Happy Birthday to the intern...
By Sarah Coombes
Today, 4/20, is my birthday — and contrary to popular belief, I’m not out getting stoned. Although I do suffer from the munchies on a regular basis, but unlike Harold and Kumar, I didn’t go to White Castle ... I went to the Arboretum.
One of my favorite restaurants there (and in general) is Noodles and Company. There you have your choice of noodles from Asia, the Mediterranean or America — around the world in 80 bites (as opposed to days). My usual serving saint Melody always greets me with a smile and asks how my day is going, meanwhile Katie always makes sure I’ve been taken care of. With oodles of noodles and a friendly staff, Noodles and Company is like a noodle-topia of sorts. There is also a Noodles and Company new to SouthEnd.
And since you’re already down South why not try a little upscale southern cooking. New South Kitchen and Bar replaced Dakotas with its fancy fried green tomatoes and the redneck cheese board. And as a favorite for all night-lifers, there are nightly drink specials and live music Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Mickey and Mooch is another joint that offers nightly drink specials, and right now they are offering 20% of bottles of wine. And there’s live music on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Mobile update:
I went to Polished Nail Bar's new location in Myers Park (next to the Manor Theater) and found that Salute Wine Bar closed and is now a Thai restaurant: Salute Wine Store & Bar.
Random Brittney Revelation:
As I was sitting at the light up from Salute, the intersection of Queens & Queens and Providence & Providence, I couldn't help but wonder why Charlotte does that to people ... even my GPS said WTF?
... at Wachovia Plaza that is, because next Thursday the merger takes effect and the EpiCentre takes over After Five.
Let us pay our respects …
A picture of it looks like a page from a Where's Waldo?book. Find the guy in the crowd that looks like he might have been a back-up dancer for MC Hammer back in the '90s.
Although it is sad ... don’t grieve too much because I come baring gifts.
I got more V.I.P passes for the Pavilion at EpiCentre After Five to give away. The first five people to become members of my blog group win a free membership to the Penthouse at the EpiCentre.
Last night was Shear Madness ... literally.
With how busy life can get we tend to develop Alzheimer's of the little things ... like closing the bar tab, transferring laundry from the washer to the dryer, where we put our keys and car inspections — and now that they got rid of the sticker, there goes our daily reminder. Oh but don’t worry, the DMV will remind you when they fine you.
And as in my case ... looked like shit. It had been over six months since my last hair cut — not only did I forget to get it cut, I forgot the last time I had it cut. And its been growing like I’ve been putting Miracle Glow in it. The universe must have been telling me something because I called Modern Salon to see if by chance my girl Brittany had an opening before next year, and she did, for 6:30 p.m. ... right before Shear Madness at the Stage Door Theater in Blumenthal.
Modern Salon and Spa wasn’t shear madness, but the play was. It was like playing a game of Clue — an interactive play where the audience gets to play detective. At intermission Jack Dillon, who played the cop, even questioned the audience as witnesses. It combined improv and acting to make one entertaining production that makes you laugh and think. Mrs. Shubert played by Linda Edwards and Tony Whitcomb played by Tom Wahl were guilty of stealing the show. See for yourself who is guilty of the crime. (Get tickets here)
I literally ran down Tryon to make the end of Taste the Nation for a night of gluttony and glee. There was a lot of dancing and socializing going on ... but I was hungry and in a hurry. My mom taught me not to talk with my mouth full, so I didn’t talk much: “Hi, how are you, good to see you, gotta go.” My fat ass was too busy chewing on chicken salad from Wolfgang Puck Bistro, Chilean Sea Bass from Bricktopps, and chicken salad croissants from Johnson and Wales.
And to wash it down I had a drink from M5’s Josh Hunter, “bartender to the stars.” The good food was for a good cause, the event raised money to benefit food banks and fight childhood hunger. I was too busy eating to take pictures, so check out QC After Dark.
Never in my life have I ever been hit on by so many gross old men than at Taste of the Nations last night. They were like polar bears ...
Last night, I went to Whisky River, not for college night ... but for college. I enrolled in Better Class’ Goddess 101 and Mixology 101. I rolled up to WR in yoga pants for Pole Dance Charlotte’s workshop, and ended up behind the bar concocting my own cocktail for their Bartender’s Spring Slinger.
Now, I wouldn’t necessarily say that I respect strippers, but I do respect the art and admire their agility – they’re like Olympic gymnasts on those poles. (Now, if only they Lysol’ed the pole every time a stripper slid down it in no more than a thong, I’d find the art a little more sanitary).
Although it would probably hurt to actually have balls and dance on a pole, you need to have balls in order to dance on a pole — if you know what I’m saying. Well, to help you grow some balls, shed some inhibitions and unleash your inner stripper, Goddess 101 supplies you with a Tommy Bahama Mojito before stripper class. They will be at Whisky River again next week and then changing locations to a more intimate setting. Speaking of which, Pole Dance Charlotte also provides private pole dance party that also include lap-tease classes.
On the other side of the curtain was the Spring Slinger bartender contest. One of the managers asked me to make a drink for their “Mixed Drink Contest,” which required me to concoct my own cocktail. Having never mixed a drink, let alone invent one, I thought to myself - the only mixed drink I know how to make is a Shirley Temple ... why not pop the virgin’s cherry. And with that came the “Slutty Shirley Temple,” or virginal Brittney Cason ... whatever you want to call it.
Jenna from Blackfinn and Mark from Whisky River helped me concoct the cocktail recipe ... (and learn how to pour liquor).
Put cherries on the bottom of the glass
Pop the cherry with some ice
Add Cherry Vodka (3 seconds worth of pouring)
Add a splash of coconut
Fill with Sprite
Top with grenadine and a cherry on top
Jenna did a taste test and told me to use less coconut and more cherry. Another bartending babe advised me to use less cherry because that’ll make her even sluttier.
Pop Life: The Erotic Edition puts a sultry end to Tax Day (April 15, ya know) at Apostrophe Lounge, located at 1440 S. Tryon St.
This "erotic" version of the popular Wednesday night party features sexy poetry from local poets, hosted by J.C. The Poet. Romance author and Creative Loafing staffer Cheris Hodges will also be signing and selling copies of her latest novel, More Than He Can Handle, which Publisher’s Weekly called “a sizzling romance." And there will be an exotic demonstration of fun sex toys to spice up your night with or without a mate.
Pop Life is sponsored by Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen. Doors open at 6 p.m. and admission is, as always, free. So, file your taxes, then get your freak on.
While Wells Fargo took over Wachovia, the EpiCentre took over the Alive After Five at Wachovia. Another merger has occurred ... Alive After Five is now EpiCentre After Five. See the band line up here
This Thursday is the first Alive After Five ... yet the last at the Wachovia Plaza. They’re having a farewell fiesta at Wachovia with Liquid Pleasure, and next week the merger and move takes effect.
Last week, I went for the media and sponsor kick-off party for EpiCentre After Five to check out the Penthouse in the Pavillion. The rooftop bar provides a good view of the Charlotte’s skyline and the stage the bands will perform on ... and is a mere flight of stairs away from the after-after parties at Suite and Blackfinn.
Speaking of Blackfinn, the Blackfinn (Easter) Bunny made an appearance at the Penthouse … and kinda resembled the rabbit from the Red Door. He was passing out Easter eggs with candy and free drink tickets ...
And I am passing out free V.I.P memberships to the EpiCentre Penthouse. The first 10 people to e-mail (brittney.cason@creativeloafing.com) and tell me why I was included within the 100 Greatest Moments in MAXIM History
The same day I got an e-mail with the subject line:
HOM closes, again
I got another e-mail with the subject line:
LISA SHAW performs at HOM, CHARLOTTE, NC on Saturday April 25th - PRESS OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE!
Apparently they didn't get the memo, HOM closed - or just didn't reopen rather. Guess we won't be making the Lisa Shaw show. Shucks.
I hope everyone had a good Good Friday and a Happy Easter ...
They say home is where the heart is, well, my home is where my mom is — but in my mother’s house we don’t celebrate Easter ... my mom is a CPA, so the holiday she celebrates falls on April 15. In turn, I made Easter dinner for my Charlotte family who didn’t get to go home to their families ... and I managed to successfully refrain from burning the house down.
While normally my idea of cooking is preheating the oven, my sister that lives in Baltimore is such a domestic diva she won a car, an entire living room worth of furnishing, a washer and dryer, and a Starbucks Barista in a radio station’s “Super Mom” contest. She’s a chemical engineer in real life, and in the kitchen.
She sent me an Easter basket full of recipes that even I could avoid screwing up somehow. And I want to share them with you for your next big night in ... because playing Martha Stewart at a dinner party does constitute as nightlife.
The Brie Ball of Joy
You will need ... (I am trying to sound like a cook book ... as if I actually own one.)
And so does DJ Complete who remixed Asher Roth’s song "I Love College" to "I Love Charlotte" with the help of Alex Johns.
DJ Complete has spun with DJ's Supa Skip, DJ Rowshay, D-rock & Dirty Thirty. He’s a resident DJ at The Sunset Club and Apostrophe Lounge and occasionally spins at Suite and TILT. He DJs in Columbia, Greenville and Raleigh, in addition to Charlotte, but like his song indicates ... he loves Charlotte!
You can also hear this remix on Kiss 95.1 and 96.1 The Beat.
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