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Cultural Exchange
My favorite spots are definitely ethnic, and if your palate has been desensitized by sanitized ethnic foods, read on, but please note: Many ethnic restaurants will ratchet down the flavor unless you talk to your server.
34 Blue Taj (14815 Ballantyne Village Way, 704-369-5777 www.thebluetaj.com) sets lamb into orbit with a number of its dishes. Leg of lamb is marinated in yogurt and fenugreek and then cooked on the tandoor, while grilled lamb chops, lamb Rogan Josh, and lamb curry are other stars. These are recipes from the creative mind of restaurant consultant and partner Mel Oza, a graduate of what he terms "the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) of India."
35 It's always a toss-up at Ilios Noches (11508 Providence Road, 704-814-9882, www.iliosnoche.com): Do I have the wood-oven roasted octopus, which reminds me of the summer I spent in Greece? Or do I order the transcendently tender lamb souvlaki?
36, 37 The hearty beef rendang entrée and roti starter at Cuisine Malaya (1411 Elizabeth Ave., 704-372-0766) are perennial favorites, and I could eat at Ben Thanh (4900 Central Ave., 704-566-1088, www.benthancharlotte.com) every week and never tire of their food. What to get? Bun tom thit nuong cha gio — pork and shrimp on vermicelli with iceberg lettuce, slices of cucumber, bean sprouts and mint — is a sparkling summer dish. In winter, I order banh xeo — a large yellow pancake filled with shrimp and pork and mint. In any season, the crispy quail appetizer fits the bill.
38 Thai Orchid (4223 Providence Road, 704-364-1134, www.thaiorchidcharlotte.com) is a place with a changing history and will change again soon as one owner retires to Thailand to open a B&B next year. This successful Thai restaurant offers a superlative roasted duck in a red curry sauce that will satisfy even the feistiest desire.
39, 40 The lunch buffet at Meskerem Ethiopian Cuisine (601 S. Kings Drive, 704-335-1197) shows how much fun finger food can be. I am not a fan of buffets, but here the selection is small and limited to a "best of" menu. Nearby is Austin's Caribbean Cuisine (345 S. Kings Drive, 704-331-8778), which has brilliant Jamaican dishes — including an appropriately dense and spicy goat curry. But show up early for the coco bread.
41 Although I like to sit on the patio overlooking downtown during spring and fall evenings, the burek stuffed with ground meat and the shopska (tomato, cucumber, pepper, feta cheese salad) is what I usually order at Intermezzo Pizzeria & Café (1427 E. 10th St., 704-347-2626).
42, 43 The parade of rolls offered at Cyros (6601 Morrison Blvd., 704-919-1881, www.cyrossushi.com) are innovative and pack a punch. At Mai Japanese Restaurant (7731 Colony Road, 704-542-4222, www.maicharlotte.com) I get the classics: katsudon and tempura; I've have trusted Master Itamae Yoshi to make sushi for me since he was at Tokyo Restaurant in the late 1990s.
44, 45 When it gets cold, I can think of no better way to get warm than to have cider with a spinach and wild mushroom crepe at the Crêpe Cellar Kitchen & Pub (3116 N. Davidson St., 704-910-6543, www.crepecellar.com), or a bowl of vegetarian chili at Lupie's Café (2718 Monroe Road, 704-374-1232, www.lupiscafe.com). While I can't really get my mind around the Skyline-esque Cincinnati-styled chili on pasta and with cinnamon on the menu, the vegetarian chili is a standout.
Green Stuff
46, 47 Salads are possibly the perfect food. Two of my favorite places for salads are Luna and Crisp. Luna's Living Kitchen (2102 South Blvd., 704-333-0008, www.lunaslivingkitchen.com) makes the most gorgeous salads, which taste even better than they look. The micro greens are from Tega Hills Farms in Fort Mill, and salads are lightly dressed, dotted with nuts and slices of fruit. At Crisp (1961 E. 7th St., 704-333-9515, www.crispfoods.com), one the specialty salads mixes cranberries, slices of pear and apple, bits of blue cheese, walnuts, and micro greens and is then tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. In the colder months, I order the flank steak with romaine, sliced portobello mushrooms and blue cheese.
Early Mornings
48, 49 Surprisingly, finding a good biscuit — a good Southern biscuit — has not always been easy. I like the ones served at Terrace Café (4625 Piedmont Row, 704-554-6177, www.terracecafecharlotte.com). A biscuit with honey is hard to beat with a good cup of coffee. In the spirit of a true neighborhood place, biscuits are offered all day at The Flying Biscuit (Park Road and Stonecrest Shopping Centers, (704) 714-3400 on Park Road and (704) 295-4440 in the Stonecrest Shopping center, www.flyingbiscuit.com), and these are accompanied by cranberry apple butter.
