Charlotte’s foodie scene isn’t easing into the new season – it’s coming in with a bang. Take note of these newly opened spots, culinary events and menu updates to add to your must-try list.
NEW & NOTEWORTHY
Lincoln St. Kitchen & Cocktails
Lincoln Street Kitchen & Cocktails is officially open in South End. Expect a rooftop bar, cozy industrial-inspired interior and a menu focused on craft cocktails, wine and small plates.
el Thrifty Social Club
New to Optimist Hall, el Thrifty Social offers something for everyone: Mexican cantina-inspired fare, a full bar focused on craft cocktails and agave-based spirits, plus games including mini duck pin bowling and shuffleboard.
Taco Mama
Now open in Dilworth, Alabama-based Taco Mama offers build-your-own tacos, burritos, nachos and quesadillas, plus taco and burrito baskets. Find them at 2452 Park Rd Suite C.
Village Juice Co.
Another newcomer to popular Optimist Hall, Village Juice Co. offers plenty of wholesome options for breakfast and lunch. The menu includes everything from smoothies to smoothie bowls and toasts to start the day, to build-your-own and specialty grain and greens bowls and brioche sandwiches perfect for a healthy lunch break.
Lost & Found
Fire up your Instagram, because South End’s newest hangout is the perfect spot to snap a pic on your next girls’ night out. Lost & Found offers pretty in pink couches, an outdoor patio with reservable fire pits, more than 20 cocktails and plenty of TVs to catch the games. Find them at 332 West Bland St.
Changes coming for The Packhouse and Joe & Nash
Both concepts, previously owned by Deedee Mills (of Mayobird and The Summit Room) have been sold. We’re eagerly awaiting on what comes next for the spot on Morehead.
Reid’s Fine Foods Uptown
It’s time to visit Reid’s newest Uptown location at 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts. Expect a beautiful patio, counter service for breakfast (7-10:30 a.m.) and lunch (Monday-Thursday 10:30 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.), plus a wine bar serving small plates, entrees, wine, beer and cocktails.
OPENINGS WE’RE WATCHING
Bossy Beulah’s
Soon, Charlotteans will be able to see for themselves how Bossy Beulah’s claim to be the “best chicken sandwich in Charlotte” holds up. The no-nonsense chicken shack from chef and restaurateur Jim Noble is slated to open on Freedom Drive later this month. Named for Noble’s great Aunt Beulah, Bossy Beulah’s will serve up fried chicken sandwiches, hand cut fries, slaw and classic beverages.
AC Hotel Charlotte SouthPark
The latest AC Hotels by Marriott is expected to open in SouthPark in December. In addition to bringing 157 hotel rooms to the area, AC Hotel Charlotte SouthPark will also be the site of the neighborhood’s first, public rooftop food and drink destination in early 2020. The eighth floor bar will feature skyline views, indoor/outdoor seating and a selection of locally inspired cocktails and tapas-style small bites.
Capishe Real Italian Kitchen SouthPark
Capishe, the Charlotte-based restaurant known for its house-made pastas and wood fired pizzas, will expand to its second location at 6555 Morrison Boulevard in SouthPark. The 3,900 square-foot space will include an outdoor patio, bar and an even larger kitchen than the Dilworth location. Expect a similar menu, plus wine and beer.
KiKi
From the team at Soul Gastrolounge, KiKi, will open directly downstairs and will focus on sharable French and Greek small plates. Soul’s Chef Jason Pound will also be running the kitchen at KiKi.
FOODIE EVENTS
If you like this, you’ll love that: Obscure grapes with familiar styles
October 22 | Corkbuzz Charlotte | 6:30 p.m.
Stuck in a wine rut? Let the professionals at Corkbuzz help. Learn all about the classic grapes you know and love, plus six new expressions that are similar to your go-tos that may just become new favorites. $65 per person.
Cheese, Charcuterie, and Wine Event at SouthPark
October 24 | Reid’s Fine Foods SouthPark | 6:45 p.m.
Enjoy a guided tasting of six pairings of cheese, charcuterie, and wine led by Tim Gaddis, Certified Cheese Professional and member of Guilde Internationale des Fromageres, Kevin Ouzts, Charcutier and owner of Spotted Trotter in Atlanta and Mary Wooten, Certified Wine Professional at Reid’s Fine Foods. $50 per person.
Wine Dinner with Master Sommelier Max Kast
October 25 | Corkbuzz Charlotte | 6:30 p.m.
Save your seat now for this four-course dinner paired with North Carolina native and Master Sommelier Max Kast’s favorite wine selections from Europe to South Africa. $65 per person.
Oyster Roast at the Peach Tree
October 26 | The Peach Tree Orchard, York | 6-8 p.m.
Head to the Peach Tree Orchard in York, SC for an evening of all-you-can-eat steamed oysters, live music, ice cream and more.
36th Annual Barbecue Festival
October 26 | 1 North Main Street, Lexington
If you’re up for a short drive to Lexington, we think your taste buds will thank you. The 36th annual Barbecue Festival includes seven stages of entertainment, more than 200 craft exhibitors, family fun and Lexington-style barbecue.
Farm to Brew Beer Dinner
October 28 | Legal Remedy Brewing, Rock Hill | 6:30 p.m.
Legal Remedy’s Farm to Brew Beer Dinner returns with a four-course menu. Guests can enjoy local art on display and speak with the farmers, chefs and brewers who crafted the locally-sourced meal. $75 per person.
Kindred & Hello, Sailor Guest Chef Series
October 29 | Hello, Sailor | 7 p.m.
Mark your calendars for Kindred and Hello, Sailor’s first Guest Chef Series beginning October 29. Each dinner will showcase the styles and flavors of award-winning chefs, starting with James Beard Foundation semifinalist Gregory Collier. $120 per guest.
Scoop Fall Meet Up at Dilworth Tasting Room
October 30 | Dilworth Tasting Room | 6-8 p.m.
Plan a girls’ night out with the ladies from Scoop. Meet us at Dilworth Tasting Room on October 30 for complimentary flatbreads and half price cabernet, plus expert tips for choosing fall and holiday wines. Free but space is limited.
Halloween at Dilworth Tasting Room
October 31 | 4-10 p.m.
Head back to DTR for a Halloween celebration including a spooky costume contest, candy for the kids and half off select Cabernet Sauvignons for the adults.
Dining in the Dark
October 31 | forchetta | 6:30 p.m.
Join Chef Luca Annunziata for this blindfolded four-course dinner consisting of a secret menu until the big reveal. $50 per guest, $65 with wine pairings. Call 704.602.2750 to reserve your spot.
MENU UPDATES & BITES TO TRY
Head to Dilworth Tasting Room to try new fall dishes
Snag a table inside or outside in the garden to enjoy new menu items at Dilworth Tasting Room, including butternut squash bisque, a fig and pear flatbread, Croatian Pastisada and Croatian Octopus Peka Filet.
Don’t worry, they did not forget the cocktails. Try new sips including the Fall Colors, Evening Cooler, Pearadise and Chockoscotch.
New flavors from Chef Stephen Schmitt at WP Kitchen + Bar
Led by Chef Stephen Schmitt, WP Kitchen + Bar has introduced a handful of new menu items in celebration of the season.
Sharables:
- Crispy Duck Confit with red kuri squash, apple butter, pistachios, and soy caramel
- Tuna Tartare with caponata, pine nut puree, and tomato chips
- UAV Ricotta with roasted red kuri squash, maple brown butter gastrique, and pumpkin seeds
- Pumpkin Agnolotti with cipollini, brown butter, pepitas, sage, and pecorino
- Garganelli with braised pork ragu, tomatoes, cipollini, and pecorino romano
Entrees:
- Grilled NC Rainbow Trout with roasted cauliflower, pine nuts, capers, golden raisins, and agrodolce
- Grilled Heart of Ribeye with cauliflower puree, grilled broccolini, and black garlic borderlaise
Sides:
- Roasted Cauliflower with pine nut puree, capers, and golden raisin agrodolce
- Grilled Broccolini with crispy garlic, chili, and citrus
- Brussels Sprouts with crispy chick peas, salsa verde aioli, and pistachio dukkah
Cheers to Taco Molino’s New Happy Hour
Live or work in South Charlotte? Don’t miss out on Taco Molino’s new happy hour specials. Enjoy $4 Mexican Bottles, $6 classic and frozen classic margaritas Monday through Friday from 3-6 p.m.
New at Aria Tuscan Grill
Aria Tuscan Grill and Chef Alex Piatt introduced several additions to the menu just in time for fall. The seasonal soup is Butternut Squash Bisque with whipped ricotta and toasted pumpkin seeds ($7), while the hand-tossed, wood-fired pizza lineup added a Brussels + Pancetta Bianco Pizza with shaved Brussels sprouts, mozzarella, crisp pancetta, and caramelized onion ($12).
New pasta options include Handmade Gnocchi with Pan-Roasted Shrimp + Calabrese Salumi in spicy pomodoro ($19) and Handmade Mushroom + Ricotta Cappelletti with roasted celery root, caramelized onion, brown butter sauce, and fresh thyme ($18).
Seasonal seafood preparations include Roasted N.C. Trout with house-made sweet potato triangoli, pancetta, hazelnut brown butter, and shaved Brussels sprout chips ($19); Faroe Island Salmon alla Plancha with roasted root vegetables, celery root puree, and pumpkin seed pesto ($25); and Pan-Roasted Nantucket Scallops with whipped butternut squash, forbidden rice, and crispy prosciutto ($30).
Other entrée additions include a Grilled Beeler’s 12 oz. Tomahawk Pork Chop with fingerling potato confit, Sweety Drop pepper hash, and cipollini onion pan sauce ($26); and Braised Beef Short Rib with wild mushroom risotto and natural pan sauce ($28).
Juice for JoJo at all Rare Roots Hospitality bars
Order a cocktail for a cause as All Rare Roots Hospitality bars come together to support one of their own. Proceeds from the “Juice for JoJo” cocktails at all locations benefit JoAn Cook, a Dressler’s bartender recovering from a car accident. Ilegal Mezcal will also match donations. Cocktail ingredients vary by location:
- Fin and Fino: Ilegal Mezcal, strawberry jam, citrus, bitters
- Dressler’s: Ilegal Mezcal, strawberry syrup, lemon and lime, pink salt
- The Porter’s House: Ilegal Mezcal, grapefruit, blackberry, mint, tangerine
- Dogwood: Ilegal Mezcal, coqui Rosa, elderflower, grapefruit Birkdale Mezcal, Cointreau, pomegranate, orange juice
New options at Pokeatery
You may have had, and found, your favorite poke style. But the folks at Pokeatery have found a brand new way to enjoy it. Try it “Aburi style,” where the poke is torch-seared.
