Best of Charlotte 2014

Oct 1-7, 2014 / Vol. 28 / No. 32

Gone Girl: Greatness Snatched

GONE GIRL***DIRECTED BY David FincherSTARS Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike The latest must-see movie event from perpetual Hollywood wunderkind David Fincher, Gone Girl is 120 minutes of pure perfection. Unfortunately, the movie runs 145 minutes. Until it jumps the tracks as it approaches that final bend, this adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s mammoth bestseller — scripted by…

Matt Brunson

Left Behind: Pray that it ends

LEFT BEHIND*DIRECTED BY Vic ArmstrongSTARS Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray It was Mel Gibson, of all people, who demonstrated that it’s possible to make a quality picture with overt Christian themes without bludgeoning the audience with heavy-handed proselytizing. No, I’m not talking about his garish snuff film The Passion of the Christ, the 2004 ordeal…

Matt Brunson

The Good Lie: Honestly Good

THE GOOD LIE***DIRECTED BY Philippe FalardeauSTARS Reese Witherspoon, Arnold Oceng What’s this? Do mine eyes deceive me? Here’s a movie about a group of minorities that — somebody get me a chair! — actually focuses on the minorities. That’s a rarity in Hollywood, about as likely as winning the lottery on one’s first attempt. After…

Matt Brunson

Weekly horoscope (Oct. 2-8)

For All Signs: The global news has been disturbing to say the very least. Given the current state of things, I would have to give warning that circumstances will become worse on both political and socio-economic fronts for several months. This week the major ongoing square between Uranus and Pluto is being triggered once again,…

Vivian Carol

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Oct. 2)

Illegal ink: A woman filed a police report alleging that a tattoo artist — the report doesn’t say who — tattooed her 15-year-old daughter without her consent. The suspect did not ask for identification and did not request a signed parental-consent form. Feel the burn: Though a local Food Lion is listed as the victim…

Ana McKenzie

Local Issue That Needs More Attention

It’s estimated that roughly 73,000 Charlotteans cannot easily access stores selling food, and in our entire state, only 11 percent of food stores and restaurants offer food that’s considered healthy, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. This is a recipe for humanitarian disaster.

Best Non-Hipster Reason to Grow a Beard

Sure, most guys can grow a beard or moustache, but how many can make the commitment to sculpting it into a work of art? That’s the fun side. The serious side is that these guys — and gals! — break stereotypes and become follicled friends to charities. Yep, facial hair for a good cause, no…

Best New Theater Tradition

Talk about an instant success. Each of the three annual stagings of The Blumey Awards at Belk Theater has been greeted with wilder enthusiasm than the last. Capacity crowds of students, teachers and family members cheer deafeningly for high schoolers from across the Metrolina area performing excerpts from their musical productions. And why not? One…

Best Booking

By mid-year, The Fillmore had more than 20 sell-outs, thanks to a diverse lineup that included Jack White, Phantograms, Weezer, The Head and the Heart, +++, Lindsey Stirling and more.

Shoe Shop That Makes Us Salivate

If you’re on spending freeze, do not — we repeat, do not — follow this ladies shoe store on Instagram. You will salivate for these fancy foot fixin’s — Dolce Vita, L.K. Bennett, Dee Keller and more. Owner “Dan the Shoe Man” Mauney knows what the ladies want.

Best Person to Pack Your Lunch

If you only have four bucks and change for lunch, head over to Le’s inside the Asian Corner Mall. John has taken over this small takeout eatery from his parents, but he is committed to the crusty quality and variety of his sandwich lineup — so he will be keeping the sardine banh mi. While…

Most Impressive Taproom

This isn’t just a space to feature its beers — it’s a shot to every other brewery in town: Step your taproom game up. Olde Mecklenburg envisioned an experience that would transport you out of Charlotte and into a German bierhall, and the owners pulled it off. This new space screams destination brewery, and the…

Best Indie Bookstore

As title titans go, Barnes & Noble and Amazon are hard to beat. But indie Park Road Books has hung in there with knowledgeable staff, browsability and a fine selection of local authors.

Best Japanese

You may need to buy the camera app to translate the Japanese menu here, but that’s the menu you want. (The sushi and entrée menus are in English). If you are lucky enough to be seated next to customers who have pre-ordered wondrous, not-on-the-menu food, ask the server to write down the name of the…

Gone too Soon

Will there ever be another spot in Charlotte where we can climb into a grimy sumo wrestler costume and push over other similarly dressed women? How about a club where we can sway to the beats under the approving gaze of the great golden Buddha?

CD review: La Roux’s Trouble in Paradise

In music, the underground eventually rises above ground. Local bands eventually become national stars; songs written in a bedroom are heard in major league stadiums and small-time singers eventually end up on Top 40 radio. British singer, La Roux just released her second album Trouble in Paradise, which attempts — maybe not intentionally — to…

David Turner

Best Reason to Dig Through Your Parents’ Closet

After spending years as the Kitty Cats … the Wild Cats? the Bobcats! — sorry, that’s just how dead they are to us — the Hornets name and the purple and teal from the team’s heyday have returned. If you’re not a native, don’t drop fat stacks for the team’s new gear. Hit up Goodwill…

Best Venue Conversion

One of the best venues in town for an intimate concert now offers some fantastic craft coffee during the day from The Daily Press and local produce on Saturdays, thanks to a partnership with Atherton Food Hub. Related Stories

Best Art/Community/Environment Partnership

Robson, a McColl Center for Art + Innovation Artist-in-Residence, designed a course implemented by Central Piedmont Community College sculpture students under Ashley Knight called “Sculpture + Intercepting the Waste Stream.” The students went to the Brightwalk neighborhood and collected waste from Irwin Creek (three truckloads!). Working with this trash, they created unique works of art…

Best Identity Crisis

Scrolling down the list of local performing arts companies, the roll call lingers long in the C’s. So why, after years of standing apart, would North Carolina Dance Theatre wish to embed itself inside a list that already includes Charlotte City Ballet, Charlotte Dance Festival, Charlotte Youth Ballet, Charlotte Civic Orchestra and Charlotte Symphony? Apparently,…

Best Comic Book by a Charlottean

Latour had huge, brightly colored boots to fill when he took over the title this year, as the book’s former writer was fan-favorite Jason Aaron (who works with Latour on Southern Bastards for Image Comics). But with his first storyline, dubbed “Tomorrow Never Learns,” Latour shows why he deserves to be in the big leagues.…

Best Revived Vintage Clothing

If you adore artistic vintage style but don’t have the time or the stomach to paw through racks of hit-or-miss at less discriminating consignment shops, then you’ve likely already been by the big Southern house on Central. FROCK’s skillfully curated and highly lustable inventory makes it a staple in Q.C. fashion, and owner Caroline Cook’s…

Best Pop-Up Retail Event

The retro fashion goodness is evident in racks of high-waisted shorts, flowing midi skirts, dashikis and crazy jewelry. Hippy, hipster and ’90s hip-hop style abound. Follow on Facebook for future installments. (Takes place mostly monthly at the Pizza Peel at 1600 Central Ave.)

Best Cheap Dinner Date

Who said a dinner date required white tablecloths and stuffy button-downs? Grab your snuggle buddy and head here for the best dinner under 20 bucks. Stand in line for a pound of shreddy pork carnitas, beefy barbacoa and a stack of freshly made tortillas, and head home for the best couch date you ever had.…

Can’t-Miss Beer Festival

This premier beer event celebrated its 16th year in September and shows no sign of losing a step. Often imitated and never duplicated, it’s no wonder craft breweries look forward to pouring here. Serious craft beer drinkers save the date every year.

Best Vietnamese

The only problem you will have with the quail appetizer is how fast it disappears from the table. Family-owned Ben Thanh has been a perennial Vietnamese BOC winner for its well-rounded menu, which includes yellow rice-flour pancake stuffed with baby shrimp, hot pots and charbroiled chicken in lemongrass.

Best Charlotte-Centric Retail

Charlotte’s coolest boutique is stacked with local love, from clothing and accessories to the artwork on the walls, and the monthly Beautiful People Brunch is a not-to-be-missed soiree of limitless food, drink, camaraderie and artistic collaboration. It’s positively delicious.

CD review: Scowl Brow’s Born Again

Aside from the infectious and energetic garage-rock style of its music, Scowl Brow’s greatest strength is the honesty of singer Robbie Hale’s lyrics. He’s tackled his own loves, growth and family pains in the past and this six-song EP is no different. “… whatever I did made me the bad kid/Dad used to beat me…

Jeff Hahne

Best Dentist

Dr. Bateman, a North Carolina native, earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Additionally, he graduated with his Doctor of Dental Surgery from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Bateman has been designated as an Invisalign Preferred Provider. He has met the strictest educational…

Best Reason to Spend $60 Watching Triple A Baseball

It took us a while to jump on this bandwagon. Anything that involves overpriced Miller Lite usually sucks. But Knights games, as costly and packed as they may be, are actually really fun. Great views, good vibes, decent ballpark food and you don’t even have to pay attention to the game. Non-sports sports are our…

Best Use of Carpet Padding

In one of the most important exhibitions of the year (curated by Crista Cammaroto), Brazilian artist Henrique Oliveira presented a strange, amorphous and animalistic art piece in UNC Charlotte’s Projective Eye Gallery. In residence with the college for almost a month before the exhibition, Oliveira worked with students and gallery staff to collect the materials…

Best Escape Act

While the San Francisco, Nashville and Minnesota orchestras have been embroiled in crisis, gasping for life fighting labor and money woes, the once-troubled Charlotte Symphony Orchestra is serenely succeeding. Under Christopher Warren-Green’s innovative leadership, people are actually excited about their orchestra and its programming — many of them neither blue nor gray-haired!

Best Uptown Takeover

When a watering hole called Jonathan’s expired some 20 years back, so did America’s indigenous art form here in Charlotte. But swingers, Dixeland lovers and especially boppers can now rejoice: Jazz has come thundering back to the Queen City. Bechtler Museum has brought us Jazz at the Bechtler every month, filling the hippest lobby in…

Best Place to Stay a While

Aside from giving bands a place to work out a solid regimen of music over the course of a month, the Wednesday Residencies are also a great way to check out bands for free. Miss them this week — they’ll be back again next week. It also brings out the best in bands, as they…

Best New Rooftop Bar for Shenanigans

Whether you’re there for a special event (say, Silent Disco, Alive After 5 or CL’s Margarita Wars, which was held for the first time this year), this new rooftop bar has it goin’ on. There’s plenty of room for moseying around and enjoying the Q.C.’s skyscraper views, and the crowd is a mix of folks…

Best Sunday Brunch for the Fam

One of South End’s favorite watering holes offers a Sunday brunch that is both fashionable and kid-friendly. The upscale casual eatery found a way to create a judgement-free public space to feed your children with a real kids menu that they will actually like AND made it socially acceptable to have a Bloody Mary or…

Best Place to Pregame Before a Concert at the N.C. Music Factory

Need to kill time? Play one of the games on the patio. Thirsty? There’s a wide variety of craft beer. Hungry? Potato latkes, pretzels with beer cheese, hot dogs and brats, wings, skewered kabobs and more. It’s all within stumbling distance of the Fillmore and Uptown Amphitheatre.

Best Place to Get Dessert (Retail)

Beyond the churros, conchas, buñuelos and pandequeso are wonderfully light passion fruit cakes, fruit tarts and outstanding flan. You can buy cakes by the slice or whole, and it won’t take your whole paycheck, either. Related Stories

Blurred lines

This is what the city knows about its partnership with United Way: Every year since the ’70s, staff have been asked, though have not been required, to raise money within their ranks for the nonprofit, which supports about 200 other nonprofits in the Charlotte area. Last year, about 40 percent of staff participated by either…

Ana McKenzie

Best Local Crowd-funded Project

Rosalia Weiner and Project Art Aid present this semi-monthly grassroots event where Charlotte artists, educators, activists and more compete for a micro grant. Attendees pay at the door to hear each presenter, then vote; at the end of the night, the winner takes home $2,000-$3,000 to fund their project. It’s immediate, innovative and elevates us…

Best New Spot to Get a Fancy Drink

Finally, someone’s taken over the old Therapy spot. For live jazz, a delicious pineapple upside-down martini and a good time, call on Sydney’s.

Best Gourmet/Specialty Food Store

Food critic Tricia Childress writes: “Recently, I returned from Super G with a pound of jujubes and a box of maamoul cookies made in Saudi Arabia for a Charlotte-based company. Where else could I get this stuff? Super G is truly the most fun place to explore food in Charlotte.” Related Stories

Best Gaming Shop

They offer a great selection of retro games and consoles, as well as current-gen systems and games. Not to mention the rarities from all over the world. The staff is insanely knowledgeable — if it can be played, owner Wilder Hamm knows about it. The shop got big-time recognition when it was mentioned in a…

Best Tattoo Shop

At Fu’s, you leave with a lasting memory, and it won’t be Hep C. The lauded NoDa shop that sports an observation window for outdoor spectators has some of Charlotte’s best talent on staff. Tattoos can be painful, but getting ink at Fu’s isn’t.

Carolinas turn out for Climate March

Ahmer Inam felt like being a part of something. The 39-year-old packed his bags and headed from Charlotte to New York City before the third weekend of September to participate in the People’s Climate March, the largest single stance against climate change in history. For about seven hours, environmentalists, Hollywood actors, political leaders and performance…

Ana McKenzie

Best Way to Get Introspective

A simple, stunning project. Artists Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, Bayeté Ross Smith and Kamal Sinclair picked a wide range of black men, from Ph.D.’s to parolees, sat them in front of a camera and asked them to dissect issues ranging from personal style to how they envision the future of the world. The result…

Best Kept Cinematic Secret

OK, given the steady stream of customers, maybe it’s not that big a secret. But folks who tend to do all their movie-viewing at, say, the EpiCentre or Regal Stonecrest will be interested to learn there’s another theater that’s worth frequenting, thanks to its comparable (and, in some cases, cheaper) prices, spacious lobby (complete with…

Best Indie Label Debut

Finely crafted in every sense — musically, lyrically, sonically. It’s the kind of album that stays on steady rotation and gives you a reason to keep an eye on the band’s performance schedule. The fact they’re already in the studio working on the follow-up has us eager to hear more. Related Stories

Best On the Brink Act

There’s a reason we put this hip-hop collective on the cover in September. Consistency is key and these guys deliver. Hell, even Rick Ross took notice, put them on stage and gave them a remix/verse. Watch this group closely. Related Stories

Best DJ

From Memory Lane to Off The Wall to Knocturnal to Su Casa, Justice keeps the party moving all over this city with a selection that’s second to none. Whether you feel like bustin’ loose to break beats, soul, hip-hop, afrobeat or rock, he’s got you. And if you want vinyl, he’s got that, too.

Best Comeback Shop

Vintage Prince Controversy poster — the one with the Purple One in the shower, only a leather banana hammock and a crucifix between him and sin. For items like this, head to Repo. You’re gonna walk out with rare vinyl, CDs from high school, and maybe a Boy Scouts manual too, because Repo Records has…

Best Farmers Market

Start off your Saturday with an early morning run to the daddy of all area farmers markets. The CRFM has increased its offerings and, depending on the season, you’ll find baskets of shiitake mushrooms, dinosaur kale or limbertwig apples. From bison and goat to locally made Dukes artisan sourdough loaf, you can find it all…

Best Place to Dance on Everything

Southside on Montford Drive is, hands-down, our favorite place in Charlotte to get sweaty. For starters, the music is consistently good for dancing, with both Top 40 and throw-back favorites. Additionally, they allow you to dance on the booths and even provide dedicated raised platforms for putting your sexy moves on display. The icing on…

Best Central American/Latin American

Charlotte has one of the largest Honduran expat communities in the U.S., and an increasing number of restaurants here offer both Salvadoran and Honduran dishes. But the family-friendly Morazan on South Boulevard offers the best tamales de elote (Honduran cornbread), grilled beef baleadas slathered with mashed beans, and hot off the griddle quesadillas oozing with…

No Comment

I remember the first time I realized the Internet truly was a boiling cesspool of bullshit. Embarrassingly enough, it was not all that long ago. I was watching a video of a former colleague of mine, Lindy West, as she read aloud the comments and tweets she’d received after speaking out against the irrefutable sexism…

Megan Seling

Best Overall Bottle Shop

By the numbers alone, Salud’s a must-visit, with 12 drafts and another 450-plus packaged craft beer offerings. The community here is the real star, drawing a who’s who of the Charlotte beer scene as regular patrons. As other bottle shops expand their draft offerings, Salud creates the curve, announcing an on-site nanobrewery by year’s end…

Best Reason to Let a Hornets Player Blow in Your Ear

Basketball fans have long heard of the new Hornet’s talents, but non-fans probably know him best as the player who blew in Lebron’s ear and snuck into the Miami Heat’s huddle during the Eastern Conference Finals. He’s a weird dude, and we can’t get enough. Love us tender, Lance?

Local Hero

God bless John Autry. It seems like these days, he’s one of the few City Council members who isn’t afraid to speak out against coal ash darling Duke Energy and, as the lone true progressive on the Environment Committee, brings every meeting back from how to appease developers to truly improving quality of life. He…

Best Lounge DJ

That Guy Smitty is the go-to guy when it’s time to unwind and groove out in Charlotte. He’s been a fixture in this city since the late ’90s and no one does down-tempo better. It has been rumored that over the years, several babies have been born nine months after their parents went to one…

Best New Artisan

We have been to the mountaintop, and it is slathered in whole milk ricotta cheese from Uno Alla Volta. Zack Gadberry makes magic with his hands and three simple ingredients — farm fresh milk, lemon juice and salt — to create ethereal balls of hand-pulled mozzarella, burrata cheese and creamy ricotta. It’s good enough to…

Best Bar for Meeting Your Future Ex

5Church has long been one of our favorite spots, but it’s near and dear on this list for its consistently large sampling of pretty people between the hours of 8 p.m. and 12 a.m. Thursday through Saturday nights. We strongly encourage you to go in and activate your Tinder/Grindr … but don’t be disappointed if…

Truth is in the footage

Earlier this year, Georgia Ferrell sued the city of Charlotte, the police department, CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe and an officer in his ranks. She said she didn’t know if the suit would bring peace, but it was her hope that it would inspire CMPD to train its officers better. She knows all too well the…

Erin Tracy-Blackwood

Most Inventive Cocktail List

In current concoctions, you’ll find everything from orange blossom water and an IPA reduction from NoDa’s Hop, Drop & Roll to fresh-pressed ginger root and cold brew coffee from local roaster Pure Intentions. Better yet? They’re all thoughtfully named, with many paying homage to literary classics and pop culture references. Tequila Mockingbird? Rye and Gosling?…

Best Local Instagram

In a world where the average Joe, your neighbors and ours, can post anonymously on the Internet any vile and malicious comment that comes to mind without repercussion, we’ll take any message of hope we can find. Local Enemy to Fashion designer Caleb Clark and his people adopted the mantra “Positive Vibes Only” about a…

Local Heroine

Robin Emmons is a good human being and a tireless agent for change. Once you get past her 100-watt smile and boundless energy, you will discover the fruitful work she has been sowing since 2008 for her nonprofit organization, Sow Much Good, which began as a single row in a backyard garden. Since then it’s…

Best Major Label Debut

A lot of bands get signed to major labels and get in the fast lane of pop music and what’s gonna sell. With its Columbia Records debut, Matrimony stayed on the folk-rock path they’d been on and “obeyed their guns.” Since then, it’s been a diet of steady touring around the country, winning over new…

Best Export

Charlotte metal band Young and in the Way brought pig blood to Asheville’s Lexington Avenue Brewery, sprayed it around and caused the venue to be closed for a few days. It’s become the stuff of legend … Related Stories

Best Resale Therapy

This emporium of almost-new clothing and shoes is the right fit for women who want mid-range fashions like Nine West and BCBG at bargain prices. Check out the end-of-season sales, when selections of items are up to 75 percent off.

Best Gift Shop for your BFF

Pura Vida can feel a bit like walking through one of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s dreams, except you can buy things. The shop carries little bits of wonder from each corner of the globe: woven art, lush jewelry, striking clothes. Your bestie and everyone else on your gift list will thank you.

Best Makeup Artist

Christian Dior counter, Dillard’s, South Park Mall, 4400 Sharon Road. 239-848-2013.

Best Makeover

The recent move of Charlotte’s favorite living foods joint across the Atherton Mill and Market parking lot has truly solidified its place in the meat-free hearts of vegans everywhere. Luna’s has created a space just as beautiful as its food, with unadulterated brick walls, high ceilings and bright touches for a communal space worth returning…

Grandest Opening That Maybe Could’ve Marinated A Little Longer

It felt like the gods of conspicuous consumption had finally smiled upon us, and throngs came to worship before the golden calf of a Kate Spade outlet store. But there was trouble in paradise. Over 100 shops teased opening, but the promised bargains weren’t ready for prime time. As well, the food court tenants were…

Best Worst Bathroom

You’re there for the music, not a mint and someone to hand you warm towels. This bathroom fits the Trainspotting vibe of the rest of the club. If you’ve had enough to drink, you won’t mind the sights and smells, and you may even be tempted to investigate some of them. Don’t. Just do your…

Best Cocktail List

Variety is key here — you’ll find the breezy Citrus Cooler made with flavored vodka, mint, simple syrup and orange juice followed closely by the savory Candied Almond made with bourbon, amaretto, egg whites and bitters. Unlike many craft cocktail lists, e2 keeps its menu consistent, only adding seasonal drinks when necessary and keeping the…

Best Way to Learn WFAE Charlotte Talks Host Mike Collins’ Opinion

Don’t get us wrong; we’re glad Mike’s still at it. He’s still breaking news (he nailed McCrory on the airport saga) and seems to care about his interviews, for the most part. But is it just us, or does he sound like he’s interviewing himself more than usual lately? Related Stories

Best Multitasker

Our Mecklenburg County representative introduced 78 bills in the General Assembly’s 2013-2014 session. They focused on a broad array of subjects, including modernizing education, expanding Medicaid and childbirth options, and allowing local breweries to brew more beer. When he’s not fighting the good fight in Raleigh, he’s helping manage Alexander Funeral Home, the oldest African…

Best Thrift Store

Like individual snowflakes, every Value Village has a slightly different character that makes it unique. At the South Boulevard location, you’ll find harder vintage: authentic ’60s and ’70s mini or maxi dresses, secretary blouses and palazzo pants. And for less than the cost of a quick meal, it’s a worthwhile way to spend your lunch…

Best Gift Shop for your Mom

In the market for kitschy kitchenware, toys, magnets, small change purses, books, playing cards, or some combination of all the above? You’ll find it here, along with insanely beautiful hand-printed stationary and the most sarcastic cards on the planet. What mother could resist?

Best Adult Novelty Shop

Charlotte likes to go down South — for sex toys, that is. The Reddoor, our venerable oldie but goodie, proves size does matter, as does service. Not only does their selection dwarf new kids on the block Adam and Eve in South End, the Reddoor wins points for encouraging you to play before you pay.…

Best Place to Get Your Snack On

Pickle Bar? Check! Grass-fed jerky? Check! Artisan ice cream sandwiches? Check! Earl’s Grocery opened in July to scratch the itch of every hipster, bougie craving in the neighborhood and, boy has it hit the spot. Not only does the shop have every artisanal food item one could want, from fancy cheeses to handmade pastas to…

Best “Did That Place Ever Open?”

Seriously, did that place ever open? More people saw Clapton at the Double Door than we saw set foot in this N.C. Music Factory country bar …

Best Cocktail

It’s known all around town and on the Web that Instagram celebrity and local drink-slinger Bob Peters makes a damn good drink. Which is why it should come as no surprise that one of his creations is our pick for best cocktail. Made with Maestro Dobel tequila and Dolin Blanc vermouth infused with hibiscus Sorachi…

Charlotte Book Fair returns for third year

She only eats the dead skin. Korean moms wail for white skin. When the beat drops, death ensues. Distance stabbed the lovers to death. Those are my submissions to the Charlotte Book Fair’s #6WordsCharlotte community challenge, asking for six-word stories. It was a little harder than I thought it would be. Especially since I write…

Kimberly Lawson

Best Way to Get Out of a Murder Charge

Statistically speaking, had Kenan Gay been, oh, we don’t know, black or Latino, instead of a tall, white, attractive former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill football player, there is a better chance a jury would have found him guilty of murder after a bar fight in which Rob Kingston fell to his death…

Best Reason to Revisit the 1980s

The movie year of 1984 was such a great one that CL even devoted a cover story to it. Coincidentally, the Main Library’s film programmer, Sam Shapiro, had the same idea, booking a series that included the likes of Amadeus and Ghostbusters. And in true blockbuster fashion, there’s even a sequel, as the fall film…

Best WTF Was That?

Only 100 tickets were sold for this warehouse event that left those in attendance saying, “What the fuck did I just witness?” Andy the Doorbum has been able to craft his music and art under one big umbrella that leaves audiences stunned — in a good way. We’re lucky he calls Charlotte home. Related Stories

Best Place to Watch Soccer Again in Four Years

When World Cup Fever sunk in deep this summer, every bar with a TV was packed to the gills with fly-by-night soccer fans looking for their spot on the bandwagon. But Courtyard Hooligan’s is the only place to watch international soccer all year ’round. This summer, the entire parking lot was packed with folks watching…

Best Place for a Nontraditional Engagement Ring

There are other customized jewelry shops around town with a bigger selection, but no one tops Custom’s creative energy. Lee and company take great pride in the quality of their work and customer service, so it’s some kind of voodoo that the prices are also so low.

Best One-Stop Shop for Spices

Knee-deep in a cookbook wondering, “What the heck is za’atar spice? Or amchar?” Never fear! Let Amy and Scott McCabe be your friendly spice guides. The Savory Spice Shop has become the place to find all the spices you never knew you needed. Chefs and novices come here for the abundance of global spices and…

Best Nightlife Nostalgia

We’re not gonna lie: We miss Breakfast Club something fierce. Thankfully, ’80s babies haven’t been left hanging completely, as Breakfast Club and Roxbury founder Jody Sullivan still offers that era’s tunes mixed in with plenty of ’90s hits. So, you can still jam to Blondie and Bowie at the Roxbury — they’re just now sharing…

Best Novelty Drinks

Not only does Howl at the Moon have some seriously entertaining people-watching and musically themed snacks, it also gets you drunk in the most amusing ways. How does this spot get tone-deaf bankers to sing along with piano accompaniment or housewives to grind onstage to a stripped-down version of “Drunk in Love”? It serves them…

Best Place for a Twilight Drink

Hands down, the view from the terrace at Fahrenheit is the best in the city. Located on the 21st floor of Skye condos, the patio wraps around one length of the building with stunning views of the city. The cocktails may be pricey, but you can nurse one while watching the Duke Energy Center light…

Best of Charlotte 2014

Before we met Jamie Monroe, this year’s Best of Charlotte cover model, she warned us in a Facebook message that what we’d seen on social media wasn’t what we’d be encountering later that day. She called herself a “plain Jane soccer mom by day.” As we sought out the drag performer whom we would crown…

CL Staff

Best Reason to be Scared of Sending Your Kids to Public Schools

Charter schools siphon hundreds of thousands of dollars from public schools, and invest them into private operations our elected school board has no control over. Their continued proliferation will only make budgets tighter and quality lower for our traditional public schools. Related Stories

Best Modern Incarnation of Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond

For anyone living here in the last half of the 20th century who wasn’t a decidedly right-wing, racist homophobe, Sens. Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond were a constant source of embarrassment and consternation. James has spent the better part of two decades living up to (or down to?) the standards of regressive nastiness they set.…

Best Drama

There was plenty of drama backstage and at board meetings this past season at CAST as the company implausibly imploded, but that didn’t stop the actors and artists from producing a string of fine dramas onstage. The best of the lot was this stirring evocation of the shame felt by the oppressed in apartheid South…

Best Party for No Reason

This party’s been going on every Thursday night at Snug Harbor for years, but organizer Scott Weaver has kicked it up a notch with monthly burlesque nights and noteworthy live performances by artists such as Kool Keith and Cakes da Killa.

Best Zumba Teacher

Let’s face it — dancing in a gym full of mostly women is a little awkward. Diana Stewart makes it a little less so with her genuine enthusiasm and easygoing personality. More importantly, she doesn’t make you feel like you need to be on par with a video vixen. If we have to swing our…

Best Al Pastor Taco

Charlotte has more than its fair share of taco trucks and Mexican restaurants, but when the craving for al pastor hits, head over to Fonda La Taquiza, where owner Ruben Granados delivers on taste. Not only are the al pastor tacos excellent, but Tuesday is taco night, and these gems are only a buck apiece.…

Best Place for a Crafty Coffee

The Daily Press opened inside the Evening Muse in July, serving up some of the finest coffee in town. Barista turned shop owner Lindsey Pitman has crafted a place that is part coffee lab and part community hub. Inside, Pitman uses local roasters along with fanciful whimsy to create original creations you won’t find anywhere…

Best Concert Hack

Can’t quite afford a concert ticket, and don’t care whether you actually see the band performing? Head to Wet Willie’s back patio, where you can listen to whoever’s onstage at the Uptown Amphitheatre while knocking back some frosty libations.

Best Middle Eastern

Everything is spot on at veteran restaurateur Yasser Sadek’s Kabab-Je Rotisserie & Grille. This delicious bit of Lebanon in Matthews offers lamb kebabs and kafta skewers grilled over charcoal, and boneless chicken with an incomparable garlic sauce. Honestly, we can’t get enough of the kibbeh. Related Stories

Best Neighborhood Patio to Have a Cocktail

Since Heist opened, it was the gastropub’s “Library Bar,” manned by cocktail sensei Stefan Huebner, that served as a hot spot for quality, boozy drinks. But after this year’s recent patio unveiling, NoDa’s slice of the great outdoors became a hub for enjoying refreshing sips like the Texas Mule, a twist on the Moscow variety…

Most Audacious Ask

Greedy and needy, our pro sports teams won’t stop asking taxpayers for handouts. Some of the richest guys in town won’t cough up their own money for the new toys (escalators, TVs) they want. They come, palms outstretched, to the citizens. What’s worse, they don’t even ask nicely for $75 million. They demand it and…

Friendliest Celebrity

Most celebrities at conventions tend to be cheerful — nobody’s gonna want an autograph from someone who’s bellowing at them — but the former Fonz has a reputation for being even nicer than most. He proved it once again at this year’s MMP: While other stars largely remained behind desks, he regularly came out in…

Best Reason to Wait in Line for a Concert

People drove from Chicago. A guy flew in from San Francisco. There were tents in line before there was daylight. Was it worth it? White put on a solid performance, and his solo tour has been one of the most-talked about events this year. We’d say it was worth every hour. Related Stories

Best New Independent Boutique

Tamara Lytch was named for Tamara Dobson, star of ’70s cinema classic Cleopatra Jones. Like her namesake, Lytch’s signature style is bold and sexy with a smart, tongue-in-cheek undercurrent. Big night coming up? Stop in the new studio she opened earlier this spring. Though she continues to design for Fantasia Barrino and other celebs, let…

Best MeetUp to Get You Out of the House

This MeetUp group was started in February and already has more than 2,000 members. Founder/head organizer Brad Evans works with local venues to organize shindigs with drink specials and ticket deals, but he also goes outside of the nightlife realm and plans events ranging from trampoline dodge ball and line dancing to wrestling matches, open…

Best Way to Sweat It Out

We all know how difficult hot yoga workouts can be (who hasn’t seen the “Yoga Mat for Sale, Used Once” Craigslist ad by this point?), but this place takes it to a whole new level. Arrichion’s newest class, called MMA hot yoga, incorporates 3-pound weights into the workout. We’re talking squats, lunges, planks, punches and…

Best Underwear

Charlotte’s best known secret is you can be straight (no H8) and a huge fan of White Rabbit. Though technically a bookstore, not only does it have the naughtiest collection of male unmentionables in the city, but every week you can check out a new Fashion Fridays video where assistant manager Kode Brown gets some…

Best Bookstore That’s Not Really a Bookstore

Not that there aren’t books at Red@28th, but with a full liquor license, hookah, ongoing events and the noise level, who can read? Besides, you’ve gotta love a bookstore that hosted erotica author Mary Honey B Morrison’s “Head Master” class.

Best Indian

We’ve said it before: The owner of Copper works hard to present Charlotte with excellent high-end Indian cuisine. Related Stories

Best Response to a CL Food Article

Earlier this year, CL writer Keia Mastrianni wrote a piece on the lack of non-alcoholic cocktails, or mocktails, in this city. You know who stepped up to the plate? The Asbury, that’s who. The Uptown restaurant inside the Dunhill Hotel added two official mocktails to its menu in response to a sober writer’s outcry. All…

Best Reason to Start Saving Quarters

Soon, carpool lanes on I-77 between Charlotte and Mooresville will be converted — with much public investment — into toll roads, which some analysis suggests might cost as much as $20 to ride round-trip. The state says that figure is outdated but has yet to provide another estimate. Related Stories

Best Resale for a Cause

Forget, for a moment, the pristine $8 Stuart Weitzmans, entire rack of Chico’s brand clothes, the quality plus-size selection and the Dollar Days. This best-kept shopping secret, supported by the nearby Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, donates proceeds of all sales to My Sister’s House, a housing program for survivors of domestic violence.

Best Frozen Treat

Move over Dairy Queen, there’s a new sheriff in town. Va Da Vie opened in May in the nucleus of the Park Road Shopping Center, crafting authentic Italian gelato using a mixture of locally sourced ingredients and fancy imported items like the Bronte pistachios direct from Sicily. Armed with a formal gelato education and those…

Best Uni

In The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014), protagonist Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is spellbound as a young boy by his first taste of sea urchin at a local market. Years later, he describes uni as “the taste of life.” No one in Charlotte does this edible gold more decadently than BAKU. Related Stories

Best Retail Shop to Get a Bottle of Wine at Any Price

From an outsider’s perspective, the Assorted Table doesn’t look like much. An unassuming nook carved into a section of the 7th Street Public Market is outfitted with simple shelves stocked with an international wine selection, from the usual suspects to the “crazy grapes.” Owner Josh Villapando brings the place to life with his unending wine…

Best Place to Pregame Before a Night Out Dancing

For those of us who refuse to get on that Shmoney Dance, this South End spot is the go-to for pregaming. The hookah is half off before 9 p.m. (all night on Sundays), and the music selection ranges from neo-soul and jazz to ’80s pop and house. We’ve even heard some classic Biggie in there.…

Best Comic Book Shop

If you strip away the storied history, sponsored conventions and star-powered endorsements of Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find, you’d still have a great comic book shop. Shelton Drum’s brand has served the Queen City since 1980, and the organization and customer-friendly atmosphere (which is rarer in comic shops than you’d think) keep folks coming back…

Best Bar for Brews and Brussels Sprouts

On absolutely no one’s list of best bar food is brussel sprouts. But leave it to the innovators over at Pint Central to elevate this long-misunderstood leafy green into a salty, luscious, just-greasy-enough drunk munchy, tossed in house-made pesto and coated in rich parm. Wash these beauties down with one of the many local brews…

Special Awards 2014

Former mayor Patrick Cannon swept our critics away this year. Here are the varying honors he was awarded. Best Slogan for Charlotte Here are a few of our favorite reader submissions. “What history?” or “We don’t care about history.” “Three Queens beats two Kings.” “Not too little. Not too big. But just right.” (With a…

New heights in dining: The Summit Room

East Boulevard has always been — well, for the past 25 years, anyway — a restaurateur’s dream. If the food-obsessed Dilworth residents like what you have to offer, they will be loyal and visit often. Of course, if they don’t, your stay will be brief. Not surprisingly, Dilworth residents have already cast a favorable vote…

Tricia Childress

Best Musicals

Once upon a time, there was only one game in town — namely, CPCC’s Summer Theatre — if you were looking for professional-grade, homegrown musicals. Now all of our established companies have the knack. Best of the past season for sheer power was ATC’s Passing Strange, with Jeremy DeCarlos turning in an unforgettable performance as…

Best Library

Take a book, leave a book. Or take two books and leave no books. Or take no books and … you get the idea. Little Free Library is a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library initiative that is a bookworm’s dream — free reads, in your neighborhood, at your fingertips. These cute wooden boxes of books have been popping…

Best Reason to Wait in the Rain for a Concert

First there was an hour delay for lightning. Then there was an hour delay for the stage setup. People were tired, cranky and soggy … until the first notes of “B.O.B.” rang out. Outkast crushed its nearly two-hour set and all was forgiven. (A late entry, but so damn worth the mention.) Related Stories

Best Bar to Yell Out “Bingo!”

Tuesday nights are Bingo Night, but you won’t find any little old ladies in this Elizabeth pub. Instead, you’ll find a laid-back crowd that’s hungry to win gift cards and cold hard cash. The charismatic Andy hosts, caresses balls and deals out the Bingo cards (you get two with four spaces on each, so that’s…

Best Year-Round Charlotte Beer

Hop Drop & Roll captured a Gold at World Beer Cup this year, which (new rule) deems it ineligible from this category. As a result of that beer’s attention, Jam Session, a refreshing American Pale Ale, is criminally overlooked. With a similar yet smaller flavor profile and more-sessionable ABV compared to its bigger brother, Jam…

Best Used Bookstore

The joy of reading isn’t all there is to find at this gently loved books outpost. There’s also the joy of discovering old video games, the joy of comfy seating areas, and the joy of uber-casual book readings without a hint of pretension. The Last Word is first place in fostering a sense of literary…

Best New Restaurant (Opened in Last 12 Months) AND Best Farm-to-Fork Restaurant

<p?Chef and owner Paul Verica had Creative Loafing food critic Tricia Childress at the first bite. The beauty of his unassuming Heritage Food and Drink rests not solely with the inventive daily menu that highlights local farmers’ produce; but also, that it is the kind of place where you can kick back and enjoy both…

Best Natural Hair Salon

With more natural hair salons opening every day in Charlotte, it’s not enough to be relaxing, knowledgeable and talented. CEO Tinesha Matthews raises the bar even higher with workshops and events aimed at bettering her clients inside and out.

Best Breakfast

The line is out the door on Saturday mornings and from within spills a welcoming din, but the French toast is worth it. From fried green tomatoes to red velvet waffles, it’s all good here. Terrace Café captures morning and extends it: breakfast is served all day in its SouthPark location.

Best Anticlimactic Moment

It was an event 50 years in the making: a time capsule buried by Mayor Stan Brookshire in the ’60s that was supposed to contain a letter from Brookshire to the mayor in 2014 and other, unknown items, unearthed in 2014. What came up? Sludge. Womp, womp. Related Stories

Best Master of Trivia

You’ll need to think twice with Roadie Rob’s “rave” trivia, held at several locations around town (including VBGB, Dunwellz, Bailey’s and more). Picking questions that draw from common knowledge, geography, pop culture, sports and other randomness, Rob mixes it up and isn’t afraid to tell drunken objectors where to go if they cross the line.…

Best Rise from the Ashes

With barbecue, smoke matters. But when a fire closed down the classic Old Hickory House last winter, we held our collective breath for three months until we could order more outside brown and Brunswick stew.

Best Local Brewery

Gallons of ink have already covered NoDa’s impressive medal winnings at both World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, but its overall lineup is stronger than two stand-outs. These folks pioneered the weekly small-batch beer releases for Charlotte and continue to put out offerings that are a step ahead of the pack. Should they…

Best Reason to Get Wet

In the mood to listen to live music, but want to cool off from the summer heat? The Squirt Day Parties during the summer are likely to drench you within minutes of stepping on the back patio. The best part — people act like kids again and just have a blast without any complaining or…

Mike Strauss’ Electric Evolution

It’s fine if you think Gone Electric is the best album by Charlotte Americana singer/songwriter Mike Strauss. He just hopes you know that he’s put out a handful of other albums since then. Of course, if you ask him which is his best, his answer is always the same — “The next one.” “I don’t…

Jeff Hahne

Best Bible Autograph, Next to Jesus’

Because why wouldn’t you want the signature of this super-star pastor and Elevation Church founder scribbled in the holy book? Never mind the fact that he disappointed many of his parishioners and other Christians late last year when it was announced that he was building the 16,000-square-foot home of his dreams in Waxhaw, with a…

Best Reason to Take a Break from NoDa

The light rail construction and the new housing going up behind Neighborhood Theatre has streets all kinds of messed up right now. Oh, but hey — there’s a new $5 parking lot on 36th Street.

Best Comedy Specials

We weren’t sure if, when or where QCTC would return, so it was truly special when the company came roaring back in late July with a sex farce that filled Duke Energy Theater night after night. And earlier in the summer, CPCC Summer Theatre produced a hilarious and tender River, showcasing four of Charlotte’s top…

Best Arts Haven

It isn’t a malevolent plot, but it’s no accident that most of Charlotte’s new guerilla theater groups are gravitating to UpStage. Since taking over the upstairs joint on North Davidson, Michael Ford has created a uniquely welcoming atmosphere for theater artists and audiences alike, one that is sparking new experiences and collaborations for all. Related…

Best New Fest

Straight outta the gate, Reverb Fest creator Phil Pucci put on a showcase of some of Charlotte’s finest musicians. With two stages including performances by Modern Moxie, Couches, Hectorina, Late Bloomer, Girl Pants, Grown Up Avenger Stuff and It Looks Sad, Reverb Fest has a lot to live up to next year. Related Stories

Best Quality of Beer Selection

Sixty taps grace the bar, pouring nothing but a broad variety of top-notch craft beer and ensuring there’s something that’ll appeal to everyone. Special events like a sour ale tap invasion or a charitable bottle share benefiting Pints for Prostates prove the owners here think outside of the box. Plus, nearly all these quality beers…

Best Barbecue

There is no ode to the pig more glorious than Carolina ’cue, and BSA Troop 33 keeps Carolinian culinary history alive each winter. Barbecue as fundraiser is part of the culture and BSA Troop 33 (across the street from Sardis Presbyterian Church, 6100 Sardis Road) holds its annual event the Friday and Saturday before the…

Disneyworld of Salons

Salon Central bills itself as a no-wait salon, mainly because there are literally dozens of individual shops located inside the building. If one is too busy, don’t fret: there’ll be another, and another, and another. There’s also free wi-fi, gated parking, a children’s lounge with mobile app for monitoring, and a cafe. Even if you…

CD review: Buellton’s Silent Partner

In 2001, Santa Barbara’s Buellton dropped one of those little-label indie pop-rock gems, Avenue of the Flags, via Portland’s FILMGuerrero. The quartet’s tight, guitar-centric songs exuded a Folk Implosion vibe, due in part to singer John Nygren’s Lou Barlow-like voice. But Buellton split amicably in 2002 and vanished. Fast forward through nearly 15 years of…

John Schacht

Best Reason to Go Back 100 years and Kick Some Old-Timey Ass

If the last year has shown anything, it’s that Duke and North Carolina are so in cahoots, they might as well be married to each other. After a coal ash spill in February, the feds subpoenaed state officials left and right to uncover years of potential back-door deals. But that’s just scratching the surface. Remember,…

Best Reason to Invest in Hardcore Snow Equipment

Rarely is a city the size of Charlotte brought to a complete stand-still, yet it was last winter when a heavy snow storm covered the city in not just inches but feet of powder. The roads were dead, save for a few sledders. We all had at least three days off work. We actually chatted…

Best Exhibition

Charlotte houses one of only two buildings in the U.S. designed by prolific Swiss architect Mario Botta, and the Bechtler chose to celebrate this fact throughout the past year. Apart from a small collection of artworks whose creators inspired the architect, the exhibition was a clean presentation of original wood models and black-and-white photographs of…

Best Arts Showcase

Though not a museum, gallery, theater or even a club, Dupp & Swat has built up a reputation as the premiere place to experience Charlotte’s next vanguard of professional artists. Its monthly I’m An Artist, Dammit series has hosted creative works of every stripe, from photography exhibits to alternative R&B performances to spitfire improvisational poetry.…

Comedian Hostess with the Mostess

This local stand-up comedian hosts monthly Almost Famous Comedy Shows at The Comedy Zone. But her main focus — no matter what venue she’s in — is on spotlighting local comics, amateurs and veterans alike. Her newest series, Blayrious, is held at Phil’s New York Deli and Tavern. Oh, and did we mention she’s pretty…

Best Old Fest

Looking for a great way to hear some of the best local, regional and national musicians all in one day for one low price? This is the place to go. Every year, the folks at Ink Floyd put together a stellar lineup, which has included Jeff the Brotherhood, Jessica Lea Mayfield and St. Paul and…

Best Independent Men’s Retail

Going into this jewelbox of a shop, located in the heart of the burgeoning Area15 arts neighborhood, is like going down the rabbit hole. You don’t know what you’ll come out with: locally made, mixed-pattern, two-way bowties? Velvet blazers? Tailored and bespoke, new and vintage all mix together in this fashion wonderland.

Best EpiCentre Dance Club Alternative

Tired of milling about the same venues at the EpiCentre? For something new, skip 210 E. Trade St. altogether and head over to Bland Street, where you can dance and drink your blues away at this slick club. The VIP areas are choice, and don’t forget to pose with the buffalo for your own Dances…

Best Use of North Carolina Sweet Potato Leaves

Like spinach, sweet potato leaves cook down quite a bit, and have quite a mild flavor. At Zoewee’s Restaurant, the kitchen uses fresh and plentiful North Carolina sweet potato leaves for the classic Liberian dish, sweet potato greens over rice. Although primarily green, the stew also contains bone-in meat, onions, garlic and a touch of…

Best New Charlotte Brewery

Kombucha-maker Lenny Boy quietly dipped its toe in the Charlotte beer market last fall with an inventive array of wild ales followed by traditional beers. Whether you’re sipping a sweet-potato Holy Moly or The Mirage, a crisp, Belgian-style ale, you can’t go wrong. Lenny Boy proudly touts its status as North Carolina’s only 100-percent organic…

Best Grown and Sexy But It’s Not That Serious, Tempo, Venue

Vibrations knows what the 30-plus crowd wants: a mix heavy on hustle songs, Thursday night Scandal parties, Friday night go-go mixes and old-school Saturdays. It’s the kind of place where a man knows how to dance and how to buy you a drink — if his wife doesn’t mind. Turn up, then turn in and…

Best Place to Turn Down

For what? Sobering up, of course. We recommend the chicken and waffles. As you carefully pull away that crispy, well-seasoned skin, you can ponder on whether you want to ditch that guy or gal you picked up at the club. Those blazing diner lights are the last line of defense to a rude awakening.

CD review: Fucked Up’s Glass Boys

Aging is crazy, parenting is crazy and finding yourself filling the roles you always raged against may be the craziest thing of all — particularly for punk rockers. The challenge is admitting your age while making music that’s still raw, wild and honest. The answer is in bands like Toronto’s Fucked Up, whose new LP,…

Corbie Hill

Best Adult Ed

The art of DJing is a lot more than picking out a party playlist on your iPhone. With These Handz’s expert instructors put amateurs behind the turntables to learn mixing, scratching and transitions, as well as the business side of the industry. Classes fill up fast, because after all, nothing’s hotter than someone who can…

Best African American Hair Salon

Sometimes it’s worth a few extra dollars to be able to walk into a salon and get top-notch services without all the tardiness, side-talk and drama of a regular salon. Here, you can get the latest weaves, flips and mohawks, and most importantly, leave with a relaxed, level head.

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