Eat Globally; Dine Locally

This article also appeared in the January/February 2017 edition of Charlotte Epicurean magazine. 

Dosa Nation (Woodlands Indian Cuisine)

There is a restaurant boom in Charlotte--it seems like every other week there is a new restaurant opening (next to another new apartment complex in South End, naturally). While this is great for the Queen City’s economy and food connoisseurs, there is more to the Charlotte food scene than flashy openings in high profile areas. Our diverse population means that there are many different authentic global cuisines being prepared around our fair city, and often these culinary gems are hidden in strip malls, supermarkets, and off the beaten path from your usual go-to restaurant.

Restaurant: La Shish Kebob

Reuben chowing down on some halal goodness 

Location: Eastland neighborhood, off of North Sharon Amity Road

Type of Cuisine:  Middle Eastern

Why you need to add it to your culinary rotation:  La Shish Kebob is very unassuming from the street--but you can rest assured that the food is fresh and authentic. You can order at the counter, or you can try their buffet, which is overwhelming in a most wonderful way: tabbouleh and other salads, halal meats, soups, rice, all the pita your heart could desire, and don’t forget the tzatziki to cover it all in. For dessert, we tried a pastry different from the ever popular baklava--kanafeh, a cheese pastry soaked in sugar syrup. Delicious! In addition to the food, the owner was super friendly, and La Shish Kebob has had a 100% sanitation rating for three years in a row--OCD diners rejoice!

Tip: If you are still hungry for dessert (100% of the time for my crew and me), head a few doors down to Golden Bakery for even more authentic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean sweets and breads--come early if you want to get their naan, they tend to sell out quickly!

Restaurant: Thai House

Pad See-Ewe

Location: Pineville/Gastonia/University/Lake Norman

Type of Cuisine: Thai

Why you need to add it to your culinary rotation: Thai House is impeccable: the atmosphere is stunning, with carved wood seating areas and sculptures, the service is great, and the food comes out fast and flavorful. It’s easy to see why this place is a successful local chain. The starters we tried here were new to us--the fried potstickers were fried in a wonton wrapper rather than a dumpling wrapper, and were filled with spinach and chicken--a delicious take on the usual. They also had spring rolls wrapped in light Thai crepes in addition to the usual rice paper wraps. The Pad Thai and Pad See-Ewe were big hits with the table, as were the curries.

Tip: Get the mango sticky rice for dessert--it’s the perfect Thai ending to your meal--cooling, light, and refreshing.

Restaurant: Honey Buns

Decisions, decisions

Location: Independence Boulevard

Type of Cuisine: Taiwanese/Korean/Vietnamese

Why you need to add it to your culinary rotation: Have you been to the magical international food paradise that is the Super G Mart? If so, then you might know about the hidden deliciousness in the back of the store--Honey Buns. Honey Buns is mostly Taiwanese cuisine, with elements of Korean and Vietnamese thrown in for good measure. They have dim sum, bao buns, banh mi, pho, fried rice--basically, anything and everything you might be craving. Our favorite things to order are buns (red bean, taro, and egg custard), and bubble tea. The bubble tea at Honey Buns is the very best in Charlotte--endless options and heavy on the add-ins.

Tip: Definitely shop around Super G Mart while you are here--you can get great deals on groceries. Our favorites? Miso, sriracha, mochi ice cream, and all flavors of Pocky.

Restaurant: Woodlands Vegetarian Indian Cuisine

North Indian Thali

Location: Eastland neighborhood, off of Albemarle Road

Type of Cuisine: Indian (all vegetarian)

Why you need to add it to your culinary rotation: One of the common themes at the restaurants we checked out for this article was that the menus tended to be, well, huge. The crazy thing, though, is that all of the restaurants on our list manage their large repertoire of items so very well. There is magic in these kitchens, and Woodlands is no exception.  Everything is made fresh and tastes healthy, filling, and comforting. Fresh tomato soup, homemade roti and naan, and rich curries are among the standouts. We tried a couple of things new to us here, too--we had dosa for the first time, and we didn’t realize what we had been missing. In case you are similarly uninformed, dosas are thin and crispy crepes made with white lentils and rice, and then filled with potatoes and other delicious things. We also tried carrot halwa, and it was love at first bite: grated carrots, milk, dried fruits, and nuts. The sweet halwa went perfectly with all of the savory components of our meal. Woodlands is awesome because it doesn't feel quite as heavy as Indian cuisine sometimes can; we left feeling perfectly satisfied.

Tip: If you want to try a sampling of many items on the menu, get the South or North Indian Thali. This platter will satisfy whatever you are craving!

Restaurant: Kabab-Je

All the sides!

Location: Matthews

Type of Cuisine: Mediterranean & Lebanese

Why you need to add it to your culinary rotation: Kabab-Je has a lot going for it--a large menu filled with fresh mediterranean salads and kababs, favorites like spanakopita and grape leaves, but the number one thing about Kabab-Je is their homemade pita bread which they churn out hot and fresh continuously--as in, all day, every day. If they are open, you are getting fresh pita, and that, friends, is a thing of beauty. Also homemade? Their labneh, which is strained yogurt with mint and olive oil, and that together with the pita? Yeah, you should pretty much cancel any existing plans and drive there for dinner tonight. Other favorites include the batata harra (spicy potatoes) and the kabis (mixed pickles).

Tip: This is a great place to order in stages--start out with a few plates and order more depending on your level of hunger. You will leave feeling healthy and sated.

Restaurant: Doan’s Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese Yellow Pancake

Location: South Boulevard

Type of Cuisine: Vietnamese

Why you need to add it to your culinary rotation: You have probably driven by Doan’s dozens of times and missed it, but you need to change that ASAP. Located within one of the many strip malls along South Boulevard is one of the most authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the city. Many consider Doan’s pho to be the hands down best, and it’s perfect for the season--there is nothing like pho on a chilly night. Not in the mood for soup? Get one of the vermicelli noodle dishes; the spicy lemongrass with beef was rich and flavorful. Other standouts include the Vietnamese yellow pancake with shrimp, pork, chicken, and bean sprouts. Like many of the dishes here, the pancake is served with the traditional fresh herbs and lettuce that add to the fresh flavor profile Vietnamese cuisine is known for.

Tip: Get the avocado smoothie! It’s surprisingly not overly sweet, and it’s also a great accompaniment to the loads of hot sauce you just put in your pho.

Top Five Restaurants of 2016

Drinking from the pipe at Saison

Everyone’s all like, “2016 is the worst thing that ever happened to anyone,” but, all elected neo-fascists with a twitter problem aside, this year was pretty rock solid for Javon and the pugs. In addition to getting married, travels, and pug-ventures, we ate so much delicious stuff!

Jason

1. State Bird Provisions

San Francisco, CA

This place was everything I believe a restaurant should be - inventive, thought provoking, and, of course, they serve excellent food. My favorite dish here was the tofu pasta pictured above. You would have never known this was tofu!

2. Franklin BBQ

 

Austin, TX

I had the pleasure of going to Austin this year for my friend Datus' bachelor party. Another guy in the party, Jonathan Eisen, AKA @jewisheater, hooked us up with a massive order of Franklin's BBQ. I had read about Franklin's prior to going and it's crazy; there is a devoted following of people who camp out for hours to get some BBQ, but I just thought they were a bunch of crazy Texas loons. Turns out, I'm one of those loons now. This was the best BBQ hands down I've ever had.

3. In Situ

San Francisco, CA

The single dish I think about the most from the past year is the Wasabi Lobster from In Situ in San Francisco. The flavor of this dish was amazing, with the wasabi really bringing out the flavor of the lobster. Plus it came with wasabi marshmallows...drop the mic.

4. Superbite

Portland, OR

When I look back on our trip to Portland, the standout for me was Superbite. The flavor in all the small "bites" were amazing, with this spaghettios with black truffle, irish butter, and parmigiano was the best of the bunch. 

5. Bazaar Meat by Jose Andreas

Las Vegas, NV

I went on my bachelor party to Vegas, and the first night we went to Bazaar Meat by Jose Andreas in the SLS Hotel. We tried all of their rib eyes, including these two from Lindsay Ranch in Oregon and Vaca Vieja in CA. These were by far the best steaks I've had in my life. 

Yvonne

1. Nomad

Portland, OR

Nomad was my top pick for Scallionpancake’s restaurant of the year. The good food we ate was just part of what made the trip with Danny and Nancy (Dancy) so fun, but the very first thing we did when we got off the plane was head, luggage and all, to Nomad. I don’t want to say that this was where we peaked, but wow, what a way to start! Nomad is in a warehouse-type space, and their concept is to do away with white tablecloth service and all preconceived notions of fine dining. Their food reminded me of Funky Gourmet as it was all so innovative--every course blew my mind. Most of all? These two:

Morel mushroom, charred onion juice, agastache

I do not have any idea how Ryan and Ali (that’s right, we’re on a first name basis with the chefs) made a mushroom taste like meaty, savory heaven, but that’s what we are dealing with, here. The humble, wrinkly little morel just multiplies times a million under the influence of these dazzlingly talented chefs.

Sourdough rye roll, smoked beef fat, nutritional yeast butter

That description might speak for itself--and bread is my favorite food, so this one spoke to me. I also loved the use of nutritional yeast, especially paired with the beef fat, so many savory umami flavors going on, and it was a delight to eat a bread course with oompf.

2- Saison

San Francisco, CA

On our mini-Honeymoon to San Francisco, Jason made reservations at Saison, currently number 27 on the list of best restaurants in the world. My favorite was the first course--they make their own caviar, which they cure, and then grill in kelp leaves. When they deliver it to the table, they unwrap the kelp packet of caviar, and it tastes like the most buttery, salty, delicious present you’ve ever opened.

3- In Situ

San Francisco, CA

 Inside of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, there is a restaurant with a theme that fits perfectly with a museum--In Situ recreates famous dishes from the best restaurants in the world, often under the direction of the famous chefs themselves. We came here on our first real dinner out in San Fran, and it really set the tone for the trip. The ambiance is sparse and, well, modern--the tables are made out of found pieces of cottonwood and there are wooden osso chairs and, of course, a fun gallery wall. The dishes rotate fairly often, but my two favorite dishes from July were:

Carrot, Sour Curd, Pickled Pine inspired by Matt Orlando from Amass in Copenhagen

Of course one of my favorites is from a Copenhagen restaurant! Here, they take a carrot cooked in carrot juice, dehydrate it, then rehydrate it, and then coat it in pickled pine and serve it with the sour curd. The carrot is chewy and tangy, and it is just so amazing what flavors can pop out of a well-done vegetable dish.

Wood Sorrel and Sheep’s Milk Yogurt inspired by Noma in Copenhagen

Noma was named the best restaurant in the world many times over, and continues to make the list, even though the restaurant is now currently being reimagined as pop-ups and an urban farm as the owners start on new projects. Sorrel is juiced, then frozen into a beautiful, bright granita which is paired with a tangy sheep’s milk yogurt, and then topped with a thin anise-flavored candy. This was so light and summery (I notice it’s not on their current menu--maybe it will come back seasonally?), and just the right amount of sweetness. Also, Jason and I have always wanted to go to Noma, so this was the next best thing.

4- The French Laundry

Yountville, CA

Ah, the much discussed visit to The French Laundry. Yes, it’s true that the restaurant as a whole did not fully meet our (rightfully high) expectations, but this dish absolutely 100% did. Although I usually hate the word “mouthfeel” (right up there with “foodie”), this dish had it. The interplay of textures and the savory sabayon just tasted like the pinnacle of fine dining: light yet rich, creatively served and flavored, and just so memorable. Check out part 1 & part 2 of our review!

5. Superbite

Portland, OR

We were sweaty, exhausted, and starving, and then Superbite appeared like an oasis. After our Dangerous Hike around Mt. Hood, we started googling restaurants in the car. And, like some of our very best culinary adventures, we happened upon Superbite very luckily--it is a fairly new small plates restaurant with rave reviews, and because we came pretty early (right around 5:00), we walked right in without a wait. We were a tad underdressed (and did I mention sweaty?), but they took us as we were, and the service and food were both phenomenal. Although everything we ate here was good (Jason has already mentioned their fab Spaghettios), my favorite of the night was the (super) bite of mushroom on a cloud of lightly savory miso marshmallow. This was, quite simply, the perfect bite, and it was a great first course to an overall fantastic meal. We are already looking forward to our next visit to Superbite!

Runners-up

Chez Panisse

San Francisco, CA

Strawberry sherbet meringata with Dirty Girl strawberries

State Bird Provisions

San Francisco, CA

Sourdough pancake with sauerkraut, pecorino, and ricotta

Saison

San Francisco, CA

Orange sorbet (served in an orange!)