Article Emily Shea

It’s time to hit the reset button after a month of peppermint bark-filled Christmas parties and sugar cookie bake-offs. Start the new year off right with this delicious and refreshing smoothie that will energize your body with essential vitamins and nutrients. The vitamin C in the orange will support a healthy immune system, the protein from the Greek yogurt will keep you full longer and your choice of hemp, flax or chia seeds will supply your body with heart-healthy fats. 

Ingredients

• 1 large orange
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon hemp, flax or chia seeds
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup orange juice, coconut water or water

Directions

1. Place all of your ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth; about 30 seconds to one minute.
2. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from TheEndlessMeal.com.

Article Emily Shea

For You

Pear, Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble 

Ingredients

Crumble

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1 cup gingersnap crumbs (about 16 store bought cookies)
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• Pinch of white pepper
• 1/2 cup or 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling

• 2 pounds or approximately 4 to 5 large ripe pears, peeled, halved, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, gingersnap crumbs, ginger and salt. Stir in the melted butter until large crumbs form.
3. In a 2-quart baking dish, combine the pears, cranberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Combine this with the fruit mixture in your baking dish.
5. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the fruit begins to bubble beneath the crumbs. (You may want to place your baking dish on a pan lined with foil before placing it in the oven. This will prevent a sticky mess if your crumble bubbles over a little bit.)

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

For Your Pooch

Pumpkin Dog Treats

Ingredients 

• 1 cup pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2½ cups oat flour or whole wheat flour (plus a little extra if dough is too sticky)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs and peanut butter using a whisk.
3. Adding about 1/2 cup at a time, begin to fold in you 2½ cups of flour. (If you’re choosing to use cinnamon, add it here.) If the mixture is sticky, add small amounts of flour until a dough forms.
4. Roll the dough until it is approximately 1/4 of an inch thick and cut with your favorite cookie cutters.
5. Place treats on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes. 

Recipe adapted from One Sweet Appetite

Article Santhoshi Radhakrishan | Photography Santhoshi Radhakrishnan

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsps garlic powder
• 1 cup finely chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onions
• 1/2 cup Santhoshi’s savory tomato chutney
• 3 cups cooked beans
• 2 cups water

Directions

1. Place sauté pan on stove and warm at medium heat. 
2. When the pan is hot, add olive oil, chopped onions, salt, garlic powder and cumin; sauté for five minutes.
3. After five minutes add the cooked black beans, Santhoshi’s savory tomato chutney and 2 cups water.
4. Close the pot and cook the contents on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve the chili warm and enjoy!

Drink in the View (and Cocktails) at Fahrenheit

Article Emily Glaser | Photography Destiny Lara Photography

Charlotte is a beautiful city at any angle, with sky-tickling architectural wonders paired with humble rows of oaks and sycamores, but her best angle sits 21 stories high. 

From the sweeping patio of Fahrenheit, the Queen City sprawls out in panoramic abundance. It’s not just the view that draws guests to the downtown favorite, but a punchy menu, too. The combination of the two make Fahrenheit the perfect place to kick back this summer, cocktail in hand. 

“Many of the cocktails on this particular menu were inspired by summers in Charlotte,” says Jordan Potter, head mixologist. “The warmer weather gets the blood flowing and people become more apt to go out, have a drink, and socialize with friends and fellow patrons. These cocktails are an attempt to capture that brightness and laid-back attitude of summer.  They are (mostly) easy-drinking, a touch sweet, and are all made to be very refreshing—especially when being enjoyed on our rooftop!”

Take, for example, Sarah’s Mule, made with a touch of Lemon-Lavender Sumbucha, brewed by fellow employee and Sumbucha entrepreneur Sarah North (see sidebar). “I wanted the tartness or her SumBucha to counter the sweetness of a cocktail,” explains Potter of his decision to add kombucha to the cocktail. “Mules have become very popular, but are usually on the sweeter side due to the ginger beer. So it made sense to make a variation of a Moscow Mule with her summery Lavender Lemonade SumBucha, and call it Sarah’s Mule!”

Even with the breadth of flavors and ingredients, these cocktails are all delightfully simple. “A lot of places are becoming more and more technical with their drink recipes, and while our cocktails require quite a bit of bar knowledge and skill, none of them require ten steps and none of them take five minutes to create,” Potter adds. That’s why these are the perfect summer sippers to try at home (view not included).

Sarah’s Mule

2 oz Dixie Vodka

.5 oz local honey

.5 oz fresh lemon juice

3 oz Lavender Lemonade SumBucha

Topped with Fever Tree Ginger Beer

Build in mule mug. Add ice, vodka, honey and lemon juice, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, and top with Lemon-Lavender Sumbucha. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Orange Blossom

2 oz Woodford Reserve

.5 oz local honey

6 dashes Angostura Bitters

2 oz Blood Orange San Pellegrino 

Add all ingredients to Yarai glass and stir for 8-10 seconds. Strain into rocks glass. Top with Blood Orange Sparkling San Pellegrino. Garnish with a brandied Luxardo cherry.

Beets get a bad rep’. The colorful roots maintain notoriety as earthily piquant, but that’s not necessarily the case, according to Burtons Grill & Bar chef Ray Girman and reformed tastebuds across the city. 

“Beets can be a misunderstood item in any root cellar or on a grocer’s shelf,” Girman says with a laugh and a nod to grandma’s boiled beets. But as Girman points out, the brightly hued veggies can harbor a host of flavors. “Depending on the cooking method, beets can taste extremely sweet without the earthiness that most people are used to.”

Thanks to the piedmont’s abundant growing season, beets are a popular choice for local gardeners, usually as a spring or fall crop in the Carolinas. Most grocers and markets should have a profundity of beets this time of year, too. If you’d rather skip the garden and the grocer altogether, Burtons is a healthy, allergen-aware option for even the most particular of eaters, offering a variety of gluten-sensitive and paleo options. The creative menu and attention to ingredients is what drew Girman to Burtons, especially because he likes to incorporate his science background (he studied biology at the Virginia Military Institute) into his cooking. Burton’s creative and flexible menu allows Girman to incorporate a rainbow of tasty fruits and veggies into his dishes—healthful options like beets. 

Article Emily Glaser | Photography Destiny Johnson

A fig tree serves as both inspiration and metaphor for Elizabeth’s aptly named eatery. Its namesake, four brown turkey fig trees, still stand sentinel over the grounds of the 1913 bungalow-turned-restaurant. Figuratively speaking, the fig tree is a symbol for the both the owners—Chef Greg and wife and general manager Sara Zanitsch, whose roots have grown deep into the Carolina soil since their arrival 13 years ago—and the fare they serve, which is as simply elegant and deliciously unpresumptuous as a fresh-plucked fig. 

How the husband and wife team came to Charlotte, and consequently opened what our readers voted the best restaurant in town, is a story both simple and ranging. It begins, as most of our Culinary Creations do, in a kitchen. 

“I was introduced to cooking after getting a part-time job washing dishes while I was in undergraduate school at the University of Cincinnati,” remembers Chef Greg. “I loved working in the restaurant and started changing my school schedule around so that I could start cooking and doing prep in the mornings.” What was initially a part-time job for the student became a full-time passion when he enrolled at the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont, following the completion of his undergrad degree.

From Vermont, he traveled to Maui to work in the kitchens at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, then Napa Valley, where he worked at Auberge Du Soliel, then home to Cincinnati. He carved out a pedigree at some of the country’s top-rated restaurants.  

It was upon his return to Cincinnati that Chef Greg met his wife, Sara—though their paths had nearly crossed before. “We realized that she started in the kitchen of the same restaurant [I worked at in college] in the evenings, right after I switched to working in the mornings,” he says. Finally, the stars and dishes aligned when they worked together at an Italian restaurant in Cincinnati.  

United in both matrimony and careers, the two stoked their shared dream of opening a new eatery. But their hometown of Cincinnati, which had provided them both with careers and romance, fell short when they began the hunt for a restaurant location.

When Chef Greg’s parents, living in Charlotte, found the Lucas House, everything fell into place. One move and a year of renovations later, The Fig Tree opened its doors on March 5, 2005, earning a historic preservation award in the process. “Its historic neighborhood location, proximity to Uptown, large porch and three fire places make it a romantic date spot and place to celebrate special occasions,” Chef Greg adds. 

Location and ambiance are all well and good, but a restaurant is nothing if not for its food. There, Chef Greg delivers. The seasonal menu, threaded with French and Italian influence, proffers up dishes that are accessibly lavish, like veal carpaccio and lobster thermidor. “The kitchen makes everything in-house, from bread to desserts, and changes the menu seasonally while keeping some staples that we have become known for,” Chef says. As wonderful as the food menu may be, it’s the wine list that truly sets them apart. “Our wine list has over 1000 different bottles, which we hand select.” With such a fine selection, it’s no wonder The Fig Tree is the toast of the town.

Article Emily Glaser
Photography Destiny Johnson

Heirloom: a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations; denoting a traditional variety of plant or breed of animal that is not associated with large-scale commercial agriculture.

Every year, we watch the seasons change on our plates, a colorful cacophony of flavors and textures, rooted from the ground and plucked from ripened stems. It’s a tale as old as life itself, the recipes and ingredients passed down from generation to generation, season to season.

It’s this timelessness of fresh fare that’s the focus of Heirloom, Charlotte’s favorite farm-to-fork eatery. “Locally sourced, globally inspired,” Chef-Owner Clark Barlowe offers a culinary experience that echoes those seasons and the richness of North Carolina’s offerings on his six-course tasting menu that changes daily.

“At Heirloom, we have a mission to source as many of our ingredients and products from North Carolina farms and producers as possible,” he explains. Those tenets are heralded both outside the kitchen and in it. “Our soap in the bathroom, salt on the tables, and obviously the food are all sourced from our partners throughout the state. This network allows us to offer some of the most fresh and innovative food found anywhere.”

The flavors are ones you’ll recognize, zingingly fresh and paired in ingenuous, resourceful recipes. Take, for example, his “Rotten” Tomato Sauce and Egg Yolk Pasta, which utilizes bruised, farm-fresh tomatoes in a new take on classic spaghetti. The Heritage Farm Pork Shanks bring together the flavors of the season, from local golden oyster mushrooms to spicy turnip tops, for a dish that’s both humble and inventive.

All of these seasonal, contemporary-but-classic recipes come from the mind of Barlowe himself. The Carolina native (he hails from Lenoir) has long found his calling in the kitchen. “From my first night in a professional kitchen I was hooked,” he remembers. “I loved the energy and the camaraderie. I couldn’t think of another career that would have given me the satisfaction I find in a kitchen.”

Nor the ability to represent his home state, as well as his adoptive hometown. “Truthfully, our dining scene is my favorite part of Charlotte,” says Barlowe. “I think we are on the tipping point of being known as one of the premier food cities in the country. It’s going to take all of us getting out and supporting restaurants who are truly supporting local farms.” Though Barlowe is a champion of supporting the local culinary scene, he shared his Heritage Farm Pork Shanks recipe for you intrepid chefs to try at home.

Article Emily Glaser | Photography Destiny Johnson

Our Queen City harbors a host of historic homes. Some of theme remain only in the shadows of old foundations; others still stand as the regal residences of Charlotte’s elite. A few have been updated and outfitted to house (literally) local businesses and eateries, including the memorable McNinch House.

More than 100 years ago, in 1891, one Vinton Liddell purchased the property at the address of 511 North Church Street in Charlotte’s historic Fourth Ward. The McNinches who would soon come to reside in the home built by Liddel were the cream of Charlotte’s aristocracy for generations. The first of four Sam McNinches served as Charlotte’s mayor from 1905 to 1907 and hosted President William Howard Taft at the house in 1909. His descendants opened businesses and helped Charlotte become the boom town it is today. 

And at the center of their lives stood the McNinch House, an authentic Queen Anne style home decked in shingles and wrapped in stooped porches. Architectural experts in the ‘70s argued the home was possibly the finest representative of the classic style in the state. 

Following the death of McNinch’s daughter Mattie in 1977, the house fell into the hands of Ellen Davis, who painstakingly restored it to the height of its historic charm and opened the McNinch House Restaurant in its lower floor 22 years ago. 

Renowned as one of Charlotte’s finest restaurants, today the kitchen is the territory of Chef Matthew Shepard. “Apparently I was born with a spatula in my hand,” he says with a laugh. Like so many Charlottean chefs, the Southern cook got his start in grandma’s kitchen, then progressed into his own art. “I felt like a scientist. I still do,” he says of those early days.

At The McNinch House, that science is translated into seasonal, traditional fare. The dishes are delightfully Southern and purely timeless, presented as multi-course experiences that veer into showmanship. 

As much as he loves food, even Matthew recognizes that what truly distinguishes the McNinch House is, in fact, the house. “I think that the most special thing about the McNinch House would be the ambiance,” he notes. “The house is almost 125 years old. It still holds its charm. When you step inside the front door you can’t hear the sound of the city—it’s like a getaway inside the city.”

Article Emily Glaser | Photography Destiny Johnson

Locally-sourced. Seasonal. Made-from-scratch.

Chef Chris Coleman of Stoke recognizes these are buzz words in Charlotte’s ever-expanding culinary scene. And though he’s certainly embraced such adjectives, the Charlotte native is intentionally doing things differently.

“Stoke is similar to a lot of great Charlotte restaurants,” he says. “We source locally, we rely on the seasons to dictate the menu, we’re focused on scratch cooking and an eye for detail. What sets us apart is our immersive kitchen concept.”

“Immersive” is putting it lightly. This a kitchen without walls—literally. Guests are privy to all the goings on of the kitchens; they can watch every one of Chef Coleman’s rustic dishes take colorful form, bathed in the red light of flames from the wood burning oven (the heart of the restaurant and the menu).

Coleman’s latest venture comes on the tail end of inconceivable success. “I grew up cooking with my Mom and have always had an interest in food… mainly because I like to eat,” Coleman says of his beginnings. “I would spend summers on my grandparents’ farm in Mississippi, picking figs and blueberries, chasing cows in the pasture, and trading for fresh eggs with the neighbors. It was during these summers that I unknowingly gained a deep respect for where our food comes from.”

Inspired by the promise of a car, a 14-year-old Coleman grabbed a gig as a bus boy at a fish camp. “It was here, watching the busy kitchen pump out 300 covers a night, moving in a sort of synchronized chaos, that I fell in love with the restaurant life,” he remembers.

At just 21, Coleman took the helm of local fine dining restaurant McNinch House as Executive Chef. Following a successful pop-up dinner series using only locally-sourced ingredients and his own The Asbury, a 40-seat farm-to-fork restaurant at The Dunhill Hotel, Coleman was ready for his next challenge. Easily his most ambitious endeavor to date, Stoke’s menu has all those buzzwords Coleman promised, served up in American dishes with a rustic twang.

Coleman may already be a dominating force on the Carolina culinary scene, but he’s still one of us. “Charlotte is my home,” says the chef. “I was born and raised here. I’m proud to live here. And I’ve enjoyed watching the city grow as I’ve grown.”

Hailed as one of the top beer gardens in the country, most Charlotteans have been into VBGB to grab a brew. With 30 taps, 29 of which feature craft beer from around the country (that 30th tap? the classic PBR), it’s the perfect place for pints. But what many locals don’t realize is that many of those bubbly beers also make it into the snacks and dishes that are slung out of the beer hall’s kitchen.

Infusing your cooking with your favorite beer may seem intimidating, but Emily Horwath, Kitchen Manager at VBGB, assures us it’s not. “It’s fun to know that it’s easy to cook with beer—it’s much less complex than wine,” she promises.

The beer cooking connoisseur poured out her tips and recipes just for us. Cheers!