Hey Charlotte foodies. \ud83d\udc4b Between a Steele Creek shop earning a global ice cream crown, two restaurants requiring literal waivers before serving you dinner and a beloved listening bar closing its doors, it\u2019s been a packed week in Queen City food news. Here\u2019s your Saturday morning download of everything worth knowing from CharlotteFive this week. \ud83c\udf74<\/p>\n
Read more Why Cabarrus County rejected Midland early voting site despite NC auditor request<\/a><\/p>\n Y\u2019all nominated, and Heidi rounded up 30 Charlotte-area spots serving nachos worth arguing about. \ud83d\uddf3\ufe0f Voting is officially open, and you can refresh the page to vote as often as your appetite demands. Eligible restaurants have to be in the Charlotte area (places like Lake Norman, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill and Fort Mill all count), have fewer than 20 locations nationwide and can\u2019t have already won a previous Readers\u2019 Choice contest.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcd6 Check out the full ballot and start casting.<\/a><\/p>\n Eva took $25 to Katz Deli for the \u201cOn a Budget\u201d series and got real-deal New York commentary in the process. \ud83d\uddfd While she read the menu, one woman jumped in: \u201cWell if you\u2019re not sure, ask a New Yorker!\u201d Eva ordered a turkey BLT, a baked knish, cucumber salad and a cream soda \u2014 landing exactly at $25 with tip.<\/p>\n The verdict? Sandwich was comically tall but manageable, the potato knish was a carb-lover\u2019s dream and the cucumber salad had that quick-pickle vibe. She\u2019s already planning a return trip. \ud83d\udccd Find Katz Deli<\/a> in Ballantyne.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude0b Check out the full story.<\/a><\/p>\n Melissa dug into The Charlotte Observer archives and unearthed a gem from restaurant writer Helen Schwab, published May 8, 1992. Readers had voted for the city\u2019s juiciest burgers, and the Rebel Room racked up seven votes (one faxed letter claimed to speak for five people on its own). Lupie\u2019s and Spoon\u2019s tied at five each.<\/p>\n The list is a full tour through \u201990s Charlotte: South 21 on East Independence, the Lantana at the Bradley Motel, Zack\u2019s on South Boulevard, Providence Road Sundries, What-A-Burger and dozens more. One reader still dreamed about the South 21 cheeseburger a decade after going vegetarian.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcd6 Read the full time capsule.<\/a><\/p>\n Th\u00e9oden walked into AMC Concord Mills\u2019s new SCREENX auditorium with his skeptic hat on. The format, which debuted in South Korea in 2012, projects scenes onto the side walls for a 270-degree panoramic effect. He tested it on \u201cToy Story 5,\u201d the first Pixar film built specifically for the format.<\/p>\n His verdict? Genuinely surprised. The side walls engage your peripheral vision without hijacking your attention. \ud83c\udf7f The premium ticket runs about $5 more than a standard showing, and Th\u00e9oden says it\u2019s worth it<\/a> for movies made for the format.<\/p>\n Evan is on a mission to find Charlotte\u2019s hottest food, and two spots stand out because they make you literally sign a waiver. Dave\u2019s Hot Chicken requires a signed waiver \u2014 and proof you\u2019re 18+ \u2014 before serving anything at their \u201cReaper\u201d level. Then there\u2019s Painted Rooster inside Optimist Hall, where the \u201cStoopid Hot\u201d tenders also require a waiver.<\/p>\n Other picks worth adding to your list: Bullet Chicken at Aroma Indian Grill, the chicken pad thai at Thai Taste on East Boulevard at \u201cmax heat\u201d and Curry Gate for spicy chicken curry. \ud83d\udccd Find Dave\u2019s Hot Chicken on Google Maps<\/a> and Painted Rooster on Google Maps<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd75 Check out the full list.<\/a><\/p>\n Tanasia reports The Belly of the Whale opened<\/a> July 16 in the former Pizza Peel + Tap Room space. Husband-and-wife team Raynold and Tatiana Mendizabal are behind it \u2014 Raynold, who spent two-plus decades diving and fishing the Outer Banks, runs the kitchen, and Tatiana handles front of house.<\/p>\n Think beau sels oysters, salted fish croquettes, roasted swordfish and pizzas topped with lobster, tomatoes and stracciatella. The menu can change daily. Monday nights are dedicated to Charlotte\u2019s hospitality workers. \ud83d\udccd Find The Belly of the Whale on Google Maps<\/a>.<\/p>\n Eva writes that Chicago\u2019s seed-oil-free, refined-sugar-free fast-casual FARE debuts early fall at Queensbridge Collective, and founder Kasia Bednarz says they\u2019re already eyeing Plaza Midwood. \u201cWe definitely didn\u2019t come to Charlotte to open up just one location,\u201d Bednarz said.<\/p>\n Read more What should we take away from Hornets\u2019 NBA Las Vegas Summer League run?<\/a><\/p>\n Expect scratch-made all-day breakfast plus seasonal bowls (best seller: maple harissa sweet potatoes \ud83c\udf60). \u201cOur whole mission is to prove that fast food can be real food,\u201d Bednarz said. \ud83d\udccd Find Queensbridge Collective<\/a> and read the full story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Teen writer Tristan visited Handel\u2019s Homemade Ice Cream in Steele Creek \u2014 the shop National Geographic crowned the \u201c#1 ice cream on the planet.\u201d Founded in 1945 in Youngstown, Ohio, Handel\u2019s makes its ice cream fresh in every franchise store, with more than 100 flavors in rotation across four area locations.<\/p>\n Tristan tried a waffle cone stuffed with Buckeye (peanut butter base, chocolate swirls, mini peanut butter cups) plus a brownie sundae big enough to split. His verdict: \u201cFresh-made ice cream in every store, a flavor list deep enough to require patience and portions that don\u2019t skimp.\u201d \ud83d\udccd Find Handel\u2019s in Steele Creek<\/a> and check out Tristan\u2019s review<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tanasia reports Lorem Ipsum \u2014 the listening bar tucked inside The Refuge hotel on Central Avenue \u2014 closed after more than two years. Esquire named it one of the 15 best bars in America in 2025, so it\u2019s a real loss. HVAC issues during the recent heat wave pushed up a closure that was already planned for late July.<\/p>\n Owner Justin Hazelton isn\u2019t done: he\u2019s planning a new concept at the Innovation Barn plus a radio venture with live music and DJ sets. \u201cBecause of all of you, Lorem grew into something far greater than a cocktail bar,\u201d Hazelton wrote in his farewell post.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude22 Read Tanasia\u2019s full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the \u201990s and 2000s, Midtown Sundries seemed to be everywhere \u2014 Cornelius, University City, South Charlotte, Rock Hill, Indian Land, Kenilworth Avenue, Denver. Now? Just one is left, about 20 miles northwest of uptown. Evan revisited the Denver spot and found almost nothing has changed: same big square bar, same TVs, same pool tables and Golden Tee.<\/p>\n Manager Chuck Howard, who\u2019s been there about 13 years, said consistency is the whole point. Regulars swear by the jumbo wings, especially the Barbalo \u2014 a housemade barbecue-buffalo blend. \ud83d\udccd Find Midtown Sundries<\/a> and read Evan\u2019s full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n Two new-restaurant announcements dropped this week. EVO Kitchen & Co. opens Saturday, Aug. 1, in Steele Creek near the Charlotte Premium Outlets, serving elevated Southern cuisine with global influences. Founders Edmond \u201cRoc Well\u201d McMiller and Myra Wilson describe it as \u201crefined yet approachable.\u201d Chef Kendrick Hollis, a military veteran with 15+ years of experience, oversees the kitchen. \ud83d\udccd Find EVO Kitchen<\/a> and read Tanasia\u2019s full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Ilios Crafted Greek opens its fifth Charlotte-area location<\/a> Monday, July 20, at Sadler Square in Davidson. The first 100 customers get a free bottle of Ilios\u2019s proprietary extra virgin olive oil. The chain recently transitioned to cooking exclusively with olive oil and imports pita bread directly from Greece. \ud83d\udccd Find Ilios in Davidson<\/a> and get all the details from Tanasia<\/a>.<\/p>\n Want this kind of food, drink and things-to-do intel delivered every weekday? Sign up for the free CharlotteFive newsletter here<\/a>. \ud83d\udcf1<\/p>\n Follow along on social: @cltfive on Instagram<\/a>, @cltfive on Threads<\/a>, @cltfive on TikTok<\/a> and @charlottefive.com on Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have a great weekend, Charlotte. \ud83d\udc4b<\/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