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When I moved to Charlotte six years ago the city was void craft breweries, or micro-breweries as they were called way back then. Sure, there was Rock Bottom Brewery in Uptown, but have you checked recently? There’s a Rock Bottom in nearly every major city and then some. They are as corporate as Anheuser (sorry, InBev). There was also some brewery up near Mooresville that nobody new the name of, but they…
Read moreUpon moving to Charlotte six years ago, we quickly learned that Thursday nights were for live outdoor music. Back then, it was Alive After Five at Wachovia Plaza where a mesh of young bankers would gather on hot summer nights; men still dressed in their blue button downs and women in their almost workplace inappropriate black skirts each with ice cold domestics in hand to a background of live cover music. For…
Read moreMy blogging neighbors over at Dee’s Adventures and Looks Like LuLu have both been on blog dates, but to be honest, I thought that was weird. A little background information here – my wife and I met and dated before online dating became as popular as it is now. It is existed back then, but most of the people who used it reeked of desperation (I know I pissed off some friends…
Read moreNew to Charlotte and a little unsophisticated on the dining palette, I asked colleagues and friends where to go for our first anniversary dinner six years ago. The unanimous answer was the McNinch House in Charlotte’s Historic Fourth Ward. “Very romantic!” Everyone raved. “Perfect for a night out to celebrate your first year of marriage!” I was intrigued. “Tell me more?” I asked. I learned that the restaurant was located in a…
Read moreFrom our very first visit, we thought that Ilios Noche was ill. Not ill in a sick way, but ill in a Beastie Boy’s Ill Communication sic kinda way (that means good). Many bloggers start out any restaurant, wine, beer, food, or product review with a disclaimer. The product was sent to me as a free sample by the manufacturer… The restaurant invited me to dinner to review their new menu… They…
Read moreShakespeare on the Green is one of my favorite events of the year in Charlotte. But of course you, my faithful readers, already know that from last year’s post. To avoid writing a redundant blog about what a spectacular event this is, I just want to push out a friendly reminder that time is almost running out to catch this year’s performance of The Tempest. As always, it’s a performance that shouldn’t…
Read moreAfter returning from Bavaria, the Mrs. and I were on a quest for a new local market. We are regulars at the local farmers markets but these just don’t compare to the markets we experienced in Munich, Vienna, and Salzburg. There’s just something missing stateside that you can find in a European market. We recently heard of Atherton Mill and Market and wanted to try it out. Unfortunately for us, the market…
Read moreFor the most part, Charlotte does outdoor events right during the warm weather season – free concert series on most Thursday nights, gallery crawls on Friday nights, Pops in the Park on Sundays, NASCAR related festivals, food related festivals, Shakespeare on the Green, White Water Center Events, Saturday night concerts at the Epicenter, art festivals, wine festivals etc, etc. The cities only downfall is too much is packed into the same timeframes. …
Read moreThere’s not much better than waking up on a Saturday morning in February to a forecast of seventy degrees and sunny, especially when it is also wine club member pick-up day at Raffaldini, our favorite North Carolina winery. But enough about Raffaldini, I have already boasted about their product in a previous blog. All I can say is if you live in North Caroling or find yourself heading North or South on…
Read moreCalifornia be warned. You aren’t going to control the market on US wine-making forever. No, sir. Washington and Oregon have already shown themselves as formidable contributors with North Carolina and perhaps even Virginia right behind. Sure, go ahead and gaff while you’re swirling your Riedel with a spit bucket at your side. “Haha, all those rednecks know how to produce is moonshine and muscadine wine. What do they know about fine wines?” …
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