Foodies delight in Charlotte's bounty

Fans of food and cooking who moved here 20 years ago found a very different Charlotte.

“Locally raised meat” was a phrase you never heard. Farmers markets either opened in the spring with vegetables trucked in from somewhere else or they waited until full summer.

Restaurants? You could take your pick – as long as you were picking steak, fried chicken or a country-style meat-and-three.

If you tried to cook from a national food magazine, you probably spent a lot of time trying to figure out what lemongrass was and where on earth you were going to find skirt steak.

I've been The Observer's food editor for almost 20 years, and I remember those days well. I spent a lot of time on the phone with newcomers, saying things like, “No, I'm sorry – I don't know any sources for rye bread. Can I interest you in biscuits?”

Compare that to Charlotte today. Culinary schools at four institutions – Johnson & Wales University, the Art Institute of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College and the Community Culinary School of Charlotte – are filling our streets with eager chefs-to-be.

There are stores and restaurants specializing in pretty much every area of the world. Even with the slower economy, chefs are doing creative work at such a variety of restaurants, you almost can't make up your mind where to go next.

We have farmers with followings as devoted as rock stars. There are so many farmers markets, it takes days for me to call them all for our annual list (find it online, at www.charlotteobserver.com/food). Many stay open all year and only sell produce that was grown or made locally.

Walk into the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market on a Saturday morning and you can find pork from locally raised, heirloom-breed pigs, pasture-raised chicken, rabbit, lamb and ostrich. And North Carolina leads the South in the number of cheesemakers, including several who operate right around here.

There's no way I can list all the places a cook should know about. It would take a list as long as this magazine. But I can give you a quick list to start your exploration:

Charlotte has all the well-known national stores, including Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Crate & Barrel and IKEA. One favorite, though, is the locally owned store Cooking Uptown, 1707 E. Seventh St. in the Elizabeth neighborhood. Owner Karen Cooley gives the personal OK to everything she stocks, and it's also a great place to take cooking classes.

North of the city, head to Ferrucci's in Cornelius. In addition to Italian meats, the deli also specializes in prepared foods and dishes you can take home to finish yourself. In the center city, stop by Pasta & Provisions, a comfortable old shop with freshly made pastas and sauces, plus a great selection of Italian wines and food products.

Unless you live near Waxhaw, it can be a long drive to What's Your Beef?, 3909 S. Providence Road. But it's worth it, for Vic Giroux's selection and excellent knowledge of specialty cuts. In the center city, the meat department at Reid's Fine Foods in the Seventh Street Station also has a following for its knowledgeable staff.

Asian Corner Mall, 4520 N. Tryon St., has two supermarkets, International Supermarket and New Century. We also like Overseas Market, 4603 South Blvd.

The Compare Foods supermarket chain has a devoted following, and not just for the products from Mexico and South and Central America. People who are trying to save money make regular stops at Compare to snap up great prices on everything from citrus fruits to fresh meats. Four locations in Charlotte (3112 Milton Road, 5610 E. Independence Blvd., 4300 N. Tryon St. and 818 Arrowood Road), as well as Kannapolis, Gastonia, Monroe and Rock Hill.

There are several bakers with strong followings: Nova's, 1511 Central Ave., specializes in European-style crusty breads and baked goods such as scones and rolls. It also has a stand at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Great Harvest, 901 S. Kings Drive, makes whole-grain breads, cookies and muffins. And there are a number of bakers who operate regularly at various farmers markets, including Down Home Bakery (also available at the String Bean, a food shop in Belmont), By Lucille and Hippie Kitchen.

Trader Joe's has quickly developed a following, with three locations (1133 Metropolitan Ave. in midtown, 1820 E. Arbors Road off Mallard Creek Church Road, and 6418 Rea Road). Dean & Deluca also has a market and wine bar in Phillips Place, 6822 Phillips Place on Fairview Road, as well as sandwich shops in several locations.

In addition to the well-known Carolinas-based chains Harris Teeter, Food Lion (and its Bloom and Bottom Dollar stores), Lowes Foods and Bi-Lo, there also are two gourmet and health-focused chains, Fresh Market and Earth Fare. Earth Fare, based in Asheville, also carries local cheeses and some local meats.

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