charlotte’s best bites | leandra’s picks
All I can tell you is right now, I’m so pleased I’m watching the Panthers slip and slide the Colts from my cozy couch in my pjs than getting soaked at Bank of America Stadium. This is our first year as season ticket holders, and this is one game I’m not sad to miss.
I’m really excited for the post I’m sharing today. I met LeAndra a few years ago (and also can’t remember where and or how), and we’ve enjoyed many a dinner date, food tour, and beer ever since (and we’re still friends even though she’s an Ohio State fan). Despite what she thinks, LeAndra is supremely qualified to write a post about where to eat in Charlotte, and I’m pumped to share her Charlotte’s Best Bites. As always, we are looking for great contributors like LeAndra, so I’d love for you to sign up here! And all I want right now is a piece of Keia’s pies.
Hi. I’m LeAndra. Despite calling Charlotte home since 2006, I eat popcorn for dinner most nights and am therefore utterly unqualified to write this post. But Chrissie asked nicely, so here we are.
As I compiled my Best Bites list, I came to the realization that I do not dine at many restaurants more than once. Trying new places is one of my favorite things to do, but few things command my attention to keep me coming back. Charlotte has so much fabulous food to offer that this bodes well for my personal tastes, but not so much for a “best bites” list.
For the most part, the places that made it onto my list are the places I have returned to time and again, even if time and again is not necessarily often. My hope is that you will find one to love as much as I do.
Feel Like a Local
Sir Edmond Halley’s
Described as “unassuming” and “charming”, you need to know what you are looking for when you visit Sir Ed’s the first time. Tucked in the back of Park Road Shopping Center, you might not believe the pub exists until you find yourself a few paces from the door. Charlotteans who have been around for a while might remember when the pub closed. We cried so many tears that Sir Ed’s soon reopened and is now poised to celebrate its 20th Anniversary in just a few months.
Pints and grub are available for relaxed lunches, respectable dinners, or raucous late night snacks (the pub serves food until 2 a.m.). It’s hard to go wrong whether you choose a sandwich or a main course, and the appetizers and desserts have never disappointed me. Order a Shepherd’s Pie, wash it down with a snakebite, and consider yourself satisfied. Park Road Shopping Center, 4151 Park Road
Drinking and Donuts
FoxCroft Wine Co.
I was introduced to The Wine Shop at Fox Croft by a friend who suggested our Friday night would not be complete without donuts. I never argue against donuts – especially warm donuts served with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces. However, I now also enjoy this wine shop for its delightful flatbreads and other stellar menu items.
Most recently, it was me who introduced this little restaurant to a friend. She too liked the donuts but raved about the Foxcroft Salad (mixed greens, mozzarella, tomatoes, hazelnuts tossed in basil vinaigrette). While there, we ran into another friend who claimed the burger is one of the best in Charlotte.
The atmosphere is cozy but happening, so plan to arrive early or dine late to avoid a wait on the weekends. The kitchen opens at 5 p.m., although you can drop in to buy a bottle of wine after 11 a.m. The shop also has beers on tap and a cooler stocked with bottles for those who prefer their drink come from grains rather than grapes. Foxcroft East Shopping Center, 7824 Fairview Road (A second location in Dilworth is set to open in November)
Beer Dinners
The Liberty
The Liberty is my pick for enjoying the occasional beer dinner. Just as I will never say no to donuts, I will also never say no to a three-to-five course dinner paired with beers.
That aside, The Liberty would still be one of my top five favorite Charlotte restaurants. On a regular lunch or dinner outing, I am a fan of the house-made soft pretzels and house-made veggie burger. If a budino is on the dessert menu, please go ahead and order one for every person at the table. Do not share. You will want your own.
As if beer dinners and delicious food was not enough, The Liberty also offers cooking classes from time to time and hosts great holiday meals. I consider it a win all around. Cheers! SouthEnd, 1812 South Boulevard
Lunch Spot
Bangkok Ocha
I have another friend to thank for introducing me to my favorite Thai food restaurant in Charlotte – Bangkok Ocha. Located in a strip mall off 51 and Caramel, this little restaurant might get overlooked by shoppers visiting The Fresh Market or dinners enticed by Zoe’s Kitchen next door, but I hope you will give it a chance. The interior is modest, but the food is delightful.
Admittedly, unless you work in south Charlotte, it is difficult to make it to my favorite lunch spot. The good news is lunch is also served on Saturday. Take out and dinner menus are also available.
The lunch menu rotates with day of the week, but Pud Thai, Pud See Ew, and a house noodle dish are available each day. Dine-in lunches are served with a spring roll, a house soup that also rotates daily, and iced tea. You will leave full and happy. 7629 Pineville Matthews Road, Suite B
Pie Pop Up
Milk Glass Pie
Until this point, I have told you about my favorite establishments. Now it is time to switch gears and tell you about something that is just getting started: Milk Glass Pie. Keia Mastrianni is baking pies, and they are GOOD. I consider myself a cake and cookie connoisseur, so the fact I am gushing over pie is quite a pleasant surprise.
Immediately after I ate a piece of Keia’s salty caramel pie, my initial reaction was the desire to plow through another. Instead, I made what I deemed the more responsible choice: a savory potato galette topped with greens and served with pickled green beans. Equally delicious. Ashley was at the pie pop up too, and I trust her nothing-short-of-delicious assessment of the maple buttermilk and muscadine rye slices was spot on.
With the holiday season upon us, you may want to special order a Milk Glass Pie for your Thanksgiving dinner. If I could trust myself not to eat the entire thing, I certainly would.
Contact: KeiaIsHungry@gmail.com
Food and Drink Experience
Feast Food Tours
I would hardly say I am in the know about what is happening around town, but I like what Charlotte has to offer in the way of food and drink experiences. From competition dining events to themed festivals to special events restaurants cook up themselves, there seems to be a little something for everyone. My favorite experience thus far has been a food tour put on by Feast Food Tours.
This past summer, I experienced the Uptown Chic behind the scenes food tour where my group enjoyed a combination of drinks and bites at Rooster’s, the Dunhill, Fahrenheit, Evoke, and Mimosa Grill. In addition to the food, at each venue we were treated to a few words from the chefs who make things happen. It was a great way to spend the afternoon as a tourist in my own town, and I am looking forward to enjoying another tour when out of town guests make plans to visit. Tours available in NoDa, Plaza Midwood, South End, and Uptown.
Foodie Store
Savory Spice Shop
Last but not least, Savory Spice Shop is my favorite store in town. I’m not even kidding –I buy spices the way most women buy shoes.
I know it’s tempting to buy spices off the shelves at the grocery store, but do you really need as much as they sell you in those pre-packaged jars? Probably not. At Savory Spice Shop, you can take home as little or as much spice as you like, which is nice when you would like to try something like marjoram but don’t really want to commit to an entire jar of the herb.
I am particular sucker for their seasoning blends, from the savory Park Hill Maple & Spice Pepper to the sweet spiced Vanilla Bean Sugar, and nearly everything in between. The store also sells gift packs at all price ranges – from an $11 Pizza Lovers pack that includes cantanzaro herbs, onion and garlic blend, and crushed red pepper chiles – to a $56 Select Collection of 10 customer favorites. Come to think of it, the Picks for Popcorn pack is probably fueling my dinner habit.
If that were not enough, the owners Amy and Scott – along with their staff – are quite possibly some of the nicest and most helpful people you will meet. Oh, and they offer classes too. I’ve learned how to make my own teas and sampled the different tastes of Madagascar, Mexican, and Tahitian vanilla beans in desserts from cookies to ice cream. It’s a fun little shop. Atherton Mill, 2000 South Boulevard, Suite 150
LeAndra cannot recall how she and Chrissie met, but she does remember enjoying a number of good meals and one awkward situation at a bar together. She always enjoys good beer and donuts, and she sometimes enjoys writing, reading, and yoga. From time to time, LeAndra also updates her own blog, Love & Flour. A Buckeye at heart, LeAndra is happy (with the exception of one day in the fall) to call Chrissie a friend. You can find LeAndra on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
