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charlotte’s best bites | chrissie’s picks again

This post is sponsored by #DesignCharlotte. Share what you love about Charlotte by using the hashtag #DesignCharlotte on Instagram and Twitter. All opinions are my own.

Happy Thursday! Is it me or is this week moving by at a glacial pace? I’ve been counting down the days to the weekend since Monday; which is nothing new, I start itching for the weekend Monday morning when I get out of bed. We have some special visitors coming to town, and I’m excited to spend some time with my mama and celebrate our engagement with our friends and family on Saturday night at one of our favorite Charlotte spots, Craft Tasting Room.

I love so many different and unique spots in Charlotte, it was really hard to do just one round of my picks for Charlotte’s Best Bites (if you missed it, read it!!!). Plus, you know I love to talk, so I couldn’t resist squeezing in seven more of my favorite spots.

Take the Parents
Dish

dish charlotte's best bites

As the product of a Midwest born and raised dad and a mom who is the proudest of her home state of Texas, the obvious dining choice for when they come to visit is home style cooking. Dish is my parents’ favorite restaurant in Charlotte; my dad loves the chatty waitresses and the meatloaf, and my mom thinks they make a mean country fried steak (they do).

dish charlotte's best bites

If you want food just like your mom, grandma, or favorite aunt makes, pull up a chair at Dish (or if you’re a Yankee, go to Dish for the food that the Southern version of your mom or grandma would make). Plus any place that gives you a deviled egg on the side of every entree is a winner in my book.

Dish Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Fancy Date Night
Drinks at The Punch Room
Dinner at Blue

the punch room

If you’re looking for an intimate, romantic spot to sip on some incredible, cutting edge cocktails, you need to plan your next date night at The Punch Room. Bob Peters will totally impress your spouse or lover with his creative concoctions. (if you haven’t heard of Bob, what are you doing with your life? Have you been living under a rock?) Go just before sunset at golden hour, there’s a romantic, sunny haze on the city and you’ll get the perfect view from the Ritz Carlton’s 15th floor.

the punch room

After drinks, walk down the street for dinner at Blue. We celebrated an anniversary at Blue next summer, and it was one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in Charlotte. The crisp, white tablecloths and candlelight will give your evening a soft but not stuffy feel; the waiters are knowledgable, and there are a variety of European flavors to cater to different tastes. Wrap up your romantic evening by splitting an order of sticky toffee pudding.

blue charlotte's best bites

Punch Room Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Blue Restaurant & Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Caffeine Fix
Central Coffee

central coffee charlotte's best bites

Central Coffee is the perfect neighborhood coffee joint. It’s my favorite (I know there’s a lot of great coffee shops across Charlotte, but I spent 2 and a half years down the street from Central Coffee, so it’s just my spot). Besides serving up strong coffee and lattes so beautiful you don’t want to drink them, Central Coffee has the best chai tea I’ve found in the QC (it’s SO good) and they have delicious baked goods and their quiche is perfect for breakfast when you’re in a grab and go mood. The staff is friendly, the place is cozy, and it’s a great spot to catch up with a friend or get a little bit of work done. Also, it’s looking a lot cozier recently with that giant new apartment building looming over it.

Central Coffee Co. Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Meals on Wheels
Papi Queso

papi queso charlotte's best bites

It was only appropriate with the recent devastating news about the Food Truck Friday lot (RIP), and the fact that food trucks are blowing up in the Queen City (what are we like at 50? With room to grow) I had to include a must visit truck in my picks. This was not an easy task, as I love a lot of the food trucks in Charlotte and often plan my brewery visits based on the truck parked on site. So my pick for Charlotte food truck had to go to my first Charlotte food truck love, the cheesy, melty goodness of Papi Queso. Usually the truck with the longest line at Food Truck Friday, every minute spent in the line is totally worth one of their creative, gourmet grilled cheeses.

charlotte's best bites papa queso

Food Truck runner ups (in no particular order): The TIN Kitchen, Blue Barn Bistro and Hot Box Street Food.

Papi Queso Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Streetcar Stop
Earl’s Grocery

charlotte's best bites earl's grocery

Whether you’re pro or anti streetcar, you have to admit it passes a little Charlotte culinary mecca as it trundles down Elizabeth Avenue. Nestled right next to The Visualite, Earl’s is a wonderful neighborhood bodega/restaurant/cafe combination with a chill, foodie, community vibe.

charlotte's best bites earl's grocery

Earl’s caters to the inner foodie in everyone, offering up a diverse menu with their own spin on classic and trendy dishes, as well as a deli case and grocery section boasting all sorts of high quality and unique foodstuffs, including bitters, spices, meats, cheese, beer and wine (and a whole lot more!). Stick to the menu (the bahn mi and noodles–Earl’s version of ramen–are super tasty) or branch out with a daily special (I had some incredible steak tacos when we went for a lunch date a few months ago).

charlotte's best bites earl's grocery

Earl's Grocery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Cheap Eats
Sabor Latin Street Grill

charlotte's best bites sabor latin street grille

A dining guide written by me without Mexican food wouldn’t be truly reflective of my palate and foodie desires. Charlotte has a really good Mexican game going on, but I thought Sabor deserved it’s own little shoutout on the spectrum of both Mexican food and affordable food in the Queen City (please, email me or tweet me if you want to talk Mexican food and want some recommendations). When you think of cheap, you usually think of a lot of things: sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, pizza. A lot of places in Charlotte are doing cheap eats really well, but what I love about Sabor is that they have created their own little niche doing something no one else in Charlotte is doing: cheap, quality, delicious, authentic, Latin street food. I used to live down the street, and it was incredibly dangerous, but I promise you I always ate well if I didn’t feel like cooking. AJ and I spent the summer sustaining on Sabor take out; there was a period that I picked it up for dinner every Monday night for a span of about a month (it was right on the way home from my weekly softball game!). The best part is, you can get a Latin street food feast for two people fit for a king for the small price tag of about $20. Go to Sabor and order the things you can’t get anywhere else: arepas, empanadas, gorditas, and stock up on a variety of salsa from the salsa bar while you wait. And Taco Tuesday is a must do ($1 tacos autenticos: cilantro, lime and onion) but go early, there’s usually a line out the door.

Sabor Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

South of the Border
The Flipside Cafe

the flipside cafe charlotte's best bites

Kaitlin already let us in on Fort Mill’s little secret a few weeks back. But I couldn’t overlook adding The Flipside Cafe to my list for a few reasons: it’s only one exit away from our house (prime location), people who decide to eat at Carmela’s over The Flipside Cafe (they are next door to each other) are crazy, I thought my category title was cute, and homemade pimento cheese. Yes, you read that correctly–homemade pimento cheese. You know I have an affinity for cheese, and Amy’s homemade pimento cheese is worth crossing state borders for (as my mom kindly put it (she was hesitant about our pimento cheese order), “This is not what I was expecting. My grandma used to make us pimento cheese sandwiches with that crap she bought at the store. This is not that and it’s so good!” Plus everyone in Charlotte knows that Jon Fortes is an excellent chef, and I love that he and his wife Amy opened The Flipside in Fort Mill because they loved the community feel. Also their scallops in brown butter are the bomb. So bomb the woman at the table next to us asked me what I ordered for dinner so she could order the same.

charlotte's best bites the flipside cafe

The FlipSide Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

It’s way cool that my vision of a collaborative dining guide is taking shape; so if you need a place to grab lunch or have a special occasion, check out the Charlotte’s Best Bites page to see what people love to eat in Charlotte. I’ll be back every now and then with cuisine guides (first up: pizza) and neighborhood guides (can you tell I lived in Plaza Midwood for 2 years and absolutely love it?). If you missed AJ’s, Kaitlin’s or Ashley’s picks, they are all must reads, so go read them. I’m excited what we have in store for you next week–Elizabeth has a super comprehensive and tasty guide for you covering everything from old school steakhouses to everyone’s favorite vegetarian spot.

Tell me about your favorite foodie spots in Charlotte. What’s your favorite food truck? Or the best place for cheap eats?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of #DesignCharlotte. The opinions and text are all mine.

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