¡THE QC LOCAL!

Charlotte’s a busy place. Here’s the best of it.

🎢 Since I had several people ask me, the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, was phenomenal. Unsurprisingly, my friend and I were the youngest folks in there by at least 15 years. I’d say if you don’t like Bob Dylan’s music, you may want to skip this one due to the abundance of musical performances in this one. Great performance by Chalamet.

Among recent musician biopics, I’d put it over Elvis, but under Bohemian Rhapsody. As a disclaimer, I rated all three movies at least 4 out of 5 stars on my Letterboxd. So, it goes without saying that all three of these films are great watches.

In other news, I highly recommend getting a stainless-steel pizza stone with perforations in it to increase crispiness. We made homemade pizzas on it this week, and they came out beautifully. The Jus-Rol dough is great (usually next to the packaged Pillsbury products), or Harris Teeter has super cheap dough balls if you’re one for being a bit craftier.

🌹ROSE

• My dad has always told me to “practice what you preach.” Well, this past Sunday, I emulated that very saying. While I have not attended 100% of the events that I have called out here in the past several months, I did attend the CLT Vintage Market this past Sunday at Queen Park Social. The result was a 1984 Vintage Patagonia Full Zip Fleece that will be seeing daylight at some point this week. All of the vendors were awesome, so I’ll be sure to mention the next event!

🪷BUD

• If you’re an avid reader of this below average newsletter, you likely know that I coach a 1st grade YMCA Basketball team. Although somewhat chaotic, our young fellas have a lot of grit and are picking up the basics. Our first game is this weekend after a cancelled game last week for “weather,” and we couldn’t be more excited to kick off the season.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

🍔 Reid’s Fine Foods’ spinoff restaurant, The Salted Melon, has a plethora of daily deals. The two that stick out to me are:

• $10 Smashed Burgers and $5 Craft Brews on Tuesdays

• $20 Margarita Pitchers on Fridays

CLT RESTAURANT WEEK

‼️Although it usually means that reservations are hard to get, CLT Restaurant Week is here, which is always a great time in the city. If you are unfamiliar, the basic premise is participating restaurants set prix fixe menus (click the links to see) that are anywhere from $30-$50 depending on the spot. This year, CLT Restaurant week is from January 17th (today) until January 26th, featuring restaurants that span from Fort Mill to Concord.

While there are over a hundred restaurants to choose from, I narrowed down to 5 of the best menus that I saw in the Charlotte Metro Area, meaning you shouldn’t have to drive more than 15 minutes to get there. Here are my picks:

1. Bakersfield (Dilworth)

   • $35 gets you a Margarita, a starter and three tacos per person. One of the few that featured a cocktail in their menu!

2. Del Frisco’s (Southpark)

   • $50 per person gets you a soup or salad to start, an entree (8oz Filet Mignon is included in their short list), and a choice of dessert.

3. Cajun Queen (Elizabeth)

   • $45 per person at this legendary CLT spot gets you a glass of wine or a beer, a cup of Gumbo or a salad, a classic Cajun entree, and a choice of Key Lime Pie of Bourbon Bread pudding as a dessert. Talk about bang for your buck.

4. Tupelo Honey (Uptown)

   • $35 per person gets you an “Amuse Bouche” of a biscuit and blueberry jam, as well as a soup or salad, an entree (which includes a surf and turf option) and a choice of dessert between their Banana Pudding and a Mississippi Mudpie. What an absolute STEAL.

5. The Eagle (Southend)

   • This Southend classic doesn’t disappoint, with a $35 menu that includes their Blueberry Lemonade cocktail (which is delicious), a snack (hushpuppies or spicy chicken dip), a fried chicken entree, and one of their amazing sides. I will be attending.

Properly Rated in the 704

The great people over at Backyard Brew in Dilworth.

After taking over the window where the Mayo Bird used to be, this Palo Alto based Coffee Shop has some of the best coffee options in the city, and an expanding food menu! The Banana Bread Latte is one of my favorite coffees in the city, and their breakfast burrito is a great option, packed with fresh ingredients!

Plus, some of the best customer service in the city. Family owned and operated; you can never go wrong striking up a conversation with the folks behind the counter here.

other goings on 🔥

• The esteemed Rally Pickleball in Southend is now offering free pickleball classes through their “Taste of Pickleball” program for the next two months.

• Claiming to be the largest escape room in the Southeast, Keepers of the Balance, opens up their 8,000 square foot immersive experience soon with 9 different escape rooms.

• Hamilton is back in Charlotte for the first time in several years at the Belk Theater in the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Get tickets here!

Tell your friends! Tell your mom! Spread the CLT news!

Hit me up at [email protected] for any q’s or debates you may have.

— Jack (My real name is actually James. Ask my mom why)