30 best CharlotteFive stories in 2024: James Beard, Concert For Carolina, Tima, Albertine & more
The news of Charlotte’s food scene never slows down, and 2024 was no exception. We covered 230+ restaurants opening and sadly many eateries closing, there’s always a story to tell.
But the real stories are found outside of the openings and closings news. We have James Beard nominations, Charlotte Classic Eats and epic festivals. We pulled together to support our neighbors in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, including the magical night that was Concert For Carolina.
Covering our food scene doesn’t mean just highlighting fun, Instagrammable meals, either. We examined gentrification hitting Charlotte restaurants, a baker’s plea for customers as she fought to keep her business afloat and a restaurateur who lost it all in Helene’s floodwaters. Businesses dug in to stay alive while construction kept customers away. One restaurant closed after 35 years in business, another after 62.
We even went back to revisit the ‘90s restaurant and coffee scenes.
For all of these stories and more, check out CharlotteFive’s Top 30 stories of 2024:
The Charlotte area food scene
- ‘This is just wild’: James Beard nomination comes at a time of change for Jimmy Pearls
What’s it like learning you’ve been catapulted onto the national food stage as you’re planning to move your restaurant?
Vegan restaurants all over Charlotte are in flux. What’s the deal?
So many plant-based favorites are closing, while new places continue to open. We asked restaurant owners what’s going on.Visit Cakeable’s new Charlotte cafe for a cup of coffee — and a new perspective
The bakery that trains individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is opening an uptown spot where you can grab a brownie and more.There’s no taste like home, until gentrification hits at Charlotte restaurants
“Mainstream America draws on marginalized groups to feed its hunger for the next cool thing: Slang, music, style — and increasingly, food.”It started with a viral post. Why Camp North End bakery stirred talk about slow Charlotte sales
Summer slump or bigger problem? How a business owner’s plea ignited a community conversation about supporting restaurants in Charlotte.
Is downtown Concord construction forcing shops and restaurants out of business?
Two years into a streetscape project widening sidewalks, customers have dwindled and some of the area’s shops have had to call it quits.First look at uptown Charlotte’s newest restaurant with a special nod to the city’s history
Named and designed in honor of Queen Charlotte’s history, you can expect an elegant atmosphere, fine dining service and elevated flavors.At Charlotte’s Tima restaurant, there’s no taste like home — but home has many tastes
Get an exclusive look inside Tima restaurant, which offers a diverse menu of West African dishes, representing multiple nations including Mali and Senegal.Charlotte, here’s how making a farm-to-table dish really happens from seed to plate
At Restaurant Constance, chef Sam Diminich’s mushroom bourguignon dish starts from sawdust down the road.
Charlotte’s Classic Eats: Celebrating — and saying goodbye to — our old restaurants
Have you been to the oldest restaurant in Charlotte? 20 Classic Eats to put on your list.
These local restaurants have been serving up our breakfasts, lunches and dinners for decades. Which one is your favorite?‘The City that Care Forgot’: Cajun Queen serves up live jazz, N’awlins-style cuisine
From Shrimp Étouffée to talks with Mr. Roy at the hidden upstairs bar: An inside look at Cajun Queen, which offers Charlotte a slice of The Big Easy.
An inside look from the kitchen: Beef ‘N Bottle isn’t just for a night — it’s for life.
What’s the classic Charlotte steakhouse’s secret sauce? Decades of shrimp cocktail, filets and more than a few family connections.
After 62 years in business, one of Charlotte’s oldest restaurants has closed
Thanks for the pasta-coated memories: Here’s what to know about the local restaurant that’s been open since 1962 in South Charlotte.After 35 years in Charlotte, a classic restaurant has closed its doors
Since 1989, SouthPark diners have been frequenting the restaurant for lingering lunches on its spacious patio.A longtime Charlotte restaurateur is retiring and closing the doors to her beloved spot
Will this move mean the end of Honey Pecan Chicken in Plaza-Shamrock?
People of Charlotte
Trailblazing Charlotte sommelier ‘made everyone feel like royalty’ — even with a $10 wine
Anthony “Wes” Wesley, a West African-American who spent 22 years as an iconic restaurant’s wine steward, died at age 74 after a battle with lymphoma.A look at how Charlotte content creators are shaping the city online and off
Charlotte’s become a hot spot for influencers. What does it take to make a career out of posting content on social media?
Cheslie Kryst’s mother opens up about finishing the book about her daughter’s life
In her new memoir finished up and published by her mother, Cheslie Kryst tells the story of her life in her own words.24 years ago, he started photographing Charlotte landmarks. How many of these iconic places are left?
Charlotte newcomers “will never experience a milkshake at Park Place Pharmacy or a hot dog at Wad’s or a cheeseburger from Zack’s or standing in line for fried chicken at Price’s.”
Around town: Concerts, festivals and more
- They’re hoping it’ll be Charlotte’s biggest, boldest music festival ever. Will it work?
Rob Pedlow and Bob Durkin have had success with country music festivals in South Carolina and New Jersey. With Lovin’ Life, they’re trying it at home. ‘The customer is always right’ is ‘outdated’: Are Charlotte music crowds noisier than ever?
“They think that because they paid, the venue becomes their living room for the night.”What will I remember most about Lovin’ Life? Probably when Stevie Nicks made it rain.
I’ll explain what happened at the Charlotte festival, plus reveal the other big musical moments I think fans will be telling friends about for weeks.Photos: Lovin’ Life Music Fest attracts more than 80,000 fans to uptown Charlotte
The three-day music festival features Post Malone, Stevie Nicks, Noah Kahan and more.Concert review: A little rain can’t stop 82,000 fans from showing a whole lotta love for NC
There was an hourlong weather delay, but then six hours of performances from a parade of heavy hitters — along with a couple of A-list surprise special guests.
Photos: Concert for Carolina attracts fans to uptown Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium
The Hurricane Helene benefit concert features Eric Church, Luke Combs, Avett Brothers, James Taylor, Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman and more.‘The only acceptable buzz left’: What were ’90s coffeehouses like in Charlotte?
By 1994, Charlotte was embracing its coffee culture. Where there were no coffeehouses five years prior, then there were dozens. Let’s look back.
Hurricane Helene and our neighbors in Western North Carolina
- They bought the town’s oldest restaurant and renovated it. Then Helene destroyed it.
Since 1956, Helen’s Restaurant was one of only a few places to eat in the small town of Bakersville. It was condemned after Hurricane Helene. What happens next? Living in the dark: 13+ days without power in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
Extended power outages and water scarcity impact daily life in storm-hit areas.
A beacon of hope remains for the community in Hurricane Helene-ravaged Swannanoa
Much of the historic section of Buncombe County suffered catastrophic damage. Yet, as one longstanding restaurant shows, the community is resilient.As Asheville restaurants like Vivian close their doors, what will happen to the city’s culinary magic?
“We need the Charlotte people, the Greenville people, the Raleigh people to come out and visit us … we need our weekend warriors to go to breweries, hit the restaurants, go on dates.”
