit juice, and the full bar can be enjoyed day and night.

**Iced Coffee**

**Coffee in any form at littleSpoon is always great. Two thumbs up.**

**Cappuccino**

**In a classic littleSpoon mug. Delicious and comforting.**

Atmosphere:
The rap music is fun, but considering the inconsistency of the food, it makes you wonder if littleSpoon relies on the ambiance to cover up their rough patches. The decor itself is decidedly fine, nothing standout. Except for the tile at their new bar—we are not sure what’s going on there. It is white and orange with text, but all of the text is cut off so you can’t tell what it says. If you know whether that tile has some special meaning, please let us know.

littleHospitality:
We mentioned it earlier, but it bears repeating: littleSpoon’s service is a real disappointment. Even when the servers are attentive, which they often are, they always serve up major attitude to accompany those giant coffee cups, and it makes us sad. The waitstaff basically makes you feel as though your presence is an imposition. Seriously, when we leave here, we often laugh that we keep coming back in the face of such disinterested service—it’s like being unable to quit an abusive boyfriend.

This is us leaving, filled with pork belly and confusion: “Why do we keep coming back here!?” Never again!”

This is us two months later, when the pain has worn off: “Let’s go to brunch at littleSpoon! I want bacon and brûléed cinnamon toast.”

Frankie’s Notes:
What is it about Biggie and Tupac that lulls us into a stupor and makes us forget dismissive service?; littleSpoon’s bigCoffee cups are one of the top five best things about the restaurant; Is there an Illuminati message hidden in the orange bar tile?; Pork belly makes us have amnesia; Taking your parents here is always a wide-eyed adventure, and they will definitely question the lack of handles on the coffee cups and the music; Why can’t we quit you, littleSpoon?

Rating: 2 out of 5

Yvonne Ackerman 10/2/18 Yvonne Ackerman 10/2/18

The Case for Atelier Crenn

Dominique Crenn reposted this photo of ours on Instagram, and we can basically die happy now.

Background:
Here’s the deal:

Atelier Crenn has two Michelin Stars. It should have three.
It was left off of this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and it should have placed in the top ten (we have eaten at four of the top ten—including number one—so we are not speaking from ignorance).

The world of fine dining is still in many respects a “boy’s club,” and we believe Dominique Crenn’s culinary artistry has not yet received the recognition it deserves. Scallionpancake is here to change that.

We are going to go a step further, in fact: Crenn’s dishes are more inventive, more flavorful, and, most importantly, more reflective of her passion than those we tasted at EMP and The French Laundry. At the aforementioned restaurants, we felt that the chefs were resting on their laurels and relying on their famous names in many respects. Perhaps because Crenn’s reputation does not yet precede her, she is making food that keeps diners on their toes and showcases a cuisine that blends creativity and taste in a way that places her quite firmly in our top five restaurants (she is still below Noma, but not far below).

Soooo excited. And perhaps a bit underdressed. But San Francisco is a walking town, and we definitely walked to dinner. Hence the sneaks.

If you’ve seen the Netflix Chef’s Table episode on Atelier Crenn, you know that Crenn created her Marina District San Francisco restaurant as a tribute to her father, Allain. Together with her mother, he introduced Crenn to a wide variety of cuisines at a young age. In her 20s, Crenn moved from France to San Francisco to begin her restaurant career. In 2011, she opened Atelier Crenn and received two Michelin Stars that same year. In 2015, she opened the smaller, slightly more casual Petit Crenn, and this year she opened Bar Crenn right next door to Atelier Crenn, which serves wine, cocktails, and small plates. In 2018, Crenn won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Western Region of the United States.

We dined at Atelier Crenn in May 2018 and enjoyed the spring tasting menu. We didn’t see Crenn on our visit, as she was on vacation, but she is in the restaurant most nights of the week, so you are likely to catch a glimpse of her in action when you go.

Eat This:
Once seated, each diner is presented with a poem that is a menu in disguise. Each line is a coded lyrical verse that hints at the dish to come. We had so much fun trying to figure out what type of dish was coming based on the poem, though we only guessed correctly for a couple (we knew the “Royal Lady’s fruitful labor” was referencing a honey bee. That’s about it).

Let us take you through our poetic and awe-inspiring meal at Atelier Crenn, in the form of Crenn’s verse and culinary prowess:

Kombucha

**Okay, okay, The first course doesn’t correspond to the poem. But the kombucha apertif was a delight. Delicious, cool, and refreshing.**

**Spring has come with its cool breeze**

**Kir Breton**
The first course that corresponds with the poem. If you’ve seen the Chef’s Table episode on Crenn, this dish features prominently. The ingredients in a Kir Breton cocktail (crème de cassis and dry cider) **are enrobed in white chocolate. You pop this in your mouth all at once, and the cool and sweet flavors explode. Such a strong start, and it deserves its place as Crenn’s signature dish.**

**See this most adored gift from Neptune, an aureate bloom**

**Geoduck, Sea Urchin, & Citrus**
Have you ever had geoduck? We hadn’t. It’s a large clam, portioned here along with the sea urchin to look like a beautiful flower of sorts. The texture of the clam and sea urchin on the rice cracker was divine.
**This came out in a cloche filled with dry ice, so the presentation was as exciting as the taste.**

**Warriors ashore bathe in a rosy glow as luminous as its gilded crown**

**Prawn, Seaweed, & Whey**
The most exciting thing about Crenn’s food is the way she plays with textures and flavors. Each bite feels unexpected, and there are approximately 35 experiences happening at once inside of your mouth. That’s what she said?
**The circle of consommé** **and the inner circle of whey each added layers of flavor to this dish.**

**To bury in fallen leaves my treasures of the earth and sea**

**Seed & Grain**
**Smoked buckwheat, quinoa soil, smoked trout roe (bottarga), and smoked sturgeon pearls with a warm bonito dashi broth. This course was rich and comforting.**

**From the wintry mist, tender specks on the meadow begin to stir**

**English Pea & Mint**
One of our favorite dishes. Early spring peas were mixed with beads of frozen crème fraîche. Tableside, ham broth was stirred in. This was spring in a bowl—the flavors were bursting with freshness and the mix of crunchy textures made every bite a revelation.

**As if awoken by shimmering pearls and ashen cloud**

**Caviar, Buckwheat, & Koji**
**Caviar and gold leaf: how could this be bad? Served with lacy buckwheat crackers, this course was fun to eat and the flavors were perfectly rich.**

**Brioche & House-made butter**

**No verse for bread?! We shall write one:**
**“Oh bread, for you my heart beats”**
**Alternate verse: Brioche with butter? Enough said.**

**Butter-dipped radishes**

Another one that is not part of the poem, but wow, wow, wow. I love the radish, butter, and salt combo, but Crenn took it to a new level by enrobing the entire radish in the slightly sweet butter. Every other butter/radish duo will pale in comparison to this.

**Hidden beneath the bluffs an armored gent listens**

**Abalone, Cabbage & Smoked Crème**
**This was one of the only dishes we weren’t floored by. We liked it, but it wasn’t super memorable. Moving along.**

**To the snowy stillness of soft swimming creatures**

**Striped bass, Boudin Noir, & Morel**
The best part of this course was that you got to choose your knife from a box of assorted knives a waiter brought around. I always loved '“choose your own adventure” books, but choose your own cutlery was nearly as fun.
You may have noticed that there is no meat on this menu. Once we had this course, I wasn’t missing it at all. The sea bass was meaty and so rich. I felt very satisfied, but Jason wouldn’t have *hated* a bit of red meat.

**While the ephemeral beauty born of jade effervescence sang**

**Matcha Tea Service**
**Matcha mixed with bone broth. Could Crenn get any more au courant with this course? I dug it. A more creative palate cleanser than stodgy old sorbet, thats’s for sure.**

**For the verdant bounty of the gatherer’s harvest in caring hands**

**Onion Royal & Comté**
**A very satisfying and warming cheese course. Not a standout when looking back at the entire meal, however.**

Dessert:

**From the Royal Lady’s fruitful labor a dulcet offering**

**Honey, Sapote, & Pollen**
**The verse we guessed! Honey! The bee pollen magic shell on the honey ice cream was super fun and majorly tasty.**

**As the drifter rests, in reverie of days ahead**

**Coconut & Pineapple**
**A rich, creamy, dreamy, coconut pineapple mousse inside of a chocolate shell.**
**In Scallionpancake’s opinion, the dessert course is a major weakness at many fine dining restaurants (we’re looking at you,** **EMP**), and Atelier Crenn’s offerings blew us away. This coconut had so many lovely texture and flavor elements (chunks of pineapple are hiding inside of the mousse), and the portion was large enough to leave us satisfied. This dessert was the absolute best we’ve had anywhere.

**Spring has come and is full of sweet surprises**

**Mignardises**
**A real cacao pod! What could possibly be inside?!**

**Sweetness, bounty, thanks**

**An assortment of fabulous chocolates, that’s what!**
**My favorite was the peanut butter one on the right—it was essentially a next level** **PB Crisp** **(PS-sign the petition to bring back PB Crisp! It’s my life’s cause).**

Drink:
Neither of us did the beverage pairing, but we each got two drinks. Jason enjoyed mocktails, while I indulged in the most glorious champagne. Cheers!

**Non-Alcoholic Gin & Tonic**

Tasted just like a real G & T. Seriously amazing. Stocked by the Seedlip brand.

Atmosphere:
Crenn’s father’s paintings adorn the walls, along with sticks and other natural elements. The entire effect is that you are dining in a cozy bird’s nest. Cozy, indeed—there are only eight tables, making this the smallest fine dining restaurant we’ve ever experienced.

Bird's Nest Hospitality:
The service throughout the night was flawless, and the servers were very patient and when we asked them to repeat explanations for each dish. Because you know we did.

There was only one snafu, and perhaps this reflects poorly on us, but we feel that Scallionpancake readers deserve to know our truth: we are pen stealers. Gulp. When we dine in fancy, Michelin-starred establishments, we hope and pray that we get a branded pen with our bill (note: even when you pay ahead of time with Tock, you still must pay for drinks the night of), and when we do, well…we take that pen and put it in a v. special faux marble jar from The Container Store. Like ya do, right? Well, Atelier Crenn is the only time we have been called out. When the waiter came back to get our bill after we had signed, he looked inside the envelope and asked if we had the pen! Yikes. We owned up, and said that we were pen collectors (read: thieves), and laughed it off. He wasn’t laughing, but he let us leave with out absconded pen nonetheless. Though we should perhaps feel shamed, we only feel that for a $700+ meal, it really shouldn’t have been mentioned.

Since we are talking cash money, let’s get into the details. Like Eleven Madison Park, Atelier Crenn uses the Tock booking system, which means that diners pay for their meals in advance. We love this feature, as paying for the meal on the night of can be a bit of a downer, so it’s nice to get that pesky part out of the way ahead of time. At the time of publication, each tasting meal is $335 per person, with the tip included. Beverage pairings begin at $220 per person.

Okay, so this is not the outside of Atelier Crenn. But this amazing house nearby caught my eye. It’s a hindu temple with a very cool history. The more you know!

Frankie's Notes:
Don’t worry, the fabled pen is resting safely on our kitchen counter in its faux-marble home; We will let you come see the pen for $335 per person; We are writing sternly-worded letters to the folks behind the 50 Best Restaurants List, and we are going to sign them all “#MeToo""; Our friend Miriam, who is a mourning dove, dined in a nest every night until she was scared off by a giant raven who ate her bird children; I am currently writing a “choose your own adventure” book that is all about choosing the knife that will ultimately decide your destiny and success fighting against large, chocolate-shell coconut.

Rating: 5 out of 5 + 3 Michigan Pugs

Yvonne Ackerman 9/11/18 Yvonne Ackerman 9/11/18

Gene Kato Infuses New Life Into SouthPark's Upstream

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

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

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

Eat This:

**Kato's Tofu**

**Soymilk, pickled shimeji mushrooms, ikura & fried ginger**

**Tuna Escabeche**

**Tomato, pickled onion, & smoked soy**

**Angry Crab**

**Baked King Crab Gunkan**

**"The Rock"**

**Ginger-marinated NY strip**
Photo courtesy of Upstream

**Seabass**

**Banana-leaf wrapped, tomato chutney, & mango papaya**

IMG_3954 (1).jpg — **Pork Belly Ssam**

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

Dessert:

**Strawberry Sorbet**

**Strawberry jelly, freeze dried strawberry, & strawberry puree**

**Doughnuts**

**Chocolate-filled donuts with green tea semi-freddo mousse**

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yvonne Ackerman 9/4/18 Yvonne Ackerman 9/4/18

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

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

Eat This:

**Oysters**

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

**Lobster Lollipop**

Insert praise emoji here

**Lobster Avocado Toast**

Millenials everywhere are crying tears of joy

**Hi-Tide Lobster Roll**

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

**Ahi Tuna Burger**

Served with seasoned chips or fries

**Rainbow Poke Bowl**

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

**Build-Your-Own Poke Bowl**

All sorts of goodness in this bowl

**Poke Nachos**

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

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

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

**HAWAIIAN cold brew with COCONUT milk**

Life-giving

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

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

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

Yvonne Ackerman 8/28/18 Yvonne Ackerman 8/28/18

Experience Authentic Italian in Ballantyne with Zinicola

Background:
Richard Cranmer and his wife Najiya opened Zinicola in Ballantyne in 2017. The name Zinicola is taken from Chef Cranmer's mother's maiden name, and family heritage is central to the restaurant's mission. Growing up, Cranmer would take summer trips to visit his Nonna in Italy, and she continues to inspire his cuisine today. We were invited out in earlier in August to sample their menu and hear more about their commitment to chef-driven and authentic Italian cuisine.

Eat This:
All of Zinicola's food is made fresh and in-house, including their pasta and pizzas. We particularly loved the Parmesan basket that the risotto was served in, and the creativity that went into the heirloom tomato salad.

**Beef Carpaccio**

*tomato jam, parmigiana gel, arugula*

**Heirloom Tomato Salad**

*tomato cannellini, black tomato sauce, basil*
**The cannellini was made with a tomato gel instead of pasta--so cool!**

IMG_6351 (1).jpg — **Roasted OCTOPUS**

*black risotto, saffron emulsion*
**Perfectly cooked.**

FullSizeRender (2).jpg — **FETTUCCINE**

*swordfish, mint, garlic, tomato, white wine*

**Risotto**

*parmigiana basket, Italian sausage, mushrooms*
**Rice in a Parmesean basket? Sign us up.**

FullSizeRender (1).jpg — **Ravioli**

*beef mushroom ricotta, wrapped in duck prosciutto, sage butter sauce*
**Hands down, our favorite pasta of the night.**

**Eggplant Wrapped Grouper**

*cannellini bean sauce, clams*

**Lamb Loin**

*eggplant puree, rosemary potato cake, zucchini, mint gel*
**The lamb was tender and flavorful, and the potato cake cured any lingering carb needs that remained after all that pasta!**

Dessert:
Do not sleep on Zinicola's dessert. This baby was my favorite dish of the evening.

**Pistachio Nutella Mascarpone**

**Bonus: this was gluten-free!**

Drink:
The wine menu and creative cocktail selection are finely curated. As your server for pairing suggestions.

FullSizeRender (3).jpg — **Strawberry Martini**

**Drunk.**

Atmosphere:
Zinicola is upscale, and the white tablecloths and candles will elevate your night out into a special occasion. There were plenty of couples on dates when we dined, but there were also a lot of families. The patio is busy on cooler nights, and this is where to sit for a more casual vibe. The bar is open to both the inside of the restaurant and the outside patio, so you have easy access to the fabulous cocktails pictured above.

Hospitality:
The Cranmers are such a fun couple, and they provide fine dining in an atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. We were well-fed and provided with everything we needed on this visit, and we can't wait to go back on our own soon.

Frankie's Notes:
Even a pug would drive to Ballantyne for food this good; They served us so many drinks that we needed a DD at the end of the night; All carbs should come in a cheese basket; Jason claims to not like cheesecake or cream cheese, but when it comes to dessert, he abandons all previously professed reservations; Chef Cranmer and his wife are pod listeners who say they bicker as much as we do--should we have a kvetch off?!

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.

Yvonne Ackerman 7/31/18 Yvonne Ackerman 7/31/18

More Time for Me with Harris Teeter ExpressLane

Contrary to what your social media feeds may lead you to believe, the life of a millennial is hectic: those avocado toast pictures aren’t going to Instagram themselves, ya’ll.

Due to a busy lifestyle of boutique workout classes, binge watching, and working on that side hustle, many thirty-somethings are turning to restaurant delivery services during a busy work week. While that option is quick, it isn’t always healthy, and it’s never budget friendly.

Harris Teeter ExpressLane can save you on those busy nights when you’ve overbooked yourself. Ordering groceries online and having them delivered to your car means you decrease IRL interaction by 78%, and that’s a win by all but the toughest millennial standards.

You’re left with a healthy & fresh grocery haul and free time to spare, child of the 90s! Read below for some fun ways to spend all the time you saved on running errands.

Go on a food tour. Even the most dedicated foodie can find hidden culinary gems in their own city through companies that will guide you on walking tours and provide you with food, drink, and information about gourmet destinations in your backyard.

Staycation. Relax and recharge in your hometown. Venture to a new-to-you farmer’s market, and seek out a cozy coffee shop to curl up with a matcha latte and your latest read. Find a fancy spa where you can stay on after your treatment to lounge in the steam room or jacuzzi. Some spas offer day passes to their facilities, even if you aren’t purchasing a service.

Go All-American. Pack a picnic lunch and head to a park to nosh, lounge on a blanket, and play fetch with your pup. Grab tickets to a nighttime baseball game and enjoy your city’s skyline with a hot dog and beer.

Pamper your Pup. Take your furry friend to get a freshly baked treat at a doggie bakery (yes, they exist), and skip the dog park in favor of a dog bar or dog-friendly brewery. You can enjoy an ice-cold beverage and human conversation while your canine BFF makes some new buddies.

Unplug. Perhaps what millenials need most is time off-line. Find a trail you’ve yet to explore, load your backpack with snacks and water, and leave your phone behind--you won’t have service anyway. Enjoy the moment, the scenery and sounds, and find out once and for all the answer to the question: “If you don’t Instagram it, did it even happen?” We guarantee you will be pleased with the answer and how you feel once you power-down your phone.

Are you ready to reclaim your free time? Click here to begin your Harris Teeter ExpressLane order.

Featured Bloggers: Yvonne & Jason Ackerman run Scallionpancake, a food blog and podcast. When they are not eating or planning their next travel adventure, they are teaching high school English (Yvonne) and running a CPA firm (Jason). You can follow their shenanigans at scallionpancake.com and subscribe to their podcast on iTunes.

This post is sponsored by Harris Teeter. All opinions, content, and photography are our own.

Yvonne Ackerman 7/17/18 Yvonne Ackerman 7/17/18

Sea Level: Making Lobster Rolls Cool in the Queen City

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

Eat This:

**Sea Level Oysters**

**From Sea Level, NC**

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

**Barrel Ceviche**

**citrus marinade, fresh strawberry apple salsa, house made chips**

**Fried Springer Mountain Chicken Sandwich**

**greens, chorizo gravy, ranch**

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

**Sea Level Salad**

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

IMG_3061 (1).jpg — **Maine Style Lobster Roll**

**lobster lightly coated in mayo, greens**

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

**Connecticut Style Lobster Roll**

**lobster lightly coated in butter, greens**

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

**Fried Chicken Bao Bun**

**with honey BBQ & slaw**

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

**Chocolate fudge Spoon Cake**

***with whipped icing***

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

**Summer G & T**

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

**Nada Colada**

***pineapple, coconut, almond, lime***

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

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

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

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

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

Yvonne Ackerman 7/3/18 Yvonne Ackerman 7/3/18

Ollie's Bites: Charlotte's Donut Fix

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!

**Reigning Donuts**

**"Crispy & poppable"**

NoDa’s Reigning Donuts is the hot new player on the Charlotte donut scene, and we could not be more obsessed with them. They describe themselves as a “food truck that’s not going anywhere,” and we love this description of their walk-up window set-up. What sets Reigning Donuts apart is that each donut is fried and topped to order, and you just can’t get any fresher than that. The mainstay toppings include powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, honey, and vanilla or chocolate frosting. However, we are partial to the rotating daily specials--you can usually find us there on matcha coconut Tuesdays and S’mores Thursdays.

**Your Mom’s Donuts**

**"The square one"**
**Image courtesy of Your Mom's Donuts Instagram page**

If you want your donut large, square-shaped, and made with all local ingredients, Your Mom’s Donuts is where it’s at. These donuts are at once hefty and fluffy, and the flavor profile is so pure--you can taste the tanginess of the fresh eggs and milk, and the toppings only elevate the experience. Their salted caramel and dark chocolate ganache donuts are heaven, and look for seasonally rotating favorites like maple bacon and strawberry preserves. My only caveat is that I preferred these donuts when they were fried in lard, and they are now fried in coconut oil. Still delicious, though.

**Duck Donuts**

**"Customizable, fresh"**
**Image courtesy of Duck Donuts Instagram page**

Duck Donuts is a quickly growing chain that started in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Charlotte is lucky to have their own location in Dilworth. The best thing about Duck Donuts is the level of customization--donuts are fried to order, and you can design them with any combination of coatings and toppings. These donuts are light and airy old fashioned style, and the coatings span a wide range: blueberry, strawberry, lemon, maple, and peanut butter in addition to classic glaze and cinnamon or powdered sugar. Toppings include sprinkles, coconut, peanuts, oreos, graham crackers, and...wait for it: bacon. My favorite is a piping hot chocolate frosting with coconut!

**Foxcroft Wine Co.**

**"Pairs with girls' night & a glass of wine"**

Foxcroft Wine Co. is the best place to go for a wine night with your friends, and a sleeper hit for some of the best donuts in town. Their crispy fried donut holes are a must order when you are dining at this popular Dilworth spot. You can get them with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, (or both!), and they come with the most life-altering chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. Wash these babies down with a glass of prosecco, and you will be winning at life.

**Stoke**

**"The mother of all donuts"**

Want a nighttime donut that will impress your friends and family and blow up your Instagram feed? Sounds like a job for a giant donut. Stoke’s one pound donut is filled with diplomat cream and a crumbled up Heath bar. I know--catch your breath. It’s that life altering. I have finished this bad boy with three other dining companions, so I know it can be done (don’t be a quitter!), but they are more than happy to box up what you can’t finish, so you can have epic leftovers for breakfast the next day.

**Sugarrmann’s Kronuts**

**"50% donut, 100% delcious"**

Okay, okay, so a cronut is not 100% donut, but this local croissant-donut hybrid deserves a mention. Sugarrmann Kronut’s does not have a brick and mortar, but they have a food truck and host pop-up events around town. For more of a sure thing, they also sell their cronuts in Coco & the Director, a hip coffee shop located inside the Uptown Marriott. Their cronuts come in ridiculously good flavors like coffee, matcha, and nutella, and each one has about one thousand buttery layers of goodness. Get you one.

Yvonne Ackerman 6/19/18 Yvonne Ackerman 6/19/18

Global Restaurant

Background:
Global Restaurant has been a part of the Charlotte dining scene for over ten years--first in Ballantyne, and now in their Pineville location. Owners and husband and wife team Bernard & Shannon Brunet came from opposite corners of the world (Bernard is from Nice, France and Shannon is from Boone, NC), and met on a cruise ship where he was the Executive Chef and she was a performer. I don't know about you, but I would certainly love to see the movie version of that--très romantique! It sounds like Dirty Dancing at sea, but with more calories. I can dig it.

Chef Bernard & Shannon are passionate about bringing high quality, international cuisine to Charlotte, and after a recent visit, we can certainly confirm that they are delivering on that goal. Global is essentially two restaurants in one, in that there is an upscale, white tablecloth dining area upstairs, and a more casual "Bar Bites" menu downstairs. On our visit, we tasted items from their fine dining menu, but we are looking forward to going back soon to try their grass-fed burgers and chicken wings.

Eat This:

**Ahi Tuna Crudo**

***yucca crisp, cucumber, compressed cantelope***

**Pickled Farm Deviled Eggs**

***beet pickled eggs, Benton's candied bacon***

**Tega Hills Farm Squash Blossom**

***Peruvian cherry pepper filling, Chipotle buttermilk***
**Flash fried, finished in the oven**

**Rosen Lamb Belly**

***24 hours braised, ramp pesto risotto, aubergine two ways***
***Chef Bernard creates this glorious dish by stacking up three pieces of lamb belly to recreate the thickness of pork belly***

**SC Mahi**

***summer squash salad with strawberry pesto***

**Angus Strip Block**

***corn creamed succotash, Guajilo ketchup***

Dessert:

**Milk Chocolate "Pot De Cremachino"**

***with NC strawberry***

Drink:
Not only is Shannon the front of the house expert, she is also in charge of creating Global's cocktail menu and curating their listed-by-country wine list, which she calls her "first baby" (their second baby is their sweet son Xavier, whom we briefly met at dinner!). Shannon changes the cocktail menu seasonally, and we got to try a flight of three cocktails on our visit. Our trio included: Pineville Punch with rum, rock candy syrup, jalapeno, and Amarena cherries; Lombardi's Limoncello with limoncello, gin, fresh lemon juice, and club soda; and a Drunken Strawberry Margarita with tequila, drunken strawberries, rock candy syrup, and a salted rim. My favorite was the Pineville Punch, because I am a sucker for anything with cherries. These went down way too easily!

**Cocktail Flight**

***from left to right: Pineville Punch, Lombardi's Limoncello & Drunken Strawberry Margarita***

Atmosphere:
We ate our meal in the downstairs area (even though it was from the upstairs menu), so we can't speak to the ambiance of the upstairs area, but the downstairs was warm and inviting. There is also a lovely (and dog friendly!) patio that would be perfect in the cooler months. Jason and I will not be dining outside until around December, as it is currently the temperature of the surface of the sun in Charlotte. To quote Fitzgerald in the form of Daisy Buchanan: "It's too hot to fuss." Indeed, Daisy.

**Chef Bernard spitting truth about farm to table cuisine while Heidi takes notes**

Pineville Hospitality:
Chef Bernard and Shannon were our main servers for this meal, so to say we had impeccable treatment is an understatement. Service was smooth and the pacing and the tempertaure of all dishes was on point.

**Bonus: Chef Bernard even gave Chrissie Beth and the bloggers photography tips**

Frankie's Notes:
Lamb bellies are similar to pork bellies in that if you rub them three times, you will be granted a magic wish; Frankie had dreams of starring in the stage version of Dirty Dancing at Sea until he broke his paw and couldn't perform; Jason loved that squash blossom until we told him it had cream cheese; The moral of the story is that Jason really does like cream cheese, deep down; It's too hot to fuss until it's time for the Ren Fest, which everyone knows is the unofficial official start of fall; Chef Bernard's photography classes are only offered by appointment only, so don't try to order them from the Bar Bites menu.

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.

Click here to score this shirt

Subscribe to the pod

Latest Posts

July 2024
- Jul 23, 2024 DiverXo: A review of Dabiz Muñoz's Madrid Masterpiece Jul 23, 2024
May 2023
- May 15, 2023 Noma Kyoto: A Review of Rene Redzepi's Japanese Pop-Up May 15, 2023
August 2022
- Aug 9, 2022 Jordnær Aug 9, 2022
October 2021
- Oct 4, 2021 Noma: A Review of the Game and Forest Season Menu Oct 4, 2021
September 2021
- Sep 5, 2021 Counter- Sep 5, 2021
January 2021
- Jan 9, 2021 The Catbird Seat Jan 9, 2021
May 2020
- May 19, 2020 Casa Tabachin May 19, 2020
- May 5, 2020 Pujol May 5, 2020
April 2020
- Apr 21, 2020 Quintonil Apr 21, 2020
- Apr 7, 2020 How Roots is Giving Back During COVID-19 Apr 7, 2020
March 2020
- Mar 24, 2020 Peppervine Shines in SouthPark Mar 24, 2020
February 2020
- Feb 25, 2020 Where to Eat in Plaza Midwood Feb 25, 2020
- Feb 11, 2020 The Porter's House: Not Your Traditional Steakhouse Feb 11, 2020
January 2020
- Jan 28, 2020 Sweet Lew's, It's You Jan 28, 2020
- Jan 14, 2020 Best Coffee Shops for Chilling in Charlotte Jan 14, 2020
December 2019
- Dec 31, 2019 Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte: 2019 Edition Dec 31, 2019
- Dec 17, 2019 Top Five Dishes of 2019 Dec 17, 2019
- Dec 3, 2019 Top Five Restaurants of 2019 Dec 3, 2019
November 2019
- Nov 19, 2019 Anomaly Charlotte Pop-Up Nov 19, 2019
- Nov 5, 2019 Schwa Cleans Up Its Act Nov 5, 2019
October 2019
- Oct 22, 2019 Alinea: A Review of Grant Achatz's Flagship Chicago Restaurant Oct 22, 2019
- Oct 8, 2019 Flip-a-Lo's Gives Charlotte a Taste of Buffalo Oct 8, 2019
September 2019
- Sep 24, 2019 Capishe Real Italian Kitchen Upgrades Charlotte's Fast Casual Game Sep 24, 2019
- Sep 10, 2019 Chef James Knappett's Kitchen Table Sep 10, 2019
August 2019
- Aug 27, 2019 Queen City Classic Wine Tour with Big Fat World Tours and NC Wine Gals Aug 27, 2019
- Aug 13, 2019 Piedmont Culinary Guild's Sensoria Food & Wine Aug 13, 2019
July 2019
- Jul 30, 2019 Enigma: A Review of Albert Adria's Barcelona Culinary Adventure Jul 30, 2019
- Jul 15, 2019 The Updog Kombucha Origin Story Jul 15, 2019
- Jul 2, 2019 Haar Restaurant: Dean Banks' St. Andrews Star Jul 2, 2019
June 2019
- Jun 11, 2019 El Celler de Can Roca Review: The Roca Brothers Deliver Jun 11, 2019
May 2019
- May 28, 2019 Dorothy Creamery Scallionpancake Loaded Nachos May 28, 2019
- May 14, 2019 Harper's Restaurant May 14, 2019
April 2019
- Apr 30, 2019 Noma: A Review of the Seafood Season Menu Apr 30, 2019
- Apr 16, 2019 Yume Ramen Sushi & Bar Apr 16, 2019
- Apr 2, 2019 Buxton Hall + Hello, Sailor Collaboration Dinner Apr 2, 2019
March 2019
- Mar 26, 2019 Blue Hill at Stone Barns Mar 26, 2019
- Mar 19, 2019 Legion Brewing Brunch Mar 19, 2019
- Mar 12, 2019 Meat & Potatoes: Redefining Charlotte's Stereotype Mar 12, 2019
- Mar 5, 2019 Flour Shop Mar 5, 2019
February 2019
- Feb 26, 2019 JuneBaby Feb 26, 2019
- Feb 19, 2019 The Waterman Feb 19, 2019
- Feb 12, 2019 Charlotte All Stars - NBA Edition Feb 12, 2019
- Feb 5, 2019 Eden Hill Feb 5, 2019
January 2019
- Jan 29, 2019 Inizio Pizza Napoletano Jan 29, 2019
- Jan 22, 2019 Adana Jan 22, 2019
- Jan 15, 2019 The Stanley Jan 15, 2019
- Jan 8, 2019 Top Five Dishes of 2018 Jan 8, 2019
- Jan 1, 2019 Top Five Restaurants of 2018 Jan 1, 2019
December 2018
- Dec 18, 2018 PCG Farm to Fork in the Garden Dec 18, 2018
- Dec 11, 2018 Chef Alyssa's Kitchen Dec 11, 2018
- Dec 4, 2018 Bulla Gastrobar Dec 4, 2018
November 2018
- Nov 27, 2018 Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte: 2018 Edition Nov 27, 2018
- Nov 20, 2018 Never Doubt Phil Rosenthal: Go to Langer's Delicatessan Nov 20, 2018
- Nov 13, 2018 Majordomo is David Chang's Latest Food Mecca Nov 13, 2018
- Nov 6, 2018 Angeline's: Uptown Charlotte's Modern Italian Gem Nov 6, 2018
October 2018
- Oct 30, 2018 Greg Collier Lifts Up Loft & Cellar Oct 30, 2018
- Oct 23, 2018 Behind the Lens with Scoop Charlotte & Scallionpancake Oct 23, 2018
- Oct 16, 2018 The Experience of Taste Oct 16, 2018
- Oct 9, 2018 littleSpoon: A Tale of Inconsistency & Pork Belly Oct 9, 2018
- Oct 2, 2018 The Case for Atelier Crenn Oct 2, 2018
September 2018
- Sep 25, 2018 The Truth is Out There: Siggy's Good Food Sep 25, 2018
- Sep 18, 2018 Bardo Ushers in New Era of Fine Dining in Charlotte Sep 18, 2018
- Sep 11, 2018 Gene Kato Infuses New Life Into SouthPark's Upstream Sep 11, 2018
- Sep 4, 2018 Hi Tide Poke & Raw Bar Offers a Fresh Take on Charlotte's Poke Scene Sep 4, 2018
August 2018
- Aug 28, 2018 Experience Authentic Italian in Ballantyne with Zinicola Aug 28, 2018
- Aug 22, 2018 108: Noma's Little Brother Holds Its Own Aug 22, 2018
- Aug 14, 2018 Sanchez: Rosario Sanchez Brings Mexican Food to Copenhagen Aug 14, 2018
- Aug 7, 2018 Osteria Francescana: A Review of Massimo Bottura's #1 Restaurant in the World Aug 7, 2018
July 2018
- Jul 31, 2018 More Time for Me with Harris Teeter ExpressLane Jul 31, 2018
- Jul 24, 2018 Grön: A Review of Finland's Best Restaurant Jul 24, 2018
- Jul 17, 2018 Sea Level: Making Lobster Rolls Cool in the Queen City Jul 17, 2018
- Jul 11, 2018 Noma: A Review of the Vegetable Season Menu Jul 11, 2018
- Jul 3, 2018 Ollie's Bites: Charlotte's Donut Fix Jul 3, 2018
June 2018
- Jun 26, 2018 Mister Jiu's Jun 26, 2018
- Jun 19, 2018 Global Restaurant Jun 19, 2018
- Jun 12, 2018 Fleming's Prime Steakhouse Jun 12, 2018
- Jun 5, 2018 Fin & Fino Jun 5, 2018
May 2018
- May 30, 2018 The Daily May 30, 2018
- May 22, 2018 Brunch at Haberdish May 22, 2018
- May 14, 2018 Seafood Connection May 14, 2018
- May 8, 2018 Omaggio Pizzeria May 8, 2018
- May 1, 2018 Crepe Cellar May 1, 2018
April 2018
- Apr 24, 2018 Dot Dot Dot Apr 24, 2018
- Apr 17, 2018 DeSano Pizzeria Apr 17, 2018
- Apr 10, 2018 Eleven Madison Park Apr 10, 2018
- Apr 3, 2018 Ollie's Bites: Charlotte's Best Bar Eats Apr 3, 2018
March 2018
- Mar 27, 2018 Fork! Mar 27, 2018
- Mar 20, 2018 Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth Mar 20, 2018
- Mar 13, 2018 Chima Mar 13, 2018
- Mar 6, 2018 Zeppelin Mar 6, 2018
February 2018
- Feb 27, 2018 Launderette Feb 27, 2018
- Feb 20, 2018 Hello, Sailor: Exploring One of Eater's Top 18 Restaurants in America Feb 20, 2018
- Feb 13, 2018 Robin Feb 13, 2018
- Feb 6, 2018 Dilworth Tasting Room Feb 6, 2018
January 2018
- Jan 30, 2018 Franceschetta 58 Jan 30, 2018
- Jan 23, 2018 Lincoln's Haberdashery Jan 23, 2018
- Jan 16, 2018 Charlotte Gets Social Jan 16, 2018
- Jan 9, 2018 Top Five Dishes of 2017 Jan 9, 2018
- Jan 4, 2018 Top Five Restaurants of 2017 Jan 4, 2018
December 2017
- Dec 27, 2017 Oak Steakhouse Dec 27, 2017
- Dec 19, 2017 Terrace Cafe Dec 19, 2017
- Dec 13, 2017 Geranium Dec 13, 2017
- Dec 8, 2017 Franklin BBQ Dec 8, 2017
November 2017
- Nov 29, 2017 Burtons Grill & Bar Nov 29, 2017
- Nov 21, 2017 Ollie's Bites: A Pizza my Heart in Charlotte Nov 21, 2017
- Nov 15, 2017 NOMA Under the Bridge Nov 15, 2017
- Nov 8, 2017 Luca Modern Italian Kitchen Nov 8, 2017
- Nov 1, 2017 Essex Nov 1, 2017
October 2017
- Oct 24, 2017 Your Pie Oct 24, 2017
- Oct 17, 2017 Tea Fusion Cafe Oct 17, 2017
- Oct 11, 2017 Aliño Pizzeria Oct 11, 2017
- Oct 5, 2017 Restaurant Tim Raue Oct 5, 2017
September 2017
- Sep 29, 2017 Ollie's Bites: Charlotte's Best Sweet Spots Sep 29, 2017
- Sep 20, 2017 Astrid & Gastón Sep 20, 2017
- Sep 13, 2017 Ollie's Bites: Brunching in Charlotte Sep 13, 2017
- Sep 6, 2017 Caffeinated Charlotte Sep 6, 2017
August 2017
- Aug 30, 2017 Wu's Cajun Seafood Aug 30, 2017
- Aug 21, 2017 Charlotte's Best Bites: Guest Post for Off the Eaten Path Aug 21, 2017
- Aug 16, 2017 The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden Aug 16, 2017
- Aug 10, 2017 Bad Daddy's Burger Bar Aug 10, 2017
- Aug 3, 2017 Brixx Wood Fired Pizza Aug 3, 2017
July 2017
- Jul 26, 2017 Ollie's Bites: Top Sushi Spots in Charlotte Jul 26, 2017
- Jul 20, 2017 Central Jul 20, 2017
- Jul 13, 2017 Maido Jul 13, 2017
- Jul 5, 2017 Ollie's Bites: Date Night in Charlotte Jul 5, 2017
June 2017
- Jun 29, 2017 Soul Gastrolounge Jun 29, 2017
- Jun 21, 2017 Baku Jun 21, 2017
- Jun 14, 2017 Selwyn Pub Jun 14, 2017
May 2017
- May 31, 2017 Yamazaru May 31, 2017
- May 24, 2017 Firestorm Pizza May 24, 2017
- May 17, 2017 Animal May 17, 2017
- May 10, 2017 Kato May 10, 2017
- May 3, 2017 Here's Looking at You May 3, 2017
April 2017
- Apr 26, 2017 Yafo Kitchen Apr 26, 2017
- Apr 20, 2017 Ivan Ramen Apr 20, 2017
- Apr 12, 2017 Tavolo Apr 12, 2017
- Apr 5, 2017 Momofuku Ko Apr 5, 2017
March 2017
- Mar 28, 2017 Evoke at Le Meridien Mar 28, 2017
- Mar 22, 2017 Haberdish Mar 22, 2017
- Mar 14, 2017 Good Food on Montford Mar 14, 2017
- Mar 8, 2017 Nomad.pdx Mar 8, 2017
- Mar 1, 2017 Stoke Mar 1, 2017
February 2017
- Feb 16, 2017 Buxton Hall Feb 16, 2017
- Feb 8, 2017 In Situ Feb 8, 2017
- Feb 2, 2017 Saison Feb 2, 2017
January 2017
- Jan 29, 2017 Eat Globally; Dine Locally Jan 29, 2017
- Jan 1, 2017 Top Five Restaurants of 2016 Jan 1, 2017
December 2016
- Dec 26, 2016 State Bird Provisions Dec 26, 2016
September 2016
- Sep 24, 2016 The French Laundry, part 2 Sep 24, 2016
- Sep 18, 2016 The French Laundry, part 1 Sep 18, 2016
August 2016
- Aug 29, 2016 Icy Margaritas & Hot Salsa: Mexican Eats in the Queen City Aug 29, 2016
- Aug 22, 2016 Best Places to Eat in San Francisco Aug 22, 2016
- Aug 5, 2016 The Flipside Aug 5, 2016
July 2016
- Jul 25, 2016 Babalu Jul 25, 2016
- Jul 14, 2016 Best Restaurants in Charlotte - Summer 2016 Edition Jul 14, 2016
- Jul 5, 2016 Comida Jul 5, 2016
June 2016
- Jun 27, 2016 Batch Craft Jun 27, 2016
- Jun 19, 2016 Asolare Jun 19, 2016
- Jun 5, 2016 The Longboard Jun 5, 2016
May 2016
- May 12, 2016 Momofuku Noodle Bar May 12, 2016
- May 2, 2016 Toro May 2, 2016
April 2016
- Apr 24, 2016 The Mandrake Apr 24, 2016
- Apr 18, 2016 Evoke Redux Apr 18, 2016
- Apr 15, 2016 Freud Apr 15, 2016
March 2016
- Mar 13, 2016 Ru Sans Mar 13, 2016
- Mar 9, 2016 The Pump House Mar 9, 2016
February 2016
- Feb 24, 2016 Seoul Food Meat Co Feb 24, 2016
- Feb 22, 2016 Kid Cashew Feb 22, 2016
- Feb 12, 2016 Kindred Feb 12, 2016
January 2016
- Jan 21, 2016 FIG Jan 21, 2016
- Jan 3, 2016 Top Five Restaurants of 2015 Jan 3, 2016
- Jan 2, 2016 Rose's Luxury Jan 2, 2016
November 2015
- Nov 29, 2015 Funky Gourmet Nov 29, 2015
- Nov 4, 2015 Rhubarb Nov 4, 2015
October 2015
- Oct 26, 2015 Lexington Barbecue Oct 26, 2015
- Oct 19, 2015 The Cellar at Duckworth's Oct 19, 2015
- Oct 14, 2015 Danny's Midwood Challenge Oct 14, 2015
- Oct 12, 2015 Founding Farmers Oct 12, 2015
- Oct 4, 2015 Shake Shack Oct 4, 2015
September 2015
- Sep 27, 2015 King Daddy's Sep 27, 2015
- Sep 20, 2015 The Summit Room Sep 20, 2015
- Sep 14, 2015 BLT Sep 14, 2015
- Sep 6, 2015 Ajbani Sep 6, 2015
August 2015
- Aug 30, 2015 Biscuit Head Aug 30, 2015
- Aug 23, 2015 White Duck Taco Aug 23, 2015
- Aug 17, 2015 Evoke Aug 17, 2015
- Aug 14, 2015 Customshop Aug 14, 2015
- Aug 13, 2015 Local Loaf Aug 13, 2015
- Aug 12, 2015 Futo Buta Aug 12, 2015

House-made Foccacia

Grilled UGF Mushrooms, January ‘19

Grilled UGF Mushrooms, March ‘18

Barbecued Spanish Octopus

House-made Burrata

Butter Lettuce Salad

Benton’s Ham Croquettes

Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli

Ricotta Ravioli

Prime Rib

Squid Ink linguine

Bread Pudding

Rating: 4 out of 5

Oysters

CrawDaddy Dippers

The Fisherman’s Pick

Tacos

Fried Shrimp Po Boy

Catfish Reuben

Southern Pecan Bars

SUnken Pirate

Kentucky COld Brew

Pina Colada Float

Toasted Baguette

CAuliflower “Chilaquiles”

Waldorf Salad

Anderson Ranch Lamb Tartare

Mountain Mac n’ Cheese

Crispy Pig Head “Candy Bar”

Korean Fried Oysters

Foie Gras cake Batter

SEa Buckthorn & Tequila

Rating: 5 out of 5

PISTACCHIO

NAPOLETANA

MARGHERITA

CAPRICCIOSA

DIAVOLA

Spring Pizza

Pizza Di Parma

Summer Pizza

Limone Capra

Autumn Pizza

Pumpkin Pizza

Winter Pizza

Pizza Toscana

Patate al forno

OG Cannoli

Pistachio & Chocolate Chip

Spring Cannoli

Oreo

Summer Dessert Pizza

summer PIzza

Autumn Cannoli

Pumpkin

Winter Cannoli

Apple Crumb Pie

Peppermint Mocha

Rating: 4 out of 5

Foie Gras

Surf & Turf

Beef Tartare

Asparagus

Sunchoke Chips

Scallop

Trout

Raviolo

Quail

Duck Breast

Steam Buns

Beets

Foie Gras Funnel Cake

Arancini

Peanut Butter Cup

Swiss Roll

Honey Mocktail

Queen City Duchess

Rating: 5 out of 5

Aux Bar

Upstream