Not Your Dad’s Uptown Charlotte

View from BB&T Park

Let me apologize to Uptown Charlotte. You’ve been neglected, and I won’t let it happen again. For some time, Christy and I rarely found ourselves traveling to Uptown on the weekends. With so many other areas of the city booming (South End, Plaza Midwood, & NoDa to name a few), it was easy to turn a blind eye to the tall buildings and all the city has to offer. Now it seems like we can’t get enough. Over the last month, Uptown seems like a second home…and we can’t wait to get back soon. Here are some highlights:

Van Gogh Alive @ Discovery Place – A really unique and powerful exhibit about Vincent Van Gogh that highlighted both his art and writing. We weren’t expecting to have such an emotional response from the display, but a focus on Van Gogh’s own mental health coupled with the powerful backdrop of music and imagery left us in awe. I only wish we mentioned this sooner, as the exhibit has come to an end.

The Asbury – Located in The Dunhill Hotel, The Asbury offers a unique take on Southern food. The kitchen uses local and regional ingredients to create visually stunning dishes that are equally delicious.

Van Gogh Experience 1

Van Gogh Experience 2

Van Gogh Experience 3

Grouper Ceviche @ The Asbury

Blue Crab and 62 degree Egg Risotto

Charlotte Knights Baseball – There isn’t a better view of the Charlotte skyline than when you’re sitting in BB&T Ballpark during a Charlotte Knights game. I’ve actually been twice in the last four weeks, and each time was equally fun! Some outstanding food is available at the park, including Queen City Q and Whisky River. Craft beer fans have plenty of options as well, including local favorites Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and NoDa Brewing. Regional craft brewers with beer options include Natty Greene’s and Foothills. You don’t have to be a fan of baseball to go to a game. Honestly, I can’t even tell you who won either game. If you plan on going though, make sure you buy your tickets well in advance. The Knights are leading the league in attendance and sellouts are frequent.

Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment @ Mint Museum – The exhibition covers 11 women photographers and their assignments while working for National Geographic. Each presents a unique story through the lens of their camera. A pretty inspiring collection of photographs that aren’t only visually stunning, but showcase the often dangerous lengths assignment photographers go to get a story.

5Church Restaurant – 5Church feels like it belongs in a bigger city like New York or Chicago. Attention to detail runs rampant in both decor and the food. I’d argue it is probably the most popular restaurant in the city. If you go, be sure to look up. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is handwritten in its entirety across the restaurant’s ceiling. On this trip, we enjoyed the Artisan Cheese Plate, Black Bean Hummus, Grilled C.A.B. Hanger Steak, and Carolina Catfish. Dessert made us pucker with the “Lemon Tart” Pistachio Cookie & Pomegranate Sorbet.

5Church Ceiling – Handwritten The Art of War

Carolina Catfish @ 5Church

Knights Ale by NoDa Brewing at Charlotte Knights game

Charlotte Knights

Mint Museum

Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops @ Romare Bearden Park – Another new addition to the Uptown landscape is Romare Bearden Park. The open area was the perfect setting for the Charlotte Symphony’s first live concert in Uptown in 10 years. Food trucks were on hand to feed the masses before the free concert. The symphony played “Music of the Movies” and included:

• Highlights from Jurassic Park
• Suite from Gladiator
• Theme from Schindler’s List
• Star Trek: Into Darkness
• Themes from 007
• Cinema Paradiso
• Suite from Titanic
• Imperial March from Star Wars

Summer Pops at Romare Bearden Park

Dusk @ Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops

If you aren’t finding something to do in Charlotte, there really is no excuse. In addition to all we did in the last month, SpeedStreet and Taste of Charlotte were also taking place in Uptown. Navigating the city isn’t hard (except when festivals close down streets). If city parking seems difficult, park further out from the city and take the Lynx Light Rail into town.

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La Unica

About a month ago we decided to make a conscious effort to eat at some of the restaurants in the IT. Then we promptly drove to Charlotte to dine out for several weeks. Not cool.

Seriously. Why is it so hard to commit to doing this?

Fear not, reader. We finally made progress on our list of local restaurants.  On a recent Friday night, we didn’t have any dinner plans or any reasonable excuses not to stay in Indian Trail for dinner. So we decided to go to La Unica.

Let me paint you a picture of a typical Friday evening for us – we rush home from work around 5:00, throw on a change of clothes, and then hop into the car to crawl 20 miles up Independence Blvd. to Charlotte for dinner.  We’ve gotten really good at making a speedy transition from work to weekend, and can usually get to almost anywhere in Charlotte for dinner and drinks by 6:00 or 6:30.  You’re impressed, right?

Long Live Peruvian – A Visit to Viva Chicken

I always get a weird look when I tell people we had Peruvian food for dinner. And after they shake the look off their face, they always ask, “What is that?” The short answer is “delicious”. However, it’s a cuisine with a foundation in local (Peru & Inca) food with heavy immigrant influences from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Corn, potatoes, and chili peppers are staple ingredients, with marinated meats, kabobs, and stir fry being popular entree options.

Viva Chicken recently opened on Elizabeth Avenue, just down from CPCC. Viva Chicken describes itself as, “a Peruvian inspired restaurant in Charlotte, NC focusing on Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian rotisserie chicken). Peruvian flavors, affordable prices and a great atmosphere…” What’s not to love about any of that? We had to make a visit.

I had an expectation that this would be a traditional sit-down restaurant, so I took a double-take when we had to order our food at the register. But it really wasn’t a big deal, as once you’ve ordered, a server comes to your table for the rest of the meal and takes care of you.

I would urge you to sit outside on their covered patio. Summer temperatures might make it less attractive, but on the night we were there, the weather was perfect and I think it only enhanced the experience. Peruvian feels like a cuisine that should be eaten outdoors. Maybe it’s a personal opinion, but Peruvian and other food from tropical climates (Cuban, Mexican, etc.) taste better with a warm breeze and cold drink in hand.

There are a couple of local craft beer options available on draft. After ordering a Ramble on Red by NoDa Brewing Company, we found out there was an issue preventing them from pouring beer that night. So instead, they gave us some of their house-made red Sangria. It was freshly made with pieces of fruit throughout it and not overly sweet like so many seem to be. It was the perfect accompaniment to go with the food and warmer temperatures.

Quinoa stuffed Avocado

We began the meal with the Quinoa stuffed Avocado appetizer. As you can see from the photo, this whole avocado is split in half and then filled with organic quinoa, onions, cucumber, tomato, cilantro, olive oil, and lime. We opted to add rotisserie chicken to it for a nominal fee which is highly recommended, though you get so much food, probably isn’t necessary. A love for avocado won’t hurt anyone’s feelings in this joint, or anywhere you might go to get Peruvian food. It plays heavily in and around many dishes – something I’d advocate more restaurants consider doing.

Christy ordered the Viva Tacu Bowl (Peruvian canary beans, rice, aji amarillo, fresh cilantro and salsa criolla). I took a few bites of it when Christy wasn’t looking and would have been happy if I’d ordered the same thing. Just a nice combination of flavors and seasoning, further accentuated with a spicy Huacatay Sauce – a Peruvian black mint infused with fresh herbs.

Viva Tacu Bowl

I had the Pollo a la Brasa (Rotisserie Chicken) with white rice and sweet plantains. The chicken had a crispy skin and was so tender it left me continuously picking at the bone trying not to leave a morsel of it behind. A mild Aji Amarillo sauce (referred to as the “yellow” sauce) was good for dipping and if I had more, would have been used on my rice. Only after I ordered did I realize there was a cilantro-infused rice side available, which I’ll opt for instead of the plain white next time.  I want more of the yellow sauce in my daily life. Maybe we’ll try this recipe sometime soon?

Pollo a la Brasa with White Rice & Sweet Plantains

I have a special place in my heart for plantains. Having lived in the Tampa area before moving to Charlotte, a strong base of Cuban food was always available and plantains were always on the plate. I can’t not order them when I see them on a menu, and Viva Chicken’s did not disappoint. Sometimes plantains are really mushy, but these were firm and sweet. If you don’t get them as a side, consider ordering them at the end of the meal.

We were so pleased with the service. The girl who took our order at the register (sorry I don’t know her name!) checked on us often, cleared our plates, and kept us hydrated with water….all with a smile. As we left, everyone wished us a good night…something you can’t help but love as a nice finish to a great dining experience. Walking out, a sign caught my eye which pretty much sums up why we’ll be back and why this place is destined to succeed – great customer service and sense of “community”.

Perhaps the coolest part of the restaurant was this sign.

Going Local

Indian Trail’s not really a hotbed for anything, much less eating and drinking (two of our favorite pastimes).  We went to Charlotte last night to check out Bulldog Beer & Wine and got into a conversation with the bartender and the owner.  Cute place…with bulldogs.  Not sure we’ll go out of our way to get up to it like we will for some of our other favorite drinking spots, but it’s nice to know there’s a chill place to have a beer the next time we find ourselves in that neck of the woods.

So the Bulldog folks seemed impressed that we travel to eat and drink. …we know we’re not the only ones who drive 20-ish miles for good food and beer, but sometimes we’re surprised by it too!  So we’ve decided to embark on a local journey of sorts…keep your fingers crossed for us, because this ride might be a little bumpy…

We’re going to hit up 10 places to eat and drink within a five mile radius of our home (based on Yelp and Urbanspoon reviews)

Where do you take visitors in Charlotte?

We’re curious to know what other people do when they have friends or family visiting Charlotte? Are there special places you always visit? A favorite restaurant, bar, or attraction? We have our go-to’s – NoDa Brewing Company, VBGB, Pizza Peel – can you tell we love to eat and drink?

We want to hear what your can’t miss places are in Charlotte. Whether it be for atmosphere, a place to hang out and take in the city, some kind of adventure, or anything else you can think of, we’ve got people coming to visit – so we want some new ideas to mix in with our regulars.

If you’re going to attend a beer dinner, you should expect to drink good beer.

Yum!

Normally we’re homebodies during the week, reserving the weekends for going out and trying new things.    Jason and I both get up early for work, so most evenings are spent vegging out on the couch.  We’re pretty protective of our veg time, and there’s a little voice in my head that starts whining “I’m sooooo tired” if we’ve got stuff lined up after work.  That little bugger starts softly, but can escalate to a frantic, hyperventilating screech if we’ve got a busy week.

It just so happened that on this particular week, we had a lot of great things lined up, including a beer dinner with Latis Imports at the Dandelion Market on February 8.  So I told the voice to shut the hell up, or at the very least take a few deep breaths.  I reminded it that no one ever died from not sitting on the couch and mindlessly watching reruns of “How I Met Your Mother.”

The Lure of Your Local Craft Beer

Last week our world got a little brighter when Kristophers in Matthews started carrying NoDa Brewing Company on tap. The announcement came on NoDa’s Twitter feed mid-afternoon last Thursday. By 8 pm, we were sitting at the bar with Coco Loco in hand. Last night, we once again made the short drive to Matthews for some more beer.

I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but we’ve been to Kristophers twice in less than a week, all because they’re carrying great beer. Know how many times we’d been to Kristophers in the 7 years we’ve lived in Charlotte prior to that? I count two…maybe three times total. We’ll likely be regulars now, and look forward to more visits and a hopefully expanding local beer offering.

So we wonder how many businesses would benefit from supporting local first? It seems to be playing a larger part in what restaurants we support. Whether it be local food or local/regional beer, I’d rather support multiple businesses (restaurant/brewery/farm) when dining out than just the one business (restaurant). Not to mention, it’s a great way to build a better community. In a time where it’s tough for new businesses to succeed, those who work together and form relationships with each other and their patrons are more likely to flourish. We’ll certainly be working to let everyone know of the great businesses out there!

Review: Smalls Charlotte

Have to admit, we felt a little special being greeted by owner Joseph DiLeo during our first visit to Smalls Charlotte last week.   We weren’t the only customers who got a VIP greeting, it turns out that Joe and his staff genuinely want you to enjoy your experience at Smalls, the most recent addition to the collection of eateries on Elizabeth Avenue near the Visulite Theatre. 

Streetcar construction a few years ago put considerable strain on existing businesses, and we were sad to see one of our favorite restaurants, NoFo on Liz, succumb to the dust, road blockages, and overall chaos that goes with installing tracks for a mode of public transportation that has yet to make an appearance.  No disrespect to NoFo’s, but Smalls is better in nearly every way (Christy would like to point out that NoFo’s gift shop was awesome, and she misses it dearly…) 

Sandwich Envy Taught Me a Lesson

I love sitting down and demolishing a whole cheeseburger and french fries like any other red-blooded American. I grew up on Wendy’s hamburgers, so having my own meal has been engrained in my head since day one. I had my own tray with a kids meal and drink on it. No one else touched it, and I knew that I could eat it all because it was specially packaged just for me.

To me, sharing was always something you did when you ordered an Awesome Blossom or some other huge appetizer from (Insert Name Here) Bar & Grill. But the entrée was off-limits (except those pesky vegetables…my dogs growing up ate a lot of green beans and spinach).

The idea of sharing has changed my perception of eating for the better. There’s no better way to explore the culinary capabilities of a restaurant than through trying a wide sample of the food they offer. I’ve always been one who orders the same thing when dining out at a restaurant we’ve been to in the past. When I find something I like, I tend to stick with it and rarely shy away to try anything new.

Treat Me Like Royalty

When you see me out and about, I’ll expect you to show me the respect I deserve. You see, I’m important to the world, as I’ve recently been named a Duke – Yelp told me so. How does someone living in Indian Trail get such a distinction? In my case…a lot of wine and a lot of visits to the same establishment. If you’ve ever used the Yelp App on your phone, you know that when you visit most businesses, you have an option to “Check In” at the location. The more times you “check in” at a business, Yelp will keep track of them and name you a regular. If you have the most check-ins, you’ll be named the Duke or Duchess for the business (Foursquare top dogs are known as the Mayor).

But what does such a title get you besides a boost in ego? In a perfect world, such check-ins were set up as a marketing tool to encourage and reward repeat customers.