• Kelly Davis
• Bird's Eye View of the First Floor

On Wednesday, Aug. 29 (that's tomorrow!), the new Whole Foods Market will open at 8 a.m. with a FREE breakfast and an official bread breaking ceremony with Mayor Foxx at 8:30 a.m. The new store is located at 6610 Fairview Road, adjacent to Phillips Place in the SouthPark neighborhood.

I was invited to a special behind-the-scenes sneak preview yesterday and learned what makes this particular Whole Foods Market (WFM) so special. I've been a huge fan of WFM for years, making stops at their locations in Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh when possible, and am thrilled that Charlotte will now have its very own. It's about time!

• Kelly Davis
• Sampling some hatch chili salsa

Like a lot of groceries, WFM puts out samples throughout their store like this hatch chili salsa. Samples were out in full force yesterday for the enjoyment of those participating in the sneak preview tours.

• Kelly Davis
• Whole Foods supports whole living

Besides food, my tour group learned that WFM isn't just about whole foods, but whole living. They support this through their Whole Body section that has an apothecary style station for soaps and other products for the body and a gardening section.

• Kelly Davis
• Amazing bulk bins!

One of the things I am most excited about with the opening of WFM is their huge assortment of bulk bins. For those of you who are not familiar, customers can purchase anything from dried beans to nuts, exotic dried fruit and mushrooms to quinoa, whole wheat flour to stone milled grits. Bulk bins are often cheaper than the exact same food in a prepackaged container, better for the environment (because you can bring in your own containers), and allow you to purchase only what you need.

Purveyors of WFM will find a cooking and learning station in the bulk department called "Cooking Charlotte." Here, a part-time Cooking Coach is available to give cooking tips and answer all of your probing cooking questions, like "What do I do with a Fava bean?" And, "Is Himalayan sea salt worth the extra expense?"

• Kelly Davis
• I admit, I'm a chocolate fiend

My heart skipped a beat a little when we wandered past their GIGANTIC display of chocolate bars. I'm a self proclaimed chocolate fiend and love to savor one really good dark chocolate bar a little at a time. New-to-me flavors combinations (like chili + chocolate) and different brands are one of my favorite grocery store splurges. The selection at this particular WFM is extensive.

• Kelly Davis
• Artisan chocolates

My tour group also got a chance to sample some of the chocolate truffles from various artisan chocolate shops, carried by WFM such as sea salt dark chocolate caramels and smoke sea salt milk chocolate caramels. Amazing.

Charlotte isn't lacking in Cajun restaurants, but there is a new kid in town. OK, so maybe this kid isn't brand-new, but he's had a bit of a makeover.

• Kelly Davis
• Bite Your Tongue Cajun Restaurant

On Monday, Aug. 20, Bite Your Tongue Cajun restaurant opened its doors to the public at its new location in South End with a soft menu. (A soft menu means a small menu that is just a sampling of the much larger menu that will be offered to the public in the future.)

Bite Your Tongue was originally a take-out and catering company in Louisiana owned by Lucius and Martine Johnson. When the couple was uprooted during the Hurricane Katrina evacuation in 2007, they decided to make Charlotte their new home and brought their business with them. Located in a medical building on Randolph Road, the couple served Cajun cuisine for four years. Now they have relocated to 222 E. Bland St., Suite E, in South End where they hope to expand their reach to more Charlotteans.

• Kelly Davis
• Bite Your Tongue has a streamlined modern space that is also welcoming and bright.

The new location of Bite Your Tongue is a small, streamlined modern restaurant with vibrant orange walls and accents of purple. The feeling is very lively, which doesn't come from just the decor.

• Kelly Davis
• The power of words and tastebuds

On my first visit, I arrived at 11:45 a.m., just before the lunch rush. As I waited on my lunch date to arrive, the restaurant was soon flooded with people who were audibly excited about the new food venue. It was obvious that some of the diners knew the family, offering their congratulations for a job well done, but others had heard of the restaurant by word of mouth and were eager to try the few items from the soft menu.

• Kelly Davis
• Know that's my kind of fork!

The style of the restaurant is casual and very appropriate for lunch, although breakfast and dinner are both served. A New Orleans Jazz Brunch is soon to come as well.

Upon entering the restaurant, diners order at a counter, then help themselves to the soda fountain and to any napkins and utensils they will need. Diners are provided a number so waiters can identify where orders should be delivered. There is seating both inside and out (facing the light rail line).

Our order came out in about five minutes, despite people continuing to pour in through the doors while I waited.

• Kelly Davis
• Shimp Po'Boy with Crab Mayo

"Organic."
"Local."
"Gluten-free."
"Kale."

Bristling with desire yet? Anticipation may be the heart-achiest of foreplay, but your days of wandering despondently through aisles of preservative-laden food-like products are soon coming to a close: Charlotte's first Whole Foods Market will be open for business on Wednesday, Aug. 29.

"But, Laura," you whimper through mouthfuls of the "buy 10, get 10 free" saccharin sweet treats you shamefully stuff your gluttonous gull with as you anxiously await the chain's arrival, "whatever will I do with my artificial coloring afflicted self until then?"

Fear not, my humanely raised lambs. Sneak preview days are here.

On Aug. 26 &27, a $5 donation to benefit Friendship Gardens gets you a behind-the scenes-look at the store,
located at the corner of Sharon and Fairview Roads in SouthPark. Attendees must register in advance for a time slot.

There's no actual shopping on the tour, but participants will be the first to learn about some of the 42,000 square-foot store's highlights and features, like the in-house smoker with North Carolina pork, gelato and smoothie bar, children's play area, and bar serving wine and beer. Taste samples in each department, and you also get a goodie bag.

In a press release, Whole Foods Market Charlotte’s Store Team Leader, Trevor Barhydt, said, “We are looking forward to giving the community a sneak peek of our first store here in Charlotte. We’re also thrilled to partner with Friendship Gardens, since their vision really aligns with our commitment to our community and to healthy eating. It’s really a great organization.”

The term "granola" never looked so good.

Seems the old saying about recession-proof spirits is spot on: just five months after opening, Salud Beer Shop is expanding from its NoDa location to the 7th Street Public Market.

Opening this Saturday, Aug. 18, the shop will be a smaller express version of NoDa's Salud, focusing on N.C. beers and seasonals from renowned breweries like Bells, Dogfish Head and Founders. Owner Jason Glunt has been handling the main store and is partnering with brother-in-law Dalton Espaillat, co-owner of Three Amigos, for the second.

"We decided it was a great opportunity, especially with the DNC coming to town in the short term, but in the long term for people Uptown to get good craft beer. 7th street is right off the light rail, so it's convenient," says Glunt.

The new store is just one way Glunt plans on moving his business forward. "We're going to try to get some rare, regional stuff in from places that don't distribute to Charlotte, including places in Asheville." An e-commerce site, with all Salud's inventory online and available for shipping or delivery, is also in the works.