New look, menu at Nolen Kitchen

Nolen Kitchen will reopen Thursday night after a major renovation -- the restaurant's Stratos Lambos says the place was gutted and that the new look encompasses new colors, coverings and furniture, though the layout of bar and dining area stays the same, and the feel continues to be casual. The menu will be new, too, what Lambos calls a refined lineup that keeps staples -- like the bacon-wrapped meatloaf and chicken souvlaki -- but adds New American/Continental fare, such as Moroccan-spiced half chicken with garbanzo bean stew and a grilled swordfish sandwich with eggplant caponata: "We are not changing the concept but enhancing the overall experience... We believe in reinvesting." 2839 Selwyn Ave.; 704-372-1424.

Meanwhile, look for the Xenia Hospitality Group's second ilios noche to start construction at Quail Corners shopping center in March and, if all goes according to plan, to open mid-June.