Delivering the goods 

What's the best table in Charlotte? Table X in the executive dining room at the top of the Bank of America tower? A waiting table at the Penguin? Nope. The best new seat in the city is the patio table overlooking the Class IV Wilderness rapid at U.S. National Whitewater Center.

Forget about looking at suited city power brokers or spandexed twenty somethings trying to look good -- how hard is that? At The Eddy Restaurant & Bar you can dine while watching the physical power and skill of a kayaker -- only 20 feet, or so, away -- maneuvering through a reverse gate then rapidly descend through a narrow channel into turbulent rapids. Whew. Extreme watching.

For those who have never been on whitewater, especially southern whitewater, let me back up. Thirty five years ago, the movie Deliverance, based on a disturbing novel by Georgia writer James Dickey, became part of national lore. What Stephen Spielberg did to the oceans in Jaws, director John Boorman did to the Southern backwoods. Even today when sitcoms need a sound bite for aberrant rednecks, the first few notes of "Dueling Banjos" is played.

Nevertheless, one of the brilliant "stars" of the movie was the awesome beauty of the Chattooga River, a protected, free-flowing river -- one of the last in the United States -- which begins in the mountains of southwestern North Carolina and serves as the border between South Carolina and Georgia. The Chattooga offers rafters and kayakers Class III and IV rafting opportunities. When Deliverance hit the big screen in 1972, the popularity of whitewater rafting gained momentum as well.

As our raft churned in the hole after plunging down a rapid at the Charlotte's USNWC, memories of descending through house sized boulders and over rapids with names like "Corkscrew" and "Jawbone" on the Chattooga River overflowed. While the USNWC's "river' does not possess the fierce primitive beauty of the Southern wilderness on the Nantahala or Chattooga, its attractiveness is enhanced by its proximity: only 15 minutes from downtown.

Situated on the Mecklenburg side of the Catawba River, the 300-acre center offers not only whitewater kayaking and rafting, but 11 miles of trails for mountain biking, hiking, and running/walking; flatwater canoeing and kayaking in the Catawba; and an outdoor climbing facility.

April marked the opening of 190-seat The Eddy Restaurant & Bar, but already the kitchen is reorganizing. Manager Amy Flaherty, a 2006 graduate of the CPCC culinary program, said they are in the process of redesigning the menu to be "more consumer friendly so the dishes are not as highly structured".

Currently The Eddy is self-serve, although dinner service is being considered. As I stood in the order line, water oozed from my shoes from the rafting trip. Fortunately the floors are stained concrete and wet T-shirts are the norm. In fact, the interior is perhaps too sparsely decorated with only a few neon beer signs and a luminous photograph of an overturned raft with its former occupants now bobbing Fisher Price tub people.

What's unusual about The Eddy, wholly owned by the USNWC, is the inclusion of local products on the menu, the commitment to sustainable agriculture (by using products from Alison's Family poultry farms and others), and the healthy selections. Sandwiches, for example, are offered with a choice of chips, fries, sautéed seasonal vegetables or fruit.

Worthy of a trip is their Apple Orchard Farm Angus burger. The juicy patty, from an antibiotic/hormone/steroid/chemical-additive-free farm in Stanly, is cooked to order. Also a winner is the refreshing smoked pulled pork shoulder barbecue sandwich seasoned with a vinegar-based sauce (and no, it's not called the squealing pig). The Caesar salad suffered under a weighty dressing (opt for dressings on the side).

All the dishes are offered on enormous plastic plates and platters, which makes transporting to the patio a bit bumpy especially for smaller helping hands.

What we could have done without was the pitiful hummus trio -- "traditional," black bean, and roasted red pepper -- thick enough to be scooped. I have alluded before, in this space, to the despair some foreign visitors must feel when they encountered a culinary heritage dish kidnapped by Americans and then disfigured beyond recognition. If you're going to change the recipe that much, why not invent a new name?

Other items offered are fried pickles with ranch dressing, pizzas, wraps, and a TLT (tofu, lettuce and tomato) sandwich. Current entrees include shrimp and grits, a roasted half chicken, and a New York Strip. Sandwiches are $8 to $9 and entrees range from $13 to $19 for the tuna gorgonzola. The kids menu is under $5. The current wine list is brief and includes a few North Carolina wines. Beers are more popular, though. "We put them on for the mountain bikers -- not the kayakers," noted manager Eric Smith.

Next to Eddy is a smaller take away spot with pre-made sandwiches and drinks for hiking, canoe trips, and bike rides. These venues are open to the public and free. There isn't a fee to get into the park, nor to eat at the Eddy. The channels are lit at night and soon the water will run until 9 p.m. which will leave more time to take in a sunset, watch some rafters, drink a beer, and chow down on a Class V burger.

The Eddy Restaurant & Bar, and Eddy's To Go, U.S. National Whitewater Center, Hawfield Road, off the Sam Wilson Road exit from Interstate 85; 704-391-3900 (TIP: phone has recording of directions if you get lost). Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. AmEx, Visa, MC, Wet cash accepted. www.usnwc.org.

Have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a restaurant that has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or shop have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming cuisine or wine events? Note: We need events at least 12 days in advance. Fax information to Eaters' Digest: 704-944-3605, or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. 136.