This week, Allie spoke with the power couple behind Scallionpancake. This wife (Yvonne) and husband (Jason) team not only eats well in Charlotte but takes trips to explore the some of the world’s best restaurants (including this year’s number one restaurant in the world, Osteria Francescana).
Check out Scallionpancake’s blog, Instagram, and podcast, and get to know them through Yvonne’s eyes.
What inspired you & Jason to start Scallionpancake? When did y’all get started?
In August 2015, we were looking for a hobby we could do together (side note: this is also when I found out that Jason did not consider hours-long Bravo watching sessions a hobby #blindsided). We both love food and travel, and we thought it would be great idea to start a blog to document our adventures.
We essentially wanted a journal of all of our eats that we could look back on in years to come, and it’s entertaining to read our early posts (our first was on Futo Buta!) and see how our writing style and format has changed.
You guys have a podcast! What’s it like going on air every week?
We started the pod because we felt there was a need in the Charlotte community for a restaurant-centric podcast. We love recording every Sunday night and listening on the way to work on Monday morning. Life gets crazy busy, especially for Jason during tax season, so having our set date to pod together (whether it’s in the car, a hotel room, or at Hygge) is an awesome opportunity for us to catch up with one another and recap our week of eats.
Our listeners have told us that they come for the food talk and stay for the martial banter (read: bickering), and we respect that.
How do you and your husband split up blogging duties?
At the beginning, Jason was in charge of the technical aspects of the blog and photos, and I did all of the writing and social media. Lately, we have both been jumping in and doing a bit of everything. Jason has been writing a lot of posts and upping our Facebook game, and I have been working on my photography and SEO skills. It is great to have a partner who can help out when life is crazy–when things are busy for him, I try to shoulder much of the blog duties, and vice versa. Also, it’s very helpful to have someone who can assist in awkwardly carrying a plate of food around a restaurant in search of perfect lighting.
What are your thoughts on Charlotte’s culinary scene?
The Charlotte restaurant scene gets better every day. Charlotte used to be a chain restaurant town, but over the last five years you can really see a change as locals grow to appreciate good food and quality restaurants are starting to pop up everywhere. Does Charlotte’s food scene have a long way to go? Yes, but we’ve also come a long way.
What’s your day job?
I teach high school English, and Jason is a CPA. We are also the full-time maidservants for our two pug children.
Favorite spot for date night dinner?
100% Soul Gastrolounge. We love sitting at the bar and enjoying their killer cocktail menu, and we usually meet fun people, or run into someone we know. The bar at Soul is a great reflection of the diversity of the Charlotte community, and it’s fun to watch the vibe change as the night progresses. The sushi is ridiculously fresh and delicious, and we always get the grilled caesar, lamb kebabs, and at least one dish on special. Soul was also the scene of our first date (which went so well that it led to our first kiss was in the CVS parking lot next door).
What restaurant are you most excited about in 2018?
Of all of the recent openings, we have been most impressed with The Stanley, and we can’t wait to spend more time there. Paul Verica’s ever-rotating menu and inventive dishes (hello, foie gras funnel cake) got us super excited for all of the great changes happening in the Charlotte restaurant community.
What is one thing about you that your followers don’t know or wouldn’t guess?
In the eighth grade, Jason shot a 22 in one round at a Putt-Putt tournament. He wants you to know that is 14 holes-in-one and four twos. He also wants you to know that he didn’t have a lot of friends in middle school.
I like to drink hot sauce (particularly buffalo wing sauce), and this greatly disturbs those who dine with me. It also occasionally gives me heartburn. The best wing sauce is from Lebowski’s. I can drink one and a half ramekins.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
It’s a toss up between reindeer in Finland or piranha at Central in Peru.
What’s the strangest thing in your purse or in your home right now?
We have a lot of weird and wonderful art in our house, and my favorite is a bright blue, glitter-covered painting of a robot we picked up in New Orleans. Much of our art was purchased on trips, so I love seeing it every day and reminiscing on our travels together.
Allie Papajohn is the creator and face-behind-the-food on EatDrinkCLT’s Instagram and blog. She is constantly thinking about her next delicious meal and enjoys spreading the word about Charlotte’s culinary scene.
