👋 TGIF! It's McKenzie.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 72 and a low of 50.

🎂 Happy birthday to our members Jody Ryan, Tejas Parikh and Jordan Clary!

Today’s newsletter is 858 words — a 3-minute read.

After months of anticipation, Guard & Grace opens Oct. 1 in South End's sleekest new tower. And it's already sold out for the first two nights.

Why it matters: The skyscraper steakhouse is the third location for chef Troy Guard's Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant, following Denver and Houston.

We checked out the space ahead of the opening. Here's what to know before you go.

1. Expect to be blown away by the cocktails.

Their play on a spicy margarita is called the Uptown Cabaret ($19).

If you know … you know.

• It incorporates the iconic North Carolina-born hot sauce in a Texas Pete agave syrup and a coconut Pop Rocks-lined rim. (Yes, the candy from your childhood.)

2. The patio and its view are the big draw.

With Charlotte's fast-changing skyline, it's getting harder and harder to find an uninterrupted view. But most of this patio is (at least until the next tower comes along).

• About a third of the patio will be a lounge area, with the rest used for dining in the warmer seasons.

3. Yes, it's a steakhouse. But that's not all that's on the menu.

Steaks only make up about 60% of Guard & Grace's sales, Guard tells us. The vegetarian and seafood dishes are also popular.

Here's what we tried

🗓️ See what's going on around the city.

• The Engagement Event at Perry's in SouthPark today and tomorrow: Celebrate your next chapter at our annual Engagement Event! Enjoy 20% off wedding & anniversary bands, plus 10% off diamond engagement rings. Find your perfect ring!
• SaaSpocalypse: Build, Buy, or Burn It Down? At Cabin Sept 30: Is AI making custom software the new SaaS? Join Cabin for a live debate on build vs. buy, security, governance and the future of the enterprise tech stack.
• Tosco Music Beatles Tribute 2026 at the Knight Theater Oct 2: A Charlotte tradition! Come together & see 15 local & regional acts perform Beatles hits in different genres, plus singalongs throughout the night! Bring a group & save 20% on 6+ tix. (code GROUP20)
• An Evening at The Barn at Innovation Barn Oct 10: Raise a glass. Turn up the energy. Make an impact. Join Charlotte's changemakers for great food from Cuisines, handcrafted cocktails from and/or cafe, and live music. Grab your ticket and be part of the night!

Want more things to do? Check out our Event Board.

Hosting? Purchase an Event Listing.

Carolina Panthers fans descending on Cleveland for Sunday's Browns game have a hometown connection to help plan their weekend.

State of play: Chef Rocco Whalen, who operates Fahrenheit restaurants in both Cleveland and Charlotte, shared his favorite Cleveland haunts with Axios.

🍕 Start on Lorain: Whalen recommends Visible Voice Books, a "book lovers' paradise … where Harvey Pekar would have camped out." Then enjoy eats along the burgeoning new west side corridor, including Cent's Pizza and The Judith.

🌮 Head to Gordon Square: "Brunch at Astoria with Chef Cory, and wash it down with a few cheese selections from the best in the business, cheesemonger Tom," advises Whalen.

• Follow it up with the "amazing tequila selection and serious street tacos" at Blue Habanero.

☕ Then go east: Grab a cup of Rising Star coffee and wander Lake View Cemetery, where John D. Rockefeller, Eliot Ness, Alan Freed and President James A. Garfield are among the permanent residents.

• Whalen calls it "one of the most exquisite backdrops in Cleveland."

🍝 After the game, try one of these gems on Rocco's dinner shortlist.

• Bruno's — "a true taste of Cleveland."
• Momocho — "the best hip, modern Mexican in the Land."
• Rosy — "the ultimate wood-fired splurge. (Good luck getting a reso.)"

Keep this list handy

🔒 Mecklenburg County officially moved 209 inmates to the reopened Jail North last week amid overcrowding at the central jail in Uptown. (WBTV)

🍳 Brunch restaurant Flying Biscuit Cafe is expanding to Huntersville, its owners confirmed to Axios.

🌮 Fast-casual taco restaurant White Duck Taco Shop has opened for lunch and dinner inside Lenny Boy Brewing. (Instagram)

🥗 Radish Kitchen, a Nashville-based restaurant serving salads, wraps and bowls, will take over part of the former People's Market space on Selwyn Avenue in early 2027, per commercial real estate firm Thrift. (Instagram)

🧸 Eloise Collections, a collectibles shop known for its plushies and mystery boxes, has opened at Concord Mills. (Instagram)

This week's hot homes give you plenty of reasons to leave the car at home, like this charming Plaza Midwood property, which may have three porches for hanging out but is just a short stroll from neighborhood favorites.

1801 Tippah Ave. — $825,000

Zoom in: 3 beds, 2.5 baths and 1,772 square feet

• Notable features include small front porch, hardwood floors, new countertops, fireplace, side porch and screened-in back porch.

Keep house hunting

Fall has finally arrived. Here are a few ways to celebrate the arts this season:

🏺Potters Market at the Mint: See work from more than 55 ceramic artists from across North Carolina on the lawn of the Mint Museum Randolph tomorrow. The 20th anniversary of the market includes pottery you can use daily, plus decorative pieces.

👰‍♀️ Wedding: Put on your most outrageous wedding attire and head to Goodyear Arts at Camp North End for their immersive fundraiser on Oct. 3. Wedding will help fund paid artists' residencies and exhibitions.

🩰 The Black Box Series: Charlotte Ballet's program runs Oct. 2-17. It will feature Mthuthuzeli November's "From Africa With Love," "Dos y Dos y Dos" from artistic director Alejandro Cerrudo and a new phoenix-inspired work by German American duo FLOCK.

More fun things to do

🎥 I saw "Resident Evil" this week, and it confirmed for me 2026 is one of the best years in horror we've had in a long time.

⛰️ Ashley hopes to go for a hike soon.

💘 Alexis can't wait to share a fun date night activity that she recently tried in tomorrow's newsletter.

🍪 Alex is still thinking about Guard & Grace's gooey triple chocolate chip cookie.

🫕 Melissa, who edited this newsletter, enjoyed catching up with friends on Mezzo Market's patio last night.