Charlotte’s Top Dining Destinations: Restaurant X

The Chef: Chef Nazira Atme

Nazira Atme is the Executive Chef and Owner of Restaurant X with her partner, Nick O’Shaughnessy. Together, they bring a unique, eclectic style of place and cuisine to Davidson. She received her culinary education in Lausanne, Switzerland and learned her trade in the ownership of several restaurants in Montreal, Canada and Charlotte. Her absolute passion for the culinary arts comes from her French and Lebanese heritage. She is never satisfied with a recipe or method of presentation and is always searching for ways to improve the taste, texture, and visual appeal of every item on the menu. The key to Nazira’s success lies in her style and people skills that help maintain a happy and productive work environment for all employees. Her management style is to listen to the opinions of her chef, Joseph C. Couch. Together they continuously improve the quality of the menus, recipes, and presentation and creatively add new dishes in the eclectic Bistro theme of Restaurant X.

The Look: Shabby Chic

Restaurant X is part of Davidson’s Historic South Main Square “Ice House” complex of buildings, which served the residents of North Mecklenburg with all their fuel needs for heating and cooling before the invention of refrigeration. Built in 1942, the atmosphere of Restaurant X is that of a cozy, casual Bistro. The European flavor of its ownership is not only evident in the small but very tasty eclectic menus, but also in the eclectic interior design—bistro theme with British and Mediterranean memorabilia and artwork. The owners’ original family photographs, dating back to the 1890s, and original artwork by local artist Elie Bou Zeidan adorn the walls of the dining room. The British theme goes as far as the bathroom doors labeled with the London Underground logos and map. Future plans for the restaurant include the expansion of the building to include a full bar.

The Dish: Signature Dishes

All three menus at Restaurant X, lunch, brunch, and dinner, are from scratch and in-house recipes. In addition to the three menus, the restaurant posts daily specials on its infamous chalkboard wall, as well as on its social media accounts. Signature entrees include: a grilled New Zealand lamb chops chasseur garnished with onion rings, sautéed garlic spinach, and mushroom sauce; seared ahi tuna served over soba noodles, Thai peanut salsa, hoisin glaze, and wasabi aioli; a 14-ounce X-Jurassic pork chop that’s always juicy and served with mashed potatoes, haricots verts, and carrots; and beer battered fish ‘n’ chips, English soul food with Fullers ESB or Newcastle Brown Ale in the batter accompanied by piping hot chips (fries) and malt vinegar and tartar sauce on the side. Restaurant X’s signature dessert is the decadent banoffee pie. Bananas + toffee = banoffee. The dish is an English recipe with ginger snap crust, English toffee, sliced bananas, and whipped cream.

Restaurant X: 408 South Main St., Davidson.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 9:32 PM.