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INSIDE: NOW OPEN / ON THE LINE / LOCAL FLAVOR + FOOD DRINK

EXPLORE THE TASTES OF CHARLOTTE

The Quail of 2 Chiles dish is hot fried quail with pickled celery on top of a warm blue cheese biscuit.

NOW OPEN FROM BEALE STREET TO THE BAYOU

Leah & Louise celebrates Delta culture and cuisine

BY TAYLOR BOWLER PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER TAYLOR

NEW RESTAURANTS o en promise a concept unlike anything we’ve seen in Charlotte—and sometimes pull it o . Conveyor belt sushi was unexpected. Barbecue and Asian cuisine was a surprisingly good mash-up. Gaming venues are having a moment. But a Memphis-style juke joint that serves river chips and hot fried quail? This one lives up to its promise.

Sous chef Tchnavia “Tché” Carter (above). Smoked lamb rib (top right) and dirty grits (bottom right).

LEAH & LOUISE

301 Camp Rd., Ste. 101 (980) 309-0690 leahandlouise.com

WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY: 5-10 p.m.

Editor’s Note: Leah & Louise will announce its public grand opening via Instagram. As this issue went to press, the restaurant offered curbside pick-up and delivery via Postmates and Uber Eats from 4 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. The prices above reflect those on the online ordering menu.

Leah & Louise is the third concept from husband-and-wife team Greg and Subrina Collier and the rst restaurant to open in Camp North End. They were on track for a grand opening in late March until COVID19 hit, forcing them to halt dine-in service before they opened their doors to the public. Prior to the bar and restaurant closures, the Colliers hosted a few private events in their new space. At press time, they were limited to takeout and delivery orders.

The Memphis natives—who had to temporarily close their other venture, Uptown Yolk, as well—spent close to a year renovating the 1,800-square-foot space. They named it a er Greg’s late sister and grandmother and modeled it a er a “juke joint,” a place African-Americans would go for “booze and blues” in the Deep South beginning in the Jim Crow era. The décor takes a use-what-you’ve-got approach, with mismatched dishes, whitewashed oak tabletops, and reupholstered church pews that function as booths along the back wall. A long communal table in the center seats 14, and the booths and patio seating accommodate an additional 44. (That’s it, 58 seats total, so make a reservation.)

Greg, the James Beard-nominated chef and Soul Food Sessions co-founder, serves dishes inspired by the Lower Mississippi River Valley soul food he grew up with. (Think Memphis, mainly.) The one-page menu starts with a “Bar None” section of small-ish shareable plates like River Chips ($6), the fried chicken skins he perfected at Lo & Cellar, his previous uptown restaurant. The Roll Up ($5) is a thick slice of cornmeal brioche with black garlic butter, a decadent but not-too- lling starter for a party of two.

For a true taste of the Delta, order the Quail of 2 Chiles ($16), hot fried quail with pickled celery on top of a warm blue cheese biscuit you won’t want to share. The Black Sheep ($16) is a sweetand-savory mash-up of smoked lamb rib topped with boiled peanuts and sweet potato “pickliz.” If you still have room, try the Dirty Grits ($7) with smoked mushrooms—and get them with fried livers

(Left) Pastry sous chef Jasmine Macon makes a crepe cake (above, left), layered with butternut crepes and sunchoke butter cream, topped with applesauce and pecan crumbles. The Arthur Lou tart (above, right) has an oatmeal crust and ginger meringue.

for an additional $5. The “Shugahs” section has treats like the Arthur Lou ($8), a Tang tart with ginger meringue and oatmeal crust, and the Crepe Cake ($8), a pear fritter with cardamom whipped cream.

Look for a rotating PWYC (“pay what you can”) dish, which the Colliers include so every patron can enjoy a great meal regardless of their social or nancial status. At the bar, mixologist Justin Hazelton serves seasonal cocktails and low-to-no-ABV drinks. Guests can also head next door to Free Range Brewing for a beer and order food from Leah & Louise’s bar menu.

The Colliers hired sous chef Tchnavia “Tché” Carter and pastry sous chef Jasmine Macon in their ongoing e ort to give a platform to more black women in the hospitality industry. Everything about this restaurant feels like an extension of this couple, and in a time when we could all use an escape—mental or culinary—this restaurant transports you to a di erent place and time.

Don’t leave without trying: The Farro Cookie ($6), which looks like a standard chocolate chip cookie but actually combines wheat spices, smoked pumpkin, and white chocolate chips. (Above) Chef and co-owner Greg Collier. (Left) The Farro Cookie.