Martha Stewart is having a moment. Here’s how you can step into her shoes in Charlotte
Martha Stewart is the woman of the moment. Not of the late 1990s or of the early 2000s, but here and now in fall 2024.
Her Netflix documentary “Martha” has been consistently trending on top since it dropped on Oct. 30. Stewart also just published her 100th book, “Martha: The Cookbook.”
In the late ’90s, Stewart — and her brand of the same name — reigned as the hallmark homemaker. She and her home (and her “Martha Stewart Living” magazine, her Martha Stewart Everyday Kmart line, and her “Martha Stewart Living” TV show) were pristine, put-together icons that shared indispensable lifestyle tips and tricks.
As the years tumbled forward, Stewart’s readers and viewers have seen beneath the domestic veil, following her somewhat rise-fall-rise story arc.
In part due to the “Martha” documentary, younger generations have discovered that she’s a bit of an ambiguous figure, a self-made billionaire who fell from grace, went to jail and climbed back, partly through a notorious friendship with Snoop Dogg. Viewers see this woman in a more nuanced light — as a resilient entrepreneur, as a complicated perfectionist and as a dedicated career woman more than a family woman.
Nevertheless, her guiding values and core interests are clear across her long career: self-made success, entertaining, gardening, a stubborn insistence for fresh, made-from-scratch food and an adamant demand for beauty.
Despite this female powerhouse’s shortcomings and surprise story arcs, Stewart has undeniable taste. As asked by the documentary, was she the original influencer?
Below, you’ll find a list of spots that match up with Stewart’s tastes. These Martha-evoking spots in Charlotte demonstrate the above values and the decades-long lore of this 83-year-old woman, who once again is the woman of the moment.
Albertine
Location: 525 S Tryon St Suite #125, Charlotte, NC 28202
Joe and Katy Kindred’s new upscale restaurant, Albertine, is also quite the powerhouse. The elegant femininity balanced with an assertive air mirrors Stewart’s trademark persona: service-forward, confident, detail-oriented. On the menu, you won’t find anything store-bought or slapdash.
Exemplary dishes include the chilled seafood starters, the labneh-marinated chicken thighs and other veggie-forward accompaniments. The meze dips are served on vintage silver platters and the elegant cocktails in textured goblet glasses. Plush seating, excellent service and grand, sweeping entrances define this space. Also, the bathrooms here are delightful — which is maybe a trivial detail, but in Stewart’s world every detail matters. I think the Kindreds would agree.
The Batch House
Location: 901 Berryhill Rd, Charlotte, NC 28208
Like Stewart, Cris Rojas Agurcia is a self-made culinarian. Born and raised in Honduras, Agurcia transferred her longtime love of baking for friends and family into an adorable bakery for Charlotteans. This spot has Stewart-level standards of meticulousness, and Agurcia’s attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed.
The bourbon chocolate pecan pie, the churro cookie and the tres leches rolls are all decadent crowd-pleasers. And they’re sold in large batches — hence, the name — which is ideal for the type of packed, high-volume parties Stewart hosts. The dainty, feminine touches, from the striking pink exterior to the plush couches inside, are Martha-Stewart-core to the core.
The Culture Shop
Location: 1425 Kennon St, Charlotte, NC 28205
The Culture Shop is a small, woman-run provisions and wine shop that Stewart would adore (and likely source ingredients from). For practicality sake, it’s a one-stop-shop for wine, snacks and, really, anything for proper dinner party entertaining.
Lining the walls are global provisions from tinned fish and thoughtful wine to fresh chevre-stuffed peppadews and sea-salt dark chocolate. You’ll want to wander through the wine and market goodies like it’s an adult playground. Also, this quaint shop crafts some of the most decked-out charcuterie boards in town for pre-order and pick-up.
Customshop
Location: 1601 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
Stewart has built a living and identity off of beauty, elegance and a demand for quality from all culinary and design angles. Customshop could say the same about itself, a little candlelit wonder in Elizabeth. It sources locally from farm partners with seasonal dishes to follow.
Even if it weren’t for the food, Stewart may stop in for the handcrafted cocktails and sit at the marble bar. Something tells me Ms. Stewart would order an espresso martini, which at Customshop features vanilla syrup that starts with scraping whole vanilla beans and chile salt that begins with grinding morita chillies. All from scratch, as Stewart would have it.
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East 8th Vintage
Location: 1950 E 8th St, Charlotte, NC 28204
A woman of good taste knows where to find the most interesting, eclectic treasures. In Charlotte, that would be at a curated vintage store like East 8th vintage, where storied art, dainty mirrors, and statement vintage dresses make up the quaint space. Guests will want to flip through the stacks and stacks of old cookbooks and sift through the antique kitchen and dining-ware strewn about East 8th vintage, as would Stewart.
L’Ostrica
Location: 4701 Park Rd D, Charlotte, NC 28209
While L’Ostrica is certainly known for its tasting menus, Stewart might have an inclination toward the Sunday Supper series and even the tucked-away market full of housemade dips and shelves of wine.
The Sunday Supper is a thoughtful, themed gathering, ranging from Fall In Carolina or Umbria to a Korean BBQ or Farmer Friends series. While Stewart is quick to highlight her own balanced, classic martini, I think she’d quickly give her stamp of approval and then some to L’Ostrica’s Lolo Martini (to which you can add oysters and caviar).
McNinch House
Location: 511 N Church St, Charlotte, NC 28202
If there’s one thing we know about Stewart, she loves to spruce up a home. And that’s exactly what Ellen Davis did when she purchased the once dilapidated Queen Anne-style home in Fourth Ward in 1978. She not only spruced it up, but she restored it entirely and opened the fine-dining restaurant McNinch House, in 1989.
The intricate craftsmanship of this home is an entire feast in and of itself, and it’s decked out beautifully in garlands and lights over the holidays. The now late Davis was a self-taught cook, just like Stewart, who learned from the great female icons like Julia Child. Today, the restaurant’s finding its footing and identity, paying homage to the past and to Davis.
Mimosa Grill
Location: 327 S Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Stewart likes class, and Uptown’s Mimosa Grill is both classy and a classic. It’s been around since 1995, and more than that, it’s a woman-run kitchen. Chef Kaley Laird brings produce from several NC farms — Farm & Sparrow, Urban Gourmet Farm, Old North Farm in South Carolina and more — to craft classic American cuisine. There’s a Stewart-esque practicality to the dishes here; less fancy footwork, more classic technique. Several dishes accented with fresh veggies display this — the roasted half chicken, the dry aged pork chop, or pot roast carrots to share. Stewart is known for her apple pie with a flaky lattice, and Mimosa’s warm apple galette — a delicate hand pie with fig gastrique and vanilla gelato — may be up to Stewart standards.
Rosie’s Wine Garden
Location: 940 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
We all know Stewart loves a garden. She learned to garden as a child and has collected, and subsequently, shared vast amounts of gardening wisdom with her audience over the years — when to prune, pick, harvest, etc. Rosie’s Wine Garden in Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood — part garden, part coffee shop, part wine bar — would certainly be Stewart’s cup of tea (or glass of wine?). It’s a 2-acre garden, with paths to stroll, herbs to take home and some roses to stop and smell.
If you’re into sipping solo and diving into some feelings, Rosie’s may be the best place to write a love letter, or as Stewart did, write a heartbreak letter. The documentary of her life gives viewers a glimpse into some of Stewart’s heart-wrenching pleas to her ex-husband, and I can’t help but think Rosie’s would be a poignant and maybe even on-the-nose spot to write a tender letter.
Toska European Spa
Location: 4401 Barclay Downs Dr Unit 110, Charlotte, NC 28210
Stewart is quite open about her pursuit of confidence and beauty. In her legendary Sports Illustrated feature, she said, “I was motivated by showing people that a woman my age could still look good, feel good, be good.”
With that in mind, Stewart would drop a pretty penny for a facial or two at SouthPark’s Toska European Spa, a fancy, sleek salon owned by Toska Husted, who has worked with A-list celebs, from Kim Kardashian to Jennifer Aniston.
Viva Chicken
Location: Multiple
Stewart is the queen of practicality and of a proper roast chicken. If the chicken is not coming piping hot from your oven, at least have it come piping hot from Viva Chicken. While Viva has become a popular franchise, there’s really no denying that its herby, succulent rotisserie chicken is the real deal. Viva also has plenty of catering options to ease your dinner host duties. Tell your guests that it’s Viva, or don’t. I think Stewart might keep it a secret, too.
Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary
Location: 248 Ridgewood Ave, Charlotte, NC 28209
Wing Haven is a lovely Myers Park garden to wander and mozy about amongst native North Carolina plants and fresh blooms. This lush greenery is situated around and behind a stunning historic home, The Elizabeth Lawrence House, in a boujee but charming neighborhood that is ever-so-Martha.
Additionally, Wing Haven runs several educational workshops, such as holiday flower arranging and writing workshops, and hosts many community-centered events like the occasional garden dinner or fine art auction.
