Amelie's open uptown

The uptown outpost of popular French bakery Amelie's (the original a 24/7 operation in NoDa) is open uptown at 330 S. Tryon St. Manager Lynn St. Laurent says they're experimenting with hours right now -- currently, they're open 7 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, to 9:30 Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10-4 Sunday. But says St. Laurent, "just like with NoDa, I'm here at 7:30 and people just keep coming in!"

Pastries and egg bakes, plus regular coffee (no espresso, at least yet) are available in the morning, with two soups, sandwiches and salads arriving from the original site about 11 a.m. each day for the lunch crowd. Folks are asking about baguettes to take home; St. Laurent says they're working on it, hoping to establish a strong order system, so you could pick them up on the way home at lunch or end of day. "We just don't like to sell them more than an hour or two old."

"Weird" hours are happening too; for example, the place opened for the Panthers game Sunday and got plenty of traffic, she says. "We'll extend hours as business warrants it." 704-376-1782.

Boar ... and beer

Blue at the Hearst Plaza uptown hosts a Carina Cellars wine dinner of five courses Sept. 9 and braised boar shoulder is on the menu; $65; 704-927-2583).

McCormick & Schmick’s at SouthPark offers a Charles Krug dinner Sept. 14: four courses and four wines for $49.99. 4335 Barclay Downs Drive; 704-442-5522.

Lava Bistro plans a three-course Shelton Vineyards dinner Sept. 23; $39; 8708 J.W. Clay Blvd.; 704-549-0050.

Morton’s hosts a nationwide wine dinner and charity auction Oct. 7 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Mondavi wine family has done two 27-liter bottles of wine, a special blend that will be auctioned. The dinner will be broadcast to 54 private dining rooms across the country, including Charlotte, and diners will get four courses, plus wines; $175. (Also new at Morton’s: crab cake BLTs, smoked salmon pizza, bone-in filets and sea bass.)

Firebirds at SouthPark plans a four-course Sequoia Grove winemaker dinner Oct. 11 with braised Kobe short ribs on the menu; $65; 704-366-3655.

And Charlotte Oktoberfest 2010 is slated for Sept. 25 at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo, 7100 Statesville Road, on the outdoor fields. Three different tickets will be sold: general admission ($35) gets you in at 2 p.m. and premium ($50) at 1 p.m.; designated driver tickets are $20. The event has sold out in advance the past three years. General and premium buyers get a 5-ounce tasting glass, samples from more than 350 beers and a souvenir event guide with map. Live entertainment, games and food will be on hand. Some proceeds will go to the National Kidney Foundation of North Carolina and the Autism Society of North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at the website: www.charlotteoktoberfest.com.
-

Bits and pieces

Lebowski's will compete in the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo over Labor Day weekend, in three categories: Traditional Medium, Creative BBQ (with the Carolina Gold) and Creative Spicy (with the Huli Huli). About three dozen restaurants are in the running, including cult faves such as the Anchor Bar, and national chains, such as Quaker Steak & Lube. See www.buffalowing.com for more.

GadoGado has added flatbread pizzettas to its menu, and will host wine tastings every last Thursday of the month. 157 N. Trade St., Matthews; 704-844-8686.

Noodles & Company at the Arboretum and South End host Tuesday family nights Aug. 31, Sept. 7 and 14, which means kids 12 and younger eat free (a small noodle bowl and drink) from 5-9 p.m. Cookies and activities will be on hand, too.

Morton’s hosts a nationwide wine dinner and charity auction Oct. 7 to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Mondavi wine family has done two 27-liter bottles of wine, a special blend that will be auctioned. The dinner will be broadcast to 54 private dining rooms across the country, including Charlotte, and diners will get four courses, plus wines; $175. (Also new at Morton’s: crab cake BLTs, smoked salmon pizza, bone-in filets and sea bass.)

Firebirds at SouthPark hosts a four-course Sequoia Grove winemaker dinner Oct. 11 with braised Kobe short ribs on the menu; $65; 704-366-3655.

SouthPark blynk shifts

blynk at SouthPark has finished its test phase and is rolling out a broader menu, with "grand opening" deals the week of Sept. 13-18. Look for an organic salad bar with housemade dressings, a smoothie bar, panini and more. Specials include:
Sept. 13: First 30 customers eat free (one sandwich or salad per person; it opens at 11 a.m.).
Sept. 14: Large salads half-price.
Sept. 15: Free soup with purchase of sandwich.
Sept. 16: Smoothies 75 percent off.
Sept. 17: Sandwiches half-price.
Sept. 18: Free gift certificates for $5 off your next buy (as long as you spend more than $5).
And organic coffee is free 2-6 p.m. all of those days.

Heidi Klum ... candies?

Links of the week:

Celebrity food endorsements. Don't worry: Heidi's thing isn't pursestrings. But you will find out where Smokey Robinson's soul ended up.

And, going somewhat the other way from models, here's an assortment of terrifying meals being offered all over the country. (Cheesecake pancakes?)

Now, for something serious: Local, farm-to-fork food is getting slapped around on the Internet. Look here
at respected chef Wylie Dufresne's slam, and here for a summary of other arguments. What do you think?

New restaurants open

Take a week off and all sorts of things happen:

15 North Roadside Kitchen is open at 1513 Montford Drive. Chef Brett McKee, who received accolades at Charleston's Oak Steakhouse and has cooked at the James Beard House, fared well with 17 North Roadside Kitchen in Mount Pleasant, and has brought to Charlotte the concept, defined as dishes "derived from local demographics, his personal memories and the suggestions and stories of the restaurant’s guests." The menu is quite the diverse work: crawfish and shrimp Creole, N.C. bass en papillote (baked in parchment), boneless buttermilk fried chicken, grilled pork chop with fig preserve demiglace, a burger with Velveeta and bacon, Maine lobster rolls, Austrian wiener schnitzel (complete with egg), and a risotto dome filled with braised duck, tomato and vegetables -- among other things. Dinner nightly and Sunday brunch are offered; http://15northroadsidekitchen.com; 704-919-0003.

Growlers Pourhouse is open at 3120 N. Davidson St., serving 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Sunday, with the bar open to 2 a.m. Sibling to Crepe Cellar, this specializes in American craft beers and "beer food": raw oysters, housemade sausages and dogs, pretzels, etc. There's a beer engine, too. More info at www.growlerspourhouse.com.

Plaza-Midwood place closes; new plans announced

The former Common House is slated to become Kickstand, a burger bar aimed at families that will then emphasize DJ-driven dance music and varying music themes at night to bring in a more entertainment-oriented crowd. Common House closed last week, though the original operating partners have been gone for several months. Said Michael Adams, part of the ownership that bought them out (and also has Hawthorne Pizza and Loco Lime): "We felt we needed a fresh start." New TVs (to the tune of $30,000) and playing off the idea of old and modern bikes, with the name, are focal points. Target opening: Sept. 10.