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Thursday, June 23, 2016

Out For The Night Drinks on the boss are the best

Posted By on Thu, Jun 23, 2016 at 12:26 PM

The best thing about working for a company that is primarily composed of twentysomethings is that grabbing drinks after work is not only acceptable, but a regular occurrence.
 
It’s definitely something we look forward to as the work day comes to a close. Not to mention, team happy hours on the company card are always a celebrated after work activity that adds to employee morale.

(Disclaimer: “Happy hour” is traditionally referred to as a period of time in which a public venue offers discounts on alcohol and food items. In North Carolina, however, a public venue can’t offer discounts on alcohol from say, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Any specials that NC bars and restaurants offer have to go all day long. So when I say “happy hour” below, I’m simply referring to “after work drinks.”)
Last week, my boss asked if I would find somewhere for our team to go for happy hour.

While I love exploring the latest venues in the Queen City, I’m still learning how to apply my nightlife skills to diverse crowds, so I get a tad nervous when anyone asks for my advice on where they should go. And I was extra nervous when I found out I was coordinating happy hour for almost 30 people.

My first thought was, “Where’s the most convenient venue we can go that will be large enough to accommodate a large crowd and also offer decent drink specials?” Now that our office is located Uptown, the possibilities were seemingly endless, but as I went down the list of familiar spots, my options started wearing thin.

After all, who wants to have a semi-professional happy hour in the same place they were making out in, or arguing with bartender just a few short days ago?

I decided to play it safe and suggested we go to McCormick & Schmick’s, which was only a two-floor elevator ride away. They offer a wide variety of cocktails, wine and beer specials all day long, as well as a few discounted food options from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. starting at $3. (Note: food specials are only available at the bar and on the patio).

On Wednesdays, it can get really crowded at McCormick’s because they also offer $1 shrimp and oysters. I decided to call and make a reservation. The very next day, the sales manager called me back to confirm my reservation. Talk about fancy! She was very professional and patient despite my inexperience coordinating something quite like this. She explained our options and sent over a contract.

When the clock struck 5 o’clock on hump day, we had our very own private room (secured without a rental fee from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. and a commitment to a $350 tab minimum — not too shabby). Tucked in the back right corner of the upscale restaurant, I crossed my fingers that everything would go down without a hitch, especially since I didn’t check out the room before hand.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered the room and was welcomed by an intimate atmosphere sprinkled with cocktail tables, the perfect environment for sharing laughs over a few drinks with co-workers. A few minutes later, our team members were rolling in and waiting as patiently as possible for our first drinks of the night.

I glanced at the featured cocktails on the happy hour menu and decided on one with tequila — in spite of our rough history — and orange juice.
Surprisingly, it was refreshing and not heavily tainted with the robust flavor that I was familiar with when I’d had tequila shots in the past.

Before you knew it, most of us were two drinks in, shaking off the work day and letting go of the awkward discomfort that comes with chatting with new faces. Even though we didn’t fold an appetizer buffet into our contract, the staff was more than happy to accommodate the hungry tummies that convinced our boss to add a few food trays to the mix. Calamari, bacon-wrapped shrimp and quesadillas — talk about mouth-wateringly delicious!

Needless to say, happy hour for our teams was a humpday success. And my team, the real “original gangsters,” shut the shindig down as we were the last to walk out the door.

What are some of your favorite happy hour spots in the Q.C. and what do you like best about those spots? backtalk@clclt.com.

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Friday, June 17, 2016

Events Flight will have you flying inside

Posted By on Fri, Jun 17, 2016 at 4:33 PM


While the Northside of Uptown has seen its fair share of closes (Cosmos and Re:Public both shut their doors in January), there appears to be a sign of fresh new life at 314 College Street. The space that formerly hosted the beat-throbbing dance club Re:Public is now occupied by Flight, a beer/concert hall with more than 90 beers - most of which come from local and regional craft breweries and indoor/outdoor German-style table seating.

Though Flight officially opened in April, the venue is having its Grand Opening party on Saturday, June 18 — and all are invited to celebrate. (Tip: RSVP to amy@flightclt.com for VIP tickets, which include complimentary food and beer from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. Folks can also enter the grand prize drawing for a chance to win tickets to Carolina's Aviation Museum and for a helicopter ride for two via Queen City Helicopters).

We hit up Flight prior to the weekend's festivities and here are five reasons we think you should check it out this weekend.

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1) It's a craft beer hub in Uptown. While neighborhoods like South End and NoDa have breweries within walking distance of one another, Uptown has been pretty stagnant in terms of stops that provide craft beer with a brewery-like feel. Flight feels like a brewery mixed with the Music Factory's VBGB, only bigger and nestled in the heart of Uptown. 

2) You can drink and play. Giant Jenga, board games and other activities are there to give patrons something to do while they drink. And, you know how much adults like to play these days. There's "Name that Tune" trivia on Tuesday nights, too.

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3) Lots of live music is slated to go down on the venue's indoor stage. We can't promise it'll be good music, but since this new spot is coming during a time when some local venues have closed and others are struggling to stay open, we're pretty excited about the potential. There's Country Night on Thursdays, in addition to more live music of varying genres on Fridays and Saturdays. Flight also hopes to launch Live Band Karaoke, as well as an In-Flight Movie Night in the future.

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4) They have a full kitchen on site and the menu is full of options. Would you prefer something to nibble on like IPA-battered asparagus, potato pancakes or a Local Loaf soft Belgian style pretzel or are you in need of a loaded brat (so many ways to customize these babies), a burger or sandwich? if you're hungry, you won't need to stray.

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5) Local art is all over the walls. Check out the celebrity corner on the back wall by the stage where there is also a smaller bar with music memorabilia. Nicole Desourdy pays tribute to music legends like Amy Winehouse, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Madonna, David Bowie and more.

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Look closely and for preliminary sketches of future additions. Matt Moore and Matt Hooker, known simply as "The Matts" in the local art community, have also painted the area behind the main bar, as well as the painting of the girl on the rocket at the venue's entrance.
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Flight is located at 314 College St. Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-12 a.m. 980-474-1551. www.flightclt.com.

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Thursday, June 16, 2016

Out For The Night From booze to babies

Posted By on Thu, Jun 16, 2016 at 11:13 AM

“Whew, it’s Monday.” That’s all I could think while sleep walking into the office after a long weekend. Unlike most of my Monday mornings, I wasn’t hungover from boozing it up all weekend. Instead, I was simply exhausted.

Friday, the last official day of the work week, started as any other — filled with excitement and wanderlust for the weekend. In good spirits, I made my way from the light rail to my office on South Tryon in Uptown. I was pleasantly surprised when the roads were blocked off thanks to yet another festival — Taste of Charlotte — on our busy street.

While I can understand how frustrating it may be for those driving to deal with the changing traffic patterns Uptown on event weekends, I personally love the fact that I can walk right out of my office at lunch and be welcomed by the exciting sights and sounds of hundreds of Charlotteans, warm sunshine, live music, food and, of course, wine.

For those who didn’t head Uptown this weekend, Taste of Charlotte happens once a year during the summer. The popular festival features local restaurants and businesses in the area and spans six blocks from Stonewall Street to 5th Street, across Tryon Street. There is no entry fee, but you have to purchase coins in order to take advantage of activities and buy food.

While I would have loved to partake in the festivities, my bank account and anxiety about finishing up the work day early took precedence. Not to mention, one of my closest friends at work was celebrating his last day with our company and we were on a mission to find hot dogs.

The usual mobile vendors strategically placed along Tryon Street were nowhere to be found due to the festival. We got lucky, however, when we found out that one of the mobile vendors, Green’s Lunch, had a storefront just a couple blocks away at the corner of W. 4th Street and S. Poplar Street. We grabbed a hot dog, chips and a drink for $4.23 (talk about cheap) and went back to the office to finish up work so we could prepare for yet another night out in the Queen City.

After getting off semi-early, I hopped on the light rail to Pineville, grabbed my car and scooped my ex-coworker for his goodbye/see you later celebration at All American Pub in South End. A lot of our friends were meeting us so we were excited to see a few faces we hadn’t seen outside of the office in a while. And I was extra antsy to get the night started since I knew my boyfriend and I were going to be babysitting all day Saturday, which meant we were going to miss out on a premier party night.

We were actually early for once, so the three of us stuffed our faces before everyone started showing up — the Philly cheesesteak with honey mustard is my jam. And before you know it our table was spilling onto the patio, filled with RBVs, empty shot glasses and beer. Just when things were starting to heat up and the drinks were flowing, my group announced they were planning a move to The Gin Mill South End, another popular spot around the corner. This made for the perfect Irish exit — departure without telling any friends — for my boyfriend and I.

Saturday at 9 a.m. we pulled up at my boyfriend’s sister’s house. She has two beautiful bundles of joy, a two-year-old and a three month old. We spent a decent amount of time brainstorming ideas for child-appropriate fun beforehand, but once the door closed and we were left alone staring at two active boys, we decided house arrest was best.

Around five baby naps, one toddler nap, two adult boyfriend naps, seven dirty diapers, five bottles, three episodes of The Octonauts and two episodes of “Maya the Bee” later, we were exhausted. I think it’s safe to say the best birth control in the world is actually having to take care of kids. By the time 1 a.m. rolled around and his mom showed up to take over, we barely wanted to look at each other, let alone end the night grabbing a drink at a nearby bar, so we called it quits.

It wasn’t until some friends and I hit up Lake Wylie for Sunday Funday that I realized how tired and sore — from holding a baby pretty much all day (yeah, I know, I should be working out) — I really was. Needless to say, hitting the sack after getting some work done later on that night was a dream come true.

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Thursday, June 9, 2016

Out For The Night Introducing new venues to Charlotte’s nightlife

Posted By on Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 6:10 PM

The warms vibes of summer are officially here in the Queen City. Everyone seems to be buzzing with energy in Uptown. Nine-to-fivers pile out of the skyscrapers we’ve all come to recognize as the heartbeat of Charlotte and head to happy hour after work. And what’s most exciting? All the newness and unfamiliarity that comes with new venues as the city continues to grow.

This past week it was my mission to try something new. While going out and consuming my fair share of beverages gives me something to look forward to after a long work day, or week, it’s completely normal to get tired of the same ole, same ole.

First on tap, was coordinating a happy hour with my team. We didn’t want a venue where we would feel uncomfortable or dressed down, so we went carefully through a list of unfamiliar venues. Since they were a younger group, with less experience going out in Uptown, I had no qualms with suggesting Flight Beer Garden & Music Hall, which opened a month or so ago.

If you’re familiar with the ever-changing nightlife scene in Charlotte, then you know that venue names change pretty regularly. Flight is the newest update to the ongoing College Street renovations. It was previously Re:Public, an urban nightlife spot. I had visited the popular venue a couple times before when an old roommate worked the door. I was shocked at the changes as we pulled out our IDs at the door, entered the courtyard and filled out an info sheet before receiving our membership cards. (Sidenote: Most places are doing membership cards around the city now, so prepare for more than flashing your ID.)

We grabbed a seat at one of the many picnic tables — which coincidentally, were purchased from one of my teammates’ previous employer — inside underneath a skylight and pulled out the drink menu. The inside bar features more than 80 different local beers, so of course the first thing I searched for was a sour ale. Luckily, there was more than one. I grabbed Sierra Nevada’s Otra Vez and kicked off happy hour with the team.

A laid-back and bright atmosphere during the early evening, we could all definitely say we’d be back for drinks after work in the future. And it wasn’t until I returned Friday night, when I met up with my partner in crime, that I noticed the outside bar. I flashed my ID and stepped through the doorway welcomed by a much more familiar vibe — dim lighting, contagious laughter, drunken conversations and live music. Overwhelmed by the amount of people inside, I opted for waiting for my friend at the more anti-social bar outside.

Since it was also her first visit, she too, was impressed by the overall look and feel of the only beer garden and music hall Uptown. While she didn’t remember much about the time when we’d come to Re:Public together, we both agreed the change was a good one. And for those that like food and games, there’s cornhole and a full menu that features a tantalizing mac and cheese that I’ll be ordering the next time around.

The highlight of my week, however, was attending the grand opening of nightlife siblings, Craft City Social Club and City Lights Uptown. The first, is located on the first floor of the Sheraton, alongside a pool. The second offers an immaculate view of the skyline from the rooftop of Le Meridien next door.
With more free time than normal, my boyfriend surprised me when he suggested we check it out on Thursday night. While it was rainy Thursday afternoon, the drizzle stopped enough for us to enjoy a couple cocktails at both venues. We parked in the lot to the right of the Sheraton, grabbed an umbrella and headed toward the entrance.

The key takeaways:
* Each venue features a different drink/food menu (prices ranging from $7-$17 for food and $9-$26 for cocktails).

* Craft City Social Club, downstairs in Sheraton, features games such as darts, pool, shuffleboard, Connect Four and Jenga.

* Did I mention the best part about being poolside? There’s pool access and cabanas available for rent.

* While the rooftop bar, City Lights, doesn’t have beer on tap (making for a more expensive night), this bar is home to a popular cocktail concoction — bubbly with your choice of a popsicle.

* Lastly, the rooftop patio atmosphere and skyline view is amazing.

Have you tried a new spot in the Queen City? Share it with me at backtalk@clclt.com.

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