Can’t keep up with all the restaurant changes? Here’s your CliffsNotes: November 2019
Charlotte’s restaurant scene is constantly changing, and if it seems like it’s happening faster than ever, you’re not alone. It can be hard to keep up with all the new places to try or remember which places have closed. Here’s a look at some Charlotte’s dining news from last month.
RESTAURANT OPENINGS
Middle C Jazz opened Nov. 2. Imagine walking along the streets of uptown Charlotte, opening a door and being transported into the glamorous jazz era, with live music and cocktails. Charlotteans can anticipate this type of immersive experience and more when they walk into jazz and music club Middle C Jazz uptown.
Ace No. 3 opened Nov. 5. The owners of Sea Level NC and The Waterman Fish Bar, Andrew Chapman and Paul Manley, have opened their third restaurant concept, Ace No. 3, in the Belmont neighborhood. No. 3 is a casual counter-style burger joint serving up burgers, shakes and a rotating selection of canned craft beers.
Foxcroft Wine Co. opened Nov. 5. The locally owned wine shop and wine bar opened in Waverly off Providence Road in South Charlotte. Featuring a cozy yet upscale interior, this latest addition to the shopping center does not disappoint in the menu offerings.
Futo Buta opened an Asheville location on Nov. 12. Futo Buta’s new spot is in downtown Asheville at 121 Biltmore Ave., near the Orange Peel and Wicked Weed. Expect to see the same menu as the Charlotte location, but with more local beers.
North Italia opened Nov. 13. Handmade pasta, sauces made from scratch and signature cocktails featuring Italian liqueurs are feeding hungry diners at the RailYard, where North Italia has opened its doors.
Indaco opened Nov. 16. Charleston-based Italian restaurant Indaco serves wood-fired pizzas and housemade pastas in an open-concept space with a second-story mezzanine for private dining, an outdoor sidewalk cafe and plenty of seating.
Volo opened Nov. 18. Eat authentic Italian food, drink an experimental cocktail and walk away from your meal feeling like you’re part of a family. If this is what you get after you visit Volo, a new Italian spot in Myers Park, your experience has been a success in the eyes of the restaurant’s team.
Bossy Beulah’s opened Nov. 19. Bossy Beulah’s Chicken Shack, Jim Noble’s latest concept, is named after his great aunt, Beulah. It is open next to Noble Smoke. Expect a simple menu of fried chicken sandwiches, sides and a couple of house beverage options.
Lotus Soul Cafe opened Nov. 23. The holistic spot has a plant-based menu filled with light bites such as toasts, hummus and salads. It also offers home, gift and self-care items focused on wellness and sustainability. Customers can attend workshops, take meditation classes, join a wellness support group and receive alternative healing from local practitioners.
Kiki and Tattoo opened Nov. 25. Chef Jason Pound of Soul is serving Franco-Greco inspired small plates with a focus on fresh vegetables, changing them throughout the season. The intimate liquor lounge next door is in a former tattoo studio and is aptly named, Tattoo.
Mr. Chang’s Coffee House is open in Fort Mill. The cafe at the intersection of Highway 160 and Gold Hill Road has a fun and lively interior, including a giant panda mural. Mr. Chang’s provides an inviting, calm space to enjoy a cup of coffee, meet friends, work or study.
RESTAURANT CLOSINGS
Sushi Guru closed its SouthPark location. After closing its Plaza Midwood location less than a month prior, Sushi Guru announced its closing in November. The restaurant may be relocated.
Stewart Penick’s Terrace closed its SouthPark and Ballantyne locations. Formerly called Terrace Cafe, Stewart Penick’s Terrace opened its SouthPark location in 2009 and quickly became a favorite among the Charlotte’s brunch and breakfast crowd, whipping up some of the city’s best red velvet waffles along with other breakfast dishes. A little over three years later, the brand introduced the Ballantyne location. The first week in November, with only a sign taped to the door, it was announced that the SouthPark location was closed and customers should visit the Ballantyne store. Less than 24 hours later, the restaurant’s founder told CharlotteFive that both stores had closed.
WP Kitchen will close Dec. 19. Thanks for the memories, WP Kitchen. We’ll never forget the time Wolfgang Puck himself showed Katie Toussaint how to make — and eat — pizza properly. We enjoyed the Father’s Day brunches, the wine and tapas weeks, the autumn plates of pine nut purée, apple butter and maple brown butter gastrique.
MAKING MOVES
Charlotte gives Little Italy and even Eataly a run for its money. Have you heard murmurs of the brand-new Volo? Maybe you’ve had a memorable glass of Sangiovese at Cicchetti? Or snagged a San Lorenzo pizza from Capishe? With the recent opening of a number of Italian restaurants in the Charlotte area, it’s safe to say Charlotte is having its moment in the Tuscan sun.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Capishe to open a location in SouthPark on Dec. 4. Capishe will open its second location on Morrison Boulevard, inside a former Bojangles that includes a shared space with Wendy’s. Co-owner Bruce Willette told CharlotteFive that customers have been requesting a Capishe in SouthPark and Huntersville over other neighborhoods in the area. “There’s a big demand for what we offer, and there aren’t too many pizza places or a ton of fast-casual in the area,” he said. “A lot of new restaurants opening are higher dollar, and us being family friendly will be a welcome addition to the SouthPark area — it’s a good match.”
Room and Board to open the first week in December. After a year of planning and construction, the Charlotte-based brothers are ready to open Room and Board, a bar and grill style restaurant in NoDa. Family and friends will enjoy a soft opening the week after Thanksgiving.
Cavendish Brewing Company to open Dec. 9. Another choice for craft beer buffs is coming to Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood in December, thanks to the recent collaboration between Zada Jane’s Corner Cafe and Cavendish Brewing Company. The breakfast spot will still be Zada Jane’s by day but will turn into the Cavendish Brewing Social House nightly.
Matcha Cafe Maiko to open in December. The Honolulu-based cafe is expanding into Charlotte and will open its location at The Arboretum within the next few weeks. Matcha Cafe Maiko began serving high-quality Japanese treats in Honolulu in 2016, and has since opened more locations around the United States and U.S. territories.
Oh My Soul vegan cafe coming to NoDa. Tallulah Duffin co-owns Oh My Soul with her husband, Richard, who both hail from South Africa. They started serving up hearty vegan food – waffles, “vurgers” and way more – just over a year ago at Oh My Soul Café in Durban North, which overlooks the Indian Ocean. Now, Oh My Soul’s second location will be located in the former Red House Cafe mill house on North Davidson Street.
Bargarita to open in NoDa in early 2020: Since NoDa mainstay Solstice Tavern closed last November, Charlotteans have been walking past its boarded-up windows, anticipating the restaurant that would take its place along the popular strip of restaurants and bars along North Davidson Street. Now, the wait is almost over. Bargarita, the latest concept from the Mason Jar Group, will open in this location.
AC Hotel to open in SouthPark in early 2020. You’ll want to visit the eighth-floor bar, opening early next year. It will feature skyline views, indoor and outdoor seating for up to 100 people and a menu of craft beverages — look for locally inspired gin and tonic cocktails — and tapas-style small bites. AC Lounge, on the first floor, will offer a secondary space, serving small plates and drinks.
Deluxe to open by the holidays. Almost three months after Loft & Cellar shut its doors, building owner Bryant Cutter told us a new restaurant is coming to 305 W. 4th St. Cutter said the owners of Deluxe Catering plan to open a restaurant and bar in the three-story uptown building.
The Degenerate opening in 2020. Tater tot poutine. Banh mi for breakfast. Come 2020, this and more will be available at The Degenerate, a sports bar/gastropub set to open in Villa Heights. Located at 2116 N. Davidson St., it promises more internationally-inspired, yet homey fusions, as well as draft cocktails.
Tupelo Honey expanding into six more locations, including uptown in winter 2020. Tupelo Honey can be found in 14 locations across seven states. And soon, the company will bring six more — with one coming to uptown Charlotte. The new restaurant will be located at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets in the Bank of America Plaza.
Saku to open in January 2020. An Asian restaurant is coming to a newly announced uptown Charlotte tower in January. The 1,330-square-foot restaurant, Saku, heading to 5th Street will be between Connolly’s On Fifth and Hearst Tower. The restaurant will be in the Binaco Tower at 123 E. 5th St., which broke ground in July. The five-story 13,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Boga Mexicana to open in February 2020. Boga Mexicana, a Mexican restaurant taking over the space where The Packhouse used to be, is anticipated to open in February 2020. Vishnu Varthanan, the new owner of the space who is a restaurant operator in Germany, said Boga Mexicana will be an upscale Mexican restaurant that serves quality products. The space will be designed with handmade decorations and furniture imported from Mexico. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner, and it will have a full bar with fresh-pressed juices for cocktails.
Tempest Charleston opens spring 2020. The team behind 5Church Charlotte, Sophia’s Lounge and 5Church Charleston is opening Tempest in Spring 2020. It will be next door to 5Church in Charleston. The restaurant will be located in the former historic Harriott Pinckney Home for Sailors.
Sycamore Brewing to move next door in 2-3 years. “The building is visually stunning, the beer garden is set to be unrivaled, and our product offering even more diverse and exciting. We can’t wait to share the new space with Charlotte,” owner Sarah Taylor Brigham told CharlotteFive. The new space will feature a beer garden twice the size of the current one. It will include a 6,000-square-foot second story outdoor terrace overlooking the light rail, with views of uptown.
ICYMI: SPOTLIGHT ON OCTOBER
The Batch House had a soft opening Oct. 16. When Cristina Rojas-Agurcia was pursuing her master’s degree in clinical mental health, she was also baking on the side. In 2017, it became apparent she needed a website, so her marketing-minded husband, Pablo Agurcia, set up The Batchmaker. The Batch House, the brick and mortar concept of The Batchmaker, is now open in the space adjacent to Latin American Contemporary Art Projects. LaCa is a contemporary art gallery in the FreeMoreWest neighborhood.
Check out October’s other restaurant changes here.
CHARLOTTE CLASSIC EATS
As new restaurants open every day in Charlotte, it’s easy to forget about the old standbys, the places that have grown up alongside the Queen City. We think they’ll always be there for us, but so many favorites have closed along the way. This makes it even more important to support the ones we love. Our series highlights the classic Charlotte eats that you have frequented for years, reminding us why they have stood the test of time.
Check out: Alexander Michael’s. Built in the 1890s, the building on 9th Street was home to the E.W. Berryhill Store for nearly 70 years. During the late ‘60s and ‘70s, it functioned as a paint store, thrift shop, grocery and delicatessen. In 1983, it became the beloved neighborhood tavern that still serves as a social meeting space today. “We opened the doors at 7:15 p.m. on April 27, 1983,” said owner Steve Casner.
This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 5:43 AM with the headline "Can’t keep up with all the restaurant changes? Here’s your CliffsNotes: November 2019."
