Charlotte Food and Drink Reviews

Leftovers: 2020 Vision on Charlotte's Dining Scene

Nov 29, 2020
6 min

Leftovers: 2020 Vision on Charlotte's Dining Scene

I’m currently writing up my critic’s picks for Queen City Nerve’s “Best in the Nest” issue. This is fun for me because it’s the end of my...

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[9.1] Leah and Louise is a triumph amongst tragedy

Dion Beary

Aug 2, 2020
5 min

[9.1] Leah and Louise is a triumph amongst tragedy

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a lot to think about. Just how deadly is this virus? How seriously should I take it?...

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[7.8] Outside 485: Hello, Sailor transports you to another place

Josh Shope

Jun 28, 2020
5 min

[7.8] Outside 485: Hello, Sailor transports you to another place

I should have known I was in the right place when I saw the Kurt Cobain portrait on the wall. After living in the Charlotte area for...

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[10.0] Taste of revolution: Halal Food Cart keeps feeding Charlotte amid protests

Dion Beary

Jun 15, 2020
6 min

[10.0] Taste of revolution: Halal Food Cart keeps feeding Charlotte amid protests

With lungs full of tear gas and ears ringing from flashbangs, where on earth do you grab a bite to eat after a protest? Uptown went from...

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The risk and the reward: our post-COVID return to dining

Dion Beary

May 24, 2020
6 min

The risk and the reward: our post-COVID return to dining

Getting dressed up feels so strange now. “People will see me in this,” I keep thinking as I pull on a floral print button up shirt, khaki...

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[5.8] Callie's Hot Little Biscuit falls a little short, but I expect it to rise

cltdevelopment1775

May 19, 2020
4 min

[5.8] Callie's Hot Little Biscuit falls a little short, but I expect it to rise

This is a guest review from Clayton Sealy of CLT Development. I like to think of myself as a biscuit expert. They’ve been part of my DNA...

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Stay at Home will eventually end, but its impact on Charlotte dining may last for years

Dion Beary

Apr 23, 2020
5 min

Stay at Home will eventually end, but its impact on Charlotte dining may last for years

"The New Normal." It's starting to become a rallying cry for a populace determined to find the silver lining in a global pandemic....

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COVID-19 isn't the Titanic. It's the Hindenburg.

Dion Beary

Mar 30, 2020
6 min

COVID-19 isn't the Titanic. It's the Hindenburg.

Local dining conversations surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have been marked by optimism. We might scrap about whether the owner of Lost...

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[2.5] Oh My Soul falls way short of solving Charlotte's vegan food problem

Dion Beary

Mar 15, 2020
6 min

[2.5] Oh My Soul falls way short of solving Charlotte's vegan food problem

I like vegan food. I feel like that's an important place to start this conversation. I spent a good chunk of my teens and early 20s as an...

1,493 views6 comments

Dion Beary

Feb 24, 2020
7 min

Charlotte's 15 best restaurants

When I first started considering ranking the best restaurants in Charlotte, I couldn't stand how pretentious the idea was. Every platform...

2,175 views1 comment

[4.0] Plaza Midwood golf bar fails to hit a hole in one

Bridgette Perrott

Feb 17, 2020
3 min

[4.0] Plaza Midwood golf bar fails to hit a hole in one

Kind lighting, cute seating, and the most welcoming forest green walls you could ever think of. That’s pretty much all you can see from...

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Why food criticism has become Charlotte's dirtiest secret.

Dion Beary

Feb 12, 2020
5 min

Why food criticism has become Charlotte's dirtiest secret.

In a January piece for Charlotte Magazine, Keia Mastrianni made the case for food criticism in Charlotte. This has made a lot of people...

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[5.2] The Goodyear House feels like family, and disappoints like one too

Dion Beary

Feb 6, 2020
6 min

[5.2] The Goodyear House feels like family, and disappoints like one too

I’ll probably never go back to Taco Mama [1.6] again. The taco chain opened its Dilworth location in October of last year to a decent but...

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[8.1] Bardo's culinary poetry, and thoughts on bohemian design.

Dion Beary

Jan 29, 2020
3 min

[8.1] Bardo's culinary poetry, and thoughts on bohemian design.

San Francisco. 1950. A group of writers and poets are struggling with the materialism, nationalism, and creeping monoculture of American...

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Uber Eats vs. DoorDash vs. Postmates vs. Grubhub. Which is cheapest in Charlotte?

Dion Beary

Jan 21, 2020
4 min

Uber Eats vs. DoorDash vs. Postmates vs. Grubhub. Which is cheapest in Charlotte?

Ordering from a delivery service is financially ludicrous and absolutely irresistible. I took Friday night off to relax and catch up on...

14,882 views2 comments

Boardwalk Billy's social media is the best in the Charlotte's food scene.

Dion Beary

Jan 17, 2020
3 min

Boardwalk Billy's social media is the best in the Charlotte's food scene.

"We're featuring a crispy chicken sandwich this month. Kinda like Popeyes and Chick-fil-a except it isn't dog shit." That's the caption...

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[7.3] Lotus Soul Cafe is shaky on price, but rock solid on wellness

Bridgette Perrott

Jan 16, 2020
3 min

[7.3] Lotus Soul Cafe is shaky on price, but rock solid on wellness

I know what you’re thinking. “Finally, another overpriced juice bar in a wealthy area! Just what Charlotte needed.” Despite the already...

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[7.7] Pins Mechanical Company significantly improves on the social house model

Dion Beary

Jan 6, 2020
3 min

[7.7] Pins Mechanical Company significantly improves on the social house model

I have this theory that the local media scene owes a lot to Abari. Starting in June of 2015, the hype for the NoDa barcade was lengthy,...

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[8.5] Ace No. 3 is the best burger in Charlotte.

Dion Beary

Jan 3, 2020
4 min

[8.5] Ace No. 3 is the best burger in Charlotte.

Ace No. 3, a newcomer in the Belmont neighborhood, is the kind of burger you can carry with you the rest of the your life. It's a place you'

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Dion Beary

Jan 2, 2020
4 min

The state of Charlotte brunch

It's the summer of 2013, a Saturday. You're waking up in your $800 a month 1 bedroom apartment. Your hangover starts pounding in your...

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