This time last week I was working on my first Charlotte Restaurant Week post for the Summer of 2019.
Now, as I write on Thursday July 25 some 7 days later, we have one more weekend to enjoy the 3 for $30 or 3 for $35 dinner menus that give us a taste of what 135 Charlotte area chefs bring to the table. This link will take you to the entire list of participating restaurants in alphabetical order. Or if you’d rather see them listed by neighborhood, simply click here.
Charlotte Restaurant Week Food and Tips as seen on TV
In addition to posting on these digital pages, I also had the pleasure to appear on Charlotte Today on July 19, 2019 to with tips to help make the most of your Charlotte Restaurant Week dining experience.
I shared this list of six spots to try, up close and personal. Each one a spot I think you will love experiencing this Queen’s Feast season.
Each with a chef driven menu, a new concept in the works, a new chef at the helm or in one case a place that was just new to me.
Therein lies the fun in the Charlotte Restaurant Week experience. Its a wonderful way to get to know a new place or go out and enjoy one of your old favorites.
On the Set
Many thanks to the six chefs at each of today’s featured restaurants. I stopped at each restaurant the day before, so that chefs could assemble all of the components for each dish. Then they gave me a visual on how final dishes were supposed to look. I recreated each dish in the studio for this video to help bring you a more visual taste of what you can expect to find.
The Charlotte Today interview takes place on the sofa, while the food is lined up at the other side of the studio… its always fun, but quite a production and the team at Charlotte Today makes it happen without a hiccup!
For this recap of the line up, we’ll start in South Carolina in York County – just one of nine Charlotte metro counties participating in this summer’s royal repast.
Let’s start at Lily’s Bistro in Lake Wylie, SC
Lily’s was new to Tom and me. We were pleasantly surprised at the casual comfortable bistro and bar setting.
There is an outdoor patio and a separate bar area to enjoy cocktails crafted from local and not so local pours; a great wine list and a selection of beers as well.
On the regular menu and featured on Lilly’s Charlotte Restaurant Week Menu, a scrumptious homemade gluten free cheesecake; Crab and Salmon seafood cakes and as you saw in the video, and rich and robust Beef Bourguignon.
In Eastover, Go to Primo Prime
This is a restaurant I actually haven’t been to in several years. But now rediscovered I’ll go back often to see my long time friend, Primo chef and owner Yosief Derar. Yosief and his team continue to offer spot on options just as they always have. Primo is located upstairs on Middleton Ave. in Eastover.
This menu is a contemporary Italian American, the interiors upscale but in the end its a great little neighborhood spot with a friendly vibe you’re going to love.
On Primo’s menu for Charlotte Restaurant Week, my eye’s immediately went to the mushroom ravioli bathed in brown butter, oh my! For something heartier, you must order the classic lamb shank with risotto and a rich slow cooked sauce. Start with the tuna tartar or perhaps a lovely salad.
Finish with the sweet creamy taste of Primo’s summer panna cotta. Ahhhhh.
Do Charlotte Restaurant Week at The Dunavant in SouthEnd
Enter Charlotte’s newest steakhouse, in Charlotte’s South End neighborhood. Go soon, and take in all of the fun and flavor at this creative concept by restauranteur Scott Giegler and chef Travis Hearne.
You’ll find that the regular nightly menu and the Charlotte Restaurant Week menu both center around Dunavant’s signature sliced coulotte steak (or a seafood or chicken option). You may work out your own 3 for $30 or 3 for $35 dinner, based on the sides, starter and dessert you order with your entree.
Visit The Dunavant on a pretty evening or for Sunday brunch. You might find the front garage-style doors open.
In season, the large pane glass windows, open wide and are fitted with screens to enjoy cool breezes and a fun al fredo dining experience no matter if you dine inside or out on the lovely front patio.
Uptown for Summer 2018 Charlotte Restaurant Week.
With restaurants in the Queen City opening every day it seems, its hard to say exactly which uptown restaurant is the city’s newest dining experience.
I can tell you, that this week there are, 25 reasons to eat and drink at the 3 for $30 or 3 for $35 price tag in Uptown Charlotte.
I’ve stopped trying to keep tabs on the newest place. But, for sure, on the short list of new Uptown spots to try, is forchetta (pronounced “fork-etta).
This is the rustic Italian concept chef Luca Annunziata has been working on, since he and his wife, Jessica, closed Luca’s Modern Kitchen.
I couldn’t give particulars when I wrote the post last spring, but now I’ve got all the delicious details to share. forchetta is Luca’s concept and restaurant and is located street side on College Street at the Holiday Inn Center City.
Luca moved with his culinary team, so the talented Chef Ashley Smith from Luca’s continues to make all of forchetta’s hand crafted pastas, breads and daily selection of desserts.
On forchetta’s Charlotte Restaurant Week menu, a rich hand made gnocchi in pomodoro sauce, topped with layer of smoked cheese.
And THIS incredible lamb dish – 4 t-bone chops – with cippolini onions and wilted broccoli-rabe, yes please!
For dessert, take a chocolate-ty leap of faith. Try the chocolate risotto. It’s just like the homemade rice pudding you loved as a kid, but with a dose of high-end chocolate added to the cream.
Halcyon, Flavors of the Earth at the Uptown Mint Museum
Here’s another old favorite of mine, with a change in chefs and a change in concept. Sometimes that combo can go terribly wrong.
Not so, though, when the chef is Jonathan Moore and the concept is his brand of elevated Southern Cuisine.
Enter Hacylon, from the stairs up to the second floor entrance from the Mint Museum atrium/courtyard on Tryon street. Or, ride the elevator up to the second level and go in the main dining room there.
The shaded patio is a gorgeous place to meet friends for a before dinner cocktail; or if its not too hot for an alfresco lunch or dinner.
As I suggest in the Charlotte Today video, use Halcyon’s Charlotte Restaurant Week menu for a taste of more to come from Jonathan and his talented team.
Start the evening at Halcyon with the beef tartar. It comes with a creative spin on Southern deviled eggs served beside the beef in the form of a sauce. Or, try Halcyon’s mixed green salad with North Carolina’s own Chapel Hill Creamery, Calvander Cheese.
For your entree: Country Captain’s Chicken featured in my post last week; or these braised pork cheeks with summer blackberries and sweet potato. A dish that is sure to satisfy.
Raise a pint to Charlotte Restaurant Week
Full disclosure, I’m not a big beer drinker. But I do love the easy going vibe of Charlotte’s booming brewery scene. Heist Brewery was one of the Queen City’s first breweries. I love that the food is as much fun as the beer.
I can’t really say what I was expecting on the Heist Restaurant Week menu, specifically. However, a plate of vibrant Thai flavor probably wasn’t among my first three guesses. I was delighted to find this on the menu and to share it with you here!
Dinner at Heist Brewery in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood holds some surprises
This flash fried Crispy Cod was created from a travel memory of head chef Caleb Dickerson. The fish is served with Thai-Style Greens, then tossed in a sweet chili sauce. Surrounding the plate: fresh fruits and vegetables tossed in toasted coconut, garnishes and condiments.
Caleb says, ” The dish take on a traditional Thai Salad known as Yum Plaa. Combining fresh & cooked vegetables in a sweet, salty, and tangy sauce, this dish offers a variety of textures and flavors. We then top it with a sweet-chili fried cod that adds a special crunch and a depth of heat. This idea came from this chef’s time spent in Thailand studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok.”
The good news here in Charlotte, is that a trip to Thailand is not required. Just get to the brewery and enjoy!
Looking for heavier bar food? Nothing fills the bill like mac and cheese. This variation is studded with pork belly, caramelized onions and more.
With Thanks…
I run a similar article each season winter and summer season of Charlotte Restaurant Week. I am once again delighted to partner with the team at Charlotte Restaurant Week, to bring you this post. Enjoy these six new and delicious recommendations. The good news is you still have three full nights to enjoy it all!
Looking for more?
Need some reminders of my suggestions in the past – you can still check out my Winter Queens Feast round up from January 2019. Each of the restaurants I featured in the post, is participating again this season.
You’ll find each of the 135 Charlotte Restaurant Week menus; plus all of the restaurant contact info to make your reservations, up at the Charlotte Restaurant Week website.
Check out as many places as you can this week. Then, be sure to keep this post as a reference to go back and revisit them again.
And, as always, be sure to #TellThemHeidiSentYou
Wonderful article, Heidi. You’re amazing!