Rare burgers legal tomorrow!

You can, as of Sept. 1, order a burger rare in North Carolina! (Food editor Kathi Purvis writes about details in Saturday's paper.)

The Liberty, in response, will offer 50 percent off all pub burgers ordered rare this weekend. 1812 South Blvd.; 704-332-8830.

The Harper's group also plans celebrating what its Tom Sasser calls "an historic occasion!" He's at work with his brother, who raises beef cattle, to get a Wagyu animal ready to use for ground beef, and all the restaurants have a burger on the menu: Upstream, both Harper's, Zink and Mimosa Grill. Sasser says he's prepping a promotion and considering a contest among the restaurants for best burger.

In a quick survey of other known-for-burger locations:

Brooks' Sandwich House won't do anything differently: "We cook to well done all the time," said a server.

Frank Scibelli's Bad Daddy's Burger Bar group is making plans now, though DNC business will delay it a bit: Figure the next week or two before you see signs posted and rare burgers offered.

At fast-service Pinky's Westside Grill, partner David Rhames says "We're not going to mess with it; we move too quickly ... going to temp (offering burgers cooked to different temperatures) is way too much trouble. But we're all for it!"

The Crepe Cellar's Jeff Tonidandel, caught in a deli out of town (smart man), said they hadn't kept up on that, "but we'll be rocking that out, for sure."

Mimosa Grill open (security tight!)

Steve Seitz of Harper's Restaurants lets us know that Mimosa Grill uptown (327 S. Tryon St.) will be open to the public during most of the DNC, but found out this morning, he says, that customers will need to be escorted in by a hostess or security person. The restaurant will be open Sunday (including brunch buffet), Tuesday and Wednesday after 9 p.m. (with limited menu in bar area) and other days from 11 a.m. on.

Know of other recently discovered security developments? Let me know ...

Also open to the public: BLT Steak and the Lobby Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton uptown. The former will extend its hours to 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 3-6 (and be open 5-10 p.m. for dinner Sept. 2). The latter will serve Blackberry Peach Old Fashioneds (with Makers Mark and S.C. peaches) and Backyard Peach Tea (with Woodford Reserve bourbon and ... yes ... S.C. peaches), plus chicken biscuits with green tomato chow chow; barbecued chicken flatbreads; and fried chicken lollipops. Also on tap: frozen hot chocolate at the hotel's Bar Cocoa.

Vivace (1100 Metropolitan Ave. at midtown) will be closed Tuesday, but otherwise, open for lunch and dinner every day.

Mama Ricotta's will be open daily through the convention, with the exception of Wednesday lunch. 601 S. Kings Drive.

If you're a restaurateur who's decided to stay open at the last minute, let me know and I'll add you to this posting.

UPDATE: Lobbyist calls us 'grim', NYT: 'sleepy' (but a better place to eat now)

UPDATE: A story by international news agency Reuters quotes a Democratic lobbyist who scouted 30 Charlotte restaurants earlier this year as saying the situation is "grim." The story says Democrats may have a hard time getting this convention to live up to parties of the past - between spending restrictions and lesser attendance - and quotes lobbyist Heather Podesta as adding: "Going to the NASCAR Hall of Fame isn't reason enough to be in Charlotte." (Incidentally, Heather and Tony Podesta are slated to host a Farmhouse Chic Brunch fundraiser at Halcyon during the DNC. Tony Podesta, reported the Observer's Tim Funk, swapped time at his place in Venice, Italy, for time during the DNC at an apartment near Time Warner Cable Arena. So it's conceivable her taste is ... elevated.)

The New York Times weighs in here, explaining that the city is not a barbecue town, taking special note of Price's, Luna's Living Kitchen, Good Food on Montford, Harvest Moon Grille, Pure Pizza and Fran's Filling Station, and concluding, in writer Kim Severson's words, that "the sleepy banker’s town has become a much better place to eat."

From London's Daily Mirror comes the lead: "Barack Obama has a hot date with Charlotte... and you can hardly blame him for falling for her charms. Hip, chic Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city, is easy on the eye and hard to leave." Dining was "a revelation." Places loved: Harvest Moon Grille, Rooster's Uptown and Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, where "even if you really go to town you shouldn’t pay more than £25 a head."

The Boston Globe's Sunday paper correspondent claims our "dining and drinking options abound," with shoutouts to Queen City Q, Amelie's, NoDa Brewing Co., NoDa Brewing Co., Cabo Fish Taco and Price's. (Sadly, she miscounted uptown barbecue, but hey...)

Esquire magazine features a convention shoutout to Common Market here. (Historic South End's site shows the page, to which you apparently can't get online.

The Washington Post's Tom Sietsema declares Charlotte's restaurant scene meh -- but is equally unimpressed with Tampa's, in case you're keeping (national-party-convention) score. (Worthy, to Mr. Sietsema: 5Church, Good Food on Montford, The King's Kitchen and the adjacent King's Bakery.

The New York Times, meanwhile, interviewed local folk in each location and came up with parallel recommendations for each city. Among its choices: Whisky River, Amelie's ("Best Place for Late-Night Speechwriting Takeout"), dish, Landmark Diner, Common Market, Morton's ("Most Convincing Simulacrum of Life Inside the Beltway") and Soul ("Most Likely Location of Your Intern After Hours").

For a different perspective: Inked Magazine weighs in with recommendations of The Diamond and JackBeagle's, from area tattoo artist Joey Vernon.

(If one is willing to backtrack to May, one finds CNN's smackdown between the two cities, featuring locals promoting Common Market, Phat Burrito, Soul, Harvest Moon Grille, Cabo Fish Taco, and all of these from one guy: Mac's Speed Shop, Sauceman's, Price's Chicken Coop, The Liberty, Pike's Old Fashioned Soda Shop, the King's Bakery, Rooster's, 5Church, Paco's Tacos & Tequila and Terrace Cafe.)

Have you seen what others are saying about our dining landscape? Feel free to share, or pop me an e-mail at hschwab@charlotteobserver.com. Should be interesting.

Oysters at Georges

"Shucked" will be 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Georges Brasserie: steel drum music, unlimited oysters for $65 a person; oyster shooters and wine and Champagne pairings will also be available. Reservations are required: 980-219-7409. 4620 Piedmont Row Drive.

Taste of the World, in Charlotte

The next Charlotte East "Taste of the World" comes up Oct. 4 (and tickets are on sale now): The event lets folks tour Charlotte's east side and get tastes of the range of ethnic restaurants in the area.

This year, as usual, the lineup is remarkably wide-ranging:
Ben Thanh: Vietnamese
Bistro La Bon: European/Mediterranean
Carnitas Guanajuato: Mexican
Dim Sum: Chinese
El Arepazo: Venezuelan
El Pulgarcito de América: Salvadoran
Foskoskies: American
Fu Lin: Asian Fusion
Golden Bakery: Syrian
Intermezzo: Serbian (plus pizza)
Jamile’s: Somalian
Landmark: Greek/American
Lang Van: Vietnamese
La Shish Kabob: Middle Eastern
Mama’s Caribbean Cafe: Caribbean
Mily & Lilo: Peruvian
The Motherland: Nigerian
Nile Cafe: Ethiopian
Pollos Mario: Colombian
Portofino’s: Italian
Queen Sheba: Ethiopian
Three Amigos: Mexican
Woodlands: South Indian vegetarian

For $35, you get to begin with a reception (and tour) at the VanLandingham Estate, then board tour-guided buses to head for sample courses at three restaurants, then wrap up with dessert and coffee at the estate, along with a guest speaker and raffle drawings. More information (including restaurant descriptions) at www.charlotteeast.com/totw.

Upstream oyster bash

One month left to sign up for the fourth Annual Upstream Oyster Bash 6:30-9 p.m. Sept. 22. It's an all-you-can-eat-and-drink event for $95. You'll also be able to vote for your favorites and have a shot at prizes. Among the oysters organizers hope to offer:
* Komo Gway™ from British Columbia ("firm fleshed with a refreshing
briny taste and vibrantly coloured mantel with a subtle note of cucumber and a slightly sweet finish");
* Malagash from Nova Scotia ("mildly salty flavor with a slightly smoky, mineral finish");
* Rappahannock from Virginia ("deep cup, sweet, buttery, full bodied taste, with crisp clean finish");
* Connecticut Bluepoint from Long Island Sound ("satiny, almost liquid meats
with a high brininess and very mild flavor");
* Harkers Island from Beaufort, N.C. ("a local favorite - smooth shells yield a medium salinity oyster from our home state");
and more.
Reservations: 704-556-7730.

'DipJar': Thoughts?

Cool idea or nut-job opportunity for abuse? This lets you "dip" your credit card to tip, if you don't have cash or like to keep every nickel on plastic, at places with counter staff, where more people these days pay with plastic and don't have to sign receipts. Operators set it for a certain amount per swipe, such as $1; if you want to tip $2, you swipe twice.

Further explanation here.