Until Next Time

Unsurprisingly, this roundup of restaurants only scratches the surface of the Charlotte dining scene, leaving many concepts still unexplored. The following restaurants are at the top of the to-try list the next time the Flavor & The Menu team finds itself back in Queen City.

Albertine: Named for the mother of 18th-century monarch Queen Charlotte, this Mediterranean-meets-Southern restaurant is the latest brainchild of Joe and Katy Kindred, whose original concept, Kindred, garnered widespread adulation when it debuted in 2015. Since then, the couple/business partners have grown a multiunit fast casual, Milkbread, but Albertine marks their first foray into fine dining. Menu highlights include mezze with traditional roots, modern flavors and local ingredients, such as the S.C. Black-Eyed Pea Hummus with marjoram oil; dates stuffed with chorizo, peanut muhammara and country ham; and Deviled Taramasalata, a labneh spread made with smoked North Carolina tuna.

Dulce Dreams Café: As global pastries continue to win consumers with their fun flavors, shapes and colors, this pop-up bakery has amassed a following much larger than its still small operation. Mexican-born, Charlotte-raised Norma Zuniga, aka the Concha Lady, bakes a kaleidoscope of sweets befitting the brand’s tagline, “It’s more than a concha. It’s art.” In addition to traditional shell-shaped chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon varieties, Zuniga is continually dreaming up new creations, including PB&J, s’mores, MexiCali (stout with cinnamon, cocoa nibs, coffee and habanero) and I♥️U letters for Valentine’s Day.

Orosoko Sound Bar: While modern mash-ups and third-culture cooking are transforming what constitutes global cuisine, this “anti-fusion” cocktail lounge and restaurant playfully subverts expectations. The food menu is divided into East vs. West halves, with each dish connected by an anchor ingredient. Street Corn Fritters with lime crema, Cotija cheese and powdered chile finds a counterpart in the Okonomiyaki with eel sauce, Japanese mayo, Sriracha, bonito flakes and nori. The Miso Lobster Crêpe with sake butter sauce is balanced by the Citrus-Buttered Lobster Arepa with chile corn cream. The beverage menu is similarly siloed with the exception of global hybrids like Kill Guillermo (mezcal, Spanish Licor 43, spicy Thai coconut cordial, passion fruit and lime) and Pearodox (Japanese gin with tamarind soda and pear-ginger honey).

As Charlotte continues to grow, so too will this list. But in the meantime, there’s already plenty to savor.

Feeling a bit of wanderlust? Our Flavor Postcard series spotlights markets around the world for culinary inspiration.