2018 Issue 36 Creative Loafing Charlotte by Creative Loafing Charlotte

CLCLT.COM | OCTOBER 25 - OCTOBER 31, 2018 VOL. 32, NO. 36

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A MEMBER OF:

018 BEST OF CHARLOTTE 2

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CITY

LIFE

“Still

humping

the

American

Dream”

17 READERS’ PICKS CONSUMER CULTURE “In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.” 25 READERS’ PICKS FOOD & DRINK “Good people drink good beer.” 38 READERS’ PICKS

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NEWS

EDITOR’S NOTE

YOU’RE THE BEST OF... A shout out to the staff IT WAS THE Best of Charlotte, it was the

here from Columbus, Ohio, on short notice and immediately knocking out story after worst of Charlotte. story without blinking an eye. But mainly just the former. I also feel that we would be lost without I couldn’t be happier to be sending off Creative Loafing’s 2018 Best of Charlotte the hard work of full-time reporter and issue, my first as editor-in-chief of the paper. contributor Pat Moran. While doubling as That being said, we got through the process CL’s advertising coordinator, Pat doesn’t without anyone jumping from the roof of actually sell any ads to clients, which leaves our Music Factory office, so I’d say it was a him open to write stories without any conflict of interest. success. Pat’s love for the arts shines through in This year, we took you into bat country with a Fear and Loafing theme — get it? — his beautiful writing, and his recollections of complete with a photo shoot starring yours many different exhibits and shows that he truly as Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke, and covered over the year were extremely helpful my coworker Justin LaFrancois as Benicio while compiling the list of this year’s winners. Sometimes the fact that Creative Loafing Del Toro as Dr. Gonzo. It seems like such an obvious parody now that I’m surprised we has been a presence in the local cultural scene hadn’t done it in 31 years of existence. But for more than 30 years can make people think that we are some sort of huge gatekeeper here we are. of an organization with endless Best of Charlotte is all about shouting resources, but in the end, we’re out the people doing amazing things just four full-time employees in this city, so I’d like to take the trying to put together the opportunity in this column to best paper possible each shout out the folks behind week. It’s when we’re the scenes who made this tasked with an issue issue possible. like this — well over First and foremost, double the size of our I have to show some love normal paper — that to my art director Dana our hunger as underdogs Vindigni-Guedes. Not only comes out and we work did Dana put together this together the best. entire issue — from designing RYAN PITKIN And of course, we get a ads to laying out every winner, little help from our friends. photo, caption and credit — but One huge helper this issue she got married right in the midst was our intern Veronica Cox, whose of the mess that is our Best of Charlotte main focus over the last month has been to issue. Putting together the Best of Charlotte help choose winners and then dig into that issue is already stressful enough, but to throw list and write blurbs about each winner. She perhaps one of the most stressful days of was brand new to the team when we told her your life right into the middle of that was that she’d be working on Best of Charlotte nothing short of heroic. Dana handled it all almost exclusively, and she had stepped up to like a pro and — among all the stuff that was the challenge in a way that I’m very thankful happening at work — still hosted a beautiful for. Also, we wouldn’t be anywhere without wedding in downtown Gastonia on Oct. 7. Perhaps my favorite part of this issue are our contributing writers. From the time I Dana’s drawings, in which she beautifully sat down with contributor Erin Tracychanneled Ralph Steadman, the old friend Blackwood more than two months ago and and cohort of Hunter S. Thompson. Dana’s began working out winners to our critic’s art has always been striking to me, but to picks, I’ve been constantly reworking the watch her process as she pulled inspiration list with help from Courtney, Pat and other from her humongous book of Steadman art contributing writers like Perry Tannenbaum, Shameika Rhymes, Aerin Spruill, Jeff Hahne, and made it her own was a beautiful thing. I also have to give it up for my associate Erin Breeden and Grey Revell. Each one of the editor, Courtney Mihocik, who arrived in the contributors has been a most valuable asset. So in an issue filled with some of CL offices in August and was quickly thrown into the Best of Charlotte mix. That can Charlotte’s brightest people doing their very be tough for someone who hadn’t lived in best work, I felt it necessary to shine at least Charlotte since she interned for the paper in a small light on everyone that helped us send 2016, but Courtney dug right into the project this thing to print and not let me look like a failure. from the jump. I can do that all on my own. Even beyond Best of Charlotte, Courtney RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM has exceeded my expectations after moving

McGlohon Theatre October 26th

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ILLUSTRATION BY RICK GUEDES

CRITICS’ PICKS: CITY LIFE Best of Charlotte 2018

“Still humping the Amerian Dream.” The folks here are out there fighting the good fight on a daily basis, and deserve a tip of the cap for it. 8 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

General Assembly under Republican leadership had been oftentimes the biggest impediment to success at the city level,” Mohammed told us in January before winning the Democratic primary against Ford. Sure, if he wins this November against Republican opponent Richard Rivette, which we believe he will do easily, he may not flip a seat, but he’ll give Democrats much more stability in a key seat.

LOCAL HERO - DAVID TEPPER When details about Jerry Richardson’s sexual harassment of his employees came out in April, it became cringe-worthily clear that he had to go. But who was going to take his place? When billionaire businessman David Tepper began showing interest in buying the team, it seemed like more of the same from the good ol’ boys’ club. A 2009 profile on Tepper described a large pair of veiny brass testicles displayed prominently in his office and his penchant for chucking breast implants at people. However, ever since making the purchase, Tepper has proven to be taking the Panthers franchise in a direction that would have been unthinkable under Richardson. He’s been right there with team members working on providing Hurricane Florence victims with relief, he joined Panthers receiver Torrey Smith early in October to discuss bail reform with the local DA and allowed the signing of Eric Reid, a fervent supporter of Colin Kaepernick who would become the first Panthers player to take a knee during the national anthem. We only hope the good faith continues.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @12AMCOLLECTIVE

@12AMCollective Instagram.

BEST INSTAGRAM @12AMCOLLECTIVE We all know that friend who seems like they’re having so much fun on their social media channels, but you know they’re not really ’bout that life. Such is not the case for the 12amcollective, whose video work covers everything from house parties to rap visuals to luxury real estate. Oh, and did we mention some dope ass photography, too? It makes us long for the days when we were out past midnight every night. Ok, maybe not, but these folks definitely know how to have a good time.

BEST POLITICIAN - BRAXTON WINSTON

David Tepper, the local hero who bought the Panthers.

PHOTO BY JAMES NIX

BEST TWITTER - JOE BRUNO In 2016, Joe Bruno started to gain attention on the #CLT Twitter scene when he became attached in many people’s minds to the Year of the Highway Spills. The year saw a number of vehicles spilling all sorts of weird stuff onto the city’s highways, including paint, potatoes, glass, bees, pineapples and an unassuming car axle that caused a 20-car pileup. And WSOC reporter Joe Bruno was right on top of these breaking stories, using Twitter to post the traffic updates and, more importantly, the entertaining photos of the cleanup efforts. Now, we know Joe as the political guy. While he still covers breaking news, he can mostly be found in the chambers with the county board and city council, bringing us live tweets at a furious clip. He recently covered a #MeckBOCC (Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, for all you non-Tweeters) meeting in which commissioners were arguing vehemently against live-streaming the meetings. Luckily, they lost this effort at decreasing accessibility, but we weren’t worried knowing we had Joe’s tweets, streamed or not. Twitter: @JoeBrunoWSOC9

BEST NEW HOPE - MUJTABA MOHAMMED It became clear long ago that Joel Ford had lost touch with the folks of District 38. In fact, as he wraps up his third term in the N.C. State Senate, he’s looked more like a Republican than anything resembling a Democrat. We could go on about why we say that, but this is isn’t about Ford, this is about the guy who’s about to step in and take his place. Mujtaba Mohammed, 33, entered the race after serving on the Council for Children’s Rights and then as a public defender in Mecklenburg County. “Serving young children, low-income families, people who have a lot of problems, I realized again and again, the North Carolina

When Braxton Winston was named CL’s Local Hero in last year’s Best of Charlotte issue, he was honestly more of a hope than a hero. At that time, Winston had come had come from gaining recognition as a protester during the Charlotte Uprising in 2016 to finishing second place in at-large votes for the Charlotte City Council Democratic primary. “He’s not a politician. He’s a concerned citizen who has decided to be the change he wants to see. He is the hero this city needs,” we wrote. Shortly after that issue hit stands, Winston finished the job, winning a seat on the council and helping usher in a wave of millennial newcomers to the Mecklenburg County Government Center chambers. From the jump, Winston showed he wanted to change the way folks engage with city council. Just as he was known for live-streaming the protests in 2016, Winston could be seen with his phone pointed out at the crowd during every meeting, letting his followers in, up until the council voted to live-stream the meetings from the city’s accounts and televise them. That’s a win for accessibility. Since then, Winston has continued to be a pragmatic pol for the people, always speaking out about how Charlotte’s most vulnerable community members will be affected by any given decision. For instance, just this month, Winston voted against a cleaning contract for a company that will clean four light rail stations, pointing out that the company pays its workers less than the city’s living wage. That’s leadership we can get behind.

BEST SPEECH - LUIS RODRIGUEZ, ANTI-RNC SPEECH On July 16, tensions ran high in the city council chambers as more than 100 people spoke during a special public forum scheduled specifically to address the potential for Charlotte to host the 2020 Republican National Convention. There were obnoxious hoots and hollers throughout, but for the most part, things stayed civil. Following the forum, city council members had a chance to address the crowd before voting — they approved the convention 6-5. While our Best Politician winner Braxton Winston gave a convincing speech about the implications of hosting a convention with ties to white supremacists and an immoral president, it was community organizer Luis Rodriguez’s

allegorical speech to council that still sticks with us. Rodriguez told the story of a childhood friend named Mikey who wasn’t allowed to play at Rodriguez’s house because he had lice. “Mikey wasn’t a bad kid but he had a condition that made him coming over out of the question, not unless we wanted lice of our own to deal with,” Rodriguez said. “Right now, the GOP is full of fine people, I am sure, but the GOP has a bad case of lice; KKK lice, neo-Nazi lice. It’s undeniable. You can see them with the naked eye. And just as sure as my mother knew then, we know now, you can’t let people come into your house with lice and not expect to get lice yourself.”

BEST COLUMNIST - GREG LACOUR, CHARLOTTE MAGAZINE Greg Lacour spent nearly 10 years covering city and county government in Charlotte for the Charlotte Observer, and he was a hell of a reporter then. But over the past year, his #DiscussCLT posts for Charlotte Magazine have transcended hard-news reporting to give much-needed context to the issues that the city is facing. For example, in May, Lacour focused on the bigger issues surrounding #ScooterGate, when hundreds of electric scooters popped up on Charlotte streets without approval from city leaders. “A problem arises,” Lacour wrote, “when ride-sharing and dock-free smart mobility turn into tools used to shoot down funding for transit systems that potentially benefit everyone.” He then pointed to a recently failed $5 billion expansion package for Nashville public transportation system, with a main point from the opposition being that buses and trains were outdated technologies and would soon be completely replaced by ride sharing. Lacour’s ability to move back the lens and put Charlotte’s headlines into greater national and historical context is a value to us all, and an important weapon in that “good fight” you always hear about folks fighting.

BEST NONPROFIT - THE RELATIVES Like that grandmother or auntie that you always knows has your back no matter what. The Relatives is a nonprofit in Charlotte that connects homeless and at-risk youth to the resources that they need to find financial and housing stability. Altogether, it operates the Youth Crisis Center for 7- to 17-year-olds, Journey Place for young men aging out of foster care and On Ramp Resource Center, a drop-in facility. At On Ramp, case managers, housing coordinators and resource coordinators work together to provide those who come through the door with opportunities and pathways to stability. The center hosts community leaders and companies for workshops in life skills, houses clothing and personal hygiene products and helps clients find jobs and apartments. The Relative’s don’t just drop clients in a

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PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

Behailu Academy mural in progress of painting. job or apartment and say goodbye, however. Through intensive case management, clients are assigned a manager that constantly checks up with them to ensure that they have the resources and opportunities they need to better their lives. therelatives.org

BEST PROGRAMMING - BEHAILU ACADEMY: MEALS, MINDS AND MOVEMENT If you’ve driven down Matheson Avenue between NoDa and Villa Heights since May, you’ve seen the beginnings of a brightly painted mural that’s the work of a group of kids with Behailu Academy, an arts-based youth development organization in NoDa. The mural is going to be a beautiful piece of interactive art once it’s finished, but the true beauty comes in what birthed the mural, a series of discussions that has taken place throughout the year called Meals, Minds and Movement. The monthly dinner meetings are designed to spark discussions around social issues and have already touched on power, privilege, race, gender, class and sexual orientation. A June 6 MMM meeting tackled the “New South,” and invited city leaders to come speak with the Behailu children — most of which come from low-income neighborhoods and Title IX schools — about immigration, refugees, citizenship, being a good neighbor and other similar issues. It’s not too late to join in on helping these kids better understand their city and, more importantly, help you better understand the issues they face every day. The series wraps on Nov. 6 with a final dinner discussing all the past conversations that have taken place throughout the year. behailuacademy.org

BEST DEMONSTRATION OF PEOPLE’S POWER - MARCH FOR ED While this march didn’t happen in Charlotte, per se, the educators of Charlotte and their supporters marched on Raleigh on May 16 to demonstrate that they were fed up.

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Mark Jewell and other N.C. educators march for education in Raleigh. So many educators and teachers look leaves of absence that the entire CharlotteMecklenburg Schools district had to shut down for the day. Marching for better pay and more resources to shape the young minds of our future, educators made sure their voices reached the ears of our state’s legislation. The fight didn’t stop after the march. Educators across the country continue to fight for the respect they deserve as professionals, and those in Charlotte are no exception; they continue to wear red and speak up when they feel disrespected in schools. This one is for the teachers of Charlotte and North Carolina, keep fighting the good fight.

BEST DEMONSTRATION OF YOUTH POWER - MARCH FOR OUR LIVES CLT In March, kids around the country were standing up against gun violence following the coldblooded murder of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. A group of 10 high school students from Charlotte answered the call, as they rallied to organize a march that attracted thousands to First Ward Park on March 24 despite questionable weather and raised $3,335 for the national March for Our Lives fund. “I couldn’t get it out of my head for days,” said Maddie Syfert, an 18-year-old Myers Park High School student who helped lead the march. “Then I was like, ‘No one’s making this march for Charlotte, so what’s stopping me from starting it?’ This is the first time I’ve been really politically active, but I don’t feel like this is a political event anymore; I think it’s more about students coming together.” And the more they continue to come together

PHOTO BY JOHN VERDEJO

to fight the evil represented by groups like the National Rifle Association, the brighter future for all of us.

BEST NEW DEVELOPMENT - FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER Beginning Jan. 11, anyone in the city who had conveniently ignored the ever-looming issue of domestic violence was forced to confront it when a spate of four killings occurred in five days, all of which were domestic-related. Following the deaths of Brittany White, 24; Christina Treadway, 34; Iliyah Miller, 3; Isaiah Miller, 7; and James Hawkins, 35; Charlotteans were looking for answers. Some folks were already on it. At the time of the killings and Treadway’s related suicide, Sgt. Craig Varnum, supervisor of CMPD’s domestic violence unit, was already in talks with other community leaders to help put a dent in the growing issue of domestic violence in Charlotte. In December, CMPD announced in December that it will be partnering with Safe Alliance and other domestic violence organizations in Mecklenburg County to open a Family Justice Center here. Based on a multi-disciplinary model in which different agencies operate within one location, the Family Justice Center will offer multiple services to domestic violence victims under one roof. The centers are meant to ease the burden placed on victims who often have to spend hours and sometimes days going from one agency to the next to fill out paperwork and keep up with court dates, a process that often leads to victims giving up and letting charges drop. While a lack of high-profile domestic violence murders may have people paying less attention on

PHOTO BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK

‘CL’ intern Veronica Cox glides by on a Lime-S electric scooter. the forefront, it’s comforting to know that efforts are still moving forward behind the scenes.

BEST NEW WAY TO GET AROUND ELECTRIC SCOOTERS When hundreds of electric scooters popped up on the streets of Charlotte in May without warning, people slowly started to poke them, maybe kick them over to see if they would come alive, then they eventually hopped on and began zooming around the city. It’s been quite a pleasant experience ever since. In the first 30 days of Lime-S electric scooters in Charlotte, LimeBike charted over 22,000 rides from customers. That’s exponentially better than the undocked bike share numbers that preceded the scooter program. We immediately went into contest mode, and our office record is 23.1 mph on a LimeBike scooter, which we find to be just a tad

Adria Focht of Charlotte Museum of History.

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

faster than the Bird brand. Of course, recent conversations around regulations were threatening to ruin the fun after city council member Tariq Bokhari witnessed a person riding the wrong way on an Uptown street get hit by a car, but the city recently decided it wouldn’t step in and would wait to see what the state does. Our idea: follow the rules of the road, use common sense. That’s all the regulation you need.

BEST HIRE - CHARLOTTE MUSEUM OF HISTORY, ADRIA FOCHT In June 2017, Charlotte Museum of History president and CEO Kay Peninger announced she was leaving the museum to take a job at the newly opening Museum of the Bible, our first question was this: Who’s going to take her space? In her four years with the CMoH, Peninger had brought the museum back from a troubling place financially, a downward slide that could have been credited to a mix of the recession and lack of exciting programming. In November 2017, the museum announced the hiring of Adria Focht, who led a similar comeback at the Kings Mountain Historical Museum as executive director. At 35 years old, Focht is the youngest person to run the museum, and in her first year she has successfully built upon Peninger’s legacy. When we talked in August, Focht told us about her goals, which we think speak to her success: “My goal was just to listen to the community to hear what people think they want this institution to be for them, because that’s how we’re going to stay relevant is figuring out how we can use history to address needs in the community and engage people in history in a meaningful way that informs dialogue about the future.” charlottemuseum.org

Nikolai Mather.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE PRIDE

BEST WAY TO NOT WASTE A SUMMER - NIKOLAI MATHER, UNCC LGBTQ CENTER When he was 16 years old, Nikolai Mather came out as transgender. His hometown in Chatham County wasn’t the worst place to do it, but it wasn’t the best. Now, as a student at UNC Charlotte, he’s brought his experience to the forefront of his activism, pushing for a new LGBTQ center on campus and co-founding the UNC Charlotte LGBTQ+ Coalition. This ambition came about when he saw that there were no gender-neutral bathrooms in Levine Hall, where he must live for the first two years of his collegiate career and after linking up with Customer 49, a leftist organization on campus. Mather says he learned a lot about organizing and fighting through bureaucracy alongside his team, the members of which sat at tables for hours on end to collect signatures despite full schedules of classes.

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Cat Nelson of Queen City Needle Exchange.

BEST PODCAST - WFAE, SHE SAYS WFAE reporter Sarah Delia spent more than a year following the story of “Linda,” an anonymous victim of a sexual assault that took place near Uptown Charlotte in 2015. On May 31, Delia and WFAE premiered a harrowing 10-episode podcast called She Says, which shares Linda’s story and her difficult path through the justice system. The podcast included intrepid reporting, secretly recorded conversations with CMPD detectives and Linda’s own disturbing retelling of her own assault. It also worked in stories from callers who would leave voicemails for Delia to share their own stories between episodes. When we spoke to Delia in the lead-up to the podcast’s finale, she discussed why the interactive aspect of the podcast was important to her. “Linda’s story is not everyone’s story,” Delia said. “There are pieces of Linda’s story that I think will resonate with a lot of people, but then there are parts of her story that won’t, or it’s completely different. I can’t tell everyone’s story, but I can have you tell me your story, and we can play those back.”

BEST CAUSE - KAT NELSON, QUEEN CITY NEEDLE EXCHANGE Following the legalization of needle exchange programs in North Carolina in 2016, Kat Nelson moved back from California and got to work. She spent months running the exchange out of her car, until she wrecked the car and became homeless. She kept things moving, but eventually became overwhelmed and had to hang it up. Now, Nelson is back with the Queen City Needle Exchange, and she’s got a few friends behind her. She currently runs QCNE out of an office at the Carolina CARE Partnership offices in southeast Charlotte on Friday afternoons, but she’s also a part of the newly formed

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PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

Charlotte Regional Harm Reduction Coalition, a group with a mission to bring a fully funded, around-the-clock syringe-exchange program to Charlotte. In our cover story about the coalition from July, Nelson said it’s been an entirely new experience to see so many professionals in the city getting behind her efforts. “I just care so much about it,” Nelson said. “It’s just so important to me. So seeing that there were professionals, and these people also, there were people willing to hear me out. I think the attitudes in Charlotte have changed a lot.” qcne.com

BEST UNDERDOG - REP. KELLY ALEXANDER On May 23, N.C. Rep. Kelly Alexander Jr. filed House Bill 994, titled “Marijuana Reform Laws,” in an attempt to, well, reform North Carolina’s marijuana laws. The law would strip police of the right to use suspected marijuana possession as a reason to search a person’s car. In fact, the bill would effectively decriminalize marijuana throughout the state. Unsurprisingly, HB 994 never made much progress, but that’s nothing new for Alexander. In fact, since he took office in 2009, Alexander has filed a marijuana-related bill in the North Carolina General Assembly six times — and six times those bills have languished in committee, failing to make it to the House floor for a debate, much less a vote. It’s unclear to us when the state’s leadership are going to wake up to the benefits of legalizing — much less decriminalizing — marijuana, but we support Alexander in continuing his Sisyphean struggle.

BEST METEOROLOGIST - BRAD PANOVICH Are you a fanovich of Panovich? We are. During the hype of Hurricane Florence, Brad Panovich came out full force on social media and news stations, warning the city and

Rwenshaun Miller struggled with mental illness himself before launching Eustress, Inc. to help reach at-risk youth. the state of the dangers of underestimating the storm that was headed our way. Since then, we had the chance to sit down with the meteorologist who always knew he wanted to be a meteorologist. (Don’t mix that up with being a weatherman, it’s different.) With the amount of access to information that the general public has today, it becomes easy for the right information about real-time weather dangers and global warming alarm to become lost in a digital sea of speculation, lies and trolling. “But as far as the trolling thing, I think that’s more systemic of what’s going on in our society, this anti-science, anti-expert kind of pushback,” Panovich said. “I don’t think they understand the science and expertise of some people, they just feel like everyone’s either doing something against them or for them.”

BEST POLITICAL PROCESS SUSTAINABILITY RESOLUTION The “Sustainable and Resilient Charlotte by 2050 Resolution” was adopted in Charlotte on June 25, marking an official government approval to develop a legit sustainability plan for the city, one that could lead to more cleanenergy jobs and a less polluted environment. Early on in the plans to lead this charge, Shannon Binns, the founder of Sustain Charlotte, said that semantics played a huge role in delaying any further progress. “The most controversial thing was over language,” Binns said. The choices are “carbonfree, [carbon] neutral and renewable.” Carbonfree energy includes nuclear, he said, “which is kind of critical for getting Duke Energy on board. While they’re not spelling out nuclear in the resolution, they’re being realistic with trying to get the city to 100-percent zero carbon. Without nuclear that wasn’t possible. Everyone can agree on zero carbon.” This resolution sends a clear message to

‘CL’ FILE PHOTO

Charlotte’s population and to the rest of the country that the city is serious about protecting the health of the environment and the citizens. There’s still a long way to go, but this is a great start.

BEST DECISION - DROPPING GLO’S CHARGES It was a long road for Charlotte Uprising activist Glo Merriweather, one that will stick with them for a long time, but legally, at least, it is over. On July 31, just two weeks before Merriweather’s trial on a felony charge of inciting to riot and a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a police officer stemming from the protests of September 2016, the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s office filed notices of dismissal, ending Merriweather’s two-year ordeal. This is a bittersweet victory for Merriweather, however. While they no longer have to live in fear of imprisonment, the ramifications of the charges they faced have left them financially drained and still unable to find a job. On Oct. 5, Merriweather posted a screenshot of a job rejection from Postmates that cited their two charges as the reason. “The truth of the matter is that even though all of my charges have been dismissed and I never should have been arrested, the ordeal is costing me work opportunities,” Merriweather wrote. “Even going to jail and fighting my case wasn’t enough. I now have to pay tons of money to get these things expunged. Until then, guess I won’t be able work with kids, independent contracting positions, or a whole host of other opportunities.”

BEST COMEBACK - RWENSHAUN MILLER There came a time in 2013 when Rwenshaun Miller was convinced that his only option was to take his life. Miller had spent the last three and a half years silently battling with bipolar

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disorder — self-medicating by going through a fifth of tequila every other day as he heard disembodied voices speaking to him on a regular basis. He tried committing suicide three times — only failing on the third try because a gun he had put to his head jammed when he pulled the trigger. Five years later, Miller is the founder and executive director of Eustress Inc., a Charlotte nonprofit organization that works with clients who are struggling with mental illness, focusing on youth, athletes and the black community. On May 5, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation honored Miller with the APAF Award for Advancing Minority Mental Health. Released in September 2017, his book Injured Reserve: A Black Man’s Playbook To Handle Being Sidelined By Mental Illness has gained traction throughout the year, including landing him a spot on the popular radio show The Breakfast Club. When we spoke in May, Miller explained how meeting his first black therapist, Dr. Kendall Jasper, changed everything for him. “He definitely changed the game for me when it comes down to seeking therapy because he was a black man and he was cool — real cool,” Miller said. “He made it OK for me to open up to him.” Now, he serves as that model for countless PHOTO BY BRITTANI BURNS

Attendees at the Girl Develop It “Cofee & Code” event work on their laptops. space for women who don’t feel intimidated to learn about technology.” Christina Veale, Charlotte chapter leader for grassroots tech group Girl Develop It wrapped it all up pretty well when we met her at a Coffee & Code event she hosted at Central Coffee in South End in April. Since taking over as chapter leader less than five years ago, Veale has grown the local group to 1,700 members online. She’s only doubled down on her efforts since then by starting the #TechYourSeat movement, which involves hosting conventions and bringing in nationally renowned women in the tech world to talk to local women looking to enter or climb the ladder. meetup.com/GDI-CLT/

PHOTO BY BRITTANI BURNS

[From left] Gensie Baker, James Searcy and Cherene Caraco with Promises Resource Network.

called LifeWorks, which offers services to anyone with any type of criminal record. CCT communications director Adair Hill has also seen an improvement in the public’s view of the work her organization does. “That’s the start of any kind of change that we’re going to see is people have to first be able to recognize the humanity of people that have been incarcerated,” Hill said. promiseresourcenetwork.com; centerforcommunitytransitions.org

BEST SAFETY NET - PROMISE RESOURCE NETWORK; CENTER FOR COMMUNITY TRANSITIONS

Cristina Veale of Girl Develop It listens in at “Coffee & Coding” event. kids who will hopefully never end up in the dark places he has come out of. eustressinc.org

BEST GRASSROOTS GROUP - GIRL DEVELOP IT “In Charlotte, the tech community is pretty small. I think for women, specifically, they do need some outlet in terms of getting into tech because it is a male-dominated field. So that’s mainly our mission — to have a safe learning

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The fight against mass incarceration has many fronts, but one important one is on the back end; the struggle convicts face when they exit jail. Two organizations in Charlotte have been working to help those folks, and their efforts are beginning to gain some ground. The Promise Resource Network in east Charlotte recently signed a contract with the county’s Criminal Justice Department to begin implementing a prison reentry program in Mecklenburg. “Finally the recognition of the legal lived experience is starting to take hold and systems are starting to ask about everything from training peers to become peer specialists while they’re incarcerated to peers working in the jails and prisons,” said Cherene Caraco, CEO of PRN. “I’m hoping, and what we’re seeing is the role of peers in the reentry system has the potential of becoming pretty significant in our community.” In west Charlotte, the Center for Community Transitions runs a 30-bed work release program for women that helps them transition into life outside prison, as well as a program

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

The Light Rail pulls into 36th Street station.

BEST USE OF TAX MONEY - LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION Want to avoid the commuter traffic on I-85? Interested in bar hopping from NoDa to LoSo? The 9.3-mile Blue Line Extension not only created a transit option between uptown and the University area, it opened things up all the

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

way to Ayrsley for those who rarely travel that way. Aside from the ease of travel, there’s also plenty of artwork along the way helping to make Charlotte a more vibrant city and getting more eyes on the visual arts side of the city. The price tag was steep at $1.1 billion, but it’s about time we started looking like the city we want to be.

LOCAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION - CHILDHOOD ILLITERACY Just 39 percent of fourth-grade children in Charlotte read at grade level, according to the biennial National Assessment of Educational Progress results from 2015. When you look at African-American male students, that number is nearly cut in half, with just one out of five students reading at grade level. While the numbers have gone up slightly in the last 12 years — 31 percent were at grade level when the NAEP first came to Charlotte in 2003 — it’s not improving fast enough for Munro Richardson, executive director at Read Charlotte, an initiative that aims to have 80 percent of fourth graders reading at grade level by 2025. “We’re moving in the right direction, but not fast enough to get thousands more kids reading well,” Richardson said. “The larger conversation about social mobility and economic mobility can’t happen if students are not literate.” In the two-and-a-half years since Read Charlotte launched, Richardson and his team have been working to make sure kids are more prepared by the time they reach kindergarten, which he says will set them on the right path to stay at the skill level where they need to be. Until pre-K programs are made universally available, especially to Charlotte’s most vulnerable kids, 80 percent by 2025 is looking like a long way out of reach. readcharlotte.org

READERS’ PICKS: CITY LIFE Best of Charlotte 2018 BEST HERO/HEROINE Braxton Winston

BEST LOCAL SPORTS FIGURE Cam Newton

BEST LOCAL SPORTS TEAM Carolina Panthers

BEST LOCAL CELEBRITY Nikki Wolfe

Carolina Panthers.

PHOTO BY MELISSA MELVIN-RODRIGUES PHOTOGRAPHY

BEST TWITTER ACCOUNT @SupportiveDude

BEST INSTAGRAM

BEST CHURCH

Myers Park United Methodist Church

Charlotte Agenda

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY Asheville

BEST PLACE TO GET BACK TO NATURE BEST LOCAL MASCOT Sir Purr

BEST TV STATION Fox46 Charlotte

BEST TV PERSONALITY Page Fehling, Fox46

BEST NEWS ANCHOR Morgan Fogarty, WCCB

BEST TV SPORTSCASTER

BEST BLOG

Charlotte Agenda

WFAE’s She Says

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY Mike Collins

BEST RADIO SHOW

106.5 The END’s Underxposed with Divakar

BEST FACEBOOK PAGE

Hygge Coworking McGill Rose Garden

Charlotte Agenda

Assistance League of Charlotte

BEST LOCAL FESTIVAL

Freedom Park

Bloom

Braxton Winston

BEST SUPPORT GROUP Alcoholic’s Anonymous

BEST HOTEL BEST FREE EVENT

The Ritz-Carlton

Taste of Charlotte

BEST NEW THING

Light Rail Extension

BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER Assistance League of Charlotte

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS U.S. National Whitewater Center

BEST NEWS STORY OF LAST 12 MONTHS Hurricane Florence

BEST AREA TO LIVE Plaza Midwood

BEST WAY TO GET AROUND WITHOUT A CAR

BEST PLACE TO TAKE YOUR REPUBLICAN PARENTS

(Tie) Fahrenheit, Home, Out of Charlotte

BEST GOLF COURSE

(Tie) Light Rail, Uber

BEST DISC GOLF COURSE BEST APARTMENT COMPLEX

Q.C. ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION Affordable Housing

Quail Hollow Club

BEST USE OF TAX MONEY LYNX Blue Line

Reedy Creek Park

The VUE

BEST POLITICIAN

BEST CHARITY

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH

BEST ACTIVIST/ACTIVIST GROUP Charlotte Uprising

BEST CO-WORKING SPACE

BEST PLACE TO GET HITCHED

Delano Little

BEST PODCAST

Freedom Park

BEST REC CENTER

WORST USE OF MONEY

CityLYNX Gold Line Trolley

U.S. National Whitewater Center

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ILLUSTRATION BY RICK GUEDES

CRITICS’ PICKS: CONSUMER CULTURE Best of Charlotte 2018

“In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.” Capitalism may be dying, but while it’s on its last legs, we suggest you spend your hard-earned bucks on the following businesses and services... 18 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

Visart Video.

BEST VIDEO STORE - VISART Mickey Aberman paraphrases Mark Twain when he looks at the ups and downs of owning Charlotte’s most beloved and hip video store VisArt Video. “Reports of VisArt’s demise have been greatly exaggerated,” Aberman says with a chuckle. That’s not to say the store hasn’t had a few near-death experiences. In 2010, the shop nearly closed its doors for good, and in 2015 a move from Elizabeth to VisArt’s current location on Eastway Drive precipitated a drop in patrons. But it’s all good now, in fact VisArt’s vital signs are more robust than ever. The store, which stocks over 40,000 titles in categories including foreign, cult, documentary and mainstream films, opened its new screening room at a party featuring local filmmakers and their films in September. Just in the past month, the room has hosted showings of obscure Halloween treats like Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei’s batshit crazy Zombi 3. As icing on the cinematic cake, VisArt has relaunched as a reenergized and vibrant nonprofit organization, supporting Charlotte films and filmmaking, and the perpetually cool store is poised to become an arts hub for the city’s east side. visartvideo.net

BEST NEW PLACE - OSO SKATE PARK Whether you blade, skate or scoot, Oso Skate Park is the best new place to boot. It’s onethird skate park, one-third art gallery, one-third

PHOTO BY PAT MORAN

A vintage kitten heel at Stash Pad.

music venue and 100 percent badass. Acting as a community gathering place of recreation, music and art, Oso Skate Park holds private lessons, children’s skating and biking workshops while also giving the community a new place to congregate for arts and live entertainment. Every Wednesday, from 9 p.m. to midnight it hosts a weekly art party complete with free supplies, a drum circle and flow. Even better, if you play your cards right, a membership to the skate park is only $1 per day. ososkatepark.com

BEST POP UP SHOP - CHARLOTTE BALLET POP UP SHOP FOR THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING

BEST LOCAL PRODUCT - CACTUS CLUB CO. Get lost, Ms. Frizzle. There’s a new magic bus in town and it’s here to fulfill all of your aesthetic plant dreams. Cactus Club Co. is Charlotte’s favorite mobile plant shop, popping up at events around the city with pre-potted cacti in a variety of sizes and prices. Stick one on your desk at work for a pick-me-up, or bring a handful home to add to your collection. Prices vary by size, so there’s no excuse not to treat yourself. Insta: @cactusclubco

BEST HEMP-BASED PRODUCT SELECTION - CHARLOTTE CBD When we wrote about the launch of Charlotte CBD back in April, founders Michael Sims and Dan Hentschke were rearing to open their new dispensary after traveling the state — and country — doing research on cannabidioils,

PHOTO BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

Charlotte CBD co-founders Michael Sims (left) and Dan Hentschke. hemp extracts and legal dispensaries out west. They hit some delays since then, but they’ve since locked down a location on Eastway Drive. However, they’ve already been selling their wide range of products online, including our favorite extract, Kingdom Harvest, grown in the secluded mountains of western North Carolina. When they do open, which they expect to do by the time this paper hits shelves, they plan to run the shop like one of the dispensaries they visited out west, bringing back one customer or group at a time to discuss individual needs and potential products that can help. That’s customer service we can get behind. www.cltcbd.com

The Charlotte Ballet’s March performance of The Most Incredible Thing featured something truly unique. Yes, the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale choreographed by Javier de Frutos to the music of English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys was unique in itself, but it was an unexpected surprise in the lobby that earned this Critics Pick. A magical pop up featuring books, music boxes and dolls perfectly matched the story and the performance. Curated by shopping aficionado Jordan Dollard, previously of Elsa Fine and currently of Front Porch Sundays, the shop showcased her attention to detail and creative side. We can’t wait to see what she does for the spring performance of Peter Pan. charlotteballet.org

BEST PLACE TO BUY VINTAGE - STASH PAD Do you need a vintage prom dress from the ’80s? Probably not. But do you want it? Yes, you definitely do. Stash Pad in Plaza Midwood is a walk down memory lane for fashion and a vintage oasis for those who want more than just a dusty trip to Goodwill. Established in January 2015, this shop is great for expecting the unexpected, the good, the bad and the wonderfully weird. Go ahead and get lost sifting through vintage tees, handmade hats, and DIY outfits

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that look like they came off the set of a Missy Elliot music video. stashpadvintage.com

BEST LOCAL FASHION DESIGNER ERIN FOLEY WITH RCB FASHION We’ve had a girl crush on Erin Foley for a few years now and love how she has grown her business. Her shop, located along North Davidson Street, is a one-stop-shop for all your fashion and clothing needs. From minor alterations to custom outfits, Erin can do it all with her sewing machine. She’s gained an almost cult-like following for her custom wedding dresses, but Erin also makes one-of-a-kind pieces for people who know what they want and know how much they want to spend. rcbfashion.com PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIAL STATUS

BEST SALON - SALON 1226

Social Status Charlotte’s of shoes. variation of styles that havewall — literally — got

We all can’t have luscious locks like Ariana Grande, but you can get pretty damn close through the stylists at Salon 1226. Owners Edward Brown and Brent Davidson are getting ready to celebrate the salon’s five-year birthday, and they’ve more than earned the milestone. With a full range of services like color, style, tints, waxes, makeup and keratin treatments, Salon 1226 is your one-stop shop for all of your personal grooming needs. And they’ll offer you a glass of wine or can of PBR upon arrival. Score. salon1226.com

BEST BARBER SHOP - CHARLOTTE BEARD & BARBER If you’re not looking for it, it’s easy to miss this shop, which is tucked away on Commonwealth behind Armada Skate Shop. However, it’s not so easy to miss the work of barbers AJ, Marcus, Joey and Lee. Local bands, DJs, bartenders, shop owners and cool kids are all sporting their handiwork around town. They flock to Charlotte Beard & Barber for the craftsmanship, and for the vintage barbershop feel. It’s a place where you can get a straight razor, hot towel and sage life advice; where dads & sons can go for an authentically male bonding experience, and where bros of all backgrounds can build a sense of community over great conversations, PBRs from the beer fridge and some the freshest fades in town, beard or not. facebook.com/charlottebarberandbeard

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you covered. Step into this clean, comfy and art-filled studio to experience a great session with one of the six artists in the shop, or pick out your next conversation piece for that blank space on the wall that you just can’t seem to fill. canvastattoos.com

BEST SNEAKER SHOP - SOCIAL STATUS

A succulent design by Nectar.

BEST STYLIST - LEMOND HART FROM THE HOUSE OF LEMOND Dapper. That may be the best word to describe LeMond Hart, stylist, custom clothier and owner of The House of LeMond. When you walk into LeMond’s Uptown shop, you’re immediately greeted with a well-curated shop featuring vintage finds, hard to find brands, beard oils and all the essentials to keep the men of Charlotte fresh AF. Although he has his own style, LeMond will help all of his clients and customers find the perfect pieces, including custom suits and shirts, specific to their style. You may go into his shop in basic banker blue shirts and pleat front pants, but you’ll leave with an elevated style that only LeMond can create. Insta: @thehouseoflemond

PHOTO BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK

BEST FLOWER SHOP - NECTAR If you need flowers worthy of a #nofilter Instagram post, Nectar Floral Designs is the place. For the past 11 years, Nectar has been blessing us with its thoughtful, color-conscious bouquets and arrangements for weddings, celebrations and special occasions. Stop by their boutique in the historic McGill Rose Garden, or if you are local to Charlotte and surrounding areas, have your arrangement delivered straight to your home. Nectar also hosts weddings and events in the rose garden, so give them a call for your next function and let all of your flower dreams bloom. nectarfloraldesigns.com

BEST TATTOO SHOP - CANVAS TATTOO Don’t make your next tattoo a contender for bad ink. Canvas Tattoo & Art gallery in Charlotte features artists with serious skills and

Need a sneaker fix? This shop in Plaza Midwood has what you need. Social Status is the mecca for the latest and greatest in sneakers and luxury clothing. The upscale urban atmosphere and futuristic item displays will make you feel like you’re shopping in the middle of SoHo — it’s that fancy, ya’ll. This status-conscious boutique offers a carefully curated selection of brands like Champion, Puma, Bow3ery, Billionaire Boys Club, Kappa and plenty of others to help you live your most lavish, successful best life. Whether you’re looking to reinvent yourself or add to your collection, Social Status has all the bases covered. socialstatuspgh.com

BEST COMIC BOOK SHOP - COMIC GIRL It’s here and it’s pro-queer! Comic Girl is an inclusive comic and coffee shop that features pro-LGBTQ, racially diverse and femme comics in addition to a selection of vegan munchies, and sweet, sweet locally roasted coffee. It’s a positive space in the Queen city for anyone who needs to chill out, read some comics and

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PHOTO BY MELISSA MCHUGH Hayley Moran of Haylo Healing Arts tattoos a client.

they’ve created special edition shirts for Pride, celebrated local sports teams and created a buzz all over Charlotte. From simple 704 logo designs to Keep Pounding spin-offs, the brand’s collection of shirts and hats are musthaves around town. 704shop.com

BEST BOTTLE SHOP - SALUD BEER SHOP PHOTO BY KIM LAWSON

Black Sheep Skate Shop. simultaneously dismantle the patriarchy. The shop also hosts events and benefits that encourage community growth and support the LGBTQ community. They also work to make comics accessible with the “Pay It Forward” board, which uses magnets paid for by customers to allow everyone to shop, regardless of their income. The “Pay What You Want” section features a wide variety of donated books that give all customers a chance to leave with something awesome. comicgirlcoffee.com

BEST SKATE SHOP - BLACK SHEEP SKATE SHOP Streetwear is back with a vengeance, and Black Sheep has got the goods. The skater owned and operated shop has solidified their place in the Charlotte fashion scene as an independent retailer since 2003. The shop specializes in top quality skatewear brands such as Thrasher, Brixton, Vans, Nike and every other skate brand you rocked in middle school, but they also keep up-to-date with all the new collection drops you’ve been drooling over.

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If you’re not into that, keep it local and grab a Black Sheep brand hoodie to keep you warm during those cold Charlotte winters. blacksheepskateshop.com

BEST JEWELRY STORE - CLTCH With owners Lesa Kastanas, Linda Martinez and Scott Weaver curating this Plaza Midwood staple, it’s obvious why CLTCH is considered one of the most badass shops in Charlotte. While CLTCH specializes in unique gifts, as well as a new spiritual devotion to herbs and crystals, it’s the jewelry selection that makes this shop a standout. Need a statement necklace or pair of earrings to go with the ultimate revenge outfit that will make your ex cry? CLTCH has all of that and more. Don’t forget to finish your outfit off with one of their handbags from their impressive collection. facebook.com/cltch

BEST RECORD STORE - DIGGER’S DELIGHT Digger’s Delight opened this year inside Tip

Top Daily Market. What originally started as a pop-up swap shop created by longtime music scene staples Scott Slagle and Kim Neal has turned into a full-blown market and event venue. This isn’t the spot to come for every new release under the sun, but it’s where to come when you’re looking for rare and valuable grooves, an expertly-curated selection and the sage advice of purveyors who have put decades of their lives into making music. They also have a wide variety of events poppin’ off almost every day of the week. Everything from the Scrambled Eggs brunch party on Sundays to movie night on Wednesdays to Music Tastings highlighting new releases on the last Friday of every month. We can dig it. tiptop.market

BEST T-SHIRTS - 704 SHOP Three former UNC Charlotte roommates — Scott Wooten, Jerri Shephard and Chris Moxley — started 704 Shop to help build a sense of pride throughout the Queen City. We’d say that mission is accomplished. Their designs have showed up on Ron Rivera and Thomas Davis,

Back in March, USA Today let the whole country in on a secret that everyone in Charlotte already knew: Salud is the shit. In the newspaper’s list of the top 10 beer bars in the country, Salud placed fifth, thanks to first being chosen by a panel of beer experts and then voted into the top five by readers. We’re no beer experts, but we drink plenty of it and Salud has been a favorite hangout of ours since it opened in 2012. Last year, the addition of Salud Cerveceria upstairs only added to the vibe, but we’ve always been more cozy in the intimate setting that is the original Salud. saludbeershop.com

BEST FUSION FOR YOUR CHI - HAYLO HEALING ARTS Haylo Healing Arts Lounge is the literal onestop shop to get your mind, body and soul right. The shop is known for the four badass women behind the tattoo machines, headed by shop founder Hayley Moran. Haylo’s resident yogi Hillary Heath teaches yoga in a space next door and helps clients in the shop with breathing exercises and all sorts of alternative modalities. This March, Haylo added yet another fitting member to the team when they brought in their neighbors from

HUGE Liquidation Vintage Beads & Cool Old Stuff BUY BEADS BY THE POUND AT OUR LOCAL WAREHOUSE!

Yoga at the Whitewater Center. down the street, Royal Peasantry. The Ashevillebased designers are serving up eccentric looks from Tuesday to Saturday between 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. in the studio. haylostudiolounge.com

BEST HEAD SHOP - ONE LOVE SMOKE SHOP One Love Smoke Shop is your exclusive spot for premium glass pieces, all handmade in the USA. Their gallery-style shop is located in the heart of Plaza Midwood and boasts top-notch brands like Mobius, Sheldon Black and Medicali to take your next smoke sesh to a whole new level. The shop’s expert team provides excellent advice and consistently curates their pieces with your needs in mind. tinyurl.com/OneLoveSmokeShop

BEST YOGA - WHITEWATER CENTER The U.S. National Whitewater Center is known for its high-intensity sports: trail running, whitewater rafting and rock climbing. It also holds some of the coolest music series every season. But if you’re looking to reconnect to nature and discover mindfulness, the center started a yoga series that will help you destress and relax. Entire weekends are dedicated to the strengthening craft of slowly transitioning poses and breathing techniques. Find your center at the Whitewater Center and then afterwards grab a refreshing wine or beer and watch the boats flip on the river. usnwc.org

For an appointment

please call us at 704-660-3125 www.agrainofsand.com Mooresville, NC

PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTER

BEST GYM - IRON TRIBE FITNESS Going to the gym and actually sticking to a workout plan is everyone’s annoying cliche New Year’s resolution. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Iron Tribe Fitness is the least cliche way to get your ass in shape, and they want you to stick to it. Between 45-minute workouts geared towards your personal goals, personal accountability coaches and pre-planned meals, this gym is a no-fail way to get fit before you can even think about New Year’s resolutions. irontribefitness.com

BEST NEW GROCERY STORE ORGANIC HARVEST Plaza Midwood’s brand new health food grocery store Organic Harvest occupies the 10,000-square-foot space on Central Avenue previously occupied by Healthy Home Market. Michael Maddox, the CEO of Alabama-based grocer Organic Harvest Community Grocery and Café, has a theory why Healthy Home failed. “Part of [their] downfall is that ... they decided to bring in conventional products,” Maddox explains. “You can’t intermix conventional with organic. It just doesn’t work.” Maddox knows what he’s talking about, since he designed and launched the Plaza Midwood Healthy Home Market store in the first place, and left the company prior to its downfall. A walk through the aisles of Organic Harvest, which opened earlier this month, feels like a homecoming. The set-up is similar to the space’s previous tenant, so stuff is easy to find. The new store also combines the best of old — a

Gretchen the cat at Mac Tabby Cat Cafe. friendly and knowledgeable staff, organic and natural groceries and meat, fresh produce and health and beauty products — while avoiding some of the overly processed and packaged items that Healthy Home started to carry near the end of its run. ohgrocery.com

BEST PLACE TO GET COFFEE OR PET A CAT - MAC TABBY CAT CAFE Cats, cats and more cats! Lori Konawalik owns and operates Mac Tabby Cat Cafe in NoDa, allowing guests to pay for half-hour or hourlong sessions with the felines up for adoption. The cozy and funky space lets the little kitties

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI KONAWALIK

roam free and you can play with them while you sip on some coffee (or kombucha). Be careful, because if you stay too long, you might walk out with a new feline furball as a friend. Er, actually it’s for a good cause so we condone being a little careless. If you do decide to adopt, the cats come microchipped, vaccinated, spayed/neutered and checked for illnesses and health problems. Even if you don’t adopt, the small fee for hanging out with the cats goes towards a good cause and it’s hard to resist those furry little creatures. mactabby.com

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Out of this world dentistry finally in your neighborhood!

- Locally owned -Offering whole family dentistry & oral surgery specialty care on an extended schedule 7am-7pm and select Saturdays

No insurance? No problem! Ask about our in-house Dental Savings Plan www.StellarDentalCLT.com

University

9010 Glenwater Drive 704-547-1199

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Noda 2100 North Davidson, Ste B 704-688-7120

BEST CAR MECHANIC Nick’s Auto Repair PHOTO BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK

An array of jewelry at Boris & Natasha.

BEST HEATING & AIR

READERS’ PICKS: CONSUMER CULTURE Best of Charlotte 2018 BEST BICYCLE SHOP

BEST YOGA STUDIO

BEST LOCAL PRODUCT

BEST HAIR SALON

BEST BOOKSTORE

BEST CLOTHING STORE

BEST HAIR STYLIST

BEST RECORD STORE

Powder Studio porcelain

Boris + Natasha Clothing Boutique

The Spoke Easy

Bohemian Stylehouse Candace Stamper

BEST CONSIGNMENT SHOP Buffalo Exchange

BEST PLACE TO BUY VINTAGE Stash Pad

BEST GIFT SHOP Paper Skyscraper

BEST JEWELRY STORE CLTCH

BEST FASHION DESIGNER Royal Peasantry

BEST HOME ACCESSORIES STORE TUFT

BEST FURNITURE STORE TUFT

BEST SHOE STORE

(Tie) Black Sheep Skate Shop, Social Status

BEST DRY CLEANER

V Cleaners & Alterations

BEST SHOE REPAIR

BEST NEW STORE (LAST 2 YEARS) CLT Find

Rudy Cools

(Tie) Okra Charlotte, Yoga One Book Buyers

Lunchbox Records

BEST VAPE SHOP BEST MAKEUP ARTIST

Kure Vaporium

Miranda Blankenship

BEST HEAD SHOP

BEST NAIL SALON

BEST CIGAR STORE

Polished Nail Bar

Tinder Box Cigars

BEST MASSAGE SHOP

BEST SEX SHOP

Okra Charlotte

The Reddoor

BEST TATTOO SHOP

BEST DENTIST

High Life Smoke Shop

Haylo Healing Arts Lounge

Markham & Hair Dentistry

BEST PIERCING STUDIO

BEST DOCTOR

SADU Body Modifications

Dr. Allen Wong

BEST FITNESS STUDIO

BEST PLUMBING

Aerial CLT

BEST CLOTHING ALTERATIONS Anna’s Alterations

BEST ATTORNEY Nicole Sodoma

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY Savvy + Co. Real Estate

BEST BANK

Wells Fargo, Plaza Midwood

BEST BARBER SHOP

Charlotte Barber & Beard

Dean’s Shoe Repair

R&R Plumbing

BEST SPA

The Ballantyne Hotel

BEST AUTO DEALER Hendrick Porsche

BEST VET

Commonwealth Animal Hospital

BEST PET STORE Pet Supplies Plus

BEST DOGGIE DAYCARE

(Tie) Lucky Dog Bark & Brew, Pet Paradise

BEST IN-STORE PET Daisy, Aerial CLT

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ILLUSTRATION BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

CRITICS’ PICKS: FOOD AND DRINK Best of Charlotte 2018

“Good people drink good beer.” We all like to eat, drink and be merry. These are our food & drink choices and we’re sticking to them. 28 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

BEST FARMERS MARKET - ROSA PARKS FARMERS MARKET

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOLD MISSY BREWERY

Artwork for Solo Flight Brown Ale, inspired by Amelia Earhart.

BEST BEER LABELS - BOLD MISSY BREWING This female-owned brewery also features a female brewmaster, which we think is pretty cool in an industry saturated with male-owned and male-run operations. But one of our favorite things about Bold Missy Brewery in NoDa is the beer labels. Each of Bold Missy’s brews is named after a prominent woman in history or a bold, contemporary female figure. The core lineup brews are inspired by Amelia Earhart, Diana Nyad, Sally Ride, Annie Oakley and Alison Levine, and are represented in a mid-centurypaperback novel style of art that’s reminiscent of feminist icon Rosie the Riveter. Grab a beer at Bold Missy and celebrate women. boldmissybrewery.com

Mecklenburg County’s food insecurity rate is 16.4 percent, according to a report recently released by an independent consulting firm hired by the county. That percentage, which is higher than the national average of 13.4 percent, means that 173,000 Mecklenburg residents are food-insecure. Opened in June 2016 as a partnership among the Mecklenburg County Health Department, Johnson C. Smith University and the Historic West End Partners, the Rosa Parks Farmers Market aims to bring that number down in the Beatties Ford corridor. The market works in conjunction with JCSU’s Sustainability Village, a program that was launched in 2013 to address food access issues in the city’s northwest corridor. The program makes use of raised beds, aquaponics and hydroponic systems housed right on campus to help educate students and provide community members with accessible, healthy food. In August, Sustainability Village broke ground on two new hydroponics facilities and an aquaponics facility. The expansion, made possible by a $325,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, will allow the program to increase its production by 400 percent. facebook.com/RosaParksFarmersMarket

BEST BREAKFAST - STACKS KITCHEN It’s the most important meal of the day, ya’ll. When you’re stewing in your own hangover and you just need the greasy food to help absorb the leftover alcohol in your stomach and make yourself feel better, Stacks Kitchen is here for you.

The Suffolk Punch dining room. Southern Sunrise isn’t just staying up ‘til 7 a.m. to catch the first sun rays of the day, it’s country fried chicken tenders topped with inhouse sausage gravy and eggs. And the Healthy Start is there for you when you need something a little more health-conscious like on a Tuesday morning. Grilled chicken breast with egg whites and sliced tomatoes grace the breakfast platters for guests looking for the best breakfast in the Queen City. stackskitchen.com

BEST BRUNCH - SUFFOLK PUNCH Fresh produce at Rosa Parks Farmer’s Market.

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

If you want a brunch crafted and sourced local,

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUFFOLK PUNCH

then Suffolk Punch will punch your tastebuds with delicious food. Suffolk Punch has the brunch classics like eggs with bacon and grits or toast, but you can venture out to a different culinary world and try out chiliaquiles made with guajillo sauce, queso fresco, pulled chicken, peppers, fried eggs, onion and salsa verde. It’s worth getting up half-hungover on a weekend day or dressing up for a brunch with a date or family. Upstairs, there’s a “Fermentation Lab,” where the staff and culinary experts ask their own cuisine-related questions and answer them at the intersection of art and science. This is where

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PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

Alisha Pruett (foreground) sets up shop in Druid Hills with Trenisha Birtha and her sons.

Coffee lattes served in a waffle cone.

PHOTO COURTESY OF COFFEE IN A CONE

they tweak old recipes and come up with something new to serve on the ever-evolving menu. suffolkpunch.com

BEST LUNCH - EARL’S GROCERY Earl’s Grocery and Urban Provisions is nestled in the Elizabeth neighborhood and opened in 2013 by Bonnie Warford and her sister, Tricia Maddrey. Since then, Earl’s Grocery has garnered the attention and appreciation of the area’s residents. Don’t let the swanky location of the lunchtime grocer fool you, the prices are good for the quality of food available, such as the Banh Mi sandwich, Pick Up The Tempeh sandwich and for the upcoming cool autumn days, the Chalkboard Chicken Noodle Bowl. If you want a quick takeaway and something healthy to tide you over ‘til dinner, try one of the juices ready for you to grab and be on your merry way. Mean Green, Morning Gazpacho and Seeing Red will help detox from the night before and replenish the nutrients missing from your diet. earlsgrocery.com

BEST SANDWICH - DA PIMP, PINKY’S WESTSIDE GRILL Pinky’s is known for featuring a few damn good burgers (try the White Trash burger), and they raise eyebrows with a few options, too (try Ding Dong style on any burger to add peanut butter, honey-cilantro slaw and hot sriracha), but this ain’t about the burgers.

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A hot dog from Carlos Dogs.

won’t be hard to stop in and grab a bakery pop tart or Morning Glory muffin packed with carrots, apple, pineapple, coconut raisins and walnuts. Even better, they offer a wide selection of vegan and gluten-free options, such as chocolate almond cakes and cupcakes and CL staff favorites, key lime pie. Yes, please! sunflourbakingcompany.com

BRIGHTEST IDEA - THE BULB

PHOTO COURTESY OF PINKY’S

Da Pimp sandwich at Pinky’s. As far as sandwiches go, you can’t go wrong with Da Pimp, a straightforward Southern grilled cheese featuring homemade sharp pimento cheese on Texas toast. It’s a great vegetarian option, but carnivores can take it one more step by adding bacon, which is our recommendation. facebook.com/pinkyswestsidegrill

BEST BAKERY - SUNFLOUR Just looking for a morning pick-me-up and a tasty treat is difficult. Especially if you’re gluten-free, vegan or just trying to watch what you eat. Sunflour is here to save your mornings (and afternoons if you need a sandwich). With four locations throughout Charlotte, it

Closing the food access gap is an overwhelming mission, but Alisha Pruett has taken it upon herself to make a serious dent in the issue. About five years ago, working as a social worker helping homeless vets in Charlotte find housing, Pruett saw firsthand the issues with accessibility to fresh and healthy food. She later launched The Bulb, through which she now hands out an average of 800 pounds of free fresh food per day to 30 underserved communities in and around Charlotte. Pruett partners with local farmers, local organizations like Friendship Gardens, farmers markets and corporations like Trader Joe’s to provide residents in food-insecure neighborhoods with healthy food. Since launching in October 2016, The Bulb has provided nearly 10,000 pounds of free, fresh food to the communities that need it the most. In July, a grant from the North End Smart District allowed Pruett to add eight neighborhoods to her serving area and hire Trenisha Birtha as an outreach coordinator as well as another employee. We’re hoping to see plenty more growth and light from The Bulb in the coming year. thebulbgallery.org

PHOTO BY MERT JONES

BEST CURE FOR THE LATE-NIGHT MUNCHIES - CARLOS DOGS As a group of patrons leaves the Blind Pig at 2 a.m. and heads down North Davidson, a few of them note the mouth-watering aroma in the air. “That smells so good!” one girl says. “You want a hot dog?” Carlos Diaz asked. “Let me hook you up.” Diaz stands in NoDa most nights with his hot dog cart, selling hot dogs to inebriated passersby and sober fans of his dogs. Topped with Latin relish and homemade chili, this late-night snack is absolutely to die — or drink — for. He was born in Honduras and came to the U.S. when he was 5 years old, growing up preparing dinner with his sister, which led him to his culinary future in Charlotte. If you find yourself in need of a delicious snack at 2 a.m. in NoDa, look for Diaz, he’ll hook you up. facebook.com/carlosdogs.com

BEST GIMMICK - #COFFEEINACONE It was cute while it lasted. In January, Charlotte entrepreneur Gavin Eales rolled out the American launch of #CoffeeInACone, which is exactly what it sounds like. Importing the idea of South African barista Dayne Levinrad, Eales wanted to bring the idea of pouring coffee into an ice cream cone sealed with chocolate to the United States, and he started at Sunflour Baking Company locations around the Queen City. The cone held hot coffee for about 10 minutes before the chocolate seal was compromised, which made for an anxiety-ridden sip, but a great Instagram photo. The product remained on shelves at Sunflour until about a week before this issue went to print. If you’re behind on the times and want to try a #CoffeeInACone

2018 Creative Loafing Readers Pick: Best Ice Cream!

Two Scoops Creamery is Charlotte’s Premier Homemade Ice Cream Shop!

Plaza Midwood at

913 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC.

Two Scoops is located at: Mooresville at

119 Landings Drive, Suite 104, Mooresville, NC 28117

www.twoscoopscreamery.com

The Jailhouse in Belmont. for yourself, they’re still available at The People’s Market in Dilworth. coffeeinacone.com

BEST SPICE SHOP - SAVORY SPICE SHOP Forego your spice shopping at Harris Teeter or Publix. Savory Spice Shop at Atherton Mill in South End has the freshest spices, seasons and herbs you would ever need for any recipe in your cookbook. Although the establishment is a franchise, it garnered our attention here at Creative Loafing due to the relationships that the owners nurtured with local restaurants, bakeries and breweries. When CL caught up with Alison Leininger, assistant manager at Savory Spice, she spoke about the local business owners that frequent the store. “Papi Queso was just in here earlier today. Haberdish was in here today. Diana Sapp, who’s opening Undercurrent Coffee on Commonwealth Avenue, recently contacted us because she’s doing a coffee festival called Pour and she wanted to do some tie-ins,” Leininger said. “She told us, ‘When I think of local coffee, I think of Savory Spice because everybody uses your stuff.’ We are very, very plugged in to this community.” savoryspiceshop.com/north-carolina/charlottesouth-end

BEST PLACE TO SHARE PLATES - SOUL GASTROLOUNGE Cheese plate, sticky veal short ribs, lamb lollipops and much more round out the small plates menu at the very classy and swanky Soul Gastrolounge. Want something a little spicier?

South End at

1616 Camden Road, #100 Charlotte, NC 28203 704 900 5792

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE JAILHOUSE

Pan con tomate with Spanish chorizo and a rioja reduction or sashimi tuna tacos with sriracha mayo can satisfy you and your dinner-eating pals’ palates for the hotter side of appetizers. To quench your thirst for libations, Soul Gastrolounge in Plaza Midwood boasts a fancy cocktail program which includes mixes like Everte Statum, Justify and Branca Colada. Just remember to share. soulgastrolounge.com

BEST CULINARY EVENT - SOUL FOOD SESSIONS Soul Food Sessions’ mission is to highlight and present people of color in the culinary arts, bringing in skilled chefs from around the city to showcase their excellence in preparing delectable plates for the city. The most recent ones, Oct. 6 “Soul Food Session” and June 19 “The Table is Set,” both at Free Range Brewing, brought a pairing of non-profit organization and the city of Charlotte together. In one night of scholarship, culinary arts and lifting up the chefs Soul Food Sessions keeps the Queen City full of good food, charity, and community togetherness. If you missed them this year, no worries, we’re sure they’ll be around again. soulfoodsessions.org

BEST REASON TO GET LOCKED UP THE JAILHOUSE (BELMONT) A little bit outside of Charlotte, you can incarcerate yourself while you incinerate inhibitions with expertly-crafted libations. The Jailhouse Belmont is, you guessed it, a former jailhouse reinvented into a two-floor establishment for top-notch spirits and cigars. The speakeasy-inspired cigar section downstairs

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PHOTO COURTESY OF WATERBEAN COFFEE

Waterbean Coffee on Tyron Street Uptown. allows patrons and members to sit back with their sticks and whiskeys. If smoking isn’t your thing, that’s no reason not to stop by as the upstairs is for smoke-free imbibers of gorgeous liquors and rare beers. Lock yourself up and get cuffed to the bar — metaphorically, of course. thejailhousebelmont.com

BEST OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH EATERY HEIRLOOM Striving to transport guests to a place where comfort and familiarity are abound, Heirloom provides a unique farm-to-table experience that is hard to find in Charlotte, let alone in the Coulwood Park area. The staff preserves in-season ingredients as honorably as possible in order to bring bright and zesty dishes that, although are out of season, still hold the fresh flavor as if they were harvested right before being combined in the recipes. Chef and owner Clarke Barlowe calls Heirloom his dream, and opened the doors in February

2014. Since then, he’s never faltered in bringing North Carolina-sourced ingredients and recipes to his menu and the table. The appetizers themselves are enough to pull the fine-dining crowd to northwest Charlotte. Jarrett Bay Oysters and a cheese and charcuterie plate with selections from Orrman’s Cheese Shop make the stomach growl with desire. We will concede that Heirloom is a little bit out the way, but it’s worth the trip. heirloomrestaurantnc.com

BEST NEW RESTAURANT - HELLO, SAILOR Say “Hello” to the Sailor. Owned by the same duo who opened the city’s favorite Kindred restaurant in Davidson, Katy and Joe Kindred ventured just a tad closer to us and opened Hello, Sailor in Cornelius. While reviews and critics noted that the eatery has yet to find its identity, trying to be a quick stop on the lake or a destination date

at the same time, we think that’s the appeal of Hello, Sailor. You can park your boat and grab a bite or put on your best dressed and take a date to this slightly-out-of-town location. The view overlooking the lake with the freshwater breeze and some Carolina oysters will make your weekend. hellosailornc.com

BEST SEAFOOD TAKEOUT - SEAFOOD CONNECTION Savannah, Georgia, is known for its fresh and delicious seafood, which is where Jamie Walker, the owner of Seafood Connection in Charlotte, is from. Pulling from his Georgian roots, he slings out the best seafood in the Queen City. From traditional crab legs, lobster and shrimp to the brunch specials of crab cakes over grits and lobster or shrimp waffle dishes, there’s the flavor of the ocean in every bite on the menu. To pair with your fest of seafood fit for a king

of the Queen City, grab some hush puppies or crawfish to round out a meal from Seafood Connection. seafoodconnectionclt.com

BEST COFFEE SHOP - WATERBEAN No more excuses for going to Starbucks for the convenience of staying in the car and receiving your morning caffeine nectar through a window. Waterbean Coffee on North Tryon has the accommodations for your tight morning schedule and the delicious coffee brews you need to get through the day. Its fast and friendly drive-thru makes it easy to stop quickly and be on your merry way with a tall, hot and steaming dark drink of the morning. The favorite coffee of the CL staff is a large Americano with oat milk and a shot of raspberry flavoring, but they can brew up any concoction — or two — that you need to get through the morning and the work week. waterbeancoffee.com

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PHOTO BY SOPHIE WHISNANT

BBQ Bean Burger by NoDa Bodega for Vegan Night. Divine Barrel’s spacious taproom.

BEST PLACE TO BRING A VEGAN FRIEND - NODA BODEGA VEGAN NIGHT Does vegan food sound unappetizing? NoDa Bodega wants you to throw out that misconception and try a new perspective on how delicious vegan food can be. Every Thursday, the little eatery doles out a vegan-only menu to patrons in order to shed a new light on the endless options of delectable dishes that don’t include animal products at all. It’s not all tofu and leaves of kale. Owners Lisa and Brian Moore work tirelessly to create and develop vegan dishes entirely out of plants, while still enticing the tastebuds. Vegan tacos, BBQ bean burgers and garden gazpacho are all part of previous Vegan Nights held by NoDa Bodega, “tricking” patrons into devouring delicious plant-based meals without a second thought. Vegan or not, it’s a Thursday night meal with a conscious. facebook.com/NoDaBodega

BEST WAY TO TRAVEL THE WORLD IN AN AFTERNOON - NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS MUNCHING TOURS Baba ghanoush from La Shish Kabob; an Ethiopian coffee ceremony with teff and popcorn at Nile Grocery; candy and other snacks from Rohan Grocery, a Himalayan Bazaar; and pastries from the Syrian-owned Golden Bakery — all within two hours, all on the same east Charlotte block. That was the experience at one of Charlotte historian Tom Hanchett’s Neighborhood Walks Munching Tours that CL tagged along on in April. The Munching Tours are a part of the Charlotte City Walks program, and Hanchett not only curates the mouth-watering locations, he introduces participants to the owners of

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Good Morning Vietnam, a vanilla and coffee blonde ale.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WOODEN ROBOT

each establishment, building community and helping mix the “salad bowl,” as he calls Charlotte’s diverse neighborhoods, rather than a melting pot. “I am not so comfortable with melting pot because it connotes the fact that you’re supposed to give up all of your traditions and become something new,” Hanchett said. “We are definitely becoming something new, but we are all keeping pieces of our traditions, and that’s a tasty thing.” tinyurl.com/MunchingTours

BEST BEER - GOOD MORNING VIETNAM, WOODEN ROBOT BREWERY Last year’s Best Beer winner in our Reader’s Picks has won our hearts here at the office, as well, and deserves the top nod this year. It’s so damn local (made with Ethiopian coffee from Enderly Coffee Roasters) and it’s so damn international (mixed with Madagascar vanilla beans), this blonde ale has a light, vanilla finish that works in any weather. Cheers. woodenrobotbrewery.com

BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SUM BUCHA Who says you need alcohol to feel good? Sum Bucha Kombucha Tea is the happy juice you need to get all of your micronutrients, antioxidants and probiotics in one drink! Husband and wife team Alex and Sarah North crafted a drink that tastes so good you forget it’s also a healthy drink. It’s small batch

fermented tea flavored with fresh, seasonal, produce from local farms. Choose from flavors like Strawberry Basil, Morning Glory, Flower Power, Pineapple, Lavender Lemonade, The Generator, Watermelon and The Enabler. Find these delicious healthy drinks in various locations around the city. sumbuchaclt.com

BEST NEW BREWERY - DIVINE BARRELL Divine Barrel barrelled its way into the bursting craft beer scene in Charlotte by specializing in wild and sour beers. “To brew is human, to ferment is divine,” they say. When dealing with the wild yeast, sometimes you need a little luck from the divine universe to yield a satisfying result in a batch. With a mindset geared toward admiring the unusually lovely beauty of beer and wild ales, owners Ben Dolphens, Scott Davis and Gavin Toth look to nurture their brews into meeting their full potentials. On their taplist, ice creamflavored berliner weisse Ice Cream Paint Job and saison farmhouse ale Take Me For Granate will pull you in the door at the very least. Drown yourself in the divine taste of preternatural beer in this barrel. divinebarrel.com

BEST SOUL FOOD - TROPICAL GOODIES This is a sad, posthumous nod to Tropical Goodies, as we only learned a week or so before publication that the Caribbean and soul food restaurant on North Tryon Street had suddenly disappeared, with Mr. C’s Chicken taking its place. The restaurant served Charlotte residents for

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIVINE BARREL

more than a decade, with a location on North Tryon and another on Beatties Ford Road, each boasting true Caribbean kitchen staff. They served everything from oxtails, jerk chicken and fried plantains to hot wings, collard greens and the some of the most effectively seasoned fried chicken you’ll ever try. To quench your thirst, the restaurant also offered traditional Caribbean drinks, like rum cocktails and ginger beer. We’re hoping this is a just a phase and we’ll see TG back at it again very soon. tropicalgoodies.net

BEST FOOD TRUCK - LADY GO-GO’S This truck came in just under the wire, as we only found them recently (look in last week’s issue for a profile), but once we tasted this vegan Mexican cuisine fare, we knew it also had to be featured in this week’s issue (the issue that counts). Before Lady Go-Go’s owner Yvette Gomez’s grandmother passed away nearly a decade ago, Gomez convinced her to entrust her with the recipes the two had grown up cooking and enjoying together. After becoming vegan in 2013, Gomez went to work perfecting the translations of each recipe into vegan substitutes with the same taste. It took about two years to get it right, with Gomez’s husband Eric Garcia acting as taste tester and judge, but the patience paid off and now Gomez serves some of the best tacos — vegan or otherwise — in the whole city. ladygogosclt.com

BEST NEW FOOD TRUCK - ACE OF SPUDS Get your taters here, folks. The family-owned

Ace of Spuds food truck rolled onto the streets of Charlotte in July, and folks haven’t been looking at potatoes the same since. The truck serves up jacket potatoes including the chicken gouda potato with peppers and onions; the southwest potato skin stuffed with homefried-style potatoes with black beans, corn, cheese and avocado; and, our favorite, the cajun shrimp potato. Saloan Rochelle, who helped her parents launch the truck, said her dad was reluctant at first to get into the food truck industry, but we should all be thanking our lucky stars he came around. aceofspudstruck.com

BEST STREET VENDOR - MI BARRIO HALAL CART Charlotte was lacking in halal food and Khuram Bashir, owner of Halal Cart, was hungry for it. That’s why he and his family started this Uptown staple food cart in 2016. Coming from New York City and before that, Pakistan, Bashir knows how to cook halal. The recipes are pulled from the family restaurant in Matthews, Mi Barrio Halal Latin Grill. “Halal,” in Arabic, means “permissible,” which means that the meat is butchered and prepared according to specific tenets of Islam. Many

Muslims eat halal meat exclusively. Because of the lack of halal carts in Charlotte compared to New York City, it’s much more business savvy for Bashir and his family to churn out the freshest halal ingredients and dishes available. It’s authentic, it’s good, and it’s halal. tinyurl.com/MiBarrioHalal

BEST EXPANSION - LEGION BREWING At the ground floor of Capitol Towers in SouthPark rests the second location of Legion Brewery and the first brewery in the expanding SouthPark neighborhood. The whole operation is about 12,000 square feet, occupying two floors and hosting an award-winning taplist and an upscale menu. Instead of fighting traffic to get to South End or Dilworth, the residents of south Charlotte now have a local watering hole in which to congregate with family and friends over beers, wines and liquors, most of which are sourced locally and regionally. legionbrewing.com

BEST RENOVATION - LITTLESPOON Bloody marys and mimosas by day, margaritas at night. The small, cramped joint in Myers Park closed its doors for eight weeks to complete renovations this year, and the result is space-

Ace of Spuds food truck. and recipe-opening. The staff weren’t sitting on their couches, twiddling their thumbs for two months as littleSpoon was getting a makeover, however. Owner Alesha Stegemeyer arranged for the kitchen staff to travel the country and soak up

PHOTO COURTESY OF SALOAN ROCHELLE

as much culinary knowledge as possible, leading to new dishes like Korean Brussels and new libations with fresh-squeezed everything. She also takes the staff to the local farms from which they source their ingredients. “It’s important to see where it comes from

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A colorful array of ciders at Red Clay. A small pepperoni at House of Pizza. to appreciate and value the hard work and the man-hours that make up each individual either head of lettuce or the hydroponically grown tomatoes,” she said. With that being said, we’ll gladly take a big spoon to eat at littleSpoon. littlespooneatery.com

BEST TRANSITION - RUTHIE’S ON TRYON What started out as serving “Southern soul food with a twist,” through a window of a food truck in late 2017 soon turned into a bona fide restaurant on North Tryon Street. The transition proved to be successful, as Deborah Monroe opened Ruthie’s On Tryon, named after her mother’s restaurants which stood and operated

BEST CIDER - RED CLAY CIDERWORKS

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

in New York City. Monroe’s daughter, Kia Spell, sat down with Creative Loafing this year and talked about the transition from food truck to restaurant and it was very clear that the decision was a good one. Although Charlotte residents are still discovering the establishment as a, well, established place, in addition to operating the food truck, it’s only up from here for the family legacy eatery. Yeah, Southern food is in no way few and far between here in the Q.C., but the family-style comfort food and legacy behind Ruthie’s on Tryon is. ruthiesontryon.com

BEST COMEBACK - HOUSE OF PIZZA “Pleeeeeeeeeaaaase hurry and open back up! We are craving some phillys [sic] and y’all have

PHOTO BY POPROCK PHOTOGRAPHY

Fried green tomatoes available at Fran’s Filling Station.

the BEST!” one Google user wrote in the review section of House of Pizza’s page. For 10 long months, House of Pizza remained closed as they worked to put a new face on. Samantha and Maria Kakavitsas were without the home they introduced to Charlotte when it opened in 1983. Now, with a fresh coat of paint and a new and updated interior, the pizzeria serving Italian staples and Philly cheesesteaks came back to the Charlotte food scene in May 2018. Maria called the reopening a blessing. “This is our livelihood,” Samantha said. “We live off of this.” With a beautiful and homey new interior and a smooth-sailing take out counter, House of Pizza can finally welcome Charlotteans back home. For good, this time. tinyurl.com/HouseofPizza

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PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES.

It’s hard to choose between the only two cideries in the Queen City, but Red Clay ultimately wins in the end for its ode to Charlotte in naming ciders and its eclectic fusion of flavors. The South End and Queen City Common, semi-sweet and semi-dry respectively, are among the flagship ciders that grace Red Clay’s production schedule and taplist year-round. But for those who would like to venture to a sweeter and more exciting side of cider, Red Clay offers up Holla Piña, a pineapple-jalapeño cider; Ciderita, a margarita-flavored cider with lime and salt flavors; and Tell It to the Melon, a cucumber and watermelon-infused cider. Don’t overlook cideries in general just because Angry Orchard ruined your palate for the drier, truer side of cider, be sure to give Red Clay a try. redclayciderworks.com

BEST MENU - FRAN’S FILLING STATION Give Fran’s Filling Station’s menu a glance and you’ll see that, while this Dilworth eatery doesn’t serve out Southern food per se, the wide array of eclectic dishes are mouthwatering. It’s making the CL staff hungry just looking at it. Yellowfin tuna, salmon and succotash, fried chicken with goat cheese and pepper jelly and meatballs grace the dinner menu of Fran’s Filling Station. Only want some appies and drinks? No problem. Fried brussel sprouts, cuban sandwich bites and bacon-wrapped tater tots are served alongside a carefully-crafted cocktail and wine program coupled with local brews for your liking. Come together at Fran’s and fill up. fransfillingstation.com

Julia Simon in the kitchen at Nourish Charlotte.

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

READERS’ PICKS: FOOD AND DRINK Best of Charlotte 2018 BEST NEW RESTAURANT

BEST PLAZA MIDWOOD RESTAURANT

BEST BREAKFAST

BEST LATE-NIGHT EATERY

BEST SOUTHPARK RESTAURANT

BEST LUNCH

The Stanley

Midnight Diner

BEST HANGOVER-FRIENDLY EATERY

Dish

The Cowfish

BEST EAST CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT

The Diamond

Lang Van Vietnamese

BEST FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT

BEST UPTOWN RESTAURANT

Heirloom

BEST SOUTH END RESTAURANT Yamazaru

BEST NODA RESTAURANT Haberdish

BEST WEST CHARLOTTE/STEELE CREEK RESTAURANT Pinky’s Westside Grill

The Asbury

BEST NORTH CHARLOTTE/UNIVERSITY RESTAURANT Nakato Japanese Restaurant

BEST WAIT STAFF/SERVICE Lang Van Vietnamese

BEST PATIO

Whiskey Warehouse

Zada Jane’s Corner Cafe Yafo Kitchen

BEST BRUNCH Upstream

BEST DOUGHNUTS Duck Donuts

BEST BARBECUE

Midwood Smokehouse

BEST SOUL FOOD

Nana’s Soul Food Kitchen

BEST STEAKHOUSE

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

BEST SEAFOOD Upstream

BEST TAPAS

Soul Gastrolounge

BEST VEGETARIAN/VEGAN FRIENDLY FOOD Nourish Charlotte

BEST RIBS Sauceman’s

BEST JUICE BAR Clean Juice

BEST PIZZA Pure Pizza

BEST SANDWICH Banh Mi Brothers

BEST BURGER

Little Big Burger

BEST FRIES

Banh Mi Brothers

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READERS’ PICKS: Food and Drink continued BEST TACO Sabor

BEST HOT DOG JJ’s Red Hots

BEST WINGS

Seoul Food Meat Co.

BEST CHINESE Ma Ma Wok

BEST VIETNAMESE

Lang Van Vietnamese Restaurant

BEST JAPANESE Yamazaru

BEST THAI Thai Taste

BEST KOREAN

(Tie) Seoul Food Meat Co., Let’s Meat

BEST SUSHI

New Zealand Café

BEST FRENCH Cafe Monte

BEST ITALIAN Portofino’s

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN Jasmine Grill

BEST MEXICAN

Three Amigo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina

BEST INDIAN Copper

BEST CARIBBEAN Island Thyme

BEST FROZEN TREAT King of Pops

BEST BAKERY

Amelie’s French Bakery & Café

BEST BAGELS Poppy’s Bagels

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BEST DESSERT

Amelie’s French Bakery & Café

BEST GOURMET/SPECIAL FOOD STORE Reid’s Fine Foods

BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE Earth Fare

BEST INTERNATIONAL FOOD STORE Super G Mart

BEST CHEF

Julia Simon, Nourish Charlotte

BEST FOOD TRUCK Tin Kitchen

BEST FARMERS MARKET

Charlotte Regional Farmers Market

BEST ICE CREAM

Two Scoops Creamery

BEST COFFEE SHOP Not Just Coffee

BEST WINE SELECTION Black Chicken Wine Cellar

An Amelie’s employee dipping eclairs.

PHOTO BY MEREDITH JONES

BEST NEW BREWERY (LAST TWO YEARS) Resident Culture Brewing

BEST BREWERY

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

BEST BOTTLE SHOP Salud Beer Shop

BEST BLOODY MARY Moo & Brew

BEST MARTINI

(Tie) Intermezzo, Sea Level, Soul Gastrolounge

BEST MARGARITA

The Tipsy Burro Saloon and Cantina

BEST DISTILLERY

(Tie) The Broken Spoke, Doc Porter’s Distillery

FREE LIVE

MUSIC!

Wednesday Karaoke Thursday Open Mic Sunday Bluegrass Jam

2018 Best of

Charlotte Winner Best

Farmer’s Market

Johnson C. Smith University is a proud community partner of the Rosa Parks Farmers’ Market. Through Sustainability Village and the student run venture – SV Market, we are committed to addressing food insecurity in the area by bringing fresh affordable organic produce to the Rosa Parks Farmers’ Market

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THURSDAY

LYLE LOVETT & ROBERT EARL KEEN

MAKE & MINGLE: SPOOKY STRING ART

What: Everything’s bigger in Texas, including Lyle Lovett’s hair. But don’t let that distract you from the Houston native’s legendary music. Lovett has cemented his status as a classic Americana artist with 13 albums over the span of his career, which are almost as iconic as his marriage to Julia Roberts. He’ll be at Knight Theater this month alongside Robert Earl Keen, another H-Town local with an extensive discography. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. More: $25 and up. blumenthalarts. org

What: Discovery Place’s monthly Make & Mingle gets frightfully fun with spooky string art. Participants 21 and over will choose from four designs to build, paint and decorate their Halloween-themed artwork. Build a skull, cat or candy corn work of art that you can show off to the neighborhood kids when they come around demanding candy. Or you can mingle around with other participants, like that creepy guy in the corner named Michael. When: 6-8 p.m. Where: Discovery Place Science, 301 N. Tryon St. More: $40. discoveryplace.org

THINGS TO DO

TOP TEN

Elle King TUESDAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF RCA RECORDS

FRIDAY

26 PIE & CIDER PAIRING What: We can’t promise it’s better than your mom’s apple pie, but it might be. What we can tell you is this pie is paired with something better than your grandmother’s hot apple cider recipe. Red Clay Ciderworks and A Smart Cookie are bringing together pie and cider pairings to unite on your tastebuds and bring that warm feeling in your belly when you have a touch of alcohol and pie that hits the spot. Just make sure you try one of everything. When: 7-8:30 p.m. Where: Red Clay Ciderworks, 245 Clanton Rd. More: $19. tinyurl.com/ CiderPiePairing

26 THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

BARS, BANDS & BREWS What: Bars, bands and brews. You already know what’s up. But these aren’t just your average rock bands. Unknown is bringing in local rappers Deniro Farrar, Never Home, PHAZE GAWD and adding KANG for this iteration of The Unknown’s recurring night of mischief. Guzzle down some quality craft beer, feel the good vibes and bop your head to the local music scene. Skip over the usual lineup of Halloween debauchery for this well-known Unknown night.

When: 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. Where: Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. More: $19 and up. charlottesymphony.org

When: 5-10 p.m. Where: The Unknown Brewing Company, 1327 S. Mint St. More: $7 and up. tinyurl.com/BarsBandsBrews

recently made them realize they needed to record a project together?

We talk to the rapper-producer duo about the new release Universal

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What: The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind. And also at the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, along with the rest of the masterpieces created by masterful composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. But it doesn’t just stop in the bowels of the opera theater. Webber has a ton of other hits that you’ll recognize, including “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” or “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” from Jesus Christ Superstar.

Cuzo Key and FLLS are like family, but what was it that only

Player on this week’s episode of Local Vibes at clclt.com.

SATURDAY

Haunted Summer WEDNESDAY

Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber FRIDAY

NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS

Halloween Fiasco SATURDAY PHOTO BY SARAH SITKIN

SATURDAY

HALLOWEEN FIASCO What: “Who do you want to be for Halloween?” the Milestone asked a bevy of Charlotte bands. The result is this eclectic bill, where Queen City musicians play sets as their favorite performers. B-movie horror punk gets a nod with Unruly Boys masquerading as The Misfits. The Futurists enhance the Halloween vibe by rocking out in pale and tragic goth kid guise as The Cure. Seven other bands play their heroes’ tunes on Saturday. Sunday’s Halloween Fiasco Night 2, offers seven more sets of covers. When: 8 p.m. Where: Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd. More: $10. themilestone.club

SATURDAY

PULLOVER & JOSH COTTERINO SPOOKY HALLOWEEN SET

PHOTO BY SHANE SANDERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY

SUNDAY

TUESDAY

28 UKRAINIAN DANCE CONCERT

What: We don’t know exactly how spooky this Halloween cover set — planned by local indie rockers Pullover and experimental soloist Josh Cotterino — will be, but it’s important to go anyway. First, it’s at Common Market. Second, who doesn’t love a good spooky night of music by two acts dedicated to the Charlotte music scene? You don’t get extra points for dressing up as a drunk pumpkin, though.

What: You don’t have to cross the Atlantic to get a taste of Eastern European culture. From the far reaches of Ukraine come the Golden Gates Dancers bringing colorful dance moves and a taste of foot-stomping ferocity. Through music, song and dance, explore the culture and folklore of Ukraine, which has been an independent state since 1991, although that is now iffy once again. The event’s for all ages, so bring your babushka.

When: 9 p.m. Where: Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave. More: Free. tinyurl.com/PulloverJoshCott

When: 8 p.m. Where: Midwood International and Cultural Center, 1817 Central Ave. More: $16.09. tinyurl.com/UkrainianDanceNight

WEDNESDAY

ELLE KING

HAUNTED SUMMER

What: With a brand new album hot off the presses this October, Elle King’s tour is in full swing. Over the past three years, King has garnered national attention and two Grammy nominations with her hit “Ex’s and Oh’s,” a preface to her inevitable rise in 2018. King’s unique sound touches on the likes of country, soul and rock, and her new album boasts an impressive array of genre-bending songs. The 13-track album is tinged with heartbreak, revenge and the sound of a woman embracing her inner badass.

What: Husband-and-wife John Seasons and Bridgette Moody have the perfect band name for a Halloween gig. The original “haunted summer” was a stormy season where Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and his betrothed Mary told ghost stories that spawned Mary’s novel Frankenstein. Like its uncanny inspiration, Haunted Summer makes music that is romantic, emotional and unsettling. Lush processed vocals, reverberating layered guitars and textured strings and synths make for languid tunes.

When: 8 p.m. Where: The Underground, 820 Hamilton St. More: $15 and up. fillmorenc.com

When: 7 p.m. Where: Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. More: $8-10. eveningmuse.com

Also, be sure to go check out queencitypodcastnetwork.com to see what’s up with all our other QCPN teammates. We’ve been adding some podcasts to the lineup, and there’s no better place to find all things audio in the Queen City. CLCLT.COM | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | 41

CRITIC’S PICKS: ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Best of Charlotte 2018

“Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run, but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world.” It’s been a hell of a year for music, arts and theater in Charlotte, and we think it meant something. Here’s what meant the most. ILLUSTRATION BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

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BEST FILM EVENT - CHARLOTTE FILM FESTIVAL “We like to call ourselves an umbrella festival,” Charlotte Film Festival programming director Jay Morong said prior to the kick off of the festival’s 10th iteration at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas in September. “We welcome everything.” Everything, in this case, was over 85 films, including features, shorts, documentaries and narrative cinema, culled from submissions from over 35 countries. Highlights included Theo’s Trade, a fictional look at the tone and tenor of media coverage of racially charged events; the documentary In Pursuit of Justice, which examined the case of Greg Taylor, a North Carolinian who was wrongly imprisoned for a brutal slaying; My Name is Myeisha, a hip-hop musical inspired by the 1988 police shooting of a California teenager; and FP2: Beats of Rage — a sarcastic parody of 1980s and 1990s action films, it’s about white trash anime characters competing to the death for a post-apocalypse cache of booze. Augmented with a slate of seminars, panels and workshops at Wheelhouse Media, the fest truly lived up to its tagline, “Discover Different.” charlottefilmfestival.com

Southern Tiger Collective. hands-on training as well as art and tradebased education to those lacking creative and entrepreneurial opportunities. She hosts various events that allow other creatives to share their talents among the Queen City art scene. duppandswat.com

BEST CREATIVE CREW - PERMANENT VACATION

Davita Galloway.

PHOTO BY WILL JENKINS

BEST CREATIVE - DAVITA GALLOWAY With a shaved head, tattoos from head to toe, donning a pair of funky fresh glasses and clothes that may or may not match, Davita Galloway is half of Dupp&Swatt Studio along with her brother Dion “Dupp” Galloway. The creative studio reflects her infectious personality, stocked with clothes, sunglasses and art sourced from local designers. Along with her business, Galloway also coowns a non-profit, CrownKeeper, that provides

You might not hear the words Permanent Vacation as often as you did, say, three or four years ago when Elevator Jay, Rapper Shane and friends had folks wearing those signature red shirts across the country, but these folks are still putting in the work. Jay and the PV crew are still going hard with the monthly Player Made parties, and launched the fifth iteration of the legendary Squirt Day Party in August. They’ve also continued making sick clothes like the recent Race Vacation “Radical Sabbatical” tees they released with the folks from Gridlife South festivals. That’s just a small fraction of the stuff they’ve got going on. All you need to know is that the PV family is still going hard. deepfriedfamily.com

PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

BEST BREAKTHROUGH CREW SOUTHERN TIGER COLLECTIVE If you were to create a Venn diagram of the players involved with the above-mentioned Permanent Vacation and the Southern Tiger Collective, it would be pretty tight, but STC deserves its own nod for the work the group has put in around the city turning our boring walls into beautiful murals that have helped usher in a new understanding of the value of visual arts in a town of basic bankers. Founded by Alex DeLarge and Dustin Moats in 2017, then joined by core members like Mike Wirth and husband-and-wife duo Arko and Owl, the team has left an impressive and magnificent mark on the city over the past year. They also played a leading role in organizing the recent Talking Walls, Charlotte’s first mural festival. We can’t wait to see what they’ve got coming in the next year. southerntigercollective.com

BEST EXHIBIT - WELCOME TO BROOKHILL Brookhill Village is more than just a sign on Remount Road, it’s a place that has represented home for many Charlotte residents for decades.

Image activist Alvin C. Jacobs Jr. tells the community’s story with the exhibit Welcome to Brookhill at the Harvey B. Gantt Center, which consists of a collection of about 30 black and white photos that he shot of residents living life in Brookhill Village. Brookhill is one of the oldest historically African-American communities in the city. Despite all of the gentrification and urban redevelopment surrounding the neighborhood, Welcome to Brookhill shines a light on what makes Brookhill Village home. ganttcenter.org

BEST ART SHOW - FRIED CHICKEN DECK SHOW Now going into its fourth year, the annual Fried Chicken Art Party continues to showcase some of the region’s most impressive visual artists paired with live music and Charlotte’s absolute best fried chicken (that’s Price’s — don’t @ us). The concept was created by artist Phoebe Alicia to highlight street art, and has picked up sponsorships from Armada Skateshop and PBR as its grown. This year, Armada provided

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PHOTO COURTESY OF AJ GLASCO

The Crayzee Collective poses before going on stage at the 2017 Breakin’ Convention. skateboard decks as canvases and PBR provided free beer for the event, which was held at Oso Skate Park. Just to summarize: skating, art, free chicken & beer. Of course this made the Best of Charlotte list. ososkatepark.com

BEST ART WORKSHOP - TIME CAMP 002 Janelle Dunlap has been doing great work around gentrification in the community for a couple years now, but she felt the urge to go further. With Time Camp, Dunlap hosted a weekend of workshops that brought Afrofuturism to the forefront and showed how it not only ties into the black community’s future, but also its past. tinyurl.com/TimeCamp002

BEST DANCE TROUPE - CRAYZEE COLLECTIVE Fusing hip-hop and theater, along with a passion for dancing while spotlighting individuality pushed A.J. Glasco to form the dance troupe Crayzee Collective. Most of the crew has been dancing together since childhood, but members are both self-taught and have studied various forms of dance. While the troupe has only been in existence for three years, they have made the most of it. Performing at the Breakin’ Convention at Blumenthal Performing Arts, Taste of Charlotte and other events around Charlotte have allowed them to cultivate the city’s dance scene. Insta: @crayzeecollective

BEST BURLESQUE PERFORMER VERITAS VERIDIEN As the founder and lead instructor at AFV Exotic Arts, Annie Vereen does all she can to

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Veritas Veridian.

spread her knowledge and talent in burlesque dancing, teaching her students skills ranging from classic burlesque to stripper style. She’s doing the community a service, as she told us in February that many of her students are too shy to tell their friends or significant others that they’re learning burlesque. As Veritas Veridien, Vereen is one of the most captivating performance artists in the city, and she demands to be treated as such. “As artists, we’re very technical strippers,” she said. “We have to know how the costume is going to come off and we have to rehearse. People do need to view us as artists. This is our art form.” Amen. afvexoticarts.com

PHOTO BY BONNIE AUSTIN STANLEY

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

BEST PRODUCER - SIMON SMTHNG

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER - ALVIN C. JACOBS JR. There was a time not long ago when a local black man being featured in the main exhibit of one of Charlotte’s biggest art institutions was remarkable — let’s be honest, it still is. But with the opening of Welcome to Brookhill at the Gantt Center in September (see above), and the K(no)w Justice, K(no)w Peace exhibit still showing at the Levine, Jacobs truly took hold of the city, becoming the first black man to be a lead exhibit artist at two of Charlotte’s largest institutions simultaneously. When we talked to him this summer in the lead-up to the Gantt Center exhibit, the importance of the moment wasn’t lost on him. “It’s a responsibility and it’s an honor,” he said. “With all eyes on me, I have to continuously not only deliver the work — because that means more than anything — I have to constantly remind myself of who I am. I can’t allow anyone else to paint a picture of me. It has to be how I represent myself.”

fifth album with MC Exactly and their group, Stereoloud. Oh, and did we mention he does all this work on vinyl? His crates may be the deepest in town. stereoloud.bandcamp.com

Alvin C. Jacobs Jr. in Brookhill Village. We think he’s representing himself, and our city, pretty damn well. Insta: @acjphoto

On Oct. 18, local producer Simon Smthng tweeted out, “gotta figure out a responsible way to let go of all these beats sitting dormant on my old computer.” This is the type of shit that gets us excited. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re still very much enjoying you will know fear, his 2018 release that serves as the second installment of a trilogy-inprogress. Inspired by a breakup, the album ends hopefully, with the second-to-last track and the visuals to go along with it, “ascension,” intriguing us for the coming third installment, such is life. As for those dormant beats, bless some of these CLT rappers with them. We’d love to hear that, too. Soundcloud: Simon SMTHNG PHOTO BY BRIAN TWITTY

BEST DJ - DJ RAY The resurgence of the DJ in Charlotte has been spectacular to watch over the past few years, and we’re proud to say there are standout stars rocking parties and venues on any given night in CLT. The one who stood out most to us this year, though, keeps his profile relatively low-key. DJ Ray has been a resident DJ at Knocturnal since he moved here from Detroit five years ago. He is known for kicking off the patio party and emcee cypher beautifully. Within the past year, he co-created the Hazy Sunday Day Party at Petra’s and released his

DJ Ray.

STILL FROM ‘BB GUNS’ BY RUEBEN VINCENT.

Rueben Vincent is Charlotte’s best emerging rapper. STILL FROM ‘AMBITIONS’

PHOTO BY DREA ATKINS

Amigo.

BEST RAPPER - ERICK LOTTARY Don’t say we didn’t warn you. When Erick Lottary came by the Hygge West studios to record episode 31 of our Local Vibes podcast back in February, two months before the 4/20 release of his newest EP, You Can Tell, he was in a sharing mood. He played three tracks from the then-untitled project, and it quickly became clear that Lottary was on top of his game. With top tier production throughout, the Fayetteville native made sure his own lyrical skill was not outshined with solid tracks like “Ball is Life” and “Week 15.” We expect him to come visit again next time he’s got some fire tracks he wants to preview. Insta: @ericklottary

BEST EMERGING RAPPER - REUBEN VINCENT It’s hard to call Reuben Vincent up-and-coming, considering he’s already signed by 9th Wonder’s Jamla Records, something most folks around here could only dream of. But considering he’s still a minor, we’re going to give him some time to grow. Not that he needs it. The now 17-year-

old rapper dropped his debut project, Myers Park, last October, and it’s filled with melodic, conscious tunes like “BB Gun” and lyrical masterpieces like the 9th Wonder-produced title track. Vincent’s flow, which reminds us of a young Nas, is well beyond his years, and we see quite a future from this CLT representative. Soundcloud: Reuben Vincent

BEST BAND - IT’S SNAKES You’d be hard pressed to find two people more in love with the Charlotte music scene than Hope Nicholls and Aaron Pitkin. Most folks know the story of how the married couple found fame with Fetchin’ Bones in the late ’80s, then continued to rock on with locally iconic bands like Sugarsmack and Snagglepuss. Bad experiences with asshole record execs took away any desire for the limelight, and it’s sure worked out well for our city. The couple’s current group, It’s Snakes, consists of Nicholls on drums — a first for her — and vocals, Pitkin and Greg Walsh on guitar and Darrin Gray on bass. The band’s been around a few years, and they’ve always been good, but this year’s release of the new album It’s

Snakes II has brought them to another level. The band shows a previously unseen range on the ‘Ambitions’ music video by Lute, Deniro Farrar and Cyanca. project, with a few of the best Douglas Quintet classic “Mendocino”, while the tracks entering into blues rock territory. There’s vamp at the end of album opener “The Big Idea” no looking back for musicians like Nicholls conjures Lou Reed’s “Satellite of Love.”) Amigo and Pitkin who do it all for the love, and we’re also added on a newcomer since recording And looking forward to hearing what’s next. Friends: keyboardist Molly Poe. So there’s only facebook.com/itssnakes the potential to keep progressing. We’ll see you in Best of Charlotte ‘19. BEST ALBUM - AMIGO, AND FRIENDS Soundcloud: Amigo (the band) Amigo’s latest album, released in January of 2018, a scant three months after Slade Baird and Co. were awarded Best Gram Parsons Loving Band in last year’s Best of Charlotte issue, weathered 10 months of local releases to still emerge as 2018’s Best Album. And Friends delivers on the promise of last years’ award, with all the signature sounds Amigo has brought to the table, evoking the lazy West Coast sunsets of Workingman’s Dead and Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde, while speaking to today’s existential dread, but with a grin. It’s a modern album with gorgeous oldschool color (the organ and high energy spoken intro of “Underground Medicine” recalls Sir

BEST SONG - “AMBITIONS (REMIX)” LUTE FEAT. DENIRO FARRAR, CYANCA Two of Charlotte’s most renowned rappers join up with the city’s most promising up-andcoming R&B singer for a remix of one of the favorites from Lute’s 1996 Pt. 2. While Lute’s version was a head-nodder for sure, this remix was everything you could want out of Charlotte music. That’s only helped along by the video, in which the trip cruise through the Queen City streets handing out groceries to folks in need. Our ambition is to hear more bangers like this in the coming year. tinyurl.com/AmbitionsRemix

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PHOTO BY DAREMEN J,

2017 Girls Rock Charlotte showcase.

BEST NEW BAND - BRUT BEAT Brut Beat is an eclectic new project by drummer Robert Childers (2013 Wolves, David Childers and the Serpents), upright bass player Korey Dudley (Hectagons!) and trumpet player Stan Graham. The group’s sound is influenced by a fascinating variety of styles including Afro-beat, punk, jazz and old school hip-hop. It’s hard to even pin down what genre to describe them as, so we’ll just classify them as effing awesome. tinyurl.com/BrutBeatCLT

BEST LOCAL SHOW - PRINCE TRIBUTE (EVENING MUSE) Local jazz phenom Harvey Cummings was not about to stand by and let Prince’s birthday pass without a party, and for that, we thank him. Cummings called up some of his friends to come join him for a night that saw folks like Quentin Talley and Laurence Maher doing remixes of classic Prince jams. Perhaps the highlight of the night was when CLT’s own Adrian Crutchfield, who used to play with the Purple One, jumped on stage despite not being in the original lineup and joined a bevy of other musicians to blow things down for a nightcap. The night was nonstop and probably won’t be duplicated any time soon. eveningmuse.com

BEST BAND WITH A MISLEADING NAME - IT LOOKS SAD. When most folks come across It Looks Sad. before hearing the band play, they expect a bunch of emo crybaby shoegazers. Not the case. The indie rockers’ new album, Sky Lake, is a serene, melodious affair filled with summer nostalgia and positive vibes. The duo that recorded Sky Lake — Jimmy Turner and Alex

PHOTO BY DANI NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Ruiz — recently added bassist Matt McConomy from Cuzco, so they’ll be headed into 2019 looking happy as a trio. facebook.com/itlookssad

BEST MUSICAL MEMOIR - POOR BLUE, WASTEGROUND Coming up with The Mighty Shamrocks in 1980s Ireland, Mickey Stephens didn’t sing about The Troubles. In a band with two Protestant members and two Catholics, it was better just to toe the line. Now with the religious turmoil of Ireland far behind him, Stephens has confronted those turbulent times in Wasteground, the newest album from his local band Poor Blue. In songs like “Mr. In Between” and “The Troubles,” Stephens documents his feelings about growing up in Northern Ireland during that unsure time. thewasteground.com

BEST PLACE FOR GIRLS TO ROCK OUT - GIRLS ROCK CHARLOTTE Here at Creative Loafing, we’re all about female empowerment in music. Which is why when we covered Girls Rock! Charlotte, we were happy to see the excitement that the campers had when they met one another and began their instrument assignments. Girls Rock Camp Alliance started in Portland, Oregon, and over the years has spread worldwide. The chapter here in the Queen City was started by Kelly Finley who was inspired to start Charlotte’s Girls Rock! Camp after her own daughter attended the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill chapter. When she saw how empowered her daughter was after one week of learning to rock, she knew what she had to do for Charlotte. Thus began the best way for girls to rock out in Charlotte. girlsrockclt.com

Cory M. Wells

PHOTO BY DUAN DAVIS

BEST MULTITASKER - SIDENOTE With the 2017 release of her debut album, MR, it was clear that Summer “SideNote” Windham was a multi-talented woman. Throughout the record, she effortlessly blends spoken word, rap and singing in a way that almost makes the listener forget just how hard that really is to do right. But just when we thought we heard it all from SideNote, she broke out her new plans to us during a conversation in September: a dance album. That’s right, as you know if you saw her set at the recent For The Love of She show at Snug Harbor, homegirl can move, too. She plans on releasing the full-length dance album in 2019, and we can only imagine what comes after that. Soundcloud: SidenoteSummer

BEST FAREWELL ON A HIGH NOTE CORY M. WELLS Cory M. Wells spent 15 years in the Charlotte music scene, and performed his final show in the Queen City in August before saying goodbye and heading off westward. It was a bittersweet goodbye. Charlotte is where Wells launched his music career as a 17-year-old contestant on the Queen City Idol competition, and with the release of his latest EP, Out of the Dark, Wells showed that he was at the peak of his powers as a darkly romantic tunesmith who cuts to the emotional core of the obsessions and dreams that make us tick. corymwells.com

BEST DRAMA - THREE BONE THEATRE, APPROPRIATE Actor’s Theatre was a strong contender in this category as well, premiering two fine new scripts, The Luckiest People and The Mermaid

Summer ‘SideNote’ Windham. Hour. Theatre Charlotte’s Grapes of Wrath and Brand New Sheriff’s Eclipsed were also contenders, while Charlotte’s Off-Broadway gave a highly polished, highly professional account of Three Days of Rain. We’re giving the nod to Three Bone Theatre, which brought Branden Jacob-Jenkins’ Appropriate to the QC. The family squabbling over Daddy’s inheritance was trashy and timely, since they discover that their heritage might include some virulent racism — and that some of it may have rubbed off on his heirs. facebook.com/ThreeBoneTheatre

BEST COMEDY - ACTOR’S THEATRE, HAND TO GOD PaperHouse Theatre, with The Revolutionists and The Sherlock Project, and the newly stabilized Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, with Hand to God and The Legend of Georgia McBride, dominated this category. Unless you expected a Peter Pan prequel, Theatre Charlotte’s Peter and the Starcatcher was a consistent delight; and Shakespeare Carolina’s audacity to turn Life Is a Dream — a centuriesold nugget from Spain’s Golden Age – into a royal Vegas comedy was surprisingly successful. With casting by director Chip Decker that was more convincing than the Broadway production, topped by an amazing performance by Chester Shepherd as the puppet-possessed protagonist, Hand to God is this year’s winner. atcharlotte.org

BEST MUSICAL - CHILDREN’S THEATRE OF CHARLOTTE, MARY POPPINS If you’ve been hypnotized by the Broadway

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Chester and Katy Shepherd perform together back in 2015.

PHOTO BY GEORGE HENDRICKS PHOTO BY FENIX FOTOGRAPHY

Katy Shepherd as Lizzie Borden.

Lights series at Blumenthal Performing Arts’ big boxes, you may not realize that we have four companies in town that produce highquality musicals. CPCC may be the most readily recognized of the bunch, with Newsies a standout among their summer offerings and Evita heading the class during the school year. Theatre Charlotte also draws from an enviable talent pool as last spring’s Spring Awakening made clear, and Actor’s Theatre remains nonpareil in edgy Off-Broadway fare as their recent Lizzie reaffirmed. Vaulting to the top rung of local producers last season was Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, which raised the bar technically for local musicals with last fall’s unsurpassed production of Mary Poppins, flying its hero above the stage and over the audience. The ImaginOn encores, a merry Madagascar and a steely Matilda were also eye-opening. ctcharlotte.org

BEST NEWCOMER - TONI REALI Disqualifying themselves from both the above categories but trailblazing their own non-binary path was Toni Reali in The Mermaid Hour – and they are more than qualified for our newcomerof-the-year accolades. atcharlotte.com

BEST COMEBACK - KATY SHEPHERD

BEST ACTOR - CHESTER SHEPHERD Among the actors who incredibly aren’t getting the nod here are Sean Riehm (Georgia McBride), Dave Blamy (Starcatcher), Brian Lafontaine (Three Days), Dennis Delamar (Luckiest People), Dominic Weaver (Sex With Strangers), Caleb Sigmon (Poppins and Matilda), Deon Releford-Lee (Madagascar) and Tommy Foster (Matilda). Stealing the prize from these worthies — with his demonic puppet, Tyrone — is Chester Shepherd in Hand to God. atcharlotte.org

BEST ACTRESS - CAROLINA BOWER Actresses who are being robbed include Marla Brown (Hand to God), Andrea King (The

48 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE’S OFF-BROADWAY

Caroline Bower (left) in ‘Three Days of Rain.’ Sherlock Project), Paula Baldwin (Grapes of Wrath), Sarah Clifford (The Crucible), Becca Worthington (Barbecue Apocalypse and Appropriate), Tracie Frank (Eclipsed), Janeta Jackson (Mary Poppins and Matilda), Lucia Stetson (Evita), and Katy Shepherd (Lizzie). Eating their cake is Caroline Bower, who not only portrayed an imperiously dimwitted Marie Antoinette in The Revolutionists but also gave us a tellingly contrasted mother and daughter in Three Days of Rain. Insta: @carrieemb

It was so tempting to make the Best Actor/ Actress award a husband-and-wife affair, since Katy Shepherd really did deliver the most electrifying heavy-metal performance of the year as Lizzie Borden in Lizzie. What made her performance especially amazing was the fact that, stricken by celiac disease coupled with severe anemia, Shepherd had undergone surgery five times during 2016 and couldn’t think of performing for months afterwards. Furthermore, when she was rockin’ and hackin’ and slayin’ onstage in Lizzie back in August, Shepherd was already pregnant with her first child! “I’m in awe of her,” her director, Joanna Gerdy declared. Who can disagree? Oh yeah, according to the sonogram, it’s a boy. atcharlotte.com

BEST MIX OF CHAOS & BEAUTY – SUSAN BRENNER, THE STATE OF THINGS The trite truism “out of chaos comes order” often attributed to the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, but actually a line of dialogue from Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles – was turned on its head by Susan Brenner’s The State of Things at the University of North Carolina Charlotte’s Rowe Galleries last winter. Brenner, a painter

PHOTO BY DEBBI BALLARD

Steven Buchanan and Lindsey Schroeder in ‘Bonnie & Clyde.’ and retired associate professor of Art and Art History at UNC Charlotte, seemed to be saying that out of chaos comes even more chaos. As a meditation on collapse and divisiveness, The State of Things jumbled and juxtaposed photography, digital imaging, line drawing and painting. The result was multi-textured paintings that were dense and hypnotic. Images that were either biological or mechanical — or a combination of the two — leapt out at the viewer from the coiling lines of her canvasses before merging back into the labyrinthine lines of her composition. It was a vision of society in a biofeedback loop spiraling to inexorable collapse. susanbrenner.net

BEST ONSTAGE HEIST – MATTHEWS PLAYHOUSE, BONNIE & CLYDE Depression era bandits and lovers on the lam Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow met their gruesome end and passed on into American folklore on May 3, 1934, but the bank-robbing pair were resurrected for a tuneful, if bullet-riddled encore at Matthews Playhouse last February. Director Billy Ensley managed to balance the play’s tone and historical accuracy with the story’s ability to make audiences empathize with the dustbowl desperados. To put theatergoers in an understanding frame of mind, Ensley and scenic designer John Bayless used background projections of the duel disasters of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl to evoke the atmosphere

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50 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

rights has spurred an artistic renaissance, an outpouring of expression in opposition to the White House’s policies. This was the focus last May of OBRA Collective’s Resist: An Activist Art Show at C3 Lab. Original works – paintings, drawings, sculpture, and mixed media as well as poetry and dance performances - spotlighted various social issues. Police brutality was the focus of Beth D. Mussay’s small portraits of people who have been killed by police. Environmental concerns figured heavily in Noah Hartley’s “I Resist Litter, Deforestation, and Human Pollution,” a series depicting wildlife in their compromised habitats, while Trump’s proposed border wall and the Republican Party’s embrace of virulent racism inspired many works. Resist’s pièce de résistance may have been sculpture like “Disgusting” and “Such a Nasty Woman,” ceramic undergarments created by Doris Kapner to critique Trump and the Republicans’ misogyny and the sexism which has spawned the “Me Too” movement. obracollective.wordpress.com

PHOTO BY KATIE ST. CLAIR

Debris and trash held together by ice and pigment in Katie St. Clair’s ‘Fruiting Bodies’ exhibit.

From top left: Berry Newkirk, Angie Chandler, Chaz Pofahl and Andrea King in ‘Sherlock.’ that gave rise to the desperate path chosen by Bonnie and Clyde. “There will be blood,” Ensley promised prior to the production, adding that he hoped there wouldn’t be too much clean up between scenes. “It won’t be like when I directed Evil Dead at Actor’s Theater,” he said. “There was so much blood with that show that the dancers were slipping in it.” matthewsplayhouse.com

BEST GENDER-BENDING INTERACTIVE MYSTERY – PAPERHOUSE THEATRE, THE SHERLOCK PROJECT

Last April, PaperHouse Theatre’s artistic director Nicia Carla, put the “her” in Sherlock by making the world’s most famous consulting detective a woman. In the Sherlock Holmes stories and shows, even the most ghastly doings in gas-lit, fogbound Victorian England have a cozy feel. So it is fitting that The Sherlock Project would be staged in The Frock Shop, an intimate comfortable dress shop in Plaza Midwood. Andrea King’s brisk and brilliant Holmes was paired with Chaz Pofahl’s warm and slightly dotty Watson, while Angie Chandler and Berry Newkirk portrayed a bevy of clients, policemen

PHOTO BY CHAD CALVERT

and villains drawn from the Arthur Conan Doyle canon. The show has proven to be PaperHouse’s most popular show to date, capturing the fun of old-fashioned whodunnits while focusing on the emotional core of the Sherlock stories, the enduring platonic love between Holmes and Watson. paperhousetheatre.com

BEST ACTIVIST ART SHOW – OBRA COLLECTIVE, RESIST The Trump administration’s assault on civil liberties, the environment and immigrant

BEST EXAMINATION OF NATURE, DECAY & MUSHROOMS – KATIE ST. CLAIR, FRUITING BODIES Colorful paintings — collages of fractured shapes and brilliant hues — lined the walls of Central Piedmont Community College’s Ross Gallery when Katie St. Clair’s exhibit Fruiting Bodies opened last August. But the main event was St. Clair’s startling ice sculptures. Mushrooms, natural pigments, parts of plants and even roadside trash were encased in the ice, and these verdant and/or decaying materials came unlocked as the spheres slowly melted on canvasses spread below. So as one art work was destroyed another was created. The ice spheres resulted from St. Clair’s hikes in the Carolina woodlands foraging for

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Destroy.” deathofliterature.com

BEST MEDIEVAL CRUSADE WITH KIDS – ALL OUR INNOCENCE (THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE)

Katie St. Clair.

PHOTO BY JON VERNEY

mushrooms. Once seen, the sculptures were difficult to forget, a symbol of decay and renewal, and a celebration of the ephemeral. Once installed, the ice spheres only existed for 48 hours, disintegrating as they melted to create paintings underneath. katiestclair.art

BEST FICTION BOOK - JEFF JACKSON, DESTROY ALL MONSTERS Local author Jeff Jackson’s edgy and electric new novel kills rock stars — literally. Destroy All Monsters, which takes its name from a group

52 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

Jeff Jackson

PHOTO BY LYDIA BITTNER-BAIR

of 1970s Detroit shock-and-art-rockers, follows a group of young fans and fledgling bands trying to make sense of an epidemic of killings sweeping the music scene. Bands are getting slaughtered on stage for no reason, rhyme or motive. Like an old-school vinyl single, Jackson’s tome is split into two sides. Side A is the fleshed-out novel, documenting a young woman and her friends’ obsession with the killings. Flip the book over, and you’ll find the novella My Dark Ages. Named after a proto-

PHOTO COURTESY OF XOXO

‘All Our Little Innocence (The Children’s Crusade)’ rehearsal. Jon Prichard, Kadey Ballard. punk single by Cleveland noise terrorists Pere Ubu, Jackson’s B-side reads like a radical remix of Destroy All Monsters. The B-side is a deepening of the story of the A-side, dramatizing events that are only mentioned in the A-side. The book’s flip side also depicts an alternate reality where the characters from the A-side have radically different roles. The result is read as bracing and brain stretching as a listen to Iggy and the Stooges “Search and

Matt Cosper’s experimental troupe XOXO got Medieval on theatergoers’ asses last August with a preview of their latest production All Our Little Innocence (The Children’s Crusade). The playful and freewheeling production was based on the most poignant and/or pointless of the Crusades that electrified Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Children across the continent, motivated by visions of Jesus Christ, were convinced that the Mediterranean Sea would part so they could walk across the dry seabed to Palestine and deliver the holy city of Jerusalem from its Muslim conquerors. At least that was the plan. In fact, half the children boarded ships that were lost at sea while the other half ended up in the slave markets of Egypt. That’s if the crusade ever happened in the first place, because most accounts of this disaster are pure folklore. The legend of the misbegotten pilgrimage, with its echoes of fairy tales and the Pied Piper, served as a jumping off point for XOXO’s weird and wonderful workin-progress. xoxoperformance.org

BEST SKETCH COMEDY TROUPE Robot Johnson Sketch Comedy

BEST PLACE TO SEE COMEDY The Charlotte Comedy Zone

BEST COMEDIAN Blayr Nias

BEST DRAG PERFORMER Buff Faye

BEST NEW BAND Chócala

BEST SOLO PERFORMER Leisure McCorkle

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER Mike Ramsey

BEST ROCK/COUNTRY/FOLK BAND Trash Room

BEST BLUES/JAZZ/SOUL BAND Ghost Trees

BEST DISPLAY OF PUBLIC ART

BEST RAPPER

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

BEST R&B SINGER

BEST PERFORMING ARTIST(S)

BEST LOCAL ALBUM

BEST THEATER COMPANY

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT

BEST ACTOR

BEST CONCERT VENUE

BEST ACTRESS

BEST PLACE TO HEAR JAZZ

READERS’ PICKS: ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

BEST THEATER SHOW (LOCAL)

BEST PLACE TO HEAR COUNTRY MUSIC

Best of Charlotte 2018

BEST THEATER SHOW (NATIONAL)

Murals at Camp North End Brian “BT” Twitty Satarah

Mandyland Entertainment Bryan Pierce Osirin Rain works on a mural.

PHOTO BY TERESA HERNANDEZ

Tania Kelly

Theatre Charlotte’s Spring Awakening The Lion King

BEST MUSEUM

BEST VISUAL ARTIST

BEST MOVIE THEATER

Arthur Brouthers

Regal Manor Twin

BEST ART GALLERY

BEST MURALIST

BEST PLACE TO HEAR SPOKEN WORD

The Mint Museum Goodyear Arts

BEST EXHIBIT

The Mint Museum: The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta

Osiris Rain

BEST GRAFFITI ARTIST Abstract Dissent

Charlotte Storytellers

Elevator Jay Jason Jet

Temperance League, Space Aquarium Evening Muse

The Milestone

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Coyote Joe’s

BEST LOCAL SHOW OF PAST 12 MONTHS

Trash Room, Van Huskins, Boron Heist at Freeman’s Pub, Gastonia

BEST NATIONAL SHOW OF PAST 12 MONTHS Descendents at The Fillmore

BEST IMPROV TROUPE Improv Charlotte

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | 53

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CLCLT.COM | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | 55

OCTOBER 25 DJ/ELECTRONIC DJ Karz (Tin Roof) Le Bang (Snug Harbor)

OCTOBER 27

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH

Roosevelt Collier Trio (Heist Brewery)

Charlotte Symphony Family: Halloween Spooktacular (Knight Theater)

POP/ROCK Basic Printer w/ IioioioiI & Solemn Shapes (Petra’s) Hey Johnny Park-Foo Fighters tribute act, Subliminal Doubt: A tribute to No Doubt & Gwen Stefani (Tin Roof) Kat, Kevin & Tim (Comet Grill) Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton (McGlohon Theater) Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen (Knight Theater) The Nude Party, Glove, Echo Courts (Neighborhood Theatre) Shana Blake and Friends (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Torche w/ Irata, Unruly Boys & Joules (The Milestone)

OCTOBER 26 COUNTRY/FOLK The Oh Hellos, Samantha Crain (Neighborhood Theatre) Shiloh Hill (Cabarrus Brewing Company, Concord) The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)

DJ/ELECTRONIC DJ FWB (Tin Roof) Mirror Moves - 80’s Underground Dance Party October Edition! (Petra’s)

POP/ROCK Alternative Champs w/ Tigers & Monkeys (Snug Harbor) Charlotte Symphony Pops: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Knight Theater) Chris Massey Band (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Dog Ear, Bad Karol, Lonely Jones (The Rabbit Hole) DownTown Abby (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Driftwood, Zack DuPont (Evening Muse) Interstellar Overdrive - A Saucerful of Pink Floyd (Visulite Theatre) Iron Chic w/ Dollhands & Placeholder (The Mileston) 56 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

The Record Company (The Underground) Slander, Spag Heddy, Wavedash (The Fillmore) WaterWorks Band (NoDa Brewery)

BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL Bert Wray Blues Album Release Show/guest Don de Leaumont (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub) Lagos Bugalu w/ DJ Kato & DJ Beezy (Snug Harbor) Su CASA: We Love Fela! (Petra’s)

COUNTRY/FOLK Boo Bash: Out Of The Blue (Coyote Joe’s) Whitey Morgan, Alex Williams, Tennessee Jet (Neighborhood Theatre)

DJ/ELECTRONIC Big Data (The Underground) Kiss 95.1 Grave Digger’s Ball featuring blackbear and Loud Luxury (Grave Digger’s Lot) Pauly D (World)

POP/ROCK Alternate Take (Cabarrus Brewing Company, Concord) The Annual Milestone Halloween Fiasco featuring Hectorina, Unruly Boys, Van Huskins, The Fill Ins, Uncle Buck, Futurists, The Cocker Spaniels, The Blind Leading The Naked, Trout Mouth (The Milestone) Ben Rector, The Band Camino (The Fillmore) Charlotte Symphony Pops: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Knight Theater) Dave Mason, Gretchen Rhodes (McGlohon Theater) Halloween Bash with Glow Co. & DJ Payne (Tin Roof) Hunter’s Travesty (Comet Grill) Ish Halloween Party (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Kenny George Band EP Release, Ben Sutton (Evening Muse) The Mutineers, Drunken Prayer (Evening Muse) Songs From The Road Band, Steve McMurry (Visulite Theatre) VOOM, The Flight Risks & Skynoceros (Tommy’s Pub)

EMITRADIO Charlotte & the carolinas are listening to emitradio

4PM

REGGAE/ISLAND 6PM

LO C A L M U S I C I A N S OF THE CAROLINAS 7PM

70’S FAVORITES 8PM

Ziggy Pockets (Primal Brewery, Huntersville)

OCTOBER 28 HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Bone Snugs-N-Harmony (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK The Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Neighborhood Theatre) Danny Worsnop (The Rabbit Hole) Decent Criminal & Acne (Skylark Social Club) Dweezil Zappa’s “Choice Cuts” (McGlohon Theater) The Annual Milestone Halloween Fiasco DAY 2: The Boron Heist, heckdang, October, Fozmo, Mr. Genius And The Robot Inventors, Smelly Felly, The Whiskey Predicament, Glitter Bomb Burlesque, Cherry Von Bomb (The Milestone) Omari and The Hellhounds (Comet Grill) Steel Panther, The Wild! (The Fillmore)

OCTOBER 29 HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Coré Cotton: A Woman Evolves (Booth Playhouse) #MFGD Open Mic (Apostrophe Lounge) Knocturnal (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK Behemoth, At the Gates, Wolves In the Throne Room (The Underground) Dead Bars w/ Lost Love, Guerilla Poubelle, Bergenline (The Milestone) Find Your Muse Open Mic welcomes “These Fine Moments” (Evening Muse) Jamorah (Smokey Joe’s Cafe)

OCTOBER 30 COUNTRY/FOLK Elle King, Cordovas (The Underground) Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill)

DJ/ELECTRONIC Dirty Disco: Funk-Shun’s Hallow’s Eve Party (Snug Harbor)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B MAJOR. (Neighborhood Theatre)

POP/ROCK

Open Jam with the Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Ol’ Sport & The Weak Days w/ Foxy Dads, Greg Rekus, Paige Beller & Heckdang (The Milestone) Uptown Unplugged with Dan Smith (Tin Roof) Whiskey Grinn, True Lilith, Curiosity Kills (The Rabbit Hole)

OCTOBER 31 COUNTRY/FOLK Open Mic (Comet Grill)

DJ/ELECTRONIC Cyclops Bar: Modern Heritage Weekly Mix Tape (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK Broom Stick, Human Pippi Armstrong (Petra’s) Cursive, Meat Wave, Campdogzz (The Underground) EDEN, Sasha Sloan (The Fillmore) Haunted Summer, Avi Buffalo (Evening Muse) Iioioioii and Solemn Shapes (Tommy’s Pub) October Residency: Astrea Corp w/ RBTS Win, Modern Primitives, Pullover, DJ Sweetboy (Snug Harbor) Pinky Doodle Poodle ,Flesh mother ,Whispering Man ,Lil Skritt (Skylark Social Club) Quincey Blues (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Tropidelic, Bumpin’ Uglies, Matt Irie Band (Visulite Theatre)

80’S 80’S 80’S 9PM

OLD SCHOOL HIP HOP 10PM

SAT NIGHT PARTY

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TuneIn.com

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CRITICS’ PICKS: AFTER DARK Best of Charlotte 2018

“Too weird to live, too rare to die.” It’s time to get out there and have some fun. ILLUSTRATION BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

58 | OCT. 25 - OCT. 31, 2018 | CLCLT.COM

PHOTO BY DAVID BUTLER

Player Made.

for those who waltz through the door (with a membership, of course). Have you ever had Spanish octopus? Well it’s available at Dot Dot Dot along with the classic Manhattan and oldfashioned libations. Dress up and feel like Jay Gatsby at this speakeasy-style bar. It’s name, Dot Dot Dot, is an ode to the ellipses, intentionally omitting a word or sentence without changing its meaning. Don’t omit this speakeasy spot from your list of places to visit. dotdotdotcharlotte.com

BEST #FREEASFUCK EVENT - PLAYER MADE Unruly Boys in Skylark Social Club.

BEST NEW NIGHTLIFE SPOT SKYLARK SOCIAL CLUB Just as Warren Stiles, owner of Midwood Country Club in Plaza Midwood, was beginning to turn the neighboring Station into a legit rock club for indie rock and punk fans to see their local favorites in a close setting, he went and sold the place. But no worries, it was three musicians — Justin Driscoll, Taylor Arthur and Joshua Taddeo — who took the reins from there, and they’ve made sure no momentum was lost. Opened in January, Skylark has been mentioned by multiple musicians on CL’s Local Vibes podcast as a favorite place to play, but it’s more than just an intimate music venue, it’s an awesome bar. Skylark hosts events like monthly Emo Night, and staff is apt to whip up some awesome throwback cocktails to throw back, like the time they invested in cases of Capri Sun to use in one nostalgic intoxicant. That really brought us back to our drunken childhoods. facebook.com/skylarksocialclub/

BEST KARAOKE SPOT - 8.2.0 This isn’t your run-of-the-mill, sign up with a random karaoke DJ who’s OK with you

PHOTO BY JUSTIN DRISCOLL

performing the third rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” of the night. This is upgraded, the Iron-Man-technology version of karaoke. Step into the backroom lounge of 8.2.0 with hosts Melyssa, Anthony and Patrick for a variety show/karaoke night event. If you miss a note or stumble the words, don’t worry, the rest of the bar can’t hear you as the lounge is soundproof. It’s not American Idol, but you can showcase your vocal talents through your favorite Amy Winehouse or Adele tune. Make sure you do your vocal cord warm ups, though, and drink some soothing tea with honey afterward. 820clt.com

BEST JUST STAY AWAY FROM THE LEDGE - FAHRENHEIT It’s got a cocktail program that’s hard to beat and a great view of the city to boot. You can feel on the edge of the urban world while sipping Spicy Charlottes or Mintless Mojitos next to the firelight of the open-air patio. Created by chef Rocco Whalen, Fahrenheit puts bar and restaurant patrons close to being on top of the city. Not only is it a great place to take friends visiting the city, but the view alone will take

PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI

If you’ve been paying attention, you know that the Charlotte hip-hop scene has been blowing up in recent years. What you might not know is there’s a spot where you can head on the second Friday of each month to rub shoulders with damn near that whole scene while listening to multiple DJs play Southern rap classics and probably see at least one of Charlotte’s best rappers do their thing live on stage. Well there is, and it’s at Snug Harbor, and it’s ... Free. As. Fuck. www.snugrock.com

BEST CLUSTERFUCK - BLAND STREET STATION

A drink and a view from Fahrenheit. your breath away. If you’ve got a fear of heights, don’t worry. The glass panelling fence will keep you safe. Just don’t try to climb it. chefroccowhalen.com/fahrenheit-charlotte/

BEST BAR TO GET DRESSED UP FOR DOT DOT DOT It’s a bar with a dress code and mind for patrons’ comfort. It’s upscale and classy, providing an old-timey and fancy experience

All-American Pub, Slate and Oak Room connect at Bland Street station to create a conglomerate of spacious party areas to take your wasted friends who are assuring the group that they can do one more shot. Even better, it’s right next to the light rail so you can shove them on the Lynx to take them home. With Hot Taco right around the corner and DJs bumping tunes all night, it’s the No. 1 spot for yo-pros to show off how much money they aren’t putting in their Roth IRAs and are instead buying Fireball shots for other people in hopes to get their phone numbers, knowing that they probably won’t.

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PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI-GUEDES

Dilworth Tasting Room’s patio.

BEST PATIO - DILWORTH TASTING ROOM Science on the Rocks at Discovery Place.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DISCOVERY PLACE

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

Jamie Starks of Tommy’s Pub.

Take a trip to Europe, or just head to the Dilworth Tasting Room for the same experience. Passion for wine mixed with an upscale atmosphere makes this spot a destination. Not to mention the gorgeous open-air patio that graces guests with a secret garden-like ambience not available anywhere else in the Queen City. It’s cozy without being sloppy, but fancy without being arrogant. Grab a bottle of wine or just a few glasses to clink together in the garden patio. At night, string lighting keeps the environment light and warm as you drink the evening away. Just save some for the fishes in the patio’s pond. dilworthtr.com

BEST PLACE TO BE A KID AGAIN SCIENCE ON THE ROCKS

Knocturnal.

PHOTO BY BRIAN TWITTY

BEST PLACE TO DAY DRINK - NODA COMPANY STORE

BEST PLACE TO BAR HOP - ALONG THE LIGHT RAIL

It seems like every time we visit the Company Store the damn patio has grown larger. It’s like that floating blob of trash out in the Pacific Ocean, only good. They’ve got picnic tables out front and out back, larger tables for stool pigeons, a BBQ space for those free Sunday morning cookouts, a small stage for singer/ songwriter performances and, last but not least, the Butterfly Highway, a nice shaded area along the side of the building where one can swing to their heart’s content and not be bothered by children or dogs, who are not allowed. How is that not a must in all bars and breweries by now? thecompanystorenoda.com

Earlier this year, Creative Loafing’s Boozin’ on a Budget team hit the CATS Blue Line for an excursion that left us all a lil’ sluggish in the office the next day, to say the least. And that’s the story of how we confirmed that the new light rail extension has created a great route that lets you drink with all types of folks from the city: the college kids of University, the hipsters of NoDa, the bankers of Uptown and the yuppies of South End. A few of our other winners are in easy walking distance to the light rail, including Company Store, Fahrenheit and Dilworth Tasting Room. Just don’t pass out on your way home. charlottenc.gov/cats/rail/lynx-blue-line

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Leave the kids at home for this one. Science on the Rocks at Discovery Place brings together the things you love most: playing with dope science stuff and drinking. At this 21-and-up event, adults are invited to explore the museum after-hours without those meddlin’ kids in the way. Games, science and pyrotechnics are waiting for you on North Tryon Street and so are shaken-not-stirred drinks to carry throughout the night. Discover your inner child at the Discovery place and pound a few drinks at the same time. Responsibly, of course. discoveryplace.org

BEST HANGOVER CURE - LANG VAN You know that feeling when your head hurts, but there’s nothing you can really stomach, but that same stomach is screaming at you to feed it? If you don’t, you’re far more responsible than us and we applaud you. But for those trying to crawl through a hungover day, you’re going to want some pho. The mix of sodium and protein makes this a miracle for those in

PHOTO BY TATE ROBERTS

The Thirsty Beaver stands strong. need of both — that means you, drunkie — and if you’re going to have some pho for medical reasons, why not have the best damn pho in town? tinyurl.com/LangVanMenu

BEST COMEBACK - TOMMY’S PUB We all mourned the loss of Tommy’s Pub when it was bought out in 2015 to be plowed over by developers after nearly 40 years of serving as the Cheers of Charlotte. It was a long process for owner Jamie Starks to find a legit spot to get back up and running again, but he’s back. Starks opened the doors at the new Tommy’s Pub on Eastway Drive just about a year ago exactly, and has picked up right where he left off serving as a venue for some of Charlotte’s smaller acts and serving up cheap drinks in a

times by the Music Factory fountain adorn the calendar that ROC’s Jazz bar upkeeps. Instead of being all about that bass, they’re all about that smooth, smooth jazz (and more). rocsjazzbar.com

BEST DAY PARTY - HAZY SUNDAY AT PETRA’S A happy crowd at Snug Harbor. great atmosphere while he’s at it. We’re hoping this one can go another 40 years, and we believe it will. facebook.com/tommyspub.com

BEST PLACE TO TWERK IT OUT KNOCTURNAL This weekly hip-hop party at Snug Harbor recently celebrated its 6th birthday. Knocturnal does a lot on Monday nights: It brings the city’s best b-boys and b-girls out to cypher. It gives rappers a large audience to wow with their hottest freestyles. It attracts celebrities (recently spotted: Hannibal Burress). It employs four resident DJs, plus a photographer to document all the fun. But what it does best is make asses shake. So many on the dance floor, you can feel the ground move (that’s an ass-quake). For one glorious night each week, you and your butt can join them and forget everything wrong with 2018. snugrock.com

BEST DIVE BAR - THIRSTY BEAVER Sure, everybody knows the story of the tiny little bar-that-could sticking it to the man by forcing developers to build their high-rise condos around them. And that’s a cool story, we agree, but with or without the egregious towers

PHOTO BY JUSTIN DRISCOLL

looking down on them, Thirsty Beaver remains the same old lil’ charming pool bar with Hee Haw playing on the television. We poked some fun at their cheap beer selection in our first Boozin’ on a Budget tour earlier this year, but we will never not be in love with this cozy renegade of a bar. Besides, cheap beer is what we’re looking for. Next time you’re there, have a Hamm’s for us. tinyurl.com/ThirstyBeaverCLT

BEST HOOKAH & CHILL - ROC’S JAZZ BAR Snag a hookah and go outside on the benches and marble-topped tables to chill and listen to some local rappers on their showbill. Grab a specialty cocktail at this AvidXchange Factory establishment and relax to some jazz and good vibes. Events like Trap Paint & Play, bassists, guitarists and other fun

Sunday is a day to chill. Kick it on Petra’s back patio for max chill with vibes from Probably Will and DJ Ray. ‘Nuff said. Just chill. petrasbar.com

BEST LIVE MUSIC - SNUG HARBOR It comes up so much on our Local Vibes podcast that we automatically call this Plaza Midwood venue our unofficial sponsor. Snug Harbor has done such a great job in recent

BEST PLACE TO WISH YOU HAD A BARTENDER - HOPPIN’ You don’t have to flirt with the bartender to get a good drink at Hoppin’. That’s because, well, there are no bartenders. When patrons enter, they’re given a wrist band and let loose on the taps. And there’s a lot of taps. Seasonals, locals, regionals and national brews, ciders and wines are available for anyone who just wants to pour it themselves. It’s an interesting concept, but a streamlined one all the same. Hoppin’ is efficiency at its peak. The spacious, open and inviting establishment is the perfect place if you just want to sit and talk with your friends without a pesky bartender bugging you for another round. Maybe the next step will be brew it yourself. hoppinclt.com

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Chris Burns is the best bartender in Charlotte. years of booking a diverse set of bands, rappers and other acts that there is nobody really touching them right now in this category. And that’s not to mention the weekly and monthly events, many of which we’ve already recognized right here in these pages, that guarantee that any time you stop by Snug on a whim, you’re going to have a sickass night. snugrock.com

BEST STRIP CLUB - UPTOWN CABARET Like the venue above, Uptown Cabaret has locked down this category in recent years. Last year, we gave a nod to the Sin Sundays parties, which are still the best amateur night in the city, but they always come through with free admission following sporting events and — seriously — one of the best buffets in town. If you know what’s good for you, you’re going to want to head to this year’s Halloween party, taking place on Oct. 28. uptowncabaretclubs.com

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT - FIND YOUR MUSE Is there any better open mic around town than Find Your Muse? Each week the Evening Muse event hosts a regional featured performer who’s mixed in among a variety of talented

local artists. Want to see how good you are as a musician or songwriter? Hit the bare bones stage with one of the city’s best sound systems to showcase your talent. In addition to all the fine music, you’ll also be surrounded by some of the city’s finest venue staff and owners. Plenty of other open mics happen around the city, but none have had the consistency, staying power and notoriety of Find Your Muse. It’s a great way to catch up-and-coming artists or for musicians to try out new material. eveningmuse.com

BEST BARTENDER - CHRIS BURNS Everyone knows Chris Burns. His face is framed by his red beard, a Hornets-colored hat and his signature warm smile. And he’s perpetually slinging beers, cocktails and high fives in all your favorite Plaza Midwood bars. He knows you, too. After one trip to the bar, he knows your name and drink order, maybe a little something about your family or background, too. How? Because he asks. And he cares. And he remembers. He knows when you’ve had enough, too and never looks at you sideways when his line is five deep and you ask for a water. He knows the right thing to say to make your night better, even if it’s already going pretty well. More goes into being a beloved bartender than just

making an awesome drink. It also takes being an awesome and patient person. Burns has perfected that secret sauce. Insta: mf_burns

BEST PLACE TO GEEK OUT - POTIONS & PIXELS Since Michael Zytkow launched the first Potions & Pixels event back in July 2016, it has only continued to expand. Starting with that original event, in which Zytkow and fellow organizers brought more than 20 televisions into Petra’s and hooked them up to indie and throwback video games for the enjoyment of the CLT gaming community, P&P has grown into new venues, including a regular board game night at Carolina Beer Temple. And if you think you know about board games, you have no idea until you see this collection. Next up is a video game night at Camp North End on Oct. 26, and then the monthly homecoming for a video and board game night at Petra’s on Nov. 8. The best part about these events is that you don’t have to be a gamer to have a blast. In fact, it’s one of the most natural events to strike up a conversation and meet someone that we’ve attended in the city. Grab a controller and make a friend. facebook.com/potionsandpixels

PHOTO BY BRIAN TWITTY

BEST FAN CLUB - CAROLINA BROWNS BACKERS We don’t need to go into the depressing history here in this blurb, but most folks who know about football know that it’s tough being a Cleveland Browns fan. But what makes the suffering easier? Suffering with friends. The local Browns Backers chapter has been at Flight since the closing of its previous home base at Kennedy’s in Elizabeth, and attendance has been fine, but it exploded this year. Maybe it was the fact that the team started off with a tie to snap a 17-game losing streak, then broke a 19-game winless treak with a W over the Jets, on Sept. 20. Whatever it is, people are pumped, and they’re packing both the inside and patio of Flight. What makes that all the better is that it’s not just a good time rooting for the underdogs, it’s a good cause to help actual dogs. Each year, the club picks a charity to raise money for, and this year they’re donating canned food to North Mecklenburg Dog Rescue and CMPD’s Animal Care & Control. Money donations from the weekly raffles go to Heart Meter and a dog resuce to be determined later in the season. tinyurl.com/CarolinaBrownsBackers

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PHOTO BY JUSTIN DRISCOLL

NoDa 101.

READERS’ PICKS: AFTER DARK Best of Charlotte 2018 BEST NEW NIGHTSPOT Tommy’s Pub

BEST WEEKLY NIGHTLIFE EVENT Knocturnal at Snug Harbor

BEST ANNUAL PARTY

Yelp Charlotte Christmas Party

BEST CLUB DJ Justin Aswell

BEST DANCE CLUB Roxbury Nightclub

BEST DOG BAR

Lucky Dog Bark & Brew

BEST BARTENDER Jamie Starks

BEST BAR TO PEOPLE-WATCH Snug Harbor

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BEST HOOKUP BAR Snug Harbor

Thirsty Beaver Saloon

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE

BEST SPORTS BAR

BEST KARAOKE

BEST HOOKAH BAR

BEST WINE BAR

BEST LGBTQ-FRIENDLY BAR

BEST HAPPY HOUR

BEST STRIP CLUB

BEST PAINT AND SIP

BEST MIXOLOGIST

Dot Dot Dot NoDa 101

Dilworth Tasting Room Sea Level

Thomas Street Tavern Crave

(Tie) Hattie’s Tap & Tavern, Petra’s Uptown Cabaret

Painting With a Twist

Bob Peters

BEST BOWLING ALLEY

BEST BEER SELECTION

10 Park Lanes

Common Market

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

BEST COCKTAIL SELECTION

Tommy’s Pub

Dot Dot Dot

BEST DIVE BAR

BEST PLACE TO DRINK TOO MANY

Dilworth Tasting Room.

PHOTO BY DANA VINDIGNI -GUEDES

COCKTAILS

Seoul Food Meat Co.

BEST CRAFT TAP SELECTION Duckworth’s Grill & Taphouse

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might catch a heavy eater off guard, but I THE BOYFRIEND AND I have been eating was bursting with anticipation as chef Jake our way through the Queen City for a few explained how the dish was prepared. Why? months now. Bardo Restaurant, one of the A chef should be able to take someone’s taste newest additions to the Gold District, has buds on an entire journey in a single bite. quickly risen to the top of the list. I’ve been And while I’m no professional food critic, three times — once by myself just to vanquish a short silence of reverence fell across the a craving for the amazing scallop dish. During table as each guest took their first bite. our more traditional date night trips, we’ve As you can imagine, the dishes that eaten Spanish octopus, green curry ricotta followed fell perfectly in place, contrasting yet tortellini, dry aged beef and sea trout. And complementing one another simultaneously. as picky as I can be when it comes to food, To cite a few: returning to a place I didn’t enjoy is a rarity. White sturgeon, lightly poached in dashi So when Bardo posted on Instagram and shiitake broth topped with shiitake a couple weeks ago that they were going mushroom caviar, watercress, shiso and to host a ticketed, private experience yuzu. featuring dishes created by Bardo’s executive Pickled mackerel from Spain slightly chef Michael Knoll and his friend and charred on top with taro root stem colleague, two Michelin-star chef foam, soft tofu, mustard greens Jake Bickelhaupt, I was stoked. and arugula. Small plates paired with Veal sweetbreads brined libations? Sign me up. with Chinese tea and However, I was smoked with pine needles, beyond shocked when wagyu tongue shaving, the boyfriend shared bone marrow and crispy Bardo’s IG post on the beef tendon, golden berry. day of the event and said, Moulard duck breast “Surprise!” He’d gotten with foie gras, fried yuzu us two tickets for the 5:30 leaf, thyme, mandarin p.m. seating. *cue “Bad and AERIN SPRUILL orange and a crumble. Boujee” (read: bourgeois)* I And that’s just a taste, prepped for an experienced fit because let’s be real, the drinks for a queen in the city, but little were flowing. Before the meal even did I know, I’d end up leaving full with began, we were sipping on champagne. Every much more than star-studded food. food course was paired with a glass of wine “A dinner is an experience, whereas a or a cocktail. By the fifth course, everyone’s meal is who you’re (eating) with,” was my attention span was slightly better than a lover’s statement as we reflected on our toddler. In fact, we even got clapped at a few 11-course meal. (Sigh, I love that man.) Why, times when the chef and sommelier were you ask? “Bardo Transition” — the name trying to talk! given to the event — ended up being more a By the close of the meal, not only had my communal vibe than an intimate dinner, and palate gone on a journey through a diverse that was more than OK. spectrum of flavors, but it has been enriched Two long tables stretched down the with a taste for sharing new experiences center of the restaurant in front of the with new people. And the best part? This is restaurant’s beautiful open kitchen where only the first one. I could observe both chefs plating each dish before it was served. *insert only child You can enjoy the same private, elevated syndrome* I was immediately worried I dining experience as we did in the near would feel overwhelmed by social interaction future according to their latest Instagram when I realized guests would be sitting post. But don’t forget, you can always enjoy together and I’d be across from my boo. the eclectic menu at Bardo Restaurant But soon we sat down, two couples and Monday through Saturday starting at 5 p.m. a couple of cardiac ICU residents made us Make a reservation or call ahead to inquire feel like we were talking to long-lost friends about walk-in availability. (after a few of the libations, of course, which If you’re lucky, you’ll run into a few led to all of us going to Yume after for a strangers that may become lifelong friends, cocktail on our own accord). *insert the like we did. You know? The ones who emailed 11-course meal* about setting up another communal dinner The first dish, my favorite, was a twist on before the clock even struck 10 p.m.! BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM Tom Ka. A single bite served on a soup spoon,

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MEOW AND FOREVER Exploring the animalistic side of sex BY DAN SAVAGE Hi, Dan: I am a homosexual young adult seeking advice about kitten play. I find it very intriguing, and I’m wondering where to start. It’s a turn-on when someone calls me kitten, but I’m not sure how to express my kink or desire for kink play to the person or persons I am into. Any advice would be appreciated. CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE THOUGHTFULLY SOUGHT

Hi, CATS: I am a homosexual not-so-young adult without much advice to offer where kitten play is concerned. I’ve encountered plenty of gay puppies in the wild — at various leather/fetish events — but I’ve seen only one fetish kitty in my lifetime, and she was a queen. (A female cat is called a queen, a male cat is called a tom, and a group of cats is called a glare. #TheMoreYouKnow!) But Amp Somers, who hosts the kinkfriendly sex-ed show, “Watts the Safeword,” assures me that gay kitties are definitely a thing. “Kitten play is a subcategory of the ‘animal role-play’ or ‘pet play’ kink,” said Somers. “It is a form of domination and submission in which someone gets into the head space of an animal they are role-playing and takes on its characteristics — be it with gear (masks, tails, collars) or by acting out the mannerisms of their animal. Most importantly, and this goes for all proper pet players, there are no actual animals involved in this play.” Puppy play is the most common form of pet play — by far — and it’s very popular among younger gay kinksters. (Please don’t confuse gay pups or kitties with gay bears or otters. The former is about role-play and fetish;

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the latter is about body type, affirmation, the husband would not be okay with this. I haven’t said anything to his husband or and community.) But what accounts for my boyfriend because I don’t want this the popularity of pet play among younger to become a huge mess and I hoped my kinksters? palpable discomfort would put an end to “This sort of play allows someone to get into it. Any thoughts on how I should handle kink easily with or without a partner and this nicely to make it stop without in a playful manner,” said Somers. “Pet play hurting his feelings? allows players to get their feet wet in the UNDRESSED NAKED FRIEND REALLY IS ENGINEERING BDSM world without having to visit a dark NEEDLESS DRAMA dungeon, get tied up, or engage in anything a newer kinkster might find intimidating. It’s Your “good friend” is an asshole, UNFRIEND. a great entry-level kink.” He’s violating a whole bunch of social norms As for expressing your kink, CATS, that’s — chiefly the don’t-jerk-off-to-completionsomething you’re going to have to work out in-front-of-other-people-without-theiron your own. enthusiastic-consent norm (aka the Louis “I imagine CATS already has an image of what C.K. Career in Comedy Memorial Norm) kitten play looks like to them, and I bet it — and relying on your adherence to differs from what I might imagine other social norms (avoid being my own pet play would look like rude, defuse don’t confront, or even from what readers spare others’ feelings) to imagine a kitten player to get away with violating look like,” said Somers. “Is you as well. This asshole CATS a domesticated lazy is sexually harassing you, kitten who lies in the sun? and you haven’t told him A curious, well-trained, to stop in unambiguous docile cat responsive to language. cuddles and treats? Or The only reason you’ve are they a rambunctious, given him for not whipping bratty, independent stray?” DAN SAVAGE it out yourself is that you To find your way into the kink haven’t “discussed anything scene, Somers recommends like this with [your] boyfriend.” getting online. He has self-servingly interpreted your That’s how I first found pet play,” he reason for not joining in like this: “He wants said. “Sites like kitten-play.com offer into, and maybe he will after he has a ‘discussion’ depth written pieces by players, links to with his boyfriend.” I’m sorry, UNFRIEND, resources, and forums where people like but you’re going to have to be blunt: “You CATS can educate themselves.” have to knock this shit off. It’s disrespectful, it’s nonconsensual, and it’s pissing me off.” I’m a gay male, and one of my good Don’t worry about hurting his feelings — he friends has put me in a strange obviously doesn’t care about your feelings — position. The friend has been married and find a new weed dealer. to his husband for 15 years, and they are allowed to “play.” I have no desire I have a follow-up question on your to be in an open relationship, and I don’t think my boyfriend does either. I occasionally go over to this friend’s house right after work to buy weed, and he’s always alone when I come by. He joked about answering the door naked and then did it. (He told me he was going to, but I honestly didn’t think he would do it.) I was extremely uncomfortable, and he knew it. The last time I went over, he was naked again — and this time, he jerked off to completion in front of me. He asked me to join in, and I told him I couldn’t because I hadn’t discussed anything like this with my boyfriend. I’m supposed to go over again tomorrow, and he asked 1-704-943-0051 me to come by early because his husband ONE HOUR FREE would be getting home from work early MORE NUMBERS:1-800-777-8000 that day. This leads me to believe that GUYSPYVOICE.COM

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advice for JACKS, the gay manager who ran into an employee at a JO party. Alison “Ask a Manager” Green told him he couldn’t go to these parties anymore. A distinction was made between sexual situation encounters between bosses and those they manage in “private clubs” (the JO club) or at “public events” (Folsom Street Fair). My question is about Grindr/Scruff/Growlr/etc. Are these more like “private clubs” or “public events?” In part, my question stems from being a professor and having seen students and colleagues on these apps. I feel like I should not be reading the profiles of students in my department (who are mostly graduate students). I am also troubled by my colleagues appearing on these apps — from the perspective that this seems to be a sexually oriented space and there is the power differential between faculty and students. BASICS OF SEXUAL SPACES

Dating apps are the new gay bars — more than 75 percent of same-sex couples met online — so telling gay bosses or college profs they can’t go on dating apps because their gay male students or underlings might be on them means condemning gay bosses and profs to celibacy. Bosses and profs shouldn’t flirt with their students and underlings, of course, and it might be a good idea to block ’em when you spot ’em — so you won’t be tempted by their profiles/torsos and they won’t be tempted by yours — but gay bosses and profs are free to look for dick on dating apps. On the Lovecast, where do kinks come from? Dr. Justin Lehmiller on the science of desire: savagelovecast.com.

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