A Charlotte restaurant makes Esquire’s list of Best New Restaurants in America
Another accolade has come rolling in for Charlotte’s dining scene.:Supperland has landed at No. 15 on Esquire’s 2022 list of Best New Restaurants in America.
Esquire isn’t alone in recognizing the restaurant, born out of a former church and crafted into a high-end Southern steakhouse. Bon Appetit ranked Supperland in its Top 10 new restaurants in the country this year, too, praising the work of executive chef Chris Rogienski.
But back to Esquire. It’s clearly recognized Charlotte as an up-and-coming food city. In 2020, it named Leah & Louise to the No. 2 spot on its Best New Restaurants list, catching on to a run of big things for owners chef Greg Collier and his wife, Subrina.
Here’s what the national magazine had to say about Supperland:
- “I sat at the counter, where I could watch sparks fly from the wood fires, and it didn’t take long before two women were sharing food with me — and I with them. Supperland’s that kind of joint. It’s a former church that owners Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel have converted into a celebration of tender steak, onion dip, potato chips, and fellowship. I ate dishes that seemed blessed by some kind of spirit. A cazuela full of blackened onions arrived hissing steam. As a guy poured hot butter onto my platter of roasted oysters, a glowing-orange remnant of firewood dropped right on top of one of the bivalves. ‘Don’t eat the ember,’ a server advised. Lord, have mercy.”
The national magazine also named Colleen Hughes its Cocktail Guru of the Year.
- Its report glowingly said: “The cocktails at North Carolina’s Supperland aren’t just layered and delicious. They are thoughtfully woven into the very experience of dinner, particularly in the restaurant’s downstairs speakeasy. You have Colleen Hughes to thank for that.”
Brown told CharlotteFive on Thursday morning that the recognition was an “incredible honor,” adding: “There are nearly a hundred people who work here at Supperland, and each person has a part in this achievement. It’s so exciting, too, to have Colleen Hughes get a shout out as ‘Cocktail Guru of the Year.’ We are so thrilled for her, and so grateful for all her creativity and leadership across our restaurants. We are thankful to Esquire for recognizing this team, and we’re proud to represent Charlotte as our city-wide culinary scene continues to grow.”
You can find the full list of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America online now and in the Winter 2022 issue, available on newsstands by Nov. 29.
Supperland
Location: 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood
Cuisine: American, steakhouse
Instagram: @supper.land
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 11:37 AM.
