Helen Schwab

Valentine's updates

2012-02-02T16:55:00.000-05:00

Lulu plans a five-course dinner Valentine's night for $75 per person, with choices that include foie gras with chanterelle butter and braised fennel; "cowgirl" ribeye; ravioli with lobster claw; and more. The regular menu will also be available. 1911 Central Ave.; 704-376-2242

La Paz plans a three-course Valentine's meal. Among the choices: mojito-poached shrimp; roasted pork and scallop tamale; pan-seared salmon with pear and mango chimichanga; Mayan chocolate terrine; and more. 1100 Metropolitan Ave.; 704-332-6322.

Terrace Café will offer a four-course dinner - including soup, salad, entrée and Champagne with chocolate-dipped strawberries - Feb. 10, 11 and 14. $95 per couple; Piedmont Town Center, 704-554-6177; Ballantyne Village, 704-369-5190.

Valentine's specials will run Feb. 10-14 at Georges Brasserie, with special entrees, Champagne and live violin music on Valentine's Day. 4620 Piedmont Row Drive; 980-219-7409.

Harvest Moon Grille will serve a "Feel the Love" menu, with options ranging from Grateful Growers pork roulade to pappardelle with rabbit, and more. $90 per couple; 235 N. Tryon St.; 704-342-1193.

Savannah Red at the Charlotte Marriott City Center offers a meal that's part of a Valentine's package offered Feb. 11: $395 per couple (with a max of 12 couples) buys a 17-course dinner and 12 wines from Hartford Court Wines; a night's lodging; and breakfast for two. 100 W. Trade St. Info: 704-358-6571.

P.F. Chang’s has a four-course Valentine's meal for two, available now, for $39.95: two soups, one appetizer, two entrees and two mini-desserts. Phillips Place, 704-552-6644; Northlake, 704-598-1927.

Fern will do a four-course vegetarian wine dinner on Valentine's Day for $45 per person. Among the courses are fig and caramelized onion tart with housemade "bacon" (as in a vegetarian form), and mushroom, artichoke and winter onion stew. 1323 Central Ave.; 704-377-1825.

Sibling Halcyon will host a Bitter Beer Dinner Feb. 16 as an "Anti-Valentine's Day event": Five courses of meat-centric dishes, each with a beer pairing (and no dessert) for $55. Among the offerings: charred lamb heart pho with 21st Amendment IPA; mussels with vaporized beer and pimento cheese fondue, with Stone Ruination IPA; and chicken and waffles with Midnight Madness from NoDa Brewing Company, served in a firkin (essentially a quarter-barrel), tableside.

Back to Valentine's Day proper:
The Wine Shop at Foxcroft will do two seatings (6 and 8:30) for Valentine's night, and menu will be $45 per person, including a glass of sparkling wine. Among chef Justin Solomon's choices: truffled parsnip soup with lobster salad; tomato fettuccine; braised pork cheeks; and more. 704-365-6550; 7824 Fairview Road.

Bar Cocoa at the Ritz-Carlton offers its five-course, all-dessert Chocolate & Champagne Dinner 7-10 p.m. Feb. 11-14: five Champagnes with five desserts for $125 plus tax and tip. 201 E. Trade St. Reservations: 704-547-2244.

Passion8 hosts a Sweethearts Champagne Brunch Feb. 12 for $29 (entree selections include N.C. trout, lobster ravioli and more), and will open Feb. 14 for a "Love Bug Dinner Date" that includes live music. 3415 Highway 51 N, Fort Mill; 803-802-7455.

Sonny’s Valentine’s Special: all-you-can-eat babyback ribs for $13.99 Feb. 11-14 at 440 Tyvola Road; Arboretum; 7820 Lyles Lane, Concord; 328 W. Plaza Drive, Mooresville; and 2781 Cherry Road, Rock Hill.

Red Rocks Cafe at Strawberry Hill offers a $38, four-course, fixed-price dinner with choices including mini crabcakes, twin medallions of filet and more, Feb. 10-14. (You can also order the entrees a la carte for $24.95.) 4223-8 Providence Road; 704-364-0402.
The Red Rocks at Birkdale will offer an a la carte special menu, along with its regular dinner menu, Feb. 10-14. Birkdale Village; 704-892-9999.

Gallery offers a four-course fixed-price menu Feb. 10-14, with choices that include filet mignon and Georges Bank lemon sole. $65; 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway; 704-248-4100.

New at Bobcats games

2012-02-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

Bobcats home games will have some new fare, including gluten-free and more health-focused dishes, we're told. Look for veggie burgers, grilled veggie kabobs and salads; "Veg Out" and "Fruta" snack cups; grilled chicken sandwiches and Caesar wraps; and a gluten-free snack cart. Also on hand at Time Warner Cable Arena this year: "Meatball Mania" items, including traditional beef meatballs with marinara, chicken meatballs with green chile verde, and Thai pork meatballs with ginger-soy barbecue sauce.

Trattoria Antica opening

2012-02-01T16:57:00.000-05:00

Augusto Conte's latest, Trattoria Antica, is scheduled to open Feb. 4 at 3909 Providence Road South in Waxhaw. Among the menu offerings: linguine with shellfish, lasagne alla Bolognese, gnocchi with tomato sauce and basil, Neapolitan-style pizzas, Mediterranean sea bass, lamb shanks, veal scallopine, and more. 704-243-0633.

Updated: New uptown spot

2012-01-31T14:12:00.000-05:00

Chef Jamie Lynch will be at the kitchen helm of 5Church, slated to open in spring at the corner of Church and 5th streets (in the former Molly MacPherson's), with a New American menu. N.C. foodstuffs will figure prominently in what's being described as "an eclectic blend of multicultural flavors" and the lineup will include housemade breads, pastas and cheeses. Other press-release descriptions: The interior is a "tongue and cheek (sic) interpretation of a neo-Victorian décor”; expect lunch, dinner and weekend brunch that are "casual, yet refined."

Lynch, most recently at Barrington's in Charlotte, has worked at Le Cirque, Café Boulud and Aureole, and plans here, according to a press release, "to develop New American-style seasonal menus that reflect the purity of local products and to advocate proper techniques of food preparation in a respectful manner.”

Champagne dinner

2012-01-31T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Wine Vault has scheduled "National Champagne Lover Come Out of the Closet Day" Feb. 12 at Aria's upstairs lounge, uptown at . $25 for tastes (with explanations) of Duval-Leroy Brut NV (that means non-vintage); Duval-Leroy Rose NV; Duval-Leroy Cuvee Paris NV; Duval-Leroy Clos des Bouveries 2004; Duval-Leroy 1995 Femme de Champagne; and Duval-Leroy 2000 Femme de Champagne. Aria will also offer three courses for $30 that evening. 100 N. Tryon St.; 704-548-9463.

Puck honored

2012-01-30T14:29:00.002-05:00

Wolfgang Puck was named today as recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. Puck has won a number of awards from the Foundation, a national group that seeks to promote the culinary arts and whose awards are what some dub the Oscars of the food world, yearly honoring chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook writers, wine professionals and more.

Puck, slated to open a restaurant at Phillips Place this year, will get the award in May at Lincoln Center in New York. He cooked the first guest-chef dinner at the James Beard House, in 1987, and is the only person to win Outstanding Chef twice, said Beard president Susan Ungaro: "Wolfgang has not only demonstrated to the industry his incredible talent but he has helped shape the industry by revolutionizing how American chefs think about food. What sets Wolfgang apart, however, is that his creativity takes him beyond our industry’s walls. As a former Humanitarian Award recipient, he has shown that the culinary industry can improve the lives of others and benefit society as a whole."

He is a native of Austria and got famous with Spago in Hollywood, which opened in 1982. He's got 20 fine dining restaurants currently, plus "multiple" casual places; 5 million of his fresh and frozen pizzas sell each year, and Campbell's sells 26 varieties of Wolfgang Puck soup. There's cookware, too ... (Photo from Access Hollywood.)

Four Diamonds

2012-01-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

Bonterra, Zebra and McNinch House received Four Diamond awards from AAA Carolinas this week. Each has won multiple times: This is Bonterra's eighth award, Zebra's ninth and McNinch's 15th. Of 58,000 inspections each year nationally, 3.4 percent result in this rating, according to Dave Parsons of the organization.

Links of the week

2012-01-30T13:45:00.003-05:00

McDonald's has dropped "pink slime," perhaps in part because of chef Jamie Oliver's protests (but maybe not), says the Huffington Post here.

The Daily Mail, meanwhile, illuminates us on the British teen who collapsed after (she says) eating nothing but chicken nuggets -- for 15 YEARS.
(MSNBC explains a little about salt and reducing it in a related story here.)

Wow. I might need a glass of wine after that. You, too? Learn a few vocabulary words to be more impressive while imbibing, here.

Bits and crumbs

2012-01-27T18:04:00.004-05:00

This Sunday (Jan. 29) is the 12th annual Soup on Sunday benefitting Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region. Soups from area restaurants, pottery from area potters, all offered 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Central Piedmont Community College, 425 N. Kings Drive (at the corner of Kings and 7th.) General admission (food and drinks) is $30 ($10 for kids 7-12, free for 6 and younger); "soup lover's special" is $40 and you get a handmade pottery bowl as well. Details and tickets: hpccr.org. You can also buy them at the door or by phone at 704-335-4312.

Global will add a Jan. 31-Feb. 4 run to its Restaurant Week three-for-$30 deal.

Bonterra, Zebra and McNinch House received Four Diamond awards from AAA Carolinas this week. Each has won multiple times: This is Bonterra's eighth award, Zebra's ninth and McNinch's 15th. Of 58,000 inspections each year nationally, 3.4 percent result in this rating, according to Dave Parsons of the organization.

But do you REALLY want to show your love?

2012-01-26T16:52:00.004-05:00

The Ritz-Carlton uptown's 14-Carat Chocolate Package should do. You get:

* Five-course, all-dessert Champagne and chocolate dinner for two, including pairings such as Chocolate Pistachio and Raspberry Macaron with Moët & Chandon Nectar Rosé Imperial.

* Two nights in The Ritz-Carlton Suite, which has "floor-to-ceiling panoramic views of Charlotte."

* A private dessert cooking class for two at Bar Cocoa’s Cocoa Lab Kitchen.

* A Le Vian 14K White Gold and Chocolate Diamond Pendant Necklace.

* A Montblanc Chocolate Brown Bohème Fountain Pen.

* Weekend brunch for two at Bar Cocoa.

* The Honey Detox and Chocolate Truffle Body Treatment and Massage for two at the hotel's spa.

* A dedicated private car and driver throughout your stay.

* Limousine service to and from the hotel and a local address or to and from the hotel to the Charlotte airport.

The price tag is $14,000 -- and yes, that includes tax and tip. Interested? You can get "personalized reservations assistance" (I should think so) from the hotel's Ashley Branch at 704-549-4735. Note: You do need to call seven days in advance.

Bits and crumbs

2012-01-25T17:20:00.001-05:00

The Duke Mansion does what it calls "Chill Chaser Evenings," starting Jan. 27, with cocktail hour (5:30-7 p.m.) at the Mansion: cash/credit bar and snacks from chef Harrison Booth. Feb. 24 and March 23 are also on the calendar; reservations: 704-714-4445. 400 Hermitage Road.

Bonterra hosts a Michael Keenan wine dinner Jan. 30, with courses including jumbo lump crab cocktail with 2009 Spring Mountain Chardonnay and spiced slow-braised lamb shank with 2007 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. $75; 1829 Cleveland Ave.; 704-333-9463.

Showmars (multiple locations) will offer two promotions in the first two weeks of February, for American Heart Month: Jan. 30-Feb. 10, one dollar from every large Greek salad will go to the American Heart Association; and restaurants will sell AHA Red Dress pins for $5, and buyers get a $2 coupon toward their next visit, valid through February.

The Villa Antonio at 4707 South Blvd. now offers $5 appetizers each night at the bar, and $6 drink specials.

"East" Feast, Harper's deal

2012-01-23T15:37:00.004-05:00

Through Jan. 29, East Blvd. Bar & Grill offers three courses for $15. Choices include Buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, soup, side salad, burger, bruschetta wrap, fish tacos, entree salads and more. 1315 East Blvd.; 704-332-2414.

Harper´s offers three courses for $20.12 through Jan. 29. 11059 Carolina Place Parkway (704-541-5255) and 6518 Fairview Road (704-366-6688).

Charlotte Restaurant Week tips

2012-01-20T16:58:00.000-05:00

Ten days, more than 100 restaurants, three courses (or more) for $30.
Charlotte Restaurant Week begins Jan. 20. The idea's a great one: Restaurants can get a lot of traffic during what’s typically a slow time of year for them (there’s another Week in July, too), while diners get a chance to try places they might not otherwise. But note a few things:

That $30 doesn’t include tax, tip or beverage for the most part (though some places do include a glass of wine, draft beer or margarita in the deal). So expect to spend more than $30 per person.
Diners intent on getting a deal should shop the website, www.charlotterestaurantweek.com, comparing choices to restaurants' regular menus. At many places, you can choose a trio that would barely top $30 at regular prices. But if you’ve done your homework, you can get more bang for your buck. (Personally, I like to choose what sounds good together, but some folks really want to feel that discount.) And check details like steak weights. Some places may offer smaller steaks or one lobster tail rather than two. (Understandable, since restaurants can take a bath on the Week, but you want to be aware.)
Places can be busier than they usually are and, if they’re not well-managed, you can feel part of a herd. Ask how reservations are going and lean toward weeknights, rather than weekend nights, if this worries you. Prepare for a bit of natural confusion, relax, and you'll have a better time.

Here are some highlights:

For those who crave the new:
Osso, Fern and La Paz are relatively new – and before you tell me how long La Paz has been around, this is the new location at the Metropolitan. And check its CRW menu: A pretty complete divergence, from newly hired chef Tobin McAfee. I’m told diner response may mean additions to that tried-and-true menu.
For the folks who want choice:
The Tuscan grills own this one: Aria and Primo both essentially have their whole menus in on this deal. Sante in Matthews, while much smaller, also proffers a notably large percentage of its lineup.
For those who look at the dessert menu before entrees:
Blue: Seven choices, covering all three dessert food groups – Chocolate, Fruit, Liqueur.
For adventure-seekers:
The Speedway Club is usually a private club, but opens up for this event. Always wondered about it? Check it out.
Global offers a good sense of what it’s about, from salmon rillettes on housemade baguette to the cod dish called Stockfish a la Nicoise.
Luce has an appetizer, fish, pasta and risotto of the day in its lineup.
I’d skip:
Del Frisco’s offers choice among entrees -- each of which tops or nears the $30 mark alone -- but every diner will have the exact same salad, side and dessert? Go if you've never been (it's luxe), but you won't get much insight into what the kitchen can do. Morton's is similarly one-dimensional.
For the deal-hungry:
Maharani Indian Cuisine: You get a glass of wine, an appetizer, a full dinner-size entrée AND a full-size tandoori entrée, plus dessert.
Chima: Sheer volume – all you can eat of both the salad bar and the dozen proteins served from skewers. Regular price is $49.50; a few of the usual meats (lamb chops, for example) won’t be served, but it’s still a significant discount.

French wines Jan. 31

2012-01-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

A Wine Vault French wine dinner Jan. 31 at Pewter Rose brings in Jean Louis Tribouley Orchis and three Saint Damien Gigondas, with dishes such as quail "au vin" over basmati rice and a mild chorizo and Northern bean cassoulet. $75; 1820 South Blvd.; 704-548-9463.

Chef Hibbs back

2012-01-19T15:30:00.001-05:00

Chef Mark Hibbs returns to Charlotte restaurants with the new Blackthorne Restaurant & Bar, which opened last week at Ballantyne. Hibbs, former chef-owner of the defunct Ratcliffe on the Green, says the concept is New American Bistro, with some of the former Ratcliffe entrée favorites, such as braised lamb shank and roasted Poulet Rouge chicken, plus a lengthy lineup of appetizers and small plates, from seared duck breast crostini to fried quail in a bucket. Owners are Tim and Jay Duffy, new to the restaurant business. 11318 N. Community House Road; 704-817-5554.

Restaurant Week bonus

2012-01-19T10:24:00.003-05:00

Customers who order the three-for-$30 menu two or more times at participating Harper´s Restaurant Group locations (Zink, Mimosa Grill and Upstream) during the Jan. 20-29 Charlotte Restaurant Week will get a $20 gift card. Dine four or more times and you get a $50 gift card.

Bits and crumbs

2012-01-18T15:09:00.001-05:00

Reid's offers an oyster roast Jan. 21 starting at 2 p.m. ("'til we run out of oysters!"), as an "on the house" thank-you to supporters. Beer (Bud and Bud Light) will sell for $2. 2823 Selwyn Ave.; 704-377-1312.

The Palm offers a fixed-price menu through March 31: $49.95 gets you choice of starter (Caesar or mixed green salad, lobster bisque or mushroom ravioli), entree (9-ounce filet, scallops or shrimp) and side. Phillips Place; 704-552-7256.

Revolution Pizza & Ale House plans a five-course Southern Tier beer dinner Jan. 29 for $45. Among the courses are ground venison chili with Iniquity Black Ale, pan-seared scallops with 2XIPA, and more. 3228 N. Davidson St.; 704-333-4440.

Bonterra hosts a five-course Robert Foley wine dinner Feb. 1, with Bob and Kelly Foley on hand. Among the courses are a smoked tomato pappardelle with 2009 Charbono; rack of wild boar with 2009 Merlot; and more. 1829 Cleveland Ave. Reservations: www.heartbright.org; 704-373-3002.

Growlers gets recognition

2012-01-17T16:36:00.002-05:00

Draft Magazine includes Growlers Pourhouse in its list of America's 100 best beer bars, here. 3120 N. Davidson St.; 704-910-6566.

Free Chick-fil-A breakfasts

2012-01-17T16:11:00.002-05:00

Charlotte area Chick-fil-As are offering free breakfast dishes 6:30-10:30 a.m. Jan. 23-28 -- but you must reserve online by Jan. 21. Go to www.chick-fil-aforbreakfast.com, click on the date, time and location you want, then on the item (it's a diverse group, from chicken biscuits to breakfast burritos to oatmeal). You must give a name and e-mail address. Then you get a confirmation to print and take with you. Limit: one free item per customer per day. (You have to get it yourself, and not all restaurants have every item.)

Leroy Fox open in former Hotel Charlotte

2012-01-13T12:36:00.003-05:00

Leroy Fox is open, with a short menu (more to come), in the former Hotel Charlotte spot at 705 S. Sharon Amity Road. Checking in, we found very-salty-crusted but juicy fried chicken served North (breast and wing) or South (leg and thigh); an Asian style of slaw (cabbage shredded fine, with bits of ramen noodle); grilled salmon (a miniscule portion, but tender and moist); and peppery-battered fried zucchini fingers. Service is exceedingly friendly and the place is astronomically lighter and airier than it was as the cozy Hotel: White woodwork and a dining-room long divider break up space, and a multitude of TV screens also make it brighter.

I suspect the "foxing" joke (as in "a foxing fantastic time" and "foxing fried chicken") will pall, but T-shirts ("Vixen") may have longer life. Also of note: original hotel doors and other details, and some private areas, like "The Fox Den."

Dinner nightly until Jan. 23, when both lunch and the full dinner menu will kick in. It's owned by a group that includes restaurateur Martin Sprock, known for his franchising, though director of operations Daniel Thompson said franchising plans are "still up in the air." 704-366-3232.

Roosters news

2012-01-12T16:02:00.004-05:00

The second Rooster's, uptown at 1 Bank of America Center’s Urban Garden at 5th and College streets, should open at the end of January, the Rooster's folks say. Also coming up: The original location hosts "An Evening with Duck Rabbit Brewery" Jan. 25, with a menu that includes braised rabbit sugo with caramelized onion, paired with Milk Stout; cocoa-crusted duck breast with coffee-cured duck ham and Brussels sprouts, paired with Brown Ale; and more. $50; 704-366-8688.

Beer dinner

2012-01-12T14:26:00.000-05:00

D'Vine Wine Cafe hosts a Global Brewers Guild Beer Dinner Jan. 26, featuring Uinta and 21st Amendment breweries. On the menu: grilled salmon and soba noodle salad with 21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA and shrimp bisque with St. Andre grilled cheese and Uinta Hop Notch IPA; roasted duck breast with Uinta Bristlecone Brown; smoked beef brisket with 21st Amendment Back in Black IPA and more. $44.99; 14815 John J. Delaney Drive; reservations required: 704-369-5050.

New hours, new offerings

2012-01-12T10:53:00.001-05:00

The Wine Shop at Foxcroft has new hours for food service: The wine bar and kitchen now open at 5 p.m. and close at 10:30 Monday-Saturday, and are closed Sundays. The shop is open 10 a.m-11 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 7824 Fairview Road; 704-365-6550.

Chick-fil-A rolled out a new kid’s meal this week, with four grilled nuggets, fruit cup and low-fat milk, and has also added a new side: apple sauce.

Wells Banana Bread Beer is among the week's new beers at the Pizza Peel, 4422 Colwick Road.

Heard Puck rumors?

2012-01-11T15:44:00.004-05:00

Wolfgang Puck, who had an "Express" version of a restaurant in the Charlotte area a while ago (it morphed into a "Carolina Bistro," then closed, at Promenade on Providence), may be on his way back. Says a spokesman: "We are currently in plans to open a new concept but the details are not firmed up exactly just yet." Stay tuned.

What's up in Blowing Rock

2012-01-11T13:52:00.001-05:00

Crippen's Country Inn & Restaurant plans two January events with other chefs:

* Jan. 20 kicks off a yearlong “Rising Star Chefs” series with Raleigh chef/owner Chad McIntyre of Market Restaurant. McIntyre's cooking is described as clean Southern flavors with an inventive, sometimes global twist; he's worked on the Gulf coast and out west, and opened in Raleigh about a year ago. $39 (must be purchased in advance); www.crippens.com.

* Jan. 24 will be a “Battle of the Champions,” pitting Nate Allen from Knife & Fork in Spruce Pine (WNC Chef Challenge winner), Michael Barbato from Chetola Resort (2011 “Fire On the Rock” winner) and Crippen's chef Stan Chamberlain in a battle in which diners will vote on the winner. Each chef will do two courses; $49 (must be purchased in advance); www.crippens.com.

Crippen's is at 239 Sunset Drive, Blowing Rock.

Emeril's place sets opening date

2012-01-11T10:45:00.003-05:00

Emeril Lagasse's new e2 will open Jan. 26, if all goes according to plan, serving dinner Monday-Saturday at 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts uptown (between Tryon and Church streets). Described as "casual American," it brings together several veterans of Lagasse restaurants, from chef de cuisine Justin Sells to sous and pastry chef Stephanie Nikolic. Look for chicken and waffles, shrimp pizza, sea scallops with crab fumet, "ham-cured" pork loin and more. The setup includes a counter bordering the open kitchen; a seafood/raw bar; a common table for up to 12; a cocktail bar; the main dining room (seating 125); and a street-level outdoor patio. Complimentary valet parking will be offered, and reservations will be taken starting Jan. 16, at 704-414-4787 or e2emerils.com.

City Tavern at SouthPark

2012-01-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

Look for a new City Tavern at SouthPark, in the former San Antonio's Modern Mexican spot (formerly Morton's), by Dick’s Sporting Goods and McCormick & Schmick’s. Plans call for entrees to range from about $12-$24, and for construction to begin this month, with the place opening in March.

Lulu offers 4-course special

2012-01-10T13:47:00.002-05:00

From Jan. 20-29, Lulu offers four courses for $30 at dinner: choice of olives, pâté or fried calamari; choice of soup or salad; choice of steak and frites, braised rabbit, cod Provençal or risotto of the day; and dessert. 1911 Central Ave.; 704-376-2242.

Soup on Sunday, Year 12

2012-01-10T13:08:00.000-05:00

Save Jan. 29 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) for the 12th annual Soup on Sunday benefitting Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region. Soups come from a multitude of area restaurants, and you can buy pottery made for the event by local potters. It's held at the Philip L. Van Every Culinary Arts Center of Central Piedmont Community College, 425 N. Kings Drive (at the corner of Kings and 7th.)

General admission is $30 and gets you food and beverages ($10 for kids 7-12, free for 6 and younger), while the "soup lover's special" is $40 and you get a handmade pottery bowl as well. Details and tickets: hpccr.org. You can also buy them at the door or by phone at 704-335-4312.

Restaurants already on the list (with soups, if they've announced them):
Red Rocks Café (white bean chicken chili); 300 East (butternut squash with Gorgonzola); Zebra (truffled mushroom and lobster bisque); Sante (roasted butternut squash); Fenwick’s (tomato bisque and chicken with veggies and garden blend rice); Barrington’s; Harvest Moon Grille; Fran’s Filling Station; Crepe Cellar; Paco’s Tacos & Tequila; Midwood Smokehouse; Mama Ricotta’s; and Rodi.

Noted Kinston restaurant has fire

2012-01-09T13:58:00.002-05:00

Chef & the Farmer, a well-regarded restaurant in Kinston, had a major fire this weekend, and a reopening date has not been set, reports the Kinston Free Press. Owners Ben Knight and Vivian Howard opened the place in a former mule stable in 2006, and it specializes in fare made with Eastern N.C. growers' products. A fire official said the fire "gutted" the restaurant's storage area, according to the story.

Coming up: wines, beers, more!

2012-01-09T13:06:00.005-05:00

The Wine Vault's next dinner, with Barnett Vineyards and David Tate, is slated for Jan. 15 at Sullivan's Steakhouse. Among the lineup are crab cake with "Savoy" Chardonnay; Delmonico steak with Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon; and more. $75 (including tax and tip); 704-548-9463.

The annexed space for The King's Bakery, next to uptown's The King's Kitchen, is open, and will host a Trinchero Family wine dinner Jan. 18. The menu includes Hoppin' John cakes and cheese fonduta with Joel Gott Pinot Gris; braised beef short rib with Brussels sprouts, cornbread purée, wild mushrooms and veal demi-glace, with Napa Cellars Syrah; and more. $50; 704-375-1990; the space is on the Church Street side of the Kitchen, at 129 W. Trade St.

Arthur's Wine Shop at Belk SouthPark hosts a Zinfandel Festival 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 for $10 a person. 704-366-8610.

Blue hosts a beer and food pairing with Old Mecklenburg Brewery Jan. 19. Pairings will include rabbit and ricotta canelloni with OMB Copper; charmoula-lacquered duck confit with Dunkel Lager; oven-roasted Kobe top round beef, carved at the table, with OMB Unfiltered Copper; and more. $45.95; Hearst Tower (corner of College and 5th streets uptown); reservations: 704-927-2583.

New lunch

2012-01-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

The Capital Grille now offers a customized "Plates Menu" for lunch, with a 45-minute time estimate and a lineup that includes choice of soup or salad, sandwich and side for $18. The current menu includes a Wagyu cheeseburger with fried egg and crisp onions, roasted pepper soup and roasted root vegetables; the choices will change seasonally. 201 N. Tryon St.; 704-348-1400.

Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend tickets

2011-12-16T14:57:00.000-05:00

You can buy tickets for the 2012 Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend beginning Dec. 19, online at www.CharlotteWineandFood.org.

This every-two-years happening is one of the Southeast's largest wine events, say organizers, and has raised more than $3.5 million for area charities (this year: the Council for Children’s Rights; Second Harvest Food Bank's Metrolina-BackPack Program; Pat’s Place; and Charlotte Community Health Clinic).

The Weekend will be April 18-22, and highlights range from winemaker dinners at area restaurants to tastings and classes to a golf tournament. The kickoff is a tequila dinner at Paco's Tacos & Tequila, April 18, and the largest event is Big Bottles & Blues at the Ritz-Carlton, April 20. A gala and live auction (look for the rare 1919 Romanée-Conti bottle) will be April 21, and a brunch April 22.

New pizza joint

2011-12-16T08:07:00.001-05:00

A second Mellow Mushroom was slated to open this week in the Charlotte area, at 14825 Ballantyne Village Way, with a design theme of “Magic Carpet Ride” using what Marc Kieffer of the ownership group called “magic carpets … and a giant one-of-a-kind hookah.” There’s also a 106-inch TV screen, along with other big screens. It’s open daily. 704-369-5300.

More for New Year's

2011-12-15T14:57:00.000-05:00

For New Year’s Eve:

Blue offers a three-course menu for a first seating (5-6 p.m.) on New Year’s Eve (and all day New Year’s Day) for $34.95. Among the entrée choices: flat iron steak with chanterelles, roasted pork tenderloin and pork belly, or duck Bolognese over housemade tagliatelle pasta. Hearst plaza uptown; reservations: 704-927-2583.

Also for New Year’s Eve: Global offers a five-course meal ($65 with a glass of Champagne with dessert; $95 with wine) from 5 to 11 p.m. On the menu: roasted garlic soup with black pepper tuile; foie gras au torchon with brioche, fig chutney and arugula; diver scallops with wild mushrooms; venison with pumpkin cake and crispy collards; and chocolate praline Yule log. 3520 Toringdon Way; 704-248-0866.

Christmas Eve options

2011-12-15T12:06:00.000-05:00

For Christmas Eve:

New South Kitchen will be open 4-8 p.m. Christmas Eve, with a buffet. Among the stuff on it: shrimp cocktail, spinach artichoke dip, roasted beef tenderloin with red wine au jus, deep-fried turkey, salmon crab strudel, assorted sides and vegetables, and desserts ranging from gingerbread to Christmas cookies. $30 ($15 for those younger than 12); 8140 Providence Road; 704-541-9990.

Passion8 will serve 3-8 p.m. Christmas Eve, and offers a New Year’s Eve menu 4-8 p.m. 3415 Highway 51 N, Fort Mill; 803-802-7455.

Updated: Open on Christmas

2011-12-09T22:05:00.000-05:00

Harvest Moon Grille at the Dunhill uptown will do brunch on both Dec. 24 and 25: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., with classic brunch dishes and "holiday surprise treats." 235 N. Tryon St., 704-342-1193.

The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge will offer holiday brunch Christmas Day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Ballantyne Ballroom. The buffet will include salads, cheeses and seafood displays, breakfast items, a carving station and desserts, plus live traditional holiday music. $55 ($28 for ages 5-12, free for 4 and younger). Reservations required: 704-248-4100; 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway.

New brunch

2011-12-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

Dandelion Market has a new brunch menu, with dishes such as Prosciutto Benny (two baguette crostini topped with tomato, prosciutto, poached egg and Hollandaise), Gravy Cake (fried potato cake with mushroom gravy and poached egg), huevos rancheros, French toast sticks (at right) and omelets. Brunch will run 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with a Bloody Mary bar both days. 118 W. 5th St.; 704-333-7989.

Dancing for New Year's

2011-12-09T08:17:00.000-05:00

Georges Brasserie plans a live four-piece jazz band for New Year's Eve, with dancing from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. A special menu is also planned, ranging from onion soup and warm vichyssoise to cheese plates and tuna tartare to trout amandine, pan-seared scallops and bouillabaisse, all a la carte. 4620 Piedmont Row Drive; 980-219-7409.

Cheer on Saturday

2011-12-08T16:00:00.003-05:00

"Spread the Cheer" will run 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10 at the EpiCentre (210 E. Trade St.) uptown, a family-oriented event with holiday music, food available from EpiCentre restaurants and visits from Santa.

Before and after Christmas

2011-12-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

BEFORE: Blue plans a Christmas Eve, three-course, lobster or ribeye dinner for $39.95: appetizer is peekytoe crab and ricotta crespelle or pear and baby arugula salad; entree is baked, stuffed lobster with almond basmati rice or grilled ribeye with garlic spinach and roasted potatoes; dessert is choice among four. Corner of 5th and College streets at the Hearst Plaza; 704-927-2583.

AFTER: Lulu celebrates its sixth anniversary Dec. 26, with a complimentary glass of Champagne and dessert to those who purchase an entree at dinner (5-10 p.m.). Reservations recommended. 1911 Central Ave.; 704-376-2242.

Bits and crumbs

2011-12-06T14:26:00.003-05:00

According to Cy Santos (of the defunct Cyros Sushi in the SouthPark area), diners should expect his return with a sushi place - with the addition of "a new Japanese BBQ concept and hot food menu" plus separate bar - in the same spot in the near future. That was at 6601 Morrison Blvd.

Table 274 plans a three-course Champagne Duval-Leroy brunch Dec. 10 with Brut, Rose Prestige and the "Lady Rose" Champagnes and a menu of orange and fennel salad with watercress; prosciutto-wrapped mountain trout and wild mushroom frittata; and chocolate truffles. $35; 274 S. Sharon Amity Road; 704-817-9721.

New on menus

2011-12-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

Fern begins this week its "Sundown Sampler" menu, offered 2-5 p.m. each Tuesday-Thursday: For $12, you get up to three items from a list that includes OM burger sliders, Indian Taco, Three Sisters Cake, quinoa salad and more. 1323 Central Ave.; 704-377-1825.

On the new winter menu at Ilios Noche: arancini (fried balls of risotto with Gorgonzola cheese); lamb chops marinated in lemon and Greek herbs; diver scallops with truffled wild mushroom risotto and arugula; and more. 11508 Providence Road; 704-814-9882.

Hotel does dine-around

2011-12-02T09:01:00.000-05:00

The Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark Hotel has created a deal called "Explore Charlotte's Local Cuisine." The package includes overnight accommodations and appetizer and drink for two at the hotel's Flagstones restaurant, then a $50 credit toward dining at close-by places Del Frisco's, Brio Tuscan Grill or Georges Brasserie. You also get dessert at the hotel restaurant or room service. The cost starts at $189 per room per night and will be offered through Aug. 11, 2012. Info: http://bit.ly/sOJTVJ.

Uptown 'cue plot thickens

2011-12-01T16:01:00.006-05:00

Bryan Meredith, Sue Johnston and John Duncan plan to open Queen City Q in January at 225 E. 6th St. (where LaVecchia's once was, before moving to Hearst Plaza), and what once were plans for "Queen City 'Que" to open in the next few days in the 7th Street Public Market (that's the very same block) have changed significantly.

Duncan's name you'll recognize from Bonterra, and he was a founding partner at Mac's Speed Shop; Meredith was formerly in software and Johnston has catering experience and will run the catering arm of this.

The 'cue, described as "fresh Q smoked daily," will be done by Dan “Boone” Gibson, says Meredith; he was the first pit master at Mac’s, has worked various other chef positions in town, and is a CPCC culinary grad. The menu aims to include brisket, ribs, chicken and housemade sausage, plus sides, salads and desserts. Hours are planned for 11 a.m.-midnight nightly.

This joins, on the uptown 'cue horizon, City Smoke from restaurateur Pierre Bader, and what had been planned as Queen City 'Que from barbecuer Dan Huntley at the market.

Now, Huntley says his opening a place within the market is off, since his plan to use a gas-and-wood rig under the existing restaurant hood (the same brand as Queen City Q plans to use in the former LaVecchia's space, incidentally) was nixed by county engineers. He now says he'll be parking his food truck -- dubbed Outdoor Feasts ("it's an LLC; I've had it for 10 years" -- on the market's property and serving barbecue from there during market hours Wednesday-Sunday.

(Meredith, of Queen City Q, said he was "shocked" to read news of Huntley's "Queen City 'Que" some weeks ago, since he'd incorporated the name with the state: "I don't really know how all that happened.")

Expect from their place, says Meredith, a rustic look with barn wood and paprika red walls, and prices in the $10-for-lunch range. And as for the sudden proliferation of 'cue uptown: "My basic philosophy is this: Nobody goes to the same place every day of the week. My job... is to make sure one of those days you come to our place. I don't care where you go the other four days ... Try 'em all! Enjoy 'em all."

Coming up wine-y

2011-12-01T14:44:00.001-05:00

Domenico's hosts a four-course Italian wine dinner with Zenato wines Dec. 7, with wine educator and importer Clint Harris on hand. Among the courses are risotto with mushrooms and Zenato Cormi, and veal Sorrentino with 2008 Valpolicella Classico Superiore. $40; 8410 Rea Road; 980-819-9723.

D’Vine Wine Café hosts its third annual “Holiday Bubbles Jubilee” Dec. 8, focusing on Champagnes and sparklers. Food ranges from orange-scented French toast with pecan brown butter to seared pork belly with strawberry and sage jam to shrimp satay and there’ll be Mumm, Roederer, Heidsick and more. $59.99; 14815 John J. Delaney Drive; reservations required: 704-369-5050

Vivace and the Wine Vault host a Saturday afternoon wine brunch with Flora Springs wines -- and menu items such as eggs Benedict with duck confit and grilled hanger steak with ricotta gnocchi -- Dec. 10.
$45; 1100 Metropolitan Ave.; 704-548-9463.

Wine lounge uptown

2011-12-01T09:01:00.001-05:00

Vintage Wine Lounge holds its grand opening at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at 317 S. Church St., in uptown's Brevard Court. Expect cheese plates and charcuterie, live music and drink specials. The menu ranges from edamame to panini, and the wine list is mid-range, about $18 to $40 by the bottle, with 2-ounce tastes and 6-ounce glasses of nearly everything offered. Hours at first (management hopes to expand) will be 4-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 704-332-3273.

Pre-Season's Eatings (sorry)

2011-11-30T14:47:00.000-05:00

The Ritz-Carlton (where a 12- by 14- by 10-foot Green Gingerbread House is on display) will offer holiday teas 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18. 210 E. Trade St.; reservations: 704-547-2244.

Blue plans a five-dish food and Champagne tasting Dec. 6, with Moët & Chandon goods and a menu that ranges from tuna crudo with blood oranges and Calabrese peppers with Chandon, California Blancs De Noirs, to roasted rack of Berkshire pork with "Impérial," Rosé Champagne Ả Épernay. $49.95; Hearst Plaza uptown; 704-927-2583.

Del Frisco's offers holiday lunches from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 9, 16 and 23. 4725 Piedmont Row Drive; 704-552-5502.

And coming up at the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge (for all events: 704-248-4100; 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway):

Hot Chocolate & Toddies, with live entertainment, 2-5:30 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through December (except for Christmas Day). Adults can add Godiva liqueurs and garnishes to their drinks; $5 without, $8 with.
Holiday Afternoon Tea in the main lobby 1-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays through December (except Christmas), with seasonal looseleaf tea blends from Harney & Sons and savory tea sandwiches, traditional confectionaries and other treats. $30 for adults, $15 for ages 5 –12, free for those 4 and younger.
Brunch with Santa 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 11, including "a surprise visit from the Grinch." Hmm. Bring cameras; pictures aren't offered. $45 for adults, $20 for ages 5-12, free for those 4 and younger.

D'Vine holidays begin

2011-11-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

D'Vine Wine Cafe hosts a holiday "Champagne & Bubbly" food pairing event Dec. 8. 14815 John J. Delaney Drive; 704-369-5050.

Another TV chef en route

2011-11-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

Paul Niedermann, head chef at BLT Steak in New York City (who just won on the ninth season of “Hell’s Kitchen”) comes to BLT Steak Charlotte Dec. 3 to do a fixed-price dinner. On the menu: yellow beet carpaccio; fennel-pollen-dusted halibut; grilled N.Y. strip with chipotle sweet potato puree; and more. $100, with wine pairings for an additional $40; 201 E. Trade St.; 704-972-4380.

Updated: Vegan beer dinner

2011-11-18T08:38:00.002-05:00

Fern’s first vegan beer dinner will be Dec. 5, with Mother Earth Brewing Company. Five courses will include stuffed oysters with caviar (with Endless River) and housemade sausage with marinated cabbage, mustard greens and stout mustard (with Dark Cloud).

Note: Several readers have asked if the dinner is actually vegan: Yes. Though the menu doesn't put quote marks around words like "oysters," the dinner is completely vegan.

Mother Earth taproom manager Travis Quinn will be on hand for explanations. $45; reservations required; 1323 Central Ave.; 704-377-1825.

Discount giveaway

2011-11-17T15:01:00.000-05:00

"Feed It Forward 2011" is a web restaurant-discount offer in which you give $10 "gift cards" at specific restaurants to folks whose e-mails you have -- and they cost you nothing.
It starts Nov. 17 and ends at midnight Dec. 25. You can log onto www.restaurant.com/feeditforward and enter the e-mail addresses of people you want to give to, designating up to 40 $10 gift cards from the site per day - and they are free. Feed It Forward participants gave more than $32 million in dining experiences in the first three years of the program, the company says.

Updated: Thanksgiving dining options

2011-11-16T12:32:00.005-05:00

Bistro La Bon will serve 11 a.m.-4 p.m., with a buffet including prime rib, roasted salmon and turkey, for $22 ($8 for those 10 and younger). 1322 Central Ave.; 704-333-4646.

Ruth's Chris will start serving at 2 p.m., with a three-course meal for $36 (children's menu $14). 222 S. Tryon St., 704-338-9444; 6000 Fairview Road, 704-556-1115.

Mez plans to "recreate your grandmother's cooking" from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., serving traditional dishes (even Waldorf salad and derby pie!) family-style. $24.95 (half off for children) covers all you can eat and unlimited coffee, tea, soda and juice; 210 E. Trade St.; 704-971-2400.

Villa Antonio at 4707 South Blvd. will serve 4-10 p.m., with both traditional dishes and its regular dinner menu. 704-523-1594.

Savannah Red at the Charlotte Marriott City Center will have seatings at noon, 3 and 6 p.m., with a five-course menu for $39.95 ($15.95 for those 6-12). Choices include smoked crab cappuccino; fried turkey breast; grilled ribeye; pumpkin Krispy Kreme bread pudding and more. 100 W. Trade St.; 704-358-6524.

Table 274 will be open noon-7 p.m. with an all-you-can-eat dinner served family style for $24.95 ($10.95 for those younger than 12). On the menu: roasted turkey, smoked prime rib, sides and desserts. 274 S. Sharon Amity Road; 704-817-9721.

Harvest Moon Grille at the Dunhill Hotel uptown will do two seatings, at 2 and 4 p.m., for its traditional dinner, including heritage turkey, Grateful Growers pork, mashed potatoes, chestnut-corn stuffing, carrot and kohlrabi salad, pies and more. $37 (half price for kids 10 and younger); 235 N. Tryon St.; 704-342-1193.

New South Kitchen will serve a buffet 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with orange and sage roasted turkey, roasted ham, rib roast, sides and more for $30. 8140 Providence Road; 704-541-9990.

The Palm at Phillips Place will do a traditional three-course meal for $45 (kids 12 and younger $18.95), plus offering its regular dinner menu. 704-552-7256.

Passion8 will serve 3:30-8 p.m. with three courses for $48 (children younger than 7 eat free), with choices including spicy squash soup with cinnamon creme fraiche; turkey with pancetta-wrapped roulade of local venison sausage; Berkshire bone-in pork chop; pan-seared scallops and Anson Mills grits; and more. 3415 Highway 51 North, Fort Mill, S.C.; 803-802-7455.

Cafe 157 will offer dinner noon-5 p.m. for $28, with a traditional Thanksgiving menu. 157 N. Trade St., Matthews; 704-844-8686.

Lulu will be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., serving its regular menu, plus a three-course traditional turkey dinner for $30: choice of soup or salad; oven-roasted turkey with dressing, potatoes and root vegetables; and dessert. 1911 Central Ave.; 704-376-2242.

The Charlotte Marriott SouthPark hosts brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner 5-10 p.m. Brunch is $32 ($15 for kids 6-12 and free for 5 and younger), with seatings every half hour. Dinner is $25 ($12 for 6-12 and a kids' menu also offered), with choice of soup or salad; entree of turkey or lamb with sides; and choice of dessert. 2200 Rexford Road; reservations: 704-916-4085.

BLT Steak will do "seasonal classics with an upscale twist," noon to 7 p.m. Chef Ben Miles's prix-fixe menu will include dishes such as butternut squash soup; roasted organic turkey with chestnut stuffing, cranberry-grenadine sauce and rosemary gravy, or roasted prime rib of beef with garlic confit jus, caramelized onion and bacon popovers; family-style sides of mashed potatoes, haricots verts, glazed carrots and Brussels sprouts; and more. $68; 210 E. Trade St.; reservations required at 704-972-4380.

The Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge will do brunch 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Seasonal salads, decorative displays, carving stations with regional sides and desserts, plus live music, will be $55, $28 for children 5-12, free for those 4 and younger. Private dining rooms are available for larger groups. Reservations required: 704-248-4100 or at www.gallery-restaurant.com.

The Liberty will be open 11 a.m.-6 p.m., offering a three-course menu for $24.95, including choices such as lobster, smoked trout and jumbo lump crab "cake"; pork belly with crispy maple-glazed pig ears; turkey with heirloom sweet potato fingerlings; salt-crusted prime rib; and an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet. Reservations recommended; 1812 South Blvd.; 704-332-8830 or here.

Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse will serve 11 a.m.-3 p.m., offering a traditional meal of roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin cheesecake and more for $24.95. 215 S. Main St., Davidson; 704-237-3246.

Takeout:
Villa Antonio at 4707 South Blvd. offers a to-go package, serving 6 to 8 people for $135; you pick up on Thanksgiving Day. 704-523-1594.

Table 274 will do dinner to go for those who order before Nov. 20 and can pick up by 10 p.m. Nov. 23. For $24 per person, you get an uncooked turkey, cornbread stuffing, sides and more, all oven-ready. 274 S. Sharon Amity Road; 704-817-9721.

Epic Chophouse will do a menu for 8 to 10 for $110; order by Nov. 21 and pick up Thanksgiving Day between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 104 S. Main St., Mooresville; 704-230-1720.

Sauceman’s offers smoked turkeys two ways: Bring your own in by 9 p.m. Nov. 22 and the place will smoke it for you for $29.99. Or you can order one (by 9 p.m. Nov. 20) for $10 per pound, and pick it up before 10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. 228 West Blvd.; 704-333-7070.

Turducken! and more

2011-11-15T15:53:00.001-05:00

Brixx at 7th Street Station and Abita Brewing Company collaborate on a pre-Thanksgiving beer dinner Nov. 17, featuring turducken: That's the oddity mentioned this time of year that stuffs a chicken into a duck, then stuffs that into a turkey. It will be accompanied by Abita's Restoration Ale, TurboDog, 25th Anniversary Vanilla Double Dog and Abita Select Imperial Louisiana Oyster Stout, usually only available at the brewery’s tasting room in Abita Springs, La. Tickets are $30 and must be bought in advance; 225 E. 6th St.; 704-347-2749.

At the Pizza Peel on the day before Thanksgiving, all draft beers will go for $3. Meanwhile, new brews there for this week include: NoDa Ramble on Red; Founders Breakfast Stout; Terrapin Wake N Bake; Catawba Valley Mother Trucker; Bells Winter White Ale; Left Hand Milk Stout. 4422 Colwick Road; 704-714-8808.

Next Restaurant Week dates

2011-11-14T14:51:00.003-05:00

The 2012 Charlotte Restaurant Weeks, and we use the term "week" loosely, will be Jan. 20-29 and July 20-29, organizer Bruce Hensley announced Monday. That's the three-courses-for-$30 deal that happens twice a year in restaurants in the Charlotte area, in typically slow times for the industry. Hensley also reviewed his numbers on meals served since the event began, in July 2008: A steady uptick of dinners served, from about 35,500 in seven days in 42 restaurants, to about 90,000 in 10 days in 92 restaurants this past July. Hensley estimates an average total bill per dinner of about $46, meaning a total "impact," as they say, of more than $4 million.

(The "week" was extended to 10 days in the third iteration of the event.)

New offerings

2011-11-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

Fran's Filling Station has a new lunch menu, including a grilled cheese and mac & cheese section that allows you to order these made traditionally or customized with various add-ons, such as caramelized onions, bacon or roasted jalapenos. Also added: finger foods from the dinner menu (bacon-wrapped tater tots, sweet corn nuggets, marinated goat cheese and roasted tomato bread, etc.), as well as the dinner menu's chicken sandwiches and smaller-scaled burgers. The build-your-own sandwich and salad section has expanded significantly, and there's now soup-and-salad and soup-and-half-sandwich options. New sides include farmers' market cottage cheese with crunchy vegetables and a touch of horseradish, and sweet potato chips; coming up is an expanded fry selection. 2410 Park Road; 704-372-2009.

Domenico's Cucina Italiana at 8410 Rea Road is not, as some have thought, related to the Matthews place of that name. This is where the former Cheez Mo'z was, and opened at the beginning of September, says partner Frank Alessio, who says he also has pizza restaurants in Boone, Hickory and Granite Falls, and is involved at Luigi's and Tony's in Charlotte. Here, he says, he's partners with Luigi Montesano, and the menu ranges from 10 wood-fired pizza options to pastas such as lasagna and housemade ravioli to entrees such as Cornish hen and veal piccata. Lunch weekdays and dinner nightly; 980-819-9723; www.domenicos-charlotte.com.

On the latest menu at Lulu: warm goat cheese with roasted red peppers on baguette; pan-seared foie gras with roasted sweet potatoes & chanterelles; acorn squash stuffed with Grateful Growers sausage, apples and sage; salmon shepherd’s pie; braised and pulled barbecued rabbit; cod with squid ink pasta; paella; and more. 1911 Central Ave.; 704-376-2242.

Elevenses

2011-11-11T12:35:00.003-05:00

Upstream offers 11 combinations for $11 each for 11/11/11, all night long in its bar at 6902 Phillips Place (704-556-7730):
* 11 oysters
* Any quick bite item (that's from a range of noshes on the bar menu) and any martini
* Any sushi roll under $10 and any draft beer
* Any quick bite item and 1/2 a carafe of sake
* Any sushi roll under $10 and 1/2 carafe of sake
* Sushi special of the night and any quick bite item
* Any glass of wine under $10 and any quick bite item
* 6 oysters and any draft beer
* Any quick bite item and a vodka oyster shooter
* Shrimp ceviche and any draft beer
* A glass of prosecco and any dessert

Osso coming to N.C. Music Factory

2011-11-10T13:37:00.004-05:00

Look for Osso, from Alex Myrick and chef Gene Briggs of uptown's Blue, and Noah Lazes of the N.C. Music Factory, to open Dec. 8 or thereabouts, serving regional Italian cuisine in a contemporary space designed by François Fossard. (This photo is by Fossard, who designed Miami Beach's Mansion and SET, Butter in New York City and Charlotte, and more.) Myrick expects the menu will hit all 20 of Italy's regions; Briggs' opening lineup will likely range from the obviously necessary osso buco (veal shank with saffron risotto) to sea bass to wild boar ragu with pappardelle, with all pastas being made in-house.

The place's name followed Fossard's design, which, as Myrick puts it, is like "staring into the belly of the whale," suggesting the Italian word for bone: Osso. A fireplace will bridge the dining room and a lounge area, and "make no mistake," says Myrick: "As the night goes on, it will be a fun place to be....We don't ever want music to overtake your ability to carry on a conversation, but this is New York all the way."

Expect high sound quality and for the place to stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends (and maybe more). Dinner will be served six nights a week (closed Mondays), and the menu will range from small plates for $10-$14 to entrees about $13-$30. Lobster crabcakes, short-rib-stuffed arrancini (Sicilian fried rice balls), tuna crudo with blood orange, Margherita pizza, veal meatballs, sea bass over lobster and pumpkin orzo: You get the picture. Need more? Go here.

Top Chef's Hugh Acheson, wine dinners

2011-11-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

Celebrity chef Hugh Acheson will do a four-course dinner with wine, collaborating with Cafe Monte chef Ben Philpott, at the restaurant Nov. 15, beginning with a book signing for Acheson's "A New Turn in the South." Acheson, chef/partner at Georgia restaurants Five and Ten, The National and Empire State South, is a five-time James Beard nominee for Best Chef Southeast, has competed in "Top Chef Masters" and is judging "Top Chef" this season (Season 9, in Texas), which began Nov. 2. (How cute is he? Check "Hugh Said It," for a taste.) $50; 6700 Fairview Road; 704-552-1116. (Photo by Sarah Dorio.)

Passion8 hosts a five-course Lioco wine dinner Nov. 15, with the winery's Matt Licklider on hand. $165 per couple; 3415 Highway 51 North, Fort Mill, S.C.; 803-802-7455.

Gallery hosts a Beaujolais Nouveau party 7-9 p.m. Nov. 17, with a tasting of three Beaujolais wines, cheese and live entertainment. $25; 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway; 704-248-4100.

Coming up

2011-11-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Nov. 9 is Free Coffee Day at Bruegger's, the kickoff for its fundraising for Children's Miracle Network hospitals: You get free coffee and are asked to donate to the local Levine Children's Hospital.

The fifth annual "Music To Your Mouth" festival runs Nov. 14-20 at Palmetto Bluff resort (a few hours outside Charleston), bringing chefs, vintners, brewers, farmers and other food celebrities in for an array of demonstrations, tastings and more, plus live entertainment. Among the notables: chefs Ashley Christensen and Sean Brock, and writers John T. Edge and Gail Simmons (yes, also of "Top Chef"). A portion of ticket sales will go to nonprofit Second Helpings, which says it's “rescued” more than 5 million pounds of food destined for landfills and provided that food to more than 65 other nonprofit agencies in South Carolina. Tickets run $60-$225, and there are packages; some events are sold out. Info at www.musictoyourmouth.com/festival/events-tickets.asp.

Emeril en route!

2011-11-08T17:07:00.004-05:00

Name's out on the upcoming Emeril Lagasse restaurant in uptown Charlotte: It'll be called e2 Emeril's Eatery, located at 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts, at street level.

Press materials call the new e2 a "flagship" and say it will draw from his first Emeril's (1990 in New Orleans) "in its purest form - comfort, warm service and delicious food, with an easy approach."

“With a thriving dining scene, my alma mater Johnson & Wales, the nearby universities and Charlotte’s great cultural and arts community, I feel right at home here,” Lagasse, one of the first national celebrity chefs, said in a press release. (He now has an empire of 12 restaurants, in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Orlando and Bethlehem, Pa., and has joined the latest "Top Chef" as a judge.)

Look for dishes inspired by travels in this country and others, plus "twists" on New Orleans fare made "uniquely Charlotte." Construction is on schedule for the place to open in early 2012, and it will seek LEED certification as energy efficient.

Dine out, do good

2011-11-08T16:50:00.000-05:00

Dining Out for Hospice is this month, in honor of National Hospice Month, and lots of area restaurants are participating. Restaurants plan to donate 10 percent of sales on their designated day to Hospice & Palliative Care of the Charlotte Region, Lake Norman or Lincoln County, or to Levine & Dickson Hospice House. More may join in as the month progresses; check hpccr.org for updates. Here's a list:
Nov. 8: Fatz Café in Lincolnton for lunch and dinner.
Nov. 10: Home Place Restaurant in Lincolnton, lunch and dinner; Dressler's at the Metropolitan in Charlotte, lunch and dinner, and Dressler's at Birkdale Village in Huntersville, dinner.
Nov. 14: Hannah's BBQ in Lincolnton, lunch and dinner.
Nov. 15: 36th Street Bakery & Café in Lincolnton, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Nov. 16: Sports Page Food & Spirits in Denver, dinner; North Harbor Club in Davidson, lunch and dinner.
Nov. 17: Home Place Restaurant in Lincolnton, lunch and dinner.
Nov. 21: Sabi Asian Bistro in Davidson, lunch and dinner.
Nov. 28: Brixx at 225 E. Sixth St. in Charlotte, lunch and dinner.
Nov. 29: Pewter Rose Bistro, lunch and dinner; Restaurant X in Davidson, lunch and dinner.

Bring a new, unwrapped toy to BLT Steak from now through Dec. 14 and the toy will go to nonprofit Toys for Tots and you'll get a complimentary dessert with your entree.

Veterans' thanks

2011-11-07T16:37:00.007-05:00

For the third consecutive year nationwide, Applebee's expects to serve more than 1 million free thank-you meals to veterans and active duty military. Meals will be served 11 a.m.-midnight Nov. 11, dine-in only, and guests will need to provide proof of service. Questions? Go to www.applebees.com or call your nearest restaurant.

Village Tavern will say thank you to veterans and active duty military personnel on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) by offering 50 percent off all food purchases that day, when they show a valid military ID. 4201 Congress St.; 704-552-9983.

2012 predictions begin: What do YOU see working in CLT?

2011-11-07T13:41:00.005-05:00

Here are the top 16 predictions for the coming year from Baum + Whiteman, N.Y.-based international consultants for hotels, restaurants and more, edited for brevity. What can you imagine in Charlotte? What would you be most excited about? (And no fair counting the stuff we already - miraculously? - have):
1. Lots of mom-and-pop disappearances -- "The U.S. could lose 8,000-10,000 restaurants in 2012, few of them belonging to chains."
2. Beyond fusion: "Multi-ethnic, multi-sensory dining experience(s) where flavors clash on purpose" such as "zucchini pizza dabbed with hummus and topped with crunchy wasabi peas" and mostly at lower-cost places. Cowfish and the old Cafe Flavors, anyone?
3. "A widening 'flavor gap'": This means independent operators doing more with more ingredients, and corporate places, "because chains’ financial stakes are so high," serving "the fewest number of items to the greatest number of people."
4. Sandwiches with bread alternatives: flattened tostones, waffles, rice cakes.
5. "Innards and odd parts." Tongue, gizzards, pigs' ears, tripe, chicken livers, beef heart, oxtails. And not just in tacos. (This was predicted last year, too.)
6. Housemade vegetable and fruit pickles - "and there’s a kimchee free-for-all ... Kimchee might be the ingredient of the year."
7. Speaking of which: "At last, Korean hits the charts."
8. Diners with money left, willing to spend it on... 8a. Less comfort food and more invention (like mac-and-cheese with pork rillettes and even more gourmet burgers); 8b. Earlier cocktail hours and later dinners; and 8c. "Round things that go pop in the mouth" such as "kimchee- and parmesan-filled arancini, fried goat cheese balls, spherical falafel, meat balls of all kinds ... mini sandwiches ... Japanese snacky things."
9. Beer gardens.
10. Food truck operators opening brick-and-mortar shops.
11. Foragers and "wildcrafters," with "upscale chefs rushing to harvest dinner from the underbrush and under rocks – or assembling dishes that looked like they might be untamed gardens." (Charleston's McCrady's gets a mention here, and specific items to watch for are listed: white acorns, tips of fir needles, “dirt” made of dried and crumbled mushrooms, black olives, sumac, and desserts "growing out of chocolate 'humus'".
12. Japanese craft beers.
13. Less stacked-high presentations and more "dribble art": stringing out ingredients in "caterpillar-like lines."
14. Peruvian food.
15. The real peak in gourmet burgers (B+W says it was wrong to predict a 2011 peak).
16. And three "cautionary trends" -- misuse of words such as "artisan" and "local"; oversupply of farmers' markets; and too many chefs smoking too many foods.

Update: A great question from a commenter leads me to this addition: B&W's 2011 predictions, in a nutshell. I'd say overall there were some good picks, because you have to view it from a national perspective, but misses and premature pushes, too. What say you?
1. Old Italian returns.
2. Business returns to upscale restaurants, especially contemporary ones.
3. Drug stores and convenience stores ramp up "grab-and-go" to compete.
4. Food trucks sprawl.
5. Korean food! And tacos with everything.
6. Gourmet ice pops will be everywhere -- but new flavors (like mango-chile or jicama-orange) will be even more so, in cocktails and sauces.
7. Restaurateurs will "make customers unwelcome" by not taking credit cards, nixing reservations, raising prices on wines by the glass.
8. "Gross is good": "look for chains to concoct more calorie bombs."
9. Breakfast all the time.
10. Grits as an all-purpose starch.
11. Gluten-free menus and other -free stuff.
12. "Impromptu" food places popping up all over.
13. Sandwiches by other names, cemitas to baos.
14. Out in '11: artisan hot dogs, gourmet burgers, bacon on everything, cupcakes.
15. More and more couponing.

Price's is Serious

2011-11-07T12:33:00.000-05:00

Serious Eats, which became popular as a website, has a book out, subtitled "A comprehensive guide to making & eating delicious food wherever you are." Which is pretty ambitious. It includes recipes, yes, but also lots of stops across the country for ... well, what founder Ed Levine would call "serious eats." Three guesses on what Charlotte place makes it, and 2 1/2 don't count -- why, yes! It IS Price's Chicken Coop. "Joining the ranks in the deep-fried corner of our fried-chicken pantheon," the note about the takeout spot begins, and continues with phrases such as "pleasingly chaotic" and "my friend Kathleen Purvis" exclaiming "I don't know why anyone orders anything at Price's but thighs and gizzards." Nuff said, yes?

Bits and crumbs

2011-11-03T14:25:00.000-04:00

Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse now offers $9 lunch specials that include a (nonalcoholic) drink. Among them: meatloaf sandwich with tobacco onions and Yukon Gold chips (Mondays); oven-roasted turkey with whipped potatoes and Brussels sprouts (Thursdays); vegetable frittata (Sundays) and more.

LongHorn recently added new lunch combinations starting at $7.99, including half sandwich and soup or salad combos, such as braised barbecue beef with loaded baked potato soup, or strawberry chicken salad with French onion soup.

Tasting Nov. 12

2011-11-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

Imani Colclough plans a tasting of "soul fusion cuisine" dishes Nov. 12 at the Charlotte Museum of History, and hopes to open a restaurant called Imani's Soul Fusion in Charlotte in spring 2012. On Nov. 12, live entertainment will include Northwest School of the Arts students (a portion of proceeds will go to the school), and soul and R&B musician Rudy Currence. Tickets are $33; 3500 Shamrock Drive. Info: 704-345-3877.

Tuscan weekend coming

2011-11-02T14:00:00.000-04:00

"Festa Italiana Tuscany Weekend" is Nov. 5-6: Tuscan chefs Mimma Ferando and Franca Gatteschi, with Blue executive chef Gene Briggs and John Cuttita of Delectables by Holly, will star over the course of two events, with proceeds benefitting Holy Angels, Nevins Center and the St. Anthony Foundation of Charlotte.

Nov. 5 is a wine reception and cruise, with four-course wine dinner, chef demos and live music, on Lake Norman, for $95. Nov. 6, Blue hosts a reception and four-course wine dinner, plus live music and live and silent auctions; also $95 per person (attend both events for $170). Tickets are offered at www.festaitalianacharlotte.org.

Wine tasting, dinner deals

2011-11-02T11:26:00.000-04:00

A pinot noir tasting Nov. 7 at Founders Hall will give you 20-plus varieties to try in preparation for Thanksgiving. Cost for the Wine Vault event is $25, but that's erased if you buy a case, and Aria will offer three courses for $30 for tasters, and charge no corkage fee for Wine Vault wines you buy that night. Reservations: 704-548-9463.

Also coming up from the Vault: Its eighth annual Domaine Serene dinner Nov. 15, will convene in the kitchen of Chef Charles Catering, where chef Charles Semail can answer questions as he prepares the meal. It's at 605 Phillip Davis Drive. Reservations: 704-548-9463.

Meanwhile, Table 274 will offer 25 percent off select bottles of wines on its "Date Night" Nov. 10 and donate 15 percent of total dinner sales that night to Cotswold Elementary. 274 South Sharon Amity Road; 704-817-9721.

Wes Morris returns with barbecue restaurant

2011-11-01T14:14:00.001-04:00

Fans of the old Carolina Country Barbecue -- which began in Gastonia in the mid '70s, eventually added Charlotte locations, toyed with a franchise and eventually closed all sites -- will be excited to hear this: Wes Morris, whose family opened the first, is back.

He, along with his younger brother Mark and Wes's son Tyler, has opened Ole Carolina Barbecue at 1011 Union Road in Gastonia. (Hard-core fans will note this is just down the road from the original location at 1101 Union Road.) Dad David is 87, says Wes Morris, and "comes in every day for lunch."

It's generally the same stuff, says Wes Morris: pork butts smoked over gas and wood, served with the same recipe of Western N.C.-style, ketchup-based sauce. "There's two things in my freezer," he says: "French fries and Tony's Ice Cream." A pulled pork sandwich with fries goes for $5.19, a small pork plate is $6.50 and a full rack of ribs is $23. Morris says they're hand-bottling the sauce and selling it at the restaurant, and will sell online when the website's up, which should be in a few weeks. The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday; 704-215-5293.

Bar Cocoa brunch

2011-10-27T14:16:00.000-04:00

The Ritz-Carlton's Bar Cocoa now offers weekend brunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Three courses, including a Bar Cocoa dessert, are $28, including coffee, and you can also order a la carte. Among ebtree choices: egg white frittata with Roma tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; crab cake eggs Benedict; steak frites; and more. 201 E. Trade St.; 704-547-2244.

Coming up

2011-10-27T11:54:00.001-04:00

Savannah Red hosts a five-course Harvest Wine Dinner Oct. 28, with the wines of Row Eleven and Stratton Lummis. $55; 100 W. Trade St.; 704-358-6524.

Paco's Tacos & Tequila, FS Food Group and Herradura Tequila offer a four-course Tex-Mex meal Nov. 2 from chefs Tim Groody and Jared Cannon, paired with five tequila cocktails from beverage director Ashli Cohen. Some of the proceeds will benefit Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center. $45; 704-716-8226.

Blue offers a wine and cheese tasting and silent auction Nov. 2, with all proceeds supporting programs at the Presbyterian Cancer Rehabilitation and Wellness. (Those include yoga, massage, exercise and nutrition services.) Admission is a $30 donation; 214 N. Tryon St.; 704-927-2583.

The Palm hosts a four-course dinner paired with Macallan Scotch on Nov. 4 for $120 ($95 for 837 Club members). 6705-B Phillips Place Court; 704-552-7450.

Del Frisco's does a Montes wine dinner Nov. 4 with winemaker Aurelio Montes in attendance. Among the fare: Pork belly with diver scallop and Alpha “M” Cabernet Sauvignon and "Aurelio Selection" Napa Angel Cabernet Sauvignon; espresso-rubbed filet mignon with Folly Syrah and "Aurelio Selection" Star Angel Syrah; and more. $99; 4725 Piedmont Row Drive; 704-552-5502.

#SocialThursdays

2011-10-26T18:00:00.005-04:00

Check in on Facebook, Foursquare or Yelp if you're uptown at certain EpiCentre locations (210 E. Trade St.) and you can get Thursday discounts. Here's how it works: You check in, and you're eligible for specials such as these:

* Free garlic knots with $5 purchase or more at Libretto’s

* Buy one get one free flatbread in the Pub or Saloon at BlackFinn

* Half-price appetizers at Mez

* Free queso chipotle dip with the purchase of an entrée at Vida

More info: EpiCentreNC.com/social.

Jimmy John's for a buck?

2011-10-26T12:50:00.002-04:00

Charlotte-area Jimmy John’s host Customer Appreciation Day 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday with several sandwiches (numbers 1-6 on the menu) for $1. "Charlotte-area" in this case is "all locations in Charlotte, Concord, Matthews, Mooresville and Boone," says the press material, which adds the deal is one per customer.

Zagat's ranks Charlotte's top 10 restaurants

2011-10-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

Zagat's "America's Top Restaurants" lists the top 10 places in each of 45 areas, compiled from diners' votes and comments, plus a list of 10 "other noteworthy places."

Charlotte's top 10 in food rankings, according to Zagat voters:

Barrington's
McNinch House
Fiamma
Fig Tree
Toscana
Good Food on Montford
Bonterra
Carpe Diem
Capital Grille
Soul Gastrolounge

The rest of the list:
Bad Daddy's
Copper
Halcyon
Harvest Moon Grille
Luce
Mac's Speed Shop
Midwood Smokehouse
P.F. Chang's
Sullivan's
Zebra

Survey results released by Zagat at the same time have some interesting Charlotte numbers. Those voting on Charlotte restaurants:

* Say they eat out 3.2 times a week, compared to Houston's 4, Boston's 2.5 and the U.S. average of 3.1.

* Say they tip 19.5 percent, compared to San Francisco's 18.6, New Orleans's 19.7 and the U.S. average of 19.2.

* Top the list of all surveyed areas in one item: 34 percent say they follow restaurants and/or food trucks via social media. The U.S. average is 21 percent and the low is Long Island at 11.

* Are pretty close to national averages on how much they're going out to eat, compared to last year: 21 percent say more, 59 the same and 20 percent less (just a few points off averages), while 24 percent say they're spending more, 63 the same and 13 less.

* Are pretty tolerant, comparatively, of diners who text, tweet or talk on phones, or photograph food and/or companions. Fifty five percent (only Vegas and New Orleans were lower) find it "rude and inappropriate" to use cellphones, with 41 percent (second only to New Orleans) find it "OK in moderation." Connecticut folk just won't have it: 71 percent find it rude. U.S. averages are 63 and 34. On pictures: 70 percent find it OK in moderation and 18 percent perfectly acceptable. Easterners are an angry bunch on this count: 19 percent of Westchester and the Hudson Valley diners find it rude and inappropriate, and Connecticut, Long Island, New York City and New Jersey voters fall close behind, while 28 percent of those chill New Orleansians deem it perfectly acceptable.

Note: I assist in this book in this way: I synopsize voter quotes and help keep the list of restaurants current. Some restaurants don't gain enough voter comments to make the cutoff; some, such as Del Frisco's, are included in a national chain review. Voters decide all rankings and scores, and restaurants choose their own categories for cuisine (so you'll see, for example, "American," "Continental" and "Eclectic").

Pizza tossing

2011-10-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

Siler Chapman, who's a three-time world pizza acrobatic champion, now tosses dough -- that's what he does -- at the Indian Land Donatos each Friday night. He's been on Ellen Degeneres's show as well as "Today" and Food Network shows displaying his skills, and he's also done a children's book, "Tony and the World Pizza Champions," which will be for sale at the shows.
Shows start at 6 and 7:30 p.m.. 9931 Highway 521 in Fort Mill, S.C.; 803-547-1104.
Here's a taste of his work:

Bernardin's opens Oct. 25

2011-10-24T20:20:00.000-04:00

Chef Freddy Lee plans to open Bernardin's (pronounced ber-NAR-din's) Tuesday in the former Ratcliffe spot at 435 S. Tryon St. uptown, serving lunch ($8-$15) 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and dinner ($15-$30) 5-10 p.m.

“We were delighted when the Ratcliffe flower shop space became available," said Lee in a press release. He is a Culinary Institute of America graduate who has run Bernardin's in Winston-Salem since 1992. "We understand the limitations of an historic property, but we also understand the opportunity to create a memorable dining experience by capitalizing on the history of the building."

Lee said he's made a few changes, such as taking up the carpet to reveal the original slate floor, and plans to convert the small balcony overlooking the dining room into a second private dining space.

The menu, similar to Winston-Salem's, will have such dishes as horseradish-crisped salmon, and ostrich from Davie County. It will be contemporary American, with Asian and Indian influences.

What's Charlotte's signature dish?

2011-10-24T14:35:00.002-04:00

Harvest Moon Grille is of the opinion that we'd better pony up a Charlotte Signature Dish before all those Democratic National Conventioneers get here. You in?

The restaurant folks "challenge our fellow Charlotteans to create a Charlotte Signature Dish that you feel best represents Charlotte ... (It) must not only be delicious, it must express the Queen City, who we are, what we are known for, and what Charlotte is all about. Put it all on the plate. All ingredients must be local."

You can submit entries until midnight March 15. Describe your entry (plus a photo, if possible), include the recipe and list contact information, including home and work phone numbers, and email to signaturedishofcharlotte@gmail.com. You can also snail-mail it to Harvest Moon Grille, Attn: Signature Dish of Charlotte, 235 N. Tryon St., Charlotte NC 28202.

Judges (to be determined) will choose three finalists, and announce the winner May 18. Grand prize winner gets a free night at the Dunhill (the hotel that houses Harvest Moon), and dinner that night and breakfast the next morning at the restaurant. The winning dish will go on the menu. The second-place winner gets dinner for two; third place is worth a weekend brunch for two.

Wine room shifts; one closes

2011-10-24T14:07:00.006-04:00

Yn in Dilworth, an offshoot of the next-door 131 Main, has become Sidekicks, a sports bar concept. "We were competing against ourselves," explains manager Mel Funk, since the menu was dishes from 131 Main; now the fare is fresh-battered chicken tenders, wings, baked subs, nachos, cheese fries, fried shrimp and the like. Dishes still come out of the 131 Main kitchen. If you loved the wines and food from Yn, you can get those (but not the flights) at 131 Main.

Sidekicks has big-screen TVs, bottled beers, a few frozen drinks and some wines, plus upscale liquors. Look for live entertainment to come, along with event nights, from karaoke to trivia. 1315 East Blvd.; 704-343-0131 (this rings at 131 Main; phone's not yet in the new space).

Also gone: Dolcetto Wine Room at Piedmont Town Center.

Wine dinners

2011-10-20T14:21:00.000-04:00

Table 274 hosts a four-course Gimenez Riili wine dinner Oct. 25, for $45. Among the offerings: roasted Poulet Rouge with 2008 Malbec; pork osso buco with chorizo and smoked cheddar bread pudding and 2007 Malbec; and more. 274 South Sharon Amity Road; 704-817-9721.

Bonterra (recently named one of online-reservation-site Open Table's 50 restaurants with the best wine lists) offers a Switchback Ridge casual food and wine pairing event Nov. 17 for $60. Among the fare: beef carpaccio and filet with cheddar spring rolls with 2009 Merlot, and pork roulade and roasted lamb lollipops with 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. 1829 Cleveland Ave.; 704-333-9463.

Links of the week

2011-10-20T08:52:00.000-04:00

I have never loved former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni more than in this piece. My eyes are in solidarity with him (read it; it'll make sense then).

I have never even liked Alton Brown much, until this, in which he coaches us all on completely faking it -- with wine, with cheese, with life.

Just in time for Halloween giving: McSweeney's latest "Lucky Peach" (and since my mom's a Lebanon bologna fan, I'm already excited by the sneak peek you get here.

More new uptown " 'Que"

2011-10-19T15:28:00.005-04:00

Look for Queen City ’Que: Shrine of Fine Swine to open at the 7th Street Public Market when that venue gets up and running. That’s likely to be mid- to late-November, says Christy Shi, executive director of the nonprofit Charlotte City Market. Longtime barbecuer/caterer/restaurateur Dan Huntley plans to offer pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs, smoked chicken and boudin balls at the Shrine: “like souped-up hush puppies” is how he describes the rice-and-pork-sausage fried goodies.

He’ll be ensconced in the former Reid’s kitchen (at 225 E. 7th St.), with a gas-and-wood cooker that’s been approved for the space. The market will offer a wide array of produce and proteins, with local stuffs emphasized, and conversations are ongoing about how everything will work. Customers might be able to buy food and ask Huntley to cook it; there might be some kitchen-sharing; and other approaches. Various vendors will offer grab-and-go foods as well, and there’ll be open seating for those buyers, as well.

Huntley says he hopes to put a whole hog outside on a rotisserie and wood-fired grill he got in Argentina to demo some barbecuing, as well, and that there’s some discussion about marketing barbecue sauces with Democratic National Convention labels. For the convention, market folks “want people to come in there and see we live in pig country here, and it’s high art,” he says. “I like to think I can bring some of the funk” to Charlotte barbecue.

Bites and a bit... of Moonshine

2011-10-19T13:10:00.001-04:00

Halcyon at the uptown Mint Museum hosts "Bites and a Bit of Moonshine" Oct. 20 on its patio, starting at 6 p.m. Specialty cocktails by Maggie Ruppert and five small plates from chef Marc Jacksina will accompany live bluegrass by Jim Garrett and the Popcorn Sippers. "Junior's Repeal" is Midnight Moon Moonshine with house-brandied persimmon, sugar, grapefruit rind and grapefruit bitters; Pumpkin Potcheen combines Troy & Sons Moonshine with macerated pumpkin and seasonal spices; and Shanghai Speakeasy pairs Catdaddy Moonshine with oolong tea, saffron, N.C. honey and tamarind. Each are $11. Plates include local pork belly with sweet potato hash ($13); pumpkin crepes with gingerbread vinaigrette ($11); a slider duo ($15); and more. 500 S. Tryon St.; 704-910-0865.

Discounts, freebies

2011-10-17T11:48:00.006-04:00

UPDATED: Bruegger’s does a Bottomless Mug Campaign every year: Pay $149 and get a travel mug and card/keytag entitling you to free and limitless refills of coffee, tea or soft drinks during the following year. For each mug bought between Oct. 27 and Jan. 31, Bruegger's will donate $2 to Children's Miracle Network. A Free Coffee Day kickoff is Nov. 9: You get a free cup and are asked to make a donation to Levine Children's Hospital in return.

Charlotte Qdoba will offer a free side of chips and three-cheese queso or guacamole to all customers all day Oct. 19. The giveaway is to let diners know “how much we appreciate their continued patronage," said area franchise owner Tom Lewison in a press release.

New tapas come uptown

2011-10-14T15:01:00.003-04:00

Updated: Longtime Charlotte restaurateur Augusto Conte, saying he wants to stay innovative and relevant uptown, will change his Coco Osteria to a Spanish tapas restaurant after the holidays, probably in the first weeks of January. The restaurant at the Hearst Plaza, to be called Malabar Spanish Tapas, will offer traditional Spanish small plates for about $4 to $10, with a few reaching $14. Chef and collaborator Gabriele Grigolon will lead the kitchen, and the two have been working on the concept for about six months, said Conte.

In turn, in early January, Conte plans to open Trattoria Antica in the former Marino's spot in Waxhaw. Expect Italian "comfort food" in a relaxed atmosphere and entered in the $11 to $20 range.

Burgers coming uptown

2011-10-13T14:28:00.000-04:00

American Roadside Burgers plans its grand opening at 440 S. Church St. uptown for 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Oct. 22. Burgers made with Sterling Silver beef, as well as turkey and veggie options, plus chicken sandwiches, wings and salads are keynotes. (A second location, 5821 Fairview Road near SouthPark, is slated to open this spring.)

The opening will offer specials through the day, live music, free ice cream for kids, and a display of "classic and unique" cars and motorcycles, such as a Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide Custom, which happens to be the grand prize in American Roadside’s National Hamburger Day Giveaway (that's May 28). You can enter at the restaurant, or online at www.americanroadside.com.

Beerfest

2011-10-13T12:23:00.002-04:00

The 8th Annual Wine Vault Beerfest is 2-5 p.m. Oct. 16, with unlimited tastings of 75 beers (from Trappist Ales from Belgium to porters from Asheville), food from the neighboring Boardwalk Billy's, live music and a $20 price tag if you buy before Oct. 15 ($15 with a UNCC ID; $25 at the door). The event benefits UNC Charlotte's biology and economic departments. Info: Karen at 704-548-9463. 9009 J.M. Keynes Drive.

Coming up: 14th birthday, wine dinners

2011-10-13T11:55:00.000-04:00

Cosmos Cafe plans a weeklong party as it turns 14, at both the original uptown location and in Ballantyne: Oct. 17-22, a three-course dinner (with entree choices including Greek chicken, pan-seared tilapia and more) will be $14, as will selected bottles of wine. 300 N. College St., 704-372-3553; and 8420 Rea Road, 704-544-5268.

Alton’s Kitchen & Cocktails hosts a Charles Smith five-course wine dinner Oct. 27, with courses such as tuna poke with Kung Fu Girl Riesling, and braised lamb pot with Boom Boom! Syrah. $40; 19918 North Cove Road in Cornelius; 704-655-2727.

D'Vine Wine Cafe offers a Santa Ema wine dinner, also on Oct. 27, with a menu including steak pie with truffled potatoes and
2006 Santa Ema Catalina; seared duck breast with 2007 Santa Ema Amplus Carignan; and more. $49.99; 704-369-5050; 14815 John J. Delaney Drive.

Taste of the World and other followups

2011-10-12T17:24:00.000-04:00

Charlotte East's "Taste of the World" went off smoothly Oct. 6, I'm told, the ninth annual version of this tour of area restaurants showing the multiplicity and range of world cuisines they offer. Here, Mai Duong, co-owner of Ben Thanh serves guests. Photo by Nancy Pierce.

Vida raised just over $600 Oct. 4 (National Taco Day, of course) with a taco deal that benefitted Levine Children's Hospital.

Mac's Speed Shop won an invitation to the Kansas City Barbecue Society's American Royal World Championship at the "Autumn Treasures Grill'n and Chill'n" event in Waxhaw last weekend, winning the chicken category, placing second in brisket and pork and third in ribs.

Dining as covert operation

2011-10-11T14:06:00.000-04:00

Fans of super secret decoder rings and the like may want to check out the Patron Social Club's Secret Dining Society, which masterminds dinners with celeb chefs in extravagant spaces but keeps the details (including what city the dinner will be in) to itself. For the upcoming one, the city will be announced in about seven days, and riddle will be revealed to club members, who then answer it for the possibility of getting a seat. Previous dinners include chef Marcus Samuelsson and a historic mansion in New York, and Mexican-cooking star Rick Bayless in Chicago. (Tequila people are just so much fun.) You can join for free (be sure to uncheck the we'll-swamp-you-with-email box) here.

Plaza Midwood gets new vegetarian spot

2011-10-10T12:37:00.005-04:00

Look for the vegetarian Fern to open for lunch this Wednesday (Oct. 12) at 1323 Central Ave. That's the former Something Classic Cafe spot, and this is indeed from those same folks; chef Alyssa Gorelick has worked with Marc Jacksina at sibling Halcyon. This menu, chock full of vegan dishes and options, will sport Indian/Mediterranean/Southwestern influences, I'm told, and serve lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday. Signature items include the OM Burger (a veggie burger with smoked chow-chow and pickled fennel), Indian Tacos (traditional fry bread with pinto bean and squash chili) and Goat Cheese cannelloni (fresh whole wheat pasta stuffed with housemade goat’s milk ricotta and butternut squash puree), and prices will run about $6-$14. www.fernflavors.com; 704-377-1825.

Coming up

2011-10-10T12:26:00.000-04:00

Blue offers a wine and food pairing Oct. 11, with Ridge Vineyards. Look for smoked celery root veloute with lump crab and 2009 Estate Monte Bello Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay; duck Bolognese over housemade tagliatelle pasta with 2009 Three Valleys Sonoma County Zinfandel; and more. $59.95; Hearst Plaza uptown; 704-927-2583.

Chima hosts a wine dinner Oct. 11 comparing the attributes of wines from Bodega Catena Zapata (Argentina) and Vina Cousino Macul (Chile), in the context of a six-course, rodizio-style meal. $59; reservations at Bond Street Wines: 704-521-1353.

The Palm will have a Trefethen wine dinner Oct. 18, with John Harrington from the winery as host. Cost is $120 ($97 for 837 Club members); reservations required at 704-552-7450. 6705-B Phillips Place Court.

Passion8 plans a "Mother & Son Dinner Date" Oct. 27: three courses for $68 for two people. Also, the bistro is celebrating its fourth anniversary with some 4-centric deals: Tuesday through Thursdays through the month, diners can get some special-choice $4 glasses of wine 5-7 p.m., and four courses for $44. 3415 Highway 51 N., Fort Mill; 803-802-7455.

Sustainable awards

2011-10-07T14:47:00.001-04:00

Chef Chris Ivens-Brown of Compass Group in Charlotte is among 15 finalists for the 2011 Chefs Collaborative Sustainability Awards, to be awarded Oct. 24 in New Orleans during the third annual Chefs Collaborative National Summit. About 300 "sustainability-minded" chefs and food professionals are expected at the summit. The award recognizes chefs who have "played an exemplary role in changing the sustainable food landscape." Ivens-Brown is nominated in the "Sustainer" category (seeking a chef who is both "a great mentor" and "a model ... through his/her purchases of seasonal, sustainable ingredients and the transformation of these ingredients into delicious food." He's up against Mike Lata of FIG in Charleston; Frank Brigsten of Brigsten's in New Orleans; Michael Foust of the Farmhouse in Kansas City, Mo.; Sam Hayward of Fore Street in Portland, Maine; and Donald Miller, executive chef at the University of Notre Dame.
Other categories are Pathfinder (for visionaries/catalysts "beyond the kitchen") and Foodshed Champion (for producers noted for working with chefs and valuing a clean environment and sustainable production). More info: www.chefscollaborative.org.

On tables and in glasses now

2011-10-07T10:12:00.010-04:00

Pumpkin souffle (right) is back at Bonterra; 1829 Cleveland Ave.; 704-333-9463.

Zebra offers a Friday-night tasting tonight (Oct. 7) of more than 30 of its by-the-glass list. Choose four for $10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. There's also a long list of IPAs, porters, ales and more offered at half price during the same time. 4521 Sharon Road; 704-442-9525.

Through Nov. 30 at the Palm, a special dinner for two -- an 18-ounce New York Strip and two Nova Scotia lobster tails, plus two appetizers and sides -- goes for $85 (the chain turned 85 this year). Also on special: three-course anniversary dinner for $49.85 per person. 6705-B Phillips Place Court; 704-552-7256.

New menus at Halcyon

2011-10-06T14:19:00.000-04:00

Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth uptown has new menus, many named with chef Marc Jacksina's notable wry twist: There's "Quail Yea" ($22, stuffed with pimento cheese and served with "angeled egg"), and "Homage to Hominy" ($12, braised house-cured pork belly with stewed Anson Mills hominy and ham hock broth). There's also herbed gnocchi with tomatoes and foraged mushrooms ($18), a sharing plate that includes smoked ham hock terrine, lamb livermush, green tomato chow chow and more ($16), and a clam bake of Olde Salt clams with skillet potatoes, bacon and fried sage Worcestershire butter ($15), plus the "Phwah Burger," which pairs house-ground rib, chuck and ribeye with foie gras stuffed with a local farm egg and adds bacon, aioli and more (with truffled fries, $25, with greens, $26). Lunch/brunch notables: that lamb livermush in sliders (using housemade biscuits with Tabasco aioli) and chicken and sweet potato waffles. Expect more frequent menu changes, says the chef. At the Mint, 500 S. Tryon St.; 704-910-0865.

Bourbon dinner; Saintsbury social

2011-10-05T17:39:00.005-04:00

Mimosa Grill hosts a bourbon dinner Oct. 8 with a raffle (prizes include cooking classes, dinner for two, something from Woodford Reserve and more), whose proceeds will go to national hunger relief group Share Our Strength. On the menu: "A Study of Apples" (pickled, smoked, raw, dehydrated, liquified, with Early Times 354); huckleberry-sage-brushed squab with Jack Daniels Single Barrel; brown-sugar-glazed pork cheeks with Woodford Reserve; and more. 327 S. Tryon St.; 704-343-0700.

BLT Steak offers a five-course tasting of Saintsbury wines with food pairings Oct. 18, with the vineyard's Dick Ward leading the tasting. $40; 201 E. Trade St.; reservations required at 704-972-4380.

1 Melting Pot moving

2011-10-05T15:53:00.000-04:00

The Melting Pot will relocate its University location to the Lake Norman area, specifically 16625 Statesville Road in Huntersville, this fall. The new location is larger, with expanded private party and patio areas, and will offer a separate bar menu, as well.

Nick's Steakhouse uptown closed

2011-10-04T16:24:00.002-04:00

Nick's Steak and Taphouse has closed uptown at 225 E. 6th St. (the former LaVecchia's spot). Managing partner Clyde Gilfallan said the place just didn't catch on, and the owners are in negotiations to sell the business, with its accompanying five-year lease. The Nick's Steak and Taphouse in Gastonia is still open, however, as is the relocated LaVecchia's in uptown (at the Hearst Tower), and that restaurant will debut a new lunch menu, most likely next week, said Gilfallan. Expect a more midscale lunch menu than its most recent one, with chef Michael Rayfield doing salads, sandwiches, light pastas, "and a burger or two."

Charleston's Brock wastes not and other links

2011-10-03T14:08:00.004-04:00

A really nice story on chef Sean Brock - of newly hot Husk and appreciated-for-some-time McCrady's in Charleston - is here.

A feel-good story about kids, gardens and Halcyon chef Marc Jacksina is here. Gazpacho! (So hurry.)

Cheeses, and smuggling, in Italy: "Like everyone who traveled to get to the event, I came with an empty bag, which I stuffed with heavy blocks of cheese," here.

Scary pancakes and other fall flavors

2011-09-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

IHOP offers special pancakes for October: pumpkin pancakes, all-you-can-eat buttermilk pancakes, and Scary Face Pancakes, with a daylong giveaway of the last to kids 12 and younger 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Oct. 28 (one per kid).

And Bruegger's now offers pumpkin spice coffee for the fall, along with baked apple bagels and honey walnut cream cheese in what the place calls a Baker's Choice pairing, offered through Nov. 22. The chain also has a Harvest Ciabatta panini (roasted turkey and green apple), and has brought back its 4 for $4 breakfast sandwich menu for a limited time.