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Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Events Upcoming: Aquavina International Wine Festival
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 11:30 AM
If you missed out on last week's Great Grapes Festival, here's another wine fest you can check out this Thursday:
Enjoy a spectacular evening of fine wines from across the world! Aquavina’s Wine Festival features more than 100 varieties of wine and gourmet food provided by Aquavina and other uptown restaurants. Admission price includes all food and drink. Proceeds benefit The Mint Museum and the Young Affiliates of the Mint will be volunteering at this event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit aquavina.com or call 704-377-9911.
Tickets: $35/person. Ages 21 and over only.
Thursday, Oct. 8, 6-9 p.m. on The Green Uptown.
Food News Newly opened in Blakeney: SAS Cupcakes and Newk's Express Cafe
Posted By Tricia Childress on Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Owners Tara and Mike Voigt have opened SAS Cupcakes, a chain of two with the original in Delaware, at 9941 Rea Road, 704-295-1777. This pink palace may be "too girly” as my son put it, but the cupcakes are fabulous. They have 30 flavors offered on a rotation basis, and at least 12 flavors daily. Cupcakes at $2.75 each; $15 for a half dozen; $30 for a dozen. SAS specializes in packaging and accessorizing (sprinkles) which kids can do. SAS also ships nationally from both stores: 704-295-1777 or 888-825-8988.
Another eatery opened in Blakeney Crossing Shopping Center is Newk’s Express Café, 9815 Rea Road, a fast casual restaurant concept from the McAlister’s Deli founders. This franchise is owned by Justin Karas. On the menu are soups, salads, toasted sandwiches, and pizzas. Hours are Sunday through Thursday 10:30 a.m. until 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Mouthful Sneak peek of Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge located on 5th Street Uptown in Feast's old spot is set to open to the public this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9 and 10.
Here are a few pics of what's to come:
Read more about Fiji and also Kashmir Nightclub that is housed below it.
Food News / Events Upcoming: 80th annual Mallard Creek Barbeque
Posted By Tricia Childress on Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 9:48 AM
The 80th Annual Mallard Creek Barbecue will be held Thursday, Oct. 22 starting at 10 a.m. at the Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church Community House, 11400 Mallard Creek Road. Volunteers expect to cook 13,000 pounds of pork barbecue, prepare 2,500 gallons of Brunswick stew (Low Country style), shred two tons of Cole Slaw, and serve about 20,000 people. Four drive-thru lines will be available; orders of 50 plates or more may be placed via phone and will be “quickly accommodated”: 704-547-0323.
Mallard Creek’s original barbecue featured three or four pigs and a goat. Those proceeds paid the debt incurred to build Sunday school classrooms. Today the money goes to missions and the church building fund.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Food News Duncan to open Icehouse at SouthEnd in early 2010
Posted By Tricia Childress on Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 5:13 PM
Restaurateur John Duncan will open Icehouse at SouthEnd as part of the redevelopment and remerchandising ongoing at Atherton Mill. Duncan, who owns Bonterra, The Lodge, Las Ramblas, and co-founded Mac’s Speed Shop, will open this concept in early 2010. The restaurant will occupy 5,600 square feet and have big screen televisions throughout the space. The menu, designed by Dan Boone, will feature signature burgers, barbecue, ribs, and wood-oven pizzas, and the beverage list will have over 200 beers. Duncan envisions some sections of the restaurant devoted to different teams on college game days, but will also bleed Panther blue.
Foodie Tour / Tacos Eat My Charlotte Foodie Tour: Tacos!
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 2:53 PM
* SOLD OUT! We've reached the maximum number of guests. Please join us next time!
If you consider yourself an adventurous eater and love to chomp your way through Charlotte, come join us on Creative Loafing’s first Eat My Charlotte Foodie Tour — which is sponsored by our popular food blog Eat My Charlotte — on Saturday, Nov. 7.
Our Foodie Tours will bus you around town to taste a specific cuisine or dish at different locally owned restaurants. Each time, we’ll provide transportation, drinks, food and fun.
This debut tour will focus on tacos. We’ll take you to a variety of eateries on South Boulevard where you can sample tacos to your heart’s content. In all, we’ll stop at four different locations (including, yes, a taco truck!) that feature authentic tastes from south of the border.
The tour will include transportation on a charter bus from Uptown, beers, tacos and dessert.
Taco Tour!
Saturday, Nov. 7
11 am - 2 pm
Price: $20 (everything included)
Itinerary:
11 am - Meet uptown at the Creative Loafing office at the N.C. Music Factory View Map
Ride and drink down South Blvd.
Visit Lempira for Honduran style tacos.
Taqueria Mexicana for fish tacos.
La Unica for tacos al pastor.
Taco truck!
2 pm - Arrive back to N.C. Music Factory.
Get excited!
Food News NoFo closes, BLT Steak opens, restaurateurs say goodbye
Posted By Tricia Childress on Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 1:34 PM
• Surprisingly, just as Elizabeth Avenue is reopened in front of their building, owners of NoFo on Liz shot out an e-mail Monday morning announcing their closing.
However, the other restaurants leasing from Grubb Properties are hosting a street crawl on Thursday, Oct. 15 to allow people to try their foods and enjoy the spiffed up “boulevard.”
• Many restaurateurs in town were saddened by the death of entrepreneur KoKo (Tiwanna) Hagans, owner of KoKoMo's Coffeehouse on Fourth Street on Monday night.
• The smell of eucalyptus and money oozes from the newly opened Ritz Carlton in Center City. French-trained Chef and restaurateur Laurent Tourondel flew in from the Singapore to oversee the opening of BLT Steak, 110 N. College St., in The Ritz-Carlton, asking a few notable Charlotteans to join him for dinner last night. The Chef de Cuisine at the Charlotte BLT Steak is Aksel Theilkuhl. Tourondel’s eatery empire includes BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Market, BLT Prime, BLT Burger, and Fish Shack. BLT Steaks are located in Washington, DC; White Plains, New York; Los Angeles; Scottsdale, Arizona; Atlanta; Miami; Puerto Rico; and Hong Kong. Reservations: 704-972-4380 or www.bltrestaurants.com.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Smorgasbord / Priscilla Tsai Cruzan "rum tasting"
Posted By Priscilla Tsai on Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Cruzan hosted a "rum tasting" cruise on Lake Norman last night to promote their liquors. Having never attended a rum tasting, I expected something similar to a wine tasting – tables set with multiple glasses for tasting, some light food fare, an education in the production of rum to further guests' rum knowledge... You know, a somewhat structured, elegant affair. Ha. What was I thinking?
This rum tasting wasn't like that at all. What I did get was a two-story party boat complete with leather couches, ATM, Christmas lights, a live steel drum band, chips and dip, fried crab cakes and endless amounts of rum drinks. (I guess I should have had a hint of what was to come after the "shuttle" that was supposed to take us to the marina from Uptown ended up being the Ragin' Uptown party bus.)
After a champagne/Cruzan rum mimosa toast, we were left on our own to party and mingle. The bar served only Cruzan rums and among the flavored ones were Coconut, Black Cherry, and Pineapple. Tired of rum and Cokes? Here are a few new drink recipes I learned last night from the bartenders:
If you want something fruity, but not-so-sweet, try mixing Cruzan Black Cherry rum with a little Sprite and seltzer water.
And for something crisp, try mixing Cruzan rum with ginger ale.
Though the tasting wasn't exactly what I expected, it was definitely fun. Forget wine tastings, I'm all about some boating around and tasting rums now.
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Dish on this: Charlotte-based chefs join ACF Culinary Team USA 2016
As fall approaches, local chefs prepare for a culinary battle in Germany.
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Recipe: Roasted Vegetables with Dijon Béarnaise Sauce
Vegetables. Cheese. Béarnaise. These are things you're going to put in your mouth shortly after reading this.
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What's hoppening at Unknown?
I had to check out the brewery's inaugural Improper Glassware Night.
