Now this is good news — another cool butcher shop in Charlotte:

The Meat House Opens In Charlotte

Charlotte Has A New Neighborhood Butcher Shop

Charlotte, NC (April 20, 2010) - Charlotte has a new neighborhood butcher shop! The Meat House is officially open in The Village at Robinson Farm at 8410 Rea Road.

Locally owned by Virginia Meehan, The Meat House franchise offers customers a diverse line of expertly butchered premium meats as well as proprietary marinades, fine cheeses, fresh produce, artisan breads, prepared side dishes and other gourmet foods. The quality of these products, coupled with a unique focus on neighborly customer service that has been coined The Meat House Promise -“unparalleled hospitality in a 10 minute shopping experience”- has been embraced across the country as the modern revival of the neighborhood butcher.

“I can’t think of a better place to open The Meat House,” said Meehan. “Charlotte is grilling country and our new neighbors are in for a real treat! We will carry everything they’ll need for the perfect barbeque.”

Founded in New Hampshire in 2003 by best friends Justin Rosberg and Jason Parent, The Meat House, through a franchise development program has expanded over the past two months with locations in 6 states - Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina and California. There are additional locations opening in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Texas in May. The company also has territory agreements in place for over 125 stores in eleven states, with another 100 stores in six other states currently under consideration.

The Charlotte location is the second North Carolina location (The Meat House opened in Cary back in January), featuring a wide selection of expertly butchered premium beef, poultry, veal, lamb, and pork, marinated meats, fine cheeses, fresh produce, hearty breads, prepared side dishes, Boar's Head Deli products, delectable desserts and pastries, and other gourmet grocery items. It also features over 100 varieties of wines from around the world, which are hand selected by The Meat House's Certified Wine Educator.

For further information, please visit www.TheMeatHouse.com.

This just in from the folks at 131 Main:

Half-Priced Wines Every Tuesday Night at all Three Charlotte-Area

131 Main Restaurant Locations

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Apr. 19, 2010—Diners and wine enthusiasts looking for that special vintage now have a unique opportunity at all three Charlotte-area 131 Main Restaurant locations.

Every Tuesday night, all wines on 131 Main’s wine list (up to $200 bottles) in Blakeney, Dilworth and Lake Norman will be offered at half-price. The announcement was made by Jeff Kellogg, Wine Director at 131 Main, whose primary goal is to develop a diverse wine list that complements the restaurant’s unique array of menu items.

Because 131 Main’s menu focuses primarily on regional American cuisine, Kellogg said the majority of the wine list is from California and Oregon.

“While American wines represent the bulk of our list, opportunities to represent a more diverse selection of wines coming from Europe and the Southern Hemisphere were not overlooked,” Kellogg said. “Our guests will find many sections of the list devoted to France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand. Many of the wines were hand chosen to complement specific menu items. Food pairing was, and will remain, a first priority in the development of our wine list.”

Last year, the wine offerings at 131 Main were given the 2009 “Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator Magazine for the second year in a row. 131 Main locations in the Charlotte area are:

* Blakeney, 9886 Rea Rd., Charlotte, (704) 544-0131

* Dilworth, 1315 East Blvd, Charlotte, (704) 343-0131

* Lake Norman, 17830 N. Statesville Rd., Cornelius, (704) 896-0131

About 131 Main Restaurants

131 Main is an upscale casual dining restaurant serving updated American classics with an emphasis on fresh food. Its relaxed ambience, reasonably priced menu and extensive award-wining wine list have made 131 Main the ideal place for a business lunch, a quiet evening out, drinks with friends, or dinner with the family. 131 Main has four locations – Cornelius (Lake Norman), Charlotte (Blakeney and Dilworth), and Asheville. Captiva Restaurant Group, located in Cornelius, founded, owns and operates 131 Main. For more information, visit www.131-main.com.

• Courtesy of The Blushing Bakeshop

The Blushing Bakeshop cupcake designers Carolina Rust and Moniker Patel are offering $3 “adult” cupcakes on Thirsty Thursdays (and sometimes on Fridays).

Their roster includes the (un-pc) Irish Car Bomb: a Guinness chocolate cake stuffed with whiskey ganache and iced with Baileys Irish Cream buttercream; a vanilla vodka cake iced with Limoncello buttercream; and the White Russian Cupcake with a vanilla and Kahlua cake, iced with Kahlua buttercream.

The Blushing Bakeshop, 14825 Ballantyne Village Way. They tweet specials (like free cupcakes) to their followers. www.theblushingbakeshop.com.