Off the Eaten Path

A Food and Travel Blog

  • recipes
  • north carolina travel
  • cookbook
  • about
    • press and publications
  • work with me
    • mentoring and consulting
    • food photography

nan and byron’s

January 8, 2015 by Chrissie 3 Comments

Filed Under: all, american, brunch, chapel hill nc, charlotte, nc, comfort food Tagged With: Nan and Byron's, South End

Grant Wood’s inspiration for his painting, American Gothic, came from a farm house in Iowa and “the kind of people I fancied should live in that house.”  In turn, Wood’s painting and Wood’s somber looking models, inspired South End’s farmhouse chic establishment, Nan and Byron’s.  Serving up elevated comfort food, the rustic, warm restaurant was anything but somber on a recent Thursday night; Nan and Byron’s was a welcome retreat from the cold bit of weather we’ve been having in Charlotte and was lively with young couples and families.

My first visit to Nan and Byron’s was a few weeks earlier, I was doing some “research” (truly, the best research project of my life) for an article about Charlotte’s craft cocktails. I sat at the bar on a sunny Saturday sipping a few of Nan and Byron’s signature cocktails and chatting with Alejandro, Nan and Byron’s co-owner and marketing director, and a few of the bartenders. With my first sip of Nan and Byron’s most popular cocktail, the Farmhouse Lemonade, I was transported instantly to a fronch port rocking chair as the sun set of a lazy, summer day.

nan and byron's farmhouse lemonade

The Farmhouse Lemonade was refreshing and sweet, and didn’t taste of a hint of alcohol (which could definitely be dangerous). I also sampled Nan and Byron’s Cadaliac Jalapeno Margarita and snacked on a brunch plate of potatoes, eggs, and some fresh fruit that I grabbed from their all-you-can-eat-buffet (offered on weekends for $21, they have oysters and crab legs too!).

I’ve been meaning to go to Nan and Byron’s for dinner since they opened last year (I say that about a lot of places, it’s like I have a neverending list of new spots in Charlotte I need to check out) so I was excited when AJ and I set some plans in stone for a date a few weeks later. We perused the drink menu while munching on a basket of Nan and Byron’s signature popcorn.

nan and byron's popcorn

We each started with a cocktail: the Dancing Cranberries for me, with prossecco, white cranberry juice and dried cranberries, and Refashioned for AJ. The Refashioned Nan and Byron’s take on an Old Fashioned with Bulleit Rye Bourbon, orange bitters, peach bitters, muddled fresh strawberry, orange, and cherries.

Nan and Byron’s menu is a healthy mix of classic comfort food dishes like pimento cheese and meatloaf, mixed with some more elegant options like tartare, charcuterie and cheese boards, a chop menu (with a selection of steaks and other cuts) and scallops. There was so much to choose from, so we settled on two appetizers recommended by our waiter to start: The braised pork belly and tuna tartare. We enjoyed the pork belly, which was tender and flavorful, but the tuna won the appetizer round. The flavors were refreshing and bright, with a little kick of spice from the crushed wasabi peas, and I couldn’t stop eating it.

nan and byron's tuna tartare

At this point I have to stop and talk to you about the photo situation. I currently take all photos for my blog on my iPhone, and then edit them as I see fit (one day I will save up for a DSLR, but for now, my iPhone is easy to travel with and pull out in restaurants so I don’t look like a total weirdo). We were sitting at a great table in the corner and Nan and Byron’s but the lighting, while great for the mood and our dinner, was not great for food photos (which are the stars of this post, no?). I kindly asked AJ if he would help my by lighting his phone up on the food so I could get better lighting and a better photo, and after rolling his eyes, he obliged (thanks for putting up with me!). Well, the restaurant staff saw us being all awkward in the corner and after asking what we were doing, also lit up their phones for me so I could get the perfect shot. I really wish I could give you a picture of me taking pictures, with two to three men with lit up cell phones surrounding me, but your mental image will have to do. Don’t worry, this happened for all three courses.

AJ ordered off the chops menu for his entrée and decided on the spicy New York strip with crushed Yukon potatoes, crispy onions, garlic confit and red wine sauce. The chefs were not shy on the garlic and the steak was delicious (the crunch of the onions was a nice textural addition).

nan and byron's new york strip

I tried one of Nan and Byron’s new entrees, the pan seared scallops, and I hope that this dish stays on the menu because it was incredible. I don’t make a lot of seafood at home (I think I’ve only made scallops once when they were on sale at Harris Teeter) and I love scallops, so its such a treat when restaurants have scallops on their menu. And scallops are easy to mess up; they can become rubbery in an instant, so its even better when restaurants cook them well and pair them with great flavors. The scallop dish seemed a little busy, oven roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized Brussels sprouts, red wine bloomed cranberries, spiced candied walnuts, and brown butter, but everything worked together and the dish was chock full of flavor. The scallops melted in my mouth and I couldn’t get enough of the crispy Brussels sprouts. If you go to Nan and Byron’s, you should order the scallops.

IMG_4914

I tried to save some of my scallops for lunch the next day, but they were just too good I ate them all. After two appetizers and an entrée, I couldn’t even fathom dessert, but my sweet tooth got the best of us (AJ is easy to convince) and we shared the turtle cheesecake for dessert. The cheesecake was creamy and sweet and anything turtle inspired (with chocolate, caramel and walnuts) is great by me. It was the perfect way to wrap up a meal.

20141106_210257

Besides great cocktails and scallops, Nan and Byron’s also boasts a fantastic patio for warmer weather, and transitions to a late night hot spot on the weekends with food and drink specials, a DJ and dancing.

When the cold weather is getting me down this winter, I’m going to pop over to Nan and Byron’s (maybe even take the light rail? I’ve never done it!) to sip on a Farmhouse Lemonade, feast on some scallops, and think about Spring.

 nanandbyrons.com / 1714 south blvd., south end
lunch: mon.-fri 11am-5pm
dinner: everday 5pm-until
brunch: sat. & sun. 10am-3pm

**Thank you to Nan and Byron’s for treating AJ and me to dinner. All opinions are my own and no one asked me to write anything in return. 

Nan & Byron's on Urbanspoon

Related Posts

camping cocktails
camping cocktails
pio pio
charlotte brews cruise
« asheville chews {the market place, sunny point cafe, farmburger, asheville sandwich co. }
on the side: classpass »

Comments

  1. Sarah @ 2paws Designs says

    February 19, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    Sounds delicious! I’m going to have to take note of the address and try to visit during my next trip to Charlotte.

    Reply
    • Chrissie--Off The Eaten Path says

      February 20, 2015 at 1:14 pm

      I love Nan and Byron’s! Definitely a must visit Charlotte restaurant. If you’re looking for something more elegant, you should also try their sister restaurant, 5 Church, in Uptown. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. sunday sipper shinin' strawberry lemonade | off the eaten path says:
    October 1, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    […] the onset of spring: warm, sunny days that extend into the evenings, tiptoeing through the tulips, a delicious cocktail at a great restaurant in Charlotte, outdoor adventures, sundresses and the start of strawberry season. I snagged some of these […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

chrissie off the eaten path blog
Hi! I'm Chrissie: a pizza and sushi loving, craft beer and red wine drinking, restaurant exploring and traveling home cook who's been taking pictures of my food since 2013. To learn more about Off the Eaten Path, click here!

Get in touch: offtheeatenpathclt@gmail.com

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

NEWSLETTER


Find the ultimate cheese and food pairings when you are building your own cheese and charcuterie boards at home with Off the Eaten Path's Perfect Pairings Guide!

FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM

last week I told AJ I wanted to go to Asheville to last week I told AJ I wanted to go to Asheville to eat so then we went to Asheville and ate.

#doughnuts #donuts #donutsofinstagram #donutlover #donutshop #doughnutsofinstagram #doughnut #doughnuttime #doughnutlover #asheville #ashevillenc #ashevillefood #avl #avleats #avlfood #ashevilleeats #ncmountains #roadtripusa #ncroadtrip #roadtrip #roadtrippin
mr. kitty’s first hike #hikingadventures #hikin mr. kitty’s first hike

#hikingadventures #hiking #nchiking #nchikes #nchikingtrails #pisgahnationalforest #pisgah #cathiking #hikingwithcats #dayhike #dayhikes #dayhiking #catsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catlover #catsinnature #catbackpack #ncmountains #visitnc #northcarolina #rescuecats #rescuecatsrock #rescuecatsofinstagram #outdoorsy #outdoorsyaf
We break out these personalized hurricane glasses We break out these personalized hurricane glasses (swipe to see!) twice a year: for our anniversary and for Fat Tuesday! (honestly should be more though).

Even if your friends didn’t give you personalized hurricane glasses as a wedding gift 😂, I’ve got a really easy recipe for you to make some hurricanes at home for Mardi Gras tomorrow!

Hurricane Matthew (named after the hurricane we got married during!)
Makes 2 cocktails

4 ounces light or silver rum
4 ounces dark rum
4 ounces passion fruit juice (pineapple juice can be used instead!)
2 ounces orange juice
1-2 ounces lime juice
1 ounce grenadine
1 ounce simple syrup (optional if you like sweeter cocktails)
orange slice and cherry for garnish

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a tap glass filled with ice.

#fattuesday #mardigras2021 #mardigras #mardigrascocktail #fattuesdaycocktails #mardigrasrecipes #hurricanecocktail #hurricanedrink #cocktailsofinstagram #cocktailsathome #cocktailrecipes #cocktailoftheday #cocktailgram #cocktailrecipe #happyhour #cocktailphotography #drinkoftheday #drinkoftheweek #easycocktails #easycocktailrecipes
Some personal news: I finished watching Dawson's C Some personal news: I finished watching Dawson's Creek!

It's a journey I started in mid-December and I'm proud to say that I finished the 128th episode last night. That’s 96 hours of late 90's nostalgia which I think is a great life accomplishment (and AJ says it's disgusting but nobody asked you AJ).

It just so happens we spent a week at the beach during my watching peak, so we spent an afternoon wandering around Wilmington to see some filming locations. Perfect timing! For my fellow Dawson's Creek fans, you can save this post for stroll (and a short car and ferry ride) next time you're in Wilmington:

Downtown
The Wilmington Riverwalk
Elijah's Restaurant, 2 Ann Street: Pacey's Icehouse in the finale
Reel Cafe, 100 South Front Street: look across Dock Street and you'll see the top of Joey's wall (there is restaurant patio seating in front of the wall now)
Michael's on the Waterfront, 5 South Water Street: Leery's Fresh Fish
Black Cat Shoppe, 8 Market Street: Capeside CD Shop
Hell's Kitchen, 118 Princess Street: It was originally a temporary set but now it's a real bar (the show sold the bar and it's contents to a local owner)
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut Street: The Rialto Theater
N Salo Salon, 212 North Front Street: Screen Play Video

Midtown
Alderman Hall at UNCW, 601 South College Road: Capeside High School
Airlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Road: The Ruins

Wrightsville Beach
Dockside Restaurant, 1308 Airlie Road: exterior shots of The Icehouse
Oceanic Pier, 703 S Lumina Ave: the pier from the opening credits 

Kure Beach and Southport
Southport/Fort Fisher Ferry, 2422 Fort Fisher Blvd
The Marina, Yacht Basin Drive and South Brunswick Street: the location for "The Longest Day"

PS: Team Pacey always and forever

#wilmingtonnc #wilmington #wilmingtonriverwalk #wilmingtonriverfront #capefearriver #visitnc #northcarolina #visitnorthcarolina #wilmingtoncoast # #nccoasnorthcarolinacoastt #nc #dawsonscreek #90snostalgia #90sbaby #travelgram #travelblogger #travelblog #wheninwilmington #explorewilmingtonandbeaches #travelawaits #letsgoplaces #letsgothere #letsmakeplans
apparently it’s national pizza day apparently it’s national pizza day
  • privacy policy
  • disclaimers
  • disclosure policy

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

0shares