Southeast Asian breakfast bites + new taco spot join Charlotte’s food scene
Charlotte’s food scene has barely paused for breath this week. A Vietnamese-inspired breakfast pop-up is landing in South End, Postino is putting down roots in Plaza Midwood and a Mexican street food spot just opened its doors in South Charlotte.
Read more South End’s newest brunch pop-up puts a southeast Asian spin on sandwiches
All the while, CharlotteFive readers have been narrowing down the city’s best mac and cheese. If you missed today’s CharlotteFive newsletter, here’s what’s worth keeping track of. 👇
It started with a sandwich — and now Ashley Hart is turning her Vietnamese sausage, egg and garlic mayo creation into a full-blown weekend pop-up called Daybreaker.
Hart, who runs operations for Cheat’s Cheesesteaks, designed the Friday to Sunday menu to reflect her Vietnamese and Cambodian roots, with Lao and Thai influences woven in. “Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine kind of go hand in hand,” she told CharlotteFive. “There’s a lot of crossover. So I wanted to get a little bit of that influence throughout the menu.”
The namesake Daybreaker stacks Vietnamese sausage, egg and a Vietnamese-style sauce on a brioche bun. The Crispy Morning swaps the usual English muffin for a scallion pancake — an ingredient Hart grew up eating. “I grew up eating scallion pancakes,” she said. “It was one of my favorite breakfasts, and I’m very, very fond of them.”
Lunch options include The Big Dill (chicken salad, dill Caesar), The Emilia (burrata and mortadella) and the vegetarian Niwa with maple hoisin-glazed tofu. Beignets come in three flavors: matcha glaze, cherry blossom and powdered sugar. 🍩📍 Cheat’s Cheesesteaks, 2137 Hawkins St.
📖 Check out Evan’s full story.
Postino Wine Cafe opens its Plaza Midwood location Monday, Sept. 21, with 4,113 square feet of dining space plus a 1,060-square-foot enclosed patio at the Commonwealth development.
Expect Postino’s signature bruschetta boards along with panini, soups, salads and shareable snacks like roasted mushroom fondue, smoked salmon and seasonal burrata. On the sweeter side: hot donut dots, olive oil cake and a fudgy brownie with vanilla bean ice cream.
Mark your calendar for the grand-opening celebration Saturday, Sept. 26, when the first 100 guests get branded trucker hats and cookies from Sugar, Butter, Sass. Postino is also donating $1 from every bruschetta sold to Charlotte’s Isabella Santos Foundation. 📍 1606 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 101
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📖 Read Heidi’s full preview here.
Cantina Louie cut the ribbon Monday, Sept. 14, on its new South Charlotte location — the third North Carolina spot for the concept, which also operates in Asheville, Matthews and Florida.
The nearly 5,000-square-foot restaurant seats up to 150 and includes two communal outdoor areas (yes, there’s cornhole). Hand-painted murals paying tribute to Charlotte cover the walls, and much of the decor was imported from Mexico.
Menu-wise, think classic: burritos, quesadillas, fajitas and an assortment of street tacos, plus mains like carne asada with Spanish rice, esquites and refried beans; La Parilla with marinated steak, grilled chicken and carnitas; and avocado enchiladas topped with tomatillo salsa and queso fresco. Taco Tuesday brings $2.99 tacos and $6.99 specialty margaritas. 🍹
“This expansion into the Charlotte area has a lot to do with demand,” business partner Jason Sharpe told CharlotteFive. Owner Frank Bethelmy, who previously managed the Matthews location, said more Charlotte-area locations could be next. “We’re already keeping an eye on a few places,” Bethelmy said. 📍 7520 Pineville-Matthews Road
📖 Get Tanasia’s full rundown here.
The CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice poll is on the hunt for the creamiest, cheesiest bowl in town. After 28 nominations, the field is down to 11 — including a tie between Lulu’s Express and Rooster’s Wood-fired Kitchen.
Round 2 contenders:
Round 2 runs through Friday, Sept. 18 at noon.
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Keep up with what’s new, what’s opening and what to eat: @cltfive on Instagram, @cltfive on Threads, @cltfive on TikTok and @charlottefive.com on Bluesky. 💙
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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