Queen’s Feast – Charlotte Restaurant Week

The Queen’s Feast – Charlotte Restaurant Week began over the weekend, and John and I intend to participate fully. The event features set, “pris fixe,” menus for a $30 three course dinner (excluding  tax and gratuity) at over 100 participating restaurants in the Charlotte area. No additional coupons are required; you only need to alert the hostess that you are participating in Restaurant Week.

Below is our advice for a successful Charlotte Restaurant Week experience:

• Take a look at the menu online before deciding on the restaurant, as the menu will be restricted for the event. If you have something in mind or dietary restrictions, this will help make your decision easier.
• Some places are a better deal than others so we try to go places where a regular entrée  would be around $25 dollars. Visiting restaurants with entrées  that are normally only $15 significantly decreases your savings! We view restaurant week as a time to try out some more expensive places that we would not normally go to for a guaranteed $72 dinner (including tip). This helps us build a roster of restaurants for special occasions when we are willing to splurge a little.
• Make a reservation. The good restaurants will fill up quickly, even for weekdays. I would recommend calling ahead at least a few days in advance, but just to be safe we reserved space a week ahead. Several participating restaurants use OpenTable.

Our plans are to go to the following locations, one favorite, and one new:

5Church – John and I both loved the food last time we ate here this past the winter. The ambiance is very modern and sophisticated, and we hear the bar area becomes increasingly popular as the night progresses. While we seldom are out late enough to experience the club-like atmosphere, we are returning for the interesting and unusual flavor profiles. Some of our favorite menu items made it onto the abbreviated menu, including the Wasabi-Crusted Salmon and S’mores Trifle.I look forward to sampling other delicious New American fare.

Copper – This Dilworth bungalow turned Indian restaurant boasts “modern” Indian cuisine, and smells incredible every time we pass, which is fairly often given our workout schedule and its proximity to us. With a focus on less traditional fare, reviews we’ve read indicate to us that it may be a “love it or hate it” dining experience. Either way, we both enjoy Indian food, and are looking forward finally giving in to this long-time neighborhood temptation.

Check back soon for Queens Feast follow-ups with reviews and thoughts in the coming weeks!