Here are the best things we ate at Charlotte restaurants in April
We’re all about good eats here at CharlotteFive. It’s actually our job to get out and about all around the Charlotte area, grabbing a taste of the city’s best bites — and letting you know what’s new, what’s closing and what’s a classic spot where you should make a stop.
We know that when you’re on the lookout for where to spend your own restaurant dollars, you want to make sure the places you’re visiting are worth it.
So, now, we’re sharing the best bites we’ve eaten, so you’ll have the inside scoop, too. What’s worth your money and your time? We’ll let you know.
We also want to know what your favorite meals were around town: Send us an email to charlottefive@charlottefive.com and let us know!
Here’s a look at the best things we ate this April.
Hello, Sailor: An explosion of citrus flavor
Heidi here, pitching in my thoughts. I took a good friend who lives in Lake Norman out to brunch for her birthday at Hello, Sailor, which is now a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Cornelius. Along with beautiful lakeside views, we got top-notch service — various managers stopped at our table three times to ensure everything was going well — and truly memorable food at the restaurant owned by chef Joe and Katy Kindred.
Hello, Sailor’s Citrus Crab Louie Salad was hands down the best restaurant salad I’ve had in a very long time. Yes, it’s $24, and that did give me some pause. But I regret absolutely nothing about the choice. It was beautifully plated, filled with interesting flavors and textures, and something I’d eat over and over again.
Another must: Save room for dessert. I don’t crave sweets very often, but Hello, Sailor’s citrus and vanilla soft swirl is going to stay on my mind for a while. At just $4, it’s a budget-friendly treat that tastes like a Creamsicle in the best way.
I’ll add an honorable mention for the whipped lemon ricotta bites I snacked on at Laurel Park’s media event to showcase its patio. They’re not on the regular menu — just the catering and events menu. But they were good enough that I’d have eaten the whole plate without shame. Perhaps we’ll get lucky and the option will show up on the appetizer menu soon.
State of Confusion: A vegetarian’s dream entrée
Hey y’all, it’s Melissa. Urban hiking has become a recent hobby, which often takes me miles away from my home without a real plan — and quite an appetite. Earlier this month, I found myself wandering around LoSo at 11 p.m. and hungry.
Surely that’s poor planning on my part, right? Actually, it turns out State of Confusion was still serving a full menu at that time, so my hiking buddy and I settled in at a table on the outdoor patio and ordered as if it were 8 p.m. The Stuffed Sweet Potato, at $16.95, was a winner. It’s stuffed with seasoned cauliflower, Confusion potatoes, avocado sauce, lettuce, pico, serrano salsa and wood-fired vegetables. I was tickled not only to be able to order a full meal at that hour, but a healthy one!
I did pair it with a margarita ($12.50) — and an Uber home. I’d had enough urban hiking for one night — turns out, a midnight dinner makes one sleepy.
Since Heidi did an honorable mention, I’ll add one, too: I can’t stop thinking about the Pimento Grilled Cheese from Lucky Duck food truck at Petty Thieves Brewing. It was $12 and is the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had. No exaggeration.
Biscuit Jam: Hip-hop names, buttery biscuits and no leftovers in sight
What’s up, y’all? It’s Evan. I stopped by HopFly Brewing earlier this month, hungry and curious about a biscuit pop-up I’d been hearing about.
Biscuit Jam was set up inside with a simple setup, a short menu and a lot of personality. It’s the latest project from chef Oscar Johnson, who previously co-owned Jimmy Pearls before shifting to biscuits.
I ordered two sandwiches — the “Notorious B.E.C.” and the “Project Chick” — with hip-hop-themed names that made the menu feel more like a playlist. The B.E.C. was bacon, egg and cheese on a warm biscuit, and the Project Chick was fried chicken tucked into something buttery and hard to stop eating.
I added the strawberry cardamom jam, and that was the move. Everything was hot, simple and a little messy in the best way.
I ended up hanging out on the patio longer than planned, finishing everything while people asked if “the biscuit guy” was still around. I left full, a little crumb-covered and not mad about it.
Keeping with the honorable mention trend, I have to shout out the hand rolls at Sharigato, the new concept from chef Shari Lynne Robins opening soon in Optimist Park. They were really good, and honestly, I was relieved chopsticks weren’t required, because I still haven’t figured those out.
