Brittney Cason After Dark

I was born and raised in the South. So, let’s be real… I like to eat.

To me, the only thing better than going out  is going out to eat afterward to recount the events of the evening, be it late-night or the morning-after.

Last week, I blogged about EggHeads After Dark being a late-night diner in Uptown. Well, it gets even better. Now, there’s a 24-hour diner opening in SouthEnd. The Kings Mountain Diner is not only opening a location in SouthEnd ... it is literally being relocated. The Midnight Diner is being dropped off next week and is set to open in mid-May.

Meanwhile, the modular diner built in 1948 that plopped down at the N.C. Music Factory months ago, Matties, is opening within the next few weeks.

Of course, the only thing better than a late-night meal, is the Morning After Meal.

A good new brunch spot to go to is Dandelion Market. They even have a menu item called the Hangover Hash — a real breakfast of champions that doesn't include Pepto Bismol. But it does include grease and a Bloody Mary bar that had so many different hot sauces, peppers, and tomato juices it was actually rather intimidating. I didn’t know what to do with all of this ...

I've also recently discovered another brunch treasure on Central after I went to Zada Jane's and saw that the line for tables was longer than the line for Suite and BUTTER combined the night before. If you don’t feel like waiting an hour, drive down Central Avenue a little further and you'll come to LuLu's, a French cafe whose brunch rivals that of Zada Jane's. Their pimento cheese grits is a delicacy to this G.R.I.T. (Girl Raised in the South).

Now, can someone please pass the butter?

... I am writing in all caps because I’m so excited about it.

I have been saying that Uptown needs a late night diner that serves breakfast since I moved here. And finally, someone more important than me has spoken ... because now we have Eggheads After Dark.

Where and what is that you ask? It’s a relatively new breakfast place in Latta Arcade – and their new thing is they’re open late.

With a diner in the front, and bar in the back, EggHeads has a full bar, and a full menu until 2 a.m. Tues. - Sat. (Open even later for food on busy weekend nights).

And just when you thought it couldn't get any better - you get a half price appetizer with the purchase of two drinks. And, they have karaoke and a 20-foot outdoor movie screen.

Oh, but it gets even better …the parking lot right next to Latta Arcade on 3rd between Tryon and Church is free on the weekends. So you can park there for free, then use the money you saved on parking to buy breakfast on your way back to your car.

But Eggheads After Dark isn’t just a late night spot for food and drunken karaoke. It’s a bar with a nightlife. Tuesday is Industry Night, Wednesday is College Night and Thursday is Ladies' Night. Oh, and they also serve brunch before dark so you can get the morning-after meal.

There is a late night diner opening soon in the NC Music Factory as well.

Apparently, while I was traveling, the burger bar became the hot new thing in Charlotte. There’s Big Daddy’s Burger Bar in Dilworth and Ballantyne, Nix Burgers and Brew in Uptown, The Counter in SouthPark – and now there’s The Burger Company in Wesley Heights.

My friend sent me an e-mail with a link to the menu and subject line: THIS PLACE HAS SWEET POTATO TATER TOTS. Not only was she so excited she wrote in all caps, but it legitimately made my day. What a genius combination of fried carbs. Whenever said friend and I go to our favorite place in Charlotte, Big Daddy’s, the debate between tater tots and sweet potato fries is so conflicting we just order both. Now we can get both without being complete and total fat asses … could this place be my new favorite spot?

So, after Friends and Family night at Black Bear Saloon, followed by the last Bobcats home game, I went to get some greasy sweet potato tater tots as my morning after meal.

But they didn’t have them, In my mind the name of the place just changed from Burger Company to Disappointment Company.

What they did have, however, which is just as genius as Sweet Potato Tator Tots, was lids for drinks. Their souvenir sippy cup pictured below– perfect for my clumsy ass.

They must have known I am a liability. At Easter dinner, I spilled my drink on my mother’s food. At a work dinner, I spilled my drink all over the table. And on a night out, I spilled my drink all over myself ... and this was all just within the past month.

But even weirder is the fact they don’t have plates - all food is served in plastic baskets. Let me get this straight … a restaurant, that doesn’t have plates. That’s like having a bar without a bottle opener.

This place is a few pom-poms short of a pep rally.

As for the nightlife at the Burger Company — is it safe to go out around Freedom Drive at night? ... just wondering.

Ed’s Tavern opened up a second location in Elizabeth… and for this I am grateful. Not only because 7th Street is closer to me than Park Road (that runs east and west, not to be confused with Park Road that runs north and south) but because I’ve morally been banned from the Ed’s in Dilworth.

You see, a long time ago I wrote about the famous Turtle Races at Ed’s Tavern. Next thing I know, some animal activist that became aware of it by reading my column is motioning to shut it down. And that was the end of turtle racing… and it was my big mouth that crashed the party. I even got hate mail about it.

I have gone to Ed’s several times since the column came out, and without fail – someone will say something to me about it.

So, here’s my public apology to the many patrons of Ed’s: I am sorry that I was the fun police that ruined the turtle races … I didn’t mean to!

To make it up to you I'm giving you a peek into the new Ed's Tavern in Elizabeth that is having its grand opening party this weekend with Chad Mackey Band on Friday and Rockstar on Saturday.

The N.C. Music Factory is manufacturing yet another bar - Black Bear Saloon - and production on it ends soon.

Their grand opening party is Friday, April 16, and will feature a live band — The Swinging Richards — and DJ Kommotion, according to Director of Operations, Nicole Steeger.

Though I am excited about having another place to party, I am more excited about the fact Black Bear serves food - because the key to my heart, is through my fat ass. Black Bear serves lunch and dinner, and has a late night menu until 2 a.m. This will provide the offices in the N.C. Music Factory (such as Creative Loafing) a place to eat lunch and a place to munch after a night out at Butter, Fillmore, The Uptown Amphitheatre or Halo.

Black Bear will have trivia on Tuesdays and karaoke on Wednesdays — and they have 35 HDTVs that can get any sporting event you might want to watch. Perhaps even Underwater Hockey or the World Marbles Championship.

Also opening this summer: Wet Willies right next door to Black Bear.

Down the road, the Epicentre will welcome Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina. Finally, a place to get margaritas Uptown!