This past weekend I only had one item on my to-do list: check out The Dock, a prohibition-style speakeasy accessed through the loading dock of Charlotte Marriott Center City. The new-ish secret spot was closed last weekend due to weather, so I talked it up all week in anticipation of Saturday — the only day the place is open for business.
After seeing a tantalizing post on Instagram Saturday morning, the boyfriend and I decided to splurge for lunch at CO, a pan-Asian restaurant in the Park Road Shopping Center. Pork and ginger gyoza, pork and crab spring rolls, a California roll, caramel pork bahn mi and drunken Thai noodles. Have you ever heard the expression, "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?" A jalapeno guava margarita nor a lemongrass ginger martini could wash away the itis that overcame us (see Urban Dictionary for definition of "itis").
We gathered our to-go boxes and bee-lined it home for a nap. Three hours later, it was dark outside and we drowsily started getting ready. As we pulled up in our Uber outside of the Marriott loading dock and approached the door it was hard for me to contain the months of anticipation that had built up.
We were greeted by an attendant who informed us that The Dock had been shut down by the fire department. And just like that, our dreams were crushed. However, the drunk couple that piled in behind us were having a harder time coping with the loss. "That's not what we hearrr..." the guy joked. "The man outside says we're in the right plaaace..." With every drunken lilt at the end of each of his sentences I could tell he thought the attendant was waiting for a magic password. The attendant's RBF (resting b*tch face), on the other hand, didn't appear to hold a single joke.
Defeated, we walked to Istanbul Hookah Lounge in Brevard Court/French Quarter/Latta Arcade. All I could think was, "Another venue in the Queen City bites the dust."
July of this year will mark my fifth anniversary living in Charlotte. In that short time, the nightlife landscape has gone through quite a few changes. Familiar buildings have traversed the entire alphabet of business names. Prime example: The NC Music Factory is now "Avidxchange?" Our favorite music venues are closing: Amos' Southend, The Chop Shop, Tremont Music Hall and Tommy's Pub. BAR Charlotte and its counterparts that dominated the space between E. 6th and E. 7th streets on N. College have passed on and since been replaced by a slew of venues that are a part of the new NorthSide Station.
As the Queen City explodes, we can agree on at least one consistency with regards to nightlife: it's constantly changing. And now that we've been ranked in the top 20 best places to live, according to the U.S. News & World Report, that landscape is going to continue to change. Hence, my dismay when I discovered The Tiki Hideaway, a Polynesian tapas and craft cocktails bar, was permanently closed after only a few months. And of course, my most recent disappointment, the shutting down of The Dock. So what now?
For as long as I can remember, random people have asked me some version of, "What's missing from Charlotte nightlife?" The familiar question usually follows my coming out as a nightlife writer and precedes the awkward response, "You know, I'm not really sure." Despite the fact that I easily get bored with the nightlife scene, I'd never sat down and ironed out the details of what it should look like.
Will new business owners attempt to skirt and swerve the authorities as bars and restaurants stray from traditional guidelines? Will the allure of hidden, underground, Prohibition-style spaces take over Uptown? Or will the obsession with skyscrapers and apartments give way to a series of #bestrooftopbarincharlotte contests? Will we fill the gap between young professionals and older demographics?
Personally, I'm hoping for a landscape that resembles that of New York. One teetering at the intersection of revolutionary, underground, modern and high-energy.
We've witnessed the rise of the brewery, the delight of craft cocktails, the influx of speakeasies and the diverse flavors of tapas. Let's hold on to the classics that promote texture: Snug Harbor, Roxbury, The Rabbit Hole, Abari, Petra's, Twenty-Two, Bar At 316, Jeff's Bucket Shop, etc. Then let's sprinkle in more late-night tapas restaurants, old school hip-hop and R&B, lounges, drag ball culture, secret passwords at underground venues and EDM dance parties on a residential property. The possibilities are limitless.
It's 7 o'clock on the dot. I'm on the light rail cruisin' the streets [hums the tune of Usher's "Nice and Slow"]. Seriously though, Monday morning at 7 a.m. I was riding the blue line into Uptown and the sun was just starting to rise over the QC. It would've been a beautiful picture but then I reached into my jacket pocket to find two tokens and was reminded of Sunday Funday. Needless to say, it was the longest, most nauseating ride I've taken in a while.
Let's rewind.
On Friday, the office buzzed with excitement in anticipation of Snowmageddon 2017. The first snow of winter and you would've thought we were still in elementary school, waiting for the principal to call it. Despite warnings of snowfall, around 7 p.m. my pals were dead set on going out. At first, I was hesitant, but then we kept hearing reports that the bulk of the "storm" wouldn't hit until early Saturday morning. Who were we to waste a night out after a long week?
The boyfriend and I popped into the grocery store for last-minute rations (and mixers) before getting ready. Surprisingly, we had no issues securing an Uber to Sanctuary Pub in NoDa. Decked out with TVs and picture frames, this dive bar located next to Neighborhood Theatre is usually a spot I stop in for a quick drink, play tunes on the internet jukebox, snag the pool table before 9 p.m. for free or grab a snack — you can order your Cajun faves from neighboring Boudreaux's while grabbing a drink at the bar.
After a couple of RBVs, my co-workers were itching for karaoke. We braved freezing rain to walk to Noda 101, next to Jack Beagles. I'd forgotten all about this bar. But there we were, sitting at the table right in the front, perusing the song list. Yeah, I wasn't drunk enough. I opted for the role of crazed fan as my co-workers took the stage.
The highlight of the night? Watching a guy snatch the mic from a co-worker who was singing Prince's "Kiss," then belt out some of the highest notes in the song, and hand the mic calmly back as he exited stage left. The ultimate #micdrop. We requested an Uber before getting stranded in NoDa and after getting home ate an entire pizza. Maybe that was actually the highlight of my night?
The next morning, we gave "Netflix and chill" a whole new meaning. I lost count of how many catnaps we took, how much food we ate and how much TV we watched. We'd already decided that if weather permitted, we'd be hunting down The Dock — Uptown's hidden speakeasy. We headed that way around 9:30 p.m. After 20 minutes exploring the wrong loading dock area and running into another couple on the same adventure, we finally set our eyes on the graffiti-style sign that marked the entrance. To our dismay, it was closed due to road conditions. Dammit. The experience we'd been talking about for months would have to wait another weekend. At least now we knew where to go.
We ended up revisiting another spot in Charlotte Marriott City Center — Stoke Charlotte, one of my newest favorite spots to splurge on date night, featuring great food and craft cocktails. They didn't have the ingredients for the cocktail I wanted, but the culinary experts behind the bar didn't disappoint. Before I knew it, I had the perfect margarita with a twist — jalapenos!
I wasn't sure if I'd be up for Sunday Funday when I took my first morning trip to the bathroom, wincing angrily at the bright sunlight. But a series of texts from my P.I.C. and I was whistling a different tune. Looking back, holding those two tokens on the light rail, I realized my Sunday Funday doom was set in motion the moment I decided to make an RBV and pregame meet-up with her at Duckworth's Grill & Taphouse.
After a few beers, we played a drinking game involving fingers and a shot of Fireball — don't ask. That's when I convinced everyone to check out the new game bar at NorthSide Station, Lucky's Bar and Arcade. I'd fallen in love with the game bar Abari in NoDa, so I couldn't wait to see what Lucky's was all about. Without giving away all the deets, it's like Chuck E. Cheese's for adults with all the bells and whistles. Air hockey, Galaga and a Jurassic Park-themed shooting game were the highlights of my experience. Oh, and a tasty martini creation with...drum roll please...a Nerds rope! Come on, does it get much better than that?
New year, new me, I said. No more hangovers, I said. And there I was, hungover on a Monday after going out every night the first weekend of 2017. Sighs. I can say, however, it was well worth it. The weekend was full of adventure.
The year 2017 is finally upon us, Queen City. Is it just me or did 2016 fly by?
Then again, I guess it feels like that every year. And just like every other year, preparing for New Year's Eve celebrations brought back some of my most hilarious memories made in the city. The first being a threesome.
Oh come on, get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking about a literal threesome, but a non-traditional date with my current boy toy.
This year, we decided to bring in the New Year at Barreled at the Lift, a speakeasy and hookah lounge nestled at the bottom of the stairs beneath Libretto's on Woodlawn. It's the first place we met and the place we were going to celebrate 2017 listening to good tunes and drinking great drinks at "Chicago: A New Year's Eve Affair."
There were only three VIP tickets left when we reached out to the owner. That's when I remembered my BFFE (best friend forever and ever) had texted me a couple weeks earlier asking if she could come to Charlotte for New Year's Eve.
Of course she could, I answered.
As we started getting ready, donning our 1920s-themed clothing, BFFE was singing, "Just the three of us, we can make it if we try. Just the three of us, her, you and I" to the tune of Grover Washington Jr's "Just the Two of Us."
I laughed, thinking back to the first time the three of us met and the ongoing "love triangle" joke we've shared.
The boyfriend stood me up the first time we were supposed to meet one another. The boat was broken [insert air quotes], I tell everyone when the usual question arises, "How'd you guys meet?" I've always thought that excuse was weak.
That's why when he asked to grab drinks at Barreled one Thursday evening I had no qualms bringing my BFFE along with me. After all, I wasn't going to get stood up twice, was I?.
My BFFE and I chatted alone most of the time, but eventually I let him get in a word or two. Despite having to go to work the next day, I convinced him to come with us to Jeff's Bucket Shop for karaoke, and the rest is history.
Who would've thought a third-wheel — the boyfriend being the "plus one" — date would be relived a year and a half later.
The more that I thought about it, however, the more sense it made for me to be creating yet another memory with my BFFE for NYE. She's been present for three out of the four celebrations I've been to in the city and helped create some of my most favorite memories.
From being grounded together when we were kids after getting in trouble at Kmart when we were 14, to throwing up in a sport star's bathtub in the Ritz Carlton Uptown, to almost ruining a neighboer's suede couch with candle wax, she's always been there.
Every vom, every embarrassment, every epic party and every heart break.
We hadn't seen each other in a couple months, but nothing had changed. She picked me up Friday night at my aunt's house and we headed to Charlotte together.
We talked so much, we didn't even realize we'd gone past Charlotte to downtown Gastonia! Next thing you know, we were taking shots with one of our other friends from back home at Ink N Ivy, then Slate Billiards.
(Side note: Have you ever had a Green tea shot? We discovered them together Friday night, an they are not too shabby.)
The next morning, when the three of us were hungover beyond belief, and our bestie had to go to work, I thought, "Yep, nothing has changed." We laid around all day, the boyfriend grabbed us breakfast and the three of us hopped in an Uber together to head to Montford before the countdown.
After watching the first half of the Ohio State football game at Brazwell's, we walked (well, walked and complained of our feet hurting) to Barreled.
The familiar dim light and comfy couches welcomed us and we were placed in our section. VIP status, what what? We ordered a watermelon mint hookah, "the usual," and settled in for the long haul.
By the time the countdown began, I had abandoned my hangover and another was already settling in.
We grabbed a flute of champagne and cheered to yet another year of love, friendship and adventure.
Here's to making more memories in the QC this year!
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