Welcome to Charlotte! (Friday & Saturday)

I made my first pilgrimage to Charlotte this weekend to visit Mike and help him move in. And from what I have seen so far, I really like it! The area he lives in reminds me of the vibe in Athens, GA. Small town feel, but plenty of things to do and places to eat. I will break our adventures into a few smaller posts, so it's not so lengthy.

I arrived late on Friday, and we went to a nearby bar called Tyber Creek Pub. It was kind of divey, but we had fun. The downstairs has an older crowd, and the upstairs looked reminiscent of fraternity parties I attended in college. Much younger up there. There was also live music that was really good, but so loud! Ears ringing the next day loud. Note to self: take ear plugs.

On Saturday, we had lunch at Bojangles. Mike had never been there for breakfast.

Saturday night, we at 300 East. Apparently, this is an institution in Charlotte, and it lives up to that reputation. The food was really good! This is a take-your-parents-here kind of place, and the price point is super reasonable. Mike and I have eaten at many a place that cost more and wasn't as good.

I got the Grilled Gorgonzola-Stuffed Filet Mignon, which is wrapped in apple-smoked bacon and is served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and whatever veggie they have on hand (I got green beans). My steak wasn't cooked evenly all the way through, but it was still good. The bacon wasn't cooked enough to my liking, so I'd probably save myself the calories and not eat it. The green beans were good, but I personally prefer canned green beans, so Mike and I switched sides.

Mike got the Moroccan Spiced Pork Tenderloin, which was glazed in a pomegranate molasses and a charmoula sauce, and was served with a potato cake and sautéed spinach. The spinach was hella good. The potato cake needed a little something extra, so we took the chunk of herbed butter that was served with my steak and added it to the cake, which corrected its shortcomings.

Mike also got a cannolini soup that had pancetta in it. It was really good. A soup du jour, I think, so it's not always on the menu. I had a basic vinaigrette salad, which had a tasty dressing. It had beet shavings on it, and they weren't too bad. :|

Afterward, we met up with Mike's coworker and wife at a bar called Ed's Tavern. It is a sports bar, and was very crowded, but we eventually found a table. It was a fun, run-of-the-mill type of place. A tad loud, but it doesn't have anything on Tyber.

Check out my restaurant review