Award-worthy dessert jars, a rooftop pop-up + Charlotte’s new Fogo de Chão
Charlotte’s food scene is having a big week. A pop-up landed among the best bakeries in the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice shortlist, a rooftop cocktail bar rolled out at Camp North End for a limited run, and a swanky Brazilian steakhouse chain planted its first North Carolina flag uptown.
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The Sweet Spoon Bakery — the pop-up and delivery outfit turning out layered dessert jars — was voted the finalist in the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice best bakery poll after five rounds and thousands of reader votes. Innescas Sweets of Europe took the top spot, but landing among Charlotte’s sweets heavyweights was a win for founder Roland Wilson and his wife, Nia, who launched the bakery in 2021.
Each $12 jar is a single serving that stacks scratch-made cookies, frosting and toppings — with cake always on top. The best-seller, Cookie Jar, layers chocolate chip cookie, vanilla frosting and marble cake. Caramel Brownie piles a brownie, vanilla frosting, caramel and chocolate cake
Here’s the kicker — it’s a plant-based operation, and Wilson said most people don’t clock it. “Believe it or not, we are technically a vegan company, and people are blown away by that,” Wilson said. “That is kind of one of the things that I think people love is that it’s a little more cleaner. … It’s not super heavy.”
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Rooftop deck, craft cocktails, dance parties — Bar Fly is worth the trip to Camp North End before it disappears. The pop-up rolled out Friday, Aug. 28, with a Queer Icon Dance Party on the rooftop at Room Service, and it’s only running weekends through September.
Owner Rachel Hopkins, who also runs cocktail caterer Black Moth Bars, is behind the concept. She teamed up with Jackie DeLoach of Hattie’s Tap & Tavern in Plaza Midwood on the project.
“I want it to be the kind of place where people can let loose and create lasting memories,” Hopkins said.
The menu leans light and shareable: balsamic caramelized onion dip, marinated olives and Cajun boiled peanuts on the food side, plus some of Room Service’s signature cocktails, wine, beer, sangria and a rotating slushie menu. Special activations are stacked across the run too — think karaoke, movie nights and bingo. 🎤🎬
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Hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 5 p.m. to midnight; Sundays, noon to 6 p.m.📍 701 Keswick Ave. #105, Charlotte
🫒 Plan your visit with Tanasia.
Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão opened its first North Carolina location in uptown Charlotte on Monday, Aug. 31, taking over the South Tryon Street space that last housed McCormick and Schmick’s.
The whole thing is built around the churrasco experience: signature cuts of protein cooked over an open flame and carved tableside by Gaucho chefs. Options include the house-specialty picanha, a butter-bathed lobster tail and a double bone-in pork chop, among other cuts. There’s also the Market Table with specialty salads, charcuterie and more, along with an all-day bar serving Brazilian-style cocktails. 🔥
“We’re thrilled to open our first North Carolina restaurant with our new location in Charlotte,” Barry McGowan, chief executive officer of Fogo de Chão, said in the release. “It’s exciting to bring our immersive dining experience to Charlotte’s diverse and growing population.” 📍 200 S Tryon St, Suite 130, Charlotte, NC 28202
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This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.
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