Jason Ackerman Jason Ackerman

Biscuit Head

Background: Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that aliens landed in Asheville during 2013 and shared with chefs and co-owners Jason & Carolyn Roy the secrets to the best biscuits in the world. They now have two locations in Asheville and plan to open up a third in Greenville, SC in 2016. 

Order this: The pulled pork biscuit with jalapeno pimento cheese, bacon, a poached egg, and maple syrup. There are no words for how great this tastes, and it's without a doubt yet another gift from the aliens--right after they finished Stonehenge, duh. If you're not a carnivore, then try the fried green tomato biscuit with brie, tomato, two poached eggs, and a smoked tomato hollandaise sauce. Also, PSA: while we aren't typically the biggest fans of gravy, their local pork sausage gravy can and should be eaten with a spoon. They have an entire bar filled with a wide assortment of butters, jams, and hot sauces. Definitely eat those with a spoon, too. Top two: cherry amaretto jam and banana habanero hot sauce.

Dessert: They have biscuit donuts, and while they're good, they're not the best thing going here--save room for the OG biscuits (with extra-extra jam), and the Bacon of the Day. 

Drink: They have a wide variety of gourmet coffees, teas, freshly-squeezed juices, and mimosas. We didn't do any early morning drinking, but on our next visit we're going to try the sake Bloody Mary with house-made pickles.

Atmosphere: Be prepared to wait. When we got there around 9:30am on a Sunday, the wait was a line about 30 minutes out the door. You order at the counter and they give you a number, at which time you stake out a table and hoard up on jams and butters like your life depends on it (after 30-45 minutes of thinking about biscuits it basically does). 

Southern Hospitality: The service is awesome--even though the wait is out the door, they don't make you feel rushed when you finally make it to the counter. This trip, we wanted to stock up on condiments and t-shirts, and they were very patient as we figured out what they had/what we wanted. They also bring around samples as you wait outside. 

Frankie's Notes: Aliens painted the Sistine Chapel; gravy flights are a thing; tip of the cap to our vegetarian friends; knowing your vegetarian friends will never know the distinct joy of a Bacon of the Day (BotD); successfully carrying 7 tiny paper cups of jam at one time; waiting outside in a line to eat biscuits reflects the deepest and most central part of our shared humanity.  

Ollie's Note: Habaneros can improve the experience of eating a banana 112%.

Parking: They have a lot behind the restaurant which normally costs money, but they will give you a validation ticket once you order. Otherwise, you are left to forage for street parking. 

Ranking: 4 out of 5

Et Cetera:

733 Haywood Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806
Tuesday - Friday 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
Saturday - Sunday 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

 
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Jason Ackerman Jason Ackerman

White Duck Taco

Background: Husband and wife team Laura Reuss and Ben Mixson opened the original White Duck Taco Shop in the River Arts District of Asheville in 2011 and have been serving great tacos and other Mexican-style treats ever since. They have recently opened new locations in downtown Asheville, Johnson City, TN, and Folly Beach, SC to meet increasing demand. Columbia, SC is the next up to get their own pato blanco (come to Charlotte next, please?)

Order this: The Buffalo Chicken Taco. Admittedly, this is kind of a a basic, non-authentic choice--but this taco is basic done right: slightly spicy, fresh, and delightfully simple. We also sampled the Mole Duck, the Korean BBQ, and the Lump Crab taco - all of which were fabulous and could stand up to the Buffalo Chicken Taco in a street fight, although they would all lose. If our stomachs could have mustered it we could have easily tried every taco on the menu and not been disappointed.

Dessert: The desserts are made in-house and sounded great (Coconut Macaroon Pie with Salted Caramel...gah), but we were, for once, too full for dessert. Also, going back up to the counter to order dessert seemed really taxing at the time. See below. 

Drink: The margaritas were amazing. Just make sure if you have more than two to bring a designated driver.

Atmosphere:  The River Arts District location is super hipster and chill, but not in the bad way where you ponder existential concerns, like why you own zero fedoras. There is ample outdoor picnic table seating, and limited indoor seating. Sit outside, if weather allows; all the cool kids were doing it. 

Southern Hospitality: The counter-servers are also Asheville-level cool, as well as friendly and accommodating--they gladly made a substitution for my corn fear (seriously, tacos taste so much better on flour tortillas, what are the rest of you doing?)

Frankie's Notes: How many more weeks until Pumpkin Spice Tacos?; having to get up again to order dessert is a great diet plan; only owning WASP-y hats; gazing out at the cool kids' tables; corn will destroy your whole life.

Parking: Ample street parking at the River Arts District location. The downtown location is undoubtedly more difficult. 

Ranking: 4 out of 5

Et Cetera: 

1 Roberts St. (River Arts District) 
Asheville, NC 28801
Monday-Saturday 11:30-9:00 pm 

 
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Jason Ackerman Jason Ackerman

Evoke

Background: Inside of the Meridien Hotel in Uptown's Second Ward, Chefs Oscar LaFuente and Robert Reinken crafted a steakhouse menu with modern twists. Evoke opened in December 2014 in the newly updated hotel--formerly The Blake. The internet tells me that this was once a place of ruination and sadness, like a tall Motel 6. Knowing that, this place looks especially classy.

Order this: We came here for restaurant week, so our review is limited to that menu. However, Evoke is a great place to come for restaurant week, as their steak offerings typically range from $40-90. The highlight of the appetizer menu was the Peruvian Ceviche, served with habanero, red onion, and sweet potato chips. In all honesty, the lure of this dish was one of the reasons we chose this place (for Jason, ceviche is only second to calamari), and it did not disappoint.

For entrees, we each tried the two steak offerings--Angus Flat Iron served with yukon potatoes and crispy mushrooms, and the Teres Major served with caramelized onion puree and summer vegetables. No one at our table knew what Teres Major was, prior to some heavy Googling where we also learned about many Latin American mountain ranges. Anyway, it's a very tender, filet-esque cut of beef and is, apparently, delicious. Everything was spot-on, and portion sizes were perfect. We definitely want to come back to try the dry-aged steaks.

Dessert: Okay, so we really chose this menu for the ceviche and the promise of Citrus Honey Ricotta with seasonal berries and almond ricotta. It was perfection and the portion size of this was woefully inadequate for someone who enjoys slipping into a diabetic coma after dinner. Jason had a momentary lapse in judgment and ordered the gelato option, and those were just smeh. There is no picture of my ricotta because I ate it like a wild animal.

Drink: Great wine and beer selection and some really creative cocktails made with infused vodkas.

Atmosphere: The decor here is very 60s mod and accented with bold yellow throughout. There is a less than seamless transition from hotel lobby to restaurant when you first walk in, but it is very hip and fun, as far as hotel lobbies go. Beware form over function: I saw several people bump their heads on low-hanging light fixtures. #awkwarddatemoment.

Southern Hospitality: I do not know if they were team serving or if the wait staff was disorganized. Either way, this resulted in overly attentive service.  

Frankie’s Notes: Jason should have a blog just for calamari; cuts of meat you think are maybe types of fish; Googling at dinner; running into things on a date; stage 5 clinger servers.

Parking: Street parking or valet.

Et Cetera: 

555 S. McDowell St.
Charlotte, NC 28204
6:00 am-11:00 pm daily

http://www.evokerestaurant.com/

 
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Jason Ackerman Jason Ackerman

Customshop

Background: Chef and owner Trey Wilson has created a cozy and elegant dining spot in the Elizabeth neighborhood. 

Order this: The menu changes often according to season and availability, but some staples we enjoyed included the Beef Carpaccio (with fresh horseradish and shaved celery) and the Yellow Fin Tuna Crudo with lemon, jalapeno, and a generous amount of tangerine aioli. The real winner was the BBQ octopus; the presentation is impressive (one large...tentacle) and it is served with hot smoked potatoes, black garlic vinaigrette, and aioli. Regrets: the squid ink linguine looked amazing and I wish we would have tried it—next time.

Dessert: The dessert menu was, at the time of our visit, basic and sad (brownie sundae, etc.), so we skipped it. They need to step up their dessert game to match their impressive main offerings.

Drink: Extensive wine menu and cocktails.

Atmosphere: Customshop is perfect for a date night—soft lighting, candles, and a relaxing and upscale feel.  

Southern Hospitality: The service is formal but not stuffy, and servers are knowledgeable about menu offerings.

Frankie’s Notes:  large tentacles; shoutout to the person who hit the trolley with their car; desserts that make you think you're at Applebee's; candles = romance city 

Parking: Street parking, or one of the lots across the street/behind the restaurant. Better yet--take the new trolley! 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Et Cetera:

1601 Elizabeth Avenue Charlotte, NC 28204
Open Tuesday-Thursday 5:00-10:00
Friday-Saturday 51:00-11:00
Sunday 5:00-9:00
Closed Monday

http://www.customshopfood.com

 
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Jason Ackerman Jason Ackerman

Local Loaf

 

Background: Local Loaf opened in May 2013 and is located inside of 7th Street Market. Chef Adam Spears makes innovative sandwiches and other entrees using freshly baked artisan breads.

Order this: Charlotte Agenda recently named their BLT one of the best sandwiches in Uptown. Their version puts a uniquely southern spin on the classic: pimento cheese, popcorn shoots, and tomatoes of the fried and green variety. Other sandwiches to try include the Chicken and the Egg (hand breaded chicken tenders, Cheerwine sauce, biscuit), and the Steak and Egg (with marinated skirt steak and scrambled eggs). 

From the bakery case, you have to try the homemade pop tarts and the muffins (mostly the tops—duh).

Dessert: Anything from the bakery case will do (see above)…or you could go next door to Cloud 9 for any of their fabulous confections. You should at least go and stare at the case while you wait.  

Atmosphere:  7th Street Market is almost always bustling, but it is usually not difficult to find a seat somewhere. While it can get noisy here, it’s still a comfortable place to sit and eat, drink coffee, and people watch.

Southern Hospitality: Service is counter-service, and it is, well, serviceable.

Frankie’s Notes: Sandwiches served on cool wooden boards; southern cheese spreads; pop tarts for grownups; people watching as an Olympic sport; why do they even make muffin bottoms?

Parking: Street parking or in the 7th street garage, which you can get validated inside.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Et Cetera:

7th Street Public Market
224 East 7th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Tuesday-Friday 7:00-4:00
Saturday & Sunday 8:30-4:00
Closed Monday


http://www.localloafcharlotte.com/

 

 

 

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Jason Ackerman Jason Ackerman

Futo Buta


Background: Chef Michael Shortino, formerly of Baku in Southpark, opened a traditional ramen house in South End in May 2015.

Order this: Seriously, the Rice Krispy Squares. These are served with a side of spicy raw tuna and ponzu dipping sauce--really delicious and fun to eat. The Tori Kara Age (Japanese fried chicken) is so light and oddly refreshing for fried chicken; it's served with fresh mint (killer) and a chili mayo dipping sauce. Of course, the ramen is spectacular. The noodles are made in-house with local NC wheat, and the proteins and ramen bases can be mixed and matched at your request. Top Ramen (hah) honors: Fire & Ice--the chili paste on the salmon is life changing.

For sides, the fried brussels sprouts with sweet soy, sesame, and bonito put all other fried sprouts to shame (no joke, these are on every menu right now). Their cool specials’ board (“Fresh Sheet”) always has something delicious, too—duck buns ftw.

Dessert: Rotating flavors of house-made soft serve ice cream. Flavors range from amazing to incredible: sweet corn, wildflower honey ginger with peach cobbler, Korean hot chocolate, strawberry basil…yes, please. 

Drink: Selection of sakes.

Atmosphere: The space is very modern and fresh feeling; we especially love the cool Japanese artwork on the bathroom walls (and floors!). The downside is that the inside seating area is pretty small, and main table space is a long high-top with stools (boo). The outdoor patio is lovely, and will be even nicer in the fall.

Southern Hospitality: Service is laid back, and the staff is more than happy to give recommendations and accommodate requests—like when I asked for soft serve to-go (I am notorious for requesting ice cream to-go...sorry, not sorry).

Frankie’s Notes: Southend dining scene on the verge (the most cranes); rice krispies, but with tuna; writing menus on craft paper; floor octopus; ramen slurping like a boss.

Parking: The restaurant is situated on a corner near the Bland Street light rail station, attached to the Post Southend apartment complex. You can park in the garage for up to three hours.

Ranking: 5 out of 5

Et cetera:

222 E Bland St. Charlotte, NC 28203
Open Tuesday-Thursday 11:00-10:00
Friday-Saturday 11:00-11:00
Sunday 12:00-10:00
Closed Monday

http://www.futobuta.com/

 
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