Vote Dan Ramirez
— Cartoon by Jim Hunt
Indian Headstand
Position: The woman involved takes her weight on her hands and with her arms outstretched. The man stands on the floor, leans his knees against the edge of the bed and grips her waist for more support. While she puts her feet under his arms to steady herself, she will still need a lot of…
Pounded By Paparazzi
Creative Loafing’s annual Best Of party was a Hollywood hit. Check out some of the photos our paparazzi were able to snag as guests arrived for the glitzy evening.
The Passing Of A Legend
Whenever anyone asks me to name my all-time favorite foreign picture, the answer is an easy one: The Seventh Seal, the 1957 masterpiece about a knight (Max von Sydow) who poses philosophical questions regarding life and death during the time of the Crusades. Seeing it for the first time back in college, it expanded my…
Supastition: On his grind
One thing you can’t say about North Carolina-born MC Supastition is that he doesn’t hustle. This week you can catch “The Franchise Player” performing with Johnny Madwreck of The Others, Ike Turnah and Big Treal at the Charles Herron album release party on Friday night, then, on Sunday, you can catch him performing with the…
Temporary Flashback
“Get physical like a virgin touched for the very first time by sweet dreams of being a maneater.” If you’re familiar with the songs referenced in that first line, chances are you grew up in the ’80s. And the present state of music and movies probably has you longing for the days of Molly Ringwald…
Best New Performing Arts Phenomenon
Today’s hottest opera stars — Anna Netrebko, Placido Domingo, Renee Fleming, Juan Diego Florez — presented live and bigger than life! That’s the irresistible allure of The Met Goes to the Movies, a series of live Saturday afternoon HD broadcasts at the Regal Stonecrest off Rea Road. Up at Lincoln Center, where the global network…
Best Hair Salon
Located in the lobby of the sleek, 46-story Hearst Tower is the full-service Modern Salon and Spa. A favorite among Uptown executives, Modern offers massages, manicures, facials, waxes and hairstylists. And you can enjoy such pampering while sipping on a glass of wine or enjoying a cold beer. Corporate discounts and gift certificates are also…
Best Indian
Fabulous high-end Indian and a good wine list.
Best Concert Venue (Large)
It’s hard to deny that LiveNation pulls in big names to the Queen City. While some may have argued that the Bobcats Arena has more comfortable setting — no worries about rain — they don’t have shows there consistently enough. Last year, Verizon welcomed Tom Petty, NIN, Dave Matthews and Widespread Panic, among others. The…
Comic Proportions
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight No.5 Published by Dark Horse Comics. Plot and script by Joss Whedon. Pencils by Paul Lee. Inks by Andy Owens. The Deal: Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended its run on TV in its seventh season. So if you were a fan of the show, you were probably sad after…
CL previews upcoming shows
Wednesday AUGUST 1 JOHN MAYER The singer/guitarist was recently named to Rolling Stone’s list of the new guitar gods. He’s shared the stage with Clapton and may think “Your body is a wonderland,” but his live show is entertaining as much for his musical abilities as it is for the “oh face” he makes while…
Gettin’ Dirrrtttyyy
It takes some kind of sadist to willfully endure the obstacles presented to those a part of an elite squad of physically and mentally trained militia we know as the Marines. Well, my friend, that’s exactly what a special fundraising event for injured Marines, sailors and their families is giving you the opportunity to do.…
Local Boy Or Girl Made Good
Success is sometimes hard to measure. But in the world of entertainment, if Oprah Winfrey calls you, it’s safe to say that you’ve made it. This year, Charlotte-based singer (and American Idol winner) Fantasia Barrino was on the receiving end of a call from Winfrey, and it wasn’t long before Barrino found herself starring in…
Best Performing Arts Team Player
The increased fringe theater activity at Spirit Square and Booth Playhouse is the most obvious dividend NC Blumenthal PAC prez Tom Gabbard has given us with his enlightened, nurturing attitude toward local arts groups. But his efforts behind the scenes may yield a more enduring harvest when a reconfigured Spirit Square emerges. Not only has…
Best Health Club
Often overshadowed by its trendier counterparts in Uptown and elsewhere, the YWCA Central Carolinas is truly a hidden gem. In addition to its many outreach programs, the YWCA offers a co-ed, state-of-the-art fitness facility with an indoor heated swimming pool, cardio room, weight room, tennis courts, basketball courts, outdoor fitness trail and classes for every…
Best Greek
It’s all Greek to me, but this eatery makes Mediterranean dishes accessible to all diners.
Best Concert Venue (Small)
The Visulite Theatre has some of the best sound in town. Add to that some consistently impressive shows and three levels that make for easier viewing. They recently welcomed Derek Trucks for two nights — including one with guest Branford Marsalis. They show Panthers games on Sundays and hold the occasional movie night. They’ve also…
Less Spooky, more Kabuki
Arts Agenda 98Comic Proportions 102102
Potter parties
Last Friday night, a bookstore was the place to be with all the Potter parties celebrating the final book release for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Joseph-Beth Booksellers in SouthPark Mall was more bumping than Uptown for the Marauding at Midnight Party. They counted down the sale of the book like it was New…
A fond farewell
After nearly 20 years of recording and touring, Nickel Creek is ready to say good bye — at least for now. Their current excursion, the Farewell for Now Tour, will make a stop in Charlotte and they’re bringing a friend. Fiona Apple will open the show with Nickel Creek as her backing band. For more…
Best Radio Station
WFAE is an informative and entertaining relief from other radio stations’ depressing and relentless loop of 12 songs and inane blather that passes for discourse. With its varied lineup of NPR programming, “Charlotte Talks,” Garrison Keillor and the “Car Talk” guys, WFAE is 100,000 watts of pure listening pleasure.
Best Performing Arts Promoter
“Charlotte Talks,” the morning/evening FM mainstay, has become an invaluable PR lifeline for Metrolina arts groups and events, thanks to the diligent efforts of host Mike Collins and his production team at WFAE. Fringe theater exposure on ”Charlotte Talks” has increased dramatically in the wake of Charlotte Rep’s demise, and Collins is long past depending…
Best Sex Paraphernalia Store
So, do you find yourself needing a vibrator at 1 a.m.? Stiletto boots with 6-inch heels? A copy of the Karma Sutra? Good luck finding them at a 24-hour Wal-Mart. Thankfully for Charlotte, both Red Door locations are open until 3 a.m. (7 p.m. Sundays), and you can find all you need, with helpful sales…
Best Latino (Other Than Mexican)
Sure, Lempira has Mexican dishes, but the platos típicos hondureño are the winners. Honduran enchiladas, tajadas con carne, pinchos, and baleades, a national dish and favorite street food in Honduras, are available all day — and inexpensive.
Best Club For Music
It’s up to you whether to enjoy it with irony or without, but there’s no denying that the cheesy goodness of ’80s music featured at the Breakfast Club is a wonderful treat indeed. Making the club’s retro vibe all the more irresistible are the big screen TVs that show videos from the early days of…
Upcoming attractions
Saturday, August 11 1967 was the Summer of Love. It was when Hendrix, The Beatles and The Doors (I’m obviously leaving out a lot) were a pretty big deal. You had Golden Gate Park and The Monterey Pop Festival, and in Charlotte 40 years later, you have Midwoodstock. The Plaza-Midwood Neighborhood Association, along with Mecklenburg…
Nouveau thing for dover & big love
As sounding boards go, you probably can’t do much better than Southern soul maestro Dan Penn, the Nashville-Memphis-Muscle Shoals legend who’s produced and written hits for the Box Tops, Solomon Burke, Aretha Franklin and Ronnie Milsap, among countless others. “That’s been really, really inspirational for us,” says the leader of Gigi Dover & the Big…
Show your pride
You can almost hear them pleading, “We are not animals!!” So the cast of The Lion King are shedding their feline whiskers, their hyena bobbleheads, and their warthog togs, and they’re moving it from the Big Belk jungle to do a cabaret-style show at McGlohon Theatre. Promising a mix of rock ‘n roll, R&B, pop…
Best Hotel
Since it opened in 2003, the 25-story, 700-room Westin, with its sleek, contemporary style, has become known as the city’s swankiest and hippest hotel. Although it may be tempting not to venture outside the spacious and inviting rooms, each featuring the trademark, multilayered “Heavenly” bed, be sure to check out Bar 10 in the hotel’s…
Best Performing Arts Sport
Opera Carolina’s mellow artistic director has multiple reasons to feel beleaguered. There’s The Met at the Movies invasion, which brings Romeo et Juliette to the big screen next season at Regal Stonecrest less than two months after the OC brings it to the Big Belk. Then most of the scenarios for the Spirit Square remake…
Best Pet Store
PetSmart is a behemoth in the specialty pet retailer market. With more than 928 locations in the United States and Canada, including 10 stores in the Charlotte region, PetSmart has everything for your pet and pet-related needs, including food, toys, training, grooming, boarding and adoption services. And they don’t just cater to dog and cat…
Best Steak House
It’s all prime, baby.
Best Karaoke
If you’re looking for Uptown Charlotte’s trendiest and most sophisticated nightspot … this ain’t it. If you’re looking to drink lots of booze in a smoky south Charlotte bar full of rowdy revelers and unabashedly belt out cheesy tunes, this is the place for you. Although it’s a little rough around the edges, the staff…
The Blotter
IN-AND-OUT: Remember the days of drive-thru beer service? Ah, the golden ages. One local guy devised his own convenient booze delivery system. The man popped into an ABC store, grabbed a bottle of vodka while still in the doorway and ran out the way he came. MILLER TIME: Sometimes you’ve got to have a drink.…
Staying true to their roots
Dropkick Murphys may have gotten an increase in record sales and popularity because of a well-placed song in a Martin Scorsese movie, but one song doesn’t make a band. The Boston-based septet has been making a name for itself for the last 11 years through heavy touring and a unique sound. After all, how many…
A shootout summer
Here’s something to do this summer the kids will love. Kids: imagine, if you will, watching a school bus, that big yellow monstrosity that takes you to the worst place on earth, hurtling towards another one on a one-way collision course. Sounds good, huh? The rundown: 10 races over nine weeks (June 16-Aug. 8) with…
Best Radio Personality
Sarah Lee may no longer be a regular voice on the “AM Mayhem” show on 96.1 The Beat, but she’s still our pick for Best Radio Personality. It’s not because she was the only woman on the morning show and had to put up with Brotha Fred and David L. for so long. It’s not…
Best Performing Arts Overachiever
Since when does a company that specializes in Shakespeare rep do its moonlighting with a guerilla environmental production in a Dilworth condo? Since Wilkinson and her envelope-ripping Collaborative Arts decreed it shall with Bad Dates last fall, the coolest event of the season. In just over a year, with an impressive array of talent, Collaborative…
Best Bike Shop
Designed to accommodate hardcore mountain bikers, road racers and first timers, Bicycle Sport has a plethora of bikes for every occasion and skill level, as well as all the gear you could possibly need. There’s also a knowledgeable staff to help you with repairs and information about the best places to ride.
Best Fried Chicken
If there were ever an international Hall of Fame for fried chicken, Price’s would be there. If you haven’t had their white (or dark) box, you must be from out of town.
Best Place For A First Date
Dinner and a movie seem pretty lame compared to roller coasters, thrill rides, water parks, and something called the Xtreme Skyflyer, in which you’re hoisted 153 feet in the air and then plunged into a 50-foot free fall flight at 60 m.p.h. After all that adrenaline, screaming and sweating, you both may need a cigarette…
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Boomer With Attitude
Karma Cleanser
Dear Karma Cleanser: Everybody else seems to be complaining about their cars and long drive times, so here is one more for you to mull over. I’ve been married to my husband for almost 18 months, and we dated for a year prior. During that time he’s earned two prestigious promotions at work. I’m very…
Christmas gets hot
Drink, Drink and be Merry! Morehead Street Tavern is bringing Christmas back for a Second String Santa Summer Bash. They guarantee you fun with free beer, while supplies last, pool, and beats by DJ Jester. Party proceeds will go towards Communities in Schools — but don’t just bring your wallets! Bring school supplies to give…
Best Drive-Time Radio Show
Kristen and Jack Daniels, hosts of “The Lounge,” offer an oasis in the brain-dead desert known as drive-time radio. They actually talk and behave like real people — rather than assuming some wacky and obnoxious DJ persona — and discuss music, news and often the personal details of their lives in a funny, smart and…
Best Movie Theater (Quality Of Presentation)
We have to agree with the readers on this one. With a courteous and competent staff on hand to assist customers and a veteran projectionist making sure that the films run smoothly and on time, this midsized moviehouse is large enough to play all the hit titles yet small enough to offer that personal touch…
Best Lawn & Garden Shop
If you have a green thumb, or would like to get one, check out Garden Secrets, a full-service shop. The seven-acre site features upscale necessities such as Foxgloves gardening gloves, landscape lighting kits and stylish arbors. And of course loads of shrubs, flowers, trees and hanging plants. If you don’t know a pansy from a…
Best Rotisserie Chicken
Owner Macchivello patiently waited for health department approval for his Peruvian-styled charcoal rotisserie — the first in the Carolinas. The wait was worth it: This chicken is magical.
Best Jukebox
We’ll be honest, the best jukebox in town has cost us piles of money. Not only for all the bills we’ve fed it, but because let’s just say there’s been more than one occasion when a great song forced us to stay for just one more. Mission accomplished, you damn player of Clash, Cash and…
Neil Lerner’s Top Five
Culture Surfing
Bringing sexy (fiction) back
CL columnist Brittney Cason reads “A Chicks Before Dicks Revolution” at the Wine-Up’s “Soulful Sinful Reading” series on July 24. The event, which featured local celebs and poets reading erotic fiction and poetry, sets the stage for the Charlotte Literary Festival — Aug. 11 and 12. More info: www.charlotteliteraryfestival.com. Marvin Williams of the…
Best Jukebox
It used to be that you walked in the P-stone and you had these choices: Widespread Panic and whatever was left. Now the cozy little bar and restaurant offers the best of both worlds: an analog (OK, so it’s the kind with real CDs that flip) model with equal parts Ryan Adams, Wilco, Al Green…
Best Movie Theater (Quality Of Films)
They’re spotty when they book the occasional mainstream offering (Georgia Rule?), but they’re spot-on when it comes to nabbing the indie titles you won’t catch anywhere else in the area (case in point: the Iranian gem Offside). Plus, we also dig their retrospective film series, such as the recent one devoted to Bill Murray flicks.…
Best Hardware Store
Do-it-yourselfers and fans of power tools dream about this place. Although it may be a little dizzying trying to find what you’re looking for in the huge, cavernous stores, the salespeople are always happy to point you in the right direction and give some helpful advice. No matter what job you’re tackling, from hanging a…
Best Hamburger
This year’s award goes to the Eddy Restaurant, which buys its beef from Apple Orchard Farm. The farm is located in nearby Stanley, N.C., and raises animals without antibiotics, hormones, steroids, chemical additives or animal proteins.
Best Downtown Bar
With its convenient Uptown location, great atmosphere, friendly service and spacious patio, Ri-Ra has been one of Charlotte’s most popular watering holes since it opened 10 years ago. And with both its owners from Dublin, it has maintained its Irish authenticity. It’s a great place to hear live music, dine on some tasty Irish entrees…
Crime by the numbers
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department just released the latest crime statistics through the end of June.* To the relief of Charlotte citizens everywhere (and the CMPD especially), the numbers are dropping … but not all of them. • Property crime is up 2.7 percent. The department attributes this to the rising rate of theft from…
Stargazer
For All Signs: Mars and Venus are in conflicting aspect. Oftentimes when Venus is in charge of us we overlook issues of personal boundaries in order to protect relationships and keep the peace. The Mars side of ourselves is the one who chooses personal fulfillment and expansion of territory over relationship. Their present conflict in…
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, July 21
The Deal: Brad Paisely’s Bonfires and Amplifiers tour camped out at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre last Saturday along with Taylor Swift and Jack Ingram. But in this town, the featured artist was Albemarle’s homemade Carolina girl Kellie Pickler. The Good: Considering many local country music fans invest in the mega ticket encompassing all the country shows…
Best Festival
Bountiful cleavage? Giant turkey legs? Guys in tights sword-fighting? You can find it all at the Carolina Renaissance Festival, a unique 16th century, European-style party that’s been a Charlotte tradition since 1994. Spread over 20 acres and populated with hundreds of costumed participants, the festival combines outdoor theater, music, circus entertainment, arts and crafts, a…
Best Film Series
What a glorious period for Charlotte cinema, what with the burgeoning of the NoDa Film Festival, NoDa Microcinema, the Charlotte Film Festival and the Cackalacky Film Festival — to say nothing of the continuing efforts by the Charlotte Film Society, The Light Factory and Dennis Darrell’s various programs. Can we just declare a seven- or…
Best Restaurant Wine List
The wine list is 28 pages long and reads like the pages of a wine auction booklet — which is where many of these wines were, in fact, purchased. The cellar is valued at almost $1 million and has many hard to find boutique bottles at sky’s-the-limit prices. A considerable number are more than $1,000…
Best Sports Bar
Open less than a year, Daddy’s American Bar & Grill has quickly risen to the top of the Charlotte sports-bar heap. One likely reason for this is that the owner, Stefan Latorre, who also runs hot spots like Aquavina and Menage, seems to know the magic formula for success. At Daddy’s, that formula includes chicken…
My missing sister
Moodswing
Letters to the editor
Another crime by those thugs Nice article (Boomer With Attitude: “The Worst of All Gangs” by John Grooms, July 25). I can’t believe you left out Homeland Security! It might go something like this: Created Homeland Security, an agency designed to make Americans paranoid about things no one is actually doing anything about while performing what…
The Else
The Deal: Oddball alt-rock legends return with their 12th studio album. The Good: TMBG might be tackling themes of love, but their unique way of addressing the issues isn’t lost on their latest release. Their lyrics keep you listening for double meanings — the story of getting rid of an ex-boyfriend in “Take Out the…
Best Downtown Bar
The quintessential Irish pub, since 1997. The owners of Ri-Ra now operate seven such bars up and down the East Coast, since the Charlotte location — the original — remains a raving success. In addition to live music and tasty eats (including quite a few authentic Irish entrees), Ri-Ra is home of the perfect Guinness…
Best Video/Dvd Rental Selection
Another Best Of Charlotte issue, another award for this eccentric, eclectic and engaging video store. On the readers’ side, Blockbuster won for the umpteenth time, but the margin between the two has grown noticeably smaller. Maybe VisArt will eke out a victory from the readers before the decade’s out? 1945 E. 7th St. 704-343-3031.
Best Southern Country/Soul Food Restaurant
Country, southern, soul and low country dishes are produced with care by owners James and Renee Bazelle — and now their daughter Tia, who graduated from Johnson & Wales University this past May.
Best Gay/Lesbian Bar
We’re here, we’re queer, we love Scorpio, get used to it! With four bars, two dance floors, an outdoor patio, great music and super light system, Scorpio has long been Charlotte’s premier gay bar. Plus, it also features those ever-popular weekly drag shows.
A bull market
news
Children’s health care is a no-brainer
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Best Art Gallery
Center of the Earth Gallery has managed to become assimilated into the larger cultural landscape without losing her enviable alternative status. This edge-land purveyor of sometimes freaky, often fine and, most recently, formidable visual art has served up a bounty of both hinter and heartland talent year in and year out. Once a renegade upstart…
Best Local Author
The old saying that “Those who can’t do, teach,” sure doesn’t apply to Tony Abbott. After earning degrees from Princeton and Harvard, Abbott became Assistant Professor of English at Davidson College, and in 1990 was named Charles A. Dana Professor of English. But Abbott’s literary skills go far beyond the classroom. He has written three…
Best Lunch
Indian snacks, the fast food of the street, reign. Chats have that Indian sensibility of balance and cost less than $6 (entrees are less than $9). If you are a novice, an owner is on hand to guide you through the menu. Check out the Paani Puri: fried spheres individually punctured with a thumb, then…
Best Place Still Open After 2 A.M.
R.I.P. Athens — with other longtime eateries similarly going under the knife. But this aptly named landmark restaurant has weathered the city’s changes, and it’s comforting to know there’s still comfort food to be had in the wee hours of the morning, after the rest of the city has gone to bed.
For the children?
Citizen Servatius
Cress Barnes
Profile
Best Art Exhibit
We follow the present day sons and daughters of Abraham through the rituals of their lives, from the humdrum to the holy, through the eyes of eight talented local photographers. The show’s a connective thread in our rancorous “Us-and-Them” world. Opening last December, it was scheduled to close May 6, but popular demand kept it…
Best Independent Bookstore
Situated in the heart of NoDa, RealEyes Bookstore is everything an independent bookstore should be: cozy, inviting and chock full of a wide variety of books — not to mention delicious homemade sweets — including a healthy representation from local writers. In addition, RealEyes supports Charlotte’s Annual Literary Festival and the monthly flea market/festival combo…
Best Buffet
OK, sushi and buffet should probably not be in the same sentence, much less an actual restaurant event. But Ru San’s inexpensive sushi buffet has those financially challenged across the city lining up for inexpensive lunch. Sure, there’s buffalo wing sauce on some of the rolls. You got a problem with that?
Film Clips
Current Releases EVAN ALMIGHTY My parents may have been the ones to plunk down the dough to purchase the classic comedy album Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow… Right!, but as a child, I think I was the one most responsible for wearing out the vinyl via repeat listens to the famous “Noah” skits…
Homer’s Odyssey
Film Clips 93View From The Couch 94Films In A Flash 9593
Best College Hangout
Because we remember how much we coveted cheap beer when we were in college. Grand Central offers $2 or $2.50 beers every night (‘cept Monday, when they’re closed). And Friday nights, 7-10pm, include a Happy Hour buffet and half-price martinis. Football season is right around the corner, and Grand Central has Cats fans covered, with…
Best Local Artist
Walk into a well-lit room with 100 visual distractions and your feet will lead you to the oversized turned urn beaming in the corner. Seeing Anatoly Tsiris’ exquisite turnings are like watching an elephant run like an antelope or hearing a pro wrestler recite Yeats. From his beefy lathe, Tsiris wrestles unexpected delicacy and grace…
Best Comeback Band
Well, like LL Cool J said, “Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years.” The band hit it big with its rockabilly and punk stylings throughout the 1990s, gaining national and international popularity. More than a decade on the road took its toll and the band settled down as brothers Mike and Jeff…
Best Coffeehouse (Specify Location)
These folks are serious about coffee so you don’t have to be serious while drinking it. Both of their stores are in walking distance, but the design center is only open during the week.
Celebrites gone wild
The N Word
Hot & sweet
Kitchen Witch 120Corkscrew 122Good Eats 127120
Best Feel-Good Art Show
Following the brain child of gallery owner Christie Taylor, Charlotte Parent magazine put a shout out to all school kids in the Charlotte area for artwork — 150 pieces were expected, 700 arrived. The pieces were plastered rafter high on the walls of the Carillon Building for six weeks. After framing, all the rainbows, ponies,…
Best New Restaurant (Opened In Last 12 Months)
With so many restaurants opening during the past 12 months, this category was tough. An early favorite was Fiamma, but then Terra took on a new owner, Thierry Garconnet. Before long, the place became the quintessential small, locally owned neighborhood eatery serving unpretentious but well-crafted Eurofare, with an excellent service team. After a rash of…
Best Seafood
This place is super expensive, but the oyster (like kissing the sea on its lips, according to a quote scrolled across one wall) selection is excellent.
Best Smoothies
Various locations.
View From The Couch
ACE IN THE HOLE (1951). One year after scandalizing Hollywood with his bilious classic Sunset Boulevard, writer-director Billy Wilder was up to his old tricks with Ace in the Hole, which did to journalism — to say nothing of the average American — what his previous picture had done to Tinseltown. Remarkably topical, the film…
End of the road?
Hit & Run Reviews 144Music Menu / Soundboard 149
Best Theater Company
Actor’s Theatre doesn’t seem to know how to make a mistake. Whether they program offbeat musicals (The Great American Trailer Park Musical), edgy comedies (Natural Selection) or pertinent dramas (The Oldest Profession), ATC is unerringly simpatico with their loyal audience. When they bring back popular oldies — something no other local company even attempts —…
Best Special Occasion Restaurant
When the Association of Food Journalists (a hard crew to please) came to town last September, CL’s Tricia Childress sent a clutch of them to Barrington’s to get a taste of Charlotte’s locally owned restaurants. Chef owner Bruce Moffet received high praise from them and will continue to earn high praise from her.
Best Pizza
This is thin crust European-styled and baked-in-a-brick-oven pizza at its best.
Best Doughnuts
Various locations.
Mail bonding
Corkscrew
Best Special Occasion Restaurant
Any occasion, for that matter. Chef and owner Bruce Moffett’s deference to food is well known and his kitchen achieves tastes that are sensational. Moffett is one of the most talented chefs in the city and makes any dining occasion — even a bite at his bar — special.
Best Local Male Actor
Scarboro probably gave the Metrolina region’s funniest performance of 2006 as the ultimate Left Coast slickster, Gary, in the Davidson Community Players’ production of I Hate Hamlet. Quite a difference between that bravura comedy and the fearsome rogues’ gallery Scarboro delivered four years earlier in Jungalbook at Children’s Theatre and The Laramie Project at Actor’s…
Best Late-Night Restaurant
While we certainly appreciate the food during regular hours, it seems even tastier after 11 p.m., when the late-night menu is brought out and pizza (among other select offerings) can be purchased by the slice.
Best Deli
Lee Katz hails from northern Jersey and serves those high-stacked deli sandwiches that area is known for.
Zucchini abundance
Kitchen Witch
Irie Down South
Jamaican immigrants’ misadventures in New York City while chasing the ultimate catch-22, the “American Dream,” is the premise of a film screening tonight. Tehut Nine, a collaborator on Omar Tyree’s The Lure of Young Women and Charlotte resident, presents his own feature starring Mykal Fax along with dancehall favorites Maestro, Noah Wid Di Powa, and…
Best Smoothies
A frequent past winner. For 10 years now, Carolina Smoothies has been satisfying local taste buds with fresh blends of juices, yogurt, fruits and “add-ins” like the “protein pack” or the “energy pack.” Even, ahem, “cooler” is that it’s locally owned, with three other locations. Not bad for a concept that started when the owners…
Best Local Female Actor
Knowlson has definitely been the hottest — and busiest — actress in town for the past couple of years. Often she’s in rehearsal for her next show, at Children’s Theatre or CPCC Summer Theatre, while she’s still dazzling daily or nightly in a current comedy or musical. When you have Knowlson’s flair for comedy and…
Best Clothing Store
Founded by fashion entrepreneur James Funderburk and his partner Effie Loukas, Lotus, which was launched in 2004, now has four Charlotte locations — each one offering hip, trendy clothes for hip, trendy women. Various locations.
Best Chinese
Order from the Cantonese menu (not the one with Americanized dishes) and get the crispy roasted duck or the glorious stir fried flounder stuffed with vegetables.
Best College Hangout
Because we remember how much we coveted cheap beer when we were in college. Grand Central offers $2 or $2.50 beers every night (‘cept Monday, when they’re closed). And Friday nights, 7-10pm, include a Happy Hour buffet and half-price martinis. Football season is right around the corner, and Grand Central has Cats fans covered, with…
