A Year in Food

While planning out my end of 2018 posts, I knew that I had to share a post all about food. There are have been so many new restaurants and eateries opening up in the Charlotte area this year, I while I haven’t tried them all, the ones I did will be on my return list throughout the coming years.

One of the most exciting new restaurants was Le Belle Helene that brought Paris to Uptown Charlotte. Their Sunday brunch is a must, and we look forward to popping in for lunch or dinner during the week as well.

Also making the list of A Year in Food are restaurants that we visited during our travels this year, including Nancy’s in St. Simons. We never would have discovered it if not for a recommendation from one of the shops we visited on our trip. (So when in doubt about where to go, asking a local is always a good idea!)

I also shared a few holiday celebrations and recipes that we came up with ourselves here on the blog, and I hope to do a lot more of that in the coming year. After all, food is art!

We finally made it to the Woops kiosk in the South Park Mall. As a lover of all things French, I love macaroons, and these were delicious!

The South Park Mall is also home to Charlotte’s first Sugarfina store! I’ve been ordering my candy cubes for years, and I’m so glad that I can just pop into the store for all my candy needs.

We tried out Southend’s Lincoln’s Haberdashery for the very first time in March, and we’ve been coming back for their Brioche Donuts for all our special occasions. Lincoln’s is just one of the restaurants owned by Chef Michael Shortino who also owns Futo Buta.

While we’ve only made it up to Mandolino’s in Davidson once this year, we were very impressed with their delicious pizzas. Their unique sheet pan pizzas are so delicious and another thing to love… they offer a dairy free mozzarella!

Our annual Easter brunch. This year we recreated the scones that are always a hit, had a delicious make your own parfait bar featuring some of our favorite granola’s from Whole Foods and a few recipes that we learned from our Masterclass’ this year.

If you’re planning a trip to Savannah, we definitely recommend grabbing a bite of lunch at The Gryphon. For more on what to do in Savannah check out the post 4 hours in Savannah.

Last year I interviewed Daniel Siragusa (co-owner of Omaggio’s along with his wife Maria) and this year I had the opportunity to interview Maria about her pastry business Eclairesse.

Nancy’s was one of our favorite restaurants that we tried during our trip to Sea Island. Part restaurant, part boutique, Nancy’s was definitely an unexpected find.

This cake is just one of the delicious treats that we tried from the Renaissance Patisserie in the South Park area. It’s the perfect place to stop when you need your French pastry fix.

These Watermelon Wedges with Feta & Mint were a delicious summer time treat.

Pecan Chicken from Timberlake’s Restaurant at the Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Bulla is definitely one of my favorite restaurants that we’ve discovered this year. My favorites from their tapas menu… the Gazpacho and Croquettes with fig jelly.

On our trip to visit my sister in Clinton, SC I had the chance to interview the owner of The Vestibule.

Lunch or Dinner at the Village Social in Antler Village is always a must before or after touring the Biltmore House & Gardens. The crab cakes are sooo delicious!

This is the first charcuterie board that I created especially to share here on the blog. Almost everything came from the newest Whole Foods to arrive here in the Charlotte area (Uptown).

Need a simple refreshing beverage to serve with appetizers? All you need is San Pellegrino a lime and your favorite berries!

We enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea (on a rather rainy day) during the summer at The Ballantyne Hotel and I was so excited to see how the Ballantyne has shared the photos from our tea experience throughout the rest of the year. Plus the tea was the perfect place to wear my first GMG Collection Dress!

There’s a new ice cream shop in Southend… Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams opened up over the summer and visited just weeks after opening. The location is so cute, and the perfect new addition to the ever growing Southend area. Plus they have dairy free options!

Le Belle Helene brought French cuisine uptown, and the location, decor and the food couldn’t be more amazing. We finally have a little piece of Paris in Uptown CLT!

Need a delicious dessert to bring to your next family gathering? Why not pick up a dozen of these delicious brioche donuts from Lincoln’s Haberdashery? If you have a favorite flavor they can be made to order, or you can just go with that weekends flavor. (Note: Donuts are only available on weekends unless you pre-order.)

Angeline’s, located off the lobby of Krimpton Tryon Park Hotel is another brunch spot we visited during the fall. While they are also open for lunch and dinner, when brunch is an option we always go for it.

Planning a trip to Raleigh? Take a break and stop in at The Table Farmhouse Bakery in Asheboro, North Carolina. It’s the perfect halfway point doing the trip.

When staying at The Umstead in Cary, North Carolina, room service is a must. Everything we tried on the menu was delicious from the butternut squash soup to Turkey Club.

There’s a reason why the afternoon tea at The Umstead makes the lists of the best afternoon teas in the US. Everything about the experience from the tea to the delicious treats couldn’t be more enjoyable.

In the Ballantyne area and need a Saturday brunch suggestion? Pop into The Gallery at the Ballantyne Hotel.

These simple, rustic turkey sandwiches are the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table. Just add roasted turkey to your ciabatta, warm in the oven and wrap. Guests can choose what to add to the sandwiches from your condiments board!

We enjoyed our third and final afternoon tea of the year at the Duke Mansion. I still think about how delicious the Winter Parfaits (above) were. So light and not overly sweet… and the scones. Yum!

The Ballantyne Hotel underwent a complete transformation during 2018, and we had the chance to visit The Ryal (the newly renovated lobby bar) during the month of December. My recommendations: Un-Bellini, Turkey Club and finish with the Scottish Laird Trifle.