Briefing for Monday October 5: Underrated breakfast spots to Halloween-themed races

Thank God for Public Policy Polling. They’re a nationally recognized company based here in North Carolina and dead on in their political predictions (including in the Charlotte mayoral race). But they also aren’t afraid to ask the questions we Charlotteans really want the answers to.

The highlights of a poll released this past week: 7 percent believe that Bigfoot lives in the N.C. mountains. 45 percent like Cheerwine (that’s it?). And 15 percent of people have taken their shirt off and twisted it around their head just like a helicopter. Never change.

VITALS

Today’s Weather: 65. Overcast. 60% chance of rain (scattered downpours).
Today’s Stat: 367. Miles on Charlotte’s thoroughfares where there aren’t sidewalks on both sides of the street. At the current pace, it would take 24 years to patch the gap.
Today’s Job: Mortgage analyst at Accenture. Apply. 
Today’s Charlottean: Arya Ahmadivarji, for his beautiful and stylish hair cuts. 

ORIGINALS

4 underrated grab-and-go breakfast options for Charlotteans that love breakfast food [Williams]
TL;DR: Phat Burrito, Rhino Market, Earl’s Grocery and Local Loaf. I would have thought of exactly zero of these places as good early-morning spots but now I desperately need a Rhino burrito.

Mama’s Coffee House is like drinking coffee at your actual mom’s house [Levans]
It helps that the building is actually a house. This local Pineville spot is incredible and makes me not want to commute all the way up to Agenda HQ. 

8 Halloween-themed races in and around Charlotte this month [Levans]
A black light run, apple-themed 5K and a bunch of zombie and mummy runs. Because anything is acceptable as long as you’re running 3.1 miles while doing it.

The 20 highest-paid people at the City of Charlotte [Dunn]
Salaries matter for a lot of reasons. Take a look at the top earners in our city government. The top guy is no surprise – City Manager Ron Carlee – but some of the others might not be on your radar.

Apartments are about to go up on West Trade (+ 3 other big construction projects) [Dunn]
The new 300-odd unit apartment complex at 1010 West Trade Street is the biggest thing going on in the construction world right now. 

Ole Mason Jar: Not just glassware anymore [Dollard]
This menswear newcomer out of Charlotte is hand-crafted and pushing the boundaries of what Southern style means. Nice-looking stuff and all made in North Carolina.

Rain or shine, 17th Charlotte Oktoberfest delivers [Wells]
There was a lot at play at the signature Charlotte fall event this year, and not just the wet weather. Homebrewers had to stay home this year, and there were rumors that plainclothes ALE agents would be ticketing volunteers caught quaffing samples. Still there were 4,000 tickets sold. 

TALKING POINTS

New farm-to-table spot is coming to North Tryon Street [Agenda/Instagram]. This is the spot between RiRa’s and Prohibition and will have cocktails on tap.

Hotel/apartment hybrid coming to four Charlotte areas [Boye/CBJ]. Coming to University City, southwest Charlotte, Ballantyne and Lake Norman. Four stories. Half the rooms are furnished and are essentially extended stay spots. The other half are for standard renting.

Goodbye, U.S. Airways [Portillo/Observer]. In two weeks, the name will fly its last with a layover in Charlotte. It might take some time for employees of the second-biggest hub to start calling it American Airlines.

Panthers hit 4-0 for the first time in 12 years [Fowler/Observer]. The last time this happened, the Panthers made it to the Super Bowl. 

Do people in Charlotte go to the N.C. State Fair? For those of you that do, the big food this year is deep-fried Pop Tarts. Get after it.

– Andrew