We’re only a few months into 2019, but between new openings, award-winning chefs and buzz worthy menus, this year’s shaping up to be another highlight for Charlotte’s lively culinary scene. Here’s what you need to know heading into March:
WHAT’S OPEN NOW
This Italian eatery, operated by Urban Food Group, brings an upscale-casual dining option to StoneCrest at Piper Glen. Expect an assortment of pastas, pizzas and entrees including grouper picatta, veal saltimbocca and beef tenderloin filet. Open now and starting lunch service March 11.
via Facebook, Jamey Price Photo
Chef Bill and General Manager Anita Greene, the husband and wife team behind Banner Elk’s Artisanal, opened Peppervine on March 1. Peppervine brings seasonal and imaginative cuisine to SouthPark’s Piedmont Town Center, with a menu features items including baked-to-order yeast rolls, Berkshire pork with mushroom bread pudding and smoked breast of duck with fried brussels salad. Find them at 4620 Piedmont Row Dr.
via Facebook
Cocktail lovers can now sip on handcrafted creations at this new NoDa hotspot. Look for them at 424 East 36th St.
OPENING SOON
via Facebook
The latest venture from Bruce Moffett and Moffett Restaurant Group, (Stagioni, Barrington’s, Good Food on Montford), promises a return to the chef’s Rhode Island roots with menu items that blend New England seafood with southern flavors. Find them at 1921 Commonwealth Ave.
via Facebook
From the owners of Vivace, this Italian-inspired restaurant with Spanish and French influences is expected to open in SouthPark. The bar and small plates concept is the tenth restaurant in Stacey and Kevin Jennings’s Urban Food Group. Find them soon at 3920 Sharon Rd., Suite 160.
MENU UPDATES & FOODIE EVENTS
New “Bottom Line Breakfast” at Angeline’s
Whether you’re toting your morning fuel to the office or have time to linger over coffee, Angeline’s new “bottom line breakfast” offers plenty of ways to start your day off right. The Uptown hotspot, which will begin serving 30 minutes earlier at 6:30 am Monday through Friday, focuses on items that can be enjoyed within minutes of ordering, like a smoked salmon bagel, a strawberry zabaglione waffle and a breakfast piadina (an Italian flatbread sandwich) with scrambled egg, prosciutto, truffle aioli, arugula and red onion. Find them at 303 S. Church St.
Dinner and a Show at Aria Tuscan Grille
Enjoying a show at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center this month? A visit to Aria Tuscan Grille is the perfect addition to your night out. The restaurant offers complimentary valet parking at the N. College /E. Trade Streets corner of Founders Hall and also validates parking in the Bank of America Corporate Center parking garage. Once inside, choose from a variety of authentic Tuscan dishes, from antipasti to shareable plates, wood-fired pizza, house-made pastas, fresh seafood and more. (Show your ticket for that night’s performance to receive 10% off your meal!) Afterward, discuss the show’s highlights over a nightcap and an evening snack from Aria’s $5 Bar Bites menu.
Warmer weather is just around the corner, and it will soon be time to turn attention to those festive spring soirées. The breathtaking view at Merchant and Trade can set the scene: the flexible rooftop space can be rented entirely or broken into four separate zones to accommodate groups of 5 to 250. Reservation options start at $2,500 and go up to $40,000, or smaller groups can reserve a couch beginning at $800. Inquire online or call 704.445.2550.
New specials at Le Cochon d’Or
In Waxhaw, French bistro Le Cochon d’Or will offer a series of weekly specials on Tuesday, Wednesday at Thursday for $25 including a glass of wine. Call 704.256.5382 to make your reservation. The offer is not available on special days or holidays.
- Tuesday: Braised Bison Short Ribs, Sautéed Potatoes, Mushrooms, Glass of Cote Du Rhone Guigal.
- Wednesday: Catch Of The Day, Lemon Beurre Blanc, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Quinoa, Glass of Gruner Vetliner White
- Thursday: Choucroute Garnie, Homemade Sauerkraut With Mustard Grain, Smoked Pork Shank, Garlic Sausage, Alsacian Sausage, Potatoes and Baby Carrots. Glass of Gruner Vetliner White or Cote Du Rhone Red.
Wine School & Pairings with Eric Asimov
March 6 | Upstream Seafood | 6:30 p.m.
Save your seat now for a four-course dinner and “wine school” with New York Times Wine Critic Eric Asimov. The evening starts with a passed hors d’oeuvres reception and continues with a four-course dinner crafted by chefs from Upstream, Columbia’s 1801 GRILLE, Taco Molino and Mimosa Grill. $85 per person plus tax and gratuity.
Taste of the New South 2019
March 6 | The Fillmore Charlotte | 6 p.m.
Levine Museum of the New South’s annual fundraiser combines delicious food and thought-provoking topics presented by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, acclaimed filmmaker, and immigration advocate Jose Antonio Vargas. $175 general admission.
Teeling Irish Whiskey Pairing Dinner
March 13 | Dilworth Tasting Room | 6 p.m.
Dilworth Tasting Room’s Teeling Irish Whiskey Pairing Dinner invites guests to enjoy three courses with three of their favorite cocktails. Don’t hesitate to book your seat – there are only 27 seats available.
P.S. Dilworth Tasting Room is continues to include exclusive wine offers in their newsletters each Monday. Sign up here to get the scoop!
Taste of the Nation Benefitting No Kid Hungry
March 13 | Brewers at 4001 Yancey | 7 p.m.
Did you know that 1 in 6 children in America struggles with hunger? Be part of the solution at the 2019 Taste of the Nation benefitting No Kid Hungry. In addition to unlimited bites and sips from the city’s best chefs and drink purveyors, the night includes live entertainment and a champagne wall. $85 general admission.
Next Plate Series
March 13, 20 and 27 | Camp North End | 7 p.m.
Camp North End presents the Next Plate series, a joining of Charlotte’s culinary and arts scenes, through the month of March. At each event, chefs and art leaders will work together to craft a multi-course dining experience with arts elements.
WP Feeds The Need with Charlotte Food Bloggers
March 21 | WP Kitchen + Bar | 5 p.m.
At the next edition of WP Feeds the Need, the Charlotte Food Bloggers join in raising funds for Our Daily Bread, a local organization that works with ex-offenders to give them housing and jobs in a bakery mentoring their culinary skills. 15% of the evening’s sales will benefit the charity. Call 704.295.0101 to reserve your table.
