Foodie in CLT:
7 Charlotte spots you've seen on Snapchat stories that your taste buds will crave
By Taylor Gerlach
The Charlotte skyline, home to countless spots acclaimed by foodies all over the world.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach
I’m always up for exploring all that our city has to offer and trying new restaurants. I looked to some professional foodies for input and combined their top picks with my own to share some of Charlotte’s best foodie spots. You can expect these seven restaurants to serve up food that will satisfy both your taste buds with exquisite, wholesome flavors and your Snapchat story with artistic display.
1. Ricos Acai
510 South College, 7th Street Public Market, and check Facebook for other temporary locations (https://www.facebook.com/ricosacai/)
If you’ve never been to Rico’s, let me introduce you to one of Charlotte’s newest superfood sensations. Rico’s food trucks can be found selling heaping acai (ah-sah-EE) bowls in multiple locations around downtown Charlotte. Photos displaying these edible works of art grace Instagram and Snapchat stories almost daily, and the sight of a bowl is enough to make a fruit-lover drop everything and run towards the sight of healthy perfection.
For the more skeptical, acai is a Brazilian fruit that is frozen and blended like a slushie to create the base for a Rico’s bowl. Then, the puree is topped with organic fresh fruit, granola, and optional toppings like coconut, hemp seeds, almond butter, and honey. Prices at Rico’s range from $7 to $11 for a small bowl and $9.50 to $13 for a large. Don’t underestimate the power of these bowls; even a small is filling enough to stand in for a meal, so the prices aren’t outrageous for an organic lunch.
Enjoying a Rainbow Bowl (with almond butter!!) from Rico's in a nearby park among the downtown buzz. Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach
One of the Rico's food trucks where all the fruity yumminess is created! Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach
First-time tips: You can substitute anything and create your own bowl. If you want to keep your bowl grain-free, order the Rainbow bowl with no granola, replace it with two additional fruits for no additional charge, and spread some almond butter on top. I guarantee it’s perfection.
Insider tip for the PDS seniors: You can get to the 7th Street Market location and back to PDS in about 40 minutes. Translation- Rico’s is a go-to lunch spot, especially on Charlotte’s warmer spring days. Parking is tough; however, so go with friends and have one person stay in the car while the others run in to grab everyone’s lunch.
2. Earl's Grocery
1609 Elizabeth Avenue Charlotte, NC 28204
Located in the adorable Elizabeth district just outside of downtown Charlotte, Earl’s Grocery has claimed a spot on countless rankings of the best eateries in the city. Naturally, I had to try it out.
Earl’s describes itself as “an urban provisions and eatery that’s a bit of food truck, prepared foods, and snack extravaganza wrapped into one package.” Earl’s was named after the founder’s father, and the store prides itself in selling wholesome products with which customers can confidently feed their families.
In addition to their daily menu of freshly-prepared meals, Earl’s offers packaged merchandise like coffee, granola, snacks, and many more artisanal grocery items you would expect from a specialty store. Their menu contains a wide variety of dishes like not-so-basic chicken salad, meatloaf, chicken pot pies, lamb burgers, tacos, Banh Mi sandwiches, salads, and grain bowls. Their sides are equally impressive with an extensive list including roasted butternut squash, Moroccan cauliflower and carrots, spaghetti squash and fried sage, pasta salad, and kale slaw.
Some favorites from Earl's menu enjoyed outside in the beautiful Elizabeth district. Photo courtesy of Earl's Grocery.
A Mediterranean black bean hummus wrap from the grab-and-go packaged options.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach
Earl’s also boasts some amazing desserts, so leave room for a cookie or slice of cheesecake or apple pie to enjoy in Earl’s artsy aesthetic.
Insider tip for PDS seniors: You can make it from PDS to Earl’s in about 15 minutes, so it’s perfect timing to grab one of their pre-packaged meals and walk around Elizabeth before heading back to school.
Cinnamon rolls served up hot and fresh from Earl's bakery are a fan favorite.
Photo courtesy of Earl's Grocery
3. I Love Juice Bar
2907 Providence Road Suite 101 Building A (next to Flywheel and Chipotle) and 4325 Park Road Suite 308
Eight months ago, I had never stepped foot in an I Love Juice Bar. I didn't even know juice bars existed. I'm now a proud member of their frequent juicer rewards program and don't go a week without grabbing a vibrantly colorful cup of blended fruit heaven.
If you've never visited a juice bar, or your only idea of smoothies resides within the walls of Smoothie King, you have yet to fully live.
A clean meal of a green smoothie, sprout sandwich, and fresh fruit. Photo courtesy of I Love Juice Bar
Along with juices and smoothies, the Juice Bar also offers gluten-free, vegetarian grab-and-go foods like spring rolls, a kale and quinoa salad, a sprout sandwich, and hummus with veggies. If you're looking for a filling meal, order a smoothie or add a grab-and-go item to your juice. With two Charlotte locations and the option to order online, there is no excuse not to drop into a Juice Bar right now.
Insider tip for PDS seniors: Use Providence Road to get to the Providence Road location and Randolph on your way back. It's the perfect spot for a relaxed lunch; you can be back at the MAC parking lot in under 10 minutes.
4. Chopt
9844 Rea Road Charlotte, NC 28277 and 4125 Park Road Charlotte, NC 28209
If you're a salad person, or a wrap person, or a healthy person, or a person who wants to be a healthy salad person, go to Chopt. Salad-haters often claim salads are boring and not sufficient for a meal, but one visit to Chopt will change that mindset.
A colorful salad creation with artisan bread. Photo courtesy of Chopt.
Chopt’s menu includes staple combinations like Mexican Caesar (grilled chicken, cotija cheese, jalapeno peppers, tortilla chips and romaine lettuce) and Santa Fe (avocado, grape tomatoes, corn, pepper jack, homemade fried onions and romaine lettuce), but also features “around the world” flavors that rotate monthly. In addition, Chopt also serves grain and noodle bowls, warm kale and quinoa bowls, soups, and wraps made from any salad on the menu.
Ordering at Chopt is an experience in itself. First, your choice of lettuce mix, toppings, and protein are squeezed into an overflowing plastic bowl. Then, a professional chopper empties the contents and aggressively chops away. A few moments later, you have a heap of ingredients awaiting your dressing choice. Your salad is scraped into a large metal bowl where dressing is added and mixed. Then, about a pound of salad is crammed back into your plastic bowl. To the person who said a salad would leave them hungry- good luck finishing this one.
The Chopt chicken tinga salad. Photo courtesy of Chopt.
Complimentary artisan bread comes with your meal, and Chopt has a variety of special drinks made in-store. A salad costs $7.49 and up, and drinks are additional.
If you love salads, I guarantee you’ll love Chopt. If you're not a salad person, I challenge you to stop by Chopt and at least gain an appreciation for the filling work of creativity that a salad can be.
First time tips: if you get a wrap, just be prepared that the salad inside the wrap is about half the size of a normal salad, but has the same price tag. Order a kids’ size if you aren't hungry enough to finish the full salad. Or just snap on the lid, and save your leftovers for later!
5. Luna's Living Kitchen
2000 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Luna's Living Kitchen was founded with a mission to serve people living food that was artistically prepared with loving hands as an organic, plant-based, and mostly raw restaurant. Their dishes can be considered works of art, but Luna's is off-limits to those not willing to step outside their culinary comfort zone.
At the Juice Bar, an overwhelming earthy smell consumes the store, and you see all the organic goodness going into your drink. You can order one of the 20+ creations on the menu, or create your own with add-ons like bee pollen, raw cacao powder, goji berries, and flax seeds. The create-your-own option allows newcomers to stay simple and enables risk-takers to get creative. Prices range from $5-8 for juices and $4.25-9.75 for smoothies.
The colorful "Smooth Beet" smoothie from I Love Juice Bar. Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach.
A delicious and artfully presented living wrap from Luna's. Photo courtesy of Luna's Living Kitchen.
Luna's Pad Thai and arugula harvest salad. Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach.
With creative vegan dishes like pad Thai (zucchini and sweet potato noodles, bean sprouts, purple cabbage and bell peppers served in an almond-butter pad Thai sauce with fresh cilantro, cashews, and sambal) and the Living Burrito (sunflower seed refried beans, cauliflower rice, sprouts, pico de gallo, guacamole and cashew sour cream wrapped in a collard leaf), Luna's is paradise for vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike given everyone is willing to try something out of the ordinary.
A lunch entree ranges from $11-14, and Luna's also has a wide selection of juices and smoothies.
Luna’s believes “that preparing food is a labor of love and that health, beauty, and art can be served on a plate.” If you're curious, discovering this mission statement yourself is 100% worth the trip to Historic Southend.
A Fire and Brimstone veggie burger with black bean soup. Photo courtesy of Luna's Living Kitchen.
6. YAFO Kitchen
720 Gov Morrison St Charlotte, NC 28211
Yafo (yah-foe) Kitchen is one of South Park’s newest restaurants but has quickly become well-known for its flavorful, artfully created Middle Eastern food. Sometimes the line to order is out the door, but everyone in line knows their meal will be worth the wait.
While shawarma-spiced rotisserie chicken is their speciality, Yafo’s menu also offers salads, wraps, grain bowls, hummus bowls, and chicken and lamb entrees. The sides, however, also take center stage at Yafo. Roasted cauliflower and tahini, brussel sprouts with dates, Greek yogurt mac and cheese, and rotisserie potatoes all burst with as much flavor as the main meals.
A display of the wide variety of fresh flavors awaiting foodies at Yafo Kitchen. Photo courtesy of Eat Drink CLT.
Not only are the meals Snapchat story worthy and healthy, but they're also authentic to the modern flavors of the Middle East with sides like falafel, tabouli, Israeli couscous, and cumin rice. In addition to amazing food, Yafo also offers an array of artisan drinks, and it's definitely worth the extra charge to try them.
First time tips: Make sure to ask for the laffah bread. Basically, it's pita bread, but you can watch the employees make it, and the laffahs come to you hot and fresh. Laffah bread should be included with all meals, but sometimes you have to ask for it during busy hours.
A create-your-own salad with an array of Middle Eastern toppings like hummus and falafel. Photo courtesy of Eat This CLT.
7. Your Mom's Donuts
11025 Monroe Rd, Matthews, NC 28105 and cart downtown near Ricos
After tasting your first donut from Your Mom’s, you’ll wonder why you ever enjoyed those donuts from Krispy Kreme and Dunkin. You’ll likely never be able to savor one of those mass-produced rings of sugar again.
A view of the inside of Your Mom's Donuts in Matthews. Photo courtesy of Taylor Gerlach.
A half-dozen of heaven. Photo courtesy of Christina Hall.
Your Mom’s Donuts is a small family-owned business located in Matthews, but they also have a cart in downtown Charlotte on most weekdays. Just be sure to get there early because they sell out quickly!
Their farm-to-table menu includes standard flavors available every day including classic glazed, cinnamon sugar w/ cream cheese icing, vanilla bean, salted caramel, and milk & dark chocolate ganache. Other flavors rotate weekly and include creations like peppermint white chocolate with coconut, gingerbread with vanilla bean drizzle, goat cheese glaze with rosemary walnuts, lemon-honey with streusel, cookies and cream, raspberry and chocolate, and almond joy.
Chocolate mousse filled donut topped with blackberry fried in coconut oil. Photo courtesy of Your Mom's Donuts.
As Your Mom’s Donuts says, “most things in life can be boring, but not your donuts.” This shop can cure a boring morning routine with their extraordinary donuts! Their extensive list of creative flavors isn’t the only thing that makes Your Mom’s stand out; the donuts themselves are unlike any other. The square-shaped treats have a perfect texture with a tough layer around a fluffy inside. You can try one yourself for $3.75, and it’s worth every penny.
First time tip: The downtown cart is just blocks from Rico’s. Grab a donut to balance out all that healthy fruit while you’re uptown.
An almond joy donut. Honestly how can you resist?
Photo courtesy of Your Mom's Donuts.
The Charger, March 2017
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