Food & Drink
-
The Bitter Taste of Jeppson’s Malört Takes Root in Charlotte
“A burnt used condom.” “A grapefruit that’s been fermented in a diaper.” “Pencil shavings and regret.” “Licking a street.” “Licking an ashtray.” “Poison.” These are just a few of the descriptors used by people who have taken a shot of Jeppson’s Malört, a liqueur with a flavor profile that sounds…
Read More » -
Jay Davis Settles in at LuLu’s Express, Creating a Tuckaseegee Staple
Jay Davis remembers moving from Baltimore to Charlotte in 2017 and finding one big weakness in the city. “I saw a lot of opportunity in Charlotte, but I wasn’t a big fan of the food here,” Davis recalls. Having worked as a bounty hunter in Baltimore, he started a bail…
Read More » -
Neek Tea Co. Relaunches With Organic Designation and New Blends
As a child growing up in Omaha, Nebraska, Monique Hibma has clear memories of sitting on the porch with her grandmother drinking peppermint tea. Though not a “real tea” as it’s not from the Camellia Sinensis and lacks caffeine, the sweet treat still brought a young Hibma to a place…
Read More » -
Need Food Assistance? Where to Get Help in Charlotte After SNAP Funding Cuts
After Congress failed to agree on federal funding allocations for the new fiscal year on Oct. 1 — resulting in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) told state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies that the government would discontinue allocation of benefits…
Read More » -
The Best in Charlotte: Best in the Nest 2025
Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member Winners: Download your award graphics here The Seventh Wonder We made it this far thanks to community As we prepare to send out our 7th annual Best in the Nest issue and look back on seven years in business coming up in December, this…
Read More » -
Food & Drink Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
***Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not…
Read More » -
Food & Drink Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025
We are what we eat, and we’re a damn good city. Back to all categories Winners: Download your award graphics here Support our work by becoming a Nerve Member LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Chef Carmen Vasquez Carmen Vasquez celebrated her 18th birthday just a few months after arriving in the United States from…
Read More » -
Pro Skater Neen Williams to Open NADC Burger in Charlotte
Pro skateboarder Neen Williams will be in Uptown on Friday to celebrate the opening of NADC Burger, the first Charlotte location for the Wagyu cheeseburger concept that Williams launched with Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee. NADC Burger Charlotte marks the duo’s 10th restaurant and the first in the Southeast, joining…
Read More » -
The Improper Pig Team Wants to See People Dining In Again
When the Pizza Peel & Tap Room opened in the heart of Plaza Midwood in 2014, the garage doors of the former Woodward’s Gulf gas station opened up onto a turf lawn that would become the eatery’s defining feature. Picnic tables bordered the artificial green at the corner of Central…
Read More » -
La Lima Sangucheria Is the Sandwich Shop We’ve Been Waiting For
What’s better than stumbling upon a new obsession? A recent lunch invitation took me to Google to search for any nearby sandwich shops, and the algorithm did not fail me when it presented La Lima Sangucheria near the top of the list. Opened just off South Boulevard in South End…
Read More » -
‘Fork & Hammer’ Series Chronicles Tonidandel-Brown’s Biggest Project Yet
The news broke on Dec. 6, 2021, with a scoop from Kathleen Purvis published by Axios Charlotte: “Supperland owners to buy historic Dilworth church that houses Bonterra.” Nine months later, they had a name for their new establishment they would place in the old building: Leluia Hall. “We’re looking forward…
Read More » -
Pasquales’ Farm is Built on Pillars of Fresh Food, Nature and Community
To drive down Plaza Road Extension in far east Charlotte is to witness change happening in real time. In the area between Hood Road and I-485, new communities like the Cardinal Creek neighborhood already have residents moving in while construction crews are just starting construction on still newer developments across…
Read More » -
Soul Gastrolounge Sets Opening Date at The Pass in NoDa
We finally have a date for the long-anticipated relaunch of Soul Gastrolounge, once a mainstay in Plaza Midwood and now ready for its second life at The Pass in NoDa with an opening date set for Monday, Aug. 25. The reopening comes three years after rising rents pushed Soul out…
Read More » -
Brittani Sheppard’s Oh My Ganache Is Just the Start of a Larger Vision
When much of Charlotte shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2020, Brittani Sheppard, a Bank of America teller at the time, went home. At several months pregnant and extremely high risk, she couldn’t be face-to-face with anyone, not even her doctors. While many people were able to…
Read More » -
Rob Clement Bounces Back From Tragedy To Transform Meshugganah’s Business Model
When Meshugganah owner Rob Clement’s wife, Franki, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2022, Rob took a step back from the food industry. He had built up his name in Charlotte’s food scene, becoming a beloved chef in The Porter’s House before launching his own venture with Meshugganah. But…
Read More » -
Lorem Ipsum Listening Bar Hits Its Stride on Central
Most designers and journalists will recognize the term “lorem ipsum” as dummy text, placed in a space to act as a placeholder while having no specific meaning. For Justin Hazelton, however, it means everything. Opened by Hazelton in November 2023, Lorem Ipsum Listening Bar provides a third space just outside…
Read More »
