A judgement-free zone: where to find 12 deep-fried savory indulgences in the Queen City
Fried foods don’t have to be over the top. A carefully fried sage leaf atop a fresh tomato slice provides a crispy initial bite while marrying late summer flavors with those of fall. A collection of thinly sliced vegetables, fried in tempura batter and served to garnish Udon noodles is a delight of textures to experience. And there is little better in this world than the simple Russet potato, sliced or shaved into hot frying oil, salted, and served in greasy translucent paper.
But fried foods have another side—a darker one. Well, not darker, but certainly more indulgent. And CharlotteFivers tend to go crazy for the salty treats that lurk in the sinful underbelly of this city.
Treat yourself. Maybe it’s a reward at the end of a hard day or maybe it’s just Tuesday. Judging is so 2000s.
Here is a list of 12 deep-fried savory foods that will be sure to inspire envy pangs in every Charlottean who eats mortifyingly unhealthy food—if only for one meal.
Pesto Brie French fries
Price: $8 small/$13 large
These had been on my list of things to try in Charlotte for the longest time. After experiencing their fries sans pesto and brie (yes, I chose that verb carefully), it inspired me to write an article on deep-fried foods. This is that article. I have since experienced the pesto Brie fries masterpiece in all its garlicky, cheesy glory and it is worth planning an entire trip around. Order them with a group alongside another indulgence at Crepe Cellar, their red wine braised short ribs.
Oyster Po-boy
Price: $11.99 with a side
I would eat fried oysters out of a sailor’s shoe so when you throw them on good bread with cold, finely shredded lettuce, and housemade remoulade, I applaud the attention. Throw in fries as your side too for a true happy meal. I even recommend trying out your own meals at home with a few other options from the market.
Recipe-tip: Bouillabaisse: Pick up a small amount of assorted seafood (filet of fish, scallops, shrimp, mussels). Shell shrimp (save shells). Roast shrimp shells, cover with water. Simmer for 30 minutes, strain and reserve stock. Saute chopped onion and fennel. Add crushed tomato, shrimp stock. Sear scallops, shrimp, then fish (in pieces) on one side, flip. Add mussels, stock, cover until mussels open. Garnish with fennel tops and serve with french fries or a toasted baguette smeared with garlic mayonnaise.
Livermush
Price: $3.95 for a side
You can order livermush to go with the all-day breakfast or for lunch at this Charlotte restaurant icon that opened in 1980. Livermush is typically griddle-fried or cooked in a pan but if you ask for it ‘well-done,’ the cook will start it on the flattop and finish it in the deep fryer for an extra crunchy shell. I hope you have a comfortable couch and a lock on your office door.
Pro-tip: For $5.99, you get 2 eggs any style; hash browns, grits, or home fries; a meat; biscuit or toast; and a coffee. It’s 2018. Just a reminder. Treat yourself.
Arancini
Price: Price varies
I glanced at my phone as I was typing this article and on Stagioni’s Instagram feed popped this ethereal special. Traditionally made in Italy to use up leftover risotto, arancini, or ‘little oranges,’ is rice combined with a good melting cheese, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried until golden. Chef Alex Dodd’s kitchen typically uses smoked and fresh mozzarella in the trio of arancini—often with sensory overloading flavors like Italian truffle. Another version encases an entire U.A.V. Burrata sphere inside its crunchy exterior. The end result is more akin to the size of a grapefruit than to an orange. But order these appetizers when you see them because in the time it took me to write this paragraph, Stagioni’s seasonal kitchen had moved on to the next menu iteration.
Mac and cheese with chicken skins
Price: $8 small/$14 large
I would be ashamed of this list if it did not include a representative from the Charlotte fried chicken world—albeit an untraditional one. While their menu fried chicken is delightful, the mac and cheese with optional fried chicken skins defines indulgence. It is what last meals aspire to be.
Chicken. Set. Go.
Price: $9 including side
This biscuit sandwich screams, “I had too much fun last night.” The sorghum glazed fried chicken breast is topped with pimiento cheese and jalapenos to ensure your senses are awake for this undertaking—just in time for your noon nap.
Country Fried Steak
Price: $8.79 including a side
This Texas tradition is served in the Carolina fashion alongside Dish’s trademark deviled egg and biscuit. The crispy edges of this fried steak belong in the pantheon of overachievers along with muffin tops, cereal bowl milk, and lasagne corners.
Pro-tip: Order the gravy on the side to make for better leftovers. Oh, you’ve already eaten the whole thing? You do you.
Sriracha Cracklins
Price: $4
These ridiculously fatty morsels are served as a side but are best used as a crunchy chaser—for every bite on your plate. I’m not exactly proud of my obsessive love of fried pork skins but I’m not ashamed of it either.
Fried squash
Price: $4.95 platter/$1.89 side with a meal
The sign says ‘Fresh My Farm Vegetables” and ones of those vegetables is tossed in a light cornmeal batter and fried until golden brown. I could eat Gus’ fried squash alone as a meal and have done so.
Pro tip: Mind your manners at the supper table.
Crab and chorizo hushpuppies and Notorious P.I.G. Puppies
Dogwood Southern Table and Zeppelin (respectively)
Price: $12/$14
Despite growing up in the south, hushpuppies don’t rank high on my list of favorite salty snacks. But Dogwood’s version with lump crab, zesty chorizo sausage, sweet peppadew peppers, and a spicy aioli is killer and the perfect bar snack accompaniment to a lime cocktail. Shoot across town to try Zeppelin’s version with pig cheeks, Eastern NC BBQ (the ONLY type of Carolina barbecue and yes, I’ll fight about it), and honey butter. These two local joints are generous to call these ‘hushpuppies’ and elevate the reputation of the rock-hard balls of tired fryer oil served in Calabash and every midwest crab shack. (‘Excuse me, waiter. Why is ‘crab’ spelled with a ‘k?’)
Bayou Burger
Price: $14 with fries or coleslaw
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Sea Level’s now-open sister concept in Sedgefield slaps fried oysters on a burger with Creole gravy and Swiss cheese. While Paul Manley’s new restaurant just opened yesterday, based on the dishes I’ve enjoyed at Sea Level, I anticipate this Deep South, poor man’s surf & turf to win the hearts of landlubbers and skippers alike. I’d bet all the gold doubloons in Davy Jones’ Locker on it.
This story was originally published October 16, 2018 at 1:40 AM with the headline "A judgement-free zone: where to find 12 deep-fried savory indulgences in the Queen City."