Travel and Outdoors

Road Trip: Visit Charlotte to sip, savor + celebrate its booming culinary scene March 8-22, 2023

Presented by a RALtoday Partner

Bartender perfecting a hand-crafted cocktail.

Charlotte’s top tastemakers are coming together for a can’t-miss culinary event. | Photo provided by Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

From food trucks to fine dining + craft beer to craft cocktails — Charlotte’s food and beverage scene is a powerhouse, wowing guests with bold flavors that puts the Queen City on the map as a foodie destination.

Now, the city’s high-ranking culinary artists are extending an open invitation to Savor Charlotte, an exclusive two-week event happening in Charlotte, NC from March 8-22 and featuring hands-on classes, demonstrations from industry trendsetters, exclusive menus, and special offers from top restaurateurs. 👀

Here’s a preview of the restaurants, tastemakers, and mixologists coming together to make this culinary event something well worth traveling for. (Pro tip: Gather your fellow foodies and take your eating adventures on the road.)

Supperland

Supperland is frequently and favorably featured in the pages of the national press, even making Bon Appétit’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022, while head mixologist Collen Hughes was named Esquire’s Cocktail Guru of the Year.

The Cocktailery

This cocktail supply and beverage shop aims to “take the mystery out of mixology.” The Cocktailery offers classes and an assortment of barware + accessories to make the cocktail crafting process more approachable.

A couple sitting at a table with a spread of food from Pickled Peach. — This event is a chance to experience the best of Charlotte’s culinary scene.

Billy Sunday

An offshoot of a Chicago bar lauded by Food & Wine, Condé Naste + more, Billy Sunday has made its way to Optimist Hall in Charlotte. The stand-alone chalet features a vintage spirits program with sister concept, Spindle Bar, found upstairs as an illustrious endcap to the food hall’s diverse culinary offerings.

Counter-

From Chef Sam Hart comes Counter-, an immersive and fully sensory tasting experience with themed monthly menus paired to music — turning dining expectations on its heel. Hart has taken this same counter-intuitive approach to his newest concept, Biblio, where guests are given a 500-bottle wine list and, with the help of sommeliers and chefs, food that is paired to the wine-of-choice at this reverse-engineered wine bar. *

SEE DETAILS + RESERVE YOUR SPOT

This content was created in partnership with Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority and written by Michaela Leung.*

Which restaurant are you most excited to try during Savor Charlotte?

A. Supperland
B. The Cocktailery
C. Billy Sunday
D. Counter-

LET US KNOW

Click here to have your event featured.

Monday, Feb. 20

Game On! | Monday, Feb. 20 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Moore Square, 201 S. Blount St., Raleigh | Free | Enjoy a fun variety of giant lawn games, board games, and more.

Tuesday, Feb. 21

St. Louis Blues vs. Carolina Hurricanes | Tuesday, Feb. 21 | 7 p.m. | PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh | $26-$175 | Cheer on the Canes at home.
Trivia Night | Tuesday, Feb. 21 | Times vary | J. Lights Cafe at Smoky Hollow, 421 N. Harrington St., Ste. 110, Raleigh | Free | Compete to win gift cards in this trivia game featuring mixed media and various topics.

Wednesday, Feb. 22

Raleigh Career Fair | Wednesday, Feb. 22 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Hilton Raleigh North Hills, 3415 Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh | Free | Meet with top hiring companies in Raleigh, NC.
Cabin Fever Floral Design Class | Wednesday, Feb. 22 | 6:30-8 p.m. | The English Garden Raleigh Florist, 6308 Angus Dr., Ste. A, Raleigh | $65 | Break out of winter mode and jump into dreams of spring and color with this floral design class.

Thursday, Feb. 23

Create Now Raleigh | Thursday, Feb. 23 | 5-7 p.m. | Hartwell, 620 W. South St., Raleigh | Free | Learn about Adobe’s newest design tool, Adobe Express, while connecting with other local creatives over drinks, food, and giveaways.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

67º | Mostly cloudy | 15% chance of rain ⛅
Temperatures could reach up to 30 degrees above normal later this week. The National Weather Service is predicting that Raleigh will be ~85 degrees on Thursday. (The News & Observer)

Opening

Gym Tacos is opening a new location in downtown’s Morgan Street Food Hall. The opening date has not yet been announced. In the meantime, you can try their tasty tacos and tortas at its brick-and-mortar location at 3701 Hillsborough St. 🌮

Festival

Oak City Group (think: Alchemy and Cornerstone Tavern) is hosting the Sunrise 2 Sunrise Festival at Rockingham Speedway beginning on Saturday, April 22. The 24-hour, nonstop festival will have two live music stages, plus NASCAR and hot air balloon rides. Bonus: All of the the DJs and bands are local to the Triangle. 🎶

Sports

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 during last weekend’s highly-anticipated Stadium Series game. Nearly 57,000 fans sold out the game. Cheer on the Canes at another game this season. 🏒
NC State head football coach Dave Doeren will lead the Wolfpack for an additional year, through Dec. 31, 2027. The NC State Board of Trustees approved a one-year contract extension last Friday. 🏈

Try This

Wondering how much your treasures are worth? PBS series “Antiques Roadshow” is coming to the NCMA on Tuesday, May 16 for an all-day appraisal event. Ticketed guests can bring two items for a free verbal evaluation of their antiques and collectibles.

Ranked

Duke University Health System — one of the largest employers in Wake County — made it on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Large Employers. It was ranked No. 41 among 500 companies, based on recommendations from employees. 🩺

Drink

We firmly believe any errand can be improved by treating yourself to a latte. These smoked beauties are available at Boxcar Coffee in Lowes Foods, so you can sip while you shop. ☕*

Real Estate

What can $400,000 buy you? Residents of Flowers Plantation can live comfortably + spaciously (think: up to 3,000-sqft) in well-designed single family homes. Oh — plus have access to the master-planned community’s shopping, dining, schools, miles of walking trails, and more. 🏡 *

Wellness

Is winter weather drying out your skin? From renewing face masks to hydrating serums, Synergy Face + Body’s at-home skincare products have you covered. Don’t know where to start? Book a virtual consultation.*

Number

67,780. That’s the total square footage that IXL Learning will now occupy as part of their regional headquarters office at 1600 Perimeter Park in Morrisville (a four-story, Class-A office building). William Allen + Alex Dunn of local commercial real estate firm Trinity Partners represented the landlord in the transaction.*

The Word

Baño. That’s Spanish for “bathroom” — something you’ll definitely need to know if you’re traveling to Central or South America this year, like 12% of our readers. Babbel’s easy, bite-sized lesson plans will ensure you know what to say when you have to go. (Read: Be talking like a local in as little as three weeks.) 🌏 *

Shop

Say goodbye to wrinkled clothes. This sleek garment steamer is leakproof and lightweight, making it easy to steam your clothes from home or while on the go. Bonus: It heats up in just 30 seconds and is suitable for a wide range of fabrics. 👚 *

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

5 Raleigh life hacks 👀

5 Raleigh life hacks

The sun setting over downtown Raleigh's skyline.

Our Raleigh life hack? Subscribe to RALtoday. | Photo by @jnholt

A very important question about the City of Oaks is trending on Reddit: “What’s a Raleigh ‘Life Hack’ that you know of?”

Here are some of our favorite responses:

✈️ RDU has an observation deck open to the public.

🍴 The food at UNC Rex Healthcare is worth a try. It was even named on Condé Nast Traveler’s list of Great Meals in Unexpected Places.

🛶 Wake County residents can borrow kayaks, canoes, rowboats, pedal boats, and stand-up paddle boards for free at Lake Crabtree County Park. Boat rentals open in May.

🎡 You can get free, two-hour admission to the NC State Fair to grab lunch (weekdays only).

🚗 When driving on Wade Avenue, stay in the right lane to avoid getting caught behind a left-turning vehicle.

Share your favorite Raleigh life hack with us here.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Anne.

Editor’s pick: I recently caught up with local chef Scott Crawford. You probably already know that he can cook, but did you know that he makes a mean cup of French-pressed coffee? Thanks for my morning brew, Scott. ☕

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Try one of these random acts of kindness to brighten someone’s day.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cat George, Anne Tate, Erin McPherson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Charis Painter | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?