{"id":3137,"date":"2026-07-10T19:04:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T19:04:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3137"},"modified":"2026-07-10T19:04:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T19:04:44","slug":"charlotte-chicken-tender-showdown-world-cup-croissants-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3137","title":{"rendered":"Charlotte chicken tender showdown, World Cup croissants and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Happy Friday, Charlotte. \ud83c\udf89 Today\u2019s CharlotteFive newsletter<\/a> is stacked with the kind of food news that lives rent-free in our group chats: a chicken tender taste test with a plot twist, a barbecue event with Southern Living heavy hitters, a milkshake shop built for your feed and some very cute soccer-ball croissants. Let\u2019s eat. \ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f<\/p>\n

Read more Mecklenburg SNAP recipients reach a low. Why? And who\u2019s filling the gap?<\/a><\/p>\n

After watching \u201cTop Chef\u201d host Kristen Kish and judges Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio do their own tender taste test during filming here, Evan decided to run his own experiment \u2014 with a very specific ringer. He recruited fellow Observer reporter Desiree Mathurin, a New Yorker who once told her mom her death row meal would be chicken nuggets and fries. Perfect r\u00e9sum\u00e9. \u2705<\/p>\n

Evan pulled tenders from Zaxbys<\/a>, Publix<\/a>, Bojangles<\/a> and Cook Out<\/a>, stripped the packaging and served them blind. Dez had opinions. \u201cSometimes I have weird meat aversions. If the chicken is too thick, I\u2019m gonna be like, \u2018It\u2019s not cooked,\u2019\u201d she said. Her winner? A bird she previously wrote off: Bojangles. \u201cI\u2019ve had Bojangles before, and I didn\u2019t like it \u2014 I tossed it as soon as I got it,\u201d she said. \u201cBut that was really flavorful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Read Evan\u2019s full taste test<\/a> and tell us if you agree.<\/p>\n

Heidi has the details on Luncheon with Legends, a Sept. 20 event where five pitmasters spotlighted by Southern Living contributing barbecue editor Robert Moss will gather at \ud83d\udccd The Hunter Farm in Weddington<\/a>. The list started with a simple question from Moss: Who will people still be talking about in 60 years? These are the answers.<\/p>\n

Guests can graze pitmaster tastings, fresh oysters, appetizers, drinks and dessert from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., presented in partnership with the Charlotte Regional Visitor\u2019s Authority. Tickets are $175 per person (gratuity included) and go on sale Friday, July 10 at noon.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Get Heidi\u2019s full rundown here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jamie\u2019s latest Tristan Scoops Charlotte stop went big \u2014 really big. \ud83e\udd33 The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar & Ice Cream Shop in Concord is less \u201cquiet cone of vanilla\u201d and more \u201ccontent studio with a freezer.\u201d Balloon walls, rose backdrops, giant waffle wings \u2014 pretty much every corner is a photo station. Owners Aaron and Monica Leach walked Jamie and his son Tristan through the space, which started in Myrtle Beach and is spreading up the East Coast.<\/p>\n

The play here is a signature milkshake in a custom mason jar you take home. Tristan went with the Build Me Up Buttercup: vanilla ice cream, Reese\u2019s peanut butter sauce, a chocolate-and-peanut-butter-swirled jar, two Reese\u2019s cups on top and a whole lot of drizzle. Also worth it: the Strawberry Shortcake Nachos with house-fried cinnamon-sugar chips. Find it at \ud83d\udccd 5965 Thunder Rd NW, Concord<\/a> or \ud83d\udccd 816 Brayden Pkwy, Fort Mill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 Read Jamie\u2019s full review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Taqueria Mal Pan<\/a>, the SouthPark spot known for heritage-driven Mexican cuisine, is leaning even harder into quality. The team is going seed oil-free, deepening local sourcing partnerships and streamlining the menu around its most-loved dishes. \ud83d\ude4c<\/p>\n

Charlotte\u2019s first and only dedicated hand roll bar is expanding. Sharigato has added lunch<\/a> service Tuesday through Saturday starting at noon, and takeout launches next week (Tuesday\u2013Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Your maki era continues. \ud83c\udf59<\/p>\n

Read more Public funeral for NASCAR legend Kyle Busch announced in NC. When and where<\/a><\/p>\n

Maman is celebrating the World Cup tournament<\/a> with limited-edition soccer ball-shaped croissants at its Plaza Midwood and South End locations \u2014 available this weekend and next while supplies last. \ud83e\udd50 Each one comes filled with a flavor repping a competing nation:<\/p>\n

Grab a few and turn brunch into a bracket. \ud83c\udfc6<\/p>\n

Vivienne, which started as a pop-up, opens today<\/a> at \ud83d\udccd Free Range Brewing<\/a>. Expect Nordic flavors paired with street hot dogs, puff pastries and seafood \u2014 a very specific vibe we did not know we needed. \ud83c\udf2d<\/p>\n

If you want the full \u201cwhere did Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons actually eat\u201d map, our Top Chef dining roundup<\/a> has you sorted. Kish confirmed she hit Bojangles at least twice during filming. Simmons raved about dinner at \ud83d\udccd Kindred in Davidson<\/a>: \u201cI loved our meal at Kindred. I do think it was exceptionally beautiful, and I just love being in their backyard.\u201d Colicchio, on Charlotte\u2019s food scene generally: \u201cThere\u2019s good food everywhere. If there\u2019s good farms, that means there\u2019s good food culture. And restaurants who tap into those farms are generally doing interesting things.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcd6 See the full list of judge stops<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe burning noodles at Dumpling Lady was my first intro to spicy food. They never found my body.\u201d \u2014 Jay Hansley via Instagram<\/a>, on the spiciest foods in Charlotte<\/a>. \ud83c\udf36\ufe0f\ud83d\udc80<\/p>\n

CharlotteFive drops daily with restaurant openings, chef news, weekend plans and the food gossip you actually want. Sign up for the free newsletter here<\/a> and never miss the next taste test debate. \u2709\ufe0f<\/p>\n

Keep up with everything happening, new and eat-worthy in Charlotte: @cltfive on Instagram<\/a>, @cltfive on Threads<\/a>, @cltfive on TikTok<\/a> and @charlottefive.com on Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more Sports cars, \u2018fraud,\u2019 adultery: Bitter court feud over Rep. Tricia Cotham\u2019s dad<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A New Yorker blind-tastes Charlotte chicken tenders, Maman rolls out World Cup croissants and Crazy Mason serves up Insta-worthy milkshakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nCharlotte chicken tender showdown, World Cup croissants and more - \u0421harlotte Relocation Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3137\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Charlotte chicken tender showdown, World Cup croissants and more - 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