• Courtesy of The Unknown Brewing Co.

Charlotte's newest addition to the burgeoning craft beer scene is planning to throw down this Saturday for its grand opening celebration. The Unknown Brewing Company has garnered quite the buzz since stepping on the scene earlier this summer and with good reason. They are looking to make a big splash with a 30-barrel brewhouse inside a 25,000-square-foot space near the Bank of America Stadium.

Owner Brad Shell, a seasoned veteran of big craft beer (he worked at Sweetwater Brewing Company and consulted at Terrapin Beer Co. before becoming general manager of Rogue Brewing Co.) says this grand opening is 10 years in the making.

"I got a job at a brewery on accident by drinking there," says Shell. "I worked for 10 years, studying the craft and helped build three of the top 25 craft breweries in the nation. It's time to go big or go home."

Go big, indeed. The Unknown Brewing Company is dropping a fifth of its marketing budget on the grand opening shindig with music from Nashville-based DeRobert & The Half-Truths, Charlotte's Bubonik Funk and Brooklyn-based band The London Souls plus food from Three Amigos. They will showcase three flagship beers - Over the Edge (a USPA, 6.9 percent ABV), Head First (Pale Ale, 5.6 percent ABV) and No Shame (Wheat Beer, 5.1 percent ABV) - and plan to release a different specialty beer every hour on the hour throughout the grand opening event. Shell promises an unforgettable grand finale at 9:45 p.m., which will remain unknown until then.

One thing Shell is adamant about is that The Unknown Brewing Company is not about being mysterious or ambiguous. Rather, it is about living the unknown, living without boundaries and going after the adventure.

The taproom will be open this Saturday and tours will be given throughout the day. The Unknown Brewing Company is located at 1327 S. Mint St. The grand opening event is from 4p.m. to 10 p.m. Follow The Unknown Brewing Company on Facebook.

Nan & Byron's, the eagerly anticipated second project from MAP Management (the team that created 5Church in Uptown), celebrates its grand opening tonight. The restaurant, which occupies the former Vinnie's Raw Bar space in South End, boasts a casual-chic family-friendly atmosphere and a menu of classic comfort food favorites created by chefs Marc Jacksina and Jamie Lynch.

• Melissa Oyler
• Chilled Shrimp appetizer

The cuisine is classically American. Expect to find hearty pot pie, meatballs with sauce and roasted chicken with elevated twists from chef Jamie Lynch. Think sriracha ketchup on a comforting slab of meatloaf and peppadew peppers stuffed with aged cheddar cheese. The restaurant also boasts a menu of creative cocktails and local beers on tap, with plans to stay open late on weekends for the nightlife hungry.

Nan and Byrons opens tonight from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. and will be celebrating all weekend with a DJ after 11 p.m. Reservations can be made online or by phone at 980-224-7492. The restaurant is located at 1714 South Blvd.

Baku restaurant, a new Japanese concept, opens its doors in South Park today. The restaurant features cuisine prepared on robata and yakitori grills. Robata literally translates to "around the fire" and is an ancient style of cooking on a charcoal grill heated to 800 degrees. Yakitori features specialty meats grilled on skewers. In addition, Baku will feature sushi and sashimi, an extensive sake and cocktail menu and lounge areas open until 2 a.m. on the weekends.

While the cuisine is authentic, Chef Michael Shortino says it's not "traditional", leaving room for him to get creative and to spotlight local NC producers.

Baku Restaurant is located at 4515 Sharon Road, Charlotte 28211. Call for reservations 704-817-7173 or visit the website, www.baku-restaurant.com. Hours of operation are Mon.-Thurs. 4 p.m.-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4 p.m.- 2 a.m. and Sundays 4 p.m.- 11 p.m.

• Photo by Keia Mastrianni

If you have driven on North Graham Street in Uptown, it is likely you have gone by Fourth Ward Bread Co. and wondered, "Is that place ever going to open?" The hand-painted letters reading "Cafe" and "Bakery" on the large facade and the logo, airbrushed to the brick on the building's side, invites passersby to stop regularly. I've been by a grand total of five times, like a creeper.

Each time, Ken Schneider, owner of the Fourth Ward Bread Co. welcomes me in and chats me up amidst the chaos and commotion of opening a food business - foot traffic, phones ringing, city delays and inevitable equipment failure.

• Photo by Keia Mastrianni

Cotswold. What a nice little nook of a neighborhood, with its big box stores and suburban sprawl. It's comforting to know I can grab a Starbucks before heading to a yoga class or grocery shop while the dog is groomed at the local Petsmart. Ah, convenience.

Starting tomorrow, I can add worldly goods, crazy awesome area rugs and food products from other countries that I don't need but will definitely buy when World Market celebrates its grand opening in the Cotswold Village.

• Rebecca Gordon, Contributing Editor for Southern LIving Magazine

Thursday begins a weekend-long celebration featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony, free stuff (woo-hoo!) and a visit from Rebecca Gordon, Contributing Editor of Southern Living Magazine on Saturday. Gordon is the author of the Southern Living Tailgating book and will be whipping up Red Velvet Coca-Cola Cupcakes and Wrapped Muffuletta Sliders as part of the grand opening festivities.

Here's the rundown:

Thursday, Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.

Ribbon cutting ceremony with city officials and members of the local chamber of commerce to officially mark the opening of World Market.

Saturday, Sept. 14 from 12-2 p.m.

Rebecca Gordon will host a live cooking demo and food tastings inside the store.

All weekend long the first 200 customers through the store each day will receive a World Market reusable tote and on Sunday, patrons will have a chance to receive more in-store freebies. Three cheers for consumerism! And free stuff!

World Market is located at 330 S. Sharon Amity Road, Charlotte, NC 28211. For more information, visit www.worldmarket.com

Brown liquor. It's the stuff of granddads and stiff drinks, the kind of thing that will make an ice cube weep. In the South, bourbon is as American as apple pie - a quintessential liquor that goes well beyond the happy hour cocktail.

In her latest cookbook, the Queen City's very own Kathleen Purvis, food editor for the Charlotte Observer and Southern foodways maven takes us on an intoxicating journey through the history of bourbon. Released today by the UNC-Press, Bourbon is the latest installment in the Savor the South cookbook collection, a series celebrating the food traditions of the American South.

This is Purvis' second contribution to the series (her first was Pecans), which already boasts titles like Biscuits by Belinda Ellis (also released today), Peaches by Kelly Alexander, Buttermilk by Debbie Moose, and Tomatoes by Miriam Rubin. The petite cookbooks, about 100 pages each, provide an in-depth look into the cultural importance of each book's namesake complete with a historical look at the ingredient and 50+ recipes highlighting its attributes.

Purvis traveled through Kentucky to distill the science behind bourbon and its long and careful production. Find out why bourbon must be made in America and aged for at least two years in new American oak barrels that are charred on the inside, and discover new recipes like Bourbon-Coffee Brulee and Bourbon-Chicken Liver Pate. Purvis will take you on a journey using her trademark wicked wit and Southern food knowledge to entice your food curiosity as well as your palate.

Bourbon is available now at Park Road Books and through the UNC-Press. Kathleen Purvis will be doing a book signing with Belinda Ellis, the author of Biscuits, on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. For more information, visit http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/12224.html.

The generous, infectious and evergreen thumb of Robin Emmons, founder of Sow Much Good, continues to grow good things in Charlotte with the grand opening of a brand-new urban farm on Sunset Road this Saturday, Aug. 10. The nonprofit organization, which grows healthy, pesticide-free produce for low-income populations, broke ground on SMG's third and largest plot of land to date earlier this year and hopes to further its mission by bringing more food to folks living in urban food deserts.

According to a 2010 Community Food Assessment conducted the Mecklenburg County Health Department, nearly 73,000 people in Mecklenburg County live in food deserts, areas with limited access to fresh, healthy foods. The Sunset Road Urban Farm intends to use the space not only for charitable growing, but for educational purposes and a community center where, as Emmons says, the "haves" and the "have nots" can come together for the common good.

• Photo Courtesy of Sow Much Good

The Urban Farm Stand & Market, located at 3400 Sunset Road, will open at 8 a.m. to the public this Saturday with a variety of produce and local honey for sale. Chef Brent Garrison will be on site with cooking demonstrations at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to show people how to cook with local and seasonal ingredients. The event will last until 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit Sow Much Good on Facebook.

From now through Aug. 18 midnight, CL's Best of Charlotte FOOD & DRINK category will be live for you to access. Last year, the critics chose Fern: Flavors From the Earth for Best New Restaurant, while you dear readers chose 5Church.

Here is the list of categories you'll be voting on:
Best New Restaurant (Opened In Last 12 Months)
Best Splurge Restaurant
Best Cheap Restaurant
Best Late-Night Eatery
Best Soul Food Restaurant
Best Gourmet/Specialty Food Store
Best Breakfast
Best Lunch
Best Brunch
Best Barbecue
Best Local Coffee Shop
Best Steak House
Best Seafood Restaurant
Best Pizza (Specify Location)
Best Asian
Best Sushi
Best Italian
Best Mexican
Best Middle Eastern
Best Caribbean
Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant
Best Cupcake Shop
Best Place to Get Dessert
Best Hamburger
Best Hot Dog
Best Wings
Best Frozen Treat
Best Food Truck
Best Local Brewery

Choose your favorite chicken spot, food truck and other restaurants to reflect the best of what the Queen City's food scene has to offer.

VOTE NOW.

PS: Save the date, folks. CL's annual Best of Charlotte issue will hit stands on Oct. 3. And ... (insert dramatic pause for effect)... there will be a party.

North Carolina boasts its fair share of Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence, but there's never been one awarded to a restaurant in Gaston County until The String Bean Fresh Market & Deli in Belmont received the honor this month.

Gaston County may not have much to offer in the way of culinary prestige, but the String Bean is a delicious place to start. The restaurant offers about 300 types of wine from Europe, South Africa, Australia and the U.S. Owner Chad Hutcheson said they plan to add 100 more within the next year. And, in addition to an amazing wine selection, the restaurant boasts a large variety of craft beers, an on-site butcher shop, fresh seafood flown in daily and a menu utilizing fresh local ingredients.

• Erin Tracy-Blackwood

Hutcheson announced The String Bean had received the Award of Excellence Monday night during a VIP wine tasting at the restaurant where guests were treated to an array of wines from around the world, poured by experts eager to share the history of each one.