Comfort food bakery, revolving sushi + 4 other spots join Charlotte’s food scene
Hi again, Charlotte! It’s Tanasia, and I’m back with your weekly roundup of restaurants set to join the city’s food scene.
Healthier options are on the way as Sweetgreen prepares to open a second restaurant in Plaza Midwood. Also, a local bakery has found its forever home, and there’s an Asian-fusion concept taking shape in South End.
Catch up quick on the recent and forthcoming restaurant openings I reported this week:
Thoughtful Baking Co.
Thoughtful Baking Co., known for its savory pies and desserts, is opening its first-ever storefront in Charlotte.
The bakery, founded by Chef Mary Jayne Wilson, has largely operated as a pop-up at local farmers markets. Its new home in Oakhurst will serve as both a customer-facing retail space and a development kitchen.
The transition will allow for an expanded menu of treats that you’ll only find at the storefront.
“This has been a dream of mine for a very long time,” Wilson said in a statement. “We’ve built Thoughtful Baking Co. piece by piece at farmers markets, and to now have a space of our own where people can walk in and experience it in a different way feels incredibly special.”
El Tres Platos Restaurant and Grill
El Tres Platos recently opened in Gastonia, offering a blend of Mexican, Colombian and Honduran cuisines.
The unique concept brings together a trio of Latin American cultures “to share authentic food, tradition and community,” its website says.
Arroz con pollo is on the menu alongside enchiladas, assorted tacos, premium steaks and a few seafood-forward dishes.
Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily.
Three Lanterns Restaurant
At Three Lanterns restaurant, locals will find a blend of Japanese, Vietnamese and Indian cuisine.
The fast casual concept is slated to open in South End, although the address and target opening date are still under wraps.
Foodies can look forward to spicy tuna poke bowls, garlic beef banh mi, veggie roti wrap and classic pho chicken soup, among other Asian-inspired offerings.
There’s also a breakfast menu featuring Japanese-style onigiri and steamed bao buns filled with soft-cooked eggs, sauce and herbs.
Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen is opening a second location in Plaza Midwood on Tuesday, April 21.
The fast-casual chain specializes in hearty salads, bowls and protein plates. The menu also includes signature sides like focaccia bread and roasted sweet potatoes.
The new restaurant is among a slew of new eateries set to open at Commonwealth Plaza Midwood, including Japanese restaurants Uchi and Uchiba, and Maman NYC.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar
Kura Sushi, a revolving sushi concept, is slated to take over the former Pearlz Oyster Bar space in Ballantyne this summer, though an official opening date hasn’t been announced.
A spokesperson for the restaurant told me the tech-driven dining experience will include more than 100 food options delivered via a two-tiered conveyor belt system that snakes through the restaurant.
The main belt delivers sushi plates protected by a ventilated lid to limit airborne exposure. The other, an express belt, is for food items ordered on the touchpad menu that are then delivered directly to guests from the kitchen.
There’s even an interactive game. Deposit 15 plates into the plate disposal slot and Mutenmaru, the restaurant’s mascot, will give you a small prize!
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Gastonia now has its first-ever Dave’s Hot Chicken.
The fast-casual chain, specializing in hot chicken tenders and sliders, opened Friday, April 17, at 2230 E. Franklin Blvd. It was one of eight Dave’s restaurants slated to open this week, along with spots in Florida, Illinois, New York and a few other states.
On the menu, foodies will find chicken rubbed with varying degrees of spiciness from “no spice” to “reaper.” There are also mozzarella sticks, saucy nuggets, loaded fries and milkshakes.
Dave’s Hot Chicken-Gastonia is open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. until midnight.
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