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Thursday, October 30, 2014
Down and Dirty Bosky Acres' farm dinner raises money to complete cheese cave
Posted By Alison Leininger on Thu, Oct 30, 2014 at 1:16 PM
For foodies like me, farm dinners are the epitome of eating local. Charlotte is blessed with a winning combination of dedicated farmers connected with passionate, talented chefs who like to play with their food. My only problem with farm dinners is that I usually hear about them after they're over.
So here's my favor to you: Bosky Acres goat farm in Waxhaw is having a dinner Saturday, Nov. 8, at nearby Pecan Lane Farm. The event is a fundraiser to complete a cheese cave for Bosky Acres, but for you, it's also an opportunity to feel righteous about enjoying delectable dishes from half a dozen of those passionate, talented chefs.
Whoa, let's back up here … a cave? What does a cave have to do with cheese?
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Beer Panthers fumble with misplaced beer cart
Posted By Jonathan Wells on Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 4:13 PM
Yesterday, I witnessed the Panthers put forth great effort, yet come up just short. I’m not talking about their performance on the field versus the Seahawks, yet it still certainly applies. No, I’m referring to something that can be found outside section 101 — the Beer Garden.
It’s not the Beer Garden itself I have a problem with. The Panthers organization has really outdone itself here, making a point to feature craft beer from across both Carolinas. Charlotte favorites NoDa and Olde Mecklenburg can be found here, as well as offerings from Foothills and RJ Rockers. And kudos to them for making this one of many places to find local craft beer inside Bank of America Stadium.
My problem is simple — located just underneath a sign touting the “Local Craft” offerings is a prominent beer cart that peddles wares that are neither local nor craft.
- Ford Craven/Cheers Charlotte Radio
Friday, October 24, 2014
Down and Dirty Make room for mushrooms
Posted By Alison Leininger on Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 10:55 AM
If tomatoes and corn are the headliners of the farmers market, mushrooms would be the opening band. Some people love them, some hate them, and you're not always sure where they came from or where they'll pop up next.
While I see mushroom purveyors nearly every week at various markets, many have popped up and vanished over the years. Most recently, I discovered Allen's Farm at the Matthews Community Farmers Market, selling shiitake mushrooms from Anson County.
- Alison Leininger
- Mushrooms from Allen's Farm
Food News The new Passion8 opens this weekend
Posted By Alison Leininger on Fri, Oct 24, 2014 at 10:48 AM
For Luca and Jessica Annunziata, Passion8 is more than the name of their eight-year-old restaurant. The couple's work at their Fort Mill location was an expression of love, from their determined support of local farmers to the warm atmosphere created for a long list of regulars who enjoyed Luca's elegant fare.
This weekend, Passion8 grows from passion into love, dropping the "Bistro" from its name and moving into the upscale Elizabeth neighborhood. Inside the high-ceilinged space that seats 120 diners, Fort Mill's brash décor of lush reds gives way to a more sophisticated palette of earthy burgundy, sage and muted gold. The large area is divided into three primary dining rooms and an airy bar, plus a 10-seat chef's table with a plate-glass view into the kitchen. Curtains and partial walls define each section, lending the whole an open, yet intimate feeling. As Jessica noted, lighting is key here, and the gorgeous chandeliers add their own touch of decadence and charm.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Food News Lulu announces it will close ... at the end of the year
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Tue, Oct 21, 2014 at 3:26 PM
The 9-year-old neighborhood bistro in Plaza Midwood posted on Facebook over the weekend that its last night open will be New Year's Eve. A two-and-a-half month notice? Get in while you fit in.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Down and Dirty Carved competition gets local chefs sharpening their knives
Posted By Alison Leininger on Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 2:22 PM
Have you ever found yourself elbow-deep in a half-carved pumpkin, wishing for the knife skills of a chef? Well, I don't have a magic wand that will instantly bestow years' worth of talent on your slimy little hands, but I do know where you can watch some of Charlotte's top culinary professionals battle it out this Sunday for the title of best pumpkin carver in the land.
For the second year, the Piedmont Culinary Guild (PCG) brings us Carved, a massive jack-o'-lantern contest featuring over 25 local chefs playing with knives at the 7th Street Market. Last year's competition was the first public event sponsored by the PCG, a chef- and farmer-focused nonprofit supporting collaboration among all members of our local food system. Not originally conceived as an annual tradition, the Halloween-themed contest was transformed into an instant classic by the chefs' enthusiastic response.
- Courtesy of the Piedmont Culinary Guild
- Clockwise from left: Marc Jacksina (Earl's Grocery), Nicolas Daniels (formerly of Wooden Vine), Chris Coleman (The Asbury), Alyssa Gorelick (Chef Alyssa's Kitchen), Skydome Itim (Heirloom) and Maria Marquez (the Art Institute of Charlotte)
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Beer A spotlight on NoDa's first professional female brewer
Posted By David Aurelius on Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 3:22 PM
Over at NoDa Brewing, Matt Virgil’s beard is already starting to show after he recently mowed it off for the Clean Shaven Kickoff Party a few weeks back. His assistant brewer, Brian Schonder, is still sporting the majestic fiery red bush that glows enough to light up the brewery at night. At Triple C, Chris Harker looks like he’s getting a headstart for “No-shave” November, and co-owner/head brewer Scott Kimball won’t be afraid of a frosty chin either, as the weather grows colder.
But at Heist Brewery, head brewer Eric Mitchell’s beard is a little lonely. In an industry dominated by beer bellies and big beards, Charlotte’s craft beer scene welcomed its first professional female brewer this past summer. Alexa Long, 26, is the first female to be on staff as a brewer at any of Charlotte’s craft breweries. This past spring, she won first place for her Spring Fever saison at the 24th annual Carolina Brewmasters‘ US Open.
- David Aurelius
Friday, October 10, 2014
Keia Is Hungry Eat This: Brownie à la mode
Posted By Keia Mastrianni on Fri, Oct 10, 2014 at 3:36 PM
It seems almost counterintuitive to overlook the enticing selection of seasonal and artistic dessert creations made by pastry chef Ashley Boyd at 300 East only to settle for a perceived commoner — the brownie à la mode. Am I crazy to suggest you bypass the tender and pliant goat cheese panna cotta or the perfectly autumn sorghum molasses cookie stuffed with homemade butterscotch ice cream and head straight for the stuff of church bake sales? Would I lose my street cred if I told you to choose a dessert that’s been corporately bastardized in chain restaurants into morbidly obese caricatures of confection crowned with Reddi-Whip? Perhaps. Except this brownie is different.
The brownie has always been on the menu at 300 East, since its beginnings in 1986. But pastry chef Ashley Boyd, self-taught and mentored under exceptional pastry chefs from Chicago to Atlanta, reworked the concept into what it is today — an impeccable version that is doomed to be eaten in its entirety once it hits the table.
Boyd uses Callebaut chocolate in her brownie recipe which, when baked and plated, is equal parts cake and fudge. Soft, warm and borderline gooey, it is everything to delight your inner fat kid. The high quality Belgian genius of Callebaut ensures that this brownie maintains its chocolatey integrity and exudes a quiet sophistication instead of veering off into a saccharin one-note bite of disappointment. Boyd pairs her brownie with a honey chocolate sauce, salted caramel and, of course, vanilla bean ice cream.
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Photos: Mint Museum's Allure of Flowers After Hours
A peek into a fancy foodie fundraising event that incorporated flowers into, well, everything.
