Mouthful: Eat My Charlotte, Creative Loafing Charlotte

Photos: Viva Chicken

Kelly Davis — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:00:00 -0400

I'm a huge fan of roasted chicken, so I've been dying to try the new-to-me Peruvian restaurant in the Elizabeth neighborhood, Viva Chicken.

I visited on a random Wednesday night around 7 p.m. and was surprised to see that the restaurant, located at 1617 Elizabeth Ave., was very busy.…

An almost-gluten-free restaurant: Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

Kelly Davis — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:19:00 -0500

Some say gluten-free (GF) is just another diet fad, while many GF eaters claim that it isn't a choice at all - nature chose it for them. While it's true that some choose to eat gluten-free because they like how it affects their figure and their overall health, others have Celiac's disease or a sensitivity to gluten that makes omitting it a necessary lifestyle change.…

Vamos! Eat your way through Latin America in Charlotte

Keia Mastrianni — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:40:00 -0500

Last Thursday, the Levine Museum of the New South kicked off the 2013 New South for the New Southerner series to a packed house of Queen City foodies. The event focused on the topic of "Eating Out: Past and Present."…

Crispy Crepe offers savory and sweet, uh, crepes

Kelly Davis — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:44:00 -0500

Stepping into Crispy Crepe on South Boulevard, you're first struck by the wafting sweet aromas coming from the kitchen.

The enormous jar of Nutella behind the counter has you salivating for chocolate, even if it is only 9 a.m.…

Where to eat like an Edwardian

Tricia Childress — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:34:00 -0500

At long last Matthew and Mary marry. But the fortune of the Crawley family has taken an uncertain trajectory and the specter of bankruptcy - how 2009 - hangs before the family.…

Victory (pie) at Zucca Pizza Tavern

Kelly Davis — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:18:00 -0400

I can't believe it took me this long, but I finally made it over to Zucca Pizza Tavern to try out my latest neighborhood pizza place in South End. I watched the construction of the pizza joint during my weekly trips to Atherton Mill Market, anticipating a new pizza place.…

Dinner date suggestion: Capital Grille's Generous Pour Wine Event

Kimberly Lawson — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 11:47:00 -0400

There's something about the summertime heat that makes us a little more thirsty. I'm sure there's some statistic out there that says people drink more alcohol in the summer.…

New restaurant preview: JJ's Red Hots

Kelly Davis — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:07:00 -0400

On June 28, I had the wonderful opportunity to preview one of the latest additions to the growing hub of restaurants on East Boulevard. JJ's Red Hots, which will open to the public, fittingly, on July 4, serves handcrafted chargrilled hot dogs and sausages, and all the sides and fixings you need to turn your trip into a complete experience.…

Photos: Smalls Food & Spirits

Kimberly Lawson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:19:00 -0500

Last night, a friend and I attended the Family & Friends Preview Night at Smalls Food & Spirits. We had a little trouble finding the restaurant, as it's nestled snugly, almost discretely, between Nofo on Liz and Visulite Theatre at 1609 Elizabeth Ave.

The decor inside is classy and has a comfortable, lounge-y kind of feel —Â in my opinion, a nightspot can never go wrong with large reflective mirrors and red paint.…

Get that Wowee for Halloween from The Wow Factor Cakes

Kadee Blakely — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:19:00 -0400

Who doesn’t love a good food coma? Even more, who doesn’t love a good sugar coma around Halloween when we can blame our pitiful behavior on all of the candy floating around?…

Coming soon: Savory Spice Shop

Kimberly Lawson — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:58:26 -0400

In November, Atherton Mill and Market will welcome Savory Spice Shop to the family of businesses.

From a press release:

Founded in Colorado in 2004, Savory Spice Shop has a loyal customer base in the Denver Metro area.…
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Photos: The Capital Grille's Generous Pour Wine Event

Priscilla Tsai — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:23:21 -0400

The Capital Grille has officially launched their Generous Pour Wine Event, which is running July 12 though September 4, 2011. The new event invites guests to pair their dinner with however many of the nine wines picked for Generous Pour wine menu for a price of $25.…

Photos from Table 274

Priscilla Tsai — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:03:29 -0400

Located in the old Charley's location in Cotswold Village Shops is the new restaurant Table 274. (Read Tricia Childress' review here.)

The restaurant features items from local farms and amongst its offerings are an assortment of starter salads, soups, cheese plates, small plates (seared pork belly, beet pasta ravioli, scallops, mussels, etc), burgers, flat breads, pastas, and larger protein-heavy entrees.…

New Spa-Tinis at Morton's The Steakhouse are all under 200 calories

Priscilla Tsai — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:43:43 -0400

Now it's possible to have your martinis and still look good in your bikini. Drink guilt-free with Morton's The Steakhouse's new drink menu of "Spa-Tinis," drinks that contain less than 200 calories, yet still taste sweet and fruity.…

PHOTOS: Reid's Fine Foods

Priscilla Tsai — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:00:41 -0400

Reid's Fine Foods is now completely open in their new location on Selwyn Ave.

I stopped in for a quick bite this past weekend and took a look around.

The "hand-built" Rotisserie Turkey Breast sandwich ($7.99) was decent, though the meat was a bit dry.…

PHOTOS: Summer Plates menu at The Capital Grille

Priscilla Tsai — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:10:57 -0400

The Capital Grille keeps things fresh by introducing new events and menus frequently. It seems they always have a special wine flight dinner, featured wine promotion, or special seasonal menu going on at all times.…

Photos from Menchie's

Priscilla Tsai — Thu, 19 May 2011 10:40:25 -0400

Fellow fro-yo lovers will be excited that Menchie's is now open in Kenilworth Commons on East Boulevard.

When I stopped by the other night around 7:30 pm, the new store was already quite busy with other curious customers eager to sample their frozen yogurts.…

Red Velvet Pancakes from Bluprint

Priscilla Tsai — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:15:21 -0400

If you're looking for a breakfast that can pass as dessert, look no further. Try the Red Velvet Pancakes at Bluprint, which recently just opened Uptown.…

Changes coming to Cyros in SouthPark

Priscilla Tsai — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:18:18 -0400

Cyros Sushi and Sake bar in SouthPark is soon going to be known as Cy's Sushi and Sake Bar. Owner/Chef Cy Santos has decided to go solo and end his partnership with Ro Lawsin.…

Photos: Sunflour Baking Company

Priscilla Tsai — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:38:09 -0400

With home-made Pop Tarts, giant, flaky, buttery chocolate croissants (amazing!), cookies, big cinnamon buns, cupcakes, and fresh breads rolling out of their kitchen, Sunflour Baking Company is a bright spot of sunshine in Elizabeth. The bakery focuses on quality products and uses organic and locally-grown ingredients whenever possible.…

VBGB beer garden now open

Priscilla Tsai — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:18:38 -0400

Located in the the NC Music Factory (in the back, across from the big parking lot and next to the amphitheater) is Charlotte's new beer garden VBGB, which had a soft opening last weekend.

The bar inside has a neat ice rail to keep your beers cold, both the interior and outside areas are full of long communal-style picnic tables, beers come in four sizes, and both food and beer are ordered and paid for at the bars/windows.…

Photos: Energy Cafe

Priscilla Tsai — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:04:00 -0400

Health-conscious people who like check out the fat and calorie content of their food will appreciate the fact that Energy Cafe lists nutrition facts for all their items.

I stopped by Energy Cafe for lunch the other day and was greeted by the glow of green lights embedded in the walls and semi-translucent tables.…

Photos from Petit Philippe

Priscilla Tsai — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:04:52 -0400

Petit Philippe offers two of a woman's favorite things – wine and chocolate. (It's BYOMan and Diamonds, I guess.)…

Photos: Luna's Living Kitchen

Priscilla Tsai — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:24:43 -0400

Totally crunchy granola, but totally delicious is Luna's Living Kitchen, located in Atherton Mills in South End.

As an eat-everything omnivore who is wary of anything labeled "vegetarian," "vegan" or "raw," I was pleasantly surprised by Luna, which specializes in vegan and raw foods (all foods served are not necessarily both vegan and raw – some are baked).…

Photos from Krazy Fish

Priscilla Tsai — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:12:09 -0400

Krazy Fish restaurant sure is crazy – but in a good way. The Central Avenue eatery, which opened three weeks ago, is to restaurants what the Thirsty Beaver is to bars: It's a bit kooky, but an awesome find. It's self-described as "World Soul Seafood Fusion in Plaza-Midwood with legendary flair."

Krazy Fish has "interesting" arts-and-crafts projects hanging from the ceiling, a mermaid that's wrapped in black cloth and white tulle (which sort of looks like a French maid), stuffed Nemos, green tinsel seaweed (is that what it's supposed to be?), paint-splattered booths, and sparkly acrylic-covered tables.…