@ Large

Apparently, two local Charlotte women think so. And when they created a Facebook page to boycott the Uptown establishment, they garnered 651 "Likes" to the page.

On the Charlotte Observer's site today, writer Eric Frazier reports on the "bar spat."

Two women who launched a Facebook page to organize a boycott of Dixie's Tavern - after they say they were told the bar didn't want to serve lesbians - have won an apology from the manager and a promise of sensitivity training for the staff.

Tracy Thomas said she and her friend Kelly Johnson created the page after visiting Dixie's Tavern on Seventh Street in uptown Charlotte on Dec. 17 about dinnertime. She says they grew upset after about 20 minutes passed and no waiter came to their table, although waiters were serving tables nearby.

Read the rest of that story here.

The management at Dixie's Tavern made the right move in apologizing, whether the women's allegations were true or not. And to ensure the staff will be given sensitivity training suggests they care about their patrons — all of their patrons. Why should one big-mouthed jerk (if he did indeed say what they alleged) ruin the party for everyone?

So, what do you think? Are the folks at Dixie's Tavern closed-minded to minority groups? Or for that matter, have you experienced discrimination at any Uptown bar?

By Rhiannon Bowman

We've all been there: You throw, or attend, an amazing party, drink too much, smoke too much, dance too much and stay up way too late. But, by morn, despite the fact that the party is definitely over, its sticky remnants remain. Enter the 'Hangover Helpers.'

According to the Associated Press, a couple of University of Colorado graduates have come up with this ingenious business model. These folks show up the morning after your party with breakfast, Gatorade and the fortitude to clean up your mess. Brilliant!

And now, who's going to take up this banner and run with it in the Q.C.? (Quick, now: New Years Eve is just around the corner.) To supplement the business, might I suggest you also offer coffee and breakfast delivery for the greater Charlotte population ...

What would you pay to clean up this after-party disaster ... especially if you're hugging the toilet with a hangover? (Note the dudes with black eyes.)

Rhiannon "Rhi" Bowman is an independent journalist who contributes snarky commentary on Creative Loafing's CLog blog four days a week in addition to writing for several other local media organizations. To learn more, click the links or follow Rhi on Twitter.

Kevin Marcuse, formerly of Bar Management Group (and who also owns Town Tavern), always wanted to own a great neighborhood pub, and when the former space of Ed's Tavern in Elizabeth came up for sale, he jumped on it.

Opening this past weekend, Kennedy's Premium Bar & Grill (named after Marcuse's niece) solidifies the restaurant/bar district for the neighborhood, joining The Philosopher's Stone and Jackalope Jack's at the corner of N. Caswell and 7th streets. The inside has been redone, with wide open spaces and dark Irish green splashed on the wall. The patio fronting the building is brand-new (and quite large, might I add), and Marcuse says that will be the focal point when the weather gets warmer. There are 18 + beers on tap, and  yep, you read that headline correct. Kennedy's is indeed the home of the $5 car bomb. Every day. Oh, and food (see more photos on our food blog).

Parking is limited in the back of the building, but you can also park across the street at Pecan Point shopping center and behind Showmars after 9:30 p.m.

Gay Bingo is an annual themed shindig (this year held on Nov. 12 and 13) where hundreds of folks gather at the Grady Cole Center to play bingo while being entertained by some of Charlotte’s liveliest characters (including the famed Shelita Hamm, pictured in the middle with two of her BVDs -- Bingo-Verifying-Divas). Proceeds from the $30 admission go to benefit RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network). This time around, you can expect “A Glee-ful Celebration” as Gay Bingo spoofs the hit TV show Glee. (See CL's spoof of the GQ cover featuring Glee cast members on stands today!)

Shelita and her team thought it'd be "fabulous with a capital 'F'" to give away two pairs of tickets to our readers. And because this is Gay Bingo’s final year, you definitely don't want to miss out.

To be entered into a drawing, e-mail me at kimberly.lawson@creativeloafing.com or hit me up on Twitter. Winners will be announced on Thursday.

Rumor has it Marigny will be a new dance club, located at 1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 110 (near Dharma Lounge).

From their website: The spirit of Southern Decadence and Olde New Orleans is born under the flashing lights and glittering chandeliers of Charlotte's newest dance club Marigny. Set to open late summer/early fall in South End, this club will offer a new and luxurious setting for revelers with an appetite for seduction.

Click here to get free tickets to their grand opening party.

UPDATE: Marigny will be hosting its grand opening this Saturday, Oct. 9. Be there at 10 p.m.

Many local news outlets today are reporting on the search for a missing 23-year-old woman. Valerie Hamilton (daughter of Concord police chief Merl Hamilton) was last seen Wednesday between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. at Thomas Street Tavern.

From the Charlotte Observer: "Police say Hamilton is 5 feet 3 and 125 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Police also say she has a distinctive tattoo on the back of her neck – three stars in a horizontal design."

This is pretty scary. I've always felt super safe in Plaza Midwood (and actually many of the neighborhoods I frequent); in fact, there have been quite a few times I've left Thomas Street Tavern and walked to my car alone and didn't think anything of it. What resonates more is that I'm not much older than this woman.

This situation should serve as a reminder to us ladies, and everyone really, that although Charlotte has a great nightlife scene for us all to enjoy, bad things can and will happen — especially under the veil of darkness. As much as we'd like to think we are, we're not invincible, and we need to take measures to protect ourselves.

Here's hoping that everything turns out OK for Valerie.

Anyone with information in the case is asked to call 911 or contact a CMPD detective, 704-432-TIPS. Or information can be left with Crime Stoppers, 704-334-1600.

UPDATE, Sept. 20: They caught the dirty bastard who murdered her.

Yes! Finally! A late-night food venue with MILKSHAKES opens up at the N.C. Music Factory. Mattie's Diner opens tomorrow — click here for more details and photos.

(Photo by Priscilla Tsai)