7 of the best things our team ate in December

Here are seven of the best dishes our Axios Charlotte team ate in December, listed in no particular order.

(1) The “little cheesy” combo from Papi Queso in Optimist Hall

Two words: Cheese pull. The classic grilled cheese from Papi Queso is my go-to winter comfort food. And I almost always pair it with their tomato soup for dipping. — McKenzie Rankin, reporter

(2) Pho dac biet from Cilantro Noodle in Plaza Midwood

If you’re feeling under the weather, this is the perfect comfort food. It’s made with beef broth, sliced eye round steak, beef brisket, meatballs and a braised short rib. Generously top it with fresh mint, jalapeño slices and mung bean sprouts. Kudos to Axios’ Danielle Chemtob for introducing me to Cilantro. — Ashley Mahoney, reporter

(3) The avocado toast from Undercurrent Coffee in Plaza Midwood

I had the avocado toast one recent morning while I was working from Undercurrent Coffee in Plaza Midwood. It was made with Dukes toast topped with avocado, sunflower seed mix, aleppo pepper flakes, hot sauce and pea shoot red onion salad, and I added a farm egg. It was fresh and light (and pretty!) but also hearty enough. — Katie Peralta Soloff, editor

(4) A hot dog from Green’s Lunch

Once I heard Charlotte’s oldest restaurant is for sale I had to go see what the hype was about. So I went over to Green’s at 8am on a Tuesday to beat the lines. I was the only person in that restaurant who wasn’t a regular. The owner knew everyone by name. Was it the best hot dog I ever had? Probably not. Did it feel good to eat a piece of Charlotte’s history? Definitely yes. — Laura Barrero, reporter

(5) Cevaps from Euro Grill & Café

I went to Charlotte’s “House of Cevaps” in December, otherwise known as the Euro Grill on Central Avenue, to get a taste of some authentic Bosnian food. We ordered their signature dish, the cevaps, which are beef sausages between a flaky flatbread. I also tried the minced beef burek, a stuffed pastry. Orders typically come with a creamy white sauce called kajmak and a red pepper sauce called ajvar. The highlight of visiting this place is browsing the market attached to the restaurant while you wait for your order. I picked up some European chocolates and beer to try later. — Alexandria Sands, reporter

(6) Chicken Kao Soy from Deejai NoDa Noodle Bar

Deejai Noodle has become our go-to spot for Thai food, and this noodle soup dish is a great comfort food on a cold day. The curry is flavorful and there’s lots of crunch packed in there like the onions and mustard greens that balance it out. — Danielle Chemtob, reporter

(7) Eggs Benedict with potato cakes and a junior plate of buttermilk pancakes at Original Pancake House

Comfort food comes in many forms. For my wife, a Charlotte native, it’s a morning at the Original Pancake House, where she went with her dad and brother growing up. We made an impromptu stop here after dropping our son off at daycare one busy weekday December morning. We split a plate of eggs benedict and a junior order of buttermilk pancakes — a breakfast date that paused time, in many different ways. — Michael Graff, Editor