Davidson’s hot new raw bar serves up seafood from a Charlotte food truck pro
They say when you feel your lowest, to stop ruminating and turn your attention to other people. Chef Erick Crawford took that directive very seriously when in 2022, he started his Charlotte food truck Chop Chop Red Pot.
The concept came after Crawford lost his father the year before and decided to pursue sobriety — because, as he put it, he recognized he had something more to live for.
That’s where the journey to Marlee Jean’s Raw Bar + Kitchen — Erick and his life partner Amanda Overdorf’s new Davidson restaurant — started.
Erick traces his love for cooking back to his grandmother and his parents. Growing up, his dad’s red pot was the symbol of a good family meal to come. So when Erick’s dad passed away, that pot became Erick’s, and with his sobriety driving him forward, he started the food truck under a moniker that gave a nod to his roots.
For years, Erick got his chops in the kitchens of some of Charlotte’s most acclaimed restaurants, from Noble Smoke to Del Frisco’s and La Belle Helene. He used the hard-earned, hands-on knowledge to open up something that had always been his dream: A food truck serving Southern-inspired street food with daily special menus.
For two years, Amanda worked the ordering window (and helped cook), and Erick led all things food. It didn’t take long, Amanda says, before the food truck’s popularity exploded — much to their surprise.
Sitting in their prep kitchen in Davidson, the two exchanged laughs as they recalled the demand rising so suddenly that they were left in a whirlwind of popularity that is, of course, a dream — but also a major challenge.
“There were a lot of late nights and early mornings — we were putting everything into the business,” Erick said. “We couldn’t even get enough food to be able to feed people.”
The two credit that quick success in part to food truck residencies at breweries in Lake Norman and Matthews in particular — places that helped locals solidify familiarity with the Chop Chop brand.
They also credit a few ways they chose to run the business. Erick kept everything fresh, local and cooked to order. Southern hospitality is important to him, so he’d plate the food (no packaging or Styrofoam) and hand deliver it, making sure to chat with his customers.
“I’m not gonna just yell your name at you,” he said.
For Erick, who had always been behind the scenes in kitchens, where, he recalls, the most feedback you get is that you’ve under- or over-cooked something, he finally got to see real-time reactions of people enjoying his food.
Brick-and-mortar was just barely on their minds as they navigated the whirlwind of Chop Chop, which you can find at the upcoming StrEATs Festival as well as other spots around town.
Expansion opportunities
Then this past April, the owner of King Canary Brewing called Erick and Amanda out of the blue to see if they’d like to meet to see a newly available space in downtown Davidson with a small kitchen.
They both recall, based on the size of the space and design, that it was immediately apparent the space would be ideal for a raw bar setup. Amanda and Erick both had backgrounds with raw bar settings and seafood — Amanda worked at a raw bar in Ocean City, Maryland, and Erick used to head up the cold app station at Del Frisco’s.
Then, Marlee Jean’s was born. “Marlee Jean” is the name of Amanda and Erick’s first grandchild, and Gene Crawford was Erick’s father’s name.
The small restaurant took the spot of what was formerly Davidson Wine Co., located right off Main Street in one of the most walkable areas of downtown Davidson.
King Canary and Marlee Jean’s operate as two separate entities within the same space (almost like a mini food hall), with King Canary heading up the bar program and Marlee Jean’s serving all the food. It’s the only raw bar in the area.
There are a few nods to the Chop Chop menu at Marlee Jean’s, with items like smoked prime rib and Cuban paninis, but it’s mostly an entirely new set of offerings including oysters, crudo, poke, lobster, crab cakes and more.
Just about everything that can be is made in-house or sourced locally, from the bread by Wild Crafted to pimiento cheese by Nana’s Porch, Joyce Farms chicken, Urban Gourmet mushrooms and local NC oysters (when in season).
Marlee Jean’s operates as counter service, but just like at Chop Chop, Erick and Amanda have been thoughtful about continuing to add a higher level of service than might be expected. They’re now able to accommodate an array of diners: those who are looking for a quick snack, kids who aren’t quite ready for adventurous seafood and those who want a full raw bar seafood tower experience.
As many little glimmers as there are in both businesses that harken to Erick and Amanda’s family, it’s clear in speaking to them that their own bond is perhaps the real backbone of the success.
The two met in high school, but life moved on: They moved away and led adult lives. Amanda worked as a prep cook, a server and a hairstylist, and Erick pursued cooking in a variety of settings and worked with the PGA. They lost track of one another for over 20 years — and then, upon each moving separately to Charlotte, they reconnected almost accidentally and “have been together every day since,” Erick says. “Now, we do everything together.”
And then there’s Erick’s commitment to his sobriety, another foundation that underlies both businesses.
Once he was sober, Erick explains that he wanted to be able to provide a better, healthier work environment and an option for food and beverage workers who either were sober or are simply open to a different way of approaching the “restaurant lifestyle.”
“We just want to give back,” he says.
Today, Erick and Amanda serve leftover food to the homeless and help to support sober living through Ben’s Friends, a nationwide community whose mission is to provide a sober outlet for hospitality workers who struggle with substance abuse and addiction.
Erick also credits other outspokenly sober chefs, like Charlotte’s own Sam Diminich of Your Farms Your Table and the co-leader of Ben’s Friends Charlotte, as paving a way forward.
Learning from those who went before him and that deep commitment to employing others for good has been a guiding force in all of the business decisions.
“We went from three prep cooks and [Amanda and I] to 10-12 people, and we will likely grow to 25-30.”
That growth is set to come from yet another win for the duo.
Rob Jacik, owner of Carolina Beer Temple, recently undertook a major expansion to allow more space for Carolina Beer Temple and to introduce a mixed-use marketplace called Ames Street in Matthews. Erick and Amanda are slated to take over one of the vendor spots, where they’ll serve a mash-up between their signature Southern-inspired street food and the raw bar offerings.
There’s a lot to still figure out with that coming concept, but it’s clear that the two, partners in everything, are as ready and dedicated as ever.
Marlee Jean’s Raw Bar + Kitchen
Location: 21 Depot St B, Davidson, NC 28036
Cuisine: Seafood, Southern cuisine
Instagram: @marleejeansrawbar
This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
