... Zink, in a move by Harper's Restaurant Group -- opening target date is early next week.
M5 Modern Mediterranean had closed a few weeks ago because of an exhaust system problem, and sibling Zink American Kitchen had closed uptown earlier in the summer. M5 had been under review by the company and headed in a more mainstream direction before the equipment problem. Now chef Scott Wallen and staff are putting finishing touches on a menu that will incorporate the most popular dishes from Zink, including housecut fries and chips, plus the most popular from M5 (flatbreads from the wood-burning oven, Mediterranean dips and housemade pita, roasted whole fish), plus new additions, and a version of a popular sea bass dish from sibling Upstream (this one done with cod, miso-marinated).
And yes, the 30-foot zinc bar that was a hallmark has moved to the new location, at the Village at SouthPark, 4310 Sharon Road (704-909-5500). Domestic beer and wines and nightly specials will be as they were offered at the original Zink.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
SouthPark's M5 to become ...
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20 comments:
cool???
I just figured out why Charlotte resturants SUCK. There all owned by the same people that shuffle cr@p around.
LOL! This article is confusing and at one time you mention "zinc". Where is Zink re-opening is my question?
Sorry, Anon: The new Zink (with a K) is at 4310 Sharon Road, where M5 used to be. And the new Zink (with a K) will have the zinc (with a c) bar -- meaning it's made of zinc -- from the original location. And the bar, just to be even more confusing, actually came to Charlotte in the late 90s as part of the now defunct Bijoux, which most folks probably don't even remember...
They need a new chef, not the same one from the old Upstream, leave your sea bass $36 dollars at Phillips Place and try and be a little creative. The old M5 when they first opened was great. Know just very average
When M5 opened it was great, the flatbreads, the fish, the Med flavors, then a year ago the quality went straight down hill and the food was slow to get to the table and the managers could care less about it. It will take a lot more then just renaming it and trying to copy the other guys doing more casual fare. I agree with the other comment, get a chef who cares about quality and a team that wants to be in such a great space as it was when they opened.
Will they be serving Mountain Oysters at the new Zink ?
The fact that they are owned by the same restaurant group, in and of itself is irrelevant. Restaurant group ownership is a way of life in all American cities including San Francisco and New York.
Now the quality of that group, service, execution, etc. is fairly debated.
Although the food quality and service went down hill after the first year, Charlotte is the most fickle city when it comes to restaurants. When it's new and fresh and THE place to be, everyone wants to see and be seen. Harpers did take notice and place Scott Wallen from Upstream there to try and recoup the once thriving restaurant. I loved Zinc and enjoy Upstream as well,so I'm glad some of the familar menu items will be featured. Maybe the "in" crowd will give it another shot and with a new name and concept give us another dining option in Southpark.
To Anonymous above: So your trying to blame the food quality and service going down hill on the people of Charlotte being fickle? And if everything did go downhill then what was Scott Wallen doing to improve the situation? Seems he didn't make a difference.
Regardless of where you live everyone wants to try something new and hot. The difference is that if you want to keep customers coming back you don't let the food and service get as bad as they did.
I loved the place when it first opened and went back a few times. But the last couple of times I went the service was terrible and the food was amazingly bad. The waiter couldn't even bring out what we ordered. And the place was EMPTY!
I love Zink! I hope they put the fried pickles on the menue!
Just a small response, Helen: as a native Charlottean who has worked downtown (see - just can't call it Uptown) for a long time, I certainly remember Bijoux and had a very funny story occur there. I won't waste your time with the story, but two things came out of that experience - the entire place had a horrendous smell of some kind of floor cleaner/barmats (ugh) and although they had a tasty burger, never order one when it comes on a crusty baquette! Thanks for the great blog!
To the above comment the sea bass is $39.00 dollars for a frozen piece of fish that they state is day boat, which comes in frozen, and who knows how old it really is. Can you believe $39.00 this day and age for FROZEN FISH. The Gorden fisherman is jealous of that price and they should be ashamed.
Ate at Upstream recently. Sea Bass was $39!
how long till another Harper
s restuarant goes belly up
Zink suffered from an identity issue. They offered everything from sushi to sloppy Joes, tapas to full entrees. The bar area had one "feel" to it, the dining area another. I think they just tried to do/be too much. Though I work right by it, the place never came up as a suggestion for lunch, after work drinks, or dinner. M5 had a good thing going for a while. It's a shame; the South Park restaurant scene could use a little more diversity and the Mediterranean influence was one step in the right direction.
Here's an idea... Let's hope all "new" restaurants in town are owned by a Harper's-based group. That way, no matter which one's fail, we will all still be complaining about the same, tired, unexciting American food fare. What a disaster our restaurants are becoming. All of a sudden in the past 5 years, everyone has some kind of "idea" that they should own a restaurant - yet the food they claim to be so excited about "introducing" to Charlotte food-lovers is the same old crap that didn't work the first 10 times! Here's another idea - how about someone open a family-style Burger place that offers customers their own selection of toppings? The place next to M5 would be perfect, wait.....
What about a NY-styled steak joint? Oh.
No, the new "in" is seafood. Ya... wait.
Umm, what about Tapas! YES!! Oh.
Ahh - I got it! A wine bar!! People here are so intelligent when it comes to Vino! Perfect! What? Really? Already done that? What if some really good Cabs or Chards were offered? No....?
When is the last time anyone has really been excited to go out for a meal in this town (of course, there are some exceptions; Good Food on Montford and Soul Gastrolounge being 2 such examples)??
Please do tell.... Maybe I'll be surprised.
Now you have Harpers and the new Zink doing the same food...amazing idea guys. you are just a golf swing away, how about something more unique. Hope you are bringing the tired decor from old zink to the new one, that will be exciting. best of luck
Is it me or is Helen Schwab a little bias when it comes to reviewing Tom Sasser(Harpers Group) and Frank Scibelli?
Yes I know that both of these men have been a staple in the charlotte restauarant scene, but common Helen!
Zink closed because the food was subpar at best. M5 closed because service was lousy! If I want to eat good Mediterranean food I go to Ilios Noche!
I am in shock about the closing of M5! When we first went a couple of years ago, we sat at the chef's table and had one of the best meals in recent memory. We returned this past February but was about to leave as we didn't find anything on the menu that we could eat according to a cleanse we were on with specific guidelines. The chef came out listened to what we were restricted to and later presented two different main courses and appetizers that were heavenly. Not a fan of Upstream or Zink and will sorely miss M5.
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