‘Diet Atlanta?’ This golf podcaster has no clue how good Charlotte’s food scene is
Charlotte has a lot of apologizing to do, at least according to professional golf podcaster Todd Schuster, who, were you to listen to the Trap Draw podcast posted to Instagram the other day, is in the unfortunate position of needing to come to the Queen City this week for the PGA tournament.
The podcast, hosted by golf-media character Phil Landes (a.k.a Big Randy), has something to offend just about everyone who lives in Charlotte, from the two belittling the jobs of some (or all, according to him — as after all, there are nothing but mid-level junior bankers here) to the sports that we follow (when unable to come up with the words to describe Charlotte’s culture, Landes suggests it’s NASCAR).
The two even take issue with the “fake Queen City” moniker that we have given ourselves. Well, if that’s an issue, Schuster and Landes, then you’re in for a real treat the next time you go to Buffalo, NYC or Cincinnati.
No good food in Charlotte?
But Schuster’s real problem with our hometown, which according to him is the “most vanilla, bland place in the world,” is that he just can’t find anything to eat.
“I’ve never had a good meal in Charlotte,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a good non-chain restaurant here.”
Je suis très, très désolé, Schuster. (I am very, very sorry.)
Life on the proverbial tour bus can be a hard one, and with all of those McDonald’s signs along the way, well, I imagine it’s like gnats to a bright light, and so your generalization is forgiven.
However, you did get one thing right. There’s not one good non-chain restaurant here in Charlotte. There are oodles.
To get your bearings straight, try this list for starters. Or that list. Are the lists overwhelming? Then tell us what you’re in the mood for, Schuster, and we have your back.
Want something Mediterranean? Try Mazi in SouthEnd. The food is colorful, flavorful and that baklava sundae is something we’re all talking about.
Speaking of dessert, want more carbs? Then head down South Boulevard to Vicente Bakery. The kougin-amann are heartstoppingly decadent.
We bet a guy like you after a hard day of golf is going to want a burger. Did we guess right? The best burger in Charlotte right now is in the truck parked behind Copperhead Social in NoDa. We’ll meet you there.
Is pizza more your thing? We have Zämbies, Bird, King of Fire and Inizio. Take your pick.
Or were you actually looking for a nice place to sit down, have a glass of wine and forget about the hole-in-one you missed? Peppervine, Albertine, Customshop, or all of the above.
Or maybe when all is said and done, all you’re really wanting is a great cocktail. Then take your “diet Atlanta” comment over to Idlewild and let them make you something sturdy and potent to wash it out of your mouth.
The point being, Schuster, it is we who are putting you on notice. We have food. We love food. Our fine Queen City is booming with food. We are proud of our restaurants, even as we ourselves sometimes criticize them, wanting only for them to be even better than they were the day before. We live here, and we love here.
“Charlotte, you better show out next week,” you said.
Well, fine. We’ll show out, as long as you promise to show up, hungry and ready for our 704-style of Southern hospitality.
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 10:15 AM.
