20 new and noteworthy openings in Charlotte from this winter

Our Now Open series is proudly presented by Charlotte Center City Partners. New businesses are part of what makes Charlotte great but don’t forget to take some time to say hello again to the people and places that made us fall in love with our city in the first place. Check out UptownCharlotte.com + SouthEndCLT.org to find even more spots to explore.

We’ve made it through the winter and the worst of the pandemic (*knocks on wood*).

In this challenging pandemic year, small businesses and the resiliency they’ve shown throughout have been a bright spot.

Here are 20 local restaurants, food stalls, bars and retailers that opened their doors in the last three months.

FOOD + DRINK

Orto

Approachable Northern Italian-focused menu with top-notch cocktails

What to order: Lasagna, the olive oil cake, and mixologist Amanda Britton’s take on an amaro cobbler.

Outdoor dining: Orto has a large covered patio that will be perfect once the restaurant is open all day for brunch and lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. They’re starting with just dinner service for now.

Location: 416 E. 36th St. in NoDa near the 36th Street light rail station.

Read more: New Italian restaurant Orto now open in NoDa

What The Fries

Wildly popular food truck now in a brick-and-mortar space in south Charlotte.

What to order: I sure hope you don’t leave without ordering some fries, but also try some of WTF’s new menu items like the fried snapper sandwich.

Location: 10707 Park Rd., Ste. F in former Cici’s Pizza near Pineville.

Of note: The food truck is on a hiatus but won’t be gone forever. When the owners find the right team to operate their truck, they’ll send it back out.

Read more: Loaded fries food truck What The Fries to open first restaurant

Botiwalla

Sister restaurant to Asheville-favorite Chai Pani

Details: As a die-hard Chai Pani fan, this is one opening I couldn’t wait for. I was literally the first person in line. It’s that good.

What to order: Juicy lamb burgers, “SPDP” puffs, a boozy slushy and a mango lassi.

Location: Inside Optimist Hall, 1115 N. Brevard St.

Read more: 6 things to know about Botiwalla, an Indian street food restaurant now open in Optimist Hall

Vibe Cafe

Cozy Greek cafe and wine bar owned by two brothers

What to order: Brothers Vasili and Tony Paspalaris took inspiration from the cafes in Athens, Greece, and in other European cities to create Vibe. Order Greek coffee, dolmathes, and the berry cheesecake Belgian waffle.

Location: 1315 East Boulevard in Dilworth.

Read more: Cozy Greek-centric Vibe Cafe is now open in Dilworth

Supperland

Upscale Southern steakhouse with Charlotte’s first absinthe program

What to order: With a 4.9-star rating on Google so far, you can’t go wrong with really anything. We’d recommend the miso mac and cheese and the prime filet.

Absinthe: Nowhere else in Charlotte will you find as elaborate an absinthe program as you do at Supperland.

• Supperland offers four types of absinthe, diluted using a fountain that slowly adds water to the 100+ proof liquor.
• The restaurant and cocktail bar also offers the “Absinthe Frappé,” an incredibly crushable strawberry-and-mint drink.

Location: 1212 The Plaza in a historic church building near Harris Teeter.

Read more: Southern steakhouse Supperland is now open in Plaza Midwood

Warmack

Posh setting with Asian comfort food in Plaza Midwood

What to order: Late-night banh mi (or any time of day). For cocktails, go with “Wetworks” with honeysuckle vodka, pineapple rum, apple cider, herbs and an apple garnish.

Location: 1226 Central Ave.

Read more: New Asian restaurant and bar called Warmack now open in Plaza Midwood

Hideaway Lounge

Jay Davis of Lulu’s recently opened a bar and restaurant nearby

What to expect: Classic bar food like burgers and wings. Also expect a bunch of Baltimore Ravens fans on game days.

Location: 2710 Tuckaseegee Road near Lulu’s.

Read more: One of the owners behind crab-cake-famous Lulu’s is opening a bar and lounge

Waterbean Coffee

Local coffee shop chain’s latest location.

Details: One of just a few openings in Uptown in the past year, this coffee shop gives us hope.

What to order: Iced latte.

Location: 300 S. Tryon St., in the same building as La Belle Helene, which will be reopened by the 5Church team.

Read more: Waterbean Coffee to fill former Parliament space Uptown

The Vintage

Cigar and whiskey bar with over 1,000 varieties of cigars

What to expect: Cigar-wise, The Vintage has a selection of mild, medium and full-bodied cigars in the walk-in humidor. There’s drink pairings for your choice of cigar.

Location: 215 E. Worthington Ave. in South End.

Read more: The Vintage, a whiskey and cigar bar, now open in South End

The Exchange at 36th

Grab-and-go market plus a bar in a gorgeous old-world-like setting

What to order: The mimosa flight ($15), which comes with four half-size mimosas in different flavors like mango and strawberry.

Location: 451 E. 36th St.

Read more: The Exchange, a new market and bar, now open in NoDa

Dilworth Tasting Room SouthPark

The popular wine bar’s second location

What to order: Go big with the porterhouse steak and, of course, red wine to pair.

Location: 4905 Ashley Park Lane, Ste. J, in the former Corkbuzz space in SouthPark.

Read more: Dilworth Tasting Room’s second location now open in SouthPark

The Eagle

Cincinnati-based fried chicken joint now in South End’s Atherton Mill

What to order: Fried chicken with mac & cheese and collard greens on the side. To drink, go with a glass ($10) or pitcher ($38) of bourbon punch.

Location: 2120 South Blvd., Ste. 1 in South End.

Read more: Popular fried chicken joint The Eagle opens this Friday in South End

Steak 48

Fancy steakhouse in SouthPark

What to order: Bone-in filet mignon (12 ounces/$58) and beignets for dessert.

Layout: Oliver Badgio, chief brand officer for the restaurant group, calls the restaurant’s layout a “collection of intimate spaces.” There’s about 10 different dining zones, including private booths with glass walls and a view of the kitchen. “Each room has different energy, music, and acoustics.”

Location: 4425 Sharon Rd.

Read more: See inside Steak 48’s $8M build-out. The SouthPark steakhouse is now open

Xiao Bao

A favorite in Charleston’s dining scene now in Optimist Hall

What to order: Okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese cabbage pancake. All the items on Xiao Bao’s menu center on comforting Southeast Asian and Asian dishes.

Location: Inside Optimist Hall, 1115 N. Brevard St.

Read more: Charleston-based Xiao Bao and its legendary okonomiyaki now open in Optimist Hall

Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market

Classy pizzeria and wine shop

What to order: One of Margaux’s St. Louis-style pizzas.

Location: 316 Main St. in Pineville.

RETAIL + SERVICES

Mood House

Modern massage spa with a popular membership program

Details: Even before the massage, just being inside Dilworth’s Mood House is calming. Mood House founder (and Axios Charlotte’s former president) Cristina Wilson hopes to provide guests with a re-imagined spa experience and, of course, relaxation — something that’s needed more than ever right now.

Cost: You can purchase a massage or time in the infrared sauna a la carte, or sign up for a membership (starts at $85/month).

Location: 2400 Park Rd., Ste. A

Read more: Modern massage spa opens in Dilworth

Boris + Natasha

Plaza’s beloved clothing store moved down the street in a new space

Details: Owner Hope Nicholls moved B + N farther out on The Plaza a few months ago after growing disillusioned over how much Plaza Midwood is shifting — and pricing out smaller independent businesses like hers.

• Her selection of unique men’s and women’s clothing remains.

Location: 2910 The Plaza.

At Home

Home decor retailer in the former BJ’s space

Details: If you’re never been to At Home store before, think of it as a mix between IKEA and Marshalls. The 101,000-square-foot space is located in Midtown in the same building as Target.

Location: 900 Metropolitan Ave.

Harris Teeter – Park Road Shopping Center

After extensive renovations, the Park Road Teeter is back

Details: There’s a new wine and beer bar, an expanded and redesigned produce section, 8 new self-checkout kiosks, and more.

Location: 4101 Park Rd. in Park Road Shopping Center.

Read more: See inside: Harris Teeter reopens this week at Park Road Shopping Center

Knights of the Razor by No Grease

Longstanding local barbershop chain started by twin brothers Damian and Jermaine Johnson

Details: The newly renovated SouthPark barbershop opened in January and quickly became a popular spot at mall. Then, in February, SouthPark mall terminated the shop’s lease early, but reversed course as calls to protest from the community grew. [Full story here]

Location: 4400 Sharon Rd., Ste. L01A inside SouthPark mall

Read more: They took their Black barbershop to SouthPark. Next up: the moon.

Still to come: The most anticipated new restaurant, bar, and brewery grand openings