Charlotte Farmers Market

There are a number of private farmers markets all around Charlotte, but the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market off Yorkmont Road (near the Charlotte Douglas International Airport) is pretty centrally located no mater where you live in the area. This particular market is run by the NC Agricultural Department and is one of the largest ones in town.

Though farmers markets are well known for the organic quality, freshness and variety not offered by most supermarkets--most people seem to think that they are also expensive. This is absolutely not the case at the Charlotte Market. Last week I purchased a red pepper for just 99 cents, and huge bag of mushrooms for $1 and Chinese eggplant for just $1.50. This is way cheaper than any other market in the area, and way beneath the prices at the supermarket. There's also unusual variety of stuff that you won't find at your corner Food Lion.

Now, not everything at this market is locally grown. You will undoubtedly spot vendors selling fruits and veggies straight out of boxes that clearly show the product was not grown by them, but was purchased. For example, a vendor selling oranges will clearly not have gotten them from the Carolinas--but straight from Florida. Or apples may be boxed from New York. I'm perfectly okay with this arrangement since I'm getting it for a super reasonable price. But much of what is for sale is still locally grown by the sellers themselves.

This farmers market is huge (during seasonal months) and operates year round (and not just on the weekends). Much of it is also indoors and under roofed buildings, so its a tad more pleasant to escape the hot summer sun. In the winter there may not be as many vendors as during the warmer months, but the few that are there are still selling everything and anything you would need. In the spring and summer, many vendors sell local fresh cut flowers of amazing variety and for excellent prices. But be warned, if you are allergy prone--you will be overwhelmed by the odor and pollen count in these stalls so keep away from them.

Once spring hits, the number of vendors and variety of what they sell increases dramatically. You will spot local cheesemakers, folks selling unusual cuts of beef such as ostrich and occasionally someone selling gorgeous fish out of the back of his truck. Local honey is relatively inexpensive, as are interesting homemade natural soaps and organic baked goods. There are also vendors selling crafts and other decorative items, too. In the summer months, food vendors join the bandwagon on the weekends, so you can have a hotdog while perusing the stands of goods.

Though it might not have the charm of your small, neighborhood farmers market if you are so lucky to have one--I would bet you will find that this one is cheaper than most and perhaps a tad more convenient. It also makes for a interesting weekend jaunt with the family.

The Charlotte Regional Farmers Market is located at 1801 Yorkmont Road and is easily accessible from South Tryon Street, Tyvola Road, I-77, and I-85. For more information call (704) 357-1269.

Restaurant Review: Zebra in South Park

Whoever says there aren't New York City quality restaurants in Charlotte hasn't been to Zebra. This gem in the heart of South Park has a solid menu that rivals any NYC eatery.

It was our wedding anniversary, so we opted to splurge on the 10 course tasting menu accompanied with the wine pairing. At $84 per person (without wine), this is certainly not the cheapest route, but it gives you the opportunity to see the true talents of the chef.

The decor is what I would call elegant English safari. Lovely pine hugs the walls with beefy and intricate moldings. A beautiful zebra painting graces the back dining room with big impact, and much of the artwork on the walls is for sale if you've got the wallet for a $2,500 framed sketch that looked like it was drawn by DaVinci. The only thing marring the look is the tacky drop-down celing with acoustic tiles and strange Christmas ball lights hanging out of the can lights. Odd for sure.

The tasting menu changes daily, and ours included a fabulous foie gras, and unspeakably divine lobster tail on a creamy bed of lemon risotto and a flaky halibut. Each dish arrived with a well chosen wine--and Zebra claims to have one of the largest cellars in North Carolina. The chef/owner, Jim Alexander, came to our table several times as well to inquire about our meal--a nice touch!

All plates were truly well thought out and not over the top. Only a rabbit dish was tasteless and features a rubbery portobello mushroom. The portions are all small, but when one is dining on that number of courses you will certainly not leave hungry. As a finale, a cocunut souflee came with a boat full of fresh, warm chocolate that proved a tremendous pairing. At the end of the meal, I was certainly struggling to get any more in, so be sure to skip lunch that day.

If the tasting menu is too big for your pocketbook or belly, then other artful dishes on the menu include bison, pheasant and Florida Pompano. Salmon, chicken, steak and other traditional fare are also up for grabs with great flair.

There's a small bar and a charming outdoor area where you can dine if you choose. The place is frequented by banking executives, and the waitstaff seemed happy to chat with a customer who wasn't of the usual ilk. Matt, our waiter, did a fine job making sure we were taken care of without hovering or being intrusive--a fine art for a waiter for sure. He managed to be chatty enough without being overbearing.

Zebra is worth the splurge.

Restaurant Review: Soiree in Moorseville. Yum!

For those of you moving to Charlotte for the grand weather, it's December 10th and it's going to be 75 degrees today. The whole week will be in the 70's actually....it doesn't get better than this!

This past Saturday, I visited a fantastic restaurant in Moorseville's main street strip named Soiree. It's contemporary French that is a tad pricey--heck, what French joint isn't? But the food was phenomenal and inventive. The space is truly beautiful with it's exposed brick that is thanks to the fact that it is housed in a historic building that was formerly a fry goods store. Truly, the whole main street area was absolutely adorable, with little baberber shops, antiques, artist galleries, and ice cream shops. Moorseville has done a tremendous job keeping the integrity of something that is disappearing all around the country.

The owners have managed to retain lots of the original features of the building--including the old pay phones sitting in their wooden booths. We're talking rotary dials, people! No push button. Too cool. The high ceilings, super high windows and pretty decor reminded me of a great high end restaurant in my beloved NYC. Funny how Charlotte feels more and more like home to me.

We were there for a party upstairs, so we got to try a few of the selections and desserts. Everything we had was very good, and it's a shame it's so far from where I'm living--otherwise I would sure as heck be there every couple of weeks! Still, we'll try to make a few special trips to get up there whenever possible. Totally worth it.

Since the culinary school Johnson & Wales University opened in uptown a few years ago, some pretty great restaurants and chefs have been moving in and sticking around. It's great to see.

Charlotte Liquor Stores (aka ABC Stores)

Here at the Living in Charlotte blog, we don't beat around the bush when it comes time to having a good drink. God, after all, did not invent Coca-Cola, but he sure as heck gave us all natural spirits. So, if you're turned off at the thought of a pint of ale with your hamburger--we suggest you save yourself some time and read one of the other cheery posts on our blog. We promise that most are quite entertaining. For the rest of you who are quite happy with a martini or margarita at the end of your day, keep reading...this is important stuff.

Picking up booze in Charlotte is an interesting event for us transplants--particularly if you're from the northeast. First off, liquor stores here are controlled and regulated by the state. This means that you don't find any independent liquor stores within NC state lines. Now let me clarify before you guys get all jiggy on me. Beer and wine are sold everywhere here, and you can easily walk into your local CVS drugstore, Target, the supermarket or an independent store selling these two items. Liquor--or hard spirits--can only be sold at what are referred to as ABC stores in NC. ABC stores, however, don't sell any wine. If you're confused now, please hold tight...

ABC's have your typical collection of vodka, whiskey, rum and anything with a higher alcohol content that you usually spot on liquor store shelves. The mainstay brands are all there--Absolut, Johnnie Walker, Bushmills, etc. What ABC stores aren't is creative in terms of the more interesting or unusual brands. Matt, for example, has grown fond of a Spanish brandy, Gran Duque de Alba, over the years. It is common to see it on northeastern shelves, but it is not sold in ABC stores here. The brandy selection in NC, is actually quite pedestrian if you are into that particular beverage or anything else a little more unique.

So, what is one to do? Well, you run across the border to South Carolina, of course! They have similar named ABC stores in SC (though many have ordinary independent names too), but these are not state run. The selection here, is much more exciting and the store hours are more like what you'd expect from a liquor store. So, if you get that hankering for a mojito on a late Saturday might--you can head over to SC to get your mixings. Oh, and all NC ABC stores will be closed on Sundays.

There's a particularly good SC liquor store over the border in Fort Mill, SC, named Southern Spirits that has a great collection of booze (including Matt's beloved brandy). Now here's another confusing thing I warned you too look out for earlier. In SC, though the stores aren't state owned, they are state regulated--and there are very different rules for wine and beer versus booze.
Let's use Southern Spirits as the illustrative example. You'll notice that the store has two doors, and actually, there is a partial wall dividing the store in half. One half has wine and the other has hard spirits and beer. You CANNOT walk with your hard liquor over to the the wine section, but you MAY take your wine over into the spirits section! Isn't it crazy!? [Side note: If you happen to go to Southern Spirits on Saturdays and spot the BBQ pork vendor in the parking lot, DO NOT go home without one of his pork butts! He and his momma spend all Friday prepping and cooking them. They are truly fantastic!].

The other thing that sucks about NC ABC stores, is that there are no special sales. Since the state government owns all the booze--they don't feel the need to compete on price with anyone else since they are the only show in town in NC. So, you won't see your favorite Grey Goose $5 off any time soon, which is quite disappointing. You can race over to SC, though, and they'll often have interesting discounts--plus it tends to be cheaper than NC in general. While you're there, stop at the gas station too--because gas is cheaper too! What could be better? You make one run out there for cheaper booze, cheaper gas and good ol' tender pork butt that has been stewing for 15 hours!

Up until a year ago, NC didn't even have a state lottery, and all of us were running over the border to SC to get our power ball and scratch off tickets, too.
There are "dry" counties all around the Charlotte area that you need to look out for if you are interested in imbibing in a drink, like when you go to a restaurant, let's say. For those of you who don't know what dry means in this instance--it signifies that the town has established that no alcohol can be served to anyone at any establishment whatsover. People from New Jersey will be quite familiar with this concept, since there are plenty of dry town about. The rest of you may be picking yourselves up off the floor right about now. What?! Lisa, are you saying I won't be able to get a drink while I delight in my 20 ounce porter house steak? That's right, Johnnie, no booze for you!

Mecklenberg county caters to drinkers, and most establishments have the ability to pour a drink so long as they are licensed, of course. Waxhaw, in union county, however is a dry town. Waxhaw's neighbor, Marvin, has passed a "per drink" rule, which allows an establishment to serve individual glasses of alcohol. Funny thing is, Marvin doesn't actually have any restaurants or pubs yet. Go figure! Three years ago, a Harris Teeter nearly refused to move into the Wesley Chapel area unless it could sell wine and beer, and the township relented since everyone really, really wanted a nice supermarket. The pubs bordering union are packed to the gills because that's the closest place that folks who live in the county can go to grab a pint.

I don't know about you people, but after a day of working hard, wrestling with the kids and paying the bills--I definitely need that glass of shiraz with my shrimp plate. And, I sure as heck don't want to deal with Matt if he can't have his martini as he's patiently waiting for his favorite Idaho Rainbow Trout at 131 Main. So, we tend to stick to restaurants in Meck County where we can share our love of food and drink in unison as the gods intended.

I don't mean to offend anyone that feels that drinking should not be part of the daily program. To each his own, I say. But the good lord was having his glass of vino at his last supper--and I plan on doing the same at all of mine...just in case!

Salut!

Provisions (Or Where to Find Mozzarella)

There's no shortage of food shopping choices in Charlotte. There are still some specific items that aren't available, or not of the same quality we were used to, but for the most part you can find what you need.

The supermarket scene is dominated by Harris Teeter ("the Teeter"). Down on the south side, between Ballantyne and Matthews, it seems like there's a Teeter every few blocks. Personally, I think they are solid stores, with good prices and selection. Some (like the one on Providence at Ardrey Kell) are open 24 hours a day. The one downside, for us, is the meat and fish selection. This is just personal opinion, but the beef isn't very good. Oddly, their house brand roast beef in the deli section is very good.

Lowe's Foods is another nice supermarket in the area. It's slightly more upscale compared to the Teeter, and has an excellent wine selection. They also seem to have a better seafood selection than the Teeter. They aren't as common however, and are a bit more pricey.

Other choices are Food Lion and Bi Lo, depending on where you are located. Both are fine, with a smaller selection and cheaper prices.As for smaller, specialty markets, there are a number in the area worth checking out. I'm sure there are others that we haven't discovered yet, but these can be vouched for!

The Fresh Market has a few locations in Charlotte including the one we visit on Pineville-Matthews Road. They have a good bakery section, as well as sandwiches, meats and seafood. They carry some harder-to-get items like Spainish chorizo, an array of cheeses and coffee beans. It's not cheap, but everything is of a high quality.

EarthFare has a more organic bent to it, but is a full-size market in the Ballantyne area on Johnston Rd., just north of 485.

Trader Joe's just opened two stores in Charlotte, including a store on Rea Rd., just south of Highway 51. It's been a madhouse there with long lines on the weekends, but if you like their stuff you know why! The chocolate ganache cake is great, as are their chocolate covered pretzels. Their frozen foods are quite tasty considering they are, well, frozen. There is parking in the back that no one seems to no about.

Dean and Deluca has two shops in Charlotte. One in Stonecrest and the other at Phillips Place.

Ferrucci's Italian Market is an oasis for those on the north side of town. Located off Exit 28 on I-77 in the Shops on the Green. It is a bit of a drive, but well worth it. They have a fresh meat section, prepared Italian delicacies, fresh mozzarella, sausages, pasta and cannoli, among other items. They also make excellent sandwiches and cater.

Pasta & Provisions on Providence Road has fresh pasta and deli meats, along with prepared meals and other Italian type fare. The food is good, but it has a reputation as being snooty and expensive. It's a place where the ritzy Dilworth crowd seem to go.

For the more adventurous types, some of the best meat we've found in the area is at a gas station. Seriously. Well, okay, it's a market attached to a gas station. The Peach Stand, in Fort Mill, SC, just over the state line on Highway 160, has an excellent butcher counter, along with fresh produce, pies and preserves. Until we found the place mentioned below, this is where we would go to get steaks to cook on the grill. Ask them to season them for you before they wrap 'em up. As they name implies, they also sell fresh peaches, preserves and pies too.

For the really adventurous meat-lover, there is a wholesale butcher shop in Waxhaw where you can get anything you want. Except veal cutlets, which are apparently not a very southern thing to eat because they are really hard to find here. (The Teeter recently started carrying them, but, they don't look too good and are often stringy.) Anyway, Frontier Meats is at 8303 Lancaster Highway. They're closed Sundays and Mondays, and cut meat from 7AM to 2PM on all other days. You can pick up strange cuts of meats here, such as ox tail, rabbit and tongue along with the usual stuff. The NY strip steaks are good, and the filet mignon is buttery and only $11 per pound. Everything here is very cheap, but quality. It doesn't hurt if you can speak some Spanish, as all the meat cutters are hispanic and very friendly. It gets very busy on Saturday, but is definitely worth a trip out in the country.

Bring a cooler and some ice and stock up!

Bon appetite!

The Charlotte Food Scene

Charlotte does not lay claim to a particular food item, like Philly does with the cheese steak, or Chicago with the hot dog and the deep dish pizza. We're not on the water, so fresh seafood is not abundant. We don't have the quantity or variety of restaurants that you'll find in NYC or San Francisco. We're not even the epicenter of our most famous food, BBQ (try Texas or Memphis.) Still, you won't starve here, that's for sure, and there are plenty of tasty options available.

Restaurants: More and more are opening each month, and the upscale places are spreading south with the housing boom. Johnson and Wales culinary school opened a campus in uptown and a lot of their graduating chefs are staying in the area to work, and opening interesting restaurants. From uptown to the South End, all the way down to the Ballantyne area you can find some great places to eat, in all price ranges. There is still a shortage of quality ethnic restaurants (Indian and Cuban come to mind,) but you'll find great sushi (try Nikko's in Ballantyne) and decent Thai food among the hordes of steakhouses. One of our favorite places for American food with a Southern flair is Sugar Magnolia's in the Blakeney shopping center. It's a bit pricey, but the food is excellent. We've found pretty good pizza (Tony's) and Chinese food, but you have to try a bunch before you find what you like.

Regional treats: Though not specific to Charlotte, you'll find some southern delicacies here you just don't see much up north. Fried okra, when done right, is amazing. Also, you'll find fried pickle chips on some menus here. TRY THEM. Fried green tomatoes are also common. Notice a theme here? My aunt always says "You can fry a piece of shoe leather and it would taste good." Another item that was new to me is pimiento cheese. It's kind of a spread, or sometimes a dip. Not my favorite, but worth a try. They also have a locally bottled cherry soda here called Cheerwine that is everything I always wanted Dr. Pepper to be.

BBQ: Pork rules here, but you'll find beef brisket and chicken too. Be aware, however, that the style of BBQ predominantly served is "eastern style" which means the sauce is vinegar-based, rather than tomato-based. Not my preference, but it's all good. On Saturday's it's common to see people on the roadside or in a parking lot with their smokers, selling home-made BBQ. Definitely worth a try. Down Highway 521 just across the South Carolina border is Southern Spirits--a liquor store where one of these pork purveyors sets up shop. He only sells whole cooked pork shoulders. You have to trim it and shred it yourself at home, but it is unbelievably good. I think we ate 3 meals from the one we bought.

Now, if we could only find good Italian bread and fresh mozzarella cheese everywhere, we'd be all set...[check Ferrucci's Old Tyme Italian Market in Cornelius for that].