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Friday, May 27, 2016

Out For The Night How to get in bed before 12 a.m. on the weekend

Posted By on Fri, May 27, 2016 at 6:35 PM

Once again I got an early start to the weekend after getting off work at a decent time on Friday. I had originally planned on a night at Strike City in EpiCentre, but opted for some much needed alone time — after all, I’m an only child. But that didn’t last long. After a couple glasses of wine at my condo, I decided to venture out on my own.
I hit up Hattie’s Tap and Tavern located on The Plaza. I reviewed the spot shortly after they opened last year and have made an effort to check in every once in a while. An intimate spot featuring live music, games and an outdoor patio, it’s the perfect place for one-on-one’s or quiet time by yourself. The patrons are friendly enough to have a conversation with but aware enough to know when you don’t want to chat — qualities that I love when I’m out by myself.
I managed to finally meet the owner, Jackie DeLoach as she ran home to prepare for the night’s entertainment — a Prince tribute band and local DJ, That Guy Smitty. Two vodka grapefruit juices later, I was thoroughly engaged in an entertaining conversation with a couple who worked for an event set-up company. They shared some of Charlotte’s best-kept secrets that they’ve stumbled upon while working. That conversation really left me intrigued. (Sidenote: Be on the lookout for a later column on underground spots in Charlotte.)
After finishing up my last drink I decided against keeping the party going. Feeling like an adult, I headed home. For the first time in a while, I exercised self-control, hopped in the shower and turned in before 12 a.m. on a Friday night.
The next morning my boyfriend and I had to coordinate a trip to Rock Hill, South Carolina, for yet another basketball tournament he was coaching at. In between games, we decided to check out a local spot. On the way to The Pump House — the area’s newest on-the-water restaurant and bar — we passed a wine bar. Who needs food when you have wine right? We grabbed a couple stools at Grapevine, a wine shop and bar just a hop, skip and a jump away from The Pump House.
A beautiful venue featuring industrial accents, an outdoor patio, charcuterie, cheeses and a vast selection of wine and beer, I was more than satisfied with the switch in our choice of venue. And I was even more satisfied once my eyes settled on a sour ale I haven’t tried. I chatted a bit with the bartenders about nightlife in Rock Hill, but from the sounds of it, outside of quirky little spots like Grapevine, there isn’t much of it.
The next morning I woke up without a hangover, which felt amazing. After my boyfriend’s second game ran late, nachos from Duckworth’s and a movie sounded like a dream come true, so that’s what we did. We were much more excited for Sunday Funday as the rainy weather started to clear up. I made reservations for us and few friends to grab brunch at 5Church.
A popular spot for drinks and food, I was ecstatic to add another brunch spot to my list. I was worried that we were going to run into issues making a reservation so late in the day, but after calling to secure a spot for six at 2:15 p.m. with no problem, I was relieved and looking forward to the experience.
The last time I had the pleasure of stopping by, bottomless mimosas were still a thing. But apparently a law was passed in North Carolina preventing that this year (talk about a buzzkill!). No real happy hours, no bottomless mimosas and legal discrimination in public bathrooms, North Carolina apparently just doesn’t want us to be great.
Nevertheless, a mimosa is only $2.50 at 5Church during brunch. Quite a deal if you ask me, and they also offer $28 pitchers for those that like sharing. If we all could grab a few of those bad boys at that price regularly, I guarantee we wouldn’t be worried about which bathroom we needed to use once the seal was broken. Did I mention the food was awesome? Try the croque madame.
After 5Church my plan was to head back home, but my crew was more interested in keeping the party going. We decided on VBGB Beer Hall and Garden for drinks and then ended the night at The Workman’s Friend in Plaza Midwood for dinner. This all left me exhausted and I ended up falling asleep on the Uber ride home. But guess what? I still managed to get in bed before 12 a.m. — that’s three times in one weekend! I think it’s safe to say I’m finding a balance between nightlife shenanigans and being an adult.

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Friday, May 20, 2016

Out For The Night Fun with the family goes without a hitch

Posted By on Fri, May 20, 2016 at 10:37 AM

Why is it that every Monday, no matter how long the weekend was, is accompanied by a sinking feeling of what’s to follow? That’s how I felt walking into work at 7:30 a.m. this past Monday after a four-day weekend. I had taken Friday off for my cousin’s graduation from Winston Salem State University and ended up working from home for three days. You would think that I would’ve been well-rested at the start of the week but that wasn’t the case.

On Thursday night, my nightcap included three glasses of wine, and a late bed time — I didn’t fall asleep until 2 a.m. on Friday. So, it’s not surprising that when my alarm went off around 7:15 a.m., I was startled. Feeling a little queasy, I rolled out of bed and threw on my outfit for the graduation. We arrived at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston Salem for the ceremony around 9:30 a.m. and I was feeling anxious to see my cousin walk across the stage, so we that we could get back on the road to Charlotte.

Five hours later — yes, I said five — the “Dirty Dozen,” as my family is often called, was packed and headed to the Queen City. If you picked up last week’s article then you may remember I talked about how hard it was to find things for a large family, with diverse interests, to do in the city. But then, I stumbled upon Blue Restaurant & Bar in Uptown.

As you can imagine, travelling with a large family is challenging. Disorganization, food and gas means an hour-and-a-half trip can easily turn into a three-hour adventure. After getting settled at Aloft in Epicentre, we quickly realized that dinner reservations in Ballantyne would have to be cancelled. Instead, we opted for Blackfinn Ameripub since that was just a hop, skip and a jump away from the hotel. Despite having heard great things about their food, I was still surprised at how delicious everything was — especially my blackened brie with sliced apples and apricot cranberry chutney. Not to mention, we snagged the perfect people-watching spot on the patio.

Of course my family was moving slow, so my pops and I closed out and walked ahead to make sure all was well with our reservations at Blue. Being situated on the corner of East 5th Street and North College Street, made Blue easy to find. The venue was beautiful featuring white linen, mood lighting, a fully stocked bar, a private dinner room and a lounge area. We were walked to couches situated to the right of the bar where the marketing and events coordinator, Deborah, sat after a long day. She was extremely accommodating and friendly — even helping us move the couches and chairs closer together for my family.

A grapefruit vodka and sour apple martini later, the crew started to arrive and, they too, were in awe of the atmosphere. They were having an event “A Night in Ecuador,” an earthquake relief fundraiser, so the live music feature was a Latin band instead of their usual jazz — they’ve been awarded “Best Place to Hear Jazz” in Charlotte — but we were still impressed by the vibe they created. The skinny on the spot? If you’re planning a special date, looking for a place to host a private party or you’re interested in an alternative to sloppy nightlife, Blue Restaurant & Bar has a lot to offer.

After Blue, we were hungry again. They weren’t serving food since the fundraiser was going on, so we decided on Enso Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar in the EpiCentre. This is one of my parents’ favorite spots to go to when they’re visiting the Q.C. That’s not just because almost everything we’ve tried on its Pan-Asian menu is amazing or because of the dimly-lit electronic house party feel. It’s because they love to watch the drunk people stumbling through EpiCentre while nestled on the patio right out front.

We ended up grabbing a couple more drinks — a mistake I regretted until 8 p.m. the next day — and two orders of Mongolian beef (my absolute favorite dish on their menu). Before long, we were asking the waitress if we could pick up wings from Wild Wing Cafe and bring them back.

As you can expect, the night ended on a boozy note. Most of my family retired to their respective hotel rooms while I grabbed my luggage and parked myself in front of a galaga machine in Tin Roof until 2 a.m. Though I’m still exhausted, I can honestly say weekend fun with the family in the Q.C. was a success. I popped my family-friendly nightlife cherry and now I’m up for the next challenge.

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Friday, May 13, 2016

Out For The Night The Dirty Dozen visits the Queen City

Posted By on Fri, May 13, 2016 at 1:46 PM

Believe it or not, I kept it low-key this past weekend. The work week consisted of a schedule adjustment consisting of early mornings and late nights in order to accommodate my boyfriend who needed to borrow my car. That meant only a few after work excursions — obviously — which included a couple margaritas on Cinco de Mayo and book club, my newest “adult” activity.

By the time Friday arrived, I really didn’t feel like socializing at all. And even though I got off work early, the commute home via light rail and a lost Uber landed me on the couch a full two hours after leaving my office. No nap after a long week equals an antisocial Friday night vegging in front of the TV. Not to mention, the next morning I was leaving the Q.C. to visit my mom for Mother’s Day.

I woke up the next morning, hopped in my car and headed North on I-85 towards the family home, an hour or so away. Shortly after arriving, my mom asked, “Have you found a place the family can go after graduation?” I let out a huge sigh.

My cousin is graduating from Winston Salem State University this coming weekend and the entire family is coming to Charlotte afterwards to celebrate. Things to note: Yes, Charlotte is a celebration destination when you’re from the country. Secondly, when I say the entire family, I’m referring to more than 12 people — we even get called the “Dirty Dozen” when we travel for vacation. Since my mom tasked me with finding a place for everyone to enjoy nightlife in the city, I was — for the first time, in a very long time — in uncharted territory.

Where could 12-15 people go for after dinner for drinks and entertainment in a family-friendly setting? I was perplexed since I’m the only heavy partier in the fam. So, I decided to do what any rational Charlottean would do during this dilemma, online research. My aunt had mentioned wine and jazz so I started my search with “live jazz in Charlotte, North Carolina.” The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art came up fairly quickly and I thought, ‘This is it!’ But after clicking the link, not only did I find that live jazz shows require tickets (at $14 a pop), but the events only occur on the first Friday each month and we’re planning for the second. And another sigh.

After realizing we were eating dinner in the area, I thought I would try searching for, “jazz in Ballantyne.” I came across an event in Ballantyne Village at D’vine Wine Café and again my hopes were lifted. Nope, that event was over a year ago and they’re closed now apparently. I decided to check out event calendars on Charlotte Culture Guide and Charlotte’s Got A Lot, clicking the “Kids and Families” tabs, which felt so strange.

In any other situation, I would have let my parents fend for themselves while I partied it up at Silent Disco’s ‘Rave the Roof’ party at Rooftop 210 at EpiCentre for my friend’s birthday. But this time, I have my whole family’s entertainment to worry about. My goal was to find a lounge-like place with live music and drinks that was large enough to accommodate them all. But most of the venues I’ve been to like this, are small and intimate.

My last ditch effort was going to be Blue Restaurant & Bar located in Hearst Tower in Uptown. While I was weary about the fact that it was a restaurant, I decided to check out its website. Anxious to find out whether this was going to be the winner, I headed straight to the “Events” tab.

The first thing I saw was, “Join us for Live Jazz on Fridays with Buff Dillard (every other week) at 9 p.m.! No cover charge necessary, first come first serve. Free parking for Blue customers validated in the Hearst Tower or complimentary valet.” I scrolled down to view the dates, and what do I see? May 13th! As excitement started to build, I clicked “Contact” and saw the venue had won a “Best Place to Hear Jazz” award. Yes!

I called the Blue to see if I needed reservations for my large party. And guess who scored an 8:45 p.m. reservation for the bar-lounge area featuring couches and chairs that supposedly can accommodate up to 15 people? That’s right, yours truly. And the best daughter of the year award for planning an epic family night out goes to ...

What’s even better? I still may make it to Silent Disco after all. Tell me, where have you taken your large family in the city? I’d love to know for the next time around.

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Out For The Night Overbooked

Posted By on Wed, May 4, 2016 at 5:28 PM

This past work week was spent like every other one. I crawled out of bed on Monday said every curse word possible and I spent the majority of my days wishing for the weekend. So when Friday arrived, I was more than eager to get my mini-vacation started. There was only one problem: all I wanted to do was sleep.

My boyfriend and I had stayed out kind of late watching the NFL Draft 2016 — I’m starting to realize there is no break from sports — at The Roasting Company Thursday night and before the clock struck 10 a.m. I was already exhausted. Despite the urge to turn up, I opted for vegging out in front of the T.V.

On Saturday morning the boyfriend, who wears far too many hats, had yet another AAU tournament but I decided to take time for myself. This led to a three hour shopping trip to Target looking for condo decorations using the Cartwheel App. After that, all I wanted to do was take a nap, but that wasn’t going to happen. My partner in crime’s birthday is almost exactly a week after mine so that meant we were going to be celebrating all night long.

To begin the evening, my boyfriend and I hopped in an Uber with his friend and headed to the first stop on her itinerary: Wooden Robot Brewery in South End. On the way we made nice with our driver and were having a great conversation when all of a sudden I hear my boyfriend shout and realized we were swiping another car as we turned on to the street. Talk about awkward. What exactly do you do in this situation? We ended up giving our numbers and walking the last portion of the trip before arriving at Wooden Robot’s door.

I was excited to finally have the opportunity to try out one of the newest breweries to hit the QC craft beer scene. A great venue for grabbing a pre-game drink or a brewery tour date, you’ll fall in love with the raw décor and beer selection. Unlike at other breweries I’ve visited and sampled at, I felt like each brew had a truly unique taste. My fave was a sour ale, my current beer family of choice, called the Peachy Apribot.

After stopping to give the police a statement about the wreck, we headed to Gin Mill, where I played Galaga and managed to spill a drink only a few minutes into play. That meant double fisting before being rushed off to the next stop, Tilt on Trade. My P.I.C. managed to snag a birthday table so it wasn’t long before we were stomping around between the bathroom, dance floor and DJ booth.

I woke up the next morning and walked nauseously downstairs to grab water when I noticed a half eaten steak and cheese pita that I begged my boyfriend for from Pita Pit. Just as I was settling into the idea of a lazy, rainy Sunday I realized I had long ago RSVPed to a friend’s graduation/engagement party. Le sigh.

I hadn’t even packed a presentable outfit so I went with the time tested church expression, “Come as you are.” I hopped in my car to head to Draught Charlotte. Even though I was underdressed, and without a shower, I was early for once. At least I scored brownie points with the family.

What started out as, “Aerin, you’re only going to have a mimosa, say congrats and head home” quickly turned into, “It would be silly to not take advantage of a $15 bottle of champagne.” Next thing you know, I’m talking everyone in the family’s ears off, texting my boyfriend, “I’m getting drunk btw” and begging him to stop by.

To give you an idea of how that went, the party started at 2 p.m. and by 6 p.m. we were being shuffled upstairs away from the event room downstairs. By 7 p.m. I’m shedding tears that were a combination of excitement over my friend’s long-time coming engagement, bitterness that I’m not engaged and, of course, way too much alcohol.

The night ended with silly arguments and confusion over “Fear the Walking Dead” followed by a nightcap consisting of take-out meat loaf, mashed potatoes and collard greens from Draught that led to a terrible tummy ache Monday morning. After getting a call in the middle of the next workday from my sweet but distraught Uber driver who had the brush up, I thought, “That little accident foreshadowed a rough weekend and workweek ahead.”

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