Talk about uptown dining

Tell us what you think about the uptown dining choices: Too much, too little or juuuuuust right? And why?

New offerings

Lebowski's Neighborhood Grill now offers Sahlen's hot dogs, which are the Buffalo Bills' official dog at the stadium and have "quite a following," says owner Kirk Weaver. Also new at the grill: Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 1524 East Blvd.; 704-370-1177.

M5's new summer lunch menu offers a "Five and Dime" section: five seasonal dishes priced at $10 each (including a Caesar or mixed green salad) from chef Scott Wallen. The lineup will change weekly; a few samples are tomato bisque and grilled Serrano ham panini; chilled local tomato gazpacho and BLT; hickory burger; and barbecue chicken pita. 4310 Sharon Road; 704-909-5500. UPDATE: A hood fire Monday caused the restaurant to close. A manager at M5 told me late Tuesday afternoon he did not think the closing would be extended beyond a few days.

Link day: Eat Chinese better, etc.

Frank Bruni, ex-New York Times restaurant critic, waxes philosophic about the field. Best point: Critics can never see a restaurant the way a regular does. Read more here.

If only for the title, read "The Ignorant American's Guide to Eating Better Chinese Food" here (but it's actually worth reading in its entirety if you're a novice.

And what about MSG, anyway?

Dine out, do good

Throughout August, you can bring in a new, unwrapped toy -- or treat bags, or party favors -- to any of the four Charlotte-area Wolfman Pizza locations and get a free 8-inch, one-topping pizza. The donations go to Birthday Blessings, a nonprofit that does birthday celebrations for homeless children and their families. Donate $25 or more in cash or goodies and you get a limited edition T-shirt from Wolfman while supplies last. You can also enter to win a free pizza party for 10 to 15. (FYI: Wolfman donates the meal for one birthday celebration every month for Birhday Blessings, and provides the food for its annual golf event.) For more info on the nonprofit, which now celebrates about 60 birthdays each month and has done more than 1,100 of the events since 2005, go to www.birthdayblessings.org. “Every child deserves to feel special on their birthday," says volunteer executive director Amy Cervantes.

More Restaurant Week extensions

BLT Steak uptown at the Ritz-Carlton will extend its three-courses-for-$30 deal through Labor Day (Sept. 6). 110 N. College St.; 704-972-4380.

Sole Spanish Grille offers the deal to July 31. 1608 East Blvd.; 704-343-9890.

Global will also extend its deal, from July 27-31. 3520 Toringdon Way; 704-248-0866.

Deli opening this week

Essex Street Restaurant and Deli is slated to open Aug. 3 at the Village at Robinson Farm in the Ballantyne area. Deli staples such as stuffed cabbage, corned beef and potato pancakes are joined by less-often-available dishes such as stuffed derma and kasha varnishkas, and hand-sliced Nova lox, baked salmon, chopped liver and H&H bagels from New York are also offered. It's scheduled to be open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. 8430 Rea Road; 980-207-0885.

New N'Awlins place

Creole's Louisiana Kitchen is open at 15105 John J. Delaney Drive at Ballantyne Commons East. From the same folks who opened Irish pub P.J. O'Reilly's nearby a year ago, this is a casual, neighborhood Cajun/New Orleans-themed place, says Hamilton Stolpen, and features lunch and dinner fare such as gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee and po' boys. Lunch about $5 to $7; dinner about $7 to $15. 704-544-5213.