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.

A new restaurant in an old spot,5Church opens to the public today. Executive chef Jamie Lynch, most recently at Barrington's, is manning the kitchen, serving up traditional yet technique-driven American cuisine. And let me tell you, from what I've tasted, IMHO, this place is going to do quite well.

5Church is located at the corner of 5th and Church streets. Anyone who's been in Charlotte a few years knows this spot to have been a number of other concepts. Before Patrick Whalen, Alejandro Torio and Mills Howell took over, the location was a Scottish pub. But any remnants of those previous tenants have been completely wiped away with a total makeover. And we're not just talking a few coats of paint and new chairs. No, the vibe in this spot is uptown sophisticated, with a splash of artsy cool and geek chic.

But the food. That's why you're reading this post, am I right?

Last night, we had the opportunity to sample some of the dishes that will be on 5Church's menu. All night long, all I heard was good reviews. Here's what we had:

First Course

• CHILLED ASPARAGUS with soft boiled quail eggs, arugula, house-cured lox, radish

• MOREL GNOCCI, pea shoots, bacon

• GRILLED SHRIMP FLAT BREAD, arugula, red onion, borsin cheese

Great things are happening at the 7th Street Public Market. Tomorrow, Pure Pizza celebrates its grand opening there with live music, craft beer on draft and more.

• www.facebook.com/PurePizza
• Fresh cherry tomatoes, ricotta cheese, arugula and sliced garlic

Pure Pizza's claim to fame is that it's Charlotte's only farm-to-fork pizzeria, boasting locally grown and organic ingredients.

Check them out tomorrow, May 2, from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The spotlight on Southern fare doesn't seem to be dimming anytime soon - Charlotte can now count another ode to comfort food on its restaurant roster.

• Inside Delta's

Describing its cuisine as "upscale soul food,"Delta's Charlotte (525 N. Tryon, former home of GW Fins) will feature lunch, brunch, dinner and live jazz and R&B throughout the week. The location is the second of what owners Coretta King and Joshua Suggs hope to be many. The duo are already planning on opening Delta restaurants in Houston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. over the next five years.

To celebrate the new eatery, Delta's hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the media, public officials and other prominent individuals:

Tax time can make or break a budget, and if this year's filing left you feeling a little light in the pockets, you may be looking for a picker-upper of sorts to lift that broke-ass mood.

Carbohydrates, I believe this is where you shine.

This is the deal: from Friday, April 13 through Tuesday, April 17 (tax day), Bruegger's is offering its Big Bagel Bundle for $10.40 (get it?), allowing customers to choose a baker's dozen (13) of their favorite bagels and two tubs of Bruegger's cream cheese for a savings of $4-5, depending on the location.

Guests are asked to visit Bruegger's Facebook page to download and print the tax day coupon through Tuesday, April 17.

Now you know. So go on and treat yourself, you tireless little taxpayer, you.

What's cookin', good lookin'? Barbecue, that's what.

• Mmm, mmm!

Zink American Kitchen is stepping up the idea of the Sunday family meal with their new All-American BBQ Sundays. For $24 per person, you and your nearest and dearest can dig into unlimited servings of entrees and sides fit for a southern fried king: Backyard chicken, BBQ pork ribs, pulled pork, corn on the cob (with boursin butter), aged cheddar mac n' cheese, southern beans, cole slaw, pasta salad and, if you're really going all out, peach cobbler for dessert.

If you're really looking for a deal, you can buy one All-American BBQ special and get a second half-price through April. Download your coupon here.

As we stuff our scarcely worn winter coats into the backs of our closets and thoughts turn to checking "spring cleaning" off our to-do lists, it's not a bad idea to take that mentality and run with it all the way to the grocer's.

What better way to recharge that "new year, new me" resolution than to rid your home of processed, nutritionally questionable food-like items and stockpile your kitchen with fresh, local deliciousness? Here, CL gives you the deets on a farmers market near you.

Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
One of only five markets actually owned by the state of North Carolina and operated by the N.C. Department of Agriculture, it's now open Tuesday through Saturday, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., until September. Summer hours take place May through August, on Sundays from 12:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
1801 Yorkmont Road; 704-357-1269.

Kings Drive Farmers Market
The Simpson family has been running their produce-oriented operation since 1941. The market's grand re-opening is scheduled for Friday, April 6.
938 South Kings Drive; 704-332-6366..

If you're one of those poor souls who, day in and day out, finds yourself roped into Providence Road's human centipede of a commuter line, take solace in knowing you have a new place to treat yourself a pick-me-up: Einstein Bros. Bagel, situated at the corner of Providence and Queens in the Myers Park Shopping Center.

Charlotte entrepreneur Phil Rice inaugurated the new location bright and early today, at 5:30 a.m. This is the third Einstein Bros. Bagel opened by Rice, "Charlotte's King of Bagels," who has been in the food business for the last 10 years. Rice is slated to open his fourth Einstein Bros. location on April 17. He plans to open a total of 15 Einstein Bros. Bagels throughout the area.

"The craveable food and comfortable atmosphere of Einstein Bros. Bagels connect with our neighbors here in Charlotte," said Rice in a press release. "Despite the brand's small presence here in Charlotte, it already has a huge customer base. There's tremendous opportunity for growth into several new neighborhoods in the area."

As with any good grand opening, the restaurant is offering an incentive to its potential visitors the first 1,000 customers today get a complimentary travel mug.

With a great view of the Uptown skyline from its patio, Picante Mexican Grille is now open on Morehead Street.

• Desiree Kane

Yesterday, CL's Web Strategist Desiree Kane stopped in, and this was her first impression: "The place had a Dirty Bird Records mix playing (super sexy San Francisco house music), which is going to go very far with the EDM nerds as well as bankers who like 'rich' sounding house music," she says. "It's also inexpensive, tasty, and is in just the right location with a great view of the city from the deck."

• Desiree Kane

The website boasts fresh Mexican inspired burritos, tacos and salads, and says to be kid-friendly. The grand opening is soon to come. Picante Mexican Grille is located at 1500 W. Morehead St., Suite A. Call 704-375-6000 for more information.

Have you checked out Picante Mexican Grille yet? What do you think?