On my first evening in Charlotte, my friends took me to The Goodyear House, which had a gastropub vibe, with a big outdoor eating space at the back. It was October, but even so the evening was balmy and perfect for sitting outside.
drama / romance
Charlotte, North Carolina
Despite many working trips to the US I had never tried Shrimp and Grits. Grits reminded me of the pinhead porridge oats that are increasingly hard to buy in the UK – but more savoury, and the shrimp were big and juicy.
The next day was Sunday – and a visit to the Front Porch Sunday Market at Atherton Mill – where we shopped at the diverse range of stalls, and sampled various jerkies and some fantastic chilli honey, while sipping on mimosas.
OPTOMIST HALL:
For lunch we drove to Optimist Hall, originally a textile mill built in 1892, now a popular food hall with lots of interesting options for eating and drinking. https://optimisthall.com
After much debate, we settled on Noble Smoke, which prides itself on serving “premium hickory-smoked meats and Southern sides to your heart’s content”. https://noblesmokebarbecue.com
I thought the slow-cooked pork would be the highlight of the meal for me, but in fact probably the best thing I tasted on my whole trip was the Creekstone Beef Brisket, which was sweet and melt-in-the-mouth tender. Along with some smoked turkey breast were sides of collards, potato salad, slaw and mac‘n’cheese. It was a memorable meal.
SUPPERLAND:
Supperland used to be a church, and so describes itself as a ‘Southern Steakhouse meets Church Potluck’. It was built in the mid-century and is now a huge restaurant, where they say the design has been influenced partly by London. After an olive oil-washed four-gin Negroni in the bar area next door, we headed to the spectacular restaurant. https://supper.land
Highlights of the meal included Pork Can Can and Wagyu Pot Roast (below).
For dessert, I was told in no uncertain terms that I must try North Carolina’s famous dish of Ambrosia Salad. A kind of fruit salad with mini marshmallows, whipped cream, coconut and so on. And although not a dessert person as such, I did get it.
I can also recommend the restaurant at Restoration Hardware in Charlotte – The Rooftop. https://rh.com/gb/en/charlotte/restaurant
