I recently reported on the changes at Park Road (Nightlife) Shopping Center and now there's some new nightlife to browse, and apparently a lot of cheap wine at Park Shoppes on the other Park Road. You know, the Park Road that intersects with Park Road. Even my GPS says, "WTF?" when it navigated me there.
Anyway, The Wine Shop has a new self-serve tasting machine, making the wine shop more like an adult candy store. The machine dispenses 12 different bottles of wine at the same time, and using a prepaid card you can dispense an assortment of wine to sample at your selection ... kinda like a vending machine for wine.
The Wine Shop also has free tastings every Friday 5 p.m.- 7 p.m., served from an old-fashioned human pourer.
And next door there's a place you can fill up on more nightlife. Fran's Filling Station ...
Wednesday, July, 21 is the last call for Sir Ed's, the owner has confirmed.
The Charlotte nightlife staple tucked in the elbow of Park Road Shopping Center — which has been awarded for the Guinness pints and late night dining — will shut its doors after tonight.
"It's been 16 years; it's time," the owner said in a lackluster tone. "I'm tired."
Well in that case, it sounds like he's due for retirement, and with that Sir Ed's will close their doors.
Go by tonight and pay your respect.
But you know what they say ... when one door closes, another one opens: The new Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse is thriving in Park Road Shopping Center and there's construction going down at the old Quaker Steak and Lube.
Break open your calendar … go to Wednesday, July 28 and insert (in pen): “Launch of new Creative Loafing. Party ensues.”
Creative Loafing is launching their redesign, making the paper more bad-ass than ever. There’s so much hype about it in the office, I have been voluntarily going to meetings not mandatory for me to attend just so I can get a sneak peek of it. I am one excited dork right now.
But in Creative Loafing-style we are throwing a party ...
Come be the first to see the new paper and get some free shit. You can meet our new mascot — Loafy, and sign up for Loafy’s List. He (or an intern forced to wear a mascot costume?) will send you nightlife happenings direct to your inbox. But first, RSVP "Hell yeah" to the Creative Loafing Soft Launch party at Snug Harbor here.
And by the way, our Best Of party will be at BUTTER on Aug. 3 … go ahead and put that on your calendar too. ;)
Apparently it really is warranted as news because Channel 36 reported it: "Popular Pub will reopen in a new location."
Said new location being Atherton Mills in SouthEnd.
As a nightlife writer, I have spent a lot of time in front of the bar... but I've never really spent any time behind it. My resume has everything from teacher to TV to Disney intern to an arcade manager, but I have never bartended in my life, and I never took Mixology 101 in college.
The first time I even stepped behind the bar was at Whisky River in which I invented a cocktail, the Slutty Shirley Temple.
My friend, DJ Jazzy Jimmy, always texts me asking me to do random shit — such as judge the Snook-a-like contest and host a Sex and the City party — has asked me to guest bartend.
I signed up to publicly humiliate myself because I saw it as a way to raise money for Mike Minter's I Am a Foot Soldier camps, and I will use all tips I earn to sponsor kids for either his football camp or my dance camp!
So in risk of sounding like a mass text I get every weekend ... After Alive After Five tonight come see me at Whisky River slinging bottles for kids and bartending for charity. There is something about that that just doesn't sound right ... but you know what I mean.
I am secretly hoping everyone orders beers, or Slutty Shirley Temples so I can know what I'm doing. But even though I probably won't deserve a tip because you'll have to tell me what kind of liquor to pour in your shot ... the kids deserve it.
And by Courtside I mean the condo building next to the arena — Kalu has opened underneath it, appreciating the value of the property. But all residents of Charlotte can appreciate this new bar and restaurant.
Just like the waitress does, let's start with the drinks... They have a sake line exclusive to their venue, and a drink menu to match it.
Cason-Point: the Sake Slurpee — which was so thick I needed a spoon to consume it. Which is better than the alternative of getting esophagus freeze like I always do at Wet Willies sucking down the spiked slurpee.
They also have (and are the only ones in Charlotte who have) Eichigo, an imported rice beer from Japan and Kissui, an Asian vodka. And their signature drink is the Geicha green tea.
And now for the food...
Green Flag on the holiday weekend!
Happy birthday, America! Time to fire up the grill, eat some hotdogs, watch fireworks ... and a NASCAR race.
You can watch the Daytona 400.
Tickets to the viewing party are $5 and include a free simulator ride and race scanner like that of an actual race that broadcasts drivers and crew radio chat and lap-by-lap commentary. But unlike an actual race at the Beast of the SouthEast, the HOF is not BYOB - concessions and a cash bar will be available.
Note, it's a simulator, not STIMULATOR ... which I learned after incorrectly saying "the vibrations of the stimulators ..." on live television. Whoops.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for NASCAR Hall of Fame Members; 7 p.m. for general public. Green Flag waves at 7:30 p.m.
The new top shelf liquor had it's launch party last night at Loft 1523.
Crown Royal Black is a blend of of Canadian whiskey, aged in bourbon. It's 90 proof as opposed to the standard 80 - and that extra kick gives it a spicier and bolder taste. You can find it at any bar Crown Royal is served.
Calvin Richardson (who performed at the launch party) not included.
To find out about more crowning events check IT out.
Blondes apparently don't have more fun because Blonde's Lounge closed and stopped having fun altogether — as did Hef's Bar and Grille in Park Road Shopping Center.
Well, rumor has it the owner of Hef's and Blonde's just bought Fairview Grille and put the Park Road bars up for sale — according to the guy who bought Blonde's Lounge and opened Thurston's Bar in its place.
Thurston's opened about a week ago, sans a sign. It is a private club — meaning they don't serve food and have to call themselves one in order to abide by ALE law. So, they can lawfully serve their champagne cocktails. They tentatively have open mic night scheduled for Tuesdays and live music on weekends. Thurston's Bar's official grand opening party is July 10.
Meanwhile, Hef's Bar and Grill is having its "Grand Re-Opening"
They're keeping the name, but changing the drink specials and offering $1 Mondays (select drinks including Bud Light and house vodka are only $1).
And Duckworth's Cheese Steakery is changing theme and location. They are now Duckworth Grill and TapHouse — they dropped the cheese steak and added several new brews on tap and over 60 different bottled beers — they are said to have a beer selection to rival that of Revolution in NoDa and Mac's Speed Shop. But even still, the new IceHouse SouthEnd blows everyone out of the water ... hops and wheat.
As you can see, you can shop for nightlife over in Park Road Shopping Center, and with Montford Drive that runs parallel to it with bars filling every space between Angry Ales and Moosehead Lounge (topped off with a late night Taco Bell) Montford Drive is kinda like Bourbon Street ... well, Dive Drive.
Meet Molly ...
This is Molly MacPherson, the real-ife person from Scotland for which the newest pub opening in Uptown is named: Molly MacPhersons Scottish Pub.
This authentic Scottish pub doesn't open its doors until Friday — and the ribbon cutting and official grand opening isn't until July 1 — but here's a sneak peek ...
Note the English pourers. Molly's will have 76 single malt whiskeys .. .or as we call it, scotch ... 'cause it's from Scotland.
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