Trading in Tapas 

2001-03-10
I wanted to have a restaurant which served food the same way I go out to eat. When I go out to eat, I like to sample as many dishes as I can," says Tim Henderson, owner and chef of Vidalia & Grapes. "I offer all my dishes in an appetizer portion, or a little more than half dishes, three or four ounces of a meat portion. That way if people want to share, there is more than enough on the plate." While the national trend is for restaurants to keep their tapas menu in the bar or only available early or late evening, at Vidalia & Grapes tapas-sized dishes are the concept. Henderson's menu scheme is designed to offer 25 items from soups to entrees; 12 are only served in tapas portions while the remaining are also offered in a larger dinner portion. This is a concept that seems to work well with the inveterate Dilworth dining crowd. The 81-seat restaurant, located in the space previously occupied by Chin-Tso, has a boisterous coziness to it. Henderson did the interior design, which he terms "romantic comfortable," himself. He even painted the whimsical grapevines on the ceiling noting, "I didn't want people to feel too stuffy." Most of the dining room's tables are four-tops which can easily handle the plethora of plates created by the tasting frenzy of two or three diners. Not only is the food offered in tasting sizes, but wine is, too. The 53 bottles on the wine list are available in a two or three ounce tasting size; by the glass (a six ounce pour); or by the bottle. The list is rather diverse, including wines from France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, California, Oregon, and a Westbend Seyval Blanc from just up the road. The selection also offers a half bottle of 1996 Joseph Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches and a 1997 Caymus cabernet, but has many bottles from lesser known wineries or lower end selections from better known wineries. Henderson says that he needs to feature wines he can keep in stock, which is not always easy here in Charlotte. He plans to add a "back list" of better wines for his regular customers who prefer to buy by the bottle. Henderson is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Charleston and moved to the Charlotte area to become the Executive Chef at the Peninsula Yacht Club at Lake Norman. Before his move here, he was Executive Chef at the South Carolina Yacht Club in Hilton Head. He describes his restaurant menu as "International with Southern regional tones," but the strength on the Vidalia & Grapes menu comes from his Low Country dishes. The She Crab Soup with fat tendrils of crab and a splash of sherry will spoil you. He also produces the steaming baskets of corn muffins and focaccia delivered to each table soon after arriving. And even though the sprightly acidic bite of the artichoke heart and asiago cheese salad is no match for most wines, my table could have eaten more of this wonderfully balanced dish. Also good was the skillful orchestration of flavors produced by the seared Carolina trout stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped in bacon on a mix of stone ground yellow grits with a classically prepared lemony buerre blanc. Henderson does not sidestep the South's proclivity for a bit of the sweet. He uses coconut and marmalades, sweet corn, and a generous helping of fruits. On one dish, phyllo forms a superb casing around delicate strips of roasted sweet quail, sauteed onions and white cheddar cheese. The dish is then finished with a spiced pear and blueberry chutney. I would have preferred to have been spared the cheese since the phyllo had already added some weight to this dish, but the dish was quickly consumed anyway. Desserts sound tantalizing but taste even better. We finished the evening with the subtlety of ginger in a rich creme brulee served in a demitasse cup. The only clinker was the black and blue oysters. Maybe it was the taste of the pasteurized rather than freshly shucked oysters or the conflicting flavor of the blue cheese. In any case, this dish doesn't work. Some of the servers appear to be pretty green. Two pointers: 1. Unless wine expert Robert Parker, Jr. is sitting at the next table, don't tell me the couple beside me "just loves" the wine on special tonight and then presume that is enough information to make a sale. A description of the wine's characteristics would be a more effective selling tool. 2. Unless you formerly worked at 50's Prime Time Cafe at MGM Disney where the servers act like 1950s television moms and lecture customers for not finishing everything on the plate, it's okay for a diner not to finish. Really. By April, Henderson hopes to add a 20 or 30 seat deck around the towering old oak tree. He also plans to change the menu and add some spring items, such as a gazpacho. In addition to the all day menu, Henderson introduced an eight item lunch menu with such sandwiches as sauteed chicken breast wrapped in brie and proscuitto on an onion roll; seared tuna loin with roasted peppers and Maytag blue cheese on roasted focaccia; chicken apple quesadilla with cilantro chutney, roasted peppers, and white cheddar cheese; and a griddled turkey burger with housemade barbecue sauce and white cheddar cheese on an onion roll. These items range from $5.25 to $8.25. The regular menu tapas range from $4.75 for a bowl of soup to $12 for the barbecued pecan crusted loin of lamb with a zucchini cake and shoestring potatoes. Entrees range from $11.95 for a chicken and apple salad to $21.95 for a grilled rack of baby lamb with braised Vidalia onions, sweet green peas and veal reduction. Vidalia & Grapes is a fun place where thrashing forks are welcomed, and the concept is to try new combinations of tastes. This is an ideal place to meet friends who like to trade and share. Don't be surprised if you linger at the table. They seem to be used to campers savoring that last bite. Vidalia & Grapes, 1626 East Boulevard. 704-358-8188. Lunch Tuesday through Friday 11am until 3pm. Dinner Tuesday through Saturday 5pm until 11pm. Same menu all day, although a sandwich menu is also available at lunch. AmEx, MC, Visa, Diner's.